Canning, freezing and food preservation: Bringing the taste of summer into the dead of winter.

As the fall weather is upon us with the days shortening I have some time to sit back and take a breath.  The canning and freezing season is winding down with the approach of winter.  My cabbage is fermenting waiting to become sauerkraut. Some of my tomatoes have been oven dried and packed in oil, while others were canned and still more frozen as sauces.  The carrots, beets, peppers and beans are nesting with my zucchini in the freezer.  Some jams were made as well.  Pear freezer jam was a first for me as was the carrot cake jam pictured later.

So, which is the best option for food preservation here on the hill; freeze or can?  I guess it depends on what I want to preserve and how we want to eat it.  I like to can things but freezing is a quick and much simpler method that works just as well. I chose to blanch and freeze my beans, peppers, carrots and roasted beets.  Blanching and then cooling quickly allows for the bright colors and a semi cooked veggie. Those are the veggies that froze very quickly for me when I was running short on time and needed to get them while the getting was good. Roasting the beets and cooling was a slick way to get the skins to slip off easily. The freezer jam above was a success and if you like strawberry or even peach freezer jam then you will probably like the pear.  Same method as the others but with pears.  The Sure Jell pectin has many recipes to follow inside the box. The fresh pear flavor is amazing.  I did a batch with cinnamon too.  I also canned some pear jam with and without hot peppers.

         
The sauce was another story for freezing.  I made three batches of tomato sauce: a marinara sauce with tomatoes, onions, and parsley. I also did a batch of sauce with tomatoes and basil for pasta and one for pizza with tomatoes and oregano. Don't forget the garlic.

Once the sauce was cooked down and cooled I transferred it to plastic freezer containers.  Each batch made about 4-5 quarts. I added a little tomato paste as well to the two sauces.  I have already used one of the marinara quarts and it was yummy.

Canning tomatoes reminds me of canning with my mom.  She always had at least two bushels of tomatoes to put up each year.  Peeling and coring the tomatoes starts with a hot water bath to help with removing the skins.

It doesn't take long at all for the skin to loosen for easy removal.

Once you have them all peeled then you will need to slice and pack into the prepared jars.  My suggestion is to follow the directions from the web or any canning book.  I always have my computer open as a reference.  You really don't want a bad batch of tomatoes.

Following the directions from my research, including how much canning salt is needed the processing begins.  I used the water bath method and below is the end result. Canning really is a beautiful art, and edible.

The cabbage fermenting on Grace right now is another chapter in my fall canning saga.  I had six very large cabbage plants in my garden.  I have shredded and prepped three of them for sauerkraut, I have three left. The fermenting is happening now and the canning will take place in about four more weeks.  The entire process takes about six to eight weeks total.

And yes, I did use the cabbage slicer you see hanging on the wall in the background.  I used a knife while my husband was sharpening the blades on this 'fancy' piece of kitchen equipment. But it did work quite well when he was done.

It all started with cutting these very large heads of cabbage in half and then in quarters so I could easily handle them. This is the canning that I was looking forward to all summer. The first time I made sauerkraut I wasn't sure, but the results were yummy so I tried it again as you see here.

The trick to the fermentation processes is salting the cabbage so it creates its own brine to use in the jars. I let the salted cabbage sit for about an hour or so and then I packed my jars and covered them loosely and stashed them in the large kettles on Grace to finish the fermentation process.  I check the jars occasionally to make sure the cabbage stays covered in brine.  If it needs it I will add a little salt water.  They will be processed for about 45 min in a hot water bath when the time comes.

My other canning adventures this fall included our usual salsa, at least two batches were made,

a salsa verde made from green tomatoes and yep I made two batches of this as well,

 and a carrot cake jam from a recipe found on Pinterest with carrots from my garden.  (Not all of the carrots made it to the freezer.)

I have a basement area full of home canned goods and a freezer full of goodies as well.  Our winter eating will be full of the splendor of summer.

Zucchini, zucchini and more Zucchini: What to do with that bumper crop!

One of the best things about living on the hill is my garden.  And oh what a garden it is.  This year I was able to keep up with the weeding early on and had actual rows I could walk down.  Though toward the end of summer my tomato plants took over and now I need safari gear to find some of my veggies.  I have the usual plants: winter squash, carrots, tomatoes, peppers, beans, peas, cucumbers, zucchini, beats, onions and potatoes, lettuce, spinach and peas.  I have plans for most of the veggies we plant, like salsa with the tomatoes and peppers. The lettuce and spinach we eat pretty quickly and the peas I eat while I am harvesting them. I blanch and freeze the beans and we can store the carrots, potatoes and beets in the basement if we have any left. The beauty of a garden is the ability to share the bounty with family and friends...but what happens when you have more zucchini than anyone wants or could possibly eat? Well that is what this post is all about; an over abundance of zucchini.

I have been reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle a book by Barbara Kingsolver. This book address what happens in the food industry from crop to table and how Kingsolver and her family ate locally for a year; what they were able to grow or get locally. That means eating in season.  I have found that zucchini is one vegetable that I don't eat out of season unless it is in a baked good or has been frozen by yours truly.  We planted 4 zucchini plants in our garden this year and it has been a bumper crop. (The tomatoes are another story.) We have eaten grilled zucchini boats, various zucchini casseroles and quiches, breads, cookies and muffins.

