Ethylene Ripening Chart

Determine which foods shouldn’t be stored close together. Some foods affect others, such as potatoes and apples. Unless you wrap apples individually or cover them, potatoes transfer a moldy taste to them. Apples also give off more ethylene gas than some other foods and can cause premature ripening of tomatoes, pears and peaches.

Ethylene gas has the following effects: decay (fresh produce and flower bulbs); russet spotting (leafy vegetables and eggplants); yellowing (cucumbers, broccoli and brussel sprouts); odor (garlic and onions); wilting (vegetables and cut flowers); scald and loss of crunch (apples); and rind breakdown (citrus). If you control ethylene gas levels you can help preserve freshness.

Learn more about Ethylene Gas Here!

N=None   H=High   L=Low    M=Medium   VH=Very High    VL=Very Low

Fruit or Vegetable

Temperature

C/F

Ethylene

Production

Ethylene

Sensitivity

Apple (non-chilled)

1.1 / 30

VH

H

Apple (chilled)

4.4 / 40

VH

H

Apricot

-0.5 / 31

H

H

Artichoke

0 / 32

VL

L

Asian Pear

1.1 / 34

H

H

Asparagus

2.2 / 36

VL

M

Avocado (California)

3.3 / 38

H

H

Avocado (Tropical)

10.0 / 50

H

H

Banana

14.4 / 58

M

H

Beans (Lima)

0 / 32

L

M

Beans (Snap/Green)

7.2 / 45

L

M

Belgian Endive

2.2 / 36

VL

M

Berries (Blackberry)

-0.5 / 31

L

L-Mold

Berries (Blueberry)

-0.5 / 31

L

L-Mold

Berries (Cranberry)

2.2 / 36

L

L-Mold

Berries (Currants)

-0.5 / 31

L

L-Mold

Berries (Dewberry)

-0.5 / 31

L

L-Mold

Berries (Elderberry)

-0.5 / 31

L

L-Mold

Berries (Gooseberry)

-0.5 / 31

L

L-Mold

Berries (Loganberry)

-0.5 / 31

L

L-Mold

Berries (Raspberry)

-0.5 / 31

L

L-Mold

Berries (Strawberry)

-0.5 / 31

L

L-Mold

Breadfruit

13.3 / 56

M

M

Broccoli

0 / 32

VL

H-Yellowing

Brussel Sprouts

0 / 32

VL

H

Cabbage

0 / 32

VL

H

Cantalope

4.4 / 40

H

M

Cape Gooseberry

12.2 / 54

L

L

Carrots (Topped)

0 / 32

VL

L-Bitterness

Casaba Melon

10.0 / 50

L

L

Cauliflower

0 / 32

VL

H

Celery

0 / 32

VL

M

Chard

0 / 32

VL

H

Cherimoya

12.8 / 55

VH

H

Cherry (Sour)

-0.5 / 31

VL

L-Softening

Cherry (Sweet)

-1.1 / 30

VL

L-Softening

Chicory

0 / 32

VL

H

Chinese Gooseberry

0 / 32

L

H

Collards

0 / 32

VL

M

Crenshaw Melon

10.0 / 50

H

H

Cucumbers

10.0 / 50

L

H-Yellowing

Eggplant

10.0 / 50

L

L

Endive (Escarole)

0 / 32

VL

M

Feijoa

5.0 / 41

M

L

Figs

0 / 32

M

L

Garlic

0 / 32

VL

L-Odor

Ginger

13.3 / 56

VL

L

Grapefruit

13.3 / 56

VL

M-Mold

Grapes

-1.1 / 30

VL

L-Mold

Greens (Leafy)

0 / 32

VL

H-Spotting

Guava

10 / 50

L

M

Honeydew

10 / 50

M

H

Horseradish

0 / 32

VL

L

Jack Fruit

13.3 / 56

M

M

Kale

0 / 32

VL

M

Kiwi Fruit

0 / 32

L

H

Kohlrabi

0 / 32

VL

L

Leeks

0 / 32

VL

M

Lemons

12.2 / 54

VL

M-Mold

Lettuce (Butterhead)

0 / 32

L

M-Spotting

Lettuce (Head/Iceberg)

0 / 32

VL

H-Spotting

Lime

12.2 / 54

VL

M-Mold 

Lychee

1.7 /35

M

M

Mandarine

7.2 / 45

VL

M

Mango

13.3 / 56

M

H

Mangosteen

13.3 / 56

M

H

Mineola

13.3 / 56

L

L

Mushrooms

0 / 32

L

M

Nectarine

-0.5 / 31

H

H

Okra

10.0 / 50

L

M

Olive

7.2 / 45

L

M

Onions (Dry)

0 / 32

VL

L-Odor

Onions (Green)

0 / 32

VL

M

Orange (CA,AZ)

7.2 / 45

VL

M

Orange (FL,TX)

2.2 / 36

VL

M

Papaya

12.2 / 54

H

H

Paprika

10.0 / 50

L

L

Parsnip

0 / 32

VL

L

Parsley

0 / 32

VL

H

Passion Fruit

12.2 / 54

VH

H

Peach

-0.5 / 31

H

H

Pear(Anjou,Bartlett/Bosc)

1.1 / 30

H

H

Pear (Prickley)

5.0 / 41

N

L

Peas

0 / 32

VL

M

Pepper (Bell)

10.0 / 50

L

L

Pepper (Chile)

10.0 / 50

L

L

Persian Melon

10.0 / 50

M

H

Persimmon (Fuyu)

10.0 / 50

L

H

Persimmon (Hachiya)

5.0 / 41

L

H

Pineapple

10.0 / 50

L

L

Pineapple (Guava)

5.0 / 41

M

L

Plantain

14.4 / 58

L

H

Plum/Prune

-0.5 / 31

M

H

Pomegranate

5.0 / 41

L

L

Potato (Processing)

10.0 / 50

VL

M-Sprouting

Potato (Seed)

4.4 / 40

VL

M

Potato (Table)

7.2 / 45

VL

M

Pumpkin

12.2 / 54

L

L

Quince

-0.5 / 31

L

H

Radishes

0 / 32

VL

L

Red Beet

2.8 / 37

VL

L

Rambutan

12.2 / 54

H

H

Rhubard

0 / 32

VL

L

Rutabaga

0 / 32

VL

L

Sapota

12.2 / 54

VH

H

Spinach

0 / 32

VL

H

Squash (Hard Skin)

