Aug. 17th -24th....food preservation thread

[herb girl]

Hey everybody, great, productive week last week. What's on your agenda for this weeks canning adventures?

I'd like to hear from people who dehydrate too! Never did it but would like to learn.

[GAGardenGirl]

I'm curious about dehydrating too. I was wondering if dehydrated carrots are any good in soups? What's the consistency like? Or is it better to blanch and freeze them?

Last night, I canned 5 pints of pasta sauce, 1 pint of jalapeno slices, and 4 pints of sweet pickle relish. I also made 5 bags of pita bread and 4 pizza doughs to freeze. It makes for easy, quick meals.

[SpaceAge]

Hey everybody, great, productive week last week. What's on your agenda for this weeks canning adventures?

I'd like to hear from people who dehydrate too! Never did it but would like to learn.

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yeah , I think that's part of the plan around here this week ...

we inherited some apples and we wanna try using the dehydrator to make the Sun-Dried-Tomatoes this time , so I guess they'll be Air-Dried Tomatoes ...

apples are tasty , I've got one of those correr , peeler , slicer thingies you crank the handle on , make a bowl with sugar water , dip slices in sugar water , sprinkle on sugar / cinnamon w/ shaker , spray racks lightly OUTSIDE with PAM , place slices on trays , rotate trays every 30 minutes till almost done ... uplug & let sit overnight

if kids are around a whole batch won't even last a day , forget kids , If I'm around they won't last a day. :rolleyes:

[herb girl]

We are making summer squash pickles since we've run out of cukes and have monster summer squash in the garden.

Also, drying herbs and daughter is making an herbal oil infusion today

[norcalmom]

This week I have dehydrated yellow and green zucchini's and onions. I just finished the onions and my eyes are watering like crazy. Today I made a batch of Jalapeno Jelly. Yesterday I froze several cups of blackberries. The next few days will be busy with blanching then freezing stir fry mixes, making salsa and jalapeno jelly, dehydrating more veggies, and picking more blackberries and apricots.

[herb girl]

Welcome Norcalmom,

How do you use your zukes that are dehydrated? I think freezing a stir fry mix is a great idea?



SO I-diggers? Are you just tired of posting your kitchen exploits or are you not as busy this week? :)

[spud]

Did 6 quarts of spagetti sauce, 3 1/2 gallons of tomato juice in the freezer, crocked up some green bean, green tomatoes, and cukes. Picked and froze a bunch of blueberries last week. Plan on freezing up some green beans and zuchinni this coming week also. Would to two more batches of spagetti sauce and some salsa if mators keep coming.

[propercocker]

started my first crock of kimchi
tomatoes starting to come out of my ears...need to do some salsa...

[norcalmom]

[QUOTE=herb girl;339398]Welcome Norcalmom,

How do you use your zukes that are dehydrated? I think freezing a stir fry mix is a great idea?
QUOTE]

I use them in breads and muffins. I re-hydrate them in orange or apple juice before adding to the bread/muffin mix. Another use is to break them up into small pieces and add to spaghetti and fettichini sauces. It adds texture to the sauce without the family knowing they are eating it.

For the stir fry mixes, I blanch the veggies, drain them well, then seal them in a food saver bag. I usually use Zin, carrots, and broccoli. Its really easy to defrost and cook with more veggies that I have available at the time.

[herb girl]

propercrocker, I've always wanted to try kimchi! Maybe I'll make a plan and get to it next year.

nocalmom, what's "zin"?

[herb girl]

Hey all, I'm about to make fermented green beans! Wish me well............
It's uncharted territory for me (have made other fermented foods.) Maybe Ana will chime in......

[ratdog]

Today,10 pints pickled beets.:D

[norcalmom]

nocalmom, what's "zin"?

Oops, I should have written Zen, its an oriental green used for stir fry. Its very much like Pak Choy. I am participating in a church garden, as well as my home garden. The church garden has several rows of Zen, its really good. I think I will plant some at home next year.

