Canning Gingered Carrots

Canning can be motivated by the necessity of preserving your harvests or the simple desire to create something healthy and delicious for your family.  With home canning, you know and can pronounce every ingredient that goes into the product.  Canning carrots is very economical.  Whole carrots can be purchased inexpensively at most stores or you can use homegrown carrots.  Either option makes for a delicious side dish. You have a healthy, ready to eat vegetable dish.

This recipe comes from The All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving.  The recipes in this book are fantastic.  I highly recommend add the book to your preserving collection.  It includes Ball's classics with new modern, recipes that you can trust.

In this recipe the carrots are raw packed and pressure canned.  You must process at least 2 quart jars or 4 pint jars in the pressure canner to ensure the proper temperature is reached and the product is safe.

1.  Wash, peel, wash again then either cut into slices, dice or leave whole.

2.  Heat to a simmer chicken or vegetable broth.  This will be your liquid.

3.  Place carrots in clean jars.  You will be leaving a 1" headspace. 

To each pint jar add:                        To each quart jar add:

1/2 tsp salt                                        1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground ginger                       1/2 tsp ginger

1/8 cup of orange juice                    1/4 cup of orange juice

1 Tbs soy sauce                                2 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbs honey                                                       2 Tbsp honey

Remember you have to can at least 2 qt jars or 4 pint jars to achieve a safe temperature.  Pints and quarts have different processing times so I would not mix them.

4.  Ladle hot broth over ingredients.  Remove air bubbles.  Add more broth if needed leaving a 1" headspace.

5. Apply lids and ban to finger tip tight.

6.  Place jar in canner with proper amount of water added to the canner and continue until all jars are filled.

7.  Lock pressure canner lid in place.  Adjust heat to medium high.

8.  Allow to vent for 10 minutes.  This removes air from the canner allowing it to fill with steam.

9.  Place the weight on the canner.  Use the 10 psi for weighted gauge canner or bring a dial gauge canner  up to 11ps. Follow all instruction for your canner. Be familiar with your canner.

10.  I have a weighted canner so I begin timing when the weight starts to jiggle. Reduce the heat so it only slightly jiggles.  Avoid fluctuating temperatures which will cause siphoning of the liquid in the jars.

Quarts 30 minutes                Pints 25 minutes

11. Turn of heat after processing time is complete and allow to cool naturally. This takes a while.  Removing the lid too soon will also cause siphoning.

12.  When you do remove the lid allow product to sit in canner 10 minutes then remove and set on a towel to continue cooling undisturbed for 24 hours.

13.  After cooling time, check for a seal.  The lids should NOT flex up and down when pressed.  Remove the bands.  The lids should be conceived.  Wipe down the jars and store in a cool dark place.

To serve:

Transfer contents of jar to a pan and simmer for 10 minutes.  Enjoy!

Pie Pumpkins or Sugar Pumpkins

"For pottage and puddings and custards and pies
Our pumpkins and parsnips are common supplies,
We have pumpkins at morning and pumpkins at noon,
If it were not for pumpkins we should be undoon."

Pilgrim verse, circa 1633

History of Pumpkins

The pumpkin is thought to have originated in the Americas.  The original pumpkins were not the round,bright, orange varieties we think of but the crook neck varieties.  They were cultivated along the river banks with beans and sunflowers.They literally prevented starvation in the long winter months.

The Indians used the flesh in numerous ways:  roasted, boiled, parched, and dried.  The dried pumpkin could be ground into flour.  They also ate the seeds and used them for medicinal purposes.  The shells could be dried and used as storage bowls.

Pumpkins were at the second Thanksgiving feast and the pilgrims depended on this crop to survive the winter.  The original pumpkin pie had no crust but was cooked in the shell.  The pilgrims cut the top off, scooped out the seeds, and filled the tureen with cream, eggs, honey, and spices. They put the top back on and buried it in ashes. Delicious!

