Making Mock Pineapple using Zucchini.

Making Mock Pineapple using Zucchini.

This is an other good use for your large zucchinis and.the kids really like them.

You will need

large zucchini

Frozen concentrated pineapple juice

1 cup of sugar per can of juice (optional)

Powder sugar or corn starch

.

Start by peeling and getting the seeds out they should look like this.

Then slice each half into 3 slices.

Then chop into 1 inch chunks they dehydrate way down.

Pour the juice and sugar into a large pan you do not have to have the sugar it does make them a little sweeter.

Cook down until translucence then cook down about another 30 minutes.

Put on your trays and dehydrate at 130 for about 12 to 18 hours depending on the size of your chunks.

As you can see they get a lot smaller. Take off the trays and put into a bag with a little powder sugar to keep them from sticking to each other.

I reused the juice to make another batch, you can store the juice in the fridge until ready to reuse.

Drying Herbs

I have been harvesting my herbs from my yard here are a few that I am getting ready to hang I have lavender, basil, thyme, oregano, tarragon, lemon balm, and lemon oregano the lemon oregano is new the first year I have grown it will be interesting to experiment with.

I tied them all into bunches

Then hung them above the stove I have chilis and a few ears of corn drying on the stove. hope all gets dry before I have to build a fire. It is starting to get a little cool in the evenings and early mornings.

I even hung by the window.

This is some garlic I hung a while back.

Hopefully tomorrow I can get some more in

We went to the mountains this week-end to look for a camping spot for when we go hunting It was already getting chilly up there and as you can see the trees are already turning colors. Itwas so nice up there  can't wait for hunting so we can spend a few days up there. 

Dehydrating Yogurt

Dehydrating Yogurt

This is good to put in lunches or for snacks. I like to carry it in my hunting pack when hunting and is nice to have for a quick snack.

Drying yogurt is pretty simple you can use homemade or store bought.

Just use fruit roll trays or a sheet of plastic wrap which is what I do. To cheap to buy the fruit roll trays.

I just dump some on the plastic like this.

then just spread it out fairly thin.

Dry it at 125F for about 6 hours

When it is done it to be dry not sticky

The dried yogurt will store fine at room temperature for short term, for a longer term I put in the freezer.

Please feel free to leave a comment or question love to here from you.

Making sausage

Finally I am getting this posted have been trying since Tuesday but my computer is being extra stupid.

We made 60 pounds of sausage this past weekend here is how we made it We had a couple recipes and just took a little from each one and made or own.

We had the pig butchered normally we do it our selves but just have not had the time this year.

We started with 60 pounds of meat

We started with 60 pounds of meat and divided it into two bowls 30 pounds each

In a separate bowl for each 30 pounds we mixed

5/8 cup salt

2 ½ Tbls dry mustard

5 Tbl. Black pepper

2 ½ Tbls ground cloves

5/8 cup Red pepper

2 ½ Tbls cayenne pepper

1 ¼ cup sage

Then added it to the bowl of meat.

Then mixed it by hand real well and well coated

The meat didn’t have much fat in it and we like a little fat in ours so we added some fat ( I save the fat to render into lard)

Then ground it up adding the fat as we ground.

Then we did the second bowl the same way.

60 pounds of sausage

Then we did the second bowl the same way.

I will freeze some in patties, some in half pound packages and can some. Hopefully it will last a little while.

Feel free to leave a comment or question would love to hear from you.



Busy Weekend

We had a very busy weekend so I didn’t get anything ready to post and my computer is being stupid so it has taken me all day to get this on

We got a new puppy our cow dog is getting old and needs to retire so we got this little heeler to take his place now to decide on a name one daughter wants Chaps the other wants Molly so It may have to be Molly Chaps.

Then we had a pig butchered and had to take cre of the meat first we got the hams and bacons in the cure.

Then we ground and made 60 pounds of sausage.

