Deanna wrote: I need to can something........
Zabby wrote: OK, I promise I'll stop digressing. I might even can something....

Must be in the air. Can, it be that winter cabin fever has set in? Hee hee....pun intended.

Microwaved pappadums! It never occurred to me!

I'm going to start another thread....microwaving/roasting/frying pappadums, raitas, etc aren't really "what have you put up" subjects. :D

8 pts Kumquat Marmalade
2 pts brandied kumquats
2 qts preserved kumquats
2 pts candied kumquats

The Kumquat Marmalade is soooooooooooooo good! I was surprised when I tasted it!

Michelle

Yes, I agree kumquats make a great marmalade. I use them along with a few clementines.

Pickled Jalapenos are easy to make and store.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pickled Jalapenos

This is a post-canning opinion on the grapefruit in simple syrup that I BWB'd awhile back. Those grapefruit were without a doubt the most astringent I have every tasted. But - not wanting to waste them (20 or so), I decided to can them in the syrup anyway.

Well - this morning I opened a jar and had a few grapefruit sections for breakfast (with Bisquick toaster waffles and 2 fresh eggs) and they were delicious. For some reason, they lost their bitter taste and were fine. They should be nice in salads now.

Just my 2 c's.

Bejay

Yes, the 'magical' properties of sugar does it again.

I just roasted the last of the finally ripened tomatoes with a bunch of left-over, getting-old, stuff from the bottom drawer of the fridge. I need to run that through the foley mill this afternoon and jar it.

And, I made a recipe off the Cooking Forum called Brandied Peppercorn Melange. It is really good on meats:

Brandied Peppercorn Melange

1/2 c whole black peppercorns
2 Tbsp rosemary
2 Tbsp minced dried garlic (I used the freeze dried stuff)
1 Tbsp fennel seeds
1 Tbsp dill seeds
2 Tbsp brandy

Mix all ingredients and spread in a baking pan and place in a oven on low. Allow to bake until the misture is dry. This will take a couple of hours. Check and stir every now and then. When all the moisture has evaporated, remove pan from oven and cool completely. Fill grinder with mixture and store remainder in an airtight container.

We love this stuff and it has become a real favourite. While it really good used with beef, its equally as good on chicken, soups etc.

Note, that when first baking mixture in oven, the aroma will be quite potent, but eases as it bakes and the brandy evaporates.
Shelley >

PS: The garlic smell IS quite strong like Shelley says.
PPS: Rachelellen: There STILL aren't leaves on the peach trees.

Ever tried green peppercorns? They are really unusual when cracked and made into a beef sauce/gravy. Melange, usualy means black, white, and green peppercorns, as well as a the pink ones. The pinks are actually not a peppercorn, but is similar in its character and appearance. I mix these as whole, and use a brass coffee grinder, to freshly grind them into something. Never will I buy ground pepper anymore, it is just colored sawdust as far as I'm concerned.

ken,

"Melange" is just French for "mix."

I agree with you about not going back to ground pepper when you get used to grinding your own. My husband is a wood turner, and while he mostly makes bowls and vases, I insisted he make me a 12-inch pepper grinder (we got a Peugeot mechanism from Lee Valley). It lives right beside the stove.

Zabby

Mine sits above my stove and is quite heavy as its all brass. Many years ago, Jeff Smith (Frugal Gourmet) used these and I was able to get on fairly cheap years ago.

I started collecting pepper mills about 20 years ago - but didn't really have enough room to continue the hobby - have about 10 in all, mostly dust collectors.

The one in my kitchen is not as big as Zabby's 12 incher, only about 8 or 10, but gets plenty of use every day.

As you say, once you find the joys of fresh ground pepper, nothing else will do. I especially like it on large baked potato with plenty of sour cream and chives as well.

I liked Jeff Smith's recipes, and have one of his books that I refer to for certain old favorite early American recipes.

Bejay

Bake potatoes are really good, if the skin is rubbed with olive oil and its coated in Kosher salt. Most of the salt falls off during baking, but whats left is a perfect amount for eating the potato skin and all. Texas Road House resturant used to do this, but my last visit there, they used some kind of very salty brine dip instead, and there were no traces of whole salt crystals on the skins anymore.

Well at least it's something -

2 half pints Mandarin oranges in simple syrup.
4 quarter pints (really small) as well.