Stewed Pumpkin or Pompion 1672 Recipe

8 cups peeled diced pumpkin
1/4 cup water
2 Tbs butter
2 Tbs vinegar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
salt to taste

This would have been a standard way pumpkin was prepared in New England.  Put 2 cups of peeled diced pumpkin and 1/4 c water into a pot and cook gently over low heat until they sink down.  Keep adding more pumpkin until you have used all 8 cups.  When cooked, the pumpkin will be soft but will keep its form.  It will resemble stewed apples.

Do not add more water.  Remove from the heat and add butter, vinegar, brown sugar and spices.  Stir gently and serve.

 Meet the Pumpkin

All pumpkins are considered a winter squash.   They are part of the cucurbit family along with squash, melons, and watermelons. There are four species.  Cross pollination only occurs within the same species.  Pumpkins are c. pepo species.  They have hard, woody furrowed stems.  Summer squash, field pumpkins, and acorn squash are also in this family.

Sugar pumpkins are smaller than the typical Jack-0-lantern pumpkins.  They are 6-8 inches in diameter and often have nettled skins instead of smooth outside skin.  The sugar or pie pumpkins is the best choice for roasting or making pumpkin puree.  The flesh is sweeter, less stringy, and has less moisture than larger pumpkins.  The can be prepared like any other winter squash.  They need 105-120 days to mature and time to cure so plan accordingly.

The larger field pumpkins are best for carving and decorating.  Their flesh is watery, stringy, and less flavorful. They were breed to have thicker rinds and thus more stability when carved. But what would a fall garden be without Howden, Kuncklehead, and Connecticut Field pumpkins.   They can also be used as a hollowed out tureen for fall soups.  Your chickens will love these pumpkins as a fall treat and the deer also enjoy them.

There are also unique varieties of pumpkin to try that also make delicious pie puree and are good roasted.  Any Cinderella pumpkin such as Rouge Vif'd etmapes, the cheese pumpkins, and red kuri.

 Types of Pie or Sugar Pumpkins

 

Winter Luxury

At the top of the list is the heirloom variety, Winter Luxury, that has been around since 1893.  This beautiful pumpkins is a perfectly round 4-6 lb variety with a nettled skin.  This variety supposedly tops the blind taste tests.  Winter Luxury always has a place in my garden.  I grow plenty to share with family and friends.

Orange Smoothie Pumpkin

This is another heirloom variety that I love.  It has a beautiful deep, smooth orange outside skin. They are 4-6 lbs and slightly ribbed.

Cinderella Pumpkins

Cinderella Pumpkins are a French heirloom more accurately call Rouge Vif'd etemptes.  Not only are they enchanting they are delicious and the larger size gives you lots of puree.  This is my second favorite pie pumpkin.  This is thought to be the pumpkin used at the second Thanksgiving so definitely give it a try on the holidays.  These are absolutely enchantingly beautiful pumpkins for decorating.  Their unique shape is most definitely that of Cinderella's carriage.  If only you had a fairy God mother to complete the magic.

Growing Pie Pumpkins

Pie pumpkins are easy to grow.  They need full sun and lots of room to grow.  The vines can grow up to 8-15 feet long.  They like a soil rich in organic matter.  I plant my winter squash, corn, pumpkins melons and potatoes in a field rotating the crops every year. Do not over crowd pumpkins you want good air circulation to prevent powdery mildew.

I dig out a hole at least 1x1 foot.  Mix in lots of compost and a good organic dry fertilizer. This puts the fertilizer at the root zone. Fill the hole in and plant 2-3 seeds 2 inches deep.  I would thin it to the two healthiest plants. I leave an indentation because the warm winds tend to dry out our soil.  Once the plants are up and true leaves appear apply more mulch and give them a drink of fish emulsion and kelp. You can give them more fish emulsion when they begin to flower.

Dry Organic Fertilizer Mix

When to Plant

Wait until your soil warms to 70 degrees before planting.  To warm the soil you can put down black porous mulch cloth.  In my zone, I plant on Memorial Day and into June depending on the maturity date of the variety I'm planting and when I want to harvest.

They should germination in 5-10 days.  Pumpkins seeds can be stored for up to 6 years.

