How are you preserving summer? - canning, pickling, freezing, drying...

[Noteddy]

steve -- how are you drying the peaches? I always have a hard time with preserving peaches -- I don't love peach butter, and I make maybe 2-3 quarts of spiced peaches (cider vinegar, brown sugar, halve the peaches and embed with cloves) for Thanksgiving/Christmas, but outside of that I don't know what to do.

If you want to experiment with drying without a big (any) investment, you can always try Alton Brown's hack. Though, I question whether those are food-grade filters.

Hard to argue with Garro's results. Looks like it works a treat.

[rec head]

I can see how those countertops would inspire you to such culinary heights! Nice.

Thanks. They just ikea. I remember the price was good. They are due for some oil....

[rec head]

Steve, do you just slice and throw them in the dehydrator? My wife got a dehydrator and so far we have only done herbs. The manual for the thing has all these recipes for what you "should" do before dehydrating the food and it seems stupid/pita.

You guys are killing me with all these ideas.

Thanks

[nahtnoj]

What size bell jar?
I endorse this idea......
- Garro.

Those are for quart jars.

More details (an email from my mom):

Those are Uncle Jerry's words (referring to my previous post). I follow this but not exactly.
I don't use that much salt. You can either cut the peppers into
strips, dice them.....cut them up anyway you like. I liked mine
diced in the food processor. If you cut them into strips, it is
difficult to fit them into the jars for a tight fit. I also like to
mix yellow and red...makes for a nice looking canned good!!!!! Fill
the jars with the peppers, then pour the hot vinegar/water/salt
mixture into the jars. I run a knife into the jars to release any air
bubbles--do this between the peppers and the glass of the jar. I
usually put two cloves of garlic into each jar...you can put more.
Oil goes on top of the garlic. Be sure the rims of the jars are wiped
clean before you place the lids on. You want a good seal. I hot pack
mine for about 12 minutes. When the lid pops or you can no longer
press down on the center of the lid and feel movement, you have a good
seal. This you check for after the hot bath, not while the jars are
"cooking". If the lid does not seal, refrigerate and use within two
months. Be sure to wipe the jars clean after they have cooled.......

These are fun to do. If you use the hot peppers.....be sure to WEAR
GLOVES!!!!!!! Your hands will be burned and any part of your body you
touch will burn. This is not only for when you clean the peppers but
anytime during the process. When cleaning the peppers, wash them
whole, cut in half and remove any seeds....make sure all garden
"stuff" is off the peppers. Any dirt or seeds left on the peppers
during the process will cause jars not to seal and/or spoil after all
of your hard work.

[steve garro]

Steve, do you just slice and throw them in the dehydrator? My wife got a dehydrator and so far we have only done herbs. The manual for the thing has all these recipes for what you "should" do before dehydrating the food and it seems stupid/pita.

You guys are killing me with all these ideas.

Thanks

We got the Nesco from BB&B for ~50.00 with a junkmail coupon - totally worth it and I will run two next year like my neighbor who has 110 fruit trees.
For peaches you dunk the slices in lemon juice to help prevent browning, the tomatoes are just sliced staight up - it has a booklet full of cool ideas including fruit roll-ups which just sound rockin' for long rides.
- Garro.

[steve garro]

Here, my friends is the best thing ever to happen to fish: The Original Stovetop Smoker
We have taken ours both down the Grand Canyon and to Baja as well as use on our kitchen stovve and it totally kills it - well, as long as you like smoked fish!
When people ask we loan it to them as someone did for us and it has a 100% "I got my own" response.
- Garro.

[rec head]

I forgot to mention we grow dragon beans and just let the plants dry out before we harvest. Shuck 'em throw 'em in a ziplock and eat them in the winter.

[Octave]

What to do with a garden before September comes?

- Pickled kohlrabi spears
- Dehydrated figs
- Apricot preserves
- Capsaicin extract from hot banana peppers (not much flavor this year, figured a pure capsaicin extract would be useful...)
- Chili paste from Habanero
- Chili paste from Bhut Jolokia (Ghost Peppers)
- Pickled Jalapenos

..and thanks to this thread I know what to do with those excess tomatoes!