Now, as far as I'm concerned, that is enough of those unless a super recipe turns up - because the rest on the tree are too small. I really should have culled them this year, as it gives far too many tiny fruit that are difficult to peel.

The apricots are blooming - and one of the dwarf apples has a few blossoms. No signs on the peach or apricot, but a few more 70 type warm days might do it. I only managed to get one dormant spray in, but at least that's a leg up. The cold weather this winter should bring out a fairly decent "cot" set, hopefully.

We seem to be getting all of our rain quota at once. It is welcome, but the garden and yard are a mess of weeds. Nothing but a weed wacker to control them for now.

Bejay

Those fruit trees love the fertilizer I get from Gardens Alive. Last years apples were the best ever. And the few plums I had, were even better tasting than the Pluots I buy during the summer. I used the build up formula first and second years, and now use the maintenance formula. These are also great for my red raspberries, which were loaded last summer. Corn gluten for the weeds. Works for me..

Well, my honeybells finally came, and I've made batch #1 of delicious honeybell marmalade! I used a similar June Taylor-style method, but this time, I removed most of the pith from the fruit. So these preserves came out less bitter than the blood orange marmalade that I made awhile back. DELISH! Link to my blog below for instructions and pictures if you're interested.

Here is a link that might be useful: Honeybell Marmalade

Hi all --

Figured I could add my black raspberry jelly to this list -- made from wild black raspberries my husband and I picked off our property two summers ago... Tons and tons of berries, but the bulk of that is seeds that get strained out. Froze the jelly in different sized containers -- about 18 cups of it!

Emily

Fearlessem,
Ever try the Villaware strainer for the berries? They work really good with the berry screen and not a single seed gets through. I use one for red raspberries I grow here, and make a lot of red raspberry preserves without sugar. The liquid thats strained also has the necessary pulp which gives the jelly a bit more 'texture'. I run the strained out seeds through a second time to extract a bit more of the liquids. Not only does the Villaware/Roma do the berries well, but is unsurpassed at its speed of handling tomatoes and their skins and seeds. The tomatoes run through these machines only need a cut to make them fit the hppper, no cooking, blanching, or any other prep is necessary.

A friend of my husband's sent him home from an outing with 3 pounds of kumquats, so I made kumquat marmalade for the first time. Very tasty indeed. I did discover that boiling the kumquats whole until tender first made it much easier to remove the seeds. After doing about 5 raw, I realized I'd go mad if I didn't try something else.

I am also very proud of myself. Every year, the grocery store gets rhubarb before the local strawberries are ready, and then when they are ready, it's rare to find it, and then it's too thick and woody. So yesterday, when I saw nice, tender young rhubarb in the store I bought a mess of it, and blanched/froze it to wait for the strawberries. Strawberry rhubarb jam, yay!

When I did the quats, I cut in quarters and the big seeds were quite obvious. I removed each and chopped them coursly. I wish the stores around here sold frozen tangerine juice again. I used that, along with a few clementines for my marmalade. Many stores have even stopped selling frozen grapefruit juice, even the pink kind is not seen anywhere anymore.

Still waiting for the "main" crops, but have small amounts of fresh veggies- snow peas, beet, broc buds, celery - so decided to make up some nice soups for freezing. My frozen/canned tomatoes are long gone - so used up some of the grocery store stuff (yuk). Did you ever notice the way commercial tomatoes taste like the can they come in?

Anyway -

3 quarts frozen mixed fresh vegetable soups - taste test was great.

1 half pint dried banana chips -

About 1 half pint strawberries in the oven - slow drying.

The local strawberry farms are producing now - you know, those huge berries that you are seeing in your quality markets now? They are huge - almost the size of a fist! Really, these aren't too bad, flavor-wise, because they are too ripe to ship - so the local stores are using them as shopper "bait" - a buy one, get one free box - or with a purchase.

I decided to try dehydrating - as they are big enough, so that perhaps after all the water evaporates, maybe there will be a sweet tidbit left.

I have some growing - but just now popping a few- they don't grow as well as the commercials. Mine were planted last year from some plants I bought at the growers - they do OK, but not as prolific as theirs. They grow berries as annuals - maybe that is their secret.

Bejay

I think that huge berry is probably a Driscoll type and these are one of the biggest and best flavored ones you see in stores. I never saw the plants selling anywhere though. Strawberries LOVE lots of composted manure!

I made Vanilla Lemon Lime Marmalade this weekend.
2 pints and 11 half pints.

