Putting Food Up Part II
I'm glad you like this idea for a new discussion strand, Zach. I have been really into it lately, although I have to purchase my raw materials at the farmer's market. Even so, a big part of the joy I get from this activity is that I am prolonging the period during which I break the ol' industrial food chain a bit.
I have basically tried three types of long-term food storage this summer/fall: freezing, pickling, and drying. Freezing is easy but since our freezer is now completely full (no room for ice cream, even), I have focused more energy on pickling and drying.
Pickling is usually a one-time thing for me each summer. This year, I did a big batch of pickled cucumbers, beans, beets, and carrots in mid-August, which means they are ready about now. It is a deceptively simple process. Since the vinegar is such a strong acid, you don't need to worry at all about botulism. As long as you sterilize your jars and lids and get the brine in the jar, you pretty much can't go wrong. I use my Grandpa's brine recipe, which makes great, strong dills:
3 quarts soft water (Obviously, you'll want to adjust this to the size of your batch.)
1 quart white vinegar
1 cup pickling salt
1/2 cup sugar (Don't worry, they still come out dill.)
Bring this to a boil, then just keep it hot.
Clean whatever you are going to pickle, then stuff it in your sterilized jars along with a lot of dill and maybe a shallot or a garlic clove. Shake in a few red pepper flakes, more if you want a kick, then a just a pinch of Alum powder (optional). This last helps keep the pickles crunchy. I've heard rumors that it may contribute to Alzheimer's, but I can't remember where I read that.
Once you've stuffed your jar, fill them to about half an inch from the top with brine. Screw on the lids, then boil for five minutes. Set the jars out to cool and wait for the lids to pop down. If they don't however, they are still fine. I was worried about that last year, so when I tried a non-lid-popped jar, I made sure Marja was there to call 911 if I started dying. I didn't and the pickles tasted the same.
As far as drying goes, I'm still new. I too built a solar dryer, but it was so small it could do only one apple at a time. They turned out great, but I didn't want to eat them when it took 36 hours of drying time for four little apple rings. My newest purchase, which Marja immediately labeled my birthday present, is a Ronco electric food dryer. This little baby is worth 39.99 at most Target stores (probably cheaper on the internet).
So far, I've dried bananas, apples, tomatoes, and red peppers. The fruit is easy and is a superb pick-me-up at school. It is light and easy to store, too. The vegetables take a little longer to dry, but taste fantastic. The red pepper slices in particular are just packed with flavor. I had the dryer running for about the first week I owned it, but Marja cut me off when I started rooting around in the fridge for stuff to dry. This weekend I'm hoping to scrounge some apples from a neighborhood tree and get the dryer up and running again. Anyway, I highly recommend the little guy. It has no moving parts, just an electric coil, and it does a wonderful job. Pete and Jane, if you have any extra produce that you want me to dry for you, let me know.
Ok, I guess that is it for me. I'm thinking we might have missed our window somewhat on the food preservation front as the season is really winding down. Next year, though, I think we should at least have a big pickling party. It is a full-day affair to make a decent sized batch, so the more the merrier. I'd also be interested if anyone wants to try making sauerkraut. Apparently cabbage is one of the last vegetables regularly preserved by lactic fermentation.
Hope all is well with everyone.
Sam
I have basically tried three types of long-term food storage this summer/fall: freezing, pickling, and drying. Freezing is easy but since our freezer is now completely full (no room for ice cream, even), I have focused more energy on pickling and drying.
Pickling is usually a one-time thing for me each summer. This year, I did a big batch of pickled cucumbers, beans, beets, and carrots in mid-August, which means they are ready about now. It is a deceptively simple process. Since the vinegar is such a strong acid, you don't need to worry at all about botulism. As long as you sterilize your jars and lids and get the brine in the jar, you pretty much can't go wrong. I use my Grandpa's brine recipe, which makes great, strong dills:
3 quarts soft water (Obviously, you'll want to adjust this to the size of your batch.)
1 quart white vinegar
1 cup pickling salt
1/2 cup sugar (Don't worry, they still come out dill.)
Bring this to a boil, then just keep it hot.
Clean whatever you are going to pickle, then stuff it in your sterilized jars along with a lot of dill and maybe a shallot or a garlic clove. Shake in a few red pepper flakes, more if you want a kick, then a just a pinch of Alum powder (optional). This last helps keep the pickles crunchy. I've heard rumors that it may contribute to Alzheimer's, but I can't remember where I read that.
Once you've stuffed your jar, fill them to about half an inch from the top with brine. Screw on the lids, then boil for five minutes. Set the jars out to cool and wait for the lids to pop down. If they don't however, they are still fine. I was worried about that last year, so when I tried a non-lid-popped jar, I made sure Marja was there to call 911 if I started dying. I didn't and the pickles tasted the same.
As far as drying goes, I'm still new. I too built a solar dryer, but it was so small it could do only one apple at a time. They turned out great, but I didn't want to eat them when it took 36 hours of drying time for four little apple rings. My newest purchase, which Marja immediately labeled my birthday present, is a Ronco electric food dryer. This little baby is worth 39.99 at most Target stores (probably cheaper on the internet).
So far, I've dried bananas, apples, tomatoes, and red peppers. The fruit is easy and is a superb pick-me-up at school. It is light and easy to store, too. The vegetables take a little longer to dry, but taste fantastic. The red pepper slices in particular are just packed with flavor. I had the dryer running for about the first week I owned it, but Marja cut me off when I started rooting around in the fridge for stuff to dry. This weekend I'm hoping to scrounge some apples from a neighborhood tree and get the dryer up and running again. Anyway, I highly recommend the little guy. It has no moving parts, just an electric coil, and it does a wonderful job. Pete and Jane, if you have any extra produce that you want me to dry for you, let me know.
Ok, I guess that is it for me. I'm thinking we might have missed our window somewhat on the food preservation front as the season is really winding down. Next year, though, I think we should at least have a big pickling party. It is a full-day affair to make a decent sized batch, so the more the merrier. I'd also be interested if anyone wants to try making sauerkraut. Apparently cabbage is one of the last vegetables regularly preserved by lactic fermentation.
Hope all is well with everyone.
Sam
posted by A Good Meal | 3:07 PM
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