- Author: Jennifer Codron, UC Master Food Preserver
- Editor: Shannon A Klisch, Academic Coordinator II
- Editor: Maria E Murietta, Master Food Preserver Program Coordinator
- Editor: Jennifer Hopkins
With the weather warming up, I am beginning to think of summer potlucks and picnics with friends and family. Even in summer life is busy, so when I saw the social media post from the UCCE Master Food Preservers of El Dorado County on making coleslaw ahead of time and freezing it, I thought I would give it a try. Freezing cabbage isn't something we typically recommend, so I was curious to see how it would taste out of the freezer.
I was able to get some fresh heads of cabbage from my local farmers market as well as some beautiful orange carrots.
First, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water for 20 seconds and make sure your cooking area is clean. Then gather all the ingredients for the recipe.
Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage and rinse all vegetables (except for the onion) under cool, running water. Next, start shredding! I find that my mandolin comes in handy for this type of recipe and I use the largest shredding setting. I did not have a green bell pepper so I added some mild jalapeños for flavor and a bit of a kick.
Sprinkle on the salt, stir well to combine, and let stand for an hour.
Tip: I waited until the cabbage mixture sat for an hour before I started the syrup, but next time I will start making the liquid right away as it needs to cool before adding it to the shredded mixture.
The recipe calls for dry mustard, which I did not have. Instead, I ground mustard seed which gave me the dry mustard! I use a coffee grinder dedicated to only spices for this purpose.
To make the syrup, heat the vinegar, water, dill, dry mustard and sugar in a heavy pan on the stove and bring to a boil. Boil for three minutes and stir to incorporate sugar and to make sure it is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool.
After letting the cabbage mixture sit for one hour, the recipe says to drain off the liquid. I found that I did not have any liquid at the bottom of the bowl, so I proceeded with ladling the syrup over the cabbage mixture and stirring until thoroughly incorporated.
Scoop the coleslaw into freezer safe jars or containers. I used a variety of sizes of glass canning jars safe for the freezer so I would be prepared for a dinner for two or a side dish for a picnic. You could also use freezer bags or other food and freezer safe containers that are moisture-vapor resistant. Be sure to label your containers with the recipe name and date. Some foods are difficult to recognize once frozen.
When freezing foods, it's important to remove as much air from the packaging as possible while allowing enough room for the food to expand. This recipe calls for ½ inch headspace, which means there should be ½ inch of space between the top of the jar and the top of the food. You can use a clean ruler to measure headspace.
So my burning question was how does it taste once out of the freezer? After freezing it overnight, I thawed it in the refrigerator and sampled it for dinner.
The results? It was surprisingly crunchy after being in the freezer! The coleslaw is quite sweet. I added a little hot sauce to make it sweet and spicy, which would make it a perfect accompaniment on a hot dog,bratwurst, polish sausage or even in a burrito or on tacos. The texture is similar to sauerkraut after 1 day in the freezer. Foods will start to lose quality after prolonged periods in the freezer so it is recommended to eat frozen foods within one year for best quality. This coleslaw will be a great little topping to keep on hand this summer!
Here's a link to the recipe: https://ucanr.edu/sites/mfp_of_cs/files/367352.pdf
- Author: Tami Reese, UC Master Food Preserver
- Editor: Shannon A Klisch
This article first appeared in the San Luis Obispo Tribune.
Last November I had an abundance of fresh cranberries. After water bath canning a few jars, I decided to dry the rest with my dehydrator. I finally found the perfect way to use the dried cranberries and share with my friends. I am making “Window-To-My-Heart” Cookie mix. It is a dry mix stored in mason jars that you give to friends as gifts. They add the “wet” ingredients and can make beautiful heart shaped Valentine's Day cookies. As an added bonus, you can also gift the heart shaped cookie cutters needed for this recipe. I have also included how to dry your own cranberries for this recipe.
