Earthly Eating

Dehydrated Heroes:

Some of the food crops listed here need brief precooking or other special preparations, but many can be washed, peeled, pared and popped into a dehydrator. You can also simply dry them in the sun or a solar dehydrator.

To even out the moisture levels between different-sized pieces, place dried foods in an airtight container in the refriugerator for a few days after drying them. If the pieces soften, dry them a bit more before packing away into storage. For maximum energy savings, store dried food in reusable airtight storage containers made of glass or plastic. The drying process often intensifies flavors, and dried foods take up little space. Dried foods keep three to six months in a dark room or pantry at cool temperatures, or up to a year in the freezer.

Crop:

• Apples: Peak season for dry apples that rippen early, in August and September. Dip quarter0inch thick slices or rings in ascorbic acid solution (such as lemon juice) to prevent browning. Dry until leathery and almost crisp. May also be frozen, canned or kept in cold storage.

• Berries: Peak season is summer. Thoroughly rinse and pat dry. Cut large berrie3s in hald, then dry until leathery. May also be frozen or canned.

• Cherries: Peak season is summer. Slice in half or remove pits with a cherry pitter. Dry until leathery, but still pliable. May also be frozen or canned.

• Dry Beans: Peak season is mid to late summer. Harvest after pods fade to tan. Remove beans from pods, then dry for 1 hour in a 150­ degree oven to kill any potential pests.

• Fruit Leathers: Peak season is summer to fall. Purée clean, washed fruits. Pour into jellyroll pan lined with wax paper. Dry until leathery, but still slightly tacky.

• Grapes: Peak season is late summer to fall. Use seedless varieties. Blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds to crack the skins, then cool on ice. Dry until leathery, but still pliable. May also be frozen or canned.

• Herbs: Peak season is summer. Hang bunches in a warm, well-ventilated room. Store dried leaves whole, and crush before using. May also be frozen.

• Mushrooms: Peak season is spring to fall. Wipe clean with a damp cloth or paper towel, then dry at room temperature until crisp.

• Parching Corn: Peak season is mid to late summer. Harvest mature ears when the husks dry to tan, then finish drying indoors until you can twist the kernels from ears. Break the ears in half before drying to promot sir circulation around the middle of the kernels.

• Peppers: Peak season is late summer to fall. Clean throughly, cut into quarter-inch strips or rings, and dry until brittle. May also be frozen.

• Peaches, Plums: Peak season is summer. Dip quarters or slices in ascorbic acid solution (Lemon juice) to prevent browning. Dry until leathery, but still pliable. May also be frozen.

• Snap Beans: Peak season is summer. Blanch 1 minute, cool and pat dry. Dry until almost brittle. May also be frozen or canned.

• Summer Squash: Peak season is summer. Clean thorouhly, cu tinto quarter-inch slices, and dry until leathery and brittle. May also be frozen.

• Tomato: Peak season is summer. Dip in boiling water to remove skins. Cut large tomatoes into rings or cut smaller ones in halves or quarters. Dry until nearly crisp. May also be canned.

• Vegetables Paste: Peak season is summer to fall. Purée clean, washed vegeteables. Cook ovber low heat 1 hour to evaporate water. Pour into jellyroll pan lined with waxed paper. Dry to peanut butter consistencey, store in the refrigerator. Use in place of vegetable bouillon.

• Whole Grains: Peak season is summer to fall. After threshing and screening, dry grains in 150 degree oven for 30 minutes to reduce moisture content. Store in airtight, animal-proof containers. May also be kept in a cold storage.

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Earthly Eating Recipe:

Vanilla Custard
Makes a 9-inch pie

In a small, heavy saucepan, whisk evaporated milk and cornstarch until blended. Whisk in eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and you can see the bottom when whisking. Cool and pour into the graham cracker crust and place in the refrigerator.

Happy Eating!

Freezer Pleasers:

Freezing is often the best way to preserve the flavors and textures of delicate vegetables, and small batches can be blanched to stabilize nutrients and texture, cooled to preserve color, then packaged in 30 minutes or less. Running a freezer consumes energy, but reducing packaging is where the home food preserver comes out on top. For instance, pint-sized poly freezer bags or pouches require a quarter less energy to preduce than the freezer-prrof boxed used for many commercial frozen veggies.