12.2 / 54

L

L

Squash (Soft Skin)

10.0 / 50

L

M

Squash (Summer)

7.2 / 45

L

M

Squash (Zucchini)

7.2 / 45

N

N

Star Fruit

8.9 / 48

L

L

Swede (Rhutabaga)

0 / 32

VL

L

Sweet Corn

0 / 32

VL

L

Sweet Potato

13.3 / 56

VL

L

Tamarillo

0 / 32

L

M

Tangerine

7.2 / 45

VL

M

Taro Root

7.2 / 45

N

N

Tomato (Mature/Green)

13.3 / 56

VL

H

Tomato (Brkr/Lt Pink)

10.0 / 50

M

H

Tree-Tomato

3.9 / 39

H

M

Turnip (Roots)

0 / 32

VL

L

Turnip (Greens)

0 / 32

VL

H

Watercress

0 / 32

VL

H

Watermelon

10.0 / 50

L

H

Yam

13.3 / 56

VL

L

Fresh Apple Recipes

Discover How to Freeze Apples Here!

Dried Apple Rings Here!

Applesauce Recipe

There is nothing better than homemade applesauce from hand-picked apples, and it is so easy to do! If you want chunky applesauce, use a potato masher to mash the cooked apples. If you prefer smooth apple sauce, run the cooked apples through a food mill. The key is adding a few strips of lemon peel to the apples while cooking. The lemon heightens the apple flavor.

Preparation time: 45 minutes. The sugar amounts are just guidelines, depending upon your taste and on the sweetness of your apples, use less or more. If you use less sugar, you’ll likely want to use less lemon juice. The lemon juice brightens the flavor of the apples and balances the sweetness.

Ingredients:

Directions:
1. Put all ingredients into a large pot.  Cover.  Bring to boil.  Lower heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Stir often.
2. Remove from heat. Remove cinnamon sticks and lemon peels. Mash with potato masher.
3. Ready to serve, either hot or refrigerated. Delicious with vanilla ice cream or vanilla yogurt.
Freezes easily, lasts up to one year in a cold freezer.

Home Made Apple Cider

The apples you choose are very important as they define the taste of the cider. Most manufactured apple ciders use a variety of different types of apples in their standard apple ciders. You can employ this mixing technique or simply use one variety of apple to make your cider. Red Delicious, Green Delicious, Fuji, Jonagold and other sweet-tasting apples. Granny Smith, McIntosh, Pink Lady and other tart-tasting apples will produce sharper ciders due to their tangy flavors.

Step 1:Choose your apples
1.   Experiment with a variety of different types of apples, if you are going to mix apple types in your cider. Try to get a good mix of red, green and gold apples.
2.   Choose fresh apples that are picked directly from the trees. You should never use apples that have fallen on the ground as these may possess cider toxins and bacteria.
3.   Discard any apples that are bruised or discolored. You should only use fresh, healthy apples to make apple cider.
4.   If you don’t grow your own apples, try to visit a local farmer’s market to purchase the apples. While you can purchase apples from any grocery store, you’ll have a fresher cider if you opt for farmer’s market apples.

Step 2: Prepare the Apples

* Before you begin pressing the apples to get the juice out of them, you’ll need to first prepare them.

1.  Wash all the apples thoroughly.
2.  Core the apples. You can do this manually, however, it’s much faster to use an apple corer.
3.  Slice the apples into quarters.
4.  Put the quartered apples into the blender or food processor and puree them.
5.  Continue pureeing the apples until they are very finely ground. You will be able to extract more juice from the apples if you attain a very fine ground.

Step 3: Press the Apples

Now that you have cored and pureed your apples, you are ready to press them.

1.  Place the cheesecloth over the container in which you’ll store the apples.
2.  Pour the pureed apples into the cheesecloth.
3.  Squeeze the pureed apples through the cheesecloth and into the container below.
4. Apply firm, steady pressure as you squeeze. This will ensure that you extract all juice possible from the pureed apples.

If you are making large amounts of apple cider, you may wish to use a cider press. A cider press is a device with mechanically pulps and squeezes apples, and will extract juice more efficiently than squeezing by hand. Or you can use a fruit/vegetable juicer sold in a variety of shops.

Step 4: Store the Apple Cider

Now that you have extracted all the juice from the apples, your cider is ready to be stored. If you wish, you can also pasteurize your cider.

1.   Cover the container with an airtight lid. The cider should not be exposed to air or it will go bad much more quickly.
2.   Store your apple cider in the refrigerator. If kept refrigerated, it should stay fresh for about seven days.
3.   Pasteurize your apple cider by heating it to 160 º F. This will help to kill any bacteria present. Pasteurized apple cider will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.
4.   Freeze your apple cider if you won’t be consuming it in the near future. When frozen, apples and apple cider will remain fresh for up to one year.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, pregnant women, elderly people and children should not drink unpasteurized apple cider as it may contain bacteria.

Variations on Apple Cider

You can have a lot of fun by experimenting with different seasonings and additions to your homemade apple cider. Don’t be afraid to try your own variations! You might discover a sensational combination.

1.   Add cinnamon sticks to your apple cider for traditional holiday taste.
2.   Mix apple cider with a bit of rum and brown sugar for an alcoholic beverage that tastes great.
3.   Drizzle caramel into your apple cider for a decadent warm beverage.
4.   Try various spices in your apple cider. Nutmeg, cloves, ginger and lemon peel all add tasty flavors to hot cider.
5.   Pour apple cider over vanilla ice cream and top with caramel and whipped cream for a rich dessert. Add a slice of pound cake for added texture and taste.
6.   Blend apple cider with orange juice, ice and honey for a refreshing summer beverage.

Recipes for Apple Tart:

Dough:

Filling:

Glaze:
1/2 cup sugar

1.    MIX flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl; add 2 tablespoons of the butter. Blend in a mixer until dough resembles coarse cornmeal. Add remaining butter; mix until biggest pieces look like large peas.

2.    DRIBBLE in water, stir, then dribble in more, until dough just holds together. Toss with hands, letting it fall through fingers, until it’s ropy with some dry patches. If dry patches predominate, add another tablespoon water. Keep tossing until you can roll dough into a ball. Flatten into a 4-inch-thick disk; refrigerate. After at least 30 minutes, remove; let soften so it’s malleable but still cold. Smooth cracks at edges. On a lightly floured surface, roll into a 14-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Dust excess flour from both sides with a dry pastry brush.

