Aug. 20, 2008
Questions on Preserving the Harvest
Posted in Putting Food By
Would some of you please share your tips, thoughts, tricks, or tried & true recipes for ways to preserve the harvest with me? In particular, things like dehydrating, fermenting, pickling, salting, etc. I have good information on canning and freezing; but would like to explore other methods.
I have this book from the Bountiful Gardens website on my never-ending wishlist. But as it is Back-to-Homeschool time for my family, the book funds are all allocated to other types of learning for now.
Thanks so much for your help!
Blessings,
Catherine
Comments
Aug. 20, 2008 - Putting Food By
Posted by borderling
The last issue of Backwoods Home magazine had a great article on dehydrating and pickling foods. (I love this magazine.) www.backwoodshome.com
I'm dehydrating much more than I usually do this year. I have an old dehydrator that is going constantly now drying peas, beans, carrots, corn, herbs, onions, garlic and perhaps potatoes. Vegetables and fruits are usually processed before they're dried. Beans are steamed, as are peas, carrots, and potatoes. Berries are best syrup blanched with sugar, corn syrup and water. A good book to get is "12 Months Harvest"by Ortho Books. My freezer space is limited and I'd like to put up enough to get us through the winter. I might even try sauerkraut! Also, I'm hoping to get some kind of root cellar in to help keep the potatoes, carrots, cabbage and apples.
Hope this has been of some help.
From Glory Farm,
Rhonda
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Aug. 21, 2008 - preserving foods
Posted by jswathome
Hello, My daughters and I just finished canning 50 quarts of peaches. We did not want to throw away the peelings so we decided to try our hand at making the peelings into pie and cobbler. Both were successful. Well 50 quarts of peaches produces a lot of peelings so we also blended some and used our dehydrator to make fruit leather. Nothing went to waste.
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Aug. 22, 2008 - Thank You
Posted by CatherineAnn
for your help! These are good ideas, and I will put them in my ever growing notebook.
Hugs,
Catherine
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Aug. 23, 2008 - Preserving w/o canning
Posted by Kristin Hoffman
Hello Catherine! We usually ferment saurkrauts and beets ala Nourishing Traditions. I do keep them in my cheese fridge but if you have a cool cellar (maybe 40-50 degrees) you could put your containers there. Interestingly, both cabbage and beets are fall crops so the weather is cooler when you preserve these.
Elliot Coleman (of 4 Season Harvest fame) claims drying tomatoes is the best way to preserve them. I have not done this yet as my tomatoes haven't done well with our continuing drought.
If you are drying apples, you can save the cores and peels and make your own apple cider vinegar. I'll blog on it soon! In fact, you can make vinegar with the fruit and veggie peelings of just about anything!
Of course, growing as much fresh as you can year round is best. Then you are just supplementing a bit with your preserved items. And eating fresh in season sure makes whatever it is you have taste particularly good!
HTH!
Kristin
www.solarfamilyfarm.com
www.knot4fun.com
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