Harvest

I'm very happy - I made more food.  I must need some extreme nurturing and reassurance lately.  I've been squirrelling food away for the winter as if it will be THE winter, if you know what I mean.  The winter of eternal snow and bluster.  We've really been frugal in the last couple of months and still keeping track of everything we spend.  This has been such an eyeopener for me and it really has helped cut way back on mindless spending.  I thought long and hard about "investing" in this dehydrator and decided we'd use it. 

I'm not a kitchen gadget kind of person, really.  But, I've been thinking about a dehydrator for a long time.  This is my test run - the recipes all caution how everything has to be the same thickness or watch out! disaster! and that was pretty stressful, let me tell you.  These are Roma tomatoes about 1/3 through the drying time.  I sprinkled them with basil, oregano, thyme, and just a little salt.   When they're completely dry they need to be dipped in white wine vinegar and packed in olive oil.  Or, they can just be put in air tight containers and kept in the cellar.  "Sun" dried tomatoes for pasta, for salads, for pizza!   I love dried peaches and apricots, too, so those will be next.   Colorado West Slope peaches are coming in very soon. 

My other security activity today was to can my grandmother's "Ambassador Chile Sauce".  It's rather sweet and spicy and not "hot" at all.  Jerry calls it "piccalilly" because it's not made with southwestern chiles.  We always called it "chile sauce" in my family.  I use it on eggs, in meatloafs, on sandwiches, to liven up crock pot stews.  It's one of my favorite things to have on hand. Our neighbors up the road get a jar at Christmas along with a dozen fresh eggs.  I don't know if they use it or just pretend to love it.  So here's the recipe written in my own dear grandmother's hand. 

           

I chop all the vegetables in a food processor and omit the monosodium glutamate - I think Nan started adding this in the 60's when we didn't have a clue.  A "peck" of tomatoes is 8 quarts and there are four pecks to a bushel.  This recipe will make at least 12 pints of chile sauce.  Put everything in a large heavy-bottomed stock pot (it will stick and burn to the bottom of a lesser pot so be careful) and simmer slowly for several hours.  Stir every 10 minutes or so.  You'll know it is done when the liquid has a glassy, clear look to it.  Bottle and can in a water bath for 15 minutes (20 minutes at higher altitudes).

Preserving the harvest makes it possible to take summer with us.  Tomatoes bought from the grocery in winter are not even worth the bother, right?

            

 

 

 

Comments

[Trapunto]

We have a similar mild "chili sauce" in our family, provenance South Idaho! I wasn't fond of it as a kid because of the sweetness, but it was was great granny's specialty. She made up a batch every year which got passed out around the family. There was always an open jar in my grandparents' fridge, which came out whenever they did a "dutch lunch" (cold sandwich fixings and leftovers) or when they had pot roast or meatloaf for dinner. Now I wish I could taste it again! Your dried tomatoes look like they'll be a real treat.

[Jody]

You have some energy Suzan. :) How neat. I remember my mother using a dehydrator. Don't think I would use one.

[rhonda jean]

Right! Your own produce is much better for you than anything you can buy. Well done Suzan! Your tomatoes look wonderful.

[The old Dairy]

Suzan, I was given a dehydrator a few months ago,it doesn't have a instruction book with it as some one was throwing it out and I grabbed it.Your tomatoes look so yummy, when things start growing around here I'll be giving it a go.I'll let you experiment first then I'll know what to do lol.As it is cooling down there it's slowly starting to warm up here. This is the cooldest winter in Toowoomba for 40 years,but it's proberly not cold like you get.
Mandy

[Rita]

The dehydrator sounds like a fun way to keep fruit especially. I'd like to try it would you be willing to share what kind of dehydrator you bought? Thanks

[RosieB]

I've snagged the chile sauce recipe, thank you. it looks really good. :)

[Suzan]

Rita, this is an Excalibur dehydrator. I've researched these and the consensus seems to be that dehydrators that have the fan in the back dry more evenly. I found that you must move the trays around anyway. And I really need to get an idea about how many kilowatts it uses per day. So I can't tell you how energy efficient it is yet. Good luck though because I am very pleased with tomato results!

Rosie B - you're welcome! My Nan would have loved her recipe to be used.

Trapunto - I wonder if this is similar to your family's recipe. It is rather sweet so you still might not like it:)