3.    PLACE dough in a lightly greased 9-inch round tart pan, or simply on a parchment-lined baking sheet if you wish to go free-form, or galette-style with it. Heat oven to 400º F. (If you have a pizza stone, place it in the center of the rack.)

4.    OVERLAP apples on dough in a ring 2 inches from edge if going galette-style, or up to the sides if using the tart pan. Continue inward until you reach the center. Fold any dough hanging over pan back onto itself; crimp edges at 1-inch intervals.

5.    BRUSH melted butter over apples and onto dough edge. Sprinkle  sugar over dough edge and over apples.

6.    BAKE in center of oven until apples are soft, with browned edges, and crust has caramelized to a dark golden brown (about 45 minutes), making sure to rotate tart every 15 minutes.

7.    MAKE glaze: Put reserved peels and cores in a large saucepan, along with sugar. Pour in just enough water to cover; simmer for 25 minutes. Strain syrup through cheesecloth.

8.    REMOVE tart from oven, and slide off parchment onto cooling rack. Let cool at least 15 minutes.

9.   BRUSH glaze over tart, slice, and serve.

Types of Cherries & Apples

Discover more about Storing Cherries – Freezing Apples Here!

Recipes with Fruit Here!

Types of Cherries

Sour Cherries:

Montgomery
This variety is the best known sour cherry. It is mostly canned or frozen for use as pie filling or sauce. They are grown mostly in the eastern and Midwestern states.

Sweet Cherries:

Bing
This variety is the best known sweet cherry. It is large, round, extra-sweet and has a purple-red flesh and a deep red skin that is close to black when fully ripe. The Bing is available from the end of May until early August.

Lambert
This variety is the second most popular sweet cherry. It is smaller than the Bing and is more heart shaped. It has a dark-red skin and a rich flavor. Lamberts are available a bit longer than the Bing, usually until the end of August.

Rainer
This variety is sweet with a yellow or pinkish skin. It is milder and sweeter than the Bing. However, this variety is grown in limited quantities.

Royal Ann
This variety has a blush-yellow skin and is often canned or made into maraschino cherries.

Types of Apples

Apples are free of fat, cholesterol and sodium; but very high in fiber. The pectin and the boron content in an apple helps in digestion as well as strengthening the bones respectively.

Here is a list of various types of apples:

Arkansas Black - Arkansas Black apples are mostly used for cooking. It is used as one of the ingredients in sauerkraut recipes. This variety of apple has a firm texture and a sour taste.

Braeburn – This variety of apple is available anytime between October and July. The skin color of a Braeburn apple is reddish-orange with shades of yellow. This variety is usually used for making salad, applesauce, and pies. These apples can be frozen for later consumption.

Bramley’s Seedling - Are among the best cookers and for keeping

Cameo – Though the Cameo apples are harvested in the month of September, it is available in the market only between October and August. This variety is identified by the white spots on the red skin. Cameo apples are used in various desserts such as apple crumble or apple crisp and many more. It is also used to make salads, sauces and pies. Cameo apples can be frozen.

Cortland – Cortland apples are available almost throughout the year. The only time it is not available in the market is during the months of January, March and April. This variety of apple is sweet and the skin color is red spread over a yellowish-green skin. It is used for baking and freezing. It would make a good snack after a meal.

Egremont Russet – A desert apple which tastes sweet and wholesome, even when wrinkled.

Empire - Empire apples are available throughout the year. It is has a sweet and a sour taste. The skin color of this apple is a combination of red and green. You can freeze this variety of apples for future consumption.

Fuji - Fuji apples have reddish-pink skin. This variety belongs to Japan and was introduced in the US in the 1980s. This variety makes a good snack after a heavy meal. It tastes good in salads, pies and sauces. Fuji apples have longer shelf life without refrigeration. This is available from August to October.

Gala – This variety of apples is available from September to May. Though it is not good for freezing, it can be used for baking and apple pies. Gala apples have pinkish stripes on yellow skin. This variety of apples is very sweet.

Ginger Gold – This variety of apples have a sweet-sour taste. Ginger Gold apples are available from August to November. Apple pies and sauces could be made from this variety. However, it is not good for freezing. The skin color of a Ginger Gold apple is yellow.

Golden Delicious – As the name suggests, this variety is not only sweet and delicious but also golden yellow in color. It is used to make jams, salads, pies and sweet sauces. Golden Delicious apples are good for freezing too. This variety is available throughout the year.

Granny Smith – The skin color of this apple is green and it is very sour. It is available throughout the year. It can be frozen for later consumption. You can make pies and sauces with this variety.

Honeycrisp – This is a new variety of apples, which was introduced in the early ’90s. The skin color of a Honeycrisp apple is a combination of red and yellow. It is used for baking and making salads and sauce. It does not taste good in pies. This variety can be frozen.

Idared - Idared apples are available through out the year. The skin color of an Idared apple is pink. This variety has a sweet and sour taste. Idared apples can be used for baking and freezing. It is used for making pies and sauces.

Jonagold - Jonagold apples are a hybrid variety of the Jonathan and the Golden Delicious apple. This variety is mostly used for making sweet-sour sauces, pies and salads. You can freeze Jonagold apples for future consumption. Jonagold apples are available between October and May.

Jonathan – This variety has a shade of red and green skin color, and the taste is sour. Jonathan apples can be frozen. It is widely used in salads and sauces.

McIntosh – This variety of apple makes an excellent snack. You can make pies and sauces with McIntosh apples. However, these are not good for baking or freezing. The skin color of this apple is a blend of red and green. It tastes sweet with a tinge of sourness.

Red Delicious – The skin color of this variety of apple is red and it has a very sweet taste. This apple is good for making jams and would make a good dessert after a heavy meal. These apples are available in the market throughout the year.

Rome Beauty – This variety of apples are commonly used in baking. The skin color of this apple is crimson red and it is mildly sour. It is mostly used in salads and pies. It can be frozen too.

Winesap - Winesap apples are not good to eat raw and mostly used for making apple cider. This variety of apples is sour and has the flavor of a seasoned wine. The skin color of this apple is deep red.

Freezing Cherries-Dehydrating Apples

Fall is Fruit Harvesting season where I live and going to a local orchard to either pick your own or to buy a box of fresh fruit is an enjoyable family outing. The smell and taste of freshly picked cherries or apples just doesn’t compare to the grocery store. If you don’t have a local orchard, there is sure to be a farmers market nearby where you can stock up on local fruit.

