At 36 weeks pregnant the nesting urge is starting to materialize. We’ve been overrun with beans and tomatoes, and potatoes. Canning is a great way to preserve the tastes of this season for those winter and spring months when you could just die to eat a fresh, sunshine ripened tomato. This is my first year experimenting with canning. The most important thing I know about canning—it takes patience and more so in this heat. I’ve had the equipment to can since our wedding shower almost 2 years ago now. This past Saturday I committed the day to canning up some Dilly Beans. I bought an extra fan so I wouldn’t lose my cool and give up mid process. It sure was a long event but it has encouraged me to learn much more about canning. Williams Sonoma at the Lehigh Valley Mall is offering a free class this Sunday 8/12/12 at 10am and 11am– Canning: Pickles & Relishes. DESCRIPTION: What could be better than crisp and tangy pickled vegetables made from your own garden’s bounty and canned in your own kitchen? A creative way to enjoy summer produce, pickled vegetables are wonderful as side dishes, in salads and more. Relishes also add a special touch to our plates. Learn how to combine sweet and sour to make delicious relishes that are great accompaniments to grilled meats and cheeses. This class will cover the basics: what pickling means, how to make pickling spice and how create your own favorite flavors for relishes. I’ll be there!!! Know that you should call and let them know you are attending (610) 264-0360.
Back to the Dilly Beans—we have gotten them from a vendor at the Bath Farmer’s Market and loved them, so naturally we want to make our own to enjoy. I found a recipe and will post on the recipe page. We have not given them the taste test yet- they need to cure in the juices for at least 2 weeks. But during my research I read that fresh dill does not hold up great in the canning process, the recipe I found used DILL SEED. And Greg and I like spice- yes even at 9 months preggers I enjoy some heat in my food.
Potatoes. We have used them in the traditional mayo based potato salad and tried an oil/mustard base potato salad. We also used them in Potato Okra Hash. Find these on the recipe page.
And finally the tomatoes!!! Still haven’t braved the task of canning tomato sauce… but it’s coming. We have been making batches of Oven Dried Cherry Tomatoes.
We hope you’ve found some tasty ways to enjoy the bounty. We enjoy sharing recipes, so if you found one, share with us! Our CSA member Linda shared a Crunchy Kale Salad recipe with us this week. Find it on our Recipe page!