Final Exams

It is that time of year again! No, I'm not talking about Christmas (but I will be soon!), I am talking about final exams. I have been studying like crazy these past couple weeks and will officially be done as of Tuesday. Bear with me until then, because this space will be filled with holiday cheer coming up very soon! Amongst the books, I have found time to do some things around the kitchen. Today, I am making another big batch of vegetable stock. I borrowed D's parents giant pot to make the whole process go a little smoother, and it is simmering away on the stove right now, making enough stock to last us a good few months at least.

Today's batch is a collection from throughout the summer. There are about a dozen whole tomatoes that went a bit wrinkly before we could use them, beets (tops and bottoms), onions, cabbage, a whole bag of pepper insides and various others from our preserving days. These "carcasses" will make a rich and flavourful organic broth for literally zero dollars. We pay an average of $4 for a 1 litre container of organic broth at the store. This pot will probably make 10 litres. That is a HUGE saving! If you are interested in making your own broth it really couldn't get easier than this. I have a tutorial on how to make it here. 

Hope you are all having a lovely weekend! I will be back after Tuesday.

Brenna

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

This weekend is Thanksgiving here in Canada, and I could not be more excited! This holiday is one of my favourite and is the kick off for a great couple of months of family, good food, and lots and lots of time in the kitchen! I absolutely love Thanksgiving and everything it stands for. Thinking about everything in your life that is good, having a nice big family meal, and the beginning of fall! The past 2 years we have hosted the big dinner at our house, but unfortunately our new place is much too small to have 10 people over for dinner. Sigh. So this year D's parents are hosting, and we are bringing a few items to add to the menu. We have been put in charge of stuffing (my all time favourite part of the Thanksgiving and Christmas meals) and the cranberry sauce.

Happy Thanksgiving, eh?

Two years ago I made and canned my first ever cranberry sauce. Before that, I had only tasted the store-bought canned variety and thought it was just fine. Boy, I was soooo wrong! Once you have tasted homemade cranberry sauce, I guarantee you will never buy it again. My batch two years ago made about 6 or 7 jars and that lasted us until this year. Considering how easy it is to make and can, that is a great time investment! So, today I am making more. Here is the recipe:

8 cups whole cranberries, washed and picked through
4 cups sugar
1 cup orange juice*
3 cups water*
2 cinnamon sticks, broken ( or 1 tsp. ground cinnamon)
6 x 500 mL jars and lids

* you can also just juice one orange and then top it up with enough water to make 4 cups

Place juice, water, sugar, and cinnamon in a large pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add cranberries and cook until skins have popped and sauce is thick and bright red. Pour into sterilized jars and seal. Process in water bath canner for 15 minutes. Cool for 24 hours and store on shelf.

If you are wondering how to sterilize and seal jars, please refer to my canning tutorial. You can sterilize any sized jar in the oven and follow the same method for heating the lids.

These make excellent gifts and really are one of the easiest recipes to make! Enjoy!

What is your Thanksgiving like? What are your traditional meal staples, if any?

Brenna

Tutorial: How to Can Fruit

Recently I had a comment asking me to provide a step by step tutorial on canning fruit. Thank you for the request, Sam! I am happy to be providing this tutorial to you today. Every year for the past 3 years I have canned peaches and pears, and last year I also did apricots. This year I have done just the peaches and pears, as they are our favourites. Please keep in mind that I am by no means an expert or professional canner, I just do what I was taught by D's mom, and I have never had a jar not seal on me. Please follow every necessary precaution when canning food at home, as there is a small but dangerous risk of botulism if you do not sterilize and process correctly.

Ok, are you still with me? Canning is very simple once you understand the necessary steps. Yes, it is time consuming, so make sure you set aside at least a few hours per batch of 7 jars. Trust me, all of the work is completely worth it! Home canned fruit is delicious!

Today's tutorial will be pears, but peaches are very similar. Here we go!

