Canning

No time for blogging this week!  Canning is taking over MY LIFE!!!

Coturnix Quail

We raise Coturnix Quail.  They lay beautiful brown mottled eggs that our family absolutely loves.  We first had quail eggs on a trip to Sint Maarten.  I found a package of 15 for about 5 American dollars. The French use them in TONS of dishes and they make the most beautiful appetizers. They are sweet, buttery, and most delicious when soft boiled.  My son, Seth, thinks they are the "Bestest" thing EVER!

When we got back home I started looking for a market that carries the eggs.  Let me tell you that they aren't easy to find.  I did a little research on Quail and found out that they are fairly small birds that grow quite quickly.  Coturnix start laying eggs at 6 to 8 weeks of age.  How awesome it is that???  


We bought our first quail about 6 months ago and have been enjoying them ever since.  We didn't realize how quickly they grow.  By 4 or 5 days they start getting their first feathers.  Within 2 weeks we had to put a screen over them to prevent them from flying out.  We learned about the "flying thing" when my Golden Retriever brought me a 2 week old quail who was struggling to get away from the giant yellow monster. I can start sexing them by 2 or 3 weeks by color and at 4 to 5 weeks they are nearly adult size.


They are a wonderful teaching tool for our children. It helps them understand the cycle of life and death and a are a great tool for teaching responsibility.  These aren't pets.  They are livestock.  It is sometimes a difficult lesson for young children to understand.  Quail are spent by about a year and don't usually live past the second year.  If we "harvest" them at about a year we are able to enjoy their eggs and meat.  If we don't harvest them by the year we risk loosing the birds to natural causes and being unable to use them to feed our family.  I don't see that as being a good steward of Gods provisions.  


I hope you have an opportunity to try these sweet, delectable eggs.  If you live close, come get some!  We LOVE to share :)

 

The butter bowl

One of my MOST used tools in the kitchen, lately.  A gift from my friend and one of the more beautiful pieces of history that I own.   Here is a brief history of butter making that I found on a Wisconsin Cheese site.


For years, butter production was an individual home activity. Cream was mixed in a container to form butter lumps. As the butter became thicker, the liquid buttermilk was drawn off, the butter washed and removed.

When the washed butter was removed from the churn in the olden days, it was placed into a "butter" bowl to be weighed. Paddles were used to remove the butter from the flat wooden bowl and to shape butter balls. Or, the butter was placed in a specially designed mold, usually a family's treasured possession, or formed into rolls or blocks. If the butter was to be stored for later use, salt was worked into the mixture and the butter packed into molds or tubs and stored in water crocks in the family well.

I don't have a "family well" so I usually package mine up for the freezer.  My butter bowl has been a wonderful tool in creating fantastic butter for our family.  I've also discovered that the more I use it, the more beautiful it becomes.  

Things I've learned about butter making...

1.  Cream turns quicker when it's not as fresh.

2.  Butter is a wonderful vehicle for carrying flavors.

3.  Making butter is messy.

4.  There is NO substitute for "real" butter.

5.  Butter love honey :)

6.  First cream, then whipped cream, THEN butter!

7.  True butter milk is very different than skimmed milk with culture.

8.  Butter leaves buttermilk, and buttermilk, heated, makes cheese.

9.  Making good butter is a lost art.  Making bad butter is easy.

10. There is only one molecule difference between Margarine and plastic.  

Cottage Cheese

For YEARS I have heard this story from my Mom about Dry Curd Cottage Cheese.  By the time she is done telling me this story (and I've heard it DOZENS of times) I am licking my lips, trying to figure out how I can find some.  I've been to cheese shops, small Artisans, the internet, and even asked a few farmers where I can get some. NO LUCK!

Now I've mentioned that I get milk from a great friend each week and that I've been making cheese.  I have also been unsuccessfully trying to make Cottage Cheese for the past month.  I've accidentally made ricotta, mozzarella curds, and some freaky looking cheddarish cheese.  I am determined to re-create the childhood sensation that my Mother so fondly speaks of.  

I've tried a recipe that calls for vinegar, one that calls for buttermilk, and one that calls for extreme heat.  All have failed or tasted like vinegar.  I was going over all of these recipes when I decided to try something different.  I put the milk out at room temperature for about 8 hours with 5 drops of rennet.  I checked it and sure enough, I had curd.  Now the tricky part of cottage cheese is finding that perfect moment when the curd is not too soft and not too tough.  If it is too soft then you might as well use it as a ricotta.  If it is too tough then it's like chewing on miniature pieces of squeaky mozzarella.

I broke up the curd and bathed it in slightly warm water for about half an hour.  After it looked fairly firm, I drained it and soaked it again for about 5 minutes in slightly warmer water. (100-110 degrees)  I drained it again and rinsed it in cold water.  A little salt and, WHOOT WHOOT, Dry Curd Cottage Cheese.  I was so pleased with myself that I made more.  And more...and more :)

So now my Mom has about 4 pounds and I have 2.  Yep!  It was a eureka MOMENT! 

