DIY: Frozen Spinach

Large bunch of Spinach harvested from our Garden.

As the days started to get warmer here in East Texas I knew that the days of being able to satisfy my spinach cravings were numbered. It made me a bit sad, because my spinach has been doing so well and we have all been loving it. As it started to bolt I decided to preserve a bunch of it by freezing.

Freezing is actually a really great way to preserve vegetables from your garden. Freezing allows you to preserve most of the nutrients and also helps to maintain the color and flavor.

Three bowl set up for freezing homegrown spinach.

For most vegetables blanching and cooling is a necessary step to properly preserve them. Blanching stops the enzyme action that helps vegetables to grow and mature. 

I used a three bowl set up to blanch and cool my spinach very quickly. It only took me about 20 minutes to do the whole batch.

Blanching Homegrown Spinach.

Cooling Spinach after blanching.

Draining water off of blanched and cooled spinach.

Of course the first step is to thoroughly wash the spinach, cut off thick stems and take out any bad leaves. Then you can start the blanching process.

The first bowl is for blanching. I have a large stock pot with a colander that fits inside, perfect for blanching. But you could also scoop it out with a slotted spoon.  Bring the water in your stock pot to a boil. Then add your spinach. I did several small batches because you want your spinach completely covered with water. Cover the pot and blanch for 3 minutes.
 

Remove your spinach promptly after 3 minutes and put it in a bowl full of ice water. I placed a colander inside a larger bowl of ice water for quick and easy transfer. Allow the spinach to cool for the same amount of time. If you are doing several batches be sure to change your water or add more ice to keep the water cold.





After cooling I transferred my spinach into another colander placed over a bowl to allow it to drain. After it drained for a bit I used my hands to squeeze out the remainder of the water.

Blanched, cooled, and drained spinach all ready for freezing.

After my spinach was blanched, cooled, and drained I placed it into Ziploc bags. Here they are all ready for the freezer. I got three quart sized bags of spinach from my garden that day. I was very excited. It was much easier than I thought and didn't take much time at all.





Remember that each type of vegetable has a different blanching time to prepare it for freezing. If you want to freeze other types of vegetables there are various places you can find time charts. Here is one from the Colorado State University Extension. Freezing is another way we can preserve some of that great garden harvest. Happy Freezing!

Also remember this great water conservation tip and use all that great spinach water to water you household plants and pots.

Sprouting: 1974 Wheat

Wheat Canned in 1974

I often refer to a bunch of 1974 wheat as my inheritance.  It was canned in 1974, this wheat has been moved countless times over the near 40 years of its existence.  About 4 years ago it my wonderful parents shared a bunch of their old food storage with us (not as many mouths to feed anymore).  We were happy to receive it, in fact at first we though it was too old and decided to open up a bunch of it and spread it in our garden to add some extra nutrients.  Funny thing happened, a wheat started popping up all over in the garden.  Surely if wheat will grow, then the 1974 wheat still has some life to it.

Around this time the LDS Church came out with a study that showed that these long term storage foods have a even great shelf life than was originally thought. Foods Lasting 30 Years or More.  Needless to say we didn't dump all of the food storage in the garden (only a few cans).  We held onto it and later received some more, unfortunately with our current house layout there is not a lot of room for storage (no basements in Texas), so I am sorry to say that this wheat has spend probably 2 years in the garage outside of the ideal storage ranges.  This will affect the quality and nutritional values some. 

Wheat sprouting in cotton bag

So as I have been experimenting with sprouting grains I have used this old wheat and new wheat to compare.  Now both wheat's are Hard Red Winter Wheat's though they probably generations removed with all of the GMO and other cross breading it is still a reasonably fair experiment.

The new wheat sprouted almost 100%.  The older 1974 wheat sprouted at about 20%.  While this little experiment was just tossed together, I think there is something to consider.

1. Even old wheat still has value, while only at 20% sprouting, this does not mean only 20% nutritional value.
2. Long term storage foods need to be rotated.  This wheat should have been used years decades ago.
3. Long term food storage needs to be stored in a cool, dry place. (easy with a basement)
4. Use your old wheat, even if not stored in idea conditions.  Mix it with newer wheat if you must.

