Oven-dried cherry tomatoes

August 15, 2016 Freezing, In the Kitchen, Other recipes

Several years ago, while working at a farmers market, I learned from a customer about her method for drying Roma tomatoes in the oven and freezing them to use over the winter. Ever since, I’ve been dying to do the same, but never got around to it until this summer. Since we use most of our Roma tomatoes for canning and really needed another outlet for the cherry tomatoes (besides our mouths!), we decided to oven dry cherry tomatoes instead. The result was exceptional! This is a perfect technique to preserve cherry tomatoes for eating in the near future or for freezing to use in the winter. Even better, you can substitute these for...

Crazy days of summer

August 6, 2016 Canning, In the Kitchen, Weekly Updates

As every gardener knows, summer gets crazy! From mid-July through late August, it seems that everything is happening at once. The weeds are growing like mad and seem to reach the same size and intensity just days after the beds were cleared of them. At the same time that the summer harvest has ramped up to anxiety-provoking levels, the fall rounds of root crops and leafy greens need to be planted. And, to add to the craziness, all of that summer harvest has to be put to good use, either for immediate eating or through preserving for winter. It’s enough to make me wonder how women on homestead farms in...

Pickling Zucchini

July 15, 2016 Canning, In the Kitchen, Weekly Updates

Unexpectedly, Wednesday turned into a solid day of rain- perfect for the garden and also a perfect opportunity for me to get some preserving done! In the morning, before the rain set in, I was able do several hours of work in the garden itself- prepping a bed for the next planting of fall carrots, further trellising the tomatoes and peppers, and harvesting lots of beans and zucchini. Because I’m caring for my one-year-old son as well as for the garden, my days are largely structured around his nap schedule. While my son is exceptionally good at occupying himself, there are certain things that are just easier or much safer to do when he’s...

Freezing basil

July 12, 2016 Freezing, In the Kitchen

When it comes to preserving food for later use, you can go complex (think canning) or easy. Although last week we did both, I’m just as excited about this simple-as-can-be technique for freezing basil. One of the most disappointing things about cooking in the winter is the drop in flavor as you move from fresh to dried spices. Follow this method to help preserve the basil’s flavor as close to fresh as you can get! Frozen Basil Cubes Ingredients: – Basil – Olive Oil Method: 1. Pick basil leaves off of stems. Rinse and spin leaves in a salad spinner. 2. Figure out how many cups of basil leaves you have. You’ll need about...