Countdown To The Wedding

If I appear a little quiet....fear not for I am busily putting together the wedding decorations. My eldest gets married in just under three weeks and I am trying to coax the flowers to ignore the sweltering heat and keep coming towards fruition.

Maybe there will be a lot of foliage and seed heads....

Working with living things and trying to plot their course on a calendar....isn't it exciting!!!

I'm gathering together pieces to interpret her "Boh-ho" vision. Her brief "Not really a colour theme, sort of Turkish rugs and candles, not cottagey, a bit Lux....vague...mutterings and hand flingings....

oh and we'll be in a paddock don't you know.

I've been watching a lot of floristry tutorials to learn how to do really large scale event pieces. Fingers crossed.

I just found out we also want bunting for the marquee....

again, a bit vague on a colour story so I have chosen to pull out the accent colours within the Persian style rugs that we are scattering everywhere with straw bale seating.

The upside is that the stash is getting a really good bust-a-long and thank goodness for the invention of cutting mats and wheels. My very clever man also zipped out to the shed and knocked up a template for me in lovely acrylic so I can cut accurately and quickly.

Big Love.

All the while it is coming into preserving season and I am pressure canning lots of vegetable soups, curries and casseroles for shelf storage to try to use up the zucchini glut.

So I am still here, just reeaaalllyy busy.

#markandtedwed

The Humble FV Clip

The trees are blossoming and everyone is talking about tomato seedling varieties in great anticipation with this warm humid weather that has sprung upon us in Tasmania.

As everyone starts looking at their preserving supplies one of the most overlooked items would have to be the clips.

These clamp the lid into a correctly seated position. As the contents expand in the heating process, air is expelled, then, as the contents cool and retract, the lid is seated onto the rubber band and a suction and seal is created.

Though they are a simple item used over and over, they do become stressed over the years and lose their spring and flexibility. I'm betting many of us have inherited or acquired these second hand and they could probably use a critical eye.

(CLIPS available below rrp)

 It is important that the clips remain on for 12-18 hours after processing. So you need to have at least a couple of dozen of each size because when you are in the thick of the season and preserving every day, you'll find that yesterdays tomatoes will still be clamped and you are hanging to do another batch. 

They are handy in the gift giving too!

(Fowers Vacola Accessories below rrp)

So before you begin another season, run an eye over ALL your supplies, don't get caught short and may you have a blissful and abundant preserving season.

Storage Ideas For Bottling Accessories

As you would imagine, at this time of year we are busy harvesting and preserving the bulk of our food for the next twelve months. It takes a bit of time to build a jar collection and along with it comes a lot of accessories. In order to streamline the bottling process it is a good idea to put some thought into your storage as this can streamline the whole process and save you time and frustration.

Over the years I have collected many sizes so that I can bottle food into jar sizes that are practicle for their purpose. It can sound a bit mystifying when you hear bottlers talk about jar sizes and lid sizes.

The Fowlers & Vacola system is quite old and from the time before Australia converted to metric. The jar number relates to the ounces a jar holds and the lid/clip/ring numbers relate to the inches across the mouth of the jar. Therefore a #31 bottle takes a #4 lid. Once you understand this it all becomes a lot easier.

So here is how I have devised a storage solution for all those rings, lids and clips. I have a kitchen cupboard with stacked plastic tubs that fit the space beautifully and I have clearly labelled them. One of the other boxes holds assorted lids from saved and recycled commercial jars. The #1 box contains the seals for the old fashioned pint/juice bottles and has spare clip seals and labels as there is spare room.

And this is typical of what each box contains. I use stainless steel lids and though they cost extra in the beginning, they are far more cost effective than the tin being more resistant to corrosion from acidity. I ALWAYS have a few packets of rubber rings at all times as there is nothing worse than having a glut of food to deal with and the shops being sold out during bottling time which happens EVERY year. I have found the most reliable supplier for me has been the smaller retailers like my local IGA here in Campbell Town and The Log Cabin Nursery in Youngtown are more than happy to order in quickly and more especially they get me the rare #2 and #1 seals.

Keep everything clean and dry and remember to always store your thermometer upright, that's what the handy hole in the top is good for.

So what's your system? Have you got a clever idea for storage? 

The Pee-Wee Pot

Just Look!

I found a half size Fowlers pot to match my big Bertha one.

I ummed and aahhed about buying it, wondering if I was just bringing more "stuff" into the house but it has turned out to be a wonderful buy.

It is perfect for doing small batches at the start of the season, for instance if I only have enough for bottling six #27 of tomatoes instead of the 12-13 that I can fit into the big one.

It is also PERFECT for processing my #10 bottles which I use for tomato paste, chilli sauce and pickled nasturtium seeds.

