What Are You Preserving, and How Are You Doing It? (2016–)

[JohnT]

24 minutes ago, heidih said:

Shelby - it is a packaged product like this  https://www.walmart.com/ip/Dr.-Oetker-Vanilla-Sugar-1.88-oz-Pack-of-12/19475071

 

You have to be kidding - 12 x 9g packs of vanilla sugar for $25!!!!!!! That is basically a total of 24 teaspoons of sugar!

 

I have a jar in which I keep 750g of standard white granulated sugar with two vanilla beans which produces the vanilla sugar I need for more than a years use - total cost about 5 cents per teaspoon and not around $1 per teaspoon. Just get a glass jar, add a vanilla bean or two, fill with standard granulated white sugar and leave at the back of a cupboard until needed. Vanilla sugar is not an often used item, so it will last years. And the longer it sits, the better it matures!

[Shelby]

Ok, so it's vanilla flavored granulated sugar.  I have vanilla beans, so I'll just use one of those.  I was concerned that if it was more like powdered sugar that it would affect the consistency somehow.

 

Thanks, guys!

[heidih]

As I recall it is more powder than granulated but I wouldn't stress on it.  We always kept  shaker of powdered sugar with a vanilla bean inside to dust over baked goods. I didn't know what vanilla extract was until we started baking American recipes. 

[ElsieD]

@Shelby Just take some granulated sugar and run it through your blender or food processor and you will end up with powdered sugar.

[Shelby]

Ok, the first tester batch is done.  @ninagluck 's recipe makes about a quart jar full.  I followed the recipe to a "t" except for the vanilla sugar.  I ended up using a TB of just regular sugar and scraping a vanilla bean.  I also threw the bean itself into the nog to flavor it up more.  Hopefully the alcohol doesn't disintegrate it lol.

 

You guys, this stuff is GOOD--and VERY strong lol.  I took a little sip right after I made it.  It was pretty good.  However, after sitting overnight, it's SO SO good.  I can't imagine how it will be in a few weeks  

 

I did a lot of googling yesterday and I think in german it's called eierlikör (Nina or someone correct me if I'm wrong).  My brother-in-law absolutely loves Germany and went there twice during his active military years.  So, I'm hoping he maybe tried this over there and it will bring back some nice memories when I give him some for Christmas.  I also think I should put a warning on the back that says not to drink too much LOL.  I saw several different variations of this recipe.  Some using evaporated milk which made it a lot thicker than what my batch was.  @ninagluck since I've never had the pleasure of drinking this, your recipe is on the more runny side, right?

 

 

[JohnT]

Well done @Shelby! That is real "zoomdoof" - the "zoom" is the motion of it going down the gullet and the "doof" is the sound your body makes when you try to stand up and your legs can no longer support the upper torso

 

Mine should be be in the making in a week or two when the alcohol arrives at the pharmacy. It has been a PITA to obtain the alcohol as they are only allowed to sell it with a script here. I eventually looked up an old friend who used to supply all my medical needs for my ships medical kit who simply asked "how many litres do you want". So, I have a litre on order. Hick!

Edited November 20, 2016 by JohnT
Correct the "autocorrect" (log)

[Shelby]

8 minutes ago, JohnT said:

Well done @Shelby! That is real "zoomdoof" - the "zoom" is the motion of it going down the gullet and the "doof" is the sound your body makes when you try to stand up and your legs can no longer support the upper torso

 

Mine should be be in the making in a week or two when the alcohol arrives at the pharmacy. It has been a PITA to obtain the alcohol as they are only allowed to sell it with a script here. I eventually looked up an old friend who used to supply all my medical needs for my ships medical kit who simply asked "how many leaders do you want". So, I have a litre on order. Hick!

I like that...zoomdoof!  A new word for me!

 

Such a foreign concept to have to order the alcohol and have a script from a pharmacy.  I'm glad you found some!

[FrogPrincesse]

Orange & passion jam (recipe from Christine Ferber). There aren't too many fruit suitable/exciting for jam-making right now, so I was super happy to find great-looking passion fruit at the farmers' market this weekend. The jam set after ~ 20 minutes of boiling, but it was a fairly loose set. If it had been for me I would have been fine with it, but since I am planning to sell them at a small market in a few weeks, I ended up recooking it for about 10 minutes (and lost 1 full jar in the process due to evaporation, etc).

