The Lazy Gardener’s Fav Veg

25 August 2010, by gj

I bought some dry Roman beans at the grocery store and planted them this past spring.
I just let them grow until I saw the leaves beginning to turn yellow, and that most of the beans were a nice mottled color.

The green beans are underipe, and at the farther end are some that should have been picked sooner.

Here are the just shelled beans from underipe to fully ripe.

Left alone, one week later they are all dried.

Even ignored this way (and I unintentionally shared with the local wildlife) the yield was 7:1.

The Planting

Categories: ok - so now what?, vegetarian

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Waste Not…

20 August 2010, by gj

Vegetable Juice is far away my favorite juice each morning, homemade especially! Although it takes a little extra work, there is a delightful byproduct. (Just wait-you’ll see)

This is not any official recipe, just what I made with what was in the garden:
Garden Blend Vegetable Juice
15 pounds tomatoes
1 colander-full swiss chard and spinach
15 med. ribs and leaves celery
2 handfuls dried parsley
1 pound carrots
1 cup onion
1/2 cup green pepper
2 tsp. salt
1 shot lemon juice per quart jar

Wash veggies, chop into chunks. Combine all ingredients except lemon juice in a pot and simmer about 1/2 hour.
Remove from heat. Juice in a juicer or food processor. Heat back up.
Add 1 shot of lemon juice to each quart jar. Fill the jars to within 1/4 inch head space.
Process in a water bath canner about 45 minutes.

Now here’s the good part. Take the stuff that is left in the juicer or strainer and put it into a sauce pot. Add water and simmer for a while.
Strain.
Now you have some wonderful vegetarian soup base!

Pack into freezer jars and freeze. Use as you would any soup base.

Now clean up your mess!

Categories: ok - so now what?, tomatoes, vegetarian

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Spiced Red Cabbage

17 August 2010, by gj

I am always excited to get a new edition of The Ball Blue Book – guide to preserving. This year especially so as it is their 100th Anniversary Edition!

Now, one thing I have learned over the years is that although I might get excited to try a new recipe, it does not mean anyone is going to eat it.
So now Mandolin and I go though the recipes and ‘flag’ what we would like to try.

I made the Spiced Red Cabbage, and boasted a bit online… and was hit with requests for the recipe. Duh!
Of course I would never infringe on copyrighted materials, so I redirected all inquires to purchase the book (a good idea anyway if you love trying new things!).
Then the best thing happened – I got permission to reprint and share on the blog. Woohoo!
So here is the first recipe I was asked for:
Spiced Red Cabbage
12 pounds red cabbage (about 3 big heads)
½ cup canning salt
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup mustard seed
¼ cup mace
2 quarts red wine vinegar
¼ cup cloves
¼ cup whole allspice
¼ cup peppercorns
¼ cup celery seed
2 sticks cinnamon

Note: I used Apple Cider Vinegar with some Balsamic Vinegar added, that is what I had on hand.

Remove outer leaves of cabbage, core and shred. Layer with salt in a large bowl. Cover, let stand 24 hours.
Drain thoroughly on paper-towel lined trays, about 6 hours. NOTE: I didn’t have that much time what with work and all (and I’m impatient) so I drained about 2 hours then put in a barely warm oven for an hour. Plus I was making a smaller batch, so there is some wiggle room here if you need it.

Combine sugar, mustard seed, mace and vinegar in a large saucepot. Tie whole spices in a spice bag, add spice bag to vinegar. Boil 5 minutes.

Remove spice bag. Pack cabbage into hot jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Ladle hot liquid over cabbage, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles (use a rubber spatula).
Adjust 2-piece caps. Process 20 minutes in a boiling water bath canner.

Mandolin came home that night and said (sniffing the air) “Mmmm…whatcha making?”

Recipe reprinted with permission (woo hoo!)
Recipes provided by BALL BLUE BOOK(r) OF PRESERVING. Copyright (c) 2009,
Jarden Home Brands, marketer of Ball(r) and Kerr(r) fresh preserving
products.
Jarden Home Brands is a division of Jarden Corporation (NYSE: JAH).

