What Are You Preserving, and How Are You Doing It? (2006 - 2016)

[kayb]

I eat yellow squash at least twice a week in the summer. I love it sauteed with onion, in just a bit of olive oil; I love it brushed with olive oil and grilled; I ike to steam it with onion and then stir it up with eggs, cheese and cracker crumbs and bake. I shave it into ribbons along with zucchini, steam it, toss it in butter and tarragon. I will, if prevailed upon, bread and fry it. I agree, I've never found any good way to preserve it, though.

[FauxPas]

I eat yellow squash at least twice a week in the summer. I love it sauteed with onion, in just a bit of olive oil; I love it brushed with olive oil and grilled; I ike to steam it with onion and then stir it up with eggs, cheese and cracker crumbs and bake. I shave it into ribbons along with zucchini, steam it, toss it in butter and tarragon. I will, if prevailed upon, bread and fry it. I agree, I've never found any good way to preserve it, though.

 

Yellow squash can make a pretty relish, though. I used to make one similar to this, the red pepper is a nice contrast. Another recipe and picture. 

 

Though of course that won't preserve it close to its original form. 

Edited July 10, 2015 by FauxPas (log)

[Shelby]

I went out on our property and picked some Sand Hill plums yesterday.  I decided to try to make jelly for the first time.  

 

I was nervous that I'd end up with syrup, but it set up nicely.

 

The trick is to pick a lot of not quite ripe plums along with the ripe ones.  The not quite ripe ones contain a lot of pectin.  This recipe is super easy--no pectin needed.

 

 

Plums

 

I couldn't resist taking a picture of this juice.  Such a pretty color.  This is after straining through a tea towel.

 

 

All done

 

 

I'm off to pick more plums.  I now am obsessed with jelly making lol.

[FauxPas]

Gorgeous colour, Shelby! I bet it tastes delicious also. Sounds like it might make a nice glaze for meats as well as toast-topping, etc. Any special plans for using it? 

[Shelby]

Gorgeous colour, Shelby! I bet it tastes delicious also. Sounds like it might make a nice glaze for meats as well as toast-topping, etc. Any special plans for using it? 

Thank you!!!

 

Not really any plans.    I just wanted to see if I could do it and then plum bushes are loaded this year.  

 

I made a comment this morning that I think it would be good mixed with something and slathered on ribs.   It's tart/sweet.

[ElainaA]

I'm pretty sure I used the Jardiniere recipe, and probably bastardized it a little bit by pre-salting.

 

 

Weinoo - Thanks. I always make mixed vegetable mustard pickles but have never tried any other kind. Maybe its time to branch out.

 

Shelby - Your jelly looks lovely. I love the clear colors of jellies.

 

I went cherry picking with a friend on Friday. The sweet cherries were over but there were lots of lovely sour cherries. I picked about twice the amount I intended - it so easy to just keep going and going and going.... So yesterday I spent almost all day processing cherries. Six jars of cherry, raspberry and apple jam (my raspberries are just starting but I actually had some of last year's bumper crop in the freezer) and 5 jars of sour cherry conserve with orange and golden raisins. The first one I have made before and really like. The second is a new recipe for me, Luckily (!) there was just a bit that wouldn't fit in the jars so I had some this morning on toast - I like it . The recipe says to let it age at least a month so maybe it will get even better. 

There were lots more cherries so I made a cherry cake, got a big bowl started candying and froze the rest until I think of what to do with them. 

The pick-your-own place I go to has blueberries starting next week.........That should keep me busy.

 

Elaina

[ElainaA]

 

 

 

I'm off to pick more plums.  I now am obsessed with jelly making lol.

Shelby - One year ,instead of all my jams, I concentrated just multiple kinds of jelly. I always send boxes of preserves and home made candy to my many, many relatives. I think that year I got more comments on the beauty of the preserves than ever before. If you use commercial pectin (and I do for many jellies) it is pretty fool proof. Even with natural pectins it usually works. And it it doesn't jell you just label it syrup. In fact I might just go put some raspberry jelly syrup over some ice cream now.