We had to fix a fence and hang a couple gates at a friends house so we could put some of our horses in for pasture and to eat some of her grass down.

Got old faithful out to dig the post hole. The ground was so hard we couldn’t use a shovel

One thing about it we ever have an EMP this baby will still run.

One of the H braces done.

Gates hung and fence all fixed.

This is what I got to see when I was changing water a lot of does with a 2 point and a one horned spike couldn’t get the spikes picture.

By then the week-end was over.



Please feel free to leave a comment or question. I would love to hear from you.

Drying Grapes/Raisins

Drying Grapes/Raisins

I got several pounds of grapes that were on sale (my grape vines are not producing yet) I dried a few pounds of them they turned out so good.

Wash and remove the stems. No pretreatment is necessary if you cut in half. If they have seeds, you will need to cut in half, so you can remove the seeds. These grapes were very large so I cut them in half. If you do not cut in half you will need to dip in boiling water for about 30 seconds to spilt the skins.

Spread the grapes on the trays. Dry at 115 degrees until dry through to the center. About 24 to 48 hours.

I took off the trays and put in to jars, or you can put into bags.

 

They do shrink a lot. I hope next year my vines start producing. I would like to dry a lot of grapes they are so good so much better then a store bought raisin.

Please feel free to leave a comment or question. I would love to hear from you.

Canning Milk

Canning Milk

Someone asked me the other day if you can can milk Yes you can but it has to be pressure canned Do not water bath. I do need to mention that the USDA does not recommend it, I have been doing it some years now and never had a problem. It is more to use for cooking then drinking the canning process does change the taste a little kind of like canned milk in the store. You can can fresh milk (Make sure it is very clean) or store bought.

Use clean sterilized jars and be sure to boil you lids and rings.
Warm your milk just a little since I am putting into hot sterilized jars (don’t want to put cold milk into the hot jars).

Fill hot (and sterilized) quart jars with the milk leaving 1/2 inch of headspace

Wipe the rims and put on the hot lids and rings

Place into your canner with the correct amount of water I add about 2 quarts of warm water to mine. Put the lid on and process for 25 minutes for quarts or 20 minutes for pints, at the recommended pressure for where you live (Your canning book or owners manual can tell you this).

Place jars on a towel and let cool. After about 12 to 24 hours check your seals to make sure they have sealed, if not sealed put in the fridge and use right away

The color of the milk will be a little darker almost a caramel color this is OK and how they are suppose to look.
Store in a cool dark place. Use with in a year.


I look forward to your questions and comments so please feel free to leave a comment or question.

Canning Roasted Green Chili

Canning Roasted Green Chili

I use to freeze my chilies but since I am trying to get away from using the freezers so much I have started canning my chili. I love doing it this way, when I open a jar I use what I need then put the rest  in the fridge so I always have chili on hand without having to wait for it to thaw out.

Canning roasted green chili is very easy but it does have to be pressure canned . Do not water bath chilies unless in a pickling solution high in vinegar

After you have roasted and peeled the green chili you can can them whole or chopped.

To can them chopped, take the chilies after you have peeled them and put into a food processor to chop.

after you have done this to all the chilies put in to your sterilized jars you can add a little salt if you want leave about a 1/2 inch of headspace.

If canning whole just layer in to your jars.

While you are putting the chili into jars boil your lids and rings for a couple of minutes ( If your lids have been in storage for a while boil them a little longer).

Put the lids and rings on the jars

Put about two quarts of water in the canner

then put in the jars

If you are going to stack put the rack on top of the bottom jars

put the rest of the jars in the canner

Put the lid on and turn on to high heat when it starts to steam let steam for about ten minutes then add the weight and bring pressure up to the recommended level for your altitude ( consult your canning manual) turn the heat down enough to maintain the correct amount of pressure for 25 minutes for pints and half pints.

Take out of canner and let sit until cool and all jars have sealed take rings off and store.

I look forward to your questions and comments so please feel free to leave a comment or question.