The Beginner's Guide to Preserving Food at Home - Janet Chadwick [9]
Preparing syrups for fruits. Prepare syrup for syrup-packed frozen fruits and berries ahead of time when you have a few extra minutes; it will save time when preserving the fruits.
Microwaving syrups. Sugar syrups can be made in glass measuring cups and heated in the microwave. Heat until the mixture boils, stirring once halfway through the cooking time. Remove and stir to make sure the sugar has completely dissolved. You can hold the syrup for up to 60 minutes with the microwave set on WARM (10% power).
Clearest jellies. To obtain a very clear jelly, strain fruit in muslin bags overnight. Do not press the fruit in the bag. If juice remains in the fruit, press the fruit in another bowl to extract the extra juice. Use this second extraction for another batch of less clear jelly.
Avoid crystallization. To eliminate the problem of sugar crystals in freezer jams and jellies, measure the prepared fruit into a food processor, add sugar, and blend for 30 seconds. Let the fruit stand in the food processor for the length of time specified in the recipe, add the pectin mixture, and blend again for 30 seconds. While this technique is effective for freezer jams and jellies, it is not recommended for cooked or canned jams because air incorporated during the blending process can prove problematic.
Firm strawberries. To keep strawberries from absorbing large quantities of water, do not hull them before washing.
Seedless jams. To remove seeds from berries and grapes for jams and conserves, purée in the Squeezo strainer with the berry strainer.
Defrosting berries. The best way to defrost tray-frozen berries is to place them in a bowl and cover with whatever sweetener you will be using in your recipe; do not stir. Cover the bowl tightly to prevent expo sure to air (the berries will retain better color, texture, and flavor) and keep it in the refrigerator until the fruit thaws.
Fruit pies and muffins. To make pies or muffins using tray-frozen fruits or berries, do not defrost before adding to the piecrust or batter. Add a few extra minutes to the baking time for muffins and 15 to 20 minutes for pies. This extra time may necessitate covering the edges of the piecrust with foil for the first part of the baking time to prevent overbaked edges. Increase the amount of thickening for berry pies by half again as much. For example, if your recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of quick-cooking tapioca, use 3 tablespoons.
Eight Tips for Setting Up an Efficient Work Flow
ARRANGE YOUR KITCHEN FOR GREATER EFFICIENCY prior to the harvest season. Having a place for everything will save time, work, and frustration. Here are some suggestions.
Stow seasonal items. Pack away seasonal dishes and entertainment items that take up a lot of shelf or cupboard space to free kitchen space for better harvest time use. Plastic laundry baskets make good storage containers for out-of-season items because they can be labeled and stacked in a small area.
Eat elsewhere. If possible, set up a dining area for your family in a room other than your kitchen to allow you to keep your work area set up at all times during the peak of the harvest season.
Use a picnic table. If possible, bring a picnic table into your kitchen for a large work area. The tops of most of these tables are just the right thickness for clamping on food processing equipment. I have found that if you are a short person, it is less tiring to use equipment with a crank handle on these tables because they are slightly lower than the average counter.
Shoe-bag holder. Hook a shoe bag with deep pockets to the inside of a door off your kitchen or pantry to hold small kitchen tools.
Herb-and-spice assortment. Make sure you have plenty of fresh herbs and spices. Take the time to mark the date on new containers as you open them. Once opened, herbs and ground spices should be used within 6 months, and whole spices within 1 year. After that they should be discarded because they lose flavor.
Spice storage. Use the inside doors on kitchen