[lorna-organic]

I made a carrot cake today. Turns out I made twice as much frosting as was needed for this cake. Does anybody know what I can do with a large excess quantity of cream cheese frosting? Can I freeze it? Could it possibly, somehow, be turned into fudge?

[SpaceAge]

Today,10 pints pickled beets.:D

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What brine / recipe do you use ...? :eek::rolleyes::confused::D

[Old man Pete]

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yeah , I think that's part of the plan around here this week ...

we inherited some apples and we wanna try using the dehydrator to make the Sun-Dried-Tomatoes this time , so I guess they'll be Air-Dried Tomatoes ...

apples are tasty , I've got one of those correr , peeler , slicer thingies you crank the handle on , make a bowl with sugar water , dip slices in sugar water , sprinkle on sugar / cinnamon w/ shaker , spray racks lightly OUTSIDE with PAM , place slices on trays , rotate trays every 30 minutes till almost done ... uplug & let sit overnight

if kids are around a whole batch won't even last a day , forget kids , If I'm around they won't last a day. :rolleyes:

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I don't think you can make dried tomatoes from apples. Ain't that kind of like making pecan pies with walnuts?

[axhandle]

Hey all, I'm about to make fermented green beans! Wish me well............
It's uncharted territory for me (have made other fermented foods.) Maybe Ana will chime in......

Be careful in every step, C. Botulinum is a killer--even tasting the batch.

Ax

[ratdog]

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What brine / recipe do you use ...? :eek::rolleyes::confused::D

2 cups sugar,1 tablespoon whole allspice,1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt,3 and 1/2 cups vinegar,1 and 1/2 cups water,3 quarts peeled,cooked beets,2 sticks cinnamon.

Wash and drain beets. Leave 2 inches of stems and tap roots. Cover and cook until tender. We then drain beets and dump in sink of cool water, then remove skins, steams and roots. Combine all ingredients,except beets,simmer 15 minutes. Pack beets into hot jars,leaving 1/2 inch head space.[Cut larger beets smaller if necessary.] Remove cinnamon. Pour hot brine over beets leaving 1/2 inch head space. Apply caps and rings. Process pints and quarts 30 minutes in boiling water bath. Makes 6 pints. After simmering brine you may want to taste it and adjust ingredients to your liking.

[ratdog]

Today I packed 8 pounds of shredded cabbage into my crock. 4 to 6 weeks and I will have sauerkraut.:D
http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j265/emmettken/IMGP1538.jpg

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j265/emmettken/IMGP1539.jpg

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j265/emmettken/IMGP1541.jpg

[bluelacedredhead]

I bought a 1/2 bushel of peaches today. I have the dehydrator full of slices now, I've eaten so many I think I might be ill and it still looks like I've barely made a dent in the box.

Tomorrow, when more have softened up sufficiently, I intend to make more jam. Then what? lol

[bluelacedredhead]

I made a carrot cake today. Turns out I made twice as much frosting as was needed for this cake. Does anybody know what I can do with a large excess quantity of cream cheese frosting? Can I freeze it? Could it possibly, somehow, be turned into fudge?

Lorna,
I'm curious? What became of the Cream Cheese Frosting?? Personally, I would have just sat down with a spoon and devoured it. Did you find something a little more creative than that to make use of it?;)

[Dara77]

I have a huge laundry basket full of pears and have so far canned 2 quarts is all, waiting on them to ripen. My parents just brought me two banana boxes full of yellow straight squash! So far about 3 quarts and 4 pints of pickles done tonite, will work on more tommorrow.

[lorna-organic]

The icing is probably destined for the garbage, BlueLaced. I can't figure out what to do with it. Actually, let me go stick it in the freezer right now. I don't know if it can be successfully frozen, but at least that will be an attempt not to be wasteful.

[SpaceAge]

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I don't think you can make dried tomatoes from apples. Ain't that kind of like making pecan pies with walnuts?

yeah , I worded that pretty poorly ... DOH !

