Category: Food

Bloody Mary Mix

What do you make when the tomatoes are still producing and the freezer is full of marinara sauce, the pantry is full of juice and the shelves are packed with salsa?

Bloody Mary Mix

This home made, home preserved seasoned juice is perfect for creating a classic cocktail. If you are not inclined to add vodka (or gin), drink this on a long winter day to remind yourself of refreshing summer days to come. 

For 16 pints of Bloody Mary Mix

7 quarts fresh tomato juice

3/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup A-1 steak sauce

3 – 4 Tbsp Tabasco, or to taste

1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup celery salt

2 Tbsp fresh ground pepper or to taste

1/4 cup prepared horseradish

Simmer all ingredients together for 10 minutes. Ladle into hot pint canner jars leaving 1/2 inch head space. Process in water bath canner for 35 minutes. You can also process in a pressure canner for 15 minutes at 10 pounds pressure. Leave 1 inch head space if pressure canning.

**As always, consult your local home extension or the Ball book of home preserving for safe home preserving practices.

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A Go-To Meal

Do you ever have times when life is too busy to even think?

The days when one thing leads to another and another and another? Then out of nowhere it is time to eat. If you want to eat before midnight, you have to come up with something quick? For us, this also happens on Saturdays after the Farmer’s Market.

The answer is to have a “go-to” meal.

Something that can be prepared quickly and ingredients are always on hand. A meal that can be ready in 15 – 20 minutes.

You can also use the “go-to” meal concept for a sudden need to take food somewhere. The potlucks, illnesses, deaths or even just a random act of kindness. Pick a signature dish and always stock those ingredients in your pantry.

For example, I always have the basis of a quick casserole available; egg noodles, canned chicken breast, mushroom soup and package of cream cheese. Boil the noodles, add the rest of the ingredients and a bit of milk, then pour into a 9 x 13 pan. You can also keep a few disposable 9 x 13 pans with lids in the pantry for a truly easy way to take this casserole with no worries about a return of the pan.

My “go-to” for a quick meal is scrambled eggs and toast. Eggs are always in the refrigerator and bread in the drawer.

What is your “go-to” meal?

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Food Preservation

There are many ways to preserve the bounty of the summer garden harvest. Freezing, canning, dehydrating, pickling and fermenting are a few of the most common.

How do you decide which method of preservation to use?

Pick a flavor.

For example, carrots. Frozen carrots will taste slightly different than canned, but did you know you can also pickle them?

Determine use.

Will you be using a particular vegetable primarily in a stew? Maybe you want a quick and easy to serve side dish. Frozen green beans are versatile for stews and stirfries, while canned can quickly be reheated for an easy side dish.

Consider storage.

Freezing is a great option when you have small amounts of vegetables to store. Canning allows for shelf stability and no worries about the power going out, but does require more space in the pantry.

Mix it up.

You don’t have to do all of any given item in one way. For example, I have frozen some of our green beans and canned the rest. Initially they were ready only in small amounts and it was easier to put those in the freezer. As more were available, it was worth getting out the canner.

Tomatoes are another example. My method of sauce works best in the freezer because it thick and makes an unpredictable amount. However, I can tomato juice in quart jars. It is difficult to freeze that quantity of liquid and the shelf stability is a factor.

What are your favorite methods of food preservation?

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Home Preserving

Home Canned Green Beans and Tomato Juice

Do you remember when people talked about “putting things by”? 

Perhaps this is just our own vernacular, but to us it means to preserve food for the future.

Garden goodness in Central Illinois doesn’t last forever. We eat fresh vegetables from the garden during the growing season, but what about winter? Do we resort to buying everything at a big box store?

No. We make the most of what we have and preserve for future needs. 

Depending on the vegetable, we can, freeze or dehydrate. The tomato sauce post is an example of preparing a sauce that freezes well. Green beans and tomato juice typically go in the canner.

Green Beans

Canning is actually a misnomer. Home canning is not in “cans” at all. Glass jars with two-piece lids in pint and quart size cover our needs for shelf stable “home canned” items. 

Although home canning is not complicated, below are a few pointers to ensure a high quality and safe product.

Home Preserving Tips 

—Follow a tested recipe from a reputable source. Not every recipe on the internet can be trusted. Your best bet is to get a Ball Canning book or use your state home extension website.

—Know your vegetables. Low acid foods must be canned under pressure, while high acid foods can be processed in a water bath canner. Use the correct process for the vegetable you are preserving.

—Use only new flat lids to ensure a successful seal. Bands and jars in good condition can be re-used.

—Before using a pressure canner, (unless it is brand new) have the lid tested for proper working condition at your local home extension office. 

Home preserving does require some effort, but the reward of home grown vegetables all year long is worth it.

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