And I haven't even tried it yet....officially. Yeah, after I was done filling jars, I ran my finger around the edge of the pot, but I have yet to toast a chunk of homemade bread and slather marmalade on it!!!

Deanna

Hey ksrogers --

Thanks for your note -- I actually have the villaware with berry screen, and while I use it for red raspberries, the wild black ones have so many seeds that the villaware becomes clogged with seeds really quickly... I've found that just cooking them a bit to release the juice and then letting them strain for a while works just as well... Perhaps I would have felt differently if I needed to get every little bit out of the, but I had SO many!

Emily

Maybe the shorter grape spiral will work with the berry screen. As you know, grape seeds are big, but the taper and shorter length of the grape spiral lets the big seeds pass. You can also run it through a second time to get out more of the juices.

Vanilla Lemon Lime Marmalade...mmmm, sounds good.

I think I've finally got marmalade out of my system for this year...I used up the last 3 pounds of Meyer lemons yesterday for 6 more pints, now I just have to wait and see how it sets up. Funny thing about marmalade, the way it often seems too runny at first but then sets up as a few days pass. The Meyer is popular as gift marmalade as it is very tasty but barely bitter at all for those folks not into the old fashioned, bitter marmalade.

I'll have a lull in canning around here now, until the local strawberries are ripe. Then the whirl will start again. :D

Yes, most citrus based jams are slow to set. Some can take up to a month or more.

Last year was the first try with Pomona Pectin. I used half of the package and still have some of the calcium water left. According to the directions, it is still Ok as long as the sediment isn't discolored - which it isn't.

Was impressed with the true flavor taste of the fruit and will try again this year. It was a bit expensive, and wonder if anyone has found a less expensive source.

The local strawberries are coming in - and as soon as I see the U-pick sign, I want to be ready. Also had a tip on a good buy on sugar, so now is the time to get ready.

Lots of oranges now - still a bit tart, but Ok for marmalade. May try another recipe this time. The orange jelly made last year was a better product than the marmalade - according to the family taste.

Wonder if Pomona could be used to do orange jelly? Their recipe folder doesn't mention it.

Bejay

Pomona is citrus based, so it may thicken quite fast due to the natural calcium in citrus. However its worth a try. The Pomona isn't that much more costly compared to regular pectins. Pomona has the abilty to do about twenty 8 ounce jars or more per package. If you consider the regular pectin and its ability to do just 5 jars, it's more expensive for regular pectin. One of the main reasons the flavor tastes fresher is because Pomona needs less, or no sugar to set. I bought Pomona on sale from a supplier, but don't recall the name right now. The cost was about $2.79 per box at that time, last fall. Most of the time, I use the whole packet of calcium as I use the whole box of Pomona. If you do a lot of jelly making, Pomona is also sold in bulk. The best thing is it has no expiration date and if you get a good deal on it, buy up a lot.

5 pints and 1 4 0z jar raspberry jam with essence of violet. It is wonderful, well worth the 3 year wait to find the violet. The recipe called for 3 drops of violet but I ended up using over a teaspoon and I think I could have even used more. Annie is right, it is much more fun to hang over a boiling jam pot in the winter.

-Robin

Just harvested two nice sized cabbages. The outer leaves were made into cabbage rolls, now stewing on the stove, and sit here trying to decide - sauerkraut or corned beef and cabbage - maybe slaw. (My cup runneth over).

Whipped up another batch of those neat granola bars - and using up almost the end of last year's drying efforts - apricot, plums, banana - no candy this time, as I thought they might be less fattening - somewhat.

I discovered that broccolli leaves also make fine leaves for making cabbage (or is it broccolli) rolls. Possibly even a bit tastier.

Picking small amounts of snow peas, asparagus, beet tops, celery, etc., then chopping into smaller pieces - then packaging in Ziplocks - that way, GD can pick a serving, pop into microwave for nice fresh picked veggies. It's a bit of a chore to cut up - but we really enjoy them that way.

All the fruit trees are in bloom now - except for persimmon and fig trailing a bit. They could use a bit more sun - still trying to wrest my back yard from the effects of all that rain, but so wonderful not to have to irrigate all month of February. Great.

Just my 2 c's.

Bejay

Not only broccoli leaves but the nice round brussels sprout leaves also make great stuffed leaves. I can't eat cabbage much anymore, so I make stuffed peppers instead. Much lower in uric acid. No blossoms here except the very early paperwhites, I have growing in two small clumps. Just noticed these today.

