Last of the Basil

Stephanie Rukowicz

The basil in my yard was looking great until the last week in October, and with colder weather on the way, I knew it was best to harvest the remainder of my basil and preserve accordingly. Last year, there was more basil than I could preserve at my community garden. I made several batches of pesto to freeze, then spent three days using my low-end dehydrator to dry a total of two quarts to use over the winter. 2015 was the first year I dried basil and wow, what a taste difference I found from the store bought version! I attempted the microwave version, but found I was easily distracted from a process that needed to be watched closely. If I had a nicer dehydrator, I'm sure the process would have gone much more quickly.

My basil harvest, end of season 2016.

This year, someone beat me to the end-of-season basil harvest so I just had a couple bunches from my yard.

I also had some spinach to use up so I decided to make a double batch of pesto. I make a vegan version (no cheese), and like to cut the richness of basil with another green. Here I used spinach, but my favorites are basil with arugula and basil with broccoli rabe leaves.

Recipe adapted from La Dolche Vegan! by Sarah Kramer, p. 177

For 1 lb of dry pasta use:

1.5 c fresh basil, packed (I use leaves, flowers and tender stems)

1.5 c spinach (or kale, arugula, broccoli rabe leaves)

1/2 c walnuts (I use raw, but toast walnuts for more flavor. I've also used cashew or almond, you can soak first for more creaminess)

2 large or 4 small to medium garlic cloves

1/4 c nutritional yeast (optional)

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 c olive oil

Add ingredients to blender in order listed. Know your blender--if you don't have a Ninja or Vitamix you may want to chop garlic instead of adding whole cloves. Add water slowly (1 to 4 T) if needed to desired creaminess. Makes approximately 1c, enough for 1 lb pasta and some fresh tomatoes - sliced or diced.

I think next year I will try the recipe for basil dipping oil that Michele posted a while back. Infused olive oil can be pricey, but it is so delicious. I would love to master my own version.

Candied Citrus Rinds - Preserving 101

- Jessica S. Herwick

Candied citrus rinds have a long history.  Egyptians, Greeks and Romans all soaked citrus peels in honey (there was no such thing as refined sugar in ancient days).  These preserves were used as sweet treats, and as medicine. Candied citrus reached the height of popularity back in the Eighteenth Century.  When most of the world’s cultures still referred to candies as sweetmeats, these candied lemon and orange rinds  - know as citrus chips during this period- considered some of the most desired of all treats.

Citrus fruit was  more difficult to obtain in those days, and so, imported lemons and oranges were candied to increase their shelf life (and their value).  You might say that the truest fans of citrus chips then, were as dedicated a group as today's chocoholics.

I have been using the recipe below to candy lemon and orange peels for years.  You can also try it with grapefruit and lime peels.  I prefer the lemon, and find that as a jam maker, I often have an excess of rinds, which I don’t like to waste!  I give them as gifts along with the loose herbal teas that I dry from my garden.  I also use this recipe 

when introducing my friends to the art of home made jams and the science of preserving.  If you are a seasoned canner who likes to make jams and compotes, you can use this recipe to make good use of all those left over rinds. After squeezing your fresh lemon juice, you know there’s always a nice handful of left overs!  If you are a beginner canner, and have never made or canned jams before but would like to try, this recipe is a great way to boost your preserving confidence through safe practice.  You will become familiar with how the sugar reacts to heat, with the rhythm and timing sugar recipes require, and the various changes your syrup goes through as it cooks on the stovetop.  

The best part of this process for beginners (and for all) is the safety aspect. Because there is no fruit in your mixture, and you are only candying the peels, you do not have to process these rinds to preserve them safely once you finish the recipe – meaning no hot water bath or pressure canner is necessary!  If you follow the recipe, and ensure your finished candied rinds are completely dry and covered properly in sugar, you can store the finished product in an airtight container for up to 6 months (in a dry, cool, dark place where temperature does not fluctuate too often) without any need for additional preserving processes to be applied!.