Re-Visit Your Local Farmers Market

Dehydrating Apples:

It is easy to make your own dried apple rings or pieces to keep in your pantry for snacks or an addition to your morning oatmeal especially if you have a food dehydrator.

You can use your oven as well, but without a fan it takes longer and ties up your oven as well as heats up your kitchen.

Core and slice your apples in as uniform pieces as possible. The thinner they are the faster they will dry. Cut out any bruised or bad spots as you go. Place the apple rings on the dehydrator trays or oven racks and set the temperature to about 140ºF. If you’re using a dehydrator with a fan check back in about 8 hours to see how they’re doing. The apple slices will be dry when they have a leather consistency. Be sure they are completely dry before you package them so no mold can grow and contaminate your whole batch. Store in air tight containers in a cool dry place.

Learn about an Apple Slicer-Peeler-Corer as well as Freezing Apples Here!

Keep Apples from Turning Brown by three easy methods: Apples are notorious for browning. Once you have washed, cored and/or peeled your apples, you will want to either:

(1) Dissolve ½ teaspoon ascorbic acid, also known as “FruitFresh”, into 3 tablespoons of water then sprinkle over the apples and blend.

(2) Soak sliced apples in a solution of 2 tablespoons of salt per 1 gallon of water, stir water a bit to make sure all have been submerged, or

(3) Steam-blanch them for 1 ½ minutes then cool them in ice water before freezing.

Any of the three methods mentioned above will keep apples from browning and must be applied before apples are frozen.

Freezing Cherries:

Cherries are already little bundles of natural sugar dressed up as fruit, so there is no need to add additional sugar.

There are several ways to pack cherries for freezing. The best method selected will depend upon how you want to use the frozen product.

Sugar Syrup Recipes: The sugar syrup recipe is useful because it preserves the flavor and texture best. Use 2 cups of sugar added to every 3 cups of water. Of course, you can scale this up or down to according to the table below. Combine sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil until the sugar is dissolved. Chill. Add ½ teaspoon of ascorbic acid (Fruit Fresh) to each quart of syrup. Pour ½ cup of syrup into the freezer container then add cherries. If necessary, add more syrup until the cherries are completely covered and place a small piece of waxed paper on top to keep the cherries submerged. Leave ½ inch headspace for pints, 1 inch for quarts.

Syrup Pack: A light syrup is recommended for sweet cherries while a medium syrup can be used for sour cherries. Allow at least 1/2 to 2/3 cup of syrup for each pint size jar of fruit.

Sugar Pack: Mix 2/3 cups sugar per 1 quart of sour cherries or 1/3 cups sugar per quart of sweet cherries. Place cherries into freezer containers leaving at least 1/2 inch head space.

Loose Cherry Pack: This method entails placing the freshly pitted cherries directly into freezer containers.  Make sure to remove as much air as possible and remember to leave at least 1/2 to 3/4 inch head room at the top.

Unsweetened Pack:  Place washed, pitted fresh cherries in a single layer on a cookie sheet or shallow tray, then place in the freezer. Once the cherries are completely frozen,  transfer them to freezer bags or plastic containers for long term storage. Squeeze as much air out of the container as possible. You can even use a straw to suck the air out if you would like.

Use frozen cherries in smoothies, shakes, or any baked goods in which you would use fresh pitted cherries.

Recipes with Fruits – Cherry Tarts!

Fruit for Gifts Here

Recipes with Fruits

Fresh Apple Recipes Here!

Learn How to Pit Cherries Here!

Discover the Different Types of Cherries & Apples

Cobbler Pie:

This is a delicious cherry cobbler made with fresh cherries instead of canned. It may take a little longer to make because you need to pit the cherries, but it is well worth it when you taste the finished product.

Ingredience:

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350º F (175º C). Place the butter in a 9×13 inch baking dish, and place in the oven to melt while the oven is preheating. Remove as soon as butter has melted, about 5 minutes.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of sugar, and baking powder. Mix in the milk until well blended, then pour the batter into the pan over the butter. Do not stir.

3. Rinse out the bowl from the batter, and dry. Place cherries into the bowl, and toss with the remaining 3/4 cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon of flour. Distribute the cherry mixture evenly over the batter. Do not stir.

4. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. A toothpick inserted into the cobber should come out clean

Note: This cobbler recipe is easy & really delicious. You may want to doubled the sour cherries (4 cups), add 1 tsp. vanilla extract & ½ tsp. cinnamon. This recipe is a keeper! Addition: Please note the extra cherries could add additional cooking time (about 20 min.)

Cherry Cobbler:

Ingredients:

Basic Sweet Pie Crust

Directions:
Preheat the oven 350º F .

In a bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the cherries and cook, stirring gently, for 1 minute. Add the sugar-flour mixture, and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and begins to boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the brandy. Let cool.

Divide the pie dough in two, one portion slightly larger then the other. Roll out the larger portion on a lightly floured surface to about 11 inches in diameter. Transfer to a deep 8-inch cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven, fitting the dough up the sides, leaving a slight overhang. Roll out the remaining dough into a large rectangle and cut into 1-inch thick strips.

Pour the fruit mixture into the bottom dough. Working one strip at a time, create a lattice top crust by laying the strips across the top in one direction, then turn and lay across in the other, interweaving the strips if desired. Roll up the overhanging bottom crust over the edges and pinch to seal. Crimp together around the pan. Brush the top with the cream and lightly sprinkle with one tablespoon of granulated sugar. Bake until the crust is golden and the juices are bubbly, about 40 minutes.

Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.

Basic Sweet Pie Crust
Sift the flour, sugar, and salt into a large bowl. Using your fingers, work in the butter and shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Add 3 tablespoons of ice water and work with your fingers until the water is incorporated and the dough comes together. Add more water as needed to make a smooth dough, being careful not to over mix.

Form the dough into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using.

Cherry Tarts:

Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Place crescent dough on a lightly floured surface; seal seams and perforations. Cut into 2-in. circles. Place in greased miniature muffin cups. In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Place about 1/2 teaspoon in each cup. Combine pie filling and extract; place about 2 teaspoons in each cup.

2. Bake at 375º F for 12-14 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Refrigerate until serving.

Cherry Cream Cheese Tarts:

Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º F .