And for the height of the season like this morning...

I have both of them going at once!

Preserver's Wish List

Know what preservers want?

for Mothers Day, Fathers Day, Christmas....?

LABELS!

Can never have enough of them.

We love them and when you are flat out bottling, decanting, tincturing, pickling....

it's really a treat to be able to reach for a label.

Above are just some that I have found for free at The Graphics Fairy and they can be printed onto adhesive labelling or plain card stock with double sided tape attached.

Very quick, very easy, very appreciated.

Or,

get the kids to do some stamping or stencilling and create labels for giving. They could practice their scissor cutting with some fancy pattern scissors out of your scrap booking supplies.

Failing that if you really want to purchase a gift for a preserver then go ahead and shop for a funnel....we have a penchant for funnels. Or is that just me....I do love a variety of funnels.

And strainers....

beautiful knives,

and perhaps just one more cook book....

Winner Tomato Sauce Recipe

Rich, red, spicey, 

a winner of a recipe from

"Preserving" by Oded Schwartz

This book is more usually sold through those books to buy in lunch rooms thingy.

If you can source a copy DO NOT hesitate, I can't recommend it highly enough for great recipes, clear step by step photos, tips and rules of ALL types of preservation.

This sauce is reduced a couple of times throughout the process but so worth the few hours it will take. Once you've got your big batch done you are all set for the rest of the year and if you've made a really huge batch and followed the instructions properly, this sauce will last on the shelf up to 2 years because of the added vinegar to increase the acid content.

Note the bottom right hand corner of the page....

A Damson variation!!

What a great follow on from the last post about Damsons!

You can see another reason why I love this book. Just look at the way the recipe is laid out with descriptions and tips on the left and important information in point form on the right.

A fantastic book.

I started this post back on the 4th and got as far as the first sentence when I got a text message to say

"Mum they are wheeling me into the labour ward now, get here quick"

So this post may be coming a bit too late for those dealing with piles of tomatoes as they are finishing here now but do give this recipe a try next year.

Julien

7lb 11oz

Making Vanilla Extract

At the end of the last post discussing preparations for hand made gifts I mentioned making vanilla extract.

I was in fact away interstate at the time but I got back last night so here is a bit of a run down on how I have got my extract under way.

A woman in one of my face book groups bought in some bulk vanilla pods as it is much cheaper and was selling off her excess. They worked out to be 0.50 each so I bought a very large bundle. I figured that I would make some extract and maybe some vanilla sugar for gifts and even giving a plain old bean is a lovely present on it's own or in a hamper. 

As far as proportions go I used 

40 beans which was about 150g 

to 750 ml of vodka (3 cups)

I snipped the beans in 2-3cm lengths (1")

and placed them in a glass screw top jar with the vodka

simple.

Now give a bit of a stirring shake daily and let it macerate away for a couple of months.

Closer to Christmas I will strain through a coffee filter paper in a strainer, the same way I do my infused oils for salves.

Now I'm on the hunt for bottles....

This could be my source if I fail to find any suitable through second hand means.

So far I estimate that I will get at least 20 bottles of 30ml sized extract that has a breakdown cost of $2.50 per bottle not including any cost I might incur buying the bottles.

This makes a very reasonable and charming gift for friends, teachers and neighbours.

Feels good to have the Christmas gifts under way.

Elderberry Time

Just a little reminder that it is time to pick elderberries. The heads will be drooping with weighty ripe dark berries. Don't forget to leave some for the birds too. Remember it is very important at this stage to remove the berries from the stems. The stems and bark contain purgative qualities and are best left in the hands of an experienced herbalist.

I have made mine into a tincture for use as a cold and cold remedy this winter. Warming the berries helps them to release their juice so I place them in a pot with only very little water till they soften and run (similar to the first step in making the rhubarb cordial). A potato masher also encourages the process. I then placed the pulp into two wide mouthed bottles and topped with alcohol. These will steep for two weeks then be strained from the pulp and used for coughs and colds. Adults 1 tablespoon children 1 teaspoon  as required or every 3 hours.

For more information about elderflowers and elderberries I would recommend purchasing the e-book "

An Elder Gathering"

from here (look in the side bar) for $5. Well worth it. 

You could also read more here on the Common Sense Homesteading blog about Elderberry syrups.

Why Bother?

The last third of winter is more bearable with bottled blueberries for breakfast.

And that's why I bother....

Green tomato pickles always bring memories of Nan close,

And that's why I bother......

We're enjoying lots of Osso Bucco stews on wet dark cold nights,

And that's why I bother.....

