#food preservation

[sea-salted-wolverine]

Canning is so fuckin satisfying.

Edit: the TERFs have found this post so let's point out that traditional cooking techniques have absolutely nothing to do with the garbage you're espousing as "traditional values". fuck off and learn some basic human decency.

Imagine the feeling of having exactly the right amount of leftovers to perfectly fill the Tupperware. And then that over and over again because the jars come in standard sizes and you can do the math beforehand. Something is satisfied in the monkey brain when you get to cram a bunch of things in containers. You get to watch the cooling jars go plop-polop as they seal themselves and you never have to worry about them going bad. Even if you forget about them for years you will never run into the adhd food tax. Its literally the single most sustainable way to store food, there's no refrigeration, no perpetual carbon foot print or fee. You can reuse the jars for decades. You can do one jar on a stove top or you can scale up and do dozens at once. Sunlight gleaming through jars of canned veggies is one of the most gorgeous things you can see in this life. You can gift them and you don't even have to wrap it because unless you're canning some really odd shit its always appreciated. There isn't much that can't be canned and you can start mixing things up until you have a simple meal that just needs to be warmed up ready to go at all times. If you're concerned about allergies you have complete control about what's going into your canned goods. You can do big jars or teeny jars or fancy jars and the jars are cheap.

Magnificent monkey brain activity. I've been possessed by spirit of a woman from 1846.

[copperbadge]

Mr Sam, I've never thought about freezing dairy before. In particular I thought you COULDN'T freeze milk and yogurt. Could you talk about your freeze / defrost process and how the thawed product compares to original? This could change my shopping habits so thanks in advance.

In my experience, you can freeze almost any dairy product except sour cream, which for some reason does Not Cope Well with being frozen. Also some cheeses, but that varies. Full report below! :D

Regular yogurt can be frozen and is actually extremely delicious when eaten straight from freezing, I love the texture it develops. Greek yogurt freezes well too, though it needs to be stirred after defrosting. Both taste roughly the same after being thawed, as long as they weren't in the freezer for long enough to get freezer burn (like, over a year).

Milk can be frozen, or at least skim and 1% can; I only ever drink skim, but I recently had to buy 1% because there was no skim to be had, and it froze just as well; it looked a little gross when frozen but when thawed and shaken up it was fine. Butter, buttermilk, and cream can all be frozen, although cream gets a bit weird and thick so you either need to shake it up with a bit of normal milk, or only use it in baking (as I do -- I don't use it for coffee, for example).

Cheese can be frozen but it has the most textural issues when thawed. Harder cheese tends to break up into chunks, becoming brittle and difficult to slice, though it still melts well and tastes fine. Shredded cheese freezes very well, though if you have say a pound of it, it's best to break it up into smaller packages first, so that you can thaw out what you want without having to set the whole thing out. I've also had luck with freezing brie and other soft cheeses, but effect varies. The flavor does not appear to me to change after freezing.

I have admittedly never frozen kefir because I don't like it and don't keep it, but I think kefir probably shouldn't be, because it's fizzy.

Eggs, as long as we're in the sphere of dairy, can also be frozen, but need a little more care. You need to either crack them into oiled muffin tins and freeze individually, or beat the white and yolk together and freeze (I do this, and they turn BRIGHT ORANGE when frozen, this is normal). If you beat them together you can freeze multiple eggs in one container, so like I'll beat together four eggs and freeze, then thaw for epic scrambled eggs or for use in baking (by weight).

The freeze-thaw process is pretty simple for most. Yogurt and greek yogurt can go into the freezer in the containers they come in; I usually buy one of the bigger packages of greek yogurt, split it among 2-3 tupperware, and freeze it that way, and I've also frozen it in a ziplock bag in a pinch. Thaw in the fridge or on the counter if you're careless like me. Give a stir before eating.