2. Place a paper cupcake liner in each cup of muffin pan. Beat cream cheese with a handheld electric mixer until fluffy. Add sugar and vanilla, beating well. Add eggs, 1at a time, beating well after each addition. Lay a vanilla wafer, flat side down, in each muffin cup. Spoon cream cheese mixture over wafers. Bake for 20 minutes. Allow tarts to cool completely. Serve with cherry filling on top, or pie filling of your choice.

Fresh Cherry Tarts Recipe

Ingredients:

Directions:
1. Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in top of a double boiler.
2. Add corn syrup and mix well.
3. Add cherries.
4. Place over boiling water and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens.
5. Cover and continue cooking about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Remove from heat and add almond extract.
7. Cool.
8. Pour into baked tart shells and chill.
9. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.
Makes 6 tarts.

Baked Fresh Cherry Pie

Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400º F (205º C). Place bottom crust in piepan. Set top crust aside, covered.

2. In a large mixing bowl combine tapioca, salt, sugar, cherries and extracts. Let stand 15 minutes. Turn out into bottom crust and dot with butter. Cover with top crust, flute edges and cut vents in top. Place pie on a foil lined cookie sheet — in case of drips!

3. Bake for 50 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown.

Store Garden Produce #7- Storing Cherries – Freezing Apples

About 30 years ago, I started planting apple trees on our land. Shortly thereafter, we also started growing cherry trees. When it came time for harvest season, we lived by trial and error. I learned more about the facts of fruits than herb gardening in those first several years. I would like to share with you my experiences to help you further develop your own skills. I will be covering Ethylene Gas in Part 8 of this series. This article is not inclusive and should be shared with Parts 1-10 of this series. (See Link Below)

Cherries-Types: The nutritional value in cherries varies somewhat amongst the two main types: sweet and sour. Sweet cherries can be eaten raw to protect their high vitamin C but they virtually contain no vitamin A. Sweet cherries also contain anthocyanin and melatonin, an antioxidant that fights insomnia and jet lag.  Sour cherries, on the other hand, are tastier when cooked. Sour cherries are lower in calories and are full of vitamin A but contain only ½ the amount of vitamin C. Sour cherries also contain fiber, manganese, copper and beta-carotene. Being a red fruit, the health benefits from cherries provide antioxidants, especially lycopene, which helps to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Black cherries make the perfect gout cherries. Cherries nutritional value is high in potassium and carbohydrates but low in saturated fat and cholesterol.

Sweetness will vary from farm to farm, even tree to tree and week to week. The darker the cherry, the sweeter its flavor and the more health benefits. Good cherries should be large (one inch or more in diameter), glossy, plump, hard and dark-colored according to variety. The stems should be left on and be green and fresh, bending easily and snapping back when released. If buying cherries, they should be kept cool and moist, as the flavor and texture both suffer at warm temperatures. Avoid sticky cherries (they’ve been damaged and are leaking), red cherries with very pale skin (they’re not fully ripe), and bruised cherries whose flesh will be discolored under the bruise. If you find many damaged cherries, eliminate them for they will speed up the decaying process.

A Word of Caution: Like apple seeds, cherry pits contain amygdalin, a naturally occurring cyanide/sugar compound that breaks down into hydrogen cyanide in the stomach. Accidentally swallowing a cherry pit once in a while is not a serious hazard, however, there have been reports of humans being poisoned after eating apple seeds.

Storing Cherries: Cherries have a limited growing season and are highly perishable. By storing cherries in the refrigerator, keeping them cold and humid, you will be preserving their nutrients and flavor. Loosely pack unwashed cherries in plastic bags or place them in a single layer in a shallow pan then cover with plastic wrap to minimize bruising. Check the fruit occasionally and remove any damaged cherries. Always wash your fruit before eating.  For the best, most sweetest flavor, allow the cherries to come to room temperature before eating. Fresh cherries will last up to 4 days in the refrigerator.

Pitting Cherries: To remove cherry pits, there are two methods applied.  The first is to use actual cherry pitters. After washing and stemming the cherry, place the cherry pitters curved side, underneath the spike. Squeeze the pitter so that the spike goes through the cherry, forcing out the pit. The second method entails using either an un-bent large paper clip, or my favorite, an orange manicure stick. Insert the instrument of your choice into the stem-end of the cherry. You should feel it hit the pit. Then twist it around the pit and scoop it out. Sour cherries are the easiest to pit but after experimenting a bit to see which twisting motion works best for you, the mangled mess won’t look so bad, besides, they will still taste just as good.

Drying Cherries: Cherries take longer to dry compared to many other fruits. Both sweet and sour cherries are great for drying and they rehydrate easily. They can be used in baked products in place of raisins or in cobbler pie. You can also put them into lemonade or ice tea. Some of their vitamin C content is lost during drying however. Fresh cherries are known for their short shelf life so drying cherries will extend this process up to about a year. Select only fully ripened fruit. Wash, stem and pit them. Large cherries can be cut in half for drying. Place on the dehydrator screens and dry at a medium temperature of 140^o F until pliable and leathery with no pockets of moisture. Depending upon your dehydrator’s wattage, the drying process may take anywhere from 6-18 hours. As a rule of thumb, you might want to wait an additional hour for each additional rack.

Freezing Cherries: Learn about the 4 methods of freezing cherries as well as how to preserve their color and flavor by clicking on the link below. I have also included several fresh cherry recipes-desserts like cherry tarts as well as ideas for gift giving such as fruit for gifts and fruit in a basket.

Preserving Apples:  The first rule when harvesting apples is to store only perfect fruit.  All apples should be handled with care. If any are dropped or knocked around, they should be set aside for immediate consumption. The tiniest puncture, pinprick, or bruise will be enough to cause immature decay. Use caution when storing apples with other vegetables as they give off ethylene gas that causes other vegetables to rot. I talk more about ethylene gas in part 8 of this series.

Storing Apples:  Apples can be kept for as long as 6 months if they are kept in temperatures between 32 –45ºF. Fruit must be completely dry upon storage. Moisture breads decay! Rain or dew on the skin when harvesting should be carefully dried off. An alternative is to gather your fruit on a breezy, dry summer day. As mentioned in Part 1 of this series, it is worth wrapping individual fruits in newspaper and storing them in cardboard boxes or trays in the darkest, coolest corners of the basement. Parts 9-10 of Store Garden Produce- will address alternative Root Cellars. Examine your fruit from time to time in any type of storage, removing any that show signs of ageing. Mid-season and late varieties tend to store much better than earlier season varieties.