Candied lemon rinds can be eaten as-is as a candy treat.  You can chop them and use them in cookies and candies.  They make adorable cake decorations, and are also pretty yummy when you dip the tips of the finished, dried rinds in chocolate.  My favorite use for these rinds is to put them in my herb tea.  The lemon and sugar combination adds a nice flavor and acts as a mild sweetener.  Best of all, when your tea is gone, you are left with a warm, chewy burst of lemon to munch on once the candied rind has soaked in the tea. 

PHASE ONE: PREPARE THE CITRUS PEELS                

                                                          You Will Need

The Peels from 5 pounds of Citrus Fruit (lemon, orange, grapefruit, lime)                                   

Clean Scrub Brush or Veggie Scrubber

Sharp Knife

Bowl (to hold the fruit once you peel it)

Strainer

Large Pot with Lid (to blanch rinds)

Access to cold water                                               

           

Instructions

   ·      Use the scrub brush to wash the exterior of the fruit thoroughly.

Hint: Many citrus fruits have a sticker or brand name stamped on them.  Inspect your citrus to ensure stickers or the glue they leave behind as well as ink from name-brand stamps are completely scrubbed from your fruits.

   ·      Cut the leathery ends from the fruit.

   ·      Use a knife to score into quarters and remove rinds (aka peels) and  

        cut rinds into strips – no wider than ¼”.

Hint: The pith (white layer between the skin of the peel and the fruit) candies very well.  Do not pick it away, unless there are long, loose strands that would fall off during the candying process.

    ·      Blanch Peels

BLANCHING- A fancy way of saying boil quickly, sometimes more than once. Blanching sanitizes and softens the rinds, making it

easier for the food to accept the syrup you’re using to preserve it. It also reduces the amount of bitter oils in the rind. How to blanch is below. 

            ·      Place citrus strips in large saucepan and   

            cover with cold water. 

            ·      Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil   

                uncovered for 60 seconds. 

            ·     Drain, then return rinds to saucepan, 

                cover with cold water (MUST be cold) 

                and bring to a boil a second time.

            ·    Repeat 4 to 10 more times, until rinds 

               are soft and more flexible.

                   (thicker rind = more repetition).

            ·    If you haven’t already started your   

               sugar syrup, drain rinds and place back  

               in the pot you boiled them in, removed from heat, and put the lid back on. Keep in pot until   

               Sugar Syrup is prepared.

PHASE TWO: PREPARE SUGAR SYRUP          

                                  You Will Need                                                                                    

        Large pot with high ends

        5 cups Sugar

        5 cups Water

        Candy Thermometer

Instructions

    ·      Combine 5 cups sugar and 5 cups water with wire whisk over medium heat.  Stir often and bring to a rolling boil, then quickly lower heat so the sauce remains at a low simmer. (Photo 5)

    ·      Do not let the temperature rise above 220 degrees on the candy thermometer.  

Hint: If your heat cannot be lowered fast enough, remove your pot for a few moments while waiting for

your burner to cool down if your thermometer reaches 220.  I often have to do this when using an 

electric stovetop.

CAUTION!  The sugar and water may react to each other when the temperature gets very high and the syrup boils, which is why it’s recommended to use a pot higher and larger than the mass of the syrup.  See photo on right and consider yourself warned!

PHASE THREE: CANDY THE PREPARED PEELS                    

          You Will Need

Prepared Rinds (see above)

Prepared Sugar Syrup (see above)

Sugar for coating the rinds

Instructions

    ·      Add the prepared peels to the already prepared and simmering sugar syrup.  Continue to simmer gently. DO NOT STIR.  Simmer rinds undisturbed. 

     

Hint: If you find rinds peeking out of the syrup, swirl the pot by 

the handle to move peels around, or use a tongs to gently flip 

peels or push them into the syrup. Resist the urge to stir. This is 

the hardest part for me!  I constantly fight the urge to stir.

·      Simmer until peels turn translucent. This is a process.  It will 

take from one to 5 hours, depending on how quickly the water 

boils out of your sugar syrup, and the quality and size of your 

rinds (and how well you blanched them). 

·      Pull rinds out in small groups and drain peels on a wire 

cooling rack overnight. Do not let them touch each other or you 

will have a sticky mess in the morning!