Sprouted 1974 Wheat

We will continue to work through this older food as we continue to integrate these long term food storage items in our everyday life.  Every can we open is fresh and still full of nutrition.  Make sure you are implementing these foods in your diet, and rotating your foods to avoid waste.

I will be putting some posts together in the future, showing some food storage solutions for small houses.  This is often a reason given for not having food storage, no room...

Canning 101: Pumpkin

Be sure to save your seeds for roasting or planting.

We can't go through pumpkin week without a post on canning pumpkin at home. Store bought pumpkin is so expensive and I love, love, love pumpkin dishes. I have been canning pumpkin for several years now and up until this year I always pureed my pumpkin for canning. Last year I came across some research from the National Center for Home Food Preservation stating that it is not recommended to mash or puree pumpkin for home canning. You can find out more about the science behind it here. So because we always want to do things as safely as possible this year I am canning my pumpkin in cubes. Here is the method I use.

Use an ice cream scoop to depulp your pumpkin.

First cut your pumpkin in half. Look at all the seeds this one had. I was very excited and since this was a farmer's market pie pumpkin I collected the seeds for my garden next year. Yay! Clean out the pumpkin pulp, an ice cream scoop works great for this.

Remove the rind from the pumpkin.

Peel your pumpkin, I just used a vegetable peeler to get all of the rind off.

Cut into 1 inch cubes.

Cut your pumpkin into cubes (about 1 inch in size). Put into a large saucepan.

Par Boil your pumpkin, for 2 minutes.

Fill your saucepan with water enough to cover the pumpkin. Bring to a boil and allow it to simmer for 2 minutes.

Put pumpkin along with cooking liquid into jars.

Fill your prepared jars (clean and sterile) with your pumpkin and cooking liquid, leaving about 1/2 inch head space. Wipe off rims and place prepared lids and rings onto each jar.

Process in a Pressure Cooker - Home Canned Pumpkin

Process your pumpkin in a pressure cooker (pints 55 minutes and quarts 90 minutes). Check here to find the appropriate amount of pressure to use for your altitude.

When you are ready to use your pumpkin simply drain off the canning liquid and mash or puree.

Pumpkin also freezes well so if you want to mash or puree your pumpkin you can and simply stick it into suitable freezer containers.

Whole Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

In the fall, freshly roasted pumpkin seeds provide a nutritious seasonal treat. Pumpkin Seeds have many health benefits. Pumpkin seeds are a highly concentrated source of energy,  so you should eat them in small amounts to avoid weight gain. They do offer heart-healthy fats, protein, fiber, zinc, potassium and iron. Eating pumpkin seed kernels can help you meet your requirements for these essential nutrients. One oz. of pumpkin seed kernels contains 8 g of protein, 4 g of total carbohydrate and 2 g of fiber, according to the USDA. Whole roasted pumpkin seeds provide more than twice the amount of fiber as the kernel alone, 5 g per oz. The fiber in pumpkin seeds can help regulate digestive activity and bowel function. Because they are an energy dense food and highly nutritious, pumpkin seeds would make a great addition to your food storage and would also be a great item for your 72 hour kits. 

Whole Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

 Whole Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
 

Scoop the seeds out of the pumpkin and soak in a mixture of about 1 cup water to ½  tsp. salt. This helps remove any leftover pulp. Rinse and dry off seeds. Toss seeds with olive oil and season as desired. We like ours salted, kosher salt is really good. Roast in a 400 degree oven until golden brown.

Drying Basil

Fresh Basil from the Garden

Our Basil is doing awesome right now. I have way more than I can use fresh and the bugs were starting to feast on it, so I thought I better cut a bunch for drying. I love basil. It smells amazing. I love to weed in that spot of my garden because it is just heavenly smelling. I harvested 4 large bunches last week and got to work getting it preserved for future use. 

Even though we were lucky enough to inherit our food dehydrator from Jacob's parents, I think a food dehydrator is a great investment. I use mine all of the time, for tons of stuff. It can save a lot of money in the long run. Drying your own herbs is a great money saver. I also dried tons of parsley this year.

Homegrown Dried Basil

It only takes about 4 or 5 hours to get your basil nice and dry. 

