Wanna Hide Some Veggies? Let's Make Kale Powder

I saw a sign from a local farm offering free kale if you come and pick it yourself.  I couldn't resist that deal, so I grabbed my husband and off we went to pick some kale.

We were able to fill two large shopping bags with organic, pesticide free kale.  Some of it will go to my chickens, they love their greens and I am going to dehydrate the rest and use it to make kale powder.

When we got it home I immediately hosed it down and then filled two large buckets with water and soaked the kale in an attempt to get rid of all the bugs, and there were a ton of them.


The next day I brought the kale that I was going to dehydrate into the kitchen to clean it.  I used a vegetable brush to clean off the dirt and left over bugs.  Kale is like a bug condominium complex, and those little guys did not want to move out.  At first I was a little worried that a vegetable brush may bruise the kale, but since I am going to dry it and grind it into a powder, a little bruising shouldn't be too much of an issue.

After each piece was clean I cut off any bad spots and cut out the thick middle ribbing as I have read that can be bitter and difficult to grind to a powder.  I set those aside into the pile for the chickens.

  

I then laid the strips of kale onto a paper towel to dry.  The dryer they are when you put them into the dehydrator, the quicker they will dehydrate.

I laid the strips in one layer onto each tray,  I used 7 trays total.   I then turned the dehydrator on and let them dry until they were nice and crisp.  It generally takes about 4-6 hours.

 

I then used my Magic Bullet and ground the pieces into a fine powder.   With 7 trays of Kale I was able to get about 4 ounces of powder. 

Uses for kale powder:

• Add to spaghetti sauce 
• Sprinkle over salads
• Add to smoothies or shakes
• Add anywhere you want to hide veggies from your picky- non veggie eaters.

I am really enjoying making these powders and the tutorials to go with them.  Look for more in the near future.  

Happy canning (and dehydrating) everyone!

  




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So Your Sauce is Done, Let's Make Tomato Powder!

So you've finished making your spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, puree or whatever is was you were doing with your tomatoes and you are left with the tomato remains from your mill, sieve, or vegetable strainer.  If you saw my last post then you set them aside to deal with later.

Later is here!  As a canner one of my main goals is to waste less and save more.  This follows that goal to the T.  


Supplies:

Tomato skins, seeds, pulp etc.
Dehydrator
Grinder of some sort

Take your tomato remains and spread them on the tray(s) of your dehydrator, the thinner the layer the faster the drying time.   Turn the dehydrator on and let them dry until they are brittle or break if you try to bend them.  

Mine took about 24 hours.  I am using an old Ronco dehydrator that my mom bought in the 90's and recently gave to me.  Not fancy, but it does the job.

When they are fully dried break into usable pieces and grind them into a fine powder.  I used my Magic Bullet and it worked well, but was a little time consuming.  I have heard of others using a coffee grinder and it working real well.  If you try this let me know what you use to grind.

Transfer the powder to a jar and it is ready to be used.

Here is a conversion chart that I found on www.yourownhomestore.com:

Other uses for tomato powder:

• Use in place of tomato paste to thicken sauces
• Add depth to the color and flavor of a dish
• Add to baking and bread
• Add to dry rubs and stir frys
• Add to dips 
• Add to soups and stews

You can purchase it, but it with the right equipment it is so easy to make and it's FREE with no extra added chemicals or salt.  Did I mention it's FREE?  

I am in love with the fact that I am using the entire tomato, nothing is going to waste and that alone is worth the effort to me. 

With that I bid you adieu,  go forth and can......  

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

I searched and searched, but it seems that we have run out of spaghetti sauce, a major event in this house.  Spaghetti is one of the few things my 5 year old autistic son will eat, and it must be "Red" sauce for him to even give it a second glance.