Supplies Needed
1 canner with metal rack
Enough 1 litre jars with new lids to do the amount of fruit you have (Roughly about 10 jars for every 20 pounds of fruit)
Large pot to make syrup
A ladle
Small pot with lid to boil jar lids in
A large cookie sheet
A butter knife
A clean cloth
A magnetic stick to lift lids out of hot water (usually comes with other canning supplies)- or a fork/spoon
A vegetable peeler/knife
A cutting board
A sharp knife to slice fruit
Large bowl to put sliced fruit in

Ingredients
Pears- at least 7-8 pounds to make one batch (7 jars)
Water (tap is fine)
White Sugar (2 1/2 cups)
Lemons (optional)- 1 should do 7 jars

All of these supplies should be in your kitchen except for the canning supplies. I bought my canner for about $20 and the other stuff (magnetic stick, jar lifter) for less than $10. These are a worthwhile investment, as they will last many years and help make the process go by much faster.

To begin, fill your canner about halfway full of water and set it on a large element on medium high heat with the lid on. It always takes quite a while for that much water to come to a boil, so I do this first. Next, preheat your oven to 200 degrees F. Place all of the jars (cleaned in hot soapy water) and their rings on the cookie sheet and put in the oven. The heat will sterilize them, but they must be in there for a minimum of 20 minutes, so do this before starting to prepare the fruit.

Next make the sugar syrup that the pears will sit in. I make an "extra light" syrup, meaning it is not too sweet. I prefer this as it allows the flavour of the fruit to stand out but still provides enough sweetness. Put 11 cups of water into a large pot. Mix in 2 1/2 cups of sugar and place over medium heat to slowly come to a boil, stirring occasionally.

Now, begin to prepare the fruit. With peaches you can dunk them into boiling water to loosen the skins, but with pears they must be peeled by hand. Select fruit that is not overripe and has few blemishes. It does not matter how big they are. Peel and stem the pears and cut them into the size you desire. I quarter mine. Cut out the core and place slices into a cold water bath that has a bit of acid added to it (lemon juice, citric acid, or vinegar all work, only a couple teaspoons). This will prevent the slices from browning as you prepare the rest.

coring the pears

all sliced and ready to jar!

Now you must heat up the lids for the jars so that they are hot and ready to seal. All you have to to is put them in a pot and cover them with water. Bring them to a boil and let them boil for 2 minutes, then cover the pot and set it aside.

Once you have cut up all of your fruit, you are ready to start putting them in jars! Now I follow D's grandmother's recipe and add a slice of lemon into every jar. This is not necessary, it is purely optional. All it does is add a lovely lemon flavour to the pears. If you do not want to add the lemons, leave them out.

Remove one jar at a time from the oven (careful, they will be VERY hot!). Place one slice of lemon on the bottom (if using) and then begin layering the pear slices in the jar. If you place them all core side down they will stack much better and you will be able to fit many more slices in each jar. Fill the jar to the base of the lid, where the band will screw on to. 

Now it is time to add the hot syrup that has come to a boil. Carefully ladle in the syrup until it there is about a half inch of head space left in the jar.

Now you have to remove the air bubbles that may have formed between the slices of fruit when you were ladling in the syrup. Now every book that I have ever read has always warned against using a metal utensil to do this, as you risk cracking the jar. Well, I do it anyways, but if you want to be extra pre-cautious, use a plastic utensil. Simply run the knife down the four sides of the jar and wiggle it a little bit and you will see little air bubbles float to the surface. DO NOT force the knife down or wiggle it like crazy, or you probably will crack the jar!

Ok, now wipe the rim of the jar where the lid will sit to get any sticky syrup off it, which will cause sealing problems.

And now place the lid on it! Fish one out of the pot (careful, the water is hot!) and place it over the opening.

Now take one of the seals out of the oven (also very hot!!) and screw it on loosely to "fingertip tight". It is very important not to screw it on too tightly. Basically as soon as you feel it resist a little it is good. Make sure it is on, just not too tight.