[bluelacedredhead]

Lorna, I googled your query. With one exception, all the answers said that Cream Cheese frosting actually freezes well. Just defrost it slowly and whip it up again before use. Now we both know (says she who would still prefer just to eat the leftover, lol)
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/565796

[lorna-organic]

I'll give you a BIG SPOON, BlueLaced, dig in. :) Thanks a lot. I wouldn't have thought to whip it up again, and it is good to know that freezing is a good option. That's great.

[mjc]

Froze half a bushel of corn, 14 quarts of peaches, 7 pints of peach jam, froze a quart of peas and 3 more pints of elderberry jelly.

[SpaceAge]

Froze half a bushel of corn, 14 quarts of peaches, 7 pints of peach jam, froze a quart of peas and 3 more pints of elderberry jelly.

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.......uhhh ... I hope you had an army of helpers with all of that !!! :eek::rolleyes::confused:

[mjc]

Yeah...the same army that's going to eat it all...my kids.

[SusieF]

Hi propercroker and herb girl, I recently made kimchi for my son who learned to love it while he stayed in Korea. He said that I did it just right, which was surprising because I had never heard of it before his trip. Personally, I like kimchi pancakes best.

[erdrasher]

kimchi pancakes!:eek::D

Yesterday DH and I froze lots of whole tomatoes, made white and red tomato sauce which we also froze, oven dried some tomatoes too, made jalapeno jelly, pickles, and then collapsed in a heap on the couch.

[GreyMoon9]

well, this last week froze some chopped tomatoes.. gee, I feel like a slacker, lol.

[evilsunflower]

I made 14 pints of bread and butter pickles last night! That's in addition to the four quarts of dills and one quart, three pints of weird lemon cucumber pickle slices.

Hope everything turns out OK. I cannot find mustard seed in any store around here for any price. Apparently I'm not the only one with the pickle idea. Think ground mustard will taste alright as a substitute?

Not that I really care, I hate pickles in general and the people I give them too are generally too polite to tell me if they suck. The poor folks keep asking for more, apparently not realizing that I take them seriously!

[lalbers]

No ripe tomatoes (sad face), lots of green ones tho- so when my killer frost hits in october, you guys are gonna have to help mme come up with something for bushels and bushels of green maters. Been blanching and freezing kale, chard, spinach, zukes, made 2 doz. pints of zuke bread and butter pickles, grating zukes, freezing, got them everywhere! I'm to lazy to look, and gotta go shock my kale, but wasn't there a link to a whole slew of zucchini recipies a few months ago? Tomorrow gonna blanch and freeze black palm tree cabbage that doesn't make heads- just leaves!!!! No saeurkraut this year

[Dara77]

I canned 10 quarts and 9 pints of pears today, mostly just canned them in pineapple juice, but some were canned in my parent's Honey Pear wine with some sugar, OH YUM! They were awesome!!

[older than dirt]

Froze 3 gal Okra .
1 quart & 1 pint of pickled eggs. Have mostly full size hens & sell eggs but allso have a few bantums that lay more than we can use sometimes & dont sell well so pickled eggs
I'm about done puting up okra for this year. We are eating fryed okra every other day to.

[gardencrazy]

Finally have something to talk about here! I made 14 half pints of apple pie jam yesterday and I'm cooking down salsa to can right now.

[pepperhead212]

Something I have WAY too much of (if there is such a thing!) this season is tomatillos! I already have about as much frozen as I always get in the freezer, so I am thinking of dehydrating. Has anyone here ever done this? I'll try one tray of them with all those peppers I have to do, and see how much water is in them, and what they reduce down to. I'll keep you posted as to my drying results, as well as trying them in a salsa after rehydrating.

[propercocker]

I did 9 pints of hot pepper butter yesterday. While I was hunting for jars I discovered I have oodles of salsa, so no more of that this year...