The Beginner's Guide to Preserving Food at Home - Janet Chadwick [29]
chop greens
stir-fry until wilted
Stir-Fry Greens
Best and quickest method
Wash, pick over, drain. Cut through with large knife.
Stir-fry until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes.
Pack in boilable bags.
Cool. Pat bags dry. Freeze.
pack into freezer bags
tip Fresh greens can be frozen by using the standard method of freezing. That method takes more time, and since the product is not as good, I do not recommend it.
LETTUCE
LATE-PLANTED FALL LETTUCE can be harvested right up until the first frost.
transplant lettuce into cold frame
Extending the Harvest
To preserve lettuce for winter use, plant seed in the garden in late summer.
Transplant to a cold frame just before the first frost.
Properly cared for, lettuce will continue to produce well into the early winter.
MUSHROOMS
A BOUNTY OF WILD MUSHROOMS or a great buy on mushrooms at the store may tempt you to preserve them. Mushrooms can be dried or frozen — just be sure to use commercially grown varieties or those that you know beyond any doubt are nontoxic.
Another simple way to preserve mushrooms is to cook them by sautéing in butter or oil, cooling, then packing in freezer containers.
tips To use dried mushrooms, place in a bowl, pour in boiling water to cover, and let soak for 20 to 30 minutes.
To rehydrate dried vegetables quickly, place them in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with cold water, and stir to make sure the vegetables are immersed in the water. Cover and microwave on HIGH (100% power) just to the boiling point. Remove from the oven and let sit until the vegetables are tender.
Drying Mushrooms
Best and quickest method
Wash mushrooms quickly in cold water, without soaking or peeling. Trim inch off stem end. Thinly slice or finely chop.
Dry in a dehydrator at 120°F for 8 to 12 hours, stirring occasionally and rotating trays once or twice. Well-dried mushrooms should be tough and leathery with no sign of moisture in the center. Or dry in a conventional oven at 120°F for 12 to 18 hours, stirring occasionally and rotating trays once or twice, until the mushrooms are leathery and tough.
Cool and package in airtight containers.
Freezing the Standard Way
Begin preheating water for blanching. Wash mushrooms quickly in cold water, without soaking or peeling. Trim inch off stem end. Leave whole or slice as desired.
Blanch, 1 pound at a time: 3 minutes for sliced mushrooms, 5 minutes for whole.
Cool mushrooms in ice water. Drain. Pack. Press out air. Seal. Freeze.
ONIONS, GARLIC, AND SHALLOTS
ALL MEMBERS OF THE SAME FAMILY, onions, garlic, and shallots are the easiest vegetables to harvest and store. Wait until their tops have fallen over in the late summer or early fall and the stems have almost completely dried. Do not try to hasten maturity by bending over the tops before they are ready to fall themselves.
Pull the onions up and allow them to dry in the sun. The longer they are dried before storage, the better they will keep. As a rule of thumb, I never put my onions in storage until the outer skins are totally dry and slip off easily — usually 2 to 3 weeks. I dry my onions on an old screen door that has been placed across sawhorses. This placement speeds the drying process and prevents rot that could be caused by a week of constant rains.
While cold storage is the easiest and fastest method of storage, having a supply of chopped frozen or dried onions is a great convenience for meal preparation on busy nights.
One pound of onions can be peeled and chopped in a food processor in 5 minutes. If your supply of stored onions begins to sprout in the spring, tray-freezing or drying the remainder of the crop will prevent a waste of good food.
pack in mesh bags
or braid and hang
or chop and freeze in single layer
Storing in a Root Cellar
Best and quickest method
The fastest and easiest method of storing dried onions, garlic, and shallots is to pack them