Place the rack onto the canner edges (so it is not completely submerged in the water) and put the jars on one by one as you fill them up. Repeat this until you have 7 full jars.

Now, carefully lift the handles of the rack off the edge and submerge the jars into the hot water. Make sure that each jar is covered by about one inch or more of water. If they are not, simply add some more hot water to the canner until they are all submerged. Put the lit back on and bring the water to a rolling boil. Once it is boiling, set the timer for 25 minutes ( you may need to adjust the time if you live at a very high elevation, which you would have to research). When the timer goes off, remove the jars very carefully from the canner (don't tip them!) and place them on a tea towel. You can suck up any water that is sitting on the tops of them by placing a corner of a towel on the lid and allowing it to absorb the water, but don't rub them or press on the lids in any way. 

Cover them all with another tea towel and leave them to sit for 24 hours. They should all be sealed by then, which you will be able to tell that the lids have sealed downward and do not pop when you run your fingers along them. If a jar has not sealed, place it in the fridge and eat it within a couple weeks. To get them ready for long term storage, remove the rings from the jars and wipe down the entire jar and ring to get rid of any sticky residue which could mould over time and destroy the seal. You can either store the jars with or without the rings, whichever you prefer. Make sure to label each jar with the contents and year you did them, and enjoy!

My canning shelf last year

I hope this was helpful and informative. If any of you have questions please leave a comment and I will do my best to answer them. Please let me know and I will do my best to answer them. And let me know if you tried it or how you can your fruit, I would love to get some feedback on this!

Happy Preserving,

Brenna

An Autumn Breeze

The air has become crisp here. When I wake up, the bed is extra warm and snuggly compared to the cool outside, and I can hear dry leaves rustling in the wind outside of the window. Fall has arrived, and I could not be happier. Leaves have just barely began to fall from their trees, dancing along the road as I drive to work. Today is cloudy and rainy, and I am cozied up on the couch with a hot cup of tea and a book.

Two days ago I went and picked apples from the lonely and forgotten tree that sits untouched in the backyard of our old home. I was the first to pick from it in many years last year, and discovered that these unknown variety of apples are wonderful for baking. Last year I picked a huge bag full of them, and this year I got a bag and a half. 30 pounds of organic apples, free! I cannot believe someone would pass up the gift of free produce as it sits in their backyard. I guess that means more for us :)

Yes, the apples are small and inconsistently coloured, but they are sweet and juicy with the perfect amount of sourness to compliment a pie or crumble. I will be baking up a storm with these in the coming days, and I will be sure to take you along with me as I go. 

At the market, gloved hands pass me cabbage, carrots, squash, and potatoes. My cravings have turned to stick to your ribs soups and breads to warm the belly and the soul. We are beginning to plan for the cold grasp of winter by preserving all we can and taking a stock of the freezers and pantry to make sure that we can easily make a nutritious meal from what we have on hand when it just is too darn cold to venture outside.  This, my friends, is the most glorious time of year. The harvest.

How are you enjoying your season change, be it Spring there or Autumn? What are your favourite recipes right now? Leave a comment and/or a link so that I can see into your world!

Brenna

A Day of Canning

Every year for the past 3 years I buy 40 pounds of peaches from a local organic orchard and can them to enjoy throughout the winter. This year was no exception. In total I got 19 jars (1 litre jars) and have a few left over to enjoy fresh. D's parents have a peach tree so we have been getting those by the bucket to eat and cook with, so we are pretty peached out! I made 9 jars of peach salsa last week, peach crisp, and have eaten so many of them that I am seeing peaches in my sleep. Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining by any means. I absolutely love this time of year!