Tip of the day!

Never toss ice cubes into the mixing bowl while it is on in an attempt to cool the butter.  When the paddle blades finally catch the pieces of ice an interesting, explosive reaction occurs and there simply isn't enough time to react before the second or third cubes begin their flights.  By the time you've reached the power switch, or cord, or the end of your rope, and the paddle has stopped moving, the kitchen is coated in a sloppy, slick coat of soft butter and butter milk.  Again, these methods are only to be attempted by a professional so I don't suggest try this at home. 

HEY LADY!  STEP A-W-A-Y FROM THE MIXER!!!

Jammin'

I love seeing the first flowers opening in spring.  It is a sure sign that I will be able to start my jam making.  I'm not talking about the standard strawberry or blackberry preserves.  I'm talking about really getting creative and capturing the true essence of spring and summer.  You can pick up the standard jams just about anywhere and just about all year long.  I want something truly "Special".  

This year I made dandelion jam.  Every jar I open is a reminder of the first honey flow for our bees.  It has the color of an early spring sunrise and smells delightful.  One of the most overlooked fruit for jamming is the crab apple.  Everyone I share a jar with is thrilled with the slightly tart, pink jam.  I can't make enough of it and the trees are nearly everywhere. For you gardeners who never know what to do with all those extra peppers, there is Jalapeno Jam.  It is beautifully green and refreshing especially around Christmas time.

The yard provides me with inspiration all season.  There are Queen Anne's lace, Rose hips, Elderberries, Mulberries, Lavender, Wood Sorrel, Violets, Wild Mint, Choke cherries, Pawpaw, Sumac, and so much more.  You can mix berries with flowers or vanilla.  You can even make a tea with herbs and add pectin.  I've made the most wonderful Lemon balm and honey jam last year.  The combination's are limitless.

If you love jam then take the first steps and let the artist inside you come out.  Buy a box of pectin and walk out the back door.  If it's green out there then there is sure to be something you can use. 

Here are a few of my favorite jam recipes.

Jalapeno Pepper Jam
3 large green bell peppers, seeded, diced 5-7 jalapeno peppers, seeded, diced 1/3 cup water 5 lbs. sugar 3 cups cider vinegar 2 pkg of pectin few drops green food coloring (optional)

CRABAPPLE JELLY

5 lb. crabapples 5 c. water 9 c. sugar 1 pkg. powdered pectin Wash crabapples; stem and cut in half. Put in saucepan with water; simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain through jelly bag. Measure 7 cups strained juice into large kettle. Add powdered pectin to juice; bring to a boil over high heat. At once stir in all of the sugar.Bring back to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil at a full rolling boil, that cannot be stirred down, 1 full minute. Skim off any foam with a metal spoon. Fill hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/8 inch at the top. Screw covers on tightly and put in boiling water bath 10 minutes.

Rhubarb Jam

5-7 lbs. fresh rhubarb stalks
11-12 cups sugar
1 inch knob fresh ginger, crushed (optional)

Wash and remove leaves from rhubarb. Cut stalks into 2-3 inch pieces.Do not peel ginger, but crush it with a heavy weight, then wrap in a piece of cheesecloth.
Place the rhubarb in a large, clean stoneware jar or bowl. Cover with the sugar and place the knob of ginger on top.
Allow to sit for 3-4 hours.
Place the jar in a wide pan filled with water halfway, and boil the water in the pan from 30-90 minutes, or until rhubarb is tender. The younger the rhubarb, the less time will be required. Stir often. Do not add water.
Remove ginger. Ladle the jam into clean, sterilized 1/2 pint jelly canning jars to within 1/4 inch of rim. Wipe rim with a damp paper towel. Adjust caps. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

     

Making soup

My girls LOVE homemade veggie soup.  Each year I throw together a batch of "Whatever's Left" vegetable soup and can it for winter.  It make a good solid base for everything from Italian chicken to Toscano soup but is just as wonderful straight from the jar.  

My garden provides most of the ingredients for it and it really helps me use up the left-overs out there.  I used to try making End of the garden pickles but this gets used so much more.  The biggest ingredient in the soup is loads and loads of  LOVE. I know the kids can taste it in there because after they gobble it up, I always get a sweet hug and kiss.  It truly warms you right down to your soul.   A short list of what I put in are...

Roasted Tomatoes

Onions

Garlic

Basil/Oregano

Kale

Loveage

Celery

Carrots

Rosemary

Thyme

Peppers

Swiss Chard

Artichokes

Broccoli

Capers

Olive Oil

and whatever else needs to be used.

I spent a lot of years with pickled vegetables staring at me from the cellar, begging to be eaten.  Now I jar up soup that seems to disappear before the New Year arrives.   The most expensive food you grow or make is the one that goes to waste.  Find out what your family loves and GO FOR IT!