The week in food preservation
Jun. 24th, 2011 06:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
magidSunday I went out to the farm to pick strawberries (8 quarts) and peas (4 pints) as well as herbs (I only got the basil, 5 sprigs). I bought some more garlic scapes as well. I got too much sun, as well as a somewhat dead car, so one quart of strawberries went to the friend who gave me a ride, and I did nothing else towards processing anything.
Monday, I pickled garlic scapes with half the dill from last week's share, and black and pink peppercorns, making a pint and a half in all. I also hulled two quarts of strawberries, starting them macerating for later. I'd found organic bananas at Johnny's Foodmaster, of all places, which inspired me to start a batch of banana liqueur with a rum base.
Tuesday, I hulled the rest of the strawberries. Some of these I put in vinegar (two batches, balsamic and rice vinegars). The rest I added to the macerated fruit, adding more sugar as I went. Once I'd finished, I turned on the lowest heat I could on the smallest burner, and let that get the juices out. As they did, I drained a lot of the liquid. In the end, I had a pint, two half pints, and a mini of strawberry-black pepper jam (which may be a bit more like strawberries in syrup), and two pints and a mini of just strawberry syrup. Also, I found that Trader Joe's had organic pink grapefruit, and since a number of people have said how much they like that liqueur, I got some and started a new batch.
Wednesday, I got this week's farm share, but didn't do anything towards preserving food for later.
Thursday, I sliced up the Napa cabbage from last week's share, and the arrowhead cabbage, carrots, and garlic scapes from this week's share. I salted it all with kosher salt, letting it sit for a bit to start drawing liquid out of the vegetables. It didn't take long, especially given the Napa. I packed it into a gallon jar rather than my usual sauerkraut bottles, which are currently being used for booze stuff, finding a narrow jar of apricot jam that would serve as a weight for the next couple of days as it ferments. It already overflowed when I put the weight in, even.
Friday I picked cherries from a nearby tree, about three and a half pounds of them. It took a while to pit them; I'm not sure how much it was once I was done. I put some into a pint jar, covering them with vodka to start a batch of cherry liqueur. The rest I started cooking with white sugar, rice vinegar, diced onion, ginger syrup, black pepper, yellow mustard seeds, and ground cinnamon. Once that had cooked down, I added chopped walnuts. Final results: two pints and a half pint.
Up next week (hopefully): mulberries
Monday, I pickled garlic scapes with half the dill from last week's share, and black and pink peppercorns, making a pint and a half in all. I also hulled two quarts of strawberries, starting them macerating for later. I'd found organic bananas at Johnny's Foodmaster, of all places, which inspired me to start a batch of banana liqueur with a rum base.
Tuesday, I hulled the rest of the strawberries. Some of these I put in vinegar (two batches, balsamic and rice vinegars). The rest I added to the macerated fruit, adding more sugar as I went. Once I'd finished, I turned on the lowest heat I could on the smallest burner, and let that get the juices out. As they did, I drained a lot of the liquid. In the end, I had a pint, two half pints, and a mini of strawberry-black pepper jam (which may be a bit more like strawberries in syrup), and two pints and a mini of just strawberry syrup. Also, I found that Trader Joe's had organic pink grapefruit, and since a number of people have said how much they like that liqueur, I got some and started a new batch.
Wednesday, I got this week's farm share, but didn't do anything towards preserving food for later.
Thursday, I sliced up the Napa cabbage from last week's share, and the arrowhead cabbage, carrots, and garlic scapes from this week's share. I salted it all with kosher salt, letting it sit for a bit to start drawing liquid out of the vegetables. It didn't take long, especially given the Napa. I packed it into a gallon jar rather than my usual sauerkraut bottles, which are currently being used for booze stuff, finding a narrow jar of apricot jam that would serve as a weight for the next couple of days as it ferments. It already overflowed when I put the weight in, even.
Friday I picked cherries from a nearby tree, about three and a half pounds of them. It took a while to pit them; I'm not sure how much it was once I was done. I put some into a pint jar, covering them with vodka to start a batch of cherry liqueur. The rest I started cooking with white sugar, rice vinegar, diced onion, ginger syrup, black pepper, yellow mustard seeds, and ground cinnamon. Once that had cooked down, I added chopped walnuts. Final results: two pints and a half pint.
Up next week (hopefully): mulberries