Dehydrating cranberries:
Wash and dry cranberries thoroughly. Cut berries in half and place skin side down on mesh drying tray in a dehydrator. (This exposes more surface area of the interior of the berry and speeds up the drying process.) Dry at 130 F degrees for 10 to 14 hours. Berries should be slightly shriveled, firm, and no longer juicy inside. Store in mason jars in pantry.
Mason jar “Window-To-My-Heart” cookie mix:
Makes 1 (1 quart) jar
2 ¼ cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ cup packed brown sugar
1 cup dried cranberries, chopped
½ cup powdered sugar
15 to 20 cherry or cinnamon flavored hard candies
- Combine flour, salt, and baking powder in medium bowl.
- Layer flour mixture, brown sugar, chopped cranberries and powdered sugar in 1-quart food storage jar. Pack ingredients down slightly before adding each layer.
- Place candies in a small plastic food storage bag; seal and place on top.
- Close jar; cover lid with fabric. Attach gift tag with baking instructions and fabric to jar with ribbon.
Baking instructions:
Makes about 3 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) plus 2 Tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 jar “Window-To-My-Heart” cookie mix
- Beat butter and vanilla in large bowl.
- Remove candies from jar; set aside.
- Gradually beat in remaining contents of jar.
- Wrap dough in cellophane; refrigerate 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 325 F degrees.
- Place candies in heavy duty plastic food storage bag and crush into fine crumbs with a rolling pin or mallet; set aside.
- Roll dough out on floured surface to ¼ inch thickness. Cut into heart shaped cookies; with smaller cookie cutter make heart shaped cut out in center of each cookie.
- Transfer cookies to cookie sheet lined with foil. Sprinkle thin layer of crushed candy into empty centers. Bake 20 minutes or until cookie are lightly browned around edges and candy is melted. Cool on cookie sheet until candy centers are firm.
Bennett, Bev. “Window-To-My-Heart Cookie Mix”. Recipe. Gifts from a Jar Year-Round Treats. Lincolnwood. Publications International, Ltd. 2005. 15. Print.
Enjoy and Happy Valentine's Day
Master Food Preservers are here to help you with all of your food safety and home food preservation questions:
Visit our website at http://cesanluisobispo.ucanr.edu/, email us at slomfp@ucanr.edu, or call our helpline at 805-781-1429. We also check pressure canner gauges at no cost. Contact us for more info!
- Author: Jennifer Codron, Master Food Preserver
- Editor: Shannon A Klisch
We are blessed here on the Central Coast with an extended apple season that begins in August and can continue well into November. Although applesauce and apple pie are favorites this time of year, dehydrating apple slices can be a yummy snack and even better gift this holiday season.
The following recipe was shared many years ago by one of our own Master Food Preservers, Tami Reece, and is a keeper.
Grandpa's Cinnamon Apple Rings
Recipe by: Tami Reece
Wash your apples under cool, running water.
Lay out your clean and food safe dehydrator trays.
Core, peel and slice apples into uniform pieces. I like using a hand crank apple peeler-slicer for this recipe. It's fun and easy. However, you can get the job done with a peeler, knife, and cutting board as well.
Combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon on a plate and dip slices into mixture on either one or both sides depending on how sweet you like your apples.
Lay slices on trays leaving space between each one.
Dehydrate at 150 degrees F for 2-3 hours. Then turn down to 130 degrees F until slices are dry and can bend without sticking together but not break (approximately 3-9 hours).
Grandpa's Cinnamon Apple Rings by Tami Reece
8-10 firm apples, washed
½ cup white sugar
1 Tablespoon powdered cinnamon
Directions:
Peel, core, and slice apples.
Lay slices on a food safe dehydrating rack.
Place in dehydrator at 150 degrees F for 2-3 hours. Turn down to 130 degrees F until still flexible but no moisture can be squeezed out of them.
Enjoy! Did you try it? Let us know in the comments.