The tomatoes in my garden aren't anywhere near ready to harvest and I really am not in love with using store bought tomatoes to can with.  I'm not knocking anyone who does, but I am somewhat of a vegetable snob.  Vegetable?  Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable?  Hmmm we can visit that later on.  I decided to break into the San Marzano tomatoes that I canned last August.  They are so beautiful and I have been admiring them for so long, but alas they are for eating and so they must become spaghetti sauce for the boy.

The recipe I used calls for 30 lbs of fresh tomatoes.  I looked around the web a little and found this Handy Dandy Conversion from Simply Canning:

28 oz can = 10-12 tomatoes = 2 lbs

14 1/2 oz can = 5-6 tomatoes = 1 lb

So I grabbed 15 quarts of my previously canned tomatoes, my glorious beautiful scrumptious tomatoes, and went to work.

I followed the recipe from the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving using the conversion for home canned tomatoes.

DISCLAIMER - This is the way I can Spaghetti Sauce.  I have done research prior to canning it and verified times and pressures in the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving.   I always recommend that everyone do their own research and verifications in regards to canning.  Always keeping safety in mind.  

Supplies:

Pressure Canner

Pint or quart jars, lids and rings

15 quarts home canned tomatoes 

2 1/2 lbs ground beef or sausage

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup chopped onions

1 cup chopped seeded green bell pepper or celery

1 lb mushrooms sliced (optional)

4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar

2 tbsp dried oregano

4 tsp salt

2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Here is what I did:

First I put the tomatoes through my Kitchen Aid vegetable strainer.  You can also use a fine sieve or food mill.

Save the seeds, skins and pulp that is discarded in the pureeing process and
 stay tuned for a tutorial on how to make tomato powder with them.

Then in a large sauce pot I browned the sausage over a medium heat breaking it up with a fork, until no longer pink.  I use sausage as my family prefers it over ground beef in our sauce.

I drained off the excess fat and added the garlic, onions, pepper and mushrooms.  I used a 1/2 cup of red pepper and 1/2 cup of celery in place of the green bell pepper.  Saute until vegetables are tender, about 3 minutes.

Then I added the tomato puree to the meat mixture and added the parsley, brown sugar, oregano, salt, and pepper.  I brought it to a boil and the let it simmer stirring occasionally. How long you let it simmer is up to you.  I like my sauce to be pretty thick, so I let it simmer for several hours.

While the sauce is simmering I prepared my jars and lids.   I always give my jars a quick wash in some warm soapy water. Rinse well and then fill with about 1 or so inches of  hot water and set them in a roasting pan.  I put the roasting pan into the oven and set the heat at 250 degrees.  This will keep the jars warm and sterilize them. They must be in the oven for 30 minutes to be sterilized.  I then placed the lids into a small pan of hot, not boiling, water on top of the stove and leave them until I am ready to use them. 

Once the sauce was to my liking I ladled it into the hot jars, leaving 1 inch headspace after removing the air bubbles. Then I cleaned the rim of the jar with a paper towel dampened with white vinegar.   I place the lids on and the rings finger tip tight and then placed into my prepared pressure canner. 

I processed the spaghetti sauce at 10 lbs pressure 60 mins. for pints and 70 mins. for quarts.  10 lbs is the pressure for my elevation.  Make sure to check for your correct pressure.

After processing I turned off the heat and allowed my pressure canner to return to zero as per my pressure canner's instructions.  I then removed the jars and set them on a dish drying mat and listened for the magical ping. 

I waited 24 hours and then removed the rings, washed them up, labeled them and put them away.

We are now stocked up with enough spaghetti sauce to get us through until our tomatoes are ready to harvest. 

Happy canning everyone and remember to check back for the tomato powder tutorial! 

Canning Chicken - Raw Packed

It took me awhile to get up the nerve to can chicken.  I just wasn't sure how it would taste. Now I am so glad I did.   It is fantastic!   I use it for any recipe that calls for cooked chicken, chicken tacos, chicken salad sandwiches, chicken and dumplings and yes sometimes we eat it right out of the jar, it's that good.



