Calypso Storage Share Note: Week of August 15, 2005
Your Share This Week:
*Kale
*Cauliflower
*Carrots
*Turnips
*Garlic
*Dill
*Basil
*Parsley
*Summer Squash
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To Preserve Cauliflower:
Freezing: Break or cut flowers apart in pieces about 1 inch across. Wash thoroughly; drain. Blanch in boiling salted water for 3 minutes. Cool immediately. Drain. Pack in freezer bags. Seal and Freeze.
To use – just pull a bag out of the freezer and chop the flowers while frozen. Add to soups, stir fries, quiches, sauces, etc.
Pickling: See Recipe Below
Pickled Cauliflower
Adapted from The Big book of Preserving the Harvest
Yields 2-3 quarts
1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets and washed
3-4 cups white distilled vinegar
3-4 cups water
1/8 cup salt
2 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
6 cloves garlic
Dill heads
6 small chili peppers (optional)
Steam cauliflower florets over boiling water 1 minute. Simmer vinegar, water, salt and mustard seeds in a 5-quart saucepan 5 minutes. Pack each sterile jar with 2 cloves garlic, 1 or 2 dill heads and 2 chili peppers, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Cover with vinegar solution, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Cap and seal. Process 15 minutes in a boiling water bath canner. (Water in canner needs to be 2 inches above the tops jar lids for safe processing. Start counting process time after water as soon as the water begins to boil.) Store jars 3 weeks to allow flavors to develop.
To Preserve Turnips:
Freezing: Cut off tops and wash. Cut into cubes to freeze blanched or in large chunks to cook and mash before freezing. Blanch cubes in boiling water for 2 minutes. Cool immediately and drain. Cook chunks to mash in boiling water until tender. Drain; mash or sieve. Cool immediately. Pack in jars or freezer bags. Leave ½ inch headroom for either cubed or mashed. Seal and freeze.
Root Cellaring: Pack in bins, boxes, or crates between layers of moist sand, peat or moss. Ideal storage temperature is 32 F and they will store for 2-4 months.
Sweet Pickled Carrots
3 pounds medium carrots
1 ½ cups sugar
1 ½ cups vinegar
1 ½ cups water
3 tbsp mustard seeds
3 inches stick cinnamon
3 whole cloves
Clean carrots. Cut lengthwise into quarters. Cook the carrots in boiling, salted water just until tender, 7-8 minutes; drain. In 5 quart saucepan combine sugar, vinegar, water, mustard seed, cinnamon and cloves. Bring to boiling; simmer 20 minutes. Pack carrots into hot pint jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Cover with vinegar mixture, leaving ½ inch headspace. Adjust lids. Process in boiling water bath 5 minutes. Makes about 3 pints.
Herbal Vinegars
Remove the leaves from the stems to measure 1 cup leaves for 2 cups vinegar.
Put the leaves into a clean jar and fill with vinegar. Cover the jar and
store in a dark, cool place. Shake or stir the solution every few days
and taste it after about one week. If the flavor is intense enough and
to your liking, it is ready. Strain the infusion into a clean bottle using
cheesecloth, muslin or a coffee filter. Cork or cap, label and store in
a dark, cool place. (You do not have to strain the herbs out of the infusion
if you don’t want to.)
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