How-To Home Preserve (me)
How-to Home Preserve (Ball Corporation)
Our Recipe Box

Categories: cabbage, ok - so now what?, you grew it - you eat it

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Onions Onions Everywhere (and not a tear to drop)

15 August 2010, by gj

So I’ve admitted I’m a gardening maniac and, like any obsession, there is always a price to pay.
I’m not quite sure how I ended up planting 600 onions (I must have been on a planting euphoria that prevented memory retention) but that is what happened.
And it was a very good year.
I’ve already written a bit on what to do with onions, and have a few jars of dehydrated and a few bags frozen.
But it was time to bring in the rest of the crop, and time to deal with it.

Until this year I didn’t know you could can onions (it must have been on a Need-To-Know basis, and I didn’t need)…I always just froze, dried and kept fresh in the fridge.
This year, there’s just not enough room.

So I looked in my handy Ball Book of Home Preserving (25th. anniversary edition by the way… just saying) and found two nifty recipes.
Yes, I did just intentionally use the word ‘nifty’.

Honeyed Red Onions and Vinegared Red Onions. One Pressure Canned, the other Steam/Water Bath Canned.
I did mix white and red, I couldn’t help myself.

Canned Onions-kewl. (Yes, this must be lame expression time…I’ve been spending too much time with Mandolin).

I have contacted the Ball Home Preserving Company asking them if I could share these recipes with you.
I am still awaiting permission. In the meantime, get one of their books. You’ll be glad you did. They are full of kewl and nifty recipes.

So this is how I spent most of today…

more on onions
our recipe box

Did I mention I still have Leeks in the garden?

Categories: ok - so now what?, onions, you grew it - you eat it

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Some Like it Hotter

14 August 2010, by gj

I’ve been asked for our Salsa recipe, which until today did not exist.
I did make a batch and jotted down what we used; but I must admit every batch is a little different.
Use this more as a guideline and adjust to fit your own tastes.

Mandolin and I think the best ‘hot’ foods have a combination of heat levels – from start, to that little slap in the back of the head; so we use a combination of peppers that include jalapeno, cayenne, cherry and more…even an occasional habanera.

MIXED PEPPER SALSA

4 cup tomatoes, cored and quartered
2 cup chopped green peppers
4 cup chopped mixed hot peppers
2 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. cumin
2 Tbs. cilantro
1 tsp. black pepper
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
Tomato paste (optional)

Combine all ingredients. Be careful chopping those hot peppers! Simmer until thick.
Because I like to keep my salsa somewhat crunchy, but mostly because I have little patience, I cheat and use some tomato paste to thicken. It saves hours and works wonderfully.
Fill hot canning jars to within ¼ inch from the jar top. Process in a water bath canner 15 minutes for pints, 25 minutes for quarts.

I have been seeing a lot of pictures online lately of home canned foods. I think its great that more people are preserving their homegrown vegs!
Just be careful to follow the headspace and processing times correctly. For safety’s sake, this is really important!
Enjoy!
(PS Its gets hotter the longer it sits….bring it!)
Our Recipe Box
Grow Better Peppers

Categories: hot peppers, ok - so now what?, tomatoes, you grew it - you eat it

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I Know You Can Can (Yes You Can Can)

11 August 2010, by gj

Home canning in a water bath or steam canner is a fairly simple process. Home canned foods stay good for up to two years, and help free up some of the freezer space for other garden bounty. Home canned goods make delightful and thoughtful gifts, too.

The Basics
The two types of natural preservatives that can keep food safe using this method are acid and sugar.
Sugar is obvious in home canned jams, jellies and syrups. Acid is the mainstay in pickles, relishes and tomatoes.
All other types of home canned goods, such as plain vegetables in water, need to be pressure canned. This will be another blog.

The Tools
1. glass jars and lids specifically for canning, such as Ball Canning Jars
2. a Water bath or steam canner
3. additional small tools, such as a funnel, spatula, and jar lifter can make the job easier but are not required.

The Recipes
It is important to stick closely to a recipe, especially if you are a beginner. The Ball Book of Home Preserving has a wonderful selection. There are also recipes on their website.

I have been canning a long time and no longer use recipes for salsa, BBQ sauce and a few others I make yearly. But I know that I must keep a high acidity level to my sauces in order for them to remain safe to eat.
For example, Tomatoes are naturally acidic. If I’m adding to a tomato recipe, such as in making salsa, I compensate for the additional ingredients (peppers, onions) that lower that acidity level by adding some vinegar.

Important points to remember
The most important thing about canning is to keep everything clean and hot.
Wash your vegetables and tools. Boil the lids and lid rings in water. Sanitize your jars either by placing in the water bath canner or steamer, or, if you are using a lot of jars, sanitize in your dishwasher.