·      After overnight drying, toss the rinds in sugar to coat each 

one. Place on wax paper to dry again for 4 to 5 hours (or 2 hrs. 

in an unheated oven on a cookie sheet).

·      Store in clean, air-tight containers or bags and enjoy at your 

leisure.

To learn more about what Cooperative Extension is saying, check out the links:

Go here for more information about food preservation safety from the Extension.

http://extension.psu.edu/food-safety/food-preservation/tools

National Center for Home Food Preservation Interactive Tutorial.

http://nchfp.uga.edu/multimedia/tutorials/

Canning for the Uninitiated: A Step by Step Guide

Lauren McEwen

I'm not a huge fan of traditional cucumber relishes, but I loved this onion relish when I first sampled it at a canning lecture given by Lois Fischer (who has over 40 year of canning experience!). I got the recipe from Lois and decided that, since I loved it so much, it was time to learn the Boiling Water Bath Canning method so I could make some of my own.

I convinced my sister, who was also a canning newbie, and my mother, who hadn't done any canning since the 1970's, to spend a Saturday helping me out. We all had a good time and, since we doubled the recipe, there was lots of relish to go around. I wanted to share this delicious recipe with you as well as my documented experience.

Relish right out of the canner.

A Quick Note:

Canning recipes read like those from any other cookbook, up until the actual canning process begins. In fact, you can make this recipe and skip the canning entirely, but then you'd have to eat it all pretty quickly. That's the beauty of canning, it allows you to make a bunch of one thing, right when the produce is in season, and then enjoy it jar-by-jar throughout the year.

Recipe: Onion Relish  Makes about 4 Pint Jars

8 c finely chopped sweet onions

1 tbsp. pickling salt or kosher salt

1 3/4 c white wine vinegar

1 c sugar

1 tbsp.  minced fresh tarragon or 3/4 tsp crushed dried tarragon

2 garlic cloves, crushed or minced

• In a large bowl, layer the onions and salt. Gently stir until well combined. Let stand for 4 hours.

• Drain the onions thoroughly. Press out the excess liquid.

•  In a 6- to 8-quart stainless steel pan, combine the vinegar, sugar, tarragon and garlic. Over medium-low heat, gradually heat the mixture, stirring constantly, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the syrup to a boil. Add the drained onions to the syrup, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove the pan from the heat.

• Ladle the hot relish into hot jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Using a bubble freer or plastic knife, remove any air bubbles. If necessary, add more relish to maintain the headspace. Wipe the jar rims and threads with a clean, damp cloth. Cover with hot lids and apply screw rings. Process pint jars in a 212F (100C) water bath for 15 minutes.

In a large bowl, layer the onions and salt. Gently stir until well combined. Let stand for 4 hours.

First Things First: preparing the onions

We used a food processor to chop all of the onions. Even so, my eyes were watering like crazy until I put some bread in my mouth. Although perhaps just an old wives tale, I find it helps. After you combine the chopped onions and salt, you have 4 hours to kill. This long waiting period was an unexpected step for me, and why caning can take up your whole day. 

The oldfashioned way to heat up your empty canning jars is to boil them in a large pot of water. Today, you can use the convenience of your dishwasher. Keep in mind, hot relish needs to be poured into hot jars, so you do need to finesse your timing a bit. My dishwasher takes about an hour to run a full cycle, so we started it up after the onions had been sitting for 3 hours.

Time to Get Active

While we waited on the onions, we measured and prepped the other ingredients. We decided to mince the garlic and used dried tarragon, because that's what I had on hand. When the onions where done, we poured them into a colander placed in my kitchen sink to drain. We then started heating the ingredients for the syrup mixture over medium-low heat.

In a 6- to 8-quart stainless steel pan, combine the vinegar, sugar, tarragon and garlic.

After we let the syrup slowly heat up, we added the drained onions. Helpful hint: all of the pots, pans, and utensils used to make the relish need to be stainless steel or plastic.

Add the drained onions to the syrup, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Ten minutes later and it's time to take the jars out of the dishwasher using canning tongs or oven mitts. To keep your jars from cracking, you need to add the hot relish to hot jars. I found that using a canning funnel made transferring the relish into the pint jars much less messy.