To reduce energy consumption, keep your freezer in a cool basement or garage, and fill vacant spaces with plastic bottles or freezer bags filled with water. Should the power go off, the increases thermal mass from the extra ice will slow the thawing process. Store small items inside larger snap-top plastic boxes so they won’t get lost in the freezer.

Crop:

• Asparagus: Peak season is spring to early summer. Blanch in boiling water 1 minute, cool on ice and freeze.

• Berries: Peak season is spring to fall. Rinsewell, spin or pat dry and freeze without blanching. They may also be dried before storage, just store them in an airtight container if you dry them.

• Broccoli, or Cauliflower: Peak season is late spring. Blanch in boiling water 1 minute, cool on ice and freeze.

• Cantaloupe: Peak season is mid to late summer. Cut into bite-sized pieces or make balls. Freeze and use within 2 months.

• Chard: Peak season is summer to fall. Blanch to wilting poitn in the microwave, or in boiling water. Cool on ice, drain and freeze in small batches so you can add it to other dishes with ease.

• Edamame: Peak season is mid to late summer. Simmer pods in salted water for 5 minutes, and drain. When cool, remove beans and freeze. Can also be frozen whole.

• Eggplant: Peak season is late summer to fall. Grill or broil slices seasoned with herbs and salt. Freeze when cool.

• Peas: Peak season is early summer. Blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds, cool on ice then freeze.

• Peppers: Peak season. Grill or broil to remove skins before freezing, or leave skins on and blanch halved peppers in boiling water for 1 minutes, then freeze. May also be dried.

• Snap beans: Peak season is summer. Blanch in boiling water 30 seconds, cool on ice and freeze. May also be dried or canned.

• Spinach: Peak season is spring to fall. Blanch to wilting point in the microwave, or in boiling water. Cool on ice, drain and freeze. Stretch season by growing through winter with protection.

• Summer Squash: Peak season is summer. Grill or broil slices seasoned in herbs and salt. Freeze when cool. May also be dried.

• Sweet corn: Peak season is mid to late summer. Cut kernels from the cob to save freezer space. Heat just to boiling, cool and freeze.

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Earthly Eating Recipe:

Walnut Crecents
Makes about 2 dozen ccookies

Heat over to 300 degrees. Cream butter in a large mixing bowl. Add sugar, vanilla and salt. Stir in nuts and flour until well blended. Chill dough one hour. Divide dough into four parts. Shape each section into a long roll. Cut roll in two inch pieces. Shape each into a crecent shape. Place crecents on ungreases cookie sheet and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Cool on rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Happy Eating!

Success Under Pressure:

You will need a pressure canner to preserve foods with a pH level about 4.5, because hugher temperatures are required to kill any bacteria in non-acidic foods. Still, reusable jars and no refrigeration requirements make pressure conning a good choice. In many areas, good quality canning equipment is available in community canning kitches.

Pressure canner gauges require care and preiodic testing, but the biggest challenge with pressure canning is the heat it creates. This is why rural homes used to have a place on the porch for a canning stove, or sometimes a canning kitchen in a corner of the shed. A propane cooker can help you move pressure canning to yoru deck or patio, though it’s still best tpo prepare the food and jars in the kitchen.

Crop:

• Fruits, unsweetened: Peak season is summer to fall. Pressure-can unsweetened fruits whole, purée as juice. May also be frozen or dried.

• Green Beans: Peak season is summer time. A good vegetable for novice canners. Thick-fleshed Italian and heirloom vatieties stand up to processing better than delicate filet beans. May also be frozen or dried.

• Tomatoes: Peak season is summer. Tomatoes with added herbs can be canned in a water bath canner, but use a pressure canner when including zucchini, okra or other low-acid vegetables. May also be frozen or dried.

• Vegetable Mixtures: Peak season is summer to fall. Combine low-acid vedgetables such as corn or beans with tomatoes and herbs to use in winter soups and stews. Processing times vary by ingredients and equipment. May also be dried.

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Earthly Eating Recipe:

Stained Glass Cookies
Makes: As many as you like

Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until the cookies are light brown in color. Remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool. Since there is the the candy middle there is no need to frost these cookies.

Happy Eating!

