The botanical name for cauliflower is Brassica oleracea, and it is related to cabbage, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. It is an inflorescence vegetable where the part that is eaten is part of the inflorescence of the plant itself (buds, flowers, stems, etc.). The head of …
If you’ve ever thought about creating your own medicinal items in your kitchen but didn’t know where to begin, then this book is just what you need. Medicinal Herbs for Immune Defense has 104 recipes for all sorts of ailments that you can create at …
The Preserving Answer Book by Sherri Brooks Vinton is filled with many questions related to food preservation as well as definitions to many preservation terms.
There are 17 chapters separated into 3 parts:
Questions are answered all throughout the book and answered in an informative yet conversational manner so it’s easy to digest. I loved the simple recipes and illustrations throughout the book. The canning section was super informative and goes over many things that aren’t suitable for canning, such as chocolate, recipes with lots of oil, dairy, safe ways to store your canned goods, as well as giving a great rundown on pH and acid when it comes to canning.
Vinton also shares her recipe for Peel-and-Pip Pectin – how to make your own pectin, a very nice recipe to have in your recipe box. Nice when you are interested in adding nothing but homemade into your homemade jellies. The directions for the preservation methods for refrigeration and freezing are below. Visit the book on directions on how to can the homemade pectin.
From the book: "What did cooks do before they had pectin in a box? They made their own. It's not difficult to do, and the texture homemade pectin brings to your james and jellies is ideal - silky and delicate. The Pectin from this recipe looks like a syrupy liquid. It doesn't reach gel stage until it cooks up with your fruit."
Mix the apples, water and lemon juice in a large non-reactive pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour, uncovered, stirring occasstionaly to prevent scorching.
Line a colander with a triple layer of cheesecloth and set this over a large bowl. Gently pour the all of the apple mixture into the cheesecloth. Allow the apple mixture to drain like this for 3 to 4 hours until all the juice has been relieced. DO NOT press on the fruit or you will cloud the liquid. Use the pectin immediately or preserve it for later.
Refrigerate: Ladle the pectin into bowls or jars, and cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Freeze: The pectin many be frozen up to 6 months, but freezing will weaken the pectin slightly. If you freeze the pectin, plan on using 1/3 more pectin in your recipes for the same gelling effect as the refrigerated pectin.
Note: this recipe was adapted from The Preserving Answer Book.
Disclosure: This book was provided by the publisher and any opinions are my own. Any affiliate links help to support this site, thanks.
I’m always looking for ways to improve my garden and understanding composting is one way of doing that. I have yet to get a compost pile started in my backyard, but after reading No-Waste Composting by Michelle Balz, I’m wondering if there is no time …
Pelargonium tomentosum, Peppermint scented geranium, is a type of edible geranium with soft, felt-fuzzy leaves and tiny flowers when it blooms. The leaves are large and and release a wonderful mint aroma when ruffled or rubbed between your fingers. I planted this in my herb …
Papaya is a flavorful and fragrant fruit, and starting seeds is relatively easy. Provided the soil is warm and kept moist, the success rate for each seed germination is nearly 100 percent for most viable seeds.
Growing bananas from seeds can be a long, laborious labor of love and constant care. Depending on the variety, banana seeds can take anywhere from a few months to a whole year. Here is variety specific germination info: Darjeeling Banana – Musa sikkimensis. Cold tolerant …
Info from Trade Winds Fruit seed packet from 2013: Plant seeds 1/2 to 1 inch deep. Keep soil moist and soil temp above 70 degrees F. Seeds make take several weeks to germinate. Coffee grows into a shrub that can be kept indoors and will …
Refrigerator pickles are quick and simple to prepare, and will last about a week in the refrigerator. No canning equipment is needed, and you can use whatever spice you like on hand. A basic brine is 1 1/2 cups water, 3 tablespoons white vinegar, and 1 1/2 tablespoons pickling salt. You can use Kosher salt if pickling salt isn’t available.
Brad’s Atomic tomatoes are a grape sized tomato variety with elongated fruit which can vary in size from very small to several bites big (1 to 3 inches). The color is vibrant with streaks of blue, red, lavender, green, and sunset colors. The flesh …
Fahrenheit Blues is a specialty cherry tomato. It has a deep blue skin color and red flesh. The hotter and more intense the sun the better the color. Fahrenheit Blues is an open pollinated cross developed by Tom Wagner. This tomato is an indeterminate variety. …