Weeds

Keep the weeds under control.  Once the vines are large enough they tend to shade out weeds.  Keep the weeds down while the vines are small because  it is difficult to get to weeds without damaging your vines once they mature. Any organic corn gluten weed control is helpful in controlling weeds.

Watering

I believe many garden problems are result of poor watering habits.  Overhead watering is never a good idea.  Water in the morning.  Invest in a good water system but always monitor your plants and make adjustments.

 Pumpkins are 80-90% water.  Even moisture is the key to productive, healthy plants. How frequently you water will depend on the amount of organic matter in your soil, rainfall, wind, and your method of watering.  Poke your finger a couple of inches in the ground.  The soil should be cool and moist.

 Mulching around plants  helps maintain even moisture and adds organic matter to the soil.

You can see the developing fruit at the base of the flower.

Flowering

The first flowers that appear are usually male. They produce pollen that attracts the bees.  The female flowers often only open for a day.  The native squash bee is usually responsible pollinating pumpkins.  Learn good cultural practices to attract and maintain Native Pollinators.

To distinguish between male and female flower look at the base of the stem.  The stem of male flowers are straight.  Female flowers bulge at the base.

Disease

Powdery mildew is a problem for pumpkins. It is a fungal disease that first manifests as circular talcum looking spots. It looks like a dusting of powder on the leaves.  Certain conditions need to exist for powdery mildew to colonize.  It needs dense growing conditions, humidity, dry leaf conditions, and ideal temperatures of 70-80 degrees.  It seems to begin after fruiting and in older plantings.

Always monitor your pumpkins for powdery mildew. Begin monitoring in July.  Check 5 or more leaves in the upper and lower canopy.

Organic fungicides include Serenade, Neem Oil, and a .5 percent solution of baking soda (1 teaspon of baking soda in 1 quart of water)  The plant needs to be sprayed thoroughly both the underside of leaves and the top and all leaves in the canopy.  Fungicides stop the colonization or spread of the fungus.  A preventative program is helpful.  I add Serenade to my spray rountine for squash bugs.

Cultural practices make a huge difference in preventing disease.  Look for resistant varieties.  Provide good air circulation by spacing pumpkin vines 4-6 feet apart.  Be sure to remove all plant debris at the end of the season. Leftover plant debris acts as an inoculate the following year.

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Pests

Aphids:  

 The first indication you may have of an infestation of aphids is that the tender young leaves start curling and wilting.  If leaves regain tugor after watering usually you have aphids or thrips sucking the sap from the underside of leaves. Upon close inspection you will see thousands of these tiny insects on the back side of the leaves. They can do a lot of damage to female blossoms too.  They will even appear on developing pumpkins.  Insecticidial soap, Neem oil, or pyrethrin for an out of control infestation will all help.  If you monitor you plants regularly a good spray of water will knock aphids off and no pesticides are necessary. 

Usually lady beetles will appear and their larvae will help with an aphid problem. 

Squash Bugs

The menace of pumpkins in my area are squash bugs.  I use a preventative spray program for squash and pumpkins.  Remember there are a couple generations so you have to diligent.  I've included the link to help you.  It uses only organic soft sprays and it works.

Controlling Squash Bugs

Harvesting and Curing Pumpkins

How do you know when your pumpkins are ready?  The stem hardens, the color dulls, and when you press the skin with your fingernail it is hard. The vines begin to die back

Cut at least a 3-6 inch stem.  Turn off the water and leave the pumpkins in the field to cure unless it is very moist and wet.  If a hard frost (below 27 degrees) is coming you will want to move them in cool garage.

Store pumpkins in a dry area at 50-55 degrees.  Spread out on a wood surface or on newspapers so the pumpkins are not touching.  Do not store on concrete.

Frequently check for weeping and soft spots.  You can cut out soft spots and use the good portions of the pumpkin.

Pumpkins store for about 3 months.

Chocolate chip pumpkin bread.

Pumpkin puree.