Underground Vegetables:

These foods will keep for two months or more under cold, moist conditions. A root cellar is ideal, or you can bury bozes or barrels underground. If you live in a cold climate but don’t want to dig anything out, you can store many of these crops in an unheated garage or outbuilding. In warm climates where the soil stays above 45 degrees in winter, a second refrigerator may be you best option. Running an extra fridge consumes energy, but not nearly as much as is needed to process, package and shit the crops you would buy otherwise.

Crop:

• Apples: Peak season is late summer. Late maturing tart apples store best. Ideal, temperature range is 30 to 40 degrees with high humidity. Seperate apples from root vegetables because they give off ethylene gas that causes veggies to spoil. They may also be dried or canned.

• Beets: Peak season summer to fall. With tops removed, unwashed beets will keep 3 months or more at 32 to 40 degrees with high humidity. They may also be canned.

• Brussels sprouts: Peak season is fall. Pull up plants, shake soil from roots, and hang upside down in a cool basement. They will keep 3 to 6 weeks at 40 degrees with high humidity. They may also be frozen.

• Cabbage: Peak season is late summer to fall. Plants dug, trimmed and replanted in large pots will keep up to 7 months at 32 to 40 degrees with high humidity. Trimmed heads will keep 3 months. May also be canned.

• Carrots, or parsnips: Peak season is late summer to fall. Topped roots with leaves snipped off just above the growing crown will keep 3 motnhs or more at 32 to 40 degrees with high humidity. Roots replanted in spring will produce seeds. May also be frozen.

• Onions: Peak season is late summer to fall. Cured pungent onion will keep 6 months or more at 32 to 40 degrees with moderate humidity. Sweet onions store 1 to 2 months.

• Pears: Peak season is fall. Wipe clean, pack in loose paper and store at 29 to 34 degrees with high humidity. Most varieties store less than 3 months. May also be frozen, canned or dried.

• Potatoes: Peak season is summer to fall. Store best at 40 to 45 degrees with high humidity. Varieties will begin sprouting in 3 to 8 months.

• Rutabagas: Peak season is fall. Will keep 2 to 4 months at 32 to 40 degrees with high humidity.

• Sunchokes: Peak season is fall, winter, spring. Will store 2 to 5 months at 32 to 40 degrees with high humidity. Can be left in the ground in Zones 6 to 8.

• Turnips: Peak season is fall. Stretch the fall season with protective cover. Topped roots store 4 motnhs or more at 32 to 40 degrees with high humidity.

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Earthly Eating Recipe:

Frosted Pumpkin/Chocolate Drop Cookies
Makes about 2 dozen cookies

Combine and drizzle over cookies while they are still warm.

Happy Eating!

Here is a guide to simple seasonal storage, such as canning, freezing, dehydrating and more.

These crops will keep for two to six months at cool room temperatures, and they require no processing, containers or refrigeration. The sweet flavor of these two crops actually immproves under good storage conditions, so you are not settling for less by storing your own. When bringing winter squash home from a farmers market, cradle them in towels to avoid accidental nicks and bruises.

Garlic benefits from cool conditions, but most varieties will keep at room temperature for several months. Do keep nuts out of the reach of rodents though, and freese them after their protective shells have been removed.

• Garlic: Peak season is midsummer. Cure at 70 to 75 degrees for 2 weeks. Optimum storage conditions are 60 to 65 degrees with moderate humidity. These may also be dried.

• Sweet Potatoes: Peak season is late summer to fall. Cure at 80 degrees for 7 to 10 days. After curing, optimum storage conditions are 55 to 60 degrees with high humidity. They may also be frozen.

• Unshelled nuts: Peak season is fall. Dry at 70 to 80 degrees for 4 to 10 days. Optimum storage conditions are 45 to 60 degrees with moderate humidity. They may also be frozen.

• Winter Squash: Peak season late summer to fall. Harvest with stub of stem attached, wipe clean. Optimum storage conditions are 45 to 55 degrees with moderate humidity. May also be frozen.

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Earthly Eating Recipe:

Peanut Blossoms
Makes 2 dozen cookies

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cream together the shortening, peanut butter, and sugars. Blend in the egg and incorporate well. Add milk and vanilla and mix well. Add flour one tbs. at a time. Add the baking soda and salt. Shape into 1 1/2 inch balls. Roll into sugar and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for eight minutes. Top with a chocolate kiss. Bake for an aditional two minutes.

Happy Eating!