There are a lot of people who will ask you why you would bother, but there is no comparison to feeding yourself good food even in the "hungry season" to buying off the shelf. There will be some who cheer you on from the sidelines so stick to your convictions and enjoy the fruits of your summer labour, enjoy this quieter time with some knitting before it all starts again come spring.

You guessed it, somebody asked me just the other day when they saw me knitting socks....

Why bother?

I think that is something to ponder in a society where the majority seems to ask,

"Why Bother?"

Are we lazy or apathetic or have we just forgotten how good things can be?

Tomato Paste

I made tomato paste for the first time this year. 

The crop has been so good this year that I have extra to play with.

It's very simple but it did tie me to the house for hours.

First I washed and wizzed the tomatoes in a food processor and then passed them through a mouli food mill.

I made about 6lt of pulp and filled two baking dishes.

I placed them in the oven at 180C

and reduced, stirring every half hour or so...

Reducing.....darker...thicker...

after about three hours I reduced the heat to 150C as it was coming closer to a thick paste.

Until after another half hour or so I had a nice thick dark firm sauce.

Someone once asked me what I use my smaller Fowlers Vacola jars for and here is a great example.

These are a #10 and perfect sizing for the paste.

Some recipes say to keep the paste in the fridge with a thick layer of oil on top but I processed mine in the water bath at 80C for half an hour to sterilise and seal so that I can have them on the shelf for the year till next summer.

Six jars this size are too small for my FV outfit so the pasta cooker comes in handy. It is just right for the bottles and keeps them off the bottom of the pan. Alternatively, you could use a cake rack inside a stockpot.

Quite a few hours but definitely worth the effort.

Tomorrow is tomato relish day.

Citrus and Cinnamon Muscovado Syrup

Sitting On Top Of Our World inspired me in this post to step outside my square which is bottling fruit in plain water. They used a light syrup of raw sugar, rosewater and cinnamon and I have been licking my lips ever since.

After I made my last batch of preserved lemon peel I had some pure heavy syrup leftover in the fridge. I had used mostly muscovado sugar so it's dark and rich and almost caramelly with a marmalade taint. I used this to make a medium syrup 1/4 parts. I also added a cinnamon stick and Orange Flower water.

This would work well for peaches or apricots but I used it for......

Cherries!

Still bright beautiful orbs of ruby and I look forward to these when the summer has gone.

I hope Sitting On Top Of Our World's recipe or this one inspires you to try something different and a little more adventurous too.

Please share with us in the comments your inspirational syrupy concoctions.

What about.....

Liquorice and Orange,

Vanilla and Cinnamon,

Honey and Ginger,

............

Some Good Reading This Week

A very, very interesting post over at Eight Acres about 

"Curing Egg Eating Hens"

and it makes so much sense.

An observation of nature doing exactly what it needs to do to ensure the survival of the species.

Here is one from earlier this year about alternative syrups to use in your fruit bottling from

Sitting On Top Of Our World

Now that cherries are coming into season, this is a good one to re-visit.

My Go To blog, Housewife Eclectic, for all things techno savvy and digital has another great how to...

"How To Take Glowing Christmas Pictures"

She gives a really easy to understand and brief (cos I have a short attention span) tutorial for taking pictures to capture the lovely glowing lights at this time of year.

And for a funny take on the Christmas visual...

read "Don't Let This Happen To You"

by the hilarious Pamela J 

And for a beautiful, thought provoking and personal look at life and the meaning of Christmas I recommend this post at Pumpkin, Pie, Painter

A trip over to her blog is worth it for the warm fuzzies of her Christmas ready home but I'm sure you will enjoy a candid tale of a busy person's life and the crossing path of a neighbour's tragic circumstance.  

Mutton Fat- Also Good For Your Fowlers Pot

At least once a year it's a good idea to "season" your steel Fowlers Pot.

Just like they tell you to do with woks when you first buy them; the steel ones that is.

It isn't really anything to do with adding flavour, it's about putting a filmy seal on the metal.

In a way I guess that is anti-seasoning in that it is preventing the metal reacting to food acids and alkalines.

So with an ample supply of mutton fat, now is a good time to season the pot.

Heat the pot a little and place some rendered washed fat in. I use a pastry brush to really get into the seams and crannies. Allow it to heat some more and "bake" on a little and then turn off the heat. 

Allow to cool and then wipe out the excess with some paper towel.

Good to go for another year. Looking pretty good for an old girl.

This treatment helps prevent rust forming and deteriorating the inside.

After using your pot, always dry thoroughly and on lovely hot sunny days (which they usually are in the preserving season) pop it in the sun.

You could use a vegetable oil or peanut oil as an alternative but certainly not olive oil which is slightly acidic and would react with the metal. So many of my customers would bring their carbon steel woks back saying they were rusty even after faithfully oiling them after use. Olive oil was the source every time.

