| What's in season?
Posted: 8/27/2009 4:51:37 PM | For those of us who like the freshest foods - what's in season NOW? At my local outdoor market (in the midwest US), corn is what's hot now. Looks awesome. Alas, I couldn't find the greens I was looking for (except a litle Swiss chard); I think those come later in the year. Also attractive - blueberries, peppers and tomatoes (canning, anyone?). For meat eaters, pork seems plentiful. I also found cabbage sprouts, which come up out of the rosettes left over after the grown cabbage heads are harvested, and are more tender and tasty than grownup cabbage. (News to me!)
Please share your findings, tips, and any ideas for preserving that fresh find for later! | |
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| What's in season?
Posted: 8/28/2009 5:52:41 AM | i plan to hit the farmer's market today. i'll let you know what i find there.
we still have tomatoes, green peppers, onions and squashes.
i have a bumper crop of lettuce, for some reason.
you can simply peel the tomatoes, puree, and add garlic, chopped peppers and onion, and basil. pour into freezer bags, freeze, and you'll have a fresh tomato sauce long after the season ends. you can do the same with squash and use the puree in soups. actually, the concept works with a wide variety of vegetables! | |
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| What's in season?
Posted: 8/29/2009 6:30:36 PM | | Here's a great site to use as a reference: http://www.sustainabletable.org/shop/eatseasonal/ | |
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| What's in season?
Posted: 8/30/2009 3:59:18 AM | | It is almost apple season here. Most of the orchard growers are claiming that it will be a good season, so we are keeping our fingers crossed because of the crazy weather we have had this summer. Can't wait for the first apple crisp of the season. And some home made apple sauce. | |
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| What's in season?
Posted: 8/30/2009 8:26:43 AM | | Thanks for the site, Obi! And yeah, apple crisp sounds GOOD. Might have to go apple picking this year. Wonder how Michigan apples will be - we hardly got summer this year in the Midwest. | |
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| What's in season?
Posted: 8/31/2009 5:32:07 AM | | Hey Bunky...here in the midwest..it's tough to get lettuce to grow in midsummer. We've had a rather cool July so the lettuce in my garden has grown well, but I doubt whether the commercial guys even bothered to plant much. They might plant a late crop of lettuce so it matures into the fall, it holds it's harvestability much longer that way. When it's hot out..it's ready one day to harvest..and too big the next. | |
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| What's in season?
Posted: 8/31/2009 11:14:35 AM | | Too bad lettuce doesn't keep - it's use it or lose it. If anybody ever heard of a way to keep lettuce more than a week or so, other than fresh, (Cooked? Frozen? Preserved? LOL) - love to hear it. | |
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| What's in season?
Posted: 9/4/2009 7:34:35 AM | hey justbunky, how are you on this fine day??
THANKS for the tip re: cabbage sprouts, when I have the opportunity I'll have to try some!!
I live in NW Ontario. There are still blueberries left for pickin', but since I don't have time to pick then (or contend with bears) I prefer to buy them in bulk and freeze them.
I experimented with freezing and canning berries. I found that freezing berries is best, as there is no added sugar or honey.
To prepare the blueberries for freezing, I soak the berries in large containers of cold water...if the berries are from commercial farms I squirt in a tiny bit of dish detergent to help wash off any pesticide/fertilizer residue.
I let the berries soak for about 30-40 minutes, then I rinse with fresh water, then I soak them once more (this time without dish detergent). Then I pour the berries through a colander and gently shake out as much excess water as possible.
If I have time, I pour the berries one layer deep onto a flat surface (cookie sheet or tray) and then I freeze them...by freezing them on a flat surface, they tend to freeze individually (as opposed to glomming onto each other in a big clump). Once frozen they can be scooped into a sandwich baggie. But if I don't have time, I just dump 'em right into a sandwich bag.
Several sandwich bags of frozen berries are put into a freezer bag. This way I can store large freezer bags of individually packaged berries in my deep freezer.
In a typical autumn, I'll freeze about 100 pints of blue-berries and 30 pints of strawberries. I also try to can about 40-50 quarts of apples and peaches....if you want more tips lemme know.
I hope you enjoy autumns's bounty!! | |
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| What's in season?
Posted: 9/4/2009 9:21:20 AM | Thanks, SilaBear! LOL @ contending with bears, esp. given your name!
Appreciate the freezing tips. Last time I froze blackberries, they did "glom" and got all watery when I thawed them. I'm short on freezer space (sounds like you must have A LOT!) but will try your flash-freeze method. Guess I'll stock up before berry season is up. I've been loving the fresh ones but they seem to be getting bigger and blander now.
Happy harvesting! | |
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| What's in season?
Posted: 9/4/2009 3:33:29 PM | hey justbunky,
Yup, sometimes storebought berries are good-looking (ie. big and beautiful), but no taste. The flip-side is that smaller, irregular wild berries are SOOOOOOO TASTY!!!! But because of their small size it takes forever to collect enough...so it is a compromise.
