Tag: food storage

in the kitchen

Harvest Time: Onions

 

How long do red onions keep? I suppose I could have left them in the drawer in the fridge to find out, but then I wouldn’t have this: Red Onion Marmalade! Actually, there’s only a very tiny amount of citrus in this at all, so I’m not sure it’s really a marmalade. But that’s what the recipe called it, so there you have it. It’s amazing with creamy, spreadable cheeses, layered on bread. I think we almost ate a whole jar in just one of our last farmers’ market picnics. Slightly tangy, slightly oniony, definitely sweet. Even the kids ate …

homesteading, Seasons

Harvest Time: Apples, part 2

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The second picking from our apple tree did indeed fill the box again. As predicted, the apples were a bit bigger the second time, too. What to do with them all? I mean, I’ve already done apple preserves and there’s still plenty of applesauce in the pantry. I’ve already baked more apple things beyond what we can eat, although I suppose a couple more batches of apple muffins tossed in the freezer would have been ok. I borrowed a juicer (thanks, Erin!) and we drank lots of homegrown apple juice. While tasty, I don’t think I’m going to pursue this …

homesteading, in the kitchen, Seasons

Harvest time: Tomatoes

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I think I’m going to stop trying to grow any tomatoes that aren’t a cherry variety. For the last few years, I’ve put in a couple cherry tomato plants and a couple of others. I get little tomatoes, Sungolds and Sweet Millions, not loads, but some, but very few of the big tomatoes. My neighbors last year got lots of big tomatoes, so it’s probably more my fault as a tomato grower than the fault of the tomatoes or our summers. But perhaps it’s time to acknowledge and run with what I appear to be good at. Because I can …

in the kitchen, Seasons

Pesto Time

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I admit I have a tendency to over-stock. I routinely add extra fabric to whatever I think I’ll need for a project. I like to have extra time to get from here to there. My idea of what is “enough” food to have on hand is frankly a bit ridiculous. I keep a pantry like I imagine someone might if they lived on a tiny forested island where the nearest grocery store was 100 miles and a boat ride away. If we ever have a real zombie apocalypse, I know of several people who plan to come camp at our …

Seasons

Summer Journal: Berry Picking, Part One

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It’s not like I need the strawberries. I grew lots this spring and I still have leftovers from last year in the freezer, waiting for me to have two spare minutes to rub together long enough to make jam. But at this point it’s tradition. Caitlyn and I join some friends, we drive up to Skagit Valley, we pick too many berries and we finish with fresh strawberry milkshakes. This year, our late-June was packed. We didn’t make it up to the berry farm until after July 4th, only to discover that the strawberries were done. Spring was gorgeous here …

homesteading, in the kitchen, Seasons

Finishing up the Harvest

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I think I’m coming to the end of the harvest season. The tomatoes are slowing down (although they barely got up to speed in the first place), and I’ve pulled out the squashes, bringing in these tiny pumpkins. I’ve been digging potatoes for more than a month now. There are still several plants going strong in the p-patch, so I hope to double this: There’s a little basil in the garden that we’re eating up. There are some carrots that will stay out there until we need them. Otherwise, it’s all pretty much done. The blueberry shrubs are turning red, …