No Market This Week

There is no winter market this week.

In honor of my father who died on March 30, 2014. Take a few minutes and read the post...

"A Conversation With My Dad"

The Larder

Did you know that larders were a common feature of large homes before the refrigerator came into wide spread use. The essential features of a larder are as follows:

• as cool as possible
• close to the kitchen
• exclude insects and rodents
• easy to clean
• shelving and containers adapted to the food to be stored
• good air circulation

In North America larders were typically on the north side of the house, where they received the least amount of sun.

Farm families only 50 years ago were intimately familiar with the larder (ask your grand parents). The larder is the precursor to the modern day pantry, which is making a comeback in modern architecture.

Advice on Canning Tomatoes

Typically we would have canning tomatoes for another month. But don't wait to long this season to do your canning. Many tomato patches have blight this year and we haven't had a good rain in 3-4 weeks  and that means tomatoes will be in short supply.

We have a very good supply this week. But I expect that to taper off abruptly. Don't wait or you might not get the supply you need.

See my post earlier this week for directions on canning salsa.

A Simple Canned Salsa Recipe

I have canned about 250 pints of salsa so far this season. We have lots of tomatoes this time of year so let me share a very simple canned salsa recipe.

Ingredients:

15 pounds Roma tomatoes. Washed.
3 pounds Sweet onions (Walla Walla or Spanish) Peel off outer scales.
12 Jalapeno Peppers (cut the stems off and keep the seeds)
1 tablespoon of bottled lemon or lime juice (per pint)

Instructions:

Boil water in a water bath canner. Remove lids from 12 pint jars and put them in hot tap water. Put jars in boiling water for 15 minutes or more to sterilize. While jars are sterilizing. Core tomatoes and chop into 1/4 inch chunks with a food processor. Add to stock pot and cook on medium heat until boiling. Cut onions into quarters and pulse in the food processor into 1/4 inch chunks. Add to stock pot. Pulse jalapeno peppers into 1/8 inch chunks with seeds. Add to stock pot. Stir thoroughly and bring mix to a boil.

Take hot jars out of boiling water. Add 1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice to pint jars. Use canning funnel to ladle hot salsa into the cars leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch head room at the top of the jar. Put lid and rings on the cars and place jars in the boiling water. Add additional water until the jars are covered by 1/2 to 1 inch boiling water. Bring canning vessel back to a boil. Boil for at least 15 minutes after boiling starts. I sometimes let it cook a little longer, this is OK to do with salsa as you are not trying to keep it crisp like you would be doing with pickles.

Remove jars after 15 minute and let cool to room temperate. Jars will keep up to a year. Label carefully.

I figure 1 jalapeno per jar is medium. 2-4 is hot. 6-8 is very hot.

I don't like to add cilantro or tomatillos to cooked salsa (love both with fresh salsa).

Garlic is a welcome addition. Green peppers is also OK. Anything that is not acidic needs to be added with caution. I add extra lime juice if using other ingredients. Corn can also be added.

Varying the tomatoes is one of the best ways to change the flavor. We use heirlooms, Romas and cherry tomatoes. I have also occasionally roasted the tomatoes.

I have found that simple is better.

We bring this salsa to market from late summer, through winter to the spring.