[steve garro]

I forgot to mention we grow dragon beans and just let the plants dry out before we harvest. Shuck 'em throw 'em in a ziplock and eat them in the winter.

OK - what's a dragon bean?
- Garro.

[steve garro]

Some great tomato ideas: 5 Tasty Ways to Eat Your Tomato Harvest All Year : TreeHugger
- Garro.

[steve garro]

IMG_3659.JPG........And, onwards to wild mushrooms.......
I'm going to try dehydrating some today, any other 'shroom preservation methods you guys know of?
- Garro.

[rec head]

Dragon beans are just beans that look cool. You can eat them fresh or dry them http://www.specialtyproduce.com/prod..._Beans_604.php

[CallMeJay]

I'd share the recipe but we're continuing to experiment on a batch-by-batch basis...

527984_10151114170399767_972881214_n 2.jpg

[RIHans]

In another (tomato) thread, I posted some early pictures of a product I had in development.
We are in full-on mode now --- 300 lbs a week for 8 weeks. The customer wants 165 cases.

Below is a 200 lb batch of pickled green tomatoes!

[Noteddy]

In another (tomato) thread, I posted some early pictures of a product I had in development.
We are in full-on mode now --- 300 lbs a week for 8 weeks. The customer wants 165 cases.

Below is a 200 lb batch of pickled green tomatoes!

Impressive! Looks like the start of something big.

[Too Tall]

I'd share the recipe but we're continuing to experiment on a batch-by-batch basis...

Fark Hans that is awesome. Please brag more about what you are doing with the community. Go to heaven twice.
Jay, I'd like to hear more.
I can't recall if I've posted this recipe before. This is what I use to make perfect hot water bath garlic dill pickles:

Basic Pipckles
*boil up side down in 1/3 pot of water 5 mins. rolling boil.
*cut 1/4” off blossom end for extra crisp...removes enzyme that causes mushiness
Ingredients
8 pounds 3 to 4 inch long pickling cucumbers
4 cups white vinegar
12 cups water
2/3 cup pickling salt
16 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
8 sprigs fresh dill weed
8 heads fresh dill weed
Directions
Wash cucumbers, and place in the sink with cold water and lots of ice cubes. Soak in ice water for at least 2 hours but no more than 8 hours. Refresh ice as required. Sterilize 8 (1 quart) canning jars and lids in boiling water for at least 10 minutes.
In a large pot over medium-high heat, combine the vinegar, water, and pickling salt. Bring the brine to a rapid boil.
In each jar, place 2 half-cloves of garlic, one head of dill, then enough cucumbers to fill the jar (about 1 pound). Then add 2 more garlic halves, and 1 sprig of dill. Fill jars with hot brine. Seal jars, making sure you have cleaned the jar's rims of any residue.
Process sealed jars in a boiling water bath. Process quart jars for 15 minutes.
Store pickles for a minimum of 8 weeks before eating. Refrigerate after opening. Pickles will keep for up to 2 years if stored in a cool dry place

[amos scattergood]

been making lots of fermented dill pickles this summer, I used the recipe from Alton Brown's show and added lots more garlic, spices and chili peppers:

[IMG] Untitled by \\\amos///, on Flickr[/IMG]

[nahtnoj]

garden.jpeg

garden2.jpeg

The jam is a delicious blueberry/blackberry/strawberry concoction.

[WadePatton]

aye, mebbe i'll do somethin. i canned tomatoes from the early crop and have 'em falling off the vine presently, but am busy with OTT (other than that) right now.

I just started canning/pickling last year. funny thing was trying to get my okra pickle (then) hot enough to suit me. wound up being about 50/50 okra to cayenne ratio. Have great crop of Habenero this year, so who knows...but i do want a hot jelly.

Drying. most wonderful food preservation method of all, right up there with salting and smoking!

food rules.

[Shinomaster]

We can our tomatoes and buy huge boxes of them in Yakima for making large batches of salsa (we also can the salsa). If you want to learn how to can things, befriend some Mormons (not hard), or go to the fair and hit the 4H tents.