Preserving the Harvest 2009

[swampman]

Free rein. I love that. It's "free range," but I like yours better. Cows out there on their own, having a good cow life. Wonderful.

You know, it didn't look right.  But in my senior moment I found a word that said it all.

We are getting half a pig next week from our organic Amish farmer friend.  $2.10 a pound cut and wrapped.  Not certified organic, but raised organic by his neighbor with one year left to get certification.

Pork is so much better than cat, the other white meat. (let the flames begin)

[Grower]

As long as the flames are for grilling your pork ribs, no problem.

[justanouveaufarmer]

Pork is so much better than cat, the other white meat.

I totally agree.  I love cats!  Only problem is I just can't eat a whole one by myself.

[counselor]

i made the apple-poblano jelly.  i put a small thai pepper in the finished jelly..wow..it is very good jelly.  i am going to add this recipe to my recipe box.  hubby really liked it also.
counselor

[heathenmom]

I'm so glad y'all like it!  Yay!

[cygnus]

We took the last two four gallon buckets of ripened tomatoes from the storeroom last night and turned them into - ketchup!  I'm not a huge ketchup fan, but after having tried some homemade earlier in the summer, I'm won over.  It's wonderful stuff when it's got more than just vinegar and high-fructose corn syrup in it.  I used red wine vinegar, garlic, onion, shallots, paprika, cayenne, cinnamon and cloves and sweetened it with xylitol so I can have some now and then and not have my blood sugar spike.  It smells wonderful and my husband, who is not a big beef fan, says he can't wait to try it on some (local grass fed) hamburgers soon, along with our home-made old fashioned crock dills.   

It's funny how living this way allows you to re-discover just how good ordinary foods can be when they are well grown, harvested with care, and processed at home. 

[swampman]

It's funny how living this way allows you to re-discover just how good ordinary foods can be when they are well grown, harvested with care, and processed at home. 

Amen to that.  I have always said that even if things turn around, I am eating far better than I used to and we are far healthier than ever because of our gardening preps.

[residualheat]

Amen to that.  I have always said that even if things turn around, I am eating far better than I used to and we are far healthier than ever because of our gardening preps.

Same here. We haven't bought any vegetables for months and I'm sure we're better for it in many ways.

[Hope@ZeroKelvin]

We took the last two four gallon buckets of ripened tomatoes from the storeroom last night and turned them into - ketchup!  I'm not a huge ketchup fan, but after having tried some homemade earlier in the summer, I'm won over.  It's wonderful stuff when it's got more than just vinegar and high-fructose corn syrup in it.  I used red wine vinegar, garlic, onion, shallots, paprika, cayenne, cinnamon and cloves and sweetened it with xylitol so I can have some now and then and not have my blood sugar spike.  It smells wonderful and my husband, who is not a big beef fan, says he can't wait to try it on some (local grass fed) hamburgers soon, along with our home-made old fashioned crock dills.   

It's funny how living this way allows you to re-discover just how good ordinary foods can be when they are well grown, harvested with care, and processed at home. 

So you pressure or water can it?

[pamplemousse]

Today, 6.5 quarts of spiced cabbage.  Recipe said red cabbage and red wine vinegar, but green cabbage was 80 cents a pound cheaper, so ours will be a bit different.  To me, the kitchen smells fabulous.  To the family, a poison gas zone to be avoided at all costs.

A few trays of cranberries are in the dehydrator.  I thought for sure they'd be done this morning, but they're not even close.  Maybe tomorrow.

[Grower]

I have so many beets to do! After the weather frosted off some of the tops, they came roaring back in the nice weather and are doing beautifully. I only like them pickled, so looks like I better go get another bunch of jars. At least they're good for you and pack a good vitamin wallop.

[cygnus]

We took the last two four gallon buckets of ripened tomatoes from the storeroom last night and turned them into - ketchup!  I'm not a huge ketchup fan, but after having tried some homemade earlier in the summer, I'm won over.  It's wonderful stuff when it's got more than just vinegar and high-fructose corn syrup in it.  I used red wine vinegar, garlic, onion, shallots, paprika, cayenne, cinnamon and cloves and sweetened it with xylitol so I can have some now and then and not have my blood sugar spike.  It smells wonderful and my husband, who is not a big beef fan, says he can't wait to try it on some (local grass fed) hamburgers soon, along with our home-made old fashioned crock dills.   

It's funny how living this way allows you to re-discover just how good ordinary foods can be when they are well grown, harvested with care, and processed at home. 

So you pressure or water can it?

Hope@ - I waterbath canned it.  I used dried onions and shallots and lots of wine vinegar, so the acidity is good.  I have some pH test strips I use when I'm concerned. 

[Hope@ZeroKelvin]

We took the last two four gallon buckets of ripened tomatoes from the storeroom last night and turned them into - ketchup!  I'm not a huge ketchup fan, but after having tried some homemade earlier in the summer, I'm won over.  It's wonderful stuff when it's got more than just vinegar and high-fructose corn syrup in it.  I used red wine vinegar, garlic, onion, shallots, paprika, cayenne, cinnamon and cloves and sweetened it with xylitol so I can have some now and then and not have my blood sugar spike.  It smells wonderful and my husband, who is not a big beef fan, says he can't wait to try it on some (local grass fed) hamburgers soon, along with our home-made old fashioned crock dills.   

It's funny how living this way allows you to re-discover just how good ordinary foods can be when they are well grown, harvested with care, and processed at home. 

So you pressure or water can it?

Hope@ - I waterbath canned it.  I used dried onions and shallots and lots of wine vinegar, so the acidity is good.  I have some pH test strips I use when I'm concerned. 

That pH test is a great idea, as you just have to pressure can low acidity foods or add some acidity.  Thanks.

I think it is important to store food in several ways - canned, dried, frozen.  Just in case you have an "oops" you won't lose too much of your harvest.

I broke my Pump and Seal and it was not available in the stores or on Amazon.

Anybody else having trouble buying one?

(Assuming we will still have some kind of grid.)

[Grower]

http://www.pump-n-seal.com/

That's where I got mine. I also got extra yellow tabs.

[cygnus]

http://www.pump-n-seal.com/

That's where I got mine. I also got extra yellow tabs.

Me, too!  I already had one, but I got an extra and about 300 more tabs.  Good thing, too, as the one I had (which is about 10 years old) broke a week or two later!  It should be fixable, but in the meantime, I have the spare.