It is important to leave 1/2 inch of headspace when filling the jars. Headspace is the distance between the top of the jar and the top of the food. If too little headspace is left, food may boil up and out of the jar, preventing a seal. If too much headspace is left, the processing time may be inadequate to force out all of the oxygen in the jar, preventing a seal from forming.

Ladle the hot relish into hot jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.

One jar at a time, use a bubble freer or plastic knife to release any air bubbles. This is an important step for your jars to seal properly. Next, wipe the jar rims and threads with a clean, damp cloth or paper towel. 

Lids are one time use only, but the metal lid rings can be reused unless they are rusty. (Undamaged jars may be used indefinitely.) Lids must prepared according to the manufacturer's directions. Most kinds need to be brought to a simmer and then left in hot water until use. Using the magnet tool, tongs, or your clean fingers, grab a warm lid and center it on a jar.

Gently screw a lid ring onto the jar just until its fingertip-tight. Gases need to escape the jar during the canning process, so use a light touch with just your fingertips to turn the ring, and when the jar begins to spin on the tea towel, you know it's tight enough.

Cover with hot lids and apply screw rings.

Yes We Can

 Fill your canner (giant enamel pot) with water and place the canning rack inside. I filled my canner so that there were three inches of space left from the rim. Remember that when you add the jars, the displaced water will rise up. Use canning tongs to lift the (hot) filled jars and lower them into the canner, making sure that they are covered by 2 inches of water when the rack is lowered. This recipe as is, only makes four pint jars. That means your canner will not be entirely full. Load empty jars to keep your relish from tipping over during processing.

Starting to load the canner.

Cover the canner and bring the water to a rolling boil. Lower the heat a bit, so the water doesn't boil over but there is still a lot of rolling action. Start your 15 minute timer only after the full rolling boil is reached.

It can take the canner a long time to start boiling, so you can actually start heating the water before you're done cooking the relish. If your canner comes to a boil before you are ready, just turn it down and then return it to a boil when you're ready to fill and begin processing your jars.

When your timer goes off, turn off the burner and remove the lid from the canner.

Let the jars cool in the canner for 5 minutes. The onion relish will still be simmering, and removing them prematurely can cause them to spurt.

After 5 minutes, use the canning tongs to lift the jars straight up out of the canner and set them on a dish-towel-covered counter. There will be a small pool of water on top of each jar. Resist the urge to tip the jars. They have yet to seal and you might spill some of the contents if you tip them. Then you will never get a proper seal!

The process was as hot and steamy as it looks.

As you lift the jars, you may hear the lids popping. This is good! That means they are vacum sealed shut. The jars need to sit out on your counter overnight to cool. The next day you can wipe the jars off with a damp cloth and label them with the contents and date. 

After your jars have cooled, remove the jar rings and press gently on the lid. If it doesn't budge, you have a good seal. If it pops or gives under your finger pressure, refrigerate it and use within a week. If they sealed properly and remain unopened, these jars will last up to 1 year in a cool, dark place. 

I particularly like putting this onion relish on Field Roast Sausages, but its great on sandwiches and burgers too. Yum!

For more information on Boiling Water Bath Canning, check out Virginia Cooperative Extension's website.

What to do with that bean harvest....Dilly Beans

Big Time Bean Harvest??

If you're searching for ways to prepare your string beans, here's what I consider THE BEST recipe for large quantities of beans. It requires a water bath canning process. If you are new to canning or have questions, feel free to contact me. I have been canning for almost 50 years and have plenty of experience and information that I can share with you.

Dilly Beans
2 pounds trimmed green beans
1/4 cup kosher salt
4 heads dill
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 1/2 cups vinegar
2 1/2 cups distilled water

Pack beans, lengthwise, into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. To each pint jar, add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 clove of garlic and 1 head of dill. Combine remaining ingredients into large non-reactive pot and bring to a boil. Pour boiling, hot liquid over beans leaving 1/4 inch head space. Remove air bubbles with plastic knife. Adjust caps. Process pints for 10 minutes in boiling water bath. Yield: about 4 pints.

Enjoy!
Lois Fischer