storing vegetables for winter

sashacat

Thanks snowball2 , this is my task for tomorrow.

Chip_Butty_3

Great thread Sashacat,
We are in the process of doing the same form our own grown stuff. We have blanched, Broad, French Dwaf Beans & Courgettes. Cooked Courgettes & Runner beans. Frozen prepared Onion & Garlic. (Garlic was damp when picked, hence the freezing as opposed to drying).

Last year I did Pickeled Beetroot. Just boiled them, topped & tailed , then skined them & after slicing put them in Pickling Vinigar. Saying that Snowball has given you a good recipe to do this.

I'm printing recipes off at the moment for Tomato Chukney, as we will soon have a glut of them.

We are trying to be as self surficient as well, there is nothing better than cooking your own stuff. had a meal last night where all the veg was grown & prepared by ourselves.

Best of luck

Mick

5lilpigs

I would love to be able to grow some of the families veg and make chutneys and pickles, I am reading this thread with envy of you all. Hopefully this year I can start looking into these things, my main problem at the mo is our collie pup LOVES digging. I think I will start with things that grow in pots!

sashacat

I have got a brilliant recipe for green tomato chutney which I make every year. I also make spicy pickled runner beans ( a delia recipe), which is really delicious even though it sounds evil. I make all my own jams, marmalades, pickles, chutneys and relishes, and freeze all my beans, peas, etc. this year I just happen to have a glut of courgettes, swedes, turnips and beetroots..and, I suspect I'm about to have a glut of aubergines. I'm vegetarian and only shop for stuff like sugar ( for jam and to feed my bees), salt and flour. I have all the soft fruit frozen or made into jam or jellies and apple, plum, damson and pear trees. I have 2 allotments and it more than keeps us.
Let me know if you want the recipe for green tomato chutney and please can I have your recipe for tomato chutney,

sashacat

ps i didn't know I could freeze courgettes. I am busy making courgette soup because I can freeze that. How do yo freeze courgettes??

snowball2

sashacat wrote:

ps i didn't know I could freeze courgettes. I am busy making courgette soup because I can freeze that. How do yo freeze courgettes??

Just cut into chunks, blanch for 3 mins and freeze.

Seakay

I have heard Bob Flowerdew advocate the old freezer method described here after the bit about the clamp:

http://www.selfsufficientish.com/clamp.htm

sashacat

thanks seakay, I go on selfsufficientish quite often and regularly post there but hadn't noticed this item

waterlilyann

Just wondering if you can freeze potatoes in the same way? It's the job I hate most (peeling and chopping!) so was wondering if I could do a batch and chop them up raw then just freeze them? Any ideas greatly appreciated! (Also, what is blanching? )

Penelope_Penguin

waterlilyann wrote:

Just wondering if you can freeze potatoes in the same way? It's the job I hate most (peeling and chopping!) so was wondering if I could do a batch and chop them up raw then just freeze them? Any ideas greatly appreciated! (Also, what is blanching? )

Hi, was wondering why you're wanting to freeze potatoes? They store extremely well, as long as they're not damaged or diseased. We put them in large paper sacks and keep them cool and dry for several months. I'd freeze prepared potatoes, but think raw ones might discolour.

Blanching is boiling just for a couple of minutes, and the produce then freezes better and keeps better. I try to cool down my blanched veg very quickly in a bowl of iced water. or it continues to cook, and turns mushy. I make huge ice cubes in plastic beakers (need to plan for this though, they need a whole day :rotfl: ).

I also use the Delia Doverhouse chutney recipe (plums and green tomatoes), as we always have a glut of both.

Thanks Sashacat, for the tip about broad bean pickled - I'd always thought it sounded rubbish, but will try it now!

Chipbutty - we had a meal that was home grown, with pigeon breast caught by OH!

Penny. x