Butter (and also cream cheese) can be put into the fridge in the packet you buy it in; if you're freezing a large portion of butter that isn't already split into sticks, it's probably wise to divide it up and freeze it in plastic wrap or tupperware. To defrost, thaw in fridge or on counter. This works for salted and unsalted. You can also place the butter on a sheet of plastic wrap, put another sheet over the top, and smoosh it out into a thin pancake before freezing; it thaws much faster that way. 

Milk can be frozen in the packaging it comes in but it's generally not a great idea because you also have to thaw it all at once, and milk thaws very slowly. I usually just try to buy small amounts of milk, but lately you can only get skim in gallons, so I buy a gallon, pour it into a series of jars (I'm short on tupperware and well-stocked with jam jars) and put them in the freezer. With any liquid, you want to fill the jars/tupperware only about 3/4 of the way full and put the caps on LOOSELY until the milk is frozen; a tight cap will trap the air and when the liquid expands, it can crack the glass or plastic. You can tighten the lid once it’s frozen. Thaw on the counter or in the fridge, or microwave it; often I'll set the milk out to thaw and every two hours or so pour off what's been thawed into a new container in the fridge.

As mentioned, cheese gets brittle; if I'm freezing cheese I tend to shred it first because that'll be the end result anyway :D

I think that's everything, but if you have a question about dairy that I didn't mention, I'm happy to answer!

[crazyneutral]

@vaspider this is slightly your fault because you gave me the motivation to preserve things

Candied orange peel! Much less of a messy process than I remembered, since last time was two years ago. And orange syrup! I swear it's not burnt, I just used brown sugar because it's what my mom keeps on hand. I am Very tired and they are delicious. Kind of bitter because I only boiled it once, but that's normally how my dad likes stuff anyway

[theenbyroiderer]

Pickled some Lactarius rufus mushrooms today.

[thestudentfarmer]

Kitchen post today~

With prices being what they are I like a good deal on groceries when I can find it. Sometimes that leads me to buying large quantities of things.

This week the local scratch n dent market had 5 pound bags of golden potatos on sale, 2 for $4. We like potatos so I snagged a few bags. Since i had 2 from last week's groceries I decided to pick through them all.

I tossed a few rotten ones and sorted out the good from the ones getting on the going side. The good ones I put up in a storage tote (a cooking pot for now) for later cooking.

These ones are the contenders for the weekly meal/freezer prep. They had some funny or funky spots, things that can be cut off and thrown away or in the compost. I clean them after washing them well.

As a heads up, it's not suggested to feed chickens raw potatoes. So leave anything with raw potato bits in the trash or the compost bin.

The bad bits.

If you feel need to you can wash them up again. I move to peeling after words.

I save the peels for breakfast potatoes, or to make soup.

A few peeled spuds.

Afterwords, depending on how many potatoes needed to be processed will decide what im making. This time I had enough potatoes to do cubed potatoes and hashbrown potatoes.

Cube potatoes, then blanch them till all Dante in a pot. (Not quite to mash potatoes softness, but not crunchy.)

Drain, cool quickly. (If your into water conservation, save the water for your plants once cooled) I cool till just under warm and lay them out to drain/dry a bit.

Then take a pan and lay out a clean kitchen towel on it. Pour dry potatoes on and place in freezer till frozen.

Store in container and use like regular frozen potatoes.

Moving to hashed potatoes

Similar to the cubed potatoes except I grated them.

I like to destarch my potatoes a little so I do a soak for about an hour, drain and then blanch.

I did about 5 minutes to blanch the hash, every couple minutes fish out a peice and test it to see if it's crunchy or just firm. Drain, cool asap.

Lay out to drain and dry a bit.

Lay towel on baking sheet. Place drained hashed potatoes on top. Place in freezer and freeze a few hours.

When frozen package up. Date and use as necessary :)

Other potato freezing/preserving resources

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/how-to-freeze-potatoes

https://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/dehydrate-potatoes-for-various-uses-zbcz1507/

🥔🌱Happy Homesteading!🌱🥔

[tiktok-singularity]

Amazing simple meal prep inspo

[ahedderick]

Good LORD I am a sucker for unusual or decorative canning jars, and I found these at half price at Southern States this morning. Canning jars in general SEEM pricey, but that cost is offset by the fact that they are good for decades of regular use. I do not *need* any more jars for jam/preserves. but. I wanted these. And my aunt enabled me (by agreeing that they were hella cute.)