When I can, the kitchen gets all sticky and smells of hot peaches. There are pits everywhere and bits of peel stuck to the counter and in the sink. It is incredibly hot because all four burners are going along with the stove and it is more humid than a night in the rainforest. But I am centered and at peace, despite the chaos and work before me. I get into a rhythm. Dunk peaches into boiling water, run under cold water. Peel them one by one, revealing the bright pink speckles that dot along the yellow flesh. Slice, place into acidified water. Fill sterilized jars with slices, fill with hot syrup. Place hot lid on top and then screw band onto. Repeat. I love the feeling of preserving my own food, knowing exactly where it came from and who grew it. Knowing it is free of chemicals that would harm my body. Knowing that I will be able to enjoy the fruits of my labour (pun intended) in the middle of the winter when the snow is up to the window and the fruit from the grocery store tastes like cardboard. This is what summer is all about.

What have you canned this year or in the past?

Strawberry Jam

I preserved a bunch of strawberries that we picked up at the market last week, creating the most delicious jam I have ever eaten. I used this same recipe last year, it is a real winner. I was taught how to can by D's mom, but please take every necessary precaution when canning, as you must ensure everything is sterile and your jars get a tight seal in order to prevent spoilage and botulism.

Here is the recipe:

Strawberry Jam

** makes about seven 250 mL jars

8 cups sliced strawberries

6 cups sugar

1/3 cup lemon juice

First off, get your canner about half full of water and set it on the stove to boil:

Next, begin sterilizing your jars by placing them along with the rings on a cookie sheet in a 200 F oven. Make sure they are in the oven for at least 20 minutes before using them.

Now take your lids and immerse them in water in a pot. Set over medium heat and allow them to slowly come to a boil. After they come to a boil, cover them and set them aside, still immersed in the water.

Next place your strawberries into a deep pot and bring them to a simmer. Let them simmer for 10 minutes.

When the 10 minutes have elapsed, add the lemon juice and the sugar and stir well until sugar is dissolved. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil and boil rapidly for 20 minutes, or until thickened slightly.

Thick and syrupy

Take the jam off of the heat and stir for 2 minutes. Skim foam off the top if you want. I never do this, and my jam still tastes and looks great.

Now take one jar at a time out of the oven (use oven mitts- they're hot!) and ladle the hot jam into them, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Wipe the rims clean with a wet cloth. Take a lid out of the pot and place on top of the jar. Next place a ring over top and tighten slightly (fingertip tight). Make sure to not screw them on too tightly. Place them one by one in the canner on the rack.

Once you have filled all of your jars, sink them down into the water and make sure they are immersed in the water by at least one inch. Put the lid back on the canner and bring back to a rolling boil. When a boil has been reached, process the jars for 10 minutes. 

After the processing time has elapsed, pull out each of the jars and place them on a tea towel. Cover them up and let them sit for 24 hours. The next day, check them all for a seal and put them on your shelf to be enjoyed all winter. If any have not sealed, refrigerate immediately and use within a couple weeks. 

I had 6 jars that I processed and a seventh that I just put straight into the fridge. Well, after I did a bit of a sample:

Oh, the joys of being the cook!

Enjoy!

Brenna

Homemade Buns

On my days off this week, I decided to replenish the buns in our freezer by making a batch. We use buns mostly for veggie burgers, and they are so much better (and cheaper!) when made by hand.  The recipe is slightly altered from one that I found on The Fresh Loaf. Here is my version:

2 cups white flour
1 1/2 - 2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons regular yeast
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups warm water

Start by activating your yeast. Mix yeast, sugar, and water in the bottom of a large bowl, and let it sit for about 10 minutes. It should look all foamy when it is done, like this:

Mix together the white flour, 1 1/2 cups of the whole wheat, and the salt in a separate bowl. Slightly beat the eggs, then add the olive oil. Mix the wet and dry ingredients into the yeast mixture, stirring until a dough starts to form and pull away from the sides. Dump the dough onto your countertop, and knead for about 10 minutes, adding flour as needed. The dough should be tacky, but not overly sticky.

Dough before kneading

Dough after kneading

Next, clean out your bowl and coat it in a thin layer of oil. Put dough into the bowl and flip it upside down to grease the top of it. Cover it in a clean tea towel and put it somewhere warm to rise for an hour. 

