Garden Journaling

What did I plant here last year? When did I start planting my seeds inside? When will the raspberries be ready to be harvested?

These are all thoughts that can go through a gardener's head throughout the year. But now you can easily take the guess work out of gardening by keeping a gardening journal.

This can be as elaborate as you wish. For me, my garden journal is a simple spiral bound notebook I use year after year. A more elaborate design may include seed packets, plant markers from purchased plants, drawings or photographs.

What to write in your journal?

• The name of plants you grew from seed and when you planted them.
• The name of every plant you place in your garden and yard; perennial or annual. Note where the plants are placed in which planting bed or the direction of the yard.
• Any yard maintenance you did: placing mulch, making a new planting bed or trimming trees.
• Any problems with the weather or animal issues in the yard. 
• Draw out your vegetable garden design for the year. This helps you to rotate the types of plants placed every year which is beneficial for the soil and your harvest.
• A list of what is harvested when and how much or the weight of what was harvested. (this is my favorite part!) 
• An additional thing we keep track of is what and how much we freeze, dehydrate or can from the garden and when. 

Take your que from history, no one in America is better known for his garden journaling then Thomas Jefferson. He spent countless hours chronologizing the garden happenings at his beloved Monticello.

Image Credit: Thomas Jefferson Foundation

No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the Earth, and no culture comparable to that of the garden. - Thomas Jefferson

 

Preserving Morel Mushrooms

You found them! The elusive prized mushroom known as the... Morel Mushroom. Here is how to keep these prized beauties to enjoy them all year long.

There are a few maintenance things to be done before you enjoy your lucky finds.

• First things first...If there is any question about the type of mushroom you just picked, do not eat it! Check out my tutorial on how to find Morel Mushrooms.
  
• Secondly, be aware that morels contain small amounts of hydrazine toxin that is removed through cooking. Do not eat morel mushrooms raw, ever.
• And of course be aware the you just picked food from the ground, out in nature. That means not only is there dirt on the morel but there could also be other living things on it as well, like bugs or small slugs. To remove these items from the mushroom simply sprinkle them with salt and then cover with cold water. Place the mushrooms into the refrigerator for about 8 hours or overnight to remove anything unwanted.

On to how to prepare these gems. One of the best and simplest ways to enjoy morels is by gently sauteing them in butter with a little fresh ground pepper and a sprinkling of salt.

Or you could soak the mushrooms in an egg batter and bread them with flour, then fry them up. If you slice the mushroom length wise and then bread and flour, the outline resembles a fish. Another common name for morel mushrooms are dryland fish.

If you are not planning on eating your morels right away you can explore the following preserving ideas:

• Freezing:
• The morels can frozen through a method called flash freezing. You can do this by running the mushrooms under cold water or soaking them in a bowl of ice water for a few minutes. Then place them on a cookie sheet or pizza pan and place into a freezer. After the mushrooms are frozen, place them in a labeled container or freezer-safe plastic bag.
• Drying / Dehydrating: (the method I use most)
• Drying is the most popular method of long-term storage and are sold this in this fashion commercially. When I dry morels, I like to chop them prior to drying as then they will be recipe ready. 
• Place mushrooms in a single layer on the dehydrator pans. Set your dehydrator to 130° F for 10-12 hours.
• Dried morels can be reconstituted by soaking in warm water or milk.
• Canning:
• Canning is not recommended because the canning pressure and temperature destroys much of the flavor.

In a post coming soon is a delicious recipe for using your morels.

Applesauce

Our wonderful neighbors have surely blessed us with the invitation to any fruit from their apple and pear trees. So we filled several bushels!

Applesauce

13 pounds apples (used Granny Smith)
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
5 cups water

Hot water canner

Large sauce pan or soup pot

Ladle

Funnel
Jar Lifter

Jars, lids, rims

Peeler and Knife / Apple Peeler Corer / Food Mill

Wash apples.

Peel and core apples if you don't have a food mill. You can use an apple peeler corer to make quick work.

Place apples in a very large pot with the water. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.
Cook on high for 10 minutes. Then reduce heat to medium for 35 minutes. Stirring often. If there are any remaining large pieces of apples remaining, you can use a potato masher to crush them.