I like to pick them before they get too large because I don't like the big seeds, but this year they have all been pretty good, even the larger ones have had smaller, tender seeds. Before I get to the recipes for my bread and cookies I want to share my freezing technique with you.  As you know, zucchini are pretty much water. The flesh is really moist and makes great breads, cakes and cookies. Even the seeds are no big deal when frozen. I even found a zucchini pancake recipe on Pinterest that was really yummy. The zucchini I froze will be made into a variety of things like this all winter, and I will be eating the best of my garden into February.

So, how do you freeze zucchini? Well I shred it, measure it for recipes and pack into freezer bags.  It really is that simple.  Yes, when you thaw it out later there is quite a bit of water to squeeze off but if you pack your cups like I do, then the amount left in the bag should be sufficient for your recipes.

Start with washed and dried fresh zucchini, ends trimmed.

Using a box grater, grate into a pan. No need to peel the zucchini.

I pack my measuring cups to over-flowing.  One quart size bag nicely holds two cups, enough for a recipe of zucchini bread or a double batch of cookies, recipes to follow.

Pack, label and date your bags for freezing.  I use mine up usually within the year.  I wouldn't keep them for much longer than that, as freezer burn my set in tainting the fresh flavor of the zucchini.

My packages are also double bagged for added freezer protection.

Besides the baked goods, shredded zucchini makes great casseroles, fresh or frozen works just fine. I even took a fresh zucchini and used my Pampered Chef Spiral Slicer for one.  The results speak for themselves.

 Spiral sliced zucchini with some seasoned leftover ground turkey, cheese and Bisquick with milk for this one. I also added a little mayo and some sour cream for added flavor and texture.

Bake until bubbly and golden brown.

Not much left after the boys finished.

So, now for the baked goods.  Cookies, cakes and bread are so moist and delicious and that much healthier when veggies are added.  Not peeling the zucchini adds fiber too. 

Zucchini Bread.  This is a recipe that my mom used and passed down to me.  I am not sure where it came from. The recipe makes 3 small or 2 large loaves.  I make them into muffins too.

3 eggs slightly beaten

1 c oil

2 c grated zucchini

2 tsp vanilla---all added to the eggs

In another bowl mix

3 c flour 

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

3 tsp cinnamon (I add more because I like it.)

1 c each white and brown sugar---add to egg mixture and blend well. 

add nuts and chocolate chip as desired.

For the bread bake at 325 for one hour in a well greased pan.

For the muffins bake at 350 for 20 min or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from pans while still warm.  

Zucchini Cookies

Beat together 1 c sugar, 3/4 c butter, 2 eggs

Add 1 c grated zucchini

Sift together and add to the above 

1 1/2 c flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 c oatmeal

1 c raisins or other dried fruits

1/2 tsp soda 

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 c chopped nuts optional

Bake at 375 for 11-12 min  I allow my cookies to sit on the baking sheets for a min or two before removing to a cooling rack. (The chocolate 'cake' is a zucchini brownie recipe I found on Pinterest and made to be gluten free.)

So, there you have it...what to do with all that zucchini you find yourself with after friends give you what they can't possibly eat in one summer.  And while I have given many of this versatile veggie away, as well as eaten and frozen many, I still have some growing in the garden. Who wants some?

Meet Grace, from the Grill on the Hill.

Let me introduce you to Grace the inspiration for this Blog.

Grace is a 1922 kitchen wood stove that my husband and I drove to Long Island, NY to get one cold day in March of 2013.  She is patiently waiting to be hooked up so I can use her in some of my cooking adventures.  I can hardly wait to fire her up and see what I can do with her. (I do use the small Vermont Castings Parlor stove in my living room to cook on, so Grace should be that much better. And yes, cast iron cookware is essential...more on that later.)

My first adventure will be with some bread or biscuits as many of my friends have suggested.  I found a really sweet cast iron muffin pan in a local antique mall. Every time I have used it the muffins just fall right out of it. That is the beauty of cooking with cast iron. Once the pan is seasoned you will have the best non-stick surface ever.  And as you can see, I use it on the grill too. (That is where the name of this blog comes from, my grill and my house on the hill.)

We live in a small town where we grew up, actually within spitting distance from our grandparents' properties and are slowly getting back to our roots.  I have quite a garden growing and we are currently raising some pigs.  We are putting together quite the little hobby farm/homestead to raise our family and share good times with our friends. Food is always central to our gatherings.

My mom taught me a long time ago how to make pie, cook and even the process of water bath canning.  This is what this blog is about...cooking and kitchen tips that I find helpful, and of course as the title says cooking with Grace; I guess you could say literally and figuratively on many levels. In addition to what my mom taught me, I had the good fortune to take a few gourmet cooking classes through our local college and the community education program.  I also have a pretty good imagination and I am not afraid to try new things.  Most of my recipes are from the basics, like things your grandmother would have made but then I start tweaking and next thing you know there is a new spin on an old favorite.  As my husband says, he hasn't had the same meal twice in over three years.

This blog should help me keep track of what I do in a dish and hopefully I can make a "do-over" again as it was the first time, though this isn't a real concern for me.

So, with that welcome to my blog where all good things come to those who wait while I do what I do in the kitchen, on the grill, in the living room or eventually with Grace.

Kerry