Here are some thawing tips for ya. I like to thaw berries in class containers. I thaw them in canning jars. The berries will get shapeless and lumpy when they're thawed, and they'll give you all kinds of DELICIOUS, NUTRITION juice too!! Don't throw the juice out!! It's very tasty!!
It's best to use glass containers to thaw the berries because the berry juice may stain plastic containers....plus canning jars are easier to drink from after the berries are gone.
If you want canning tips LMK
...and have a FAB day! | |
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| What's in season?
Posted: 9/7/2009 7:38:32 AM | hey everyone, just thought I'd share this
Yesterday I spent the day canning peaches. I had purchased 18 baskets of peaches on sale (note, buy a basket first to taste them just in case they taste icky). The peaches were slightly unripe - so I let them sit in the sun for a day or two. The 18 baskets of peaches yielded about 42 quarts of canned peaches. I made a light syrup of water, honey and lemon juice (the lemon juice prevents them from discoloring) to can them in.
I hot-packed 1/3 of the peaches (this is when you cook the peaches first), and I cold-packed the remaining 2/3. I choose to can the peaches with the peel intact. I think it makes the peaches look more appealing and colorful (they peel off easily before eatting).
I figure I've saved around $200 by doing this. Canned peaches are expensive where I live - and home canned produce is superior to what you can buy in a store.
There is nothing sweeter than enduring a cold, winter day of blowing snow and biting wind...then going inside and opening up a fresh jar of peaches (or other home canned goody)..the smell from a freshly opened jar is lovely.
if anyone wants more details re: canning, feel free to drop me a line
..and have a FAB day everyone!!!! | |
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| What's in season?
Posted: 9/7/2009 12:19:05 PM | | Man you've got me craving peaches now... Not a big fan of commercially canned fruit (You can always taste the can imo) but those sound delicious. | |
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| What's in season?
Posted: 9/8/2009 1:43:37 PM | | I had the best peach I've ever eaten in my life this weekend from the local farm here in NH. I literally had to eat it over the sink there was so much juice, not a bit mushy had a good bite to it. Apples are out tart and sweet, fall squashes, corn. This is hands down the best time of year. | |
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| What's in season?
Posted: 9/8/2009 4:07:28 PM | oooh, those peaches sound soooo good!! Hey, can you send a crate of peaches my way?
:)
.....apples, squash and corn, sounds like good eatting!!! | |
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| What's in season?
Posted: 9/9/2009 10:10:52 AM | Hi Miss Sila!
You have your profile hidden so I am not sure whereabouts you are in the North! I used to live in Timmins and would freeze the blueberries every summer. God they were good! And the technique you use for freezing them is the same that I use to freeze strawberries and blueberries here in Southern Ontario. When in the North, I never picked blueberries hun. Just went to the local bar and could buy them dirt cheap from the fellas who picked in the mornings and wanted beer money in the afternoons! lol... I miss the north for their blueberries. What we get here taste like cardboard and are extremely expensive. | |
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| What's in season?
Posted: 9/9/2009 6:03:24 PM | hey Miss Moonchild!!
I'm in Thunder Bay. The wild blueberries are soooo good here...but alas, I just don't have that kinda time. But that is an AWESOME tip re: going to the bar to get berries, I"ll remember that one!! Thanks for sharing!!
I find the best blueberries grow in an area that had a forest fire...yah, I know that sounds weird. But trust me...if you are in an area where there was a forest fire, go blueberry picking after the greenery has come back..you'll know what I mean!!
Everyone has there own secret blueberry picking area here....so it can be kinda hard to find the berries. I go by bear poop. If the bear poop is full of blueberries, I know I'm in a good area for blueberries (and bears!). Wow, am I a country-bumpkin-hick or WHAT?!?! :)
Sadly, this year I used store-bought berries. They just went on sale, so I bought a whole bunch.
Hey!! I've never been to Timmins. The closest I've been is Sudbury, there were good pickings there!! The blueberries were sooooo thick on the ground it was easy to fill the containers.
Today I froze about 70 pints of blueberries. I forgot to mention that I suck the air out of the sandwich baggies with a straw before I seal them.
Wow! I gotta admit, I'm getting sooooo tired of fruit. If someone shows me another peach or blueberry, gah!!
......next on my preserving agenda is apples and possibly tomatoes.
happy harvesting everyone!!!!! | |
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| What's in season?
Posted: 9/9/2009 6:43:35 PM | | OK Miss Bear? Tis almost apple time here and now tomatoes. What is it that you do to preserve these? I have made salsa but don't really feel like doing that much work this year to be quite honest. So I would be happy if you would share your thoughts? | |
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| What's in season?
Posted: 9/9/2009 6:45:07 PM | | I've got some easy and lovely recipes for apple and mint jelly and bottling tomatoes, even tomato paste...if you want them, just holla.. | |
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| What's in season?