Freezing Apples: Some types of apples freeze better than others, especially the ones for making pies or sauce. Granny Smith, Golden Delicious and Winesap hold up well to freezing and resist bruising. McIntosh bruises easily and Red Delicious is the least favorite to freeze. You will need approximately 1 ¼  to 1 ½  pounds of sliced quartered apples to fill one pint and about 2 ½  to 3 pounds to fill a quart.

Preparing your apples is the most time consuming part of freezing. You can peel, core and slice your apples by hand or use a handle-crank, apple peeling machine that sits on the counter. There are basically 2 types of apple peelers: those that have a suction base and those that clamp on to the edge of a table. I prefer the suction type due to its portability. They are relatively inexpensive and work great, an apple slicer-peeler-corer all rolled into one. I always peel my apples but that’s a personal preference.

Keep Apples from Turning Brown by three easy methods: Apples are notorious for browning. Once you have washed, cored and/or peeled your apples, you will want to either (1) dissolve ½ teaspoon ascorbic acid, also known as “FruitFresh”, into 3 tablespoons of water then sprinkle over the apples and blend. (2) Soak sliced apples in a solution of 2 tablespoons of salt per 1 gallon of water, stir water a bit to make sure all have been submerged, or (3) steam-blanch them for 1 ½ minutes then cool them in ice water before freezing. Any of the three methods mentioned above will keep apples from browning and must be applied before apples are frozen.

Choose Your Method of Freezing Apples: There are several methods to freeze apples depending upon how you intend to use them afterward. Freezing apples dry, in sugar or the syrup pack method are the most popular.  The sugar pack is preferred for apples in uncooked desserts or fruit cocktail.  A sugar or dry pack is ideal for pie making.  Dry packs can be used generically. The sugar and syrup pack methods are less likely to brown or develop freezer burn. Containers suitable for freezing should be airtight and include plastic bags or rigid plastic containers. Apples in syrup or sugar packs will keep for 10-12 months when stored at 0ºF. Dry packs should be used within 3-6 months.

Dry Pack: This is the easiest method for freezing apples, but it does not retain the texture and flavor as well as the other methods. Treat apple slices to preserve color, pack them into a suitable container leaving ½ inch of headspace then freeze. Apple slices can also be frozen first on a tray and then packed into containers as soon as they are frozen.

Sugar Pack: You will need ½ cup sugar per quart (1¼ pounds) of peeled, sliced apples. After treating the apples to preserve their color, place the sliced apples into a shallow bowl. Mix in sugar then pack the apples into containers, leaving ½ inch of headspace per pint and freeze.

Syrup Pack: The sugar syrup recipe is useful because it preserves the flavor and texture best. Use 2 cups of sugar added to every 3 cups of water.  Of course, you can scale this up or down to suit the amount of apples you have. Combine sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil until the sugar is dissolved. Chill. Add ½ teaspoon of ascorbic acid to each quart of syrup. Pour ½ cup of syrup into the freezer container and add apples. If necessary, add more syrup until apples are covered and place a small piece of waxed paper on top to keep the apples submerged. Leave ½ inch headspace for pints, 1 inch for quarts.

Learn about Dehydrating Apples & Freezing Cherries Here!

Recipes with Fruits – Cherry Tarts – Fruit for Gifts Here!

Follow Kali’s 10 Part Series on Storing Garden Produce Here!

Successful Gardening!
Kali S Winters

Herb Companions For Garden and Kitchen

Herbs are great companions to food in your culinary masterpieces, and they are great companions in the garden too.

Anise:

In the garden: Plant with coriander, which promotes its germination and growth.

In the kitchen: Use in cookies, cakes, fruit fillings, and breads, or with cottage cheese, shellfish, and spaghetti dishes.

Basil

In the garden: Plant with tomatoes. Repels flies and mosquitoes.

In the kitchen: Use in tomato dishes, pesto, sauces, and salad dressings.

Borage

In the garden:  Plant with tomatoes, squash, and strawberries. Deters tomato worm.

In the kitchen:  Use leaves in salads; flowers in soups and stews.

Caraway

In the garden: Plant here and there. Loosens soil.

In the kitchen: Use in rye breads, cheese dips and rarebits, soups, applesauce, salads, coleslaw, and over pork or sauerkraut.

Chervil

In the garden: Plant with radishes.

In the kitchen: Use with soups, salads, sauces, eggs, fish, veal, lamb, and pork.

Chives

In the garden:  Plant with carrots.

In the kitchen:  Related to the onion, chives enliven vegetable dishes, dressings, casseroles, rice, eggs, cheese dishes, sauces, gravies, and dips.

Dill

In the garden: Plant with cabbages. Keep away from carrots.

In the kitchen: Use seed for pickles and also to add aroma and taste to strong vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage, and turnips. Use fresh with green beans, potato dishes, cheese, soups, salads, seafood, and sauces.

Fennel

In the garden: Plant away from other herbs and vegetables.

In the kitchen: Use to flavor pastries, confectionery, sweet pickles, sausages, tomato dishes, soups, and to flavor vinegars and oils. Gives warmth and sweetness to curries.

Garlic

In the garden: Plant near roses and raspberries. Deters Japanese beetle.

In the kitchen: Use in tomato dishes, garlic bread, soups, dips, sauces, marinades, or with meats, poultry, fish, and vegetables.

Lovage

In the garden: Plant here and there to improve the health and flavor of other plants.

In the kitchen: It’s a great flavoring for soups, stews, and salad dressings. Goes well with potatoes. The seeds can be used on breads and biscuits.

Marjoram

In the garden: Good companion to all vegetables.

In the kitchen: Excellent in almost any meat, fish, dairy, or vegetable dish that isn’t sweet. Add near the end of cooking.

Mint

In the garden: Plant near cabbage and tomatoes. Deters white cabbage moth.

In the kitchen: It is common in Middle Eastern dishes. Use with roast lamb or fish and in salads, jellies, or teas.

Oregano

In the garden: Good companion to all vegetables.

In the kitchen: Of Italian origin, its taste is zesty and strong, good in any tomato dish. Try oregano with summer squash and potatoes, mushroom dishes, beans, or in a marinade for lamb or game.

Parsley

In the garden: Plant near asparagus, corn, and tomatoes.

