Preserving the Harvest
In our climate we have fresh vegetables and fruits duing the summer months and when winter comes the garden shuts down. Preserving food for the winter or when there is a surplus makes it possible to eat from the garden throughout the year.
Drying, Freezing and Canning
Dryingfruits and vegetables makes it possible to have a product that is easy to store. Our climate is too humid to use air drying very effectively. An electric dehydrator has been a good investment and we have used it often. Although using the oven set at the lowest setting with the door open also works, I think it wastes energy. Favorites for drying are dried onions and corn. My husband is a hunter and meat-eater, prepares jerky in the dehydrator.
Freezing is a simple method of preservation, but if the electricty ever goes out all frozen food spoils, though this has never happened at our house for more than a very short time. Frozen foods usually last six months to a year before they loose quality and start getting a freezer burn taste.
Canning takes a little time, but gives an easy to use product that can often be used straight out of the jar. Produce canned in glass fruit jars can be stored on a shelf at room temperature. Tomato salsa, pickles, canned apple sauce, and jellies and jams are most oftenly preserved by our family. Canned vegetables and fruits usually stay good for several years for us.
Bread and Butter Refrigerator Pickles
Makes 1 gallon
These stay good in the refrigerator for months and months and are nice and crispy. The taste is sweet and vinegary. Add a little hot pepper to give it a spicy kick.
Ingredients:
cucumber slices (number depends upon size)
3 onions, sliced
3 cups cider vinegar
1 cup water
3 cups sugar
1/3 cup salt
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon mustrd seed
1 teaspoon turmeric
Directions:
(1) Wash and slice cucumbers and onions. Fill a gallon jar, alternating cucumber and onion slices.
(2) In large sauce pan bring vinegar, water, sugar, salt and seasonings to a boil.
(3) Pour over cucumbers and onions. Cool then refrigerate for 7 days.
These pickles will keep in the refrigerator for many months if they are not eaten first. Stored in the refrigerator, these are a nice crispy pickle.
To Can
(1) Fill sterilized pint or quart jars with cucumber and onion slices then pour in hot vinegar solution to cover, leaving at least 1/2 inch space at the top.
(2) Cover with canning lids that are being heated to boiling and immediately put on jars and hand tighten screw on canning ring to hold in place. Use tongs to move the lids and rings from the water to the jar. Tighten using a towel to protect your hands.
(3) Put jars in a waterbath canner (a large covered pan of water that will hold the entir jar) covering the jars with at least 1 inch of water. Keep the water boiling. Boil them for 5 minutes. Some recipes say 10 minutes, but the longer they are canned the more likely the result will be mushy pickles.
(4) Lift the jars out of the water and allow them cool without touching, in a draft-free place (cover with a tea towel) until cool, usually overnight. When the jar seals the lid will make a popping sound. This generally happens shortly after being removed from the waterbath. The rings can be removed and reused on the next canning batch.
Tomato Basil Jelly
Makes 5 1/2-pint jars
Ingredients:
3 1/2 pounds tomatoes
3 Tablespoons snipped fresh basil or 1 Tblsp. dried
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 cups sugar
1package pectin
Directions:
(1) Wash, stem and blend tomatoes in blender.
(2) Simmer comatoes in 6-8 quart kettle, covered, for 10 minutes.
(3) Add basil and lemon juice.
(4) In a small bowel, stir powderd pectin in 1/4 cup of sugar. Pour into tomatoes and bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly.
(5) Add remaining sugar and return mixture to a full rolling boil that can not be stirred down. boil hard for one minute, stirring constantly.
(6) Remove from heat, skim off foam and fill 5 hot, clean, 1/2-pint canning jars. leave 1/4-inch headspace and put on lids. Turn upside down overnight. They should seal. If not store in refrigerator.
Dried Onions
Ingredients:
As many large onions as you have
Directions:
(1) Wash, remove dried skin and chop into 1/4-inch pieces. Hand chopping is fine, although a course food grinder or food processer makes quick work of a large batch of onions.
(2) Spoon onions in a layer on a shelf of an electric food dehydrator.
(3) Set the dehydrator to the lowest heat setting and dry until peices are crispy.
(4) When thoroughly dry put in jars with a tight fitting lid and store in a darkened cupboard or fruit room or fruit celler.
This is a good way to store onions. Fresh onions always tend to either rot or sprout for me, but dried, they keep for at least a year.
Use in soups and casserols, anything with some water to rehydrate them. These are especially good in Yogurt Onion Dip.