I also found a needed thing; spice packets for

salsa and chili. It is possible to make those from scratch, but the packets are nice and I'm consistently happy with the results. I had never found the salsa mix in bulk before, only single packets, so that was a good thing. In a good tomato year I make 12-18 quarts of sauce, 20 pints of salsa, and an indeterminate number of jars of chili base and regular canned tomatoes.

Let the games commence!

[popculturelib]

Fanzine Friday #10: Skills (2009) by Sabrina Simon

Skills is a DIY zine about common household tasks and fun projects. Following last week's canning theme, here is the section about food preservation, with an additional recipe for a baking soda volcano.

The Browne Popular Culture Library (BPCL), founded in 1969, is the most comprehensive archive of its kind in the United States.  Our focus and mission is to acquire and preserve research materials on American Popular Culture (post 1876) for curricular and research use. Visit our website at https://www.bgsu.edu/library/pcl.html.

Image transcripts below the cut:

Food Preservation

I've been interested in food preservation for a while now and have figured out a few different ways to save fresh produce for use at a later date.

Freezing

Many vegetables can be preserved simply by freezing. All you need is a plastic bag with no holes and a top that seals completely. Cook the vegetables (fully or partially), stick `em in a bag, stick the bag in the freezer, and there you go!

To prevent things from freezing in a clump, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet, place the sheet in the freezer, then transfer to storage bag when they are frozen through.

To freeze corn, cook it as you normally would, then cut the kernels off of the cob. Sometimes when cooked corn-on-the-cob sits around it gets pale and wrinkly, but after cutting it off the cob and freezing it, it will have a plump, yellow appearance. Nice.

Berries and grapes can be frozen raw.

Bananas can be placed in the freezer for later use. The skins turn brown but does not have an effect on flavor.

To freeze ranges and lemons: zest and juice the fruit then freeze the zest and the juice separately, in a plastic bag or ice cube tray; or just stick them in there whole; or cut into sections and store in bags.

Canning

Canning food may seem like an antiquated, labor-intensive idea, but it is actually simple once you know the process.

The Basic Boiling Water Canning Process

Obtain canning jars and lids— that is jars that have a flat lid and a bans band. You must use a new flat lid every time you can, but screw bands can be re-used. Wash the jars, bands, and lids in hot soapy water. Using a dishwasher is fine. Let dry thoroughly. Please follow a recipe for the food you want to can, because you need to make sure there is enough acid in the product so it won't spoil.

Prepare a canner. A canner is a large pot with a lid and a rack in the bottom. The rack is important because water must be able to circulate sides of the canning jar. Assemble your own canner by obtaining a pot deep enough to fit your jar and something that will keep the jars from touching the bottom and allow circulation. Try a toaster oven rack or a metal colander.

Fill the jars with the fruits or vegetables to be canned. It is important to leave "headspace" at the top of the can, as per recipe instructions. For boiling water canning, maker sure to leave 1/2 inch of space between the food and the top of the jar.

Use a clean, wet cloth to wipe around the jar tops. They should be totally clean.

Place a flat lid on the jar, and screw on the bands tightly.

Place the rack in the pot, fill pot halfway with water, place the cans in the pot, and top up with boiling water - enough so that cans are covered with one inch of water above them. Place lid on canner and start timing as per recipe instructions. If need be, top up the pot with more boiling water so that there is always one inch above the jars. Remember not to let jars touch the sides or bottom of the pan or each other. Also, always keep the lid on.

Remove jars from the canner and place on a rack to cool. When they are cool, check to make sure that all of the jars sealed. A sealed jar will have a dip in the lid that does not give. An unsealed jar will "pop" up and down if you press on the lid. If any jars are unsealed, you can try resealing them immediately (by the same process), or else just refrigerate and use within a few days.