In the kitchen: Use fresh parsley in soups, sauces, and salads. It lessens the need for salt in soups. You can fry parsley and use it as a side dish with meat or fish. It is, of course, the perfect garnish.

Rosemary

In the garden: Plant near cabbage, beans, carrots, and sage. Deters cabbage moth, bean beetles, and carrot fly.

In the kitchen: Use for poultry, lamb, and tomato dishes, stews, soups, and vegetables. Try it finely chopped in breads and custards.

Sage

In the garden: Plant near rosemary, cabbage, and carrots; away from cucumbers. Deters cabbage moth and carrot fly.

In the kitchen: Use in cheese dishes, stuffings, soups, pickles, with beans and peas, and in salads. Excellent for salt-free cooking.

Summer Savory

In the garden: Plant with beans and onions to improve growth and flavor.

In the kitchen: Popular in soups, stews, stuffings, and with fish, chicken, green beans, and eggs.

Tarragon

In the garden: Good companion to most vegetables.

In the kitchen: Great with meat, eggs, poultry, seafood, and in salad dressings, marinades, and sauces.

Thyme

In the garden: Plant near cabbage. Deters cabbage worm.

In the kitchen: Use in casseroles, stews, soups, ragouts, and with eggs, potatoes, fish, and green vegetables.

Successful Gardening!
Kali S Winters

Start your own Herb Garden~Here!

Other Articles of Interest:
Growing Herbs in Pots-
Home Herb Garden Basics-
Herb Garden Kits-

Dehydrated Beans

Drying Green Beans -

The “Leather Britches” Way

Early American settlers used this drying method with green beans. Before refrigeration, food was preserved by either drying, or storing food in a root cellar. By drying whole green beans into “leather britches”, people could enjoy an exceptionally good quality green bean all season long.

The whole process begins by sitting on the front porch swing, sipping a cold glass of iced tea while shucking the green beans.

After you have gathered and snapped the beans ends, the drying process begins. Traditional methods of drying greens beans entailed stringing them up by using a needle and heavy thread, although conventional methods prefer to dry the beans on a screen for several days.  The use of old screen windows are used for the drying process which allows enough air to circulate all around the beans evenly. Be sure to place some fine netting or cheese cloth over the beans to keep the insects away.  After several days they are ready for storage.

For the “sewing” method, you do not have to rise or dry your beans first.  If you sew your beans on thread to dry and they are damp, they could possible rot. Take a thick needle and sturdy thread and thread the needle through the pod, not the bean or you will never get the thread out afterward.  Then hang them to dry. I have dried green beans in the shade and full sun and both methods work fine as long as the been remains dry and no moisture gets to them.  You want to dry them with the least amount of humidity as possible.

Once the beans are dry as leather, which usually takes several days up to a week,  depending upon the humidity, they are then ready to be stored in the freezer.  Afterward, “Leather Britches” will need to soaked before cooking, they are best soaked over night and then the liquid drained off, followed by two more fresh-water soaks in the morning. After soaking the beans, they are then ready to be cooked as if they were fresh beans. Everthing depends upon the “moisture removal” process during the initial drying period in order to obtain the “freshness” quality or “raw” quality of the original “green bean”

When you’re ready to cook, you rinse them really well and set them in water to soak overnight, then simmer slow on the back of the stove with a piece of white bacon for seasoning for a few hours. Add salt when the beans are tender, not before and serve with cornbread.

Instructions for drying Shucky Beans

String very full beans as you would for cooking, but do not break them. Thread beans on twine, using just enough beans on each string for one or two meals. Then drop them into a brine of ½ cup coarse salt and one gallon of water for 15 minutes. Drain on newspaper. The brine will keep bugs away from your beans. Hang the strings of beans on wire or rope in a dry place for at least three weeks. Make sure they are completely dry or they will mold.

Successful Gardening!
Kali S Winters

Calories of Green Beans – Chart Here!

Green Beans Types Here!

Green Bean Casseroles Recipes!

Calories of Green Beans – Chart

Green Bean Casseroles Recipes Here!

Dehydrated Beans Here!

Store Garden Produce #6 – Storing & Freezing Green Beans Types Here!

Calories of Green Beans – Green Beans Types

Green Beans Types – Chart

Green beans are separated into two types — Pole beans vs bush beans. The varieties within these two types are listed below.

Bush varieties:

• Burpee’s Tenderpod- stingless green pod, harvest at 50 days, has 5-inch-long green pods.
• Contender, 50 days (green)
• Rocdor, 53 days (yellow)
• Cherokee Wax, 55 days (yellow)
• Golden Wax/Improved Golden Wax/Pencil Pod Black Wax/Top Notch, 55 days (yellow, heirloom)
• Red Swan, 55 days (red)
• Blue Lake 274, harvest at 58 days, has green, 61/2-inch pods with white seeds.
• Maxibel, 59 days (green fillet)
• Improved Commodore/Bush Kentucky Wonder, 60 days (green), 1945 AAS winner
• Roma II, harvest at 59 days, has green romano, flattened pods, 41/2 inches long.
• Brittle Wax, harvest at 52 days, has rounded, yellow pods, 7 inches long. Royal Burgundy, harvest at 51 days, has 6-inch-long purple pods.
• Dragon’s Tongue, 60 days (streaked)
• Festiva, harvest at 56 days, is deep green and disease resistant.
• Soliel, harvest at 60 days, is a high-yielding yellow.

Pole varieties:

• Kentucky Wonder, harvest at 65 days, is a proved standard variety with heavy yields of 9-inch green pods.
• Meraviglia di Venezia (Marvel of Venice), 54 days (yellow romano)
• Fortex, 60 days (green fillet)
• Kentucky Blue, 63 days (green), 1991 AAS winner
• Old Homestead/Kentucky Wonder, 65 days (green, heirloom)
• Rattlesnake, 73 days (streaked, heirloom)
• Purple King, 75 days (purple)
• Blue Lake, harvest at 60 days, has pods that are 6 inches long with white seeds.
• Scarlet Runner Bean, harvest at 65 days, is often grown ornamentally for its scarlet flowers; pods are green and up to 12 inches long.

Snap beans require a short growing season — about 60 days of moderate temperatures from seed to first crop. They grow anywhere in the United States and are an encouraging vegetable for the inexperienced gardener. Snap beans require warm soil to germinate and should be planted on the average date of last frost.