Making Pumpkin Puree

Cut the pumpkin in half lengthwise.  Scope out all the strings and seeds. Turn cut side down in a tray and place in a 350 degree oven.  Add about an inch of water.  Cooking time will depend on the size of the pumpkin.  The small sugar pumpkins take about 45 minutes.  Check with a fork.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool.  Scoop out the pumpkin into a blender or bowl.  You may have to add a small amount of water.  I prefer to use a stick blender.  Puree until smooth.  Put in clean glass canning jars or freezer containers and freeze.

How To Use and Freeze Dry Carrots

 

One of the great things about using freeze dried food is the convenience and time it saves on meal prep.  After freeze drying the carrots are ready to rehydrate and use with no peeling, dicing, shredding or slicing.  It's a huge time saver plus freeze dried food properly packaged and prepared stores long term. 

Another important benefit is that since freeze drying does not use heat nutritional value is preserved.  Carrots having many health benefits making it an important pantry item to have on hand.  Freeze dried carrots can also be powdered and snuck into or added into batters, breads, smoothies and shakes.  

Sliced carrots ready to blanch.  I sliced them in my Ninja food processor.

 

Preparing Carrots for Freeze Drying

• Wash and peel carrots.  Wash again after peeling to remove all dirt.
• You can slice, shredded, julienne, or cut into veggie straws
• Blanch for 4 minutes.  Bring water to a boil.  Add carrots, bring back up to a boil and then start timing.  This is important because it stops enzyme activity and makes for a better textured product
• Place on freeze dry trays.  I have a medium Harvest Right Freeze dry and 8 lbs of carrots seems to fill 4 trays.  That's a Costco size bag of  organic carrots.
• Pre freeze for 12 hours. 

Blanch carrots slices for 4 minutes and shreds for 3 minutes.

Carrots blanched on the trays ready for freeze drying.  The carrot slices are seasoned.  
Use you favorite seasoning.

 

Freeze Drying 

• Start your freeze dryer.  I don't change any settings.
• After the 15 minutes chamber cooling, load trays into the freeze dryer and hit start.
• When the freeze dryer is done you can do a test to ensure the moisture is all removed.  Weigh and record weight of each tray. Add 1-2 hours of extra dry time then weigh again.  If the weight is the same the carrots are done.  If the weight is less they still have moisture that needs to be removed so add more dry time..  

Packaging

 

You can store FD foods in canning jars with oxygen absorbers and then vacuum sealed  or you can use mylar bags with oxygen absorber.  

Freeze dried carrots ready to package.  The purple carrots are Purple Dragon.  

Using Freeze Dried Carrots

• Use FD carrot slices in soups or stews add to soup or stew the last 10 minutes of cooking.  No need to rehydrate.
• Rehydrate carrot shreds in hot or cold water, drain and use in muffins, breads or cakes.
• Powder carrots to add to smoothies or sneak nutrition into pancake batters etc.
• Rehydrate shredded carrots and use in a raw carrot salad or in coleslaw mix.
• Eat as snacks.  Homegrown carrots are really good as snacks.  Store bought don't seem to be as sweet.

Favorite FD Carrot Recipes

Bran Flax Muffins

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 c flax seed meal

3/4 c oat bran

1 cup brown sugar

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 cups shredded carrots (rehydrate shreds in cold or warm water drain and then add)

2  peeled and shredded apples (try freeze drying apple shreds so you have these on hand)

1/2 c raisins or dried cranberries (optional)

1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

3/4 cup milk

2 eggs beaten

1 tsp vanilla

Mix dry ingredients.  Add carrots, apples, raisins, and nuts.  Combine wet ingredients in a seperate bowl and add to dry  and mix until just moist.  Do not over mix.  Fill muffin tins 3/4 full.  Bake at 350 F for 15-20 minutes.  Make approximately 15 muffins.

(Recipe from Bob's Red Mill)

Glazed Carrots

Mix together equal parts water, butter, and sugar.  I use 2 Tbs of each

Add carrot straws or slices and sauté til tender and glazed.

