The Beginner's Guide to Preserving Food at Home - Janet Chadwick [28]
Whole Kernel Corn in Boilable Bags
Best and quickest method for kernels
Husk. Begin heating water for blanching. Cut corn from the cob. Pack in boilable bags. Add butter if desired. Press out air. Seal bags.
Blanch bags, four at a time, in boiling water for 6 minutes.
Cool. Pat bags dry. Freeze.
CUCUMBERS
CUCUMBERS CAN BE PICKED AT ANY STAGE: tiny, for whole pickles; medium, for dill, sliced, or chunk pickles; large, for ripe cucumber pickles. For eating fresh, cucumbers should be harvested when they are 4 to 6 inches long and about 1 to 1½ inches in diameter.
Cucumbers cannot be canned or frozen by any of the regular methods; they must be preserved in brine or vinegar, or frozen for salads. Thinly sliced and frozen in brine, they produce a delightful, fresh, crisp flavor to be used in salads all winter.
When cucumbers have reached just the right stage for a specific type of pickle, they should be picked immediately. Even 1 day can allow too much growth. Do not wash cucumbers; store by one of the methods suggested in chapter 2.
slice cucumbers thinly mix with onions and salt rinse vegetables
Freezing Slices for Salads
Quickest method
Wash 6 to 8 firm, slender cucumbers. Slice thinly with a food processor. Peel and thinly slice 1 medium-size onion. Measure out 2 quarts of sliced cucumbers. Mix with onions and 2 tablespoons of salt in a large bowl.
Let stand for 2 hours.
Drain vegetables well. Rinse thoroughly with cold water. Drain well again. Return drained vegetables to the rinsed bowl. Add 2/3 cup each of oil, vinegar, and sugar. Add 1 teaspoon celery seed. Mix well.
Cover and refrigerate over night.
pack into freezer boxes
Pack in freezer jars or rigid freezer containers. Leave 1-inch headspace. Freeze.
tip Cucumber slices can be defrosted and eaten after 1 week. Store defrosted cucumbers in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
EGGPLANT
IGNORE THE SIZE OF THE FRUIT when it comes to harvesting eggplant. Depending on the variety, climate, and soil conditions, your eggplant may vary in size from several inches to a foot or more. The thing to look for is a glossy shine on the skin.
Can’t preserve right away? Because eggplant has a fairly neutral flavor and a texture that is so radically altered in cooking, it is perfectly acceptable to store eggplant in a cool place for several days before preserving, provided you harvested when the fruit was firm and glossy, not dull-colored and soft. You will get best results freezing eggplant in your favorite eggplant casserole. Bake the casserole until almost done in a dish lined with aluminum foil; cool and freeze. When frozen solid, remove the dish and leave the casserole wrapped in foil or freezer wrap. When ready to use, unwrap, put back into the original dish, and bake until done. Or freeze in a microwave-safe casse role dish, and when ready to use, defrost and heat in the microwave. (For a recipe, see page 192.)
Freezing the Standard Way
Best and quickest method
Begin heating 1 gallon water for blanching. Add ¼ cup lemon juice to water to prevent discoloration. Peel the eggplant and cut into slices ½ inch thick.
Blanch, 1 pound at a time, for 4 minutes.
Cool in ice water. Drain. Pat dry. Pack. Press out air. Seal. Freeze.
GREENS
SPINACH TO BE PRESERVED should be harvested when the leafy portion is 6 inches long. Chard and other greens should be harvested while still young and tender. Chard can be as long as 10 inches. Spinach bolts and turns bitter quickly when the weather warms up, so watch it carefully. Greens should be harvested early in the day while dew is still on the leaves and be fore the warming rays of the sun cause them to go limp. If cut at this point, they will stay fresh for as long as 2 to 3 days.
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