Preserving Summer’s Bounty By: Janet Learned every method I have discovered days ago I pitted 2 gallons of Bali for something interesting and technique requires that you grow for preserving summer’s bounty. cherries in a half-hour! I love appealing. Juliet tomatoes - which I always My husband Michael and I I freeze, pickle, can, dry, ferment, that cherry pitter. And I happily Jams and Jellies: There are grow because they are close to have established a bountiful juice, and store the abundance of sit on the porch peeling bushels many, many recipes for jams and perfect – the size of a very small backyard vegetable and fruit our harvest. And over the years I of apples for drying or sauce jellies, but for a basic guideline plum tomato, juicy, tasty, … garden which provides us (as well have learned a few tricks - I will with speed and efficiency. The I use the instruction sheet for plus you can freeze them. I fill a as family and neighbors) with share a few favorites. pressure cooker I only recently Pomona Pectin (available at the quart bag with perfectly ripe fruit plenty all summer long, and also Tools: First there are preserving started making use of – mostly Co-op). It is the only pectin that and put it in the freezer. Done. with plenty more – plenty more tools that I love. My “Lehman’s tomatoes prepared in a variety of sets with a small amount of sugar, When a recipe calls for tomatoes, green beans, tomatoes, peppers, Best” cherry pitter and apple peel- sauces – Mexican, Indian, Cajun which makes a jam or jelly that I plunge them in very hot water, potatoes, apples, … I take this as er, “Squeezo” strainer for toma- – those quart jars are wonderful tastes more like fruit. Pomona pop them out of their skins, chop a blessing and also as a respon- toes, the jar lifter, pressure cooker, meal starters through the winter Pectin seems expensive, but each and cook. Simply wonderful. I sibility – I simply can’t let the dehydrator, thermometer, all those months. I still do most of my package contains enough to make noticed that both the Co-op and abundance lay on the ground or beautiful empty jars – all of these canning with a water bath canner. several batches. Agway sold Juliet tomato seed- remain on the vine. So over the tools make the job of preserving And I wouldn’t think of process- In Particular - Apple Jelly: In lings this year, so you might keep years I have experimented with easier and more enjoyable. A few ing a large quantity of tomatoes Kevin West’s book, he gives the your eye out for them next year. without the Squeezo strainer – it method for making apple pectin Perfect Dills: I will share a Pickled Cucumbers very efficiently removes skins from your own apples. The basics favorite method/recipe which Makes 2 quarts and seeds after the tomatoes have of the method are also available I found in The New Book of been brought to a boil. on his website – Saving the Sea- Middle Eastern Food by Claudia 2 pounds small pickling cucumbers Books: And then the wonderful son – under a recipe for crabapple Roden for my last preserving tip. 4 cloves garlic books, full of recipes and tech- jelly. Besides crabapples, you can I think it is a perfect place to start A few sprigs of fresh dill, a head of dill or 1 tsp dill seed niques that inform and inspire. use any tart apple. Last year was with the technique of ferment- 3 or 4 black peppercorns My standard for proper and safe such a bountiful apple year that I ing to preserve food – a process 3 or 4 whole coriander seeds technique and basic recipes is made 15 quarts, and canned most that is becoming more and more 4 cups water Putting Food By, written and of it for making jelly through the common as people rediscover ½ cup white-wine vinegar (Roland’s – from the Co-op) continuously updated by the winter months. The apple jellies the benefits of fermented food. I 3 Tbls salt (I use canning salt) PFD trio: Greene, Hertzberg that you make with the stock re- experimented for years with dill Scrub the cucumbers well, trim both ends and pack them in and Vaughan. I have also found quire no additional pectin and are pickles, wanting a recipe that two quart jars with the whole garlic cloves, and other ingredients many wonderful recipes and infinitely variable – they can be allowed me to make use of the distributed at regular intervals. I usually put the fresh dill in the inspiration in The Ball Com- flavored with mint, rosemary, hot cucumbers fresh from the garden, bottom of the jar with the garlic, and omit the peppercorns and plete Book of Home Preserving pepper