Pomegranate Jelly

OK, I can't grow pomegranates in New Harmony.  But it sure is nice to have family in Moapa Valley, Nevada which is home of the pomegranate festival held the first weekend in November. My mom is wonderful to always bring me a gallon of  fresh pomegranate juice.  It's great to drink fresh and makes a delicious jelly. It's one of our family favorites.

The recipe is out of Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving .  This is great book. It has some really good unique recipes and produce combinations. Each recipe has tips and suggestions for how to use the product after you can it.  Some of my favorite recipes are out of this book.  And I always try new recipes each year.  No reason to eat the same thing year after year. 

 Pomegranate Jelly

3 1/2 cups of pomegranate juice
 1 package powdered pectin

5 cups of granulated sugar

• Whisk juice and powdered pectin in pot.  
• Bring to a boil.  
• Add all the sugar.  Return to boil.  Boil 1 minute.  
• Skim foam off the top of jelly.
• Add to jars.  Wipe rims.  
• Adjust 2 piece lids and process 10 minutes in a boiling water canner. 
•  In New Harmony add 10 minutes to the time for high altitude.

Skim the foam off.

Fill hot jars.  I put mine in dishwasher and leave in there until I'm ready to fill them.  Wipe rims.  Keep lids in scalding but not boiling water.

Growing Pomegranates

Feeding Your Family From the Garden

Last spring, I was giving someone a ride and in the back of my Jeep I had an assortment of plants.  They asked if I needed help planting the garden.  For me, planting is not a one time event.  I'm always planting something because my goal is to always have something to harvest from the garden.

Most people are hobby gardeners and there truly is no more rewarding hobby.  But can gardening really provide food for you family year round?  Is it affordable and possible? This has been my goal the last 21 years in New Harmony.  

The key to being able to feed your family from your garden instead of the grocery store involves four elements:

1.  Being aware of proper planting times and utilizing cool and warm season crops

Seed Planting Schedule

2.   Providing crop protection so you can plant earlier

3. Utilize succession planting

4.  Intensive planting

In my area most gardeners hit the garden centers around Memorial Day and plant the garden in one day. Don't misunderstand nothing is wrong with that, I just have a more extensive vision.


Gardening season never ends in my mind.  Four season gardening and succession planting provides our family with continual harvests.  The greenhouse and preserving the harvest help with the winter months and hunger gap. We raise chickens for eggs, a couple pigs, and milk goats for milk, yogurt, and cheese. While we are not independent of the grocery store, a large part of our diet is home grown.

So while most people plant once. I am always harvesting and planting and weeding except in the winter then I am pouring over seed catalogs and planning out the following year.

If time and interest are concerns then gardening as a hobby in the summer is great but, yes, you absolutely can eat year round from a garden.  It is very rewarding and delicious experience. With the prices in the grocery store on the rise, it is also much more affordable.  The health benefits and safety of your food are also a bonus. Flavor is what will get you hooked and keep you hooked on producing your own food.  Whether home grown veggies, fruits, or meat there is no comparison.

This approach requires more planning and planting.  It starts with your seed order.  You need to have enough seeds of crops you plan on continually harvesting.  Cool season crops can be planted in early spring and then again in late summer with minimal protection and you have fall harvests.  Certain crops like carrots and beets can be seeded every couple weeks until the end of May and then seeded in late summer for fall harvests.  Carrots and beets harvested in fall overwinter in your refrigerator giving you fresh carrots and beets through the winter.  Other good crops to store for winter meals are potatoes, winter squash, rutabagas, kohlrabi, and parsnips.green beans can be planted twice to extend the harvest.  Plant a month apart.  Sweet corn and potatoes can be planted so that you have an early, mid and late harvest.  With a good quality greenhouse you can get greens through winter, and crops like tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash early and extend their harvests into early winter. 

How to Have Continual Harvests

Row Covers

So to those like minded individuals who enjoy the lifestyle of self-reliance and provident living dig in and enjoy the satisfaction and fulfillment that comes from providing as much of your own food as possible. So spend less time in grocery store and more time in the garden.  Get those seed catalogs and a calendar and start planning!