Food mill directions: Cut apple into quarters. No need to remove peels or seeds. Yippie!!

Place apples in a very large pot with the water. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.
Cook on high for 10 minutes. Then reduce heat to medium for 35 minutes. Stirring often.
Run apples through a food mill with the apple screen in place. And out comes applesauce.

If you are new to Boiling-Water Bath Canning, I recommend reading my tutorial on this type of canning.

Get your jars ready. Jars should be clean, can run through the dishwasher or wash in hot soapy water. Place funnel on top of the jar and fill with hot applesauce, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Wipe rims of jars clean with warm wash cloth. Place hot lids on jars and tighten with rims.

Process in a boiling-water canner for 10 minutes. Remove jars with jar remover carefully. Place hot jars on level surface. I cover my counter top with a double layered kitchen towel and place jars on top. Using a hot pad or glove, check that the rims are tightened.

As the jars cool, you will hear a "ping" when the lid seals. Make sure all of your jars have sealed. They are sealed if the button in the middle of the lid in depressed. If you have any jars that have not sealed, you can reprocess them or store the jar in the refrigerator for use.

Makes 10-11 pints.

Please check with your local extension office for any changes due to altitude for times or temperatures. 

Above instructions are for elevation 1000 feet or below.

Pickled Jalapeño Peppers

Save some of the heat from your garden by making pickled jalapeño peppers. These spicy additions can add bite to any dish.

Pickled Jalapeño Peppers

40 jalapeños, approximately

2 Tablespoons pickling salt
5 cups vinegar
2 cups water
garlic cloves, 1 clove per half pint jar

Gloves
Hot water canner

Large sauce pan or soup pot

Ladle

Funnel
Jar Lifter

Jars, lids, rims

Chop or slice the jalapeños with gloves on. Let me repeat... wear gloves when cutting jalapeños, as the oil in the peppers will make your hands feels like they are burning. Place jalapeños in jars.  If you include the seeds, the pickled jalapeños will hotter.  Include 1 clove of minced or chopped garlic to each half pint jar.

Get your jars ready. Jars should be clean, can run through the dishwasher or wash in hot soapy water.

In a medium saucepan; bring water, vinegar and salt to a boil. This is the brine or the liquid for pickling. Fill jars with hot brine, leaving 1/4 inch head space.

If you are new to Boiling-Water Bath Canning, I recommend reading my tutorial on this type of canning.

Wipe rims of jars clean with warm wash cloth. Place hot lids on jars and tighten with rims.

Process in a boiling-water canner for 10 minutes. Remove jars with jar remover carefully. Place hot jars on level surface. I cover my counter top with a double layered kitchen towel and place jars on top. Using a hot pad or glove, check that the rims are tightened.

As the jars cool, you will hear a "ping" when the lid seals. Make sure all of your jars have sealed. They are sealed if the button in the middle of the lid in depressed. If you have any jars that have not sealed, you can reprocess them or store the jar in the refrigerator for use.

Makes 9 half pints.

Please check with your local extension office for any changes due to altitude for times or temperatures.

Above instructions are for elevation 1000 feet or below.

Mulberry Syrup

After discovering a mulberry tree in our yard, I have pounds of mulberries that need a use. There is only so much jam you can make and eat. One alternative to using up these berries is homemade berry syrup.

 

Mulberry Syrup:

6 cups mulberry juice, or any berry juice of your choice
9 cups sugar

Hot water canner

Large sauce pan or soup pot

Ladle

Funnel
Jar Lifter

Jars, lids, rims

Send berries through a food mill to remove seeds and excess pulp. The type of berry you choose will depend on the amount of juice you get. For example the mulberry has a lot of pulp and seed versus the strawberry that does not.

Combine mulberry juice and sugar in large sauce pot. Bring to a full rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute. Skim foam off the syrup and discard.

If you are new to Boiling-Water Bath Canning, I recommend reading my tutorial on this type of canning.

Remove from heat and fill jars leaving 1/2 inch head space.

Wipe rims of jars clean with warm wash cloth. Place lids on jars and tighten with rims.