Elaina

Edited July 12, 2015 by ElainaA (log)

[Shelby]

Shelby - One year ,instead of all my jams, I concentrated just multiple kinds of jelly. I always send boxes of preserves and home made candy to my many, many relatives. I think that year I got more comments on the beauty of the preserves than ever before. If you use commercial pectin (and I do for many jellies) it is pretty fool proof. Even with natural pectins it usually works. And it it doesn't jell you just label it syrup. In fact I might just go put some raspberry jelly syrup over some ice cream now.

Elaina

I bet your jellies were gorgeous.  

 

   I was super worried that mine weren't going to set up and I'd have to call them syrup.  I'll take the syrup, but I really didn't want to fail on my first jelly attempt.

[caroled]

Shelby, your plum jelly is gorgeous!

[Shelby]

Picked a bunch of basil yesterday morning so I could make some pesto for the freezer.

 

[kayb]

I'm presently roasting two quarts of cherry and grape tomatos which, when dry, will go into the freezer on the baking sheets and then, after a couple of hours, into freezer bags. I love to pull them out during the winter for salads, quiches, pizzas, casseroles, sauces, and just about anything else you can name. I'll do a couple more batches before they're gone. 

 

Debating on whether to buy yellow-and-white sweet corn to freeze, or hold out for the Silver Queen white sweet corn I think I can get in August.  May have to hedge my bets.

 

I've frozen some purple-hull and crowder peas already, and will do more before the summer's out. Also need to do a big baking sheet of okra.

 

And I'm about to need a bigger freezer.

[Shelby]

I'm presently roasting two quarts of cherry and grape tomatos which, when dry, will go into the freezer on the baking sheets and then, after a couple of hours, into freezer bags. I love to pull them out during the winter for salads, quiches, pizzas, casseroles, sauces, and just about anything else you can name. I'll do a couple more batches before they're gone. 

 

Debating on whether to buy yellow-and-white sweet corn to freeze, or hold out for the Silver Queen white sweet corn I think I can get in August.  May have to hedge my bets.

 

I've frozen some purple-hull and crowder peas already, and will do more before the summer's out. Also need to do a big baking sheet of okra.

 

And I'm about to need a bigger freezer.

Do you just throw the okra on a tray whole?

[Shelby]

I dried some cherry tomatoes in the oven yesterday to keep in a jar covered with olive oil.

 

 

All those tomatoes and the jar is only this full   I'll be doing some more today.

 

[ElainaA]

Picked a bunch of basil yesterday morning so I could make some pesto for the freezer.

 

photo 1.JPG

That's on my agenda for today. I freeze it in ice cube trays so I can easily adjust the amount I defrost - I have multiple ice cube trays used for nothing else.

 

Since pine nuts have become stratospherically expensive, I have been experimenting with other nuts. Last year it was walnuts but I did not care too much for the result - there was a bitter overtone. This year I'll do some batches with almonds (which I have not used before) and some with pistachios (which I have used for garlic scape pesto and liked). 

 

Those of you who make pesto - what kind of nuts do you use?

 

Elaina

Edited July 19, 2015 by ElainaA (log)

[Shelby]

That's on my agenda for today. I freeze it in ice cube trays so I can easily adjust the amount I defrost - I have multiple ice cube trays used for nothing else.

 

Since pine nuts have become stratospherically expensive, I have been experimenting with other nuts. Last year it was walnuts but I did not care too much for the result - there was a bitter overtone. This year I'll do some batches with almonds (which I have not used before) and some with pistachios (which I have used for garlic scape pesto and liked). 

 

Those of you who make pesto - what kind of nuts do you use?

 

Elaina

I've only used pine nuts.  I think pistachios would be really good!  Hmmmm......cashews might be interesting too........

[heidih]

I agree with Shelby - having used almonds I can tell you I personally found them to be too hard -  though one could soak them a bit I suppose

[cyalexa]

Those of you who make pesto - what kind of nuts do you use?

 

 

 

I use slivered blanched almonds or sunflower seeds. Cashews is a good idea - might try that next.

[ElainaA]

So, 4 ice cube trays of pesto just went into the freezer. Most of it is garlic scape and basil with pistachios. I ran out of both scapes and pistachios before I ran out of basil the the last batch is basil, garlic and almonds, I roasted the almonds and ground them with a little olive oil. 

