Question of the Day, Sunday April, 14th

[nurseangel]

Hi, all!

Do you know how to freeze dry, can, or pickle, fresh vegetables?

I don't, but would love to learn. Especially pickling.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I learned how to make pickles and pickle banana peppers a few years ago. The Winchester shared several recipes with me; but the bread & butter pickle one absolutely knocked it out of the park. Everyone who tried them raved.

I did learn a couple lessons the hard way. #1 Sniffing a pot of boiling vinegar and spices is a bad idea. Probably lost some nose hair. #2 Tumeric stains even black spoons.

I mostly freeze my own produce when I plant a garden. I haven’t done one the last few years. Pressure canning is intimidating to me. My MIL used to do a lot; including her own apple butter that was amazing. Freezing is easier. Getting my family excited to eat formerly frozen veggies is another story.

If I get to make pickles again this year; it will have to be from farm-stand cucumbers. It was a lot of work; but they really do taste phenomenal compared to store bought ones.

 

[denice]

All three were an every summer thing growing up on a farm but that was many years ago, I haven't done any of them since. To be honest I hated canning. We didn't have air conditioning which wasn't unusual, most people didn't at that time, and canning would make a hot humid house even more hot and humid. Before my time most homes in the country had a separate small building that was used for canning for that reason.

 

[Jem]

No, but I do want to learn. I'm hoping that by next year I'll be ready to get going on my garden again, so will try some canning at that point.

 

[game misconduct]

i tried to freeze dry a pack of chicken gizzards to use as treats fro grayciedidnt turn out to well though gf finally tossed em all out after about 6 months or so

 

[neely]

No, I guess I just eat my fresh veggies too fast to can, freeze dry or pickle.

 

[Winchester]

I have a few really good pickle recipes, if you're interested. These are the old-fashioned pickle recipes that my grandmother and Mom used. As MoochNNoodles said, the bread and butter pickles are really good. I also have a recipe for lime pickles. lizzie has a great recipe for cinnamon pickles. I've been making my own pickle relish (and zucchini relish) for years now. We haven't used store-bought relish in forever. Years ago, I canned red onions in honey (pressure canner) and they were so good! I have Rick's mom's canning supplies and I also went out and bought a pressure canner for those things that cannot be water-canned.

But I freeze pretty much everything else. We have two nice-sized freezers in the basement. Rick puts out a garden with corn, peas, string beans (this year, we're doing lima beans), several kinds of tomatoes, peppers, etc. Red beets (I dearly love red beets). Potatoes, onions, a couple squash plants. We have a strawberry bed (that we're adding to this year) as well as a small asparagus bed. During the season, I'll make and freeze vegetables soup, chili, pasta sauce, pizza sauce.

Oh, and I like to make my own garlic powder, onion powder, and tomato powder. The dehydrator is in use during the fall season.

Come harvest time, we're a busy bunch! But we won't starve!

 

[catapault]

My mother used to make jams and jellies. So of course I followed suit. To the point where I've taught classes. And wrote a book.

Sweet preserves and pickles are the safest for a beginner because the sugar and vinegar protect against harmful bacteria. Yes, you must sterilize jars before filling, seal and water bath process afterwards.

But in order to can vegetables for later use as a side dish to a meal they must be processed in a pressure canner. And I have no idea if an Insta Pot would suffice.

But almost any vegetable may be pickled - corn relish, dilly green beans, etc.

Each and every state has an extension agency. They provide free information, teach classes, answer questions. Look for yours, see if they have a nearby office, and ask when (not if, because I am sure they will) offer a class on preserving food.

 

[MonaLyssa33]

I don't know how to do any of that. I wanted to pickle some cucumbers a couple of years ago, but my cucumber plant produced very little and a bunch of animals kept taking stuff before I could get it or they actually grew big enough.

 

[catapault]

Not all pickles need to be bottled for long term storage. There are some - especially Japanese - quick pickles meant to be made and consumed the same day. Here's an easy one, with store bought vegetables

Daikon and Carrot Pickle
Adapted from “Into the Vietnamese Kitchen” by Andrea Nguyen (Ten Speed Press, 2006)
Time: 15 minutes, plus 1 hour’s marinating

1 large carrot, peeled and cut into thick matchsticks
1 pound daikon radishes, each no larger than 2 inches in diameter, peeled and cut into thick matchsticks
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons plus 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups distilled white vinegar.

