Those of us who dare to dabble in the world of sourdough often get our noses pushed into our bowls of starter – we are forced to learn more than we really wanted to when we first began the adventure. But it is a fascinating world of bacteria, of fungi, of fermentation – Oh [...]
Archive for the ‘Preserving’ Category
Fermenting Fun with My Bacteria Friends
Posted in Canning, Food, Preserving, tagged cucumbers, dill pickles, fermentation, full sour pickles, New pickles, open crock pickles, pickle brine, pickles, salt pickling on October 9, 2009 | 1 Comment »
A Fig Overload
Posted in Food, Preserving, tagged Brown Turkey, Desert King, dried figs, fig balsamic, fig chutney, fig vinegar, figs, preserving figs on August 25, 2009 | 4 Comments »
My two fig trees (one a Desert King and the other a Brown Turkey) are snuggled up close (too close) to the south wall of the house and right next to a major pathway – I suffer from the landscaper’s disease of not being able to foresee just how much room a plant or tree [...]
Summer Ritual
Posted in Canning, Food, Preserving, tagged apple sauce, blueberry cinnamon jam, Canning, chutney, crab apple jelly, food collector, fresh pickles, half sour pickles, New pickles, peach jam, pineapple salsa, Preserving, roasted tomatoes, Rutt's Relish, salsa on August 4, 2009 | 3 Comments »
I have – in previous posts – described in gory detail my propensity to “collect” items” of food. My shelves, refrigerator, freezer and such bear testimony to this character flaw. I have often thought about why this is – and I’ve determined that it has something to do with that part of my [...]
Umm, … Lard!
Posted in Food, Preserving, tagged fat, hogs, lard, pig, pork, rendering on December 19, 2008 | 5 Comments »
All my recent musings about biscuits, cookies, and stuff got me thinking about butter’s sister in the farm kitchen, lard. Lard’s proud history and tradition in America is well documented, if not celebrated. But somewhere along that track, lard picked up some heavy baggage, which, sadly, it hasn’t yet totally shed.
Even my old [...]
Is it Jelly Yet?
Posted in Food, Preserving, tagged Blackberry Apple Jelly, jelly, pectin, pectin testing on October 6, 2008 | 1 Comment »
I find jelly to be fascinating – the province of grandmas, carrying on old family traditions. Even for adventurous cooks, jelly making can be a challenge. Most often, they are tried once, and not returned to. Why? Because jelly places much more emphasis on the balance of fruit, sugar, and liquids than do jams or [...]