Bottling/Canning Tomatoes the Fowlers Way- Step by Step.

This step by step is especially for Funkbunny who has a blog about veggie gardening in suburbia.

They have great tips for growing and have recently blogged about drying veggies but was reluctant to bottle tomatoes. Tomatoes are super easy, super safe and super successful. Tomatoes are high acid fruits supremely suited for preserving this way. Funkbunny has a Fowlers kit and plenty of tomatoes so they are ready to roll.

The tomato situation here has been a bit lack lustre but here is my first bottling for the season.

I love having jars of chopped tomatoes in the cupboard because I use them for casseroles, winter slow cooking, pasta sauces and bases for curries.

I get myself comfortable with a chair pulled up to my marble table in the middle of the kitchen, a bit of music, a chopping board and a small bowl for scraps.

After washing and de-stalking, I sit and roughly chop the tomatoes, removing and cutting away any blemishes. I leave the skin as I don't mind it.

I also chop whatever tomatoes are available and they are a mix of large fleshy ones, roma styles and tiny tom styles. I like the random mix.

As I chop I put them straight into the clean jars packing them reasonably full and leaving about 1-2cm at the top.

Once the jars are full of tomatoes, the next step is to fit the rubber seals.

Pop them into a dish with some hot water for a couple of minutes to soften them to make them a bit easier to manage.

While they are in the warm water, wipe around the ridge and top with a clean damp cloth to ensure there are no stray tomato seeds. Though small, they will prevent a good seal. At the same time it's your last chance to check the jars for any chips or imperfections.

Now, take the seal and apply to the special groove in the bottle. I tend to grasp it with both hands between thumb and forefinger, fitting the edge closest to me first and stretching it forward and around the jar all the while holding the jar stable with my other fingers. It definitely gets easier with practice.

It's at this point you will realise why I haven't added the liquid yet because it would be a bit spilly.

IMPORTANT: Make sure the seal lies in the groove evenly and flat with no twists. You will note that it has a slightly sloping canter to it.

Now it is time to fill. I use plain good old award-winning Tasmanian tap water.

You can add salt if you want for ready to go seasoning in your cooking but I prefer to start blank.

I use my trusty Bessemer ware jug and fill slowly to limit air bubbles.

You wondering what the green is in the bottle? It's an heirloom green variety called Green Zebra and boy are they delicious.

Fill with water till they are about the level of the fruit. By maintaining 1-2cm of head space, it gives the lid space to vacuum seal, makes sense right.

Now use a skewer or chopstick or like me, plunge the knife in a couple of times releasing air bubbles and tap the jar on the wooden board a couple of times to see if anymore rise. There is nothing scary or mysterious about air bubbles, it just helps to stop the food rollicking with trapped air once it starts to get it's boil on thus displacing the lid or pushing food out of the jar...it's all about a good seal.

Now place the lids on fitting them flat and even to the seal. The Fowlers book suggests a slight screw lids turn to seat it. I spend the small bit extra for stainless steel lids because they are less reactive to food acids and last longer and rust less.

Remember stainless steel means it stains less, not stain proof, so always wash and dry thoroughly after use and store in dry conditions.

Now secure with the clamp.

Place the jars in the pot. If your outfit doesn't have a built in base, place a cake rack or some such in the bottom to stand the jars on. Fill with cold water about three quarters of the way up the jars.

Pop the lid on and put your thermometre in the little well at the side.

Bring to 92C (198F) slowly, this should take about 45 mins. I use med/high heat but you'll get to know your own stove through trial and error what temp works for you. Now hold at this temperature for another 45 mins. I have solid hotplates and generally 20mins into the maintain temp time I can turn the heat off and it still maintains for the rest of the time at the right temp. Again, you'll get to know your own stove. Trial and error, turning down heat, turning off heat...that is an experience thing.

IMPORTANT: My golden rule and I don't ever break it, do not be tempted to try to handle the hot bottles or pull them out straight away. Just let them sit and cool. There is bubbling hot, hot liquid in there. It is not worth risking severe burns.

So once they are cool enough to handle I put them aside on a board or a cake cooler. As I wipe each one over I press the flat of my thumb firmly onto the centre of the lid just to be sure we are getting a firm seal. 

LEAVE the clamps on for another 12-18 hours.

After this time take the clamps off. Give the lid a gentle tug to see if it's holding. Tip the jar next to your ear, listening very carefully for any air sucking sound. If all is quiet and firm then it's time to store in a cupboard.

Even though they look really pretty, they store better in the dark. It is also a good idea to periodically check them and make sure there are no active bubbles, fizzing or mould but I have never had a fail.