All the fruit is local & organic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited to add:

The Valencia oranges are from Polito Farms, which is one of the best citrus growers I have access to.

Edited November 23, 2016 by FrogPrincesse (log)

[Okanagancook]

Awesome FP

and as an side thank you for all your entries on EatOurBooks

[Shelby]

In the never-ending quest to use up jalapeños..........I bring you jalapeño-cranberry jam.  It's tart/sweet and spicy.  Will be good over the usual cream cheese and super good with foie or duck or goose etc.

 

It's cloudy today so I can't get the picture to show the pretty burgundy color.  Should look very Christmasy when put with the green pickled jalapeños, the yellow jalapeño mustard etc.

 

[Shelby]

Now you can see the pretty color

 

[FauxPas]

2 hours ago, Shelby said:

.I bring you jalapeño-cranberry jam.  It's tart/sweet and spicy.

 

Mmmm! This really sounds tasty, and looks lovely, too. Good job, Shelby! 

[chromedome]

On 21/11/2016 at 10:59 PM, FrogPrincesse said:

 

 

 

 

I always wind up straining the seeds out of anything I make with passion fruit, now that I'm not "restauranting" any more. I'm not a fan of crunchy seeds (even with pomegranate I spit 'em out) and the unfortunate resemblance to frog eggs doesn't help.

[Anna N]

@Shelby

 

This (stuffing fritters and jalapeno dipping sauce)  looks like it might be a perfect post-Thanksgiving munchie.   You came to mind the minute I spotted it.

[ninagluck]

@Shelby I'm so glad you liked it,and yes it is"Eierlikör",but the real one ;-) the flavour gets better over the next weeks,trust me,don't try too much! I will try to make some christmas cookies and treats using that stuff

Edited November 24, 2016 by ninagluck (log)

[Shelby]

1 hour ago, Anna N said:

@Shelby

 

This (stuffing fritters and jalapeno dipping sauce)  looks like it might be a perfect post-Thanksgiving munchie.   You came to mind the minute I spotted it.

Oh that does look good!  I do love me some stuffing....might have to try this out.  Thanks!

[Shelby]

1 hour ago, ninagluck said:

@Shelby I'm so glad you liked it,and yes it is"Eierlikör",but the real one ;-) the flavour gets better over the next weeks,trust me,don't try too much! I will try to make some christmas cookies and treats using that stuff

 

I had to take a smallllll little taste yesterday...just for quality purposes lol.  I'm very impressed with it.  I'm so glad you shared your recipe   

[FrogPrincesse]

15 hours ago, chromedome said:

 

I always wind up straining the seeds out of anything I make with passion fruit, now that I'm not "restauranting" any more. I'm not a fan of crunchy seeds (even with pomegranate I spit 'em out) and the unfortunate resemblance to frog eggs doesn't help.

Frog eggs? That's a good thing, right?

 

The original recipe didn't call for straining the seeds out. I considered it briefly, but since there are also orange slices in there, I thought it looked fine visually. There aren't that many seeds per jar and the crunch doesn't bother me, I think it's interesting and shows that I used real fruit... Also if it's good enough for Ferber, it works for me (see her version here).

 

Edited November 25, 2016 by FrogPrincesse (log)

[chromedome]

I would have done the same, in that context (I left them in the passionfruit sauce I made for my coconut-cream ice cream, for instance, when I had my restaurant). Those who don't mind the seeds can crunch 'em, those who want to can pick 'em out. 

 

They do definitely add to the visual appeal. 

[shain]

Candied orange peels. The Shamouti oranges from our tree are almost as much rind as they are pulp. They are no much good for juice, though are great for eating. The tick rinds

makes lovely biteable candies.

My favorite is chocolate covered peels, but I don't think I have the patience to temper chocolate right now.

I've thrown some mandarin peels in there as well - let's say I'm lucky they didn't flavor the oranges, their peels are no good (though they do make the best juice, in a small chilled glass, it's almost like drinking a shot of liquor, so sharp, acidic and sweet that it burns in the throat).

 

 

Edited November 26, 2016 by shain (log)

[FrogPrincesse]

It's only the beginning of kumquat season so they are still hard to find (or expensive). But I've been having a craving for bitter citrus marmalade. The closest thing I can find right now is calmondins (aka calamansi) which I finally decided to experiment with. I received a Buddha's Hand in my CSA this week, so I decided to improvise and make a Calamondin & Buddha's Hand marmalade. I also used the juice of half a dozen clementines.

