- Author: Lauria Watts
There is an alley I walk and down that alley is a Meyer Lemon tree that is just LOADED with fruit. If there was some hang-over fruit, I would feel free to pick some, but not so with these. The fruit is just out of reach on the other side of the fence AND there is a young, extremely alert and noisy dog that ferociously announces my passage--every time!
Meyers are not quite so tart as regular lemons and are more aromatic. They ripen to a lemony-orange color and are more spherical than the usual store-bought fruit. They make a beautiful display on the tree, bright and cheery.
There are certain recipes I would like to indulge in and preserve if I can get some of those Meyers. Lemonade concentrate, Strawberry Lemonade concentrate, lemon jelly, lemon marmalade, lemon curd! Good lemon products are great to make at home when your main ingredient is free.
Maybe I should stop writing and walk down to the street and approach this problem from the front of the house where the Lemon tree resides. A promise of some lemonade concentrate could be made in return for a load of lemons. . . It could be a win-win situation: sweets plus a tree clean-up for the owners and sweets and more for me!
If you should come upon some free lemons, or even if you have to pay for them, try the lemon curd recipe that I wrote about last year: Lemon Curd--try this with those new-found powers of HOME CANNING! It really is a very good recipe and is rich and flavorful and eminently worthy of eating by the spoon. Of course, try some as a cake or tart filling, eat it on sugar cookies, it's great.
Here's a fact sheet for lemon curd: Preparing and Preserving Lemon Curd.
Is there room for lemon curd in your future life--yes, and I know you want it!
- Author: Lauria Watts
Are you prepared for and emergency? Do you have a 3 day supply of emergency food and water on hand? Do you have supplies for a week? Two Weeks?
Utah State University (USU) recommends one gallon of water per person, per day, for drinking and hygiene. If you live in a hot arid area like we do, you should store more water per person, per day. And don't forget food and water for your household pets and/or livestock!
The home canner has a wonderful resource at her/his fingertips: home canning experience and skills. A home canner can preserve food at home by pressure and boiling-water bath canning and dehydration to store in an emergency. If home preserved in glass jars these supplies would be specifically stored in a place to minimize jar breakage and maximize access during the emergency. You can keep three day food/water kits in your home or car trunks, to be rotated in and out of service at regular intervals.
A home canner can also preserve water. Water, as it comes from a municipal supply, is good to store in food-safe gallon jugs (page 1), according to USU; just fill from the tap and screw on the lids. To increase safety for longer term storage, water may be heat treated in sealed jars as instructed in "Water: Storage and Emergency Use", page 2, from the USU. Sounds like a good use for all those quart jars so often see in thrift shops.
The above is just a little information contained on the USU site "Food Storage". Please take a look and download their booklet "A Guide To Food Storage For Emergencies" for more information; just click on the picture of the booklet.
- Author: Lauria Watts
Are you leery of some of the canning instructions on the web? Can you volunteer to teach or help with classes to teach the public safe, effective, USDA approved home canning techniques and recipes?
Please go to this link: San Bernardino County Master Food Preservers and then click on "Master Food Preserver Application 2019" above Uncle Sam's Picture for more information!
- Author: Lauria Watts
It is ALMOST time for our Famous "Gifts from the Kitchen Class!" Mark it down, reserve your spot and attend!