Leave sufficient headspace in the jar, usually ¼ inch (see recipe). This headspace is measured from the very top of the jar.

Process according to the recipe. Different items and different size jars (pint, quart) require appropriate processing times.

Resist the temptation to press down on the lids to help them seal. Let them seal naturally.

If a jar does not seal (you will see the lid did not become sucked down in the middle) refrigerate after the jar is cool and use within a few days.
Once the jars have sealed, you can remove the outer rings and store. Be sure to label with a date.

I have to say that one of my favorite gardening sounds is that of canning jar lids sealing (tink-tink-tink).

How to can video tutorial, recipes

To make the Homemade Raspberry Vinaigrette, I did a take-off on a recipe from the website. I made the vinegar using this recipe. Then dissolved an equal amount of sugar into the strained vinegar. I brought it to a boil, filled jars and processed 15 minutes.

Yes We Can Can – the Pointer Sisters

Categories: berries, ok - so now what?, you grew it - you eat it

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The Versatile Onion

17 July 2010, by gj

You’ll know your onions are ready to pick when, like garlic, they lie down. There are a few different ways to store them.
For keeping indoors (in your fridge or any cool, dry place) let cure outside in the sun for a day or so. Just trim the tops and wash off any dirt, you are good to go.

I freeze some of the onions that I know will just be used in soups or to can later in the fall in salsa (just chop, spread out on a foil lined sheet, freeze and store).

I like to dehydrate some of the fresh cut green tops. You can use a commercial dehydrator or your own skillet. Chop as evenly as possible and just place in the warm skillet (on lowest burner setting). It will take a few hours until your onions are crisp to the touch. Store in any food grade container on your shelf.
Dried this way they add a mild and toasty flavor to your food, and a little color to boot.

When I look at all the onions, and the leeks as well, growing in the garden, it makes me think of a fall day not too long from now and homemade Three Onion Soup.

No hurry though, I can wait

Categories: garden planning, ok - so now what?

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Separation Anxiety

4 July 2010, by gj

I mentioned in an earlier blog that I haven’t had much success growing spinach in the past. Not willing to accept defeat however, I decided to try planting some in the newly assembled (purchased for almost nothing) strawberry bed. The strawberries weren’t really using it yet, and the two do well together.
Well it worked, it really worked. As much as I would like to take credit, I think the combination of the mushroom soil and beautiful weather was the real reason why the spinach thrived.

I have been harvesting the lower leaves and keeping the bolting at bay, until the most recent heat wave proved too much for the tender plants. Time to bring them all in and prep them for winter storage.

It also was time for the strawberry plants to start sending out their tendrils on which the next generation will grow-they needed the room.

Here’s how to deal with your harvest:

So the strawberries are happy, the spinach is in the freezer. So who’s got separation anxiety?
Well, that would be me. You see, I won’t be able to plant the next crop of spinach in the same bed later this summer, and I know it isn’t going to want to be far from those strawberries.
I’m just not sure I can grow it well again, twice in a row?
-Now wait – hold the phone – another challenge?
Hmm, corn to the north, garlic to the west, tomatoes and peppers to the east- aha! the south has it…that broccoli won’t be there much longer, and the swiss chard may prove beneficial. Whew!
Okay, okay…not to worry… the spinach and I…yeah, we’ll be just fine we’ll be just fine indeed.

Categories: garden planning, gardening, ok - so now what?

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Are We There Yet?

4 July 2010, by gj

Okay so you planted and transplanted, weeded and watered. Now what?

I get a lot of questions on this subject, starting about this time of season and going into the summer and fall:
How do I know when my veggies, fruit or herbs are ready to pick? And, err…how do I go about doing that?

Let me say first that I have killed a few plants by harvesting too harshly or lost veggies by waiting too long. Just yanking an eggplant will get you an eggplant, but maybe only one.
The When and Where of planting matter the same way the When and How of harvesting do.

Since I use my blog for fun, and my website for more serious information, I added a new page to the former “ok, so now what?” where I will gather the blogs that help you harvest and store.
I also added a new page to the latter “Harvesting” with more practical and veg-specific info.

If you are new to growing your own food, don’t worry.
After a while all this info becomes second nature.
Really really.

Categories: ok - so now what?

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