Label jars with the date of canning. Store in a cool, dark, and dry place and use within one year. Now wasn't that fun?

Applesauce

I made and canned applesauce and you can to!

This recipe makes about six pints of applesauce. I live in a house with five other people so having a ton of applesauce is fine by us, but feel free to cut the recipe in half.

Start by peeling, coring, and cutting eight pounds of cooking apples.* I've got one of those hand-crank apple peelers which is perfect for this. Otherwise—recruit your friends to help you, because this is a LOT of apples!

*I suggest using a combo of Granny Smith & Golden Delicious apples.

Place apples, 2 cups of water, and a couple cinnamon sticks (if you want) in a huge pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until apples are very tender. Stir often. Depending on what type of apple you use and how small they are chopped, this could take anywhere from 15 to 40 minutes.

Remove cinnamon sticks. Mush apples to a consistency you like. I like a chunky kind of applesauce so I just smash it a bit with a potato masher.. If you want it smoother, run it through a food mill or ricer and put it back in the pot. If you want, add sugar to taste (brown sugar is nice) and more water, if it seems a little thick.

Bring sauce up to boiling. Pour the sauce into the clean jars— they should still be warm. Wipe the rims of the jars and apply lids and bands. Process for 15 minutes using instructions above.

***An obvious way to preserve fruit is by canning your own jam/jelly/preserves. I can't stomach that sort of thing, so I've never made it. If you have a jam-type recipe you're willing to share, please send it in! ***

Baking Soda & Vinegar

Another cheap + easy way to entertain the kids is to make a baking soda volcano! Simply put some baking soda in a glass, dribble in a bit of vinegar, and watch it foam & expand & hiss. It's pretty fun. Add some food dye for special effects. Bonus points if you do it in the sink: the foaming action can help unclog a drain, the soda is a good abrasive for cleaning, and it will also neutralize odors. Sweet! (Note: don't overdo it - a little bit of each product goes a very long way!)

[homesteadingqueer]

Homesteading Resources Master Post

So, I have been really into homesteading lately, you call it a hyperfixation, I call it free dopamine. This is my masterlist of sources for different aspects of homesteading life. I plan on making a life in the city homesteading masterlist too. Please be careful when canning a preserving food, I am not an expert, but these sources seemed credible so be sure to can with caution.

Happy Homesteading!

General

Homesteading 101

Skills to Develop

Farmers Market Directory

Ways to make a Profit

Farmer's Almanac

Livestock

Livestock Pros and Cons

Meat Rabbit Guide

Pigs Guide

Chicken Guide

Ducks Guide

Goat Guide

Sheep Guide

Meat Cow Guide

Milk Cow Guide

Gardening

Composting

USA Planting Zones

Europe Planting Zones

Homemade Pest Control

High Yield Garden

High Yield Vegetables

Pollinator Garden

Canning

Canning 101

Fruit

Vegetables

Kitchen

Veggie Recipes

Bone Broth

Wheat to Bread

Sustainability

Self Sufficiency

Reduce, Reuse, Recycling

Clothes Mending

Crafts

Cross Stitch

Embroidery

Whittling

Crochet

Quilting

Knitting

[rat-hand]

[survivalpreps]

[fcktaken]

My neighbor and I bought 7kg of bitter oranges. This weekend will be spent dealing with that decision.

Step 1: cut some, take the pits out, water them for 24h. Dry the leftover peels for tea.

[thestudentfarmer]

A little while ago I made some fridge pickles

These guys.

Well they've sat a little longer than need to so tonight we popped them open to try~

They were a little salty, not super crisp. But firm. Taste wise will make again. Has been like by all, so will use the recipe and time wait again.

The jalapeno was similar texture. Good taste.

The onions honestly I feel shone through in texture and taste. I want to amend 2 jars of that for snacking, with jalapeños for hot dog and sandwhich topping, haha.

🌱🥒Happy homesteading and Happy pickling/fermenting! 🥒🌱

12 5 2023

[tiktok-singularity]

Meal prep/planning.

Frozen chopped herbs and garlic