Can You Can (and preserve)?

Canning and preserving: never done it, and probably never will. But I quite enjoy it when other people give me canned/preserved food. 

A couple of weeks ago, two friends of mine while on a camping trip on the Olympic Peninsula bought about a bushel of rhubarb. (For those of you on the metric system, a bushel is about 36 liters.) They apparently encountered a kindly farmer who was selling the stuff cheap, so they bought a lot. They decided to stop at a Wal-Mart to buy Ball jars and other canning supplies with the end goal of making some scrumptious rhubarb jelly. 

Cut to last week and me in their kitchen accepting a big jar of spicy rhubarb jelly. See? They did all the canning and preserving work, and I benefit! But I was doing them a favor, because they had about two dozen cans of the stuff.

I stupidly did not ask where they got the jelly recipe, because this stuff is really good. Here’s a recipe I found, but my friends’ version seemed to simply be mashed rhubarb mixed with red chili paste. It tasted like spicy strawberries. Absolutely excellent.

And though I’m too slothful to get my hands dirty and can stuff, I definitely endorse the process. It’s a romantic labor, with a low risk, high reward end result. It involves a lot things I enjoy, too, like boiling water, fresh fruit (or vegetables) and vacuums. It’s also deeply American, like distilling moonshine (though more legal), or making venison jerky. At any rate, if you haven’t canned, do it. If you already can, keep it up. Chef Tools has put together a great canning supplies kit. We also have a pretty wide selection of individual canning equipment if you need to beef up your canning/preserving arsenal. 

Happy canning. And be sure to send me a sample!

Garlic Dill or Bread and Butter? BOTH!

Cucumbers are in season at the farmers markets here in the Seattle area, which makes me crave PICKLES!!!

Do you prefer dill or bread and butter?

I like them both! In fact, I love pickles - go ahead and call me Snooki. (Never mind, please don't!)

I just recently started making my own pickles. The first batch a couple of years ago weren't crunchy enough for me, so when I made pickled green beans, I started experimenting and didn't blanch the beans first. They came out perfect. So I used that same recipe with cucumbers and the pickles turned out crunchy, garlicky and super dilly - just the way I like them.

Last year I headed over to my mother-in-law's house and we tried a new recipe for refrigerator pickles - talk about easy. You just throw all the spices and vinegar together, slice up the cukes, put it all in a jar and voila, Instant crunchy pickles. I think my mother-in-law had yummy pickles all summer long since her cucumber crop last summer was so abundant.

But I've never made my own bread and butter pickles. Anyone have a great recipe? I really want to try to make those and pickled asparagus this year. With all of my cute vintage Ball jars and canning tools, I'm ready to go. Looks like a trip to the farmers market and a sunny weekend of canning is in my future ...

Do you can your own pickles, green beans or asparagus? Post your recipes here and we can start our own Canning Recipe Swap! Happy Canning!

Road Trippin’ to Oregon for an Edible Garden

Road tripping – music to my ears. Especially when it’s with one of my best friends since seventh grade and we’re headed to a garden show! Pack up the VW, pump up the tunes, pump in the Starbucks, and – WOOHOO – we’re off!

I have been a gardener since I bought my home 8 years ago. But my friend, Angela, has been a gardener her entire life, thanks to her mother, and Snohomish County recently certified her a master gardener (check out her blog: Gardening In My Rubber Boots). I can’t tell you how much I’ve learned from her over the years, mostly about which plants are great for my shady, woodland yard, but also about organic gardening, killing slugs, and, most recently, edible gardening.

Up until now, my boyfriend has been the veggie gardener in our little slice of the woods amid Microsoft country, growing mostly bitter greens and tomatoes, which I refuse to eat. (Yes, I am Italian and no, I don’t eat tomatoes, and yes, I know it’s a sin.) I’ve always maintained the herb terrace, which includes Italian and Greek varieties of oregano, thyme, cilantro, chives, and, of course, rosemary, among others. Cooking with fresh herbs is a staple and a luxury I insist on in my kitchen, but growing veggies: not so much.

Recently, thanks to my urban gardening friend, I’ve been introduced to growing the veggies I adore –green beans, edamame (soybeans), potatoes, and even Brussels sprouts! I don’t eat raw tomatoes, but I heart Brussels sprouts – go figure. We have pickled and canned green beans with garlic and dill from the garden, made the most amazing green tomato marmalade and even homemade mustard, which turned out exceptional. I’ve been told that I need to make it in bulk and sell it at farmers markets. Someday, maybe.

This year I’ve got even bigger goals, with the help of Ms. Master Gardener Angela: home grown and homemade tomato sauce, salsa and canning galore to last me through the long, rainy winters we have here in Seattle. Thus, this road trip to the Clackamus County Master Gardeners Spring Garden Fair in Canby, Oregon! (That’s a mouthful and a half!)

Us Snoqualmie Valley-raised girls are on a mission for new and unique veggies, fruits and herbs to create our edible gardens for the year and it’s gonna be a blast! Commence road trip in 3, 2, 1… WOOHOO!

I’m going to take you along on our journey, so stay tuned for pictures, stories and updates on the progress of our edible garden adventures from garden to table throughout the upcoming year.

Happy Edible Gardening!

ChefTools Foodie: Sara.

New from Cuisipro

A funnel is a very useful tool that most of us probably don't have in our kitchens. The new 3-in-1 Funnel from Cuisipro is a great one to have on hand. The largest section fits perfectly into most mason jars making filling with jam, jelly and more a breeze. The middle section's angled spout is great for pepper mills and other hard to fill items. The small funnel fits into tiny openings like those that are on oil cruets and salt jars. One of the best features about the 3-in-1 funnel is that it can be used all together, in sections, or individually. The small and medium funnels also nest into the big funnel for compact storage. A strainer is included, which works perfectly for things like infused oils. Click HERE to see the 3-in-1 Funnel in action