DISCLAIMER - This is the way I can chicken.  I have done research prior to canning it and verified times and pressures in the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving.   I always recommend that everyone do their own research and verifications in regards to canning.  Always keep safety in mind when canning.  




Today I will be canning 12 pounds of chicken.


Supplies:

Pressure Canner
12 pint jars, lids and rings
Canning salt (optional)
Skinless, boneless breast of chicken

**Each pint will fit about 1 pound of chicken**



This is what I did:


First I prepared my jars and lids.   I always give my jars a quick wash in some warm soapy water. Rinse well and then fill with about 1 or so inches of  hot water and set them in a roasting pan.  I put the roasting pan into the oven and set the heat at 250 degrees.  This will keep the jars warm and sterilize them. They must be in the oven for 30 minutes to be sterilized.  I then placed the lids into a small pan of hot, not boiling, water on top of the stove and leave them until I am ready to use them.  

Then I prepped my chicken.  I rinsed the chicken, removed any fat  and cut each breast into 1-2 inch pieces. This is a little over 12 pounds of chicken cleaned and cut up.

I then packed the hot jars with the chicken pieces leaving  1 inch headspace and added 1/2 tsp canning salt.  The canning salt is optional.

Then I cleaned the rim of the jar with a paper towel dampened with white vinegar.  A bit of chicken or grease could cause the lid not to seal.    I place the lids on and the rings finger tip tight and then placed into my prepared pressure canner.

I processed  at 10 lbs pressure 75 mins. for pints and 90 mins. for quarts.  10 lbs is the pressure for my elevation.  Make sure to check for your correct pressure.

After processing I turned off the heat and allowed my pressure canner to return to zero as per my pressure canner's instructions.  I then removed the jars and set them on a dish drying mat and listened for the magical ping.  

I waited 24 hours and then removed the rings, washed them up, labeled them and put them away.

Viola Canned Chicken!  I must also add the juice in the jar comes from the chicken when it cooks and makes a wonderful broth or base.  

Happy Canning Everyone!

Canning: My Beginning

It all started when I realized that a whole lot of the beautiful vegetables from my garden had gone to waste. Oh I had wanted to learn to can for a long time, but I had no one to teach me and well it just seemed like a heck of a lot of work, and by the way it is a HECK of a lot of work.  I didn't have the proverbial Grandmother and Mother in the kitchen canning when I was growing up.  I grew up in Los Angeles.  We didn't have a garden and the only canned veggies or fruits that I new of came in tin cans from the grocery store.

The following winter I started my research. I read books, blogs, and anything canning related that I could.  I joined groups on  FaceBook and asked question after question.  It took awhile before I purchased some canning equipment.  I went slow, afraid that I would back out at the last moment.  Canning is serious business y'all.  I started with Strawberry Jam.  From what I've heard that's where most canners start.  It was love at first "ping."

I haven't looked back since.  That summer's garden was jellied, pickled, canned, and frozen.  Nothing went to waste and therein lies the beginning of my canning addiction.  I have discovered the pure joy and satisfaction of growing and "putting up" your own food.    From jams to fruits, to veggies, to meats, soups, stews, and chilis.  I've canned them all.

And that is my start.  Have you stared your canning journey yet?  If not, what are you waiting for?

Who? What? Why?

My name is Kathleen and my  daughters lovingly refer to me as "Betty Cracker."   Why you say?  Well I guess because I am a canner, a baker, a seamstress, a quilter, a hooker (I crochet, get your mind out of the gutter), a make-your-own cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, softener etc..... kinda gal.  If I can make I will.  If I can't,  I will do some research and figure out a way to make it.

When exactly the nickname Betty Cracker came about, I do not remember.  But it stuck and it always makes me giggle when I hear it.  

My main focus of this blog will be canning.  I may throw in a craft or two here and there, but canning will be our main topic here.  I always welcome questions and/or suggestions, so comment away.  

I hope that we enjoy our adventures in canning together and I hope that I can not only bring you some great information, but also some great laughs.    Let's do this thing!