Dough greased and ready to rise

Dough rising

My warm place is my oven. While I am kneading, I turn my oven on to the lowest setting (150 F) for a few minutes. I then turn it off and turn on the light. I put the bread into the warm oven and keep the light on as it rises. After the first hour of rising, the dough should be doubled in size:

after first rise

Punch down the dough, knead it a couple of times, and put it back in your warm area to rise for a second hour. It will double once again. After the second hour is over, punch down the dough again, knead it a couple times, and divide it into 8 or 12 pieces, depending on the size of bun desired. I did 8, as we tend to make our burger patties large. Flatten each piece into a small disc and shape into buns by folding the edges into the center:

Fold in the edges 4 times

The bottom left is what all of your buns should look like after shaping

Flip all of your buns upside down, so the smooth part is on top (prevents seals from splitting while rising), and place on a greased cookie sheet. Cover with the towel again, and let rise for 35-60 minutes. Mine rose really quickly, so they only needed another 35 minutes. 

final rise

Preheat your oven to 450 F (remember to take out the buns if you were rising them in the oven!). Flip over the buns so that the creases are on top. Bake at 450 F for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown, and hollow sounding when tapped. 

hot from the oven!

Allow them to cool completely, and either freeze them immediately, or keep on the counter for 3-4 days, if they last that long! Mine don't look exactly like kaiser buns, but they are homemade and delicious, which is all that matters to me! Happy Baking!

Brenna

Freezer Mania

I have a confession to make. We have an addiction of sorts, and it's time to come clean. We are two people, living in a house with one roommate, and there are 4 freezers in that house. 3 of them belong to D and I. That's right. Two people, three freezers. And two of those freezers are chest freezers. And they are all full.

It seems excessive, no? But I wouldn't change anything about it. What do two people with no children and two cats (who use none of the freezer space, except to sit on the tops), need three freezers for? Well, it may be my addiction talking, but they are very useful! They save us money throughout the winter by preserving fresh summer produce, making it easy for us to create quick meals during the week from scratch!


Each of our respective freezers has a separate job. The fridge freezer holds all of our currently in use products, or items that we regularly need access to. What are they you ask? Well, we currently have frozen yogurt, vegetable stock, open bags of frozen fruit, an opened bag of bread, bread crumbs, and many other things that are currently being used. Here is a photo of it. It is messy and looks terrible, but I wasn't about to stage my freezer for this post. This is how it looks every day, and I am fine with you seeing it this way :):

The second freezer, that lives in the pantry area of our kitchen, is mostly for items that are too big to fit into the fridge freezer, but are needed on a fairly regular basis. This includes our homemade pierogies, organic corn and peas (for quick vegetables with dinner), various soups, and other homemade quick dinners.  

The blue container is leftover Christmas baking

We have only had the third up and running since last summer, but it has been a very welcome addition to our freezer family. It was a free hand-me-down from my parents, and it lives in our garage. It keeps all of our frozen fruit and vegetables that are currently not in use. We also have all of our freezer jams, bagels, and baking needs stored in there. For fruits, we have blueberries, strawberries, plums, peaches, raspberries, and cherries, all organic and fresh from last summer. For vegetables we have cubed and pureed pumpkin, kabocha squash, beans, and broccoli. We also have pesto from the garden, and tomato sauce. In October of last year, one of our local bulk natural food stores went out of business, so we stocked up on organic nuts, chocolate chips, and hot cereal. All of these are kept in mason jars in that freezer to keep them fresh. 

Garage Freezer. Jams on the left. 

We do at least one "freezer meal" per week, and I use the frozen fruits in smoothies at least twice per week, probably more. The fruit is great for baking as well. Buying frozen organic fruit is very expensive during the winter, and it is never as good as the stuff you freeze yourself. Opening up a bag of frozen strawberries and smelling them takes me back to summer time, when I was saying that I never wanted to see another strawberry again. But oh am I glad that I put all of that work into it. Looking outside to the cold, grey sky and being able to smell summer in the kitchen is one of the greatest luxuries I know. 

Brenna