I keep my old spice containers once I empty them, clean them well and fill them up with my own dried herbs. 

Dried Stevia

If you don't have a food dehydrator yet, no worries. You can simply hang your herbs upside down for a few weeks and allow them to dry naturally. That is what I did with this Stevia that is pictured at the right.

Wheat Berry Porridge (Cereal)

Do you know what a wheat berry is?  Its just a fancy name for a whole wheat seed. With very little effort they can be made into a delicious and filling cereal.  Cooking any grain like this with water or milk is called a porridge, oatmeal is a porridge.  My parents made this all of the time growing up, it is hearty, a bit chewy and sticks with you all morning.  It takes only minutes to make the night before, when morning comes you're ready to eat it. Just warm it up, add some milk, a little brown sugar, and maybe a dash of cinnamon.

Pour desired amount of wheat in pan

Fill pan of water, covering wheat with 1"

Bring to boil.

Turn off heat and cover with lid, let it sit overnight

By morning your ready to roll

Only about 1/2 cup is plenty

Wheat Berry Porridge - Delicious with some milk, brown sugar, and a bit of cinnamon.

Why Whole Grain?

Millet

We have all heard that Whole Grain is good for us. There are studies showing that whole grain helps with weight loss, glucose control, heart disease, certain types of cancer, hypertension, etc. Everyday there is new information and studies being done about the health benefits of whole grain. So what exactly is whole grain? I think the best way to describe it is, whole grain is the grain in its natural state or the way God made it.  Each kernel of grain contains three parts: the bran, the germ, and the endosperm. When grains are refined the bran and the germ are stripped, leaving only the endosperm. This also strips the grain of about 25% or its protein and at least seventeen of its key nutrients. Some of these nutrients are added back in by processors to enrich them, but whole grains are by far healthier containing more protein, fiber, and valuable vitamins and minerals. It is so important for us to implement and eat more whole grains into our diet.

Whole Grain Wheat Bread

As with all things that are more healthy for us, whole grains are often more expensive to buy at the grocery store than those that are refined. We try very hard to eat mostly whole grain. In order for us to do this we don't eat a lot of store bought breads, because we simply can't afford to buy whole wheat and multi-grain breads at the store. We make homemade breads, including bagels, pitas, hamburger buns, rolls, etc. We also make a lot of our own snacks including homemade granola bars and cereal bars. We grind our own wheat, this saves money, and helps us to utilize and incorporate our long term food storage into our everyday cooking. We use a lot of whole wheat, whole oats, and brown rice and we also enjoy experimenting and using other grains we are not as familiar with or use less often like quinoa and barley. I am always trying out the alternative white flour, which is made from whole grains, in different recipes to see how it works and if it is successful.

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Not only does grinding your own wheat, making your own bread, etc. save you money and help you to live more providently, it also helps you to become self sufficient in yet another area. In future posts, we will be sharing with you some of our recipes for whole grains, things we have tried and loved and things we have tried that we probably won't try again. We hope you will look forward to these posts and that they will help you to bring more whole grains into your diet and help you live life a bit healthier. 

To learn more about whole grain and its health benefits check out this site:

http://wholegrainscouncil.org 

Shaun-ta's Southwest Black Beans and Rice

I am sharing with you today another great Food Storage Recipe that my family really enjoys.  I actually adapted this recipe from another dish that we really like to make it vegan, as we been striving to eat less meat and add more beans and legumes into our diets. Another bonus is that it is a quick and easy one dish meal.  I hope you enjoy it too!

 Ingredients:

1 & 1/2 tsp. Chili Powder
1 & 1/2 tsp. Seasoned Salt
1 (15oz.) Can Black Beans, drained  (or about 2 &1/2 Cups cooked black beans)
1 (14.5 oz.) Can Diced Tomatoes (Southwest Style)
1 Cup Frozen Corn or 1 Can Corn, drained
1 Cup Rice
1 & 1/2 Cup Water

Combine water, tomatoes, rice, and 1/2 tsp. each of chili powder and seasoned salt. Bring to boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes, or until rice is almost tender. Add beans, corn, and remaining seasoning. Cook for another 5 to 10 minutes or until rice is completely tender and liquid is completely absorbed. Top with shredded cheddar cheese if you like.
I served this with cheese quesadillas. They would also be great served inside a tortilla or along side some corn chips.

