Making Saurerkraut

The Cabbage Family who lives at our farm

Harvest  firm solid heads of cabbage from the garden.  Wash thoroughly.

add 5 pounds of shredded cabbage,

3 tablespoons of salt

into a ceramic crock, food grade bucket, or a large glass jar;

Fit a clean plate and weight inside the container on top of the cabbage.  Press down firmly.  This weight will force the juices out of the cabbage.  Put a clean towel over the container.

Over the next 24 hours periodically press down on the weight forcing out the liquid.  If after a 24 hour period the juice does not cover the cabbage, add salt water

 (tsp. to 1 cup water) until it covers the cabbage entirely.

Place the container in a cool dark place for 2 to 6 weeks depending on your preference.

Skim off the film on top.  Taste.  The first couple of weeks it will taste tart and tangy, but will mellow the longer you leave it.  When it is to your liking, place in glass jars and refrigerate, or to keep it longer put in sterile jars and process.  Check a good canning book for instructions.

 Variations: Try adding shredded beets, carrots or apples to the cabbage.

QUICK VEGE PICKLES

Gather a variety of veges from your garden.

I have beans, peas, carrots, radish pods, peas, broccoli, green tomatoes, and peppers.

Wash well.

Use the vinegar brine from purchased pickle jars, or your use your own favorite brine recipe. Simply add your vegetables and put in the refrigerator for several weeks.  To hurry the process along, add heated brine.  Keep refrigerated and use within a reasonable amount of time.

I haven't tried radishes before so I made a jar using this beautiful watermelon radish.

I generally eat these pickles after they have marinated in the fridge for 3 weeks.

Green Tomato Jam

Gather the green tomatoes before they begin to ripen.  You want to use firm tomatoes for this recipe.  

 Remove stems, cut in half and remove core from each half.  Cut into quarters and chop fine in a food processor.  Pour into a large colander and let drain until all moisture is removed. 

My friend and neighbor down at the end of the road gave me this recipe.  I made a few adjustments, using 10 cups of tomatoes and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice in each batch.  Process in a hot water bath according to the altitude recommendations of your area.  Do you have a favorite recipe using green tomatoes?  Please share it in the comment section.

OVEN DRIED TOMATOES
Here you will find a recipe for using up all those ripe tomatoes.
I pack them in small containers and store in the freezer.
Thaw and use as needed for soups, sauces, on crusty bread, or whenever sun dried tomatoes are called for in recipes.  Make them to give as Christmas Gifts to friends and neighbors.