flakes, insert your favorite and that produced wonderful pick- coriander. You can put in a dry red chili pepper if you like hot (though I use a small fraction of herb here, and infused with wine les. I have had great success with pickles. the sugar that they call for), and or liqueur or … . I sweetened this recipe – this is a fermented Bring the water and vinegar to the boil with the salt and pour last year I discovered Saving the several batches with maple syrup pickle that requires refrigeration it over the vegetables to cover. Close the jar tightly (I use a new Season by Kevin West (who also which we have in abundance after it is done. I have access to canning lid) and leave on the counter top to mellow. I write the has a website), which contains (infused with star anise, cinna- storage refrigerators, and keep date on the lid. simple techniques with sophis- mon, …). The jellies are clear, jars through the winter and spring. The pickle will be ready to eat in 10 days. I leave them on the ticated flavors. I have several jewel-colored and delicious. They remain crisp and delicious. countertop for 3 weeks, and then refrigerate. other preserving cookbooks, and Tomatoes: I have done every- happily read through new ones thing possible (as far as I know) that I discover – always looking with tomatoes. My favorite Olives Anyone? By: Stacy Cole to ripen and range in color from added to the container to continue shades of red to brown. Black preserving the olives. Ever since I was a little girl, I olives have reached full maturity. Cracked olives have been slit or have never been a fan of olives. The flesh of the fruit has devel- gently bruised before the curing Every year I try one because our oped pigmentation, so the entire process. This allows the olive to palates change over time, howev- olive takes on a color ranging absorb the curing material more er, I still am not a fan. So when from shades of purple to black. quickly, thus shortening the dura- customers ask me about them I Semi-Ripe and Green olives tion of the process that turns them am unsure of how to respond. As haven’t developed pigmentation into table olives. Castelvetrano an employee of the Co-op I felt in the flesh and therefore only the are a variety of olives that primar- I was doing a great disservice to skin takes on the color. Freshly ily grow in Sicily. This olive is our customers since education is picked olives are very bitter. In known for its mild, buttery flavor something we strive for. With a order for them to become table making them a very delicious little bit of research this is what I olives, they must be cured and table olive. The taste of an olive learned: fermented. This process removes depends largely on how they Olives are a fruit that grow on a unpalatable compounds and cre- were cured. Some words used to small tree. About 90% of harvest- ates desirable metabolites such as describe the taste are: salty, fruity, ed olives are turned into oil and organic acids, probiotics, glycerol, pungent, acidic, smooth, bitter them to turn black. Since these palate is different. Some enjoy a the remaining 10% are used for ester, and lactic acid. Olives are a and mellow. olives are ripe, this is not the case. salty strong flavor, whereas others consumption, or table olives. The natural source of vitamin E. The Co-op offers Kalamata Their color occurs naturally since do not. With the variety the IOC (International Olive Council) The Co-op packages five vari- olives in bulk, meaning you can they have reached full maturity. Co-op carries, hopefully we meet classifies table olives into three ations of olives: Green Cracked, grab as many or as little as you’d As a consumer, keep in mind that everyones needs or desires when categories: Green, Semi-Ripe Oil Cured Black, Green stuffed like. Kalamata olives are grown the olives the Co-op carries con- it comes to olives. If not, please or Turning Color, and Black or with Feta, Green stuffed with in the Kalamata region of Greece tain pits unless they are the Santa let a cashier know and we will do Ripe. Green olives are harvested Roasted Garlic, and Castelvetra- and have a salty, pungent flavor. Barbara olives or are stuffed. our best to fulfill the request. when they have reached full size no. The olives that have been Lastly, we offer Santa Barbara Even though I can’t personally but haven’t begun to ripen. They preserved in brine are packaged Olive Co.’s California Large Pit- recommend the best olives we range in color from shades of by placing the olives in a con- ted Ripe Olives.