Pickled Cauliflower

So, yesterday was "single jar" pickling day. What is "single jar" pickling day, you may ask? It is the day that I decide to take odds and ends that I don't have enough of to really do much with, that are "pickleable" and pickle them, before they go bad. I call it "single jar" because it is usually enough stuff for one large jar of a pickle mix of some sort. This batch contains cauliflower, black olives, sweet onion and a few baby carrots.

So I began by toasting my pickling spices until I could smell them....but not burn them. I then added 4+ cups of white vinegar, about 4 cups of sugar and a cup of water. Of course, you can do this to taste OR use your favorite pickle brine...sweet or savory. 

While the sugar was melting, I broke apart the florets into bite sized pieces, cut the sweet onion into bite sized pieces, and put in a layer of cauliflower then a layer of onion and olive. I continue the pattern till all was gone. I then poked in 3 leaves from my allspice trees (optional) and also poked in a few baby carrots I had found in the fridge. 

Next, pour the pickling mixture over the veggies. And that was it. I wanted to make sure everything was covered, but because the veggies kept floating up, I took a heavy plastic ramekin, set it on top of the veg, put some brine in it to give it some weight, and that kept everything from floating to the top. Place the cover on the jar and let sit in the fridge for at least 1-2 weeks. When ready to eat, the ramekin can be removed (you won't need it at that point.)

 Because these are one offs, and I put the jar directly in the fridge when it cooled, I did not need to go through the canning process, except for the clean jar. If you plan on just putting your jar on the shelf, then you will need to go through the full canning process, for safety.

                                                  

 

Still Picking!

Out walking around the yard at 1840s Farm today picking wild berries and currants.

At the end of last season, I found a huge patch of currants in the hedgerow. This year I did the first harvest and with this first round, I probably got 3 or 4 pounds. (And I didn't even pick all of them, as I always leave some for the "critters".)

Also picked some berries. Not as much as usual, but I've already done 3 picks and looks like many more to come. And, it looks like this year's crop of wild rosehips will be pretty big.

Berries have gone into the freezer. Currants will be going into the dehydrators. With the next pick, I may put some juice in the freezer to make jelly later when I have more time, but I haven't decided yet.

If you are into wild foods or emergency preparedness, learn about what there is to eat right in your own yard. But always make sure you know what you are picking and when in any doubt, even the slightest, find someone who knows!

Later today, I will be harvesting more wild grape leaves to preserve for stuffing later.

Freezing Dandelion Greens

I decided to go out and pick dandelion greens to bag and freeze. Not sure how this will work out, but I decided not to blanch them first before freezing, to try to keep them a bit sturdier when they thaw. I'm thinking the will be very much on the limp side, but as i would only put them in the garlic and oil where they will wilt some during cooking anyway (and they don't have to be pretty in the pasta dish itself), I'm thinking it will work out fine.

A little later I am going to try to make dandelion pesto from some freshly picked greens too!

I also picked some of the tight flower buds to maybe deep fry later on today if I have the time.

Egg Storage

So you have your own chickens and are totally over run with eggs, or the grocery store had a sale that you just couldn't pass, and you stocked up! Now the question is.....what to do with them all????

If you eat alot of eggs or bake a lot, this won't really be an issue. If not, then you want to make sure that these eggs will keep. And it isn't as difficult as you may think! And at the 1840's Farm, the mud room acts as my storage area in the winter for eggs, vegetables and anything else that needs to stay cold. But the temperatures are rising and there are still many eggs, so what to do?

If you have your own chickens, as long as you haven't scrubbed the shell and removed the bloom (eggs natural protective coating), they should keep well, as is. However, store bought eggs will have the bloom scrubbed off, so you need to preserve them for the long storage.

To do this, simply use a little warm mineral oil and using your fingers (many people like to wear gloves), cover the entire egg with a layer of oil. Then, place point down back into the carton. Make sure that the entire egg is covered and sealed with the oil. The eggs may now be stored in the fridge, root cellar (and some even leave on the shelf), for up to a year! Note that the eggs should be turned at least once a month. This is done by simply turning the entire carton over.

When ready to use your eggs, if you want to make sure that they are good, simply place the egg in a glass of water. If it sinks, it's good. If it floats....out to the compost it goes.

Preserved eggs can be used in the same manner that fresh are, however be aware that the older the egg, the less  likely it is that you will be able to use the whites for meringue, as older whites won't whip up well. A small price to pay, however, for the ability to save your eggs long term.

So next sale, go ahead and stock up! You can store the extra eggs now.