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How to Eat Fresh, Local Food all Year Long (Part 1)

by Shelly

veggies1.jpgHere 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.

**Are you wondering what all the energy hype is about and why change hasn’t been made to make it better than it is? Over at Environmental Talk, Mark Jabo talks about how California is helping with the change. Read the whole story here.**
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Earthly Eating Recipe:

Peanut Blossoms
Makes 2 dozen cookies

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 tbs. milk
1 tsp. vannila
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
Chocolate kisses

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!


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