Posted: 9/9/2009 6:47:11 PM | | KK then Miss Friendly! What is the apple mint jelly recipe? I have hoards of mint in my garden and apples are a plenty in the next month or so. And bottling tomatoes darlin? Seeds and all? Do share my Aussie friend!!! | |
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| What's in season?
Posted: 9/10/2009 6:47:23 AM | ooooh, you have lots of mint!! You LUCKY girl!! After you're done making apple/mint jelly (which sounds heavenly!), you can dry or freeze the surplus mint.
My mom is from the old-country. And she insists that mint is an excellent herbal remedy for everything that ails ya! She adds dried mint to almost everything she eats, scrambled eggs, soups, steps...etc.
I can applesauce/applebutter. I usually pick around 70 pounds of apples, which yields about 35 quarts of applesauce or applebutter.
I would like to make about 30 quarts of tomato sauce.....but I'm not sure if I'm up to it this year...we'll see. I find it's a lot more work than apples.
I have to say that opening a home canned jar of tomatoes is one of the BEST experiences ever!! I usually make lots of spaghetti/lasagna dishes in the winter, and the aroma from home canned tomatoes is WONDERFUL!! Especially after you spent the day skiing, or tramping around outdoors.
I get most of my canning recipies from 'Preserving Summer's Bounty', Rodale books. I looooove Rodale books!! They're excellent reference books with lots of back-to-basics tips. I also collect vintage cook books, a lot of the older cook books come with canning recipies too!!
have a FAB day!! I'm off to my first day of class! | |
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| What's in season?
Posted: 9/10/2009 6:52:20 AM | hello Friendly!!
Yes, please post (or email me) your recipies for apple & mint jelly. I've never made jelly, but perhaps I'll try next year.
Do you pick your own apples? Do you grow your own mint? Do tell!!
Could you please share your bottled tomato and tomato paste recipie?
feel free to share your canning stories!
Whenever I buy boxes of canning jars, I always feel a solidarity with other home canners. We're the ones who pick the best produce we can to preserve for those loong, hard winter months. We're a friendly bunch, ready to strike up conversation while we're waiting in line to pay for the jars :) Sharing tips and recipies is always fun!!
have a FAB day!! | |
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| What's in season?
Posted: 9/10/2009 7:13:46 AM | | Do share! Call me paranoid; I'm scared of botulism (aka BOTCH). How not to get it? | |
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| What's in season?
Posted: 9/12/2009 6:03:51 PM | hey justbunky, here is how not to get botulism
1. If you're a beginner at canning may I suggest getting a good canning book. If you visit your library, surf the web, check your college for canning classes..you'll find some good leads. I have posted the book that I use in a previous post....follow the directions carefully. Do a good job sterilizing the jars, lids and equipment.
2. Make sure your jars are sealed properly....I can using a large canning pot (I don't use a pressure cooker). After I remove the jars from the boiling water, I let them cool on towels. Then I double check that the lids are depressed (which indicates that the contents within the jar are in a vacuum). If the lid isn't depressed, then the contents within aren't safe to eat.
Basically, when you immerse a canning jar into a large pot of boiling water you kill the bacteria. When the jar contents are heated for a certain duration, at a certain temperature, you will kill the bacteria inside the jar. When you heat a canning jar you create a vaccum inside the jar, so bacteria can't grow. So proper canning methods will ensure that you will not have a problem with botulism or other bad stuff.
There are certain circumstances where you can still get bacteria in a home-canned item. You may have a couple of small pockets of air in the jar. You may have a bit of food stuck in between the jar and lid (causing an improper seal)....but if you are careful and you use your common sense you shouldn't have any problems. I've been canning for 5 years with nary a problem.
....and when it doubt, THROW IT AWAY!!
hope this helps | |
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| What's in season?
Posted: 9/14/2009 5:42:43 PM | Thanks....I think I'll do my homework and maybe try canning next summer! Great tips. Let us know how it goes for you, and what you put up.
My latest score - zucchini. I made another poster's Carrot Zucchini bread (search it)
with a couple variations - part brown sugar, and whole wheat flour, and pecans vs chocolate chips. Finally figured out how to use the shredder attachment for my blender! Cooling now...we'll see how it is. I sauteed the rest with onions & will add tomatoes tomorrow.
Next up...pumpkins & squash. Recipes or variety ideas welcome! Especially fall/winter soups.
Oh, and I might try to make and freeze a gazpacho b4 tomatoes turn light pink. Gotta do a thread search ! | |
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| What's in season?
Posted: 9/15/2009 9:19:22 AM | Miss Bunky? When you get into the canning next year, if you have the odd jar or two where the lids are not depressed, may I suggest refrigeration? You don't have to throw out the contents of the jar. I just finished doing up 23 jars of dill pickles. So that gives me 27 jars of pickled beets and the dills. Enough for me this year me thinks! | |
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