Jams, jellies and chutneys are our preferred methods for most fruits. Bottling has been hit and miss depending on the airtightness of the jars used although wines or spirits as the bottling juice are very effective in preservation. I open-freeze berries of all sorts and beans of various types without blanching and they keep very well. I still have 3 'turks head' squash on the side more for their decorative value as I can't imagine there is much edible flesh inside them and I know they'll need the chainsaw technique now to get in.
I tried salting runners once, never again. They were 'orrible!
A little late, I know, but one of the ways I've used to preserve apricots is to make a sorbet with them which can then be eaten on its own as a topping to other desserts or allowed to thaw and poured over as a sauce.
Well guys, I froze French beans when I first had plenty. Have now taken a batch out of the freezer, only about a month of freezing and they aren't a patch on the fresh. We would have to be really pushed for veggies to enjoy them. Perhaps when the hard times come or the next flood will they be eaten. Thanks for the idea with the apricots, my apricot Laquesen a Canadian variety is the last to fruit and they will be ready in about two weeks - so here goes
I suspect for some veg freshness is key, otherwise you might as well buy frozen produce. Regarding apricots, when dried they go brown too. I suspect frozen ones are perfectly edible, just a disconcerting colour for some. My red and black currants froze well and when thawed are as good as fresh on cereals with soya milk.
I too want to avoid sugar. You can make fruit leathers from fruit, and they keep. I've seen fruit spreads consisting of apple juice and other fruit. The natural sugar preserves them. My medlars go into jam, I can't see an alternative.
I tried freezing beans a couple of years ago, both blanched and unblanched, both ways quite poor no matter how I used them afterwards so last year I allowed them to develop fully on the plant then shelled them and preserved the beans only discarding the shell. This worked well for use in soups but left me wondering if it was really worth the effort ( I saved some beans by drying and some by freezing - no real difference when eaten) this year I've grown less beans but concentrated on successional growing to spread the harvest over the longest period and looked for more green winter crops that I can harvest fresh as needed, fingers crossed for the coming winter.
If you have a glut of tomatoes I can recommend oven roasting them then freezing to use either in soups, sauces or warmed through and served as a side dish with fish, steak or (our favourite) bacon.
Hi all I freeze the red,white,black currants and blueberries, blackberries, gooseberries. I just eat the veg fresh to much trouble with blanching and they don't taste as good, of there's a lot of beans I just eat more than having other veg.Usually I have peas and sprouts so just have beans and beans
Saw a recipe that gets rid of at least a pound of French beans.
1 3/4 oz plain flour, 1 3/4 oz butter rubber together to make a roux
Then cooked so that it can be added to 20 fl oz Greek yogurt. Whip in 4 eggs. Season with salt and pepper.
Chop and fry two large onions, cut into inch long pieces at least a pound of green beans and boil till tender. Put in an oven casserole. Pour over the batter and sprinkle with nutmeg if liked. Cook until brown on top. I didn't notice I was eating green beans again and it was very filling. Any more out there for me please.
I freeze sliced dry runners and french and even whole cherry tomatoes, got lots and you do not have to suffer the tasteless shop tomatoes.. I Have a good amount of small shallots so may picle some with a good hot spicy tang.. I need more room in the freezer lol... I was wondering how to store my King Edwards maincrop frost free of course/.. I'm guessing dry compost or similar I fear if I leave them in the ground they will sprout or be frosted..
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Jams, jellies and chutneys are our preferred methods for most fruits. Bottling has been hit and miss depending on the airtightness of the jars used although wines or spirits as the bottling juice are very effective in preservation. I open-freeze berries of all sorts and beans of various types without blanching and they keep very well. I still have 3 'turks head' squash on the side more for their decorative value as I can't imagine there is much edible flesh inside them and I know they'll need the chainsaw technique now to get in.
I tried salting runners once, never again. They were 'orrible!
Good luck with your crops give it all a try.
A little late, I know, but one of the ways I've used to preserve apricots is to make a sorbet with them which can then be eaten on its own as a topping to other desserts or allowed to thaw and poured over as a sauce.
Thanks at lot for info
I suspect for some veg freshness is key, otherwise you might as well buy frozen produce. Regarding apricots, when dried they go brown too. I suspect frozen ones are perfectly edible, just a disconcerting colour for some. My red and black currants froze well and when thawed are as good as fresh on cereals with soya milk.
I too want to avoid sugar. You can make fruit leathers from fruit, and they keep. I've seen fruit spreads consisting of apple juice and other fruit. The natural sugar preserves them. My medlars go into jam, I can't see an alternative.
I tried freezing beans a couple of years ago, both blanched and unblanched, both ways quite poor no matter how I used them afterwards so last year I allowed them to develop fully on the plant then shelled them and preserved the beans only discarding the shell. This worked well for use in soups but left me wondering if it was really worth the effort ( I saved some beans by drying and some by freezing - no real difference when eaten) this year I've grown less beans but concentrated on successional growing to spread the harvest over the longest period and looked for more green winter crops that I can harvest fresh as needed, fingers crossed for the coming winter.
If you have a glut of tomatoes I can recommend oven roasting them then freezing to use either in soups, sauces or warmed through and served as a side dish with fish, steak or (our favourite) bacon.
1 3/4 oz plain flour, 1 3/4 oz butter rubber together to make a roux
Then cooked so that it can be added to 20 fl oz Greek yogurt. Whip in 4 eggs. Season with salt and pepper.
Chop and fry two large onions, cut into inch long pieces at least a pound of green beans and boil till tender. Put in an oven casserole. Pour over the batter and sprinkle with nutmeg if liked. Cook until brown on top. I didn't notice I was eating green beans again and it was very filling. Any more out there for me please.
I freeze sliced dry runners and french and even whole cherry tomatoes, got lots and you do not have to suffer the tasteless shop tomatoes.. I Have a good amount of small shallots so may picle some with a good hot spicy tang.. I need more room in the freezer lol... I was wondering how to store my King Edwards maincrop frost free of course/.. I'm guessing dry compost or similar I fear if I leave them in the ground they will sprout or be frosted..