Preserving the Harvest

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Comment by Kathryn on September 1, 2009 at 11:51pm

Hi Lydia İm in Turkey and the Turks in general dont eat ripe plums they eat them green or when the colour is just turning İ have not seen any fully ripe plums at the bazaars or markets. When they are small and green they eat them with salt and they make a recel-like jam but more syrup with the more coloured plums but they still dont make that with ripe plums they use green plums. İ made some jam with the green plums it tasted fine İ just added a bit more sugar. İ waited for the plums to ripen but because they were picked very early it just didnt happen they turned slightly ripe then went off. So İ am forced into using the green plums, you could make a chutney with yours with the sugar and vinegar content you wouldnt know they were green.

Comment by Michelle W. Flannery on September 1, 2009 at 10:49pm

Every time I visited the garden centers this spring, they were out of zucchini, so I didn't get to plant any. But I got lots of yellow squash! I grated and froze about 30 cups, and squash pancakes is one of the things we're going to be enjoying this winter! Thanks for your recipe. I'll certainly try it.

Comment by Maxine Walker on September 1, 2009 at 7:52pm

After exhausting all fresh and preserved summer squash recipes I make zucchini pancakes and freeze for later use.
3 cup coarsely grated zucchini, unpeeled
3/4th cups Kraft grated parmesan
1 egg
1 cup bicuit mix ( I use Pamelas gluten free)
1 tsp oil
Beat egg and add all othe ingredients. Batter will be thick, spread as much as possible on griddle or cast-iron skillet. Let cool on paper towels then stack in between parchment paper, seal in baggies and freeze. Thaw and warm to eat either plain or my favorite, rolled up and dipped in Raita:
2 cups plain yoghurt
1 large or 2 small cucumbers, chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Comment by Lydia Riedel-Tramsek on August 20, 2009 at 1:29am

hello Kathryn, yes with the late or normal ripe plums and damsons you can do a lot of things, but the large sweet early ripe plums (blue, red and yellow) become acid, if they are cooked. Can they be dried? Or is it possible to prepare them in some way for not turning acid? It's always such a great harvest and you can't eat all of them fresh.

Comment by Kathryn on August 20, 2009 at 12:32am

This is in answer to your plum question Lydia, you can can them whole if you like or halves in a sugar syrup. Or you can boil them down, take out the pits and make a jam or chutney.

Comment by Lydia Riedel-Tramsek on July 29, 2009 at 7:04pm

Can somebody tell me, please, if early ripe plums can be preserved somehow? Thanks

Comment by Joan Kerr on July 20, 2009 at 11:50am

Bought an old cabinet from a yard sale. Must have been in a barn, cleaning it took two hours. I want to use it to display my harvesting. I am also starting to dehydrate certain fruits and vegetables. Well, I am starting with apples and mushrooms.

Comment by N & K Grant on July 17, 2009 at 10:34am

Glenn, I agree that jam is much easier than jelly...we make everything into jam as well. You are lucky to have enough gooseberries! Sounds delicious!

Comment by Glenn Fletcher on July 16, 2009 at 3:20pm

I made some red gooseberry jelly today. It was going to be blackcurrant, but the birds ate them all. Jelly is easier to make than jam as their is no need to top and tail the fruit.
My method for all jelly making is the same, no matter which fruit i use.. Boil a few pounds of fruit with some lemon juice and simmer for nearly an hour. Strain through a jelly bag to obtain the juice. The above photo should show the straining in progress. I always use an upturned stool with a nail in each leg to hold the jelly bag. I have to do this outside so as not to splash the kitchen. I generally get about two pints of juice to which i add two pounds of sugar. These are returned to the jam pan and boiled and stirred continuously until the mixture thickens.
The easiest way of checking the setting point is to put two saucers in the freezer so they are nice and cold. Put a small dollop of jam on a saucer and turn the saucer vertical. Push your finger in the jam and if it has a skin on it it is ready.
The secret of good jam making is to have a very thick bottomed pan and do not leave the pan once you have started.

Comment by Sharon on July 15, 2009 at 5:09am

Well, since I just bought a new dryer I'll have to try drying some summer squash. Love the new dryer. It has a thermostat on it and the option of about 6 temperatures. I've dried 3 varieties of peppers for powder and soups, tomatoes and onions so far with not one burn spot. My old dryer was a challenge to use through the perserving season. The older it got, the more challenging it became. A bit like me, I guess.

We are planning to dry a number of vegetables this year for a quick soup during hurricanes. Saw this in one of my cook books. Combine the dried vegetables in boiling chicken stock. Put in a thermos and a few hours later you have soup. Also making some beef jerky. I like to make my own chili, garlic and onion powder. Much better than store bought. I want to get a stovetop smoker so I can smoke the peppers before I dry them. Very good!

Our summer squash are producing about average this year, maybe a bit below but the winter squash and pumpkin are going gangbusters. Since a few of each went into the three sisters bed and haven't started producing yet, I suspect we will have them all over the house this winter.

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