Just finished several pickings of snow peas, broccoli, a few beets and 2 nice firm head cabbages.

The peas and beets will be fresh eaten. The cabbages made 2 pints of sauerkraut - now fermenting. Some left for cole slaw.

My daffodils have long vanished. Quess I don't take very good care of the flowers in my yard, although have a few nice clumps of iris that are looking fine and hope to have a nice display this year.

Otherwise, still attacking the gross flush of weeds. Even had some help yesterday from GD, on spring break.

Lots of macadamia falling from tree, ripe and in need of shelling, then in half-pint freezer containers. Another pint done yesterday - the rest need more sun drying time for easier harvesting.

Bejay

If there are paperwhites here (or squills, often our earliest blooms), they're still buried under snow. We had a fair bit of melt in the last few days, though, enough that I just discovered a newspaper delivered some weeks ago just before a huge dump on a day I was away till late. Oops. ENOUGH WINTER, ALREADY!

I'm off to plant pepper & tomato seeds. Humph!

Z

Hi Zabby - I am still sorting through pepper and tomato seeds, and tossing any that are too old. I guess I should have read the posts on longevity seed storage, because many of mine are beyond saving. This is a problem with having too many seeds and not needing them for a small family.

Anyway, today - my neighbor's little girl came over to watch me do some grapefruit/orange slices in simple syrup. We had a great time, although as my kids are long past this stage, I was a bit concerned about safety with small children. She wanted to be so helpful, and actually was. We seem to get along well - she is such a sweetheart and so thoughtful - even of old people - sorry to say that many youngsters today are not as considerate.

Anyway -

3 pints of grapefruit/orange slices in simple syrup.
2 half pints of same.
1 pint - thermal shock - of same. Bummer!

Also salvaged some late "07" zucchini in the freezer for some nice bread - using some wheat flour and barley combo -with toasted macadamia nuts - harvested yesterday. Quite tasty. I opted to delete the cloves - much too overpowering in the basic recipe.

I saved the peelings from the oranges and grapefruit and tomorrow will do candied orange peel - they were a big hit last time. Only will try to keep long enough to get the chocolate coating on this time.

Bejay

Hey, gang! This week, while I'm still on Spring Break, I've been doing some more marmalading. I'm going to go for round #2 of honeybell today, but I've already finished making Grapefruit and Meyer Lemon which turned out really well. (Maybe it's because of my new copper preserving pan!) I blogged about it, and there are pictures, if you'd like to see. --Gina

Here is a link that might be useful: Grapefruit and Meyer Lemon Marmalade

The candied orange peel turned out great. Now for the chocolate dipping.

In the meantime, beets, peas and cabbages coming off for some nice half-pint soups for freezing. Total 5 so far, and still harvesting. They are really great with a sprinkle of grated Roman cheese and fresh baked sour dough bread.

The weather holds cool and so perhaps can eek out more broccoli and cabbages.

Have 2 pints of kraut fermenting on day 6. This batch a bit slower than last, probably due to cooler temps in the pantry, but bubbling OK.

Bejay

The last few days have been "bringing up" stuff from the bottom of the freezer from last year's spring/summer harvests to use up - trying to find nice recipes. The new crop is coming - so must make room in that small freezer, without - hopefully - losing to freezer burn.

So - made plum leather out of several pints of pureed plums.

Pumpkin waffles from the hubbard squash puree - then made up individual waffles for freezing. Great for breakfasts.

Last year's green beans were made into a faux pesto - using also toasted macadamias in place of pine nuts. Really quite good - served with small shell pasta - and a sprinkle of Asaigo cheese on top. (Spinach crop failed this year - so who cares).

Did my monthly grocery shop yesterday, and came home with sausage meat and whole brisket.

Today - cut up meat and froze 2 roasts from the brisket and brining the 3rd - now soaking in some Morton's Tenderquick. Tomorrow will cook - either pastrami or corned beef. Have not tried pastrami yet, now might be the time.

The pork shoulder was ground and mixed with fennel, fresh garlic, lemon pepper and salt - packaged 1/2 lbs each in freezer bags and then in styrofoam containers - 2 pkg/container. Yield - 10 packs.

When I checked some older styrofoam containers - from "05" - the meat inside was still nice and fresh. I really like those foam containers. Everything so far has been free of freezer burn. I use them on the green beans and snow peas too. They are great and reuseable.