It was a small batch and I cooked it in my large jam pot, and it was the fastest marmalade I've ever made. It was set in less than 30 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 27, 2016 by FrogPrincesse (log)

[ChocoMom]

All the lovely colors here remind me of summer!  Its all so beautiful!   So, my contribution to this thread isn't going to have pics attached, because, well....canned venison really isn't all that lovely looking.  But, that is what I've been up to. Opening day was Nov 15 up here, and on the 18th, hubby got his buck.  After a mere 20 minutes up there, a large, well-nourished, 6 pointer wandered right under the blind, and just stood there. It was almost too easy.  But, this has got to be the largest one in 14  years. I've never seen one with so much fat.   

Without much freezer space, I am pressure canning meats right now. So, I took about a tsp of powdered beef bullion, sliced some onions, and added a little of the GFS turkey bacon, then packed the venison in. I topped it with a bit more of the bullion/onion/bacon mixture and let it go for 90 minutes at 10#.   It is amazing.  I've got quite a bit left to can- but it  is well worth the time and effort.  

[Shelby]

10 hours ago, ChocoMom said:

All the lovely colors here remind me of summer!  Its all so beautiful!   So, my contribution to this thread isn't going to have pics attached, because, well....canned venison really isn't all that lovely looking.  But, that is what I've been up to. Opening day was Nov 15 up here, and on the 18th, hubby got his buck.  After a mere 20 minutes up there, a large, well-nourished, 6 pointer wandered right under the blind, and just stood there. It was almost too easy.  But, this has got to be the largest one in 14  years. I've never seen one with so much fat.   

Without much freezer space, I am pressure canning meats right now. So, I took about a tsp of powdered beef bullion, sliced some onions, and added a little of the GFS turkey bacon, then packed the venison in. I topped it with a bit more of the bullion/onion/bacon mixture and let it go for 90 minutes at 10#.   It is amazing.  I've got quite a bit left to can- but it  is well worth the time and effort.  

OMG this is perfect timing!!!  I bought a pressure canner over the summer with this exact goal in mind.  Season starts Dec. 1st here.  I'd love to see pictures!!

Do you open and eat it such as you would a roast?  How do you reheat it?  I'm so excited to try this.

[ChocoMom]

@Shelby

One of my friends, a retired nurse, got me hooked on this. When our house burned down in February, she and her husband stocked the pantry over here at the condo, and in it- she put canned beef and canned chicken that she had pressure canned herself. (Ironically, the beef she canned was the same beef she bought from us in the fall!)  This is all pretty easy - now that I've done it. Not nearly as intimidating as I thought. 

First, run your jars through the hot rinse cycle on the dishwasher to sterilize them.  Next, add a tsp of salt to the quart jar. Then, pack in your raw meat- I cut it into roughly 1" chunks, sometimes larger. I add in sliced onions and beef bullion. Put your lids on, and then the rims. Set in the canner, and the canner should have I think about 3 quarts of water in the bottom. I can fit 7 quarts in at a time. You get it up to 10pounds of pressure and hold it there for 90 minutes. I turn the stove off, and just let it depressurize overnight, and take the jars out in the morning.  That's just the basics.  The venison is done exactly the same as the beef. And, you almost can't tell the difference. 

 

I did get some organic grass fed beef at the store in October- on sale. With almost no freezer space, I ended up canning. I wanted beef-veggie soup that was ready to eat. So, I put beef bullion in the bottom of the jar, added in about 2c of beef cubes, then added a mixture of carrot chunks, potatoes, celery and onion, then more meat and dash more bullion powder. I canned it just like that. I opened one a week or so later for my husband's lunch, and he said it was the best he ever had.  I did plain beef and plain chicken - only adding salt in.  My in laws were able to easily shred it up, add BBQ sauce, and make pulled beef and pulled chicken sandwiches. I'll see what pics I can find. But, I will say that once you try it, you'll be hooked!!

[Martin Fisher]

23 hours ago, ChocoMom said:

....canned venison really isn't all that lovely looking.

 Yeah!

 

23 hours ago, ChocoMom said:

 After a mere 20 minutes up there

I was just as lucky the last time I dispatched a deer.....I was back at the barn milking cows shortly afterward...less than an hour into season.

 

We grew up on canned venison, beef, etc.