Archives for September 2010

by on September 30, 2010   •   30 Comments Preserving

Preserving Autumn: Tomato Herb Sauce for Freezing

Written by Elizabeth of Guilty Kitchen.

When fall hits and you know you’ve got more tomatoes than anyone could ever eat fresh, no matter how many tomato and bocconcini salads, or BLTs, or tomato soup you serve, you know it’s time to think about canning or freezing. There is just always going to be an abundance of tomatoes when you grow your own.

Another thing in abundance at the end of the warmer weather is fresh herbs, waiting to be used up before the weather turns bleak and gray. What better way to combine tomatoes and herbs than making your own tomato sauce to freeze for later use in the doldrums of winter when you could really use that fresh, vibrant taste of homegrown? [Read more…]

by on September 29, 2010   •   36 Comments Preserving

Preserving Autumn: Classic Applesauce Recipe

What is there really to say about applesauce, except that it is essential? It’s one of the first solid foods most ever eat and remains high on the comfort food scale as you grow older. Making applesauce every autumn is obligatory around here and an obvious addition to our Canning 101 series.

Right now families are flocking to the orchards on the weekends for a favorite Québec fall pastime: apple picking. The apples that are gathered can keep for a few weeks or even months if stored properly, but the best way to extend their enjoyment is to preserve the harvest through canned homemade applesauce.

Stirred into yogurt, baked into Apple Pie Oatmeal, or layered between crêpes are just a few of the ways we enjoy our applesauce. Then there’s always straight from the jar, with a spoon, just like when we were teething tots.

Here is a basic step-by-step tutorial on how I make and can my applesauce. It’s straightforward, easy to make in large batches and just delicious! [Read more…]

by on September 28, 2010   •   3 Comments Uncategorized

Preserving Autumn: A Canning Series

It’s back! Our Canning 101 series on Simple Bites returns to feature the gorgeous produce of autumn.

With posts every day and a star-studded line-up of contributors, this series is sure to inspire you to put up some of the seasons flavors for year-round enjoyment.

Jennifer kicks things off today with not one, not two, but three amazing recipes for homemade pizza sauce. Her method for pizza sauce with oven-roasted tomatoes is my new favorite recipe – smokey, sultry and oh-so-simple.Curious as to why we’re spotlighting canning so often around here? Here are 9 Good Reasons to Can Your Own Food, an article I posted earlier this month highlighting the various motivations home canners have for what they do. It’s a list nearly anyone can relate to – including Time.com, who quoted from the post in a recent article on simple advice for saving money.

In our canning series on Simple Bites, we’ll be featuring apples and tomatoes, two favorites of the season, preserved in simple ways. The series will run all week, so be sure to stop by every day and be inspired!

by on September 28, 2010   •   64 Comments Preserving

Preserving Autumn: Pizza Sauce Three Ways

Written by Jennifer Murch.

There are as many ways to make homemade pizza sauce as there are people. Ask two (or two hundred) home cooks how they make their pizza sauce and I can guarantee every single answer will be different. Even I can’t settle on just one method/recipe—it all depends on the season, what’s in my kitchen cupboards, and my mood.

In this post I will explain some of the different tomato-to-sauce processes, as well as share several of my favorite recipes for pizza sauce. I hope you’ll find something that works for you! [Read more…]

by on September 27, 2010   •   11 Comments Preserving

Preserving Autumn: A Continuation of Our Canning 101 Series

I‘m no slouch, but lately the squirrels in my back forest have been making me look lazy with all their efforts in storing nuts. Their scurrying and burying is nature’s reminder that cold is coming and the bounty of the warmer months will soon be unavailable to us.

Most of the produce that have taken up residence on grocery store shelves now are expats, trucked in from our neighbors to the south. Two prominent fruits that are still locally sourced, however, are apples and tomatoes. Everywhere you looks, baskets, crates, boxes and barrels burst with them and it’s difficult to walk by without thinking of all the promise they hold for the family table.

This week were bringing back our Canning 101 series with an emphasis on Preserving Autumn. We’ll be featuring apples and tomatoes, two favorites of the season, preserved in simple ways. The series will run all week, so be sure to stop by every day and be inspired! [Read more…]