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

[Margaret Pilgrim]

We like to serve black cherry compote with a cheese platter.    Missing our local season, I snagged a couple of pounds of Bings from Washington state.   

Pitted

Done

[ElsieD]

Has anyone ever dehydrated strawberries?  If you have, can you share how you prepped them and the temperature and length of time you dehydrated them?

[Shelby]

@ElsieD  I'm sorry that I didn't see this until now--I'm sure it's too late, but maybe for future reference.  I have not dehydrated strawberries myself, but the book that came with my Excalibur dehydrator says that strawberries are very good for dehydrating.  They instruct as follows:

 

1.  Wash, cut off caps, and slice 1/4"-3/8" thick

2.  Dry at 135F/57C until leathery and crisp.

[Shelby]

My basil plant is just starting to bolt so I thought I better get a move on so I could get some pesto in the freezer.  Ronnie doesn't have a big liking for pesto so I freeze it in very small amounts for my personal use --I sneak it in his food once in a while though.  Don't tell on me.

 

[kayb]

Good use for pesto-- mix with a soft, mild cheese. Pound chicken cutlets thin, spread with pesto/cheese mix, roll up, secure with toothpicks and roast at 350. Cool. Slice 1/2 inch thick. Alternate with slices of tomato, drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Edited July 26, 2019 by kayb (log)

[BeeZee]

Another use for freezer pesto...if you freeze some in small "blobs" then put them in a container for storage...when you make a soup like minestrone or tomato, drop one in to your bowl and swirl it in!

[TicTac]

@Shelby & any other pesto makers.

 

If you have access and are able, a mortar and pestle makes a far superior end product than a food processor ever could.

 

I believe it has something to do with the way the cell walls are broken down which creates a different result.

 

We noticed the same thing when making ramp oil and pesto years ago - ever since, my arm has gotten quite a workout!

 

 

[Shelby]

Busy time of year, as usual. 

 

Yesterday I picked a lot of our Nirvana sweet corn.  Sat in the driveway with a beer or two and shucked it all (ahhhhhh summer  ).

 

\

Brought a huge pot of salted water to boiling and blanched the corn for 3 minutes and straight into an ice water bath.

 

Meanwhile, Ronnie was in the garage making me this corn holder thingy to make it easier to scrape the corn off

 

LOVE my Vacmaster.  Can't say that enough

 

Also, made the corn stock from Deep Run Roots and put a couple tubs in the freezer

 

Getting a lot of cherry/grape tomatoes so I'm excited about that.   Sliced in half and drizzled with olive oil and sea salt.  I like to dry them a bit in the CSO-- a couple hours or so at 250F--sometimes at 225F if I'm not in a big hurry.  

Done and I keep them in the fridge covered in olive oil.  Delicious in the middle of winter on a salad or pizza.

 

[rotuts]

@Shelby

 

you are going to die and go to Heaven when you taste that Vac's corn

 

in the winter.

 

do the tomatoes really keep that long in the refrig ?

[Shelby]

8 minutes ago, rotuts said:

@Shelby

 

you are going to die and go to Heaven when you taste that Vac's corn

 

in the winter.

 

do the tomatoes really keep that long in the refrig ?

As long as they are covered in the oil--I've not died yet and have had some for at least 8 months to a year.

[TicTac]

They can be kept frozen even longer!

 

I too do the same (I often will confit the cherry's and save them in their oil frozen for well over a year).

 

 

[Smithy]

9 minutes ago, TicTac said:

They can be kept frozen even longer!

 

I too do the same (I often will confit the cherry's and save them in their oil frozen for well over a year).

 

 

 

I've kept mine for up to a year in the freezer. I'd keep it longer, but I go through it too fast.

[Okanagancook]

I just used my last container from last year.  I know what I am doing tomorrow.

[TicTac]

Figured I would pop in here with a find -

 

@Shelby reminded me to make pesto with her post above, so I did.  Unfortunately no pine nuts at home, so I substituted roasted cashews, and I have to tell you, I think it might be even better!!!

 

Question for you pickle makers out there...

 

When creating your brine, do you add any vinegar do the liquid, and if so - how much?

 

Furthermore; an interesting discussion came up between my uncle and I (one of the people who I learned much of what I know about cooking from) as he noted in his experiments as of late that he believes KOSHER salt is required for proper preservation and sea salt alone will not suffice.  Not sure if anyone has any thoughts on the matter...