 

i find prepping the basil a very boring chore. This year I used the Carolina Chocolate Drops as an accompaniment - nothing like fiddle and banjo to keep the energy up. And I found Rhiannon Giddens' tribute to the food she grew up on (Country Girl) something this northern born and bred country woman could identify with. 

Elaina

[kayb]

i've had good luck using walnuts in pesto. And I scored walnuts for $3 a pound at the grocery this week. My basil, though, is not growing really well. But it's finally gotten HOT, so maybe it'll come on.

 

I froze seven pints of sweet corn yesterday. Cut off the corn, cooked about 10 minutes, let it cool and ladled into pint freezer cartons.

[ElainaA]

 

 

I froze seven pints of sweet corn yesterday. Cut off the corn, cooked about 10 minutes, let it cool and ladled into pint freezer cartons.

And, come winter, that corn, frozen fresh, will taste SO much better than anything you can buy!

Elaina

[FauxPas]

We've got too much fresh fruit in the house so I made a little bit of cherry butter. Maybe it should be called jam, but it was mostly fruit with a bit of sugar and cooked down for almost an hour, so I think I would call it a fruit butter. I've never done that with sweet cherries before, but we really liked the result. We had a little bit with some bread and cheese but also added it to ice cream and fresh peaches and that was really tasty. I think it would also be good with pork or chicken. 

 

I started with about 4 cups of pitted cherries and added 1/2 cup sugar and a bit of lemon juice and lemon zest, so we're definitely not talking about big batches here! Refrigerator storage only, though of course it could be modified for longer term storage.

 

 

 

[ElainaA]

On Friday I picked blueberries with a friend, then on Saturday I went to the Syracuse Farmer's Market. So I had a lot of fruit to process. 

I picked 9 lbs of blueberries! (I do get obsessive). So I made and canned blueberry syrup ( 9 half pints) and blueberry- peach jam (7 half pints).  I still have more blueberries so I think I'll start some 3 fruit vinegar-  I have cherries in the freezer and my raspberries are still coming in. (I have been told this is really out of fashion. I still like it.)

At the farmer's market I bought apricots, nectarines, peaches (to go into the blueberry peach jam), ginger and some lovely baby eggplants that are not to be preserved but are tomorrow's dinner. And some tiny cucumbers that I am pickling in a four day brine. But today I made and canned apricot-necterine-ginger jam - this is my sister's favorite so that is part of her Christmas present done. I have apricots left over so I think I will candy them. The sour cherries that I am candying are almost done. White chocolate bark with candied cherries and apricots sounds good. Maybe some nuts too? A swirl of dark chocolate?

Elaina

Edited July 27, 2015 by ElainaA (log)

[Shelby]

Oh Elaina, I know it was hard work picking but dang, that all sounds SO good.  And how great will that be in the middle of winter?!  Good job!

 

I haven't googled, but I just made a peach blueberry pie and it thickened up nicely.  Do blueberries have enough natural pectin to not have to add any?

[ElainaA]

Oh Elaina, I know it was hard work picking but dang, that all sounds SO good.  And how great will that be in the middle of winter?!  Good job!

 

I haven't googled, but I just made a peach blueberry pie and it thickened up nicely.  Do blueberries have enough natural pectin to not have to add any?

Actually, on a nice day with a friend to talk to the picking was fun - that's why I picked so much more than I meant to. I like picking when I can do it without bending or kneeling. Stawberries are really hard on my knees.

 

One of my books lists both blueberries and peaches as low in pectin. However this was a no pectin jam (recipe from the National Center for Home Food Preservation site - in my experience their recipes always work and are always safe) and it set perfectly after about 20 minutes of cooking. I like the taste of no or natural pectin jams better than those with commercial pectin plus they use less sugar. But they do take longer. The apricot, necterine and ginger seemed to take forever to reach set point. 

Elaina

[kayb]

i have a fair amount of peaches I'd planned to do peach butter with. But we're eating our way through them fresh with little problem. Peach crop is down this year; half a bushel was $20 at the orchard last week. They hadn't been graded, so were a variety of stages of ripeness which has allowed us to enjoy them fresh for several days.

 

I've frozen several pints of corn and purple hulled peas, and expect to start canning tomatoes this week. Looking for Kentucky Wonder green beans to can, as well. Shelby, I envy you your Silver Queen corn -- hoping to run across some when I go to Georgia next month. No one grows it around here.