We invite you to “preserve today, relish tomorrow,” and to support our mission to keep Californians safe and well as they use culturally appropriate, research-based practices to safely preserve food in the home. For more information, visit our website at: http://cesanluisobispo.ucanr.edu/, or email us your home food preservation questions at slomfp@ucanr.edu, or call our helpline at: 805-781-1429. We also check pressure canner gauges at no cost.
- Author: Shannon A Klisch
- Author: Debbie George, Master Food Preserver Volunteer
- Author: Dayna Ravalin
- Contributor: Tami Reese
- Editor: Shannon A Klisch
This Thanksgiving could be our biggest family and friend get together in a long time, with some projecting a 13% increase in holiday travel compared to 2020. To protect yourself and your family from COVID-19, see CDC's Safer Ways to Celebrate Holidays.
To protect yourself and your family from foodborne illness, avoid some common mistakes. According to the USDA, "Unsafe handling and under-cooking of food can lead to serious foodborne illness.” Avoid making loved ones sick by following these USDA Food Safety and Information Services tips.
Tip #1: Don't Wash Your Turkey.
This may go against old family recipes or cooking traditions, however washing raw meat and poultry can cause bacteria to spread up to three feet. How do you remove bacteria if you don't wash it? Cooking poultry to a safe temperature kills any dangerous bacteria that may be present. Washing poultry is not necessary and may spread bacteria to other surfaces where you are preparing raw foods like vegetables and salads.
Tip #2: Plan Ahead to Thaw Your Bird Safely.
Use the refrigerator, the cold-water method, or the microwave to safely defrost a frozen turkey. Thawing in the refrigerator is preferred because the turkey will defrost at a consistent, safe temperature. Allow 24 hours for every 5 lbs. of turkey to thaw in the refrigerator (a 15 lb. turkey needs 3 days). To thaw in cold water, submerge the bird in its original wrapper, changing the water every 30 minutes. Cold water and microwave thawing can be used if your bird did not entirely defrost in the refrigerator. Follow your manufacturer's guide for thawing poultry in the microwave. Poultry defrosted in cold water or the microwave must be cooked immediately. Have more questions? See this guide to safely preparing a turkey.
Tip #3: Too dry? Undercooked? Just right? Use a thermometer.
To determine if a turkey is cooked to a safe temperature, check its internal temperature with an instant read food thermometer. Check a whole bird in three locations: the thickest parts of the thigh, the wing, and the breast. Your thermometer should register 165°F in all three places. Using a food thermometer is the best way to ensure your turkey is cooked to a safe temperature, but not overdone. Don't have an instant read thermometer? Find one at your local cooking supply store starting at about $15. They are reusable and can keep your family safe for years to come.
Tip #4: Don't let the leftovers linger.
We all like to linger at the table after eating, however, don't let the leftovers stay out at room temperature for more than 2 hours. After serving, cut the leftover turkey into small pieces and refrigerate. Keep hot food items like gravy or stuffing hot or pack them up and put in the refrigerator. Leftovers will keep for four days in the refrigerator set below 41°F. For longer storage, pack them into freezer safe bags or containers and freeze for up to 4 months. Always wondering how long you can keep food in the refrigerator? Consider using the FoodKeeper App from USDA.
Enjoy the holidays and Happy Thanksgiving!
Looking for SLO and SB Master Food Preserver classes? We are still here!!!
This summer our Master Food Preserver Coordinator retired after many years of serving the County of San Luis Obispo. In addition, academic oversight of the program transitioned. It has been a time of change for the MFP program but we are still here.
We are starting to plan some in-person workshops for 2022 and are hoping to host a new volunteer training starting in February. More information to come, but in the meantime you can visit our website at: http://cesanluisobispo.ucanr.edu/, our blog at https://ucanr.edu/blogs/foodpreservation, email us at slomfp@ucanr.edu, or call our helpline at: 805-781-1429. We also check pressure canner gauges at no cost. Contact us for more information!