 

 

 

 

[chromedome]

10 minutes ago, TicTac said:

Furthermore; an interesting discussion came up between my uncle and I (one of the people who I learned much of what I know about cooking from) as he noted in his experiments as of late that he believes KOSHER salt is required for proper preservation and sea salt alone will not suffice.  Not sure if anyone has any thoughts on the matter...

 

I haven't used sea salt myself, but the theoretical position is that coarse salt (whether kosher or "pickling") is more or less pure, whereas the (random, unpredictable) trace elements in sea salt may make your brine murky or alter the appearance of your pickles.

[TicTac]

1 minute ago, chromedome said:

I haven't used sea salt myself, but the theoretical position is that coarse salt (whether kosher or "pickling") is more or less pure, whereas the (random, unpredictable) trace elements in sea salt may make your brine murky or alter the appearance of your pickles.

Interesting.  Or perhaps is not as strong as kosher or pickling....due to its unrefined nature?

 

Experimentation is needed.

[Shelby]

Did two more CSO trays full of cherry tomatoes to put in olive oil yesterday.  

 

Also made some more zucchini butter.  Loving this stuff.  Uses up a lot of squash and freezes well.  I like knowing I'll have some in the dead of winter.

 

This big ole pan

 

Cooks down to this

 

Added some basil from the garden this time, too.

 

And, put up 4 quarts of tomatoes.    Always nice to get the first can of the summer out of the way with no exploding jars or non-sealing lids.

 

 

[SLB]

On 7/28/2019 at 12:26 PM, Shelby said:

Also, made the corn stock from Deep Run Roots and put a couple tubs in the freezer

 

Is the DRR corn stock sweet-tasting?  Does it sub well for general-use vegetable stock?

 

I eat corn on the cob about twice a year, and may aim to collect the cobs this year for this, but I can't deal with sweet-anything in the stock.  That said, the one Vivian Howard recipe I made was so excellent -- the butterbean burger -- that I'm inclined to trust her.  

[Shelby]

1 hour ago, SLB said:

 

Is the DRR corn stock sweet-tasting?  Does it sub well for general-use vegetable stock?

 

I eat corn on the cob about twice a year, and may aim to collect the cobs this year for this, but I can't deal with sweet-anything in the stock.  That said, the one Vivian Howard recipe I made was so excellent -- the butterbean burger -- that I'm inclined to trust her.  

Mine wasn't sweet at all.  Very corn-y.  Subbed perfect for veg. stock.  

[Shelby]

Hoarded enough beans to pressure can yesterday

 

[lemniscate]

This week: 

I found hi-test Everclear on sale, so my first foray into @ninagluck's eggnog.  

 

Near future:

I am seriously planning on brining the olives off my neighbor's tree this year.  That will be a 6 month commitment according to all the info I can access (youtube, county extensions from CA, etc...)

 

Any olives that don't make it into the brine are going to be turned into olive oil with the help of a vintage juice press I bought off a beekeeper.   Grand experiments.

[Shelby]

4 hours ago, lemniscate said:

This week: 

I found hi-test Everclear on sale, so my first foray into @ninagluck's eggnog.  

 

Near future:

I am seriously planning on brining the olives off my neighbor's tree this year.  That will be a 6 month commitment according to all the info I can access (youtube, county extensions from CA, etc...)

 

Any olives that don't make it into the brine are going to be turned into olive oil with the help of a vintage juice press I bought off a beekeeper.   Grand experiments.

You will love the eggnog.  

 

Major jealous of the olives and the press!

[Margaret Pilgrim]

On July 30, 2019 at 4:48 PM, TicTac said:

Interesting.  Or perhaps is not as strong as kosher or pickling....due to its unrefined nature?

 

Experimentation is needed.

I believe the important thing is quantity.   When switching among various  salts, compare apples to apples by measuring by weight rather than volume.

[lemniscate]

2 hours ago, Shelby said:

You will love the eggnog.  

 

Hoo Boy!  Yoush arnt kiddddingg.  That stchuff is tash-ty, even fresshhh.

[kayb]

6 hours ago, Shelby said:

You will love the eggnog.  

 

Major jealous of the olives and the press!

 

The eggnog is seriously good stuff.

 

I am fascinated by the potential to brine olives and press olive oil. Would almost be enough to entice me to move to CA.

 

Please report.

 

I am preserving nothing, at least so far, since the move has occurred in the middle of gardening season. The good news is, I still have two (small) freezers and a pantry full of canned goods left from last year.