You can plant bush beans every two weeks to extend the harvest, or you can start with bush beans and follow up with pole beans. Plant seeds an inch deep, directly in the garden. For bush beans, plant the seeds 2 inches apart in single rows or wide rows. Seeds of pole beans should be planted 4 to 6 inches apart in rows 30 to 36 inches apart. Or, plant them in inverted hills, five or six seeds to a hill, with 30 inches of space around each hill.

For pole bean varieties, set the trellis at the time of planting to avoid disturbing the roots. Keep the soil evenly moist until the beans have pushed through the ground. When seedlings are growing well, thin the plants to 4 to 6 inches apart. Thin plants by cutting excess seedlings with scissors to avoid disturbing the roots of neighboring seedlings.

Green, Wax, String, or Snap Beans: Green beans, wax beans, string beans, or snap beans are long and rounded. Most are green, but some are yellow or even purple. Heirloom varieties may still have a fibrous “string” running down their sides, but most varieties for sale today have had that inconvenience bred out of them. Steamed Green Beans are delicious with just a pat of butter and a sprinkle of salt. They are also delicious when turned into pickles.

French Green Beans: These delicate green beans are very thin. They are usually green, but yellow varieties are out there, too. Many people consider them the best of the green beans, and they are priced accordingly.

Purple string beans are simply purple version of classic green beans or wax beans. They loose their purple color when cooked, so consider them for raw recipes or lightly steam them and dip them into ice water to preserve as much of their color as possible.

Romano beans are flat and wide and flavorful. Smaller ones tend to be more tender. Large ones will have more developed bean seeds inside. They require a bit more cooking, but have more flavor. Try them as Braised Green Beans to bring out their nutty sweet essence.

Long Beans: Sometimes called yard-long beans, these beans are, in fact, a completely different family of plant from green beans. They are similar in flavor and look (except for their length) to green beans, however, and can be cooked in the same ways. Look for long beans between 12 and 18 inches long for the best flavor and tender texture.

Dry Beans:

Azuki (adzuki) – These small, dark red beans, native to the Orient, are thought to be useful in treating kidney ailments and other ills. They are loaded with nutrients and are a good source of calcium, phosphorus, potassium, iron and vitamin A.

Anasazi – Similar to pinto beans, these red and white speckled beans were originally grown by Native Americans. Try them tossed with noodles as a cold side salad or mixed with rice or quinoa as a complement to any meal.

Black turtle – These small, compact black beans are especially popular in Mexican and Southwestern cooking. Fresh cilantro, crushed garlic, and a little hot sauce are all you need to transform a pot of black beans into a distinctive side dish or quick lunch.

Black-eyed peas – Also known as cow peas, black-eyed peas are a southern staple. They are rich in potassium and phosphorus and loaded with fiber. Try them the traditional way, served with steamed greens and a splash of vinegar.

Garbanzo (chickpeas) – Garbanzo beans, or chickpeas are a staple food in the Middle East and are high in potassium, calcium, iron and vitamin A. These round, pale yellow legumes are traditionally used to make hummus – a thick mixture of chickpeas and tahini used as a dip or spread – and they are also great with grains.

Kidney Beans – These medium-sized red beans get their name from their distinctive shape. Kidney beans are a mainstay in Mexican meals, and they work equally well in soups and stews. Try mixing them with other cooked beans and tossing them in a light vinaigrette for a quick and easy, super nutritious salad.

Lentils – A member of the pea family, these small, disk-shaped seeds have been found in excavations dating from the Bronze Age. These little legumes are nutritional dynamos – they are high in calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, chlorine, sulfur and vitamin A – and are available in brown, red, and green varieties.

Lima Beans – Lima beans have a distinctive flavor and are loaded with potassium, phosphorus and vitamin A. They take a little longer to cook, but they are worth the wait. Serve them hot, tossed with fresh basil or rosemary and a little olive oil.

Mung Beans – These small, dark green beans are grown in India and the Orient. Sprouted, they are the mainstay of stir-fries and make a wonderful addition to salads. Try tossing a handful of sprouted mung beans in soups just before serving, or mix them with millet and a little ground cumin for a savory side dish.

Navy Beans – The hefty size and hearty texture of these flavorful white beans makes them the perfect bean for soups and stews. Or try mixing them with diced carrots and slivers of green pepper for a hot side dish or cold salad.

Split Peas – These flavorful members of the legume family come in both yellow and green varieties and make a wonderfully substantial soup that is easy to make and loaded with nearly any grain and are especially delicious with buckwheat or wild rice.

Pinto Beans – Along with black turtle and kidney beans, pinto beans are a favorite from the Southwest. They are rich in calcium, potassium, and phosphorus, and they make great soups.

Soybeans – The soybean has been a major source of food and oil in the Orient for thousand of years, but it was unknown in Europe and America until 1900. The soybean is the only legume that’s a complete protein by itself, and it is the most versatile bean around – you will find soybeans in a variety of forms, from dried or toasted soybeans to tofu, miso, tempeh and tamari.

In general, beans are warm-season annuals (although the roots of tropical species tend to be perennial) that grow erect (bush types) or as vines (pole or running types). Field beans are mostly the bush type and are used as stock feed. This has also become the principal use of the ancient large-seeded broad bean (called also the horse or Windsor bean), still widely grown in Europe but seldom as food for humans.

The common garden beans comprise several bush types and most of the pole types; the most often cultivated and most varied species, P. vulgata, is familiar as both types. P. vulgata is the French haricot and the Spanish frijole. String beans, snap beans, green and yellow wax beans, and some kidney beans are eaten as whole pods; several kidney beans, pinto beans, pea beans, and many other types are sold as mature dry seeds. The lima or butter beans (P. lunatus, including the former P. limensis), usually pole but sometimes bush types, have a long history; they have been found in prehistoric Peruvian graves. The sieva is a type of lima. The scarlet runner (P. multiflorus), grown in Europe for food, is mainly an ornamental vine in North America. The tepary (P. acutifolius latifolius), a small variety long grown by Indians in the SW United States, has been found better suited to hot, arid climates and is more prolific than the frijole.

Other beans are the hyacinth bean or lablab Dolichos lablab, grown in E Asia and the tropics for forage and food and cultivated in North America as an ornamental vine; the asparagus bean or yard-long bean Vigna sesquipedalis, grown in E Asia for food but often cultivated in the West as a curiosity; and the velvet bean Stizolobium, cultivated in the S United States as a forage and cover crop. The carob, the cowpