Carrots in the Washing machine?

Louise Froese, who taught me to cook beets, casually mentioned that she doesn't bother scrubbing her garden carrots.

I looked at her with some incredulity. Dirt isn't as bad for you as us sanitized parents like to think, but didn't dirt affect the flavour? Not to mention the texture.

Good thing I pursued it. Turns out, she lets her washing machine do the scrubbing for her.
 
I couldn't believe it would work so I headed home and threw about 5 pounds of carrots and turnips from the garden into the washer along with two large bath towels (I made sure to brush the excess dirt off the veggies).

I have a small front loader that boasts a lot of unused settings. Putting a tiny bit of soap in the reservoir, I set the machine on the lowest, shortest setting (hand dry) then watched the veggies whirl about. The towels lessoned the rattling which I imagined would assume the din of a tympani.

Outside of my skepticism, my main concern was for the machine. I asked Louise about wear and tear and she shrugged that it never had been a concern for her machine: a top loader that has washed many pounds of carrots over many years.

The buzzer announced the 20 minute cycle was up. I pulled the veggies out and, of course, they were as clean as if I'd spent 20 minutes scrubbing them. The odd one had a little dirt residue that came off with a scraping from my nail.

I think my next (and last- welcome winter) batch of carrots, I'm going to try in the top rack of my dishwasher. Will report back!

Dehydrators are a Dream

Next to cinnamon twists fresh out of the oven, there is nothing else that creates a buzz in the kitchen like apple fruit leather hot from the dehydrator.

Our community league sponsored the purchase of this dehydrator, for use by any Alberta Avenue community members (let me know if you'd like a turn!):

There are four drying trays, however you can stack them up to eight high, if you buy extra trays. Heat settings are clearly marked, and the dry time is mostly due to your preference.

 To make fruit leather, pureed fruit is smoothed on donut shaped trays. I've mixed strawberry and raspberry in with apple sauce for occasional variety, but I prefer straight up sour apple.  You'll need about a 3/4 - 1 Cup of sauce per tray.

After about 6- to 8 hours (depends on the thickness of your layer of sauce), voila, fruit leather like none other.

Generally, our family of four will eat the bounty from all four trays in the scope of 24 hours.

It's a good thing we have a ready supply of Grandma's homemade apple sauce waiting in the freezer!

Blanching- Terrible Word, Critical Step

Blanching. Its a really terrible word on the tongue and for a long time its one that's intimidated me.

So for wisdom, I sought out Louise Froese, a dairy and chicken farmer for decades who's got a firm handle on the various mysteries of food preservation.  Last week I visited her at her acerage to help her pick beans and learn about the secrets of blanching.

The main reason you would blanch veggies is to prepare them for freezing. The process helps to lock in the flavour, colour and texture of the food (so six months down the road you don't cook up a disappointingly mushy, bland stir fry!).


Basic Steps:

1. Pick or buy (bulk) fresh vegetables.

The large garden at the Froese's acerage

2.  Wash vegetable in warm water.

This variety is a bush bean called 'Royal Burgandy'. They grow purple, so are really easy to spot and pick, then they turn green when cooked.

3. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil on the stove. Add vegetables (if there is a wide variety of sizes, you'll want to seperate them into like sizes) and boil for the specified time. Over and under boiling will produce an inferior product. If your water doesn't return to a boil in a minute, then you are adding too many veggies. Also, some sources suggest that if you are blanching root crops like potatoes or  carrots, add them to the water when its cold and bring pot and veggies to a boil together, however I've yet to experiment with this.

4. If you have a pot suited with a basket, then this is a great blanching pot. I did not, so after the allotted time, I scooped the beans out quickly into a strainer next to the stove top.

5. The vegetables need to be cooled as soon as they are removed from the hot water. Place them first in a sink full of cold water. Then, transfer them to water with ice.  Cool the veggies for as long as you heated them.

I used a whole bag of ice from the freezer that I can simply refreeze for next time.

6. Spread out veggies to dry completely before freezing.

If you freeze the veggies before they are completely dry, you will have a block of iced veggies in your freezer. Then you will either have to thaw the entire bag's portion or stab yourself with a knife while trying to chip off chunks.

7. Place dry, blanched vegetables in freezer bags in your preferred portion size.

Sorry for the bad picture. But I've packed the beans four cups per bag, added a paper towel to soak up any liquid, and 'vaccuum packed' them (put a straw in the bag and as you zip, suck out the air).

The blanching process took me about two hours and garnered me about 24 cups (7 bags) worth of organic frozen beans.  It's not bad value for my time, though it doesn't take into account all the growing and picking time! The multiple steps is finicky and still a little intimidating to me, but crisp, nutrient rich stir fry- here I come!

For more on the science of blanching, check out this Free Culinary School podcast.

Homesteaders up to our elbows in apples and potatoes

This fall a number of homesteaders from Alberta Avenue area have convened cheerfully in the Community League kitchen.

In October, six of us joined forces to process pounds and pounds of apples (picked from a couple very large trees!). At the end of a long day we had:
- 240 cups of frozen apple slices
- 30 litres of applesauce
- 15 jars of crab apple jelly
- 7 pints of crab apple syrup
- dehydrated apple slices for snack

Then in November, 14 people squeezed into the kitchen again. This time to produce a 1000 perogies. Neighbour Alice walked us through a recipe her Ukrainian neighbour had shared with her. Four delectable varieties were made: Cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, onion, and blueberry (this last one was a surprisingly delicious addition!). Pictures yet to come...

Thanks to the City of Edmonton Matching Grant, our neighbourhood now has a Dehydrator and Food Processor to share. If you want to mash apples/tomatoes/potatoes or dehydrate them (or jerky/seeds/flowers/etc), email me and we'll arrange a way for you to borrow these.

If you want to be informed of other Homesteader Group activities, email me and I'll make sure to add you to our group's contact list.

Herbs Pesto Style

The herbs were ready to be picked but I was putting the inevitable off. Picking them would mean acknowledging winter is a-coming. I also was mourning the loss of fresh herbs 'out back' for my cooking pleasure.

Setting all this aside, I gathered the strength and cut my basil, oregano, parsley, chives, (some) borage down. I rinsed them well then let them dry overnight.

I've been experimenting with the recipes from Keeping Food Fresh: Old World Techniques and Recipes by The Gardeners and Farmers of Terre Vivante. This recipe is adapted from there.

1. Chop mix of herbs very finely (the more variation of herbs, the more interesting the flavour).

2. Chop/Mince garlic (vary amount according to your taste. I used a whole bulb for about 4 cups of chopped herbs)

3. Mix herbs and garlic with coarse salt (about 1 teaspoon per 1 pound of herbs).

4. Place mixture in sterilized jars (smaller is better). Avoid allowing too much air in, but don't pack herbs too tightly so that oil can penetrate them. Fill jars to 1/2 inch from top.

5. Pour over herbs about 1 Tablespoon of vinegar per 250 Ml jar and 3/4 oil per 250 ML jar. There should be a layer of oil left on top once oil has infused mixture. If not, add more oil until there is a thin layer at the top OR pack herbs in a little more firmly.

6. Tightly screw on lids and store in a cool (10- 15 degrees), dark place or keep in the fridge.

Use this to flavour pasta, vegetables, grains, salads or spread thinly on bread. It should keep for up to a year in a cool place.

Spicy Rhubarb Chutney Recipe

As the number of apple and rhubarb harvest days dwindle, here’s a Spicy Rhubarb Chutney recipe. Partner it with pork or chicken, or try it on toast for a savory jam!

1. Combine in saucepan:

a. 4 C chopped rhubarb

b. 1C sugar

c. 1/3 C white vinegar

d. 2 apples

e. ½ C raisins

f. ¼ C chopped onion

g. 1T minced gingerroot

2. Cook, covered, on medium heat for 10 minutes or until thickened and fruit is soft, stirring occasionally.

3. Add:

a. 1 t cinnamon

b. 1t salt

c. ¼ t ground cloves

4. Cook a few minutes longer, stirring frequently.

5. Freeze or can. If canning, allow 10 minutes of processing for 250 ml jars, 15 minutes for 500 ml. Makes 4 cups.

Adapted From “Put a Lid on It!” By Ellie Topp and Margaret Howard. Pick it up at the Sprucewood Library for more great recipes.