Here’s how to savor summer vegetables throughout the year
As summer is soon to turn into autumn, the remaining summer vegetables need to be put to good use.
Some home cooks parboil vegetables and let them cool before storing in freezer bags. Others do a little more work by canning vegetables or fruits to have year-round.
A Texas friend of mine shared a picture of her kitchen counters that were filled with fig preserves. She had “put up” more than 50 jars. I admit I was a bit envious. Figs are one of my favorite summer fruits.
Other friends do green beans, okra, tomatoes and more. My 8-year-old granddaughter learned how to make refrigerator pickles at cooking camp.
When I was young, my grandmother canned just about every vegetable or fruit my granddad grew. He was the grower, and she was the cook, a perfect combination. She would stand over her hot Chambers gas range for hours a day to make sure no fruit or vegetable went to waste. Her cupboards were so full that other relatives and friends got to enjoy her kitchen talents.
For those with squash, zucchini and cucumbers still in the fridge, here are some not so ordinary canning ideas. Cucumbers can be turned into candied dill strips or freezer pickles. A combination of hot and sweet peppers makes for a spicy hot pepper relish that was served at the memorable Log House restaurant in Biloxi.
I have found that freezing cooked tomatoes, fig preserves and vegetables works best for me. If other readers are not in to canning, this method works fine. Simply make room in the freezer and date the freezer bag so you can use the first ones frozen first.
By canning or freezing summer’s vegetables, families can enjoy fresh vegetables year-round, and home cooks will not complain about tasteless tomatoes in December.
If preserving or freezing still is not on the to-do list, here is an idea for those flavorful tomatoes.
Besides pasta sauce, simply let seeded and peeled tomatoes cook down and freeze. Instead of buying cans of tomatoes in the store, just pull bags of tomatoes out of the freezer.
Another hack is to pickle those veggies quickly. According to www.allrecipes.com/ , this is an easy way to have fresh veggies for an extra two weeks or so.
Simply clean, trim and cut 1 pound vegetables into desired shapes — the thinner the better — and pack into sterilized Mason jars. In a saucepan, bring 1 cup vinegar, 1 cup water, and 2 teaspoons salt to a boil; pour into jars until vegetables are fully submerged. Let cool, covered, then chill at least 24 hours and up to 2 weeks. Try this with green beans, carrots, cucumbers, asparagus, ginger, onions or jalapenos. Add fresh herbs for a flavor boost.
Candied dill strips
Day 1: Take 7 pounds large cucumbers (can be old and even yellowed cucumbers); “de-seed” and cut into strips. Soak 24 hours in 2 cups lime and 2 gallons water.
Day 2: Soak 6 hours in 1/4 pound alum and 2 gallons water, then soak 6 hours in clean water.
Day 3: Make solution of:
2 quarts white vinegar
1 tablespoon salt
12 cups sugar
1 tablespoon dill seed
2 quarts water
2 tablespoons mixed pickling spices
Bring to boil, then pour over pickles. Let stand overnight.
Day 4: Boil until pickles are clear, Pack in sterilized jars and seal.
Do not let the amount of time, work and ingredients in this recipe keep you from trying it. The outcome is worth all the coast of ingredients and effort needed to make the pickles. These pickles are different.
“Cooking by the Calendar” author Valeria L. Richard of Escatawpa said: “The recipe was given to me by my husband’s aunt, who also gave me the cucumbers for my first batch. One taste and you’ll be convinced that they are different.” – Recipes by Valeria L. Richard
Log house hot pepper relish
3 quarts hot peppers
1 quart sweet peppers
2 large white onions
2 1/2 pints vinegar
Chop ingredients in blender. Add to large pan and cook on top of stove until mixture changes color.
Note: This can be stored in glass jars, canning process not necessary. Once cool, place lids on securely and stove in pantry. – From “Horsing Around in the Kitchen”
Freezer pickles
7 cups cucumbers, sliced
2 cups onions, diced
2 cups green peppers, chopped
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon celery salt
1 tablespoon mustard seed
1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 teaspoon alum
Put sliced cucumbers into a few plastic containers. Mix together onions, green peppers. Celery salt, coarse salt, mustard seed, vinegar, turmeric and alum. Pour over the cucumbers. Cover with lid and freeze. Freeze for a couple of days before eating.
Note: For plastic containers use Rubbermaid or old margarine containers. Freezer bags also can be used. – Recipe by Leslie North from “Horsing Around in the Kitchen”
Andrea Yeager can be reached at ayeager51@cableone.net/ and Cooks Exchange, 205 DeBuys Road, Biloxi, MS 39535-4567.