Dried strawberries - commercial - (although have a decent crop coming - but for fresh eating).

Have some pepper seedlings coming nicely. I decided to concentrate on the larger sizes - ancho/Anaheims this year, as the hot peppers are still producing small amounts anyway - and have lots of dried Thai's as well.

Bejay

Made 2 loaves each of zucchini, pumpkin and banana bread for the freezer. The banana bread never made it but the others count. I'm trying to use up the shredded zucchini from summer past.

Still trying to use up my frozen blackberries from last summer. After canning, I only have 3 bags left to use up.

7 pints blackberry syrup
5 pints blackberry jam
16 pints strawberry jam
2 half pints strawberry jam

lynn

The strawberries are definitely "in" - but so far, most of my crop is being fresh eaten. Son brings home lots of the local crop found in markets now, so froze quite a few pints. With the weather holding very cool - we may have strawberry time way up to July!

Two more pints sauerkraut in brine this morning.
4 pints mixed vegetable soup using up frozen chicken broth.

Looks like we will have a decent crop of boysenberries this year. My son used a chainsaw to cut down a huge castor bean tree that was shading everything out back.

Bejay

Lucky you and your boysenberries! Did we discuss that before.. I would love to get them growing here. But no luck.

Was acting as traffic cop outside today while they finnaly cut down this huge nearly dead norweigen maple with four huge trunks. The tree was so big it covered the whole street.

Yes my boysens do very well. The original sprout was found on the property - a bit forlorn, so I transferred it to a site in back with lots of added compost. It is near the water faucet there, and suspect the old line is contributing much to it's care.

It now covers almost 15 feet or so in length. I rolled some concrete reinforcing wire into a hoop and laid it over the canes - this makes picking a bit easier.

On the other hand, a Baba raspberry planted several years ago - tries hard, but then dies back again. Refuses to completely leave tho. Wish I knew how to make it happier. Perhaps our alkaline Colorado River water isn't to their liking. Dunno - but will keep trying.

More vegetable soup cooking for freezer. My snow peas seem to be declining, so yesterday pulled up the rest of the vines, tossed in some compost, and planted beans. I hope the beans don't mind following the snow peas in the same location - we shall see.

Bejay

Try these things to 'wake up' the raspberries. Apply some copper sulfate powder to the soil in spring. I do this to counteract some nasty stuff that had prevented them from growing well. Mine are under a long needle pine tree. Next, I add some Gardens Alive fruit tree fertilizer, in spring and fall. My raspberries are really growing well now, much better than before the additions. Mine send up new shoots about a foot away from the main plant. If I let these gow, they would soon reach my back door. One time, a runner sprouted about 12 feet from the main plant. I don't cut any canes back, but instead wait for the winter cold and kill, so the old canes just pull out of the soil.
Snow peas do like cool weather as do broccoli, peas, and a few others. My peas will go out soon.

Well last month I made half a batch of Ann's Salsa as I only had 4 cups of tomatoes ready in the freezer from last summer.
Yesterday I made Bread and Butter (refrigerator) Pickles and the day before Sharon's Garlic Dills.

That's it for now.

Linda

2 loaves of zucchini bread with coconut, 1 loaf of zucchini bread with pineapple, 2 loaves of lemon pound cake. All are vacuum sealed and in the freezer. This is the last of my shredded zucchini. I have more growing in the garden and keep baking low during the hot summer months.

Add to my 2008 total:

4-half pints of Zabby's Zesty Red Onion Jelly.

Michelle

Add to mine a quart of dried cilantro and a quart of dried parsley.

12 pints of frozen asparagus. When the beds kick in they quickly overwhelm us but what a way to go! ;)

Dave

Finally I'm on the board with:

a half-batch of strawberry jelly with Sure Jel for my mom

5 half-pints of strawberry preserves with mint and black pepper from Mes Confitures

5 1/2 half-pints of plain strawberry preserves

Also 2 sheet pans of frozen strawberries, some in sugar for a few days' worth of strawberry shortcake, and some put into strawberry-banana ice cream.

I also bought a tub of peeled garlic cloves thinking I would have time to do pickles in addition to strawberries. Check the time stamp to see what a joke that turned out to be. ;-)

Back to work tomorrow, hope everyone in the US had a good long weekend.

Melissa

We do have a part 2 of this thread..

Here is a link that might be useful: What have you canned in 2008 part 2