It’s the dark of 5am and there’s a reaching streak of condensation at the bottom of each window. One partner is sleeping, the other is moving drying corn around on the rack erected above the four poster guest bed checking for mold, and stirring drying salt in flat pans in the dehydrator, and simmering molassesContinue reading “Making Pickles”
Category Archives: Preserving Food
seven weeks to go
The canner on the deck has been bubbling for days. In the rain the steam billows, and the hot jars sit on the wet wood, cooling and pinging. The top of the wood stove is clustered with warming jars. I like using the wood stove to warm clean jars, because the thickest part of theContinue reading “seven weeks to go”
What my freezer looks like with 12 days to go
While most people are baking sugar cookies and singing the Twelve Days of Christmas, I am now facing the unbelievable reality that we are only twelve days away from the end of this indescribable year. Twelve. Less than two weeks to go. The thought of it is surreal. I can only wrap my mind aroundContinue reading “What my freezer looks like with 12 days to go”
Getting it done: world’s easiest tomato sauce
Originally posted on My Ukiah:
When I research recipes for preserving food, I find so many refined options. And by refined, I mean complicated. They call for a long list of ingredients and a zillion steps. While I appreciate that these exist, and that people exist who like to make them (people that I wish…
Preserving Food, Part II: How to can everything
The second installment by sisterwife Elizabeth, pictured here with me at the Mendocino County Fair this weekend. Because sometimes we are not in the kitchen and also, you are never too old to get your face/body painted. Preserving Food, Part II: Can It! Canning is not as hard as people think it is. ItContinue reading “Preserving Food, Part II: How to can everything”
Preserving food, Part 1: How to make refrigerator pickles (no canning necessary)
The recipe below was graciously provided by my canning mentor and sisterwife Elizabeth, also author of the My Ukiah blog. I have been making another version of this recipe which involves lacto-fermenting the pickles before putting them in the refrigerator. Will share that soon. But for now, let’s start with the most basic of theContinue reading “Preserving food, Part 1: How to make refrigerator pickles (no canning necessary)”
Not-So-Simple Living Fair in Pictures
We had to make all kinds of difficult decisions this weekend at the Not-So-Simple Living Fair at the Mendocino County Fairgrounds in Boonville. With an impressive schedule of practical and inspiring workshops we had to choose between acorn processing, goat nutrition, wild foods, sourdough baking, green building, cheesemaking, chicken processing and so, so, so muchContinue reading “Not-So-Simple Living Fair in Pictures”
Yes we can: a locavore must face her fears
Tonight I did something that I’m a little afraid of: canning. I am a fermenter, I deal with “salt to taste” and adjust the temperature by finding the right location in the house at the right time of year. I correct errors by skimming off the top layer and weighing the whole concoction down withContinue reading “Yes we can: a locavore must face her fears”
Jammin’ on a Sunday Night
When you are living and eating seasonally, you go from scarcity to glut in moments. My fridge is like a tidal wave of produce rather than a steady inventory. This weekend, a huge basket of very ripe yellow plums landed in my kitchen. There is no room for hesitation in these situations; it’s a delicateContinue reading “Jammin’ on a Sunday Night”
Eat Mendocino 