Process in a boiling-water canner for 10 minutes. Remove jars with jar remover carefully. Place hot jars on level surface. I cover my counter top with a double layered kitchen towel and place jars on top. Using a hot pad or glove, check that the rims are tightened.

As the jars cool, you will hear a "ping" when the lid seals. Make sure all of your jars have sealed. They are sealed if the button in the middle of the lid in depressed. If you have any jars that have not sealed, you can reprocess them or store the jar in the refrigerator for use.

Makes about 6-7 pints.

Please check with your local extension office for any changes due to altitude for times or temperatures. Above instructions are for elevation 1000 feet or below.

Looking for a great sturdy food mill? I love my Squeezo Strainer / Food Mill.

Mulberry - Rhubarb Jam

God has surely blessed us. Both the rhubarb and the mulberries were growing at our property when we moved. I love this jam even more for what we were provided with. And... It is delicious too!

Mulberry - Rhubarb Jam:

Hot water canner

Large sauce pan or soup pot

Ladle

Funnel
Jar Lifter

Jars, lids, rims

Liquid pectin version:
5 cups mulberries
3 cups chopped rhubarb
1/2 cup water
12 cups sugar (yes, you read right!)
2 pouches liquid pectin

Combine mulberries and rhubarb in large sauce pot. Smash the mulberries and rhubarb, we use a potato smasher for this.
Add water and sugar.
Bring to a full rolling boil.
Add liquid pectin and stirring constantly bring back to a full boil. Boil for 1 minute.
Remove from heat and fill jars leaving 1/4 inch head space.

Wipe rims of jars clean with warm wash cloth. Place lids on jars and tighten with rims.

If you are new to Boiling-Water Bath Canning, I recommend reading my tutorial on this type of canning.

Process in a boiling-water canner for 10 minutes. Remove jars with jar remover carefully. Place hot jars on level surface. I cover my counter top with a double layered kitchen towel and place jars on top. Using a hot pad or glove, check that the rims are tightened.

As the jars cool, you will hear a "ping" when the lid seals. Make sure all of your jars have sealed. They are sealed if the button in the middle of the lid in depressed. If you have any jars that have not sealed, you can reprocess them or store the jar in the refrigerator for use.

Makes about 12 half pints.

Please check with your local extension office for any changes due to altitude for times or temperatures. Above instructions are for elevation 1000 feet or below.

Dandelion Jelly

Surprisingly, this unique recipe creates a delicious golden jelly that tastes very similar to honey.

Dandelion Jelly
Scissors

Hot water canner

Large sauce pan or soup pot

Ladle

Funnel
Jar Lifter

Jars, lids, rims

First you need Dandelions. Actually you only need the yellow part of the Dandelion so just pick the blossom off.
Next, snip off the green base so you only have the yellow petals remaining. You could also try twisting the petals out of the base, but I found the scissor method easier and faster. If you have a few pieces of green mixed in, it is just fine. You need to have about 4 cups of petals.
Place petals in a saucepan. Pour 3 cups boiling water over the petals and stir. Let mixture sit for at least 8 hours. You are brewing the dandelion tea. The end result is brown-yellow in color.
Strain the tea through a coffee filter or wire strainer to remove all the petals. Add any additional water to measure the correct amount for your selected version of the recipe.

Powdered pectin version:
3 cups dandelion tea
4 1/2 cups sugar
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 box powdered pectin

Add dandelion tea, lemon juice, 1 box of pectin and sugar into large saucepan. Bring to a boil and continue boiling 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and fill jars leaving 1/4 inch head space.

Liquid pectin version:
3 1/2 cups dandelion tea
7 cups sugar (yes, you read right!)
4 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 pouches liquid pectin

Combine dandelion tea, sugar and lemon juice. Bring to a full rolling boil. Add liquid pectin and stirring constantly bring back to a full boil. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and fill jars leaving 1/4 inch head space.

Wipe rims of jars clean with warm wash cloth. Place lids on jars and tighten with rims.

If you are new to Boiling-Water Bath Canning, I recommend reading my tutorial on this type of canning.

Process in a boiling-water canner for 10 minutes. Remove jars with jar remover carefully. Place hot jars on level surface. I cover my counter top with a double layered kitchen towel and place jars on top. Using a hot pad or glove, check that the rims are tightened.

As the jars cool, you will hear a "ping" when the lid seals. Make sure all of your jars have sealed. They are sealed if the button in the middle of the lid in depressed. If you have any jars that have not sealed, you can reprocess them or store the jar in the refrigerator for use.

Makes about 8 half pints.

Please check with your local extension office for any changes due to altitude for times or temperatures. Above instructions are for elevation 1000 feet or below.

Recipe adapted from Simply Canning.
 

Preserving 101

You may ask yourself why would we spend time canning, freezing, drying or dehydrating when the grocery store is just miles down the road.

My answer is simple.

I like to know what I am eating.

I know what I grow in my back yard and how we grew it. I love the process for growing and caring for your own plants, whether it is fruits, vegetables or flowers. I am greatly rewarded by a sense of accomplishment and enjoy the beauty of it.

Scientific advancements and food don't always make a great combination.
 I want ketchup with no high fructose corn syrup. I want Mexican rice without preservatives. I want yogurt without dyes.

I am frugal. I love using coupons to get great deals for my family but not at the expense of their health. Too often the majority of coupons are for convenience foods that are loaded with dyes and preservatives.

What is Canning?

Canning is saving your cooking efforts in jars. You choose meals to cook because you love them. Wouldn't it be nice to have the meal or sauces saved for the next time you want them? By canning you are simply preventing the food from spoiling by removing air and sealing the jar. 

What is Freezing?

Freezing is preserving your food in the freezer. Simple huh? You basically can freeze anything but there are a few suggestions you will want to follow. You can not freeze things in cans or eggs in shells, unless you like explosions of these items in your freezer. Just because you can place any food in the freezer doesn't mean you want to consume it once thawed. Mayonnaise, any cream based sauce and lettuce will not preserve well. Personally, I also like to avoid freezing block or shredded cheese, as it becomes soft and has more moisture in it.
You want to protect your food while it remains in the freezer by wrapping the item is plastic wrap, plastic bag, wax paper or foil. 
Here is our tutorial on how to prepare your vegetables for freezing through a process called blanching. 

What is Drying?

Drying is removing moisture from the food through sun light. This is the oldest method of preserving your harvest. This method has such a low amount of moisture remaining in the food that microorganisms can not survive on the food and does not spoil. This method also uses much less space than canning or freezing does. Drying is great for herbs and vegetables. When this process is completed you can store your food in plastic bags or a sealed container of your choice.

What is Dehydrating?

Dehydrating is drying out the food with the help of your oven or dehydrator appliance. If you decide to use your oven, this method can take all day depending on the food. So be sure you are planning to be home. You can purchase a food dehydrator that can be keep plugged in and working while you are away. The food dehydrator does take longer to dehydrate than the oven but you can set it up and simply proceed with your day.

For the Lord your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete.    Deuteronomy 16:15

Canning Tutorial - Boiling-Water Method

If you have never canned before, this is the tutorial for you! This is the simplest form of canning.

Boiling-Water Bath Method for canning is transferring the heat from the boiling-water to the contents of the jar and there by killing microorganisms and sealing the jar.

This method is only for high-acid foods. High-acid foods have a pH of 4.6 or less. High-acid foods are:

• Tomatoes
• Pickled foods (i.e. pickles, sauerkraut)
• Fruits (fruit sauces, chutneys, whole fruits)
• Jams and Jellies

You can increase acidity of food by adding bottled lemon juice, citric acid, or vinegar to your recipes. This should be stated in the recipe if needed.

What you need for Boiling-Water Bath Canning:

• Fresh or other ingredients for your recipe
• Water bath canner with lid and jar rack
• Jars
• Lids and Bands
• Sauce pan
• Ladle or large spoon
• Jar lifter
• Dish towels
• Magnetic lid lifter *
• Head space and bubble remover stick *
• Jar tightener *
• Funnel *

Items with * are optional but sure are nice to have!



Steps to Boiling-Water Bath Canning:
 

1. Pick a recipe to can.  Get all the ingredients you need for it.

2. Wash jars in hot soapy water. Rinse.

3. Place jar rack in water bath canner. Fill water bath canner half full of with water. Place empty jars in canner, make sure they are covered and filled with water. Heat water to boiling on the largest burner on the stove top. Continue boiling the empty jars for 10 minutes or more. This process sterilizes the jars (kills any bacteria on them).

4. Prepare recipe exactly as the recipe states. If you deviate from the recipe ingredients (except for seasonings), the pH may be effected and can make the food unsafe.

5. Place towel on counter top. Remove jars from water bath with jar lifter. You grab the jar just below the rim with the jar lifter. Drain all the water out of the jars into the canner. Place jar on towel. If you place a hot jar on a cool counter top, this can result in broken glass.

6. Place funnel in the opening of the jar. Using the ladle, fill jar almost to the top. The recipe should state how much room to leave at the top of the jar. This is called headspace. The headspace is minimal air that is purposely left in the jar to allow the food to expand during the boiling water bath process and then the food decreases in size during the cooling process. This is how the seal is created. Jams and jellies have 1/4 inch headspace. Tomatoes and fruits have 1/2 inch headspace.

7. Wipe jars and rims of the jar with wet cloth. This removes any food that stop the lid from making a proper seal.

8. Place lid and band on the top of the jar. Tighten the band to finger tip tight. You don't want the band as tight as possible. You can use the Ball's Sure Tight Band tool for this.

9. Using the jar lifter, pick up the jar. Do not tilt the jar as may result in spilling. Place jar back into water bath canner. Make sure the wire rack is in the canner. The wire rack allows the hot water to circulate around the jar and heat it evenly. If you don't use the wire rack you can have broken jars. Repeat the jar filling process until the canner is full or you run out of the recipe.

10. Once all the jars are in the water bath canner, you will need to fill up the water so that the jars are covered by at least 1 to 2 inches of water. Return water to boiling.

11. When the water is boiling in the canner, you will set a timer for the processing time. Cover the canner with the lid. The processing time is the length of time the jar needs to be in the water bath canner to kill any microorganisms and makes food safe to store. If the water is boiling to fast the jars will begin to shake. You will need to turn down the temperature slightly.

12. When the timer goes off, turn off the heat and uncover the canner. Let jars sit in the hot water for another 5 minutes. This is part of the cooling process. If you have additional food left over to can, turn burner back on high. Then go back to step 2.

13. Use jar lifter to grab the jar just under the rim. Place hot jars on towel on counter. This is the location that the jar needs to rest for 12-24 hours. Make sure there is not a cold draft at this location as can break jars. Space jars 1-2 inches apart to cool.

14. Do nothing for 12-24 hours while the jars cool. You will start to here a "pinging" sound as the lid is inverted and sealing. Love that sound!

15. Remove bands from the jar. Check that the lid is secure on the jar and sealed. If the jar is not sealed, you can place in the refrigerator for use at this time. You can freeze the jar, if your jars are freezer safe. Or you can re-process the food with in 24 hours.

16. Wipe jars to remove any residue or water stains.

17. Label and date. Spaghetti sauce looks like taco sauce. I only want one on my pasta.

18. Store jars in cool dry place out of direct sunlight. 

You did it!!!
**Warning: This is highly addictive! You might already be thinking about what else you can can!

Here are a few other tips:

• Do not use jars with chips or cracks as will break or not seal.
• If you have food to preserve that does not fill up the jar you selected, you can save the in the refrigerator to be eaten now. You can freeze the food in a freezer-safe jar. Or select a smaller jar to process the food in. You would use the same headspace and the same processing time for the smaller jar.
• Metal lids are single use only. Repeat use is not recommended.  The Tattler brand has re-usable lids.
• Always take the lid off the boiling-water bath canner by opening it away from you. The steam can burn. 
• Check your altitude. If you live over 1000 feet above sea level, the processing time will change. Increase the processing time by five minutes for altitudes of 1000 to 3000 feet, ten minutes for 3001 to 6000 feet, fifteen minutes for altitudes of 6001 to 8000 feet.