Don't be afraid to change things up in recipes. If you want it a bit spicier add more chili powder. The recipe I adapted this from has chicken in it. This is a great addition. Simply cook some seasoned (with some of your chili powder and season salt) bite sized pieces of chicken breast in about a tablespoon of oil and add to your dish at the end. I used long grain white rice, but you can substitute brown rice or instant rice just adjust the amount of water used and your cooking time accordingly. If you don't have southwest style tomatoes just use a bit more seasoning and add some green bell pepper or a can of green chilies to it. There are tons of possibilities. 

Shaun-ta's Bottled Salsa

One thing that we really love at our house is salsa. We eat a lot of it, especially when we bottle our own, because it is good! Last year we didn't get enough tomatoes to can salsa, but this year with our garden expanded and our tomatoes rocking, I went on a mission to replenish our supply of salsa.  This is my own recipe that I came up with as I played around with and experimented with a few recipes. Several years ago, as I was learning more about canning, I wondered why I couldn't just can the fresh salsa that I always made and loved. You might have the same question and here is a good resource for you to go to learn more about safe canning methods and the reason why you can't just can some of your favorite family recipes. When you are canning it is important that you follow recipes that have been properly researched and tested for safety.

The only changes you can safely make in these salsa recipes are to substitute bottled lemon or lime juice for 
vinegar and to change the amount of spices and herbs. You should never alter the proportions of vegetables to acid and tomatoes because it might make the salsa unsafe. With that being said, it was using this method that I developed my salsa recipe and I would encourage you to do the same. Choose an approved recipe and make it your own by adding the spices and herbs that your family enjoys. There are lots of approved recipes out there, here are a few places you can get them:
http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/pnw0395/pnw0395.pdf
http://learningstore.uwex.edu/assets/pdfs/b3570.pdf
http://nchfp.uga.edu/

I haven't been able to find the approved recipe that I developed my recipe from, it has been such a long time, and I have been using my recipe for years. So I will share with you the recipe that I use and the method I use for canning my salsa. It might give you some ideas of how to develop your own recipe.

Shaun-ta's Bottled Salsa

8 Cups Tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 & 1/2 Cups Chopped Onion
1 & 1/2 Cups Green Pepper, chopped
1 Cup Jalapeno, chopped
6 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped
Cilantro, fresh or dried to taste
2 tsp. Cumin
2 tsp.  Black Pepper
1/8 Cup Salt
1/3 Cup Sugar
1/3 Cup Vinegar

The first step is to prep your tomatoes. I do a three bowl set up. You start by placed your tomatoes in boiling water to loosen the skins.

You will know when your tomatoes are ready because the skins will begin to split.

The skins on your tomatoes will peel right off at this point. Some people dip their hot tomatoes into ice water immediately after the boiling water, but I skip this step because I feel it is unnecessary. I just place them into my second bowl and let them cool for a second before coring and peeling them.

Next I dice my tomatoes and when I am making salsa I do this into a colander with a bowl underneath to catch the extra juice. Straining off the excess juice helps you to get a nice thick salsa that you don't have to cook forever.

I bottle the extra juice separately to use for chili or soups ( it wouldn't be good for drinking.) To bottle your juice follow my recipe for bottling diced tomatoes for the correct amounts of salt and lemon juice to add. Process the juice the same as you would your diced tomatoes.

Next chop up all of your veggies. You may or may not want to pull the seeds out of your jalapenos, it just depends on how spicy you want your salsa. I usually remove mine. I use the end of a spoon to remove them. You can wear gloves if you want, they can burn your skin and make sure not to touch your eyes.

Dump everything into a large pot. The larger the pot the faster your salsa will cook up and get nice and thick. I inherited this pan from my Grandmother. It is one of my cherished possessions and I use it for many things. Bring everything to a boil and then reduce your heat and let it simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until you reach your desired thickness.

Here is the finished product. Nice and thick, just how we like it.

Pour your hot salsa into clean jars.  I did both pints and quarts, a few of each.

Clean jar rims and put on lids. Process your salsa in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes and you have your own homemade bottled salsa, yum.