1. Place carrot and daikon in a bowl and sprinkle with salt and 2 teaspoons sugar. Knead vegetables for about 3 minutes, expelling water from them (this will keep them crisp). Stop kneading when vegetables have lost about 1/4 of their volume. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water, then press gently to expel extra water. Return vegetables to bowl, or transfer to a glass container for longer storage.

2. In a bowl, combine 1/2 cup sugar, the vinegar and 1 cup lukewarm water, and stir to dissolve sugar. Pour over vegetables. Let marinate at least 1 hour before eating, or refrigerate for up to 4 weeks. Remove vegetables from liquid before using in banh mi.

Yield: About 3 cups.

 

[Mia6]

my mother did all that but i didn't inherit the gene

 

[susanm9006]

I do know how to can and pickle but did so much growing up that I have absolutely no desire to do it as an adult. I just do a lot of freezing which is just so much easier.

 

[fionasmom]

Daikon and Carrot Pickle
Adapted from “Into the Vietnamese Kitchen” by Andrea Nguyen (Ten Speed Press, 2006)
Time: 15 minutes, plus 1 hour’s marinating

1 large carrot, peeled and cut into thick matchsticks
1 pound daikon radishes, each no larger than 2 inches in diameter, peeled and cut into thick matchsticks
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons plus 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups distilled white vinegar.

1. Place carrot and daikon in a bowl and sprinkle with salt and 2 teaspoons sugar. Knead vegetables for about 3 minutes, expelling water from them (this will keep them crisp). Stop kneading when vegetables have lost about 1/4 of their volume. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water, then press gently to expel extra water. Return vegetables to bowl, or transfer to a glass container for longer storage.

2. In a bowl, combine 1/2 cup sugar, the vinegar and 1 cup lukewarm water, and stir to dissolve sugar. Pour over vegetables. Let marinate at least 1 hour before eating, or refrigerate for up to 4 weeks. Remove vegetables from liquid before using in banh mi.

Yield: About 3 cups.

This is the only one that I can do. A very similar recipe is in The Savory Way which is a vegetarian cookbook by Deborah Madison. It really is delicious.

 

[catloverfromwayback]

No, it was never a thing in my family, and I have no use, or space, for it. Plus I hate pickled vegetables.

 

[NY cat man]

On the farm, we had a large garden, plus some fruit trees, so we canned corn, beans, beets, stewed tomatoes, made green tomato relish, made applesauce and strawberry preserves, canned plums, peaches, and pears, and, on occasion, meat. Our root cellar shelves were loaded with pint and quart Mason jars, as it took a lot to feed ten people, and those shelves would be pretty empty by the next canning season.
The only canning that Michele and I have done was some years ago, when we, with another couple, bought a quarter of beef and canned that. I think that lasted us a couple of years before we finished it off.
Edit: I almost forgot about the pickles, both dills plus bread and butter varieties.

 

[margecat]

I used to can and make pickles.

 

[iPappy]

I'm learning to do canning this summer, and am very excited.

 

[iPappy]

On the farm, we had a large garden, plus some fruit trees, so we canned corn, beans, beets, stewed tomatoes, made green tomato relish, made applesauce and strawberry preserves, canned plums, peaches, and pears, and, on occasion, meat. Our root cellar shelves were loaded with pint and quart Mason jars, as it took a lot to feed ten people, and those shelves would be pretty empty by the next canning season.
The only canning that Michele and I have done was some years ago, when we, with another couple, bought a quarter of beef and canned that. I think that lasted us a couple of years before we finished it off.
Edit: I almost forgot about the pickles, both dills plus bread and butter varieties.

Mom has canned meat and I'm shocked at how good it comes out.
I'm wanting to can some meat this summer as well, it comes in really handy if any of the dogs or cats aren't eating, and it's less sodium than store bought and healthier for them.

 

[lizzie]

I do quite a bit of canning and freezing during gardening season,but no pressure canning.He grows blackberries,elderberries and raspberries...needless to say I never have to buy jam.Cukes,beets,kale,zucchini,butternut squash,tomatoes,peppers,green beans all either get frozen or pickled,turned into relishes or chutney,and last year I learned how to make my own dijon mustard.I enjoy it...makes me proud of what we can accomplish for the season.

 

[kashmir64]

I dehydrate Portabella mushrooms all the time. They go bad so quick and this way I always have some to cook with.