I found a neat new tool at the Epicurious site: search by state and month, and find what's fresh in your area!
The tool keeps track of peak-season fruits and veggies for you, and even suggests recipes based on those foods.
Clever! I sure could have used this all summer.
A few weeks ago, I mentioned Canning Across America. That project is still going strong. In fact, it is becoming very obvious that canning is now becoming "COOL"
- Just look at this new "YES WE CAN" T-shirt you can buy online!
- If you do a #canning search on Twitter you will be hooked up with hundreds of canners across the world.
- Sites such as Homegrown.org have large canning/preserving sections and they are growing daily.
- And if you don't want to take my word for it, look at this article in the New York Times. The reporter took a canning class and is now a canning convert.
According to the article, people are canning for a variety of reasons, namely:
"The worst recession in decades and a trend toward healthier eating are inspiring many Americans to grow their own food. Now the harvest season is turning many of these gardeners into canners looking to stretch the bounty of the garden into the winter."
Ah yes, the whole growing your own food movement has indeed sparked a renewed food preservation movement. I love this! I have been canning and preserving my whole life and became a Certified Master Food Preserver way back in 1991. I am thrilled that others are wanting to join in the fun.
Come on everyone! Don't be intimidated! Home canned food captures the 'fresh-from-the-garden' flavors in a jar. And they make great holiday gifts!
I have an Anna Apple tree growing espalier style against my west fence in my herb garden. My boys and I harvested several bags of apples from this little tree this week.
Even though it is grown flat against the fence, I get tons of apples from this tree each year. That is the beauty of espalier.
After making an apple pie or two,I am going to make homemade applesauce!
How do you make applesauce you ask????
Well, I peel, core and slice the apples and place them in a crock pot with a little cinnamon and allspice. Then I let them cook for about 6 hours. These Anna apples are very sweet, so no sugar is needed!
Easy Peasy! YUM!
As promised, I have the next set of garden tour photos for you today from my adventures at the Garden Writer Association conference in Portland, OR.
After visiting Nancyland, our tour bus stopped at the urban edible garden of Glen Andersen.
Completely organic, the entire garden is designed to be a very efficient, high-production food garden. Located on a standard urban lot (60' x 100'), this garden has been producing food for 21 years. Above, you see his onion harvest drying on the porch.
Look at all the photos of this amazing edible garden after the jump...
Continue reading "GWA Garden Tour Diary #2 of 5 - Urban Edibles" »
Okay -So this website is all about gardening and eating "fresh-from-the-garden" ingredients. Right? Well, here is a fun way to capture a bit of summer in a jar which combines the two concepts.
Have you ever made a rumtopf or tutti-frutti? A rumtopf is a tasty German concoction made with fresh fruit, sugar and rum. It is a preservation method in which fruit is fermented in alcohol and eaten later as a topping for various desserts. The word “rumtopf” literally means “rum pot” and although it is traditionally made with rum, you can substitute brandy if you prefer and still have delicious results. However, most recipes that use brandy call the concoction “tutti-frutti” rather than rumtopf. But no matter which alcohol is used, the basic technique is the same.
I like to make the brandy version. I remember my mom making it each summer when I was growing up. It was like a special mystery concoction she had brewing in the kitchen. I helped her add the fruit and stir it, but I was never allowed to eat it – which made it even more mysterious! Later, as an adult, I made my own tutti-frutti and thought it was a fun way to collect summer flavors. I recently wrote an article for a newspaper on the subject and thought I would share some of the information here so you can start your own. It is a great way to preserve a bit of the summer!
A tutti-frutti is started at the beginning of the summer, with fruits added to the mixture as they come into season. The last addition is usually made in September at the end of peach season. The trick to a successful tutti-frutti with brandy or a rumtopf with rum is to use an eclectic mixture of summer fruits, creating a blend of flavors. After the last addition, the entire mixture is set aside to mellow and age for several months. Of course, you can begin sampling the tutti-frutti/rumtopf whenever you like, but in Germany, it is not sampled until December on the first evening of advent. After that, it is fully consumed throughout the Christmas holidays .The spirited fruit is served over ice cream, pound cake, bread pudding and many other desserts. The sweet, fruity liquid can be enjoyed as an after dinner liqueur or mixed into cocktails.
Continue reading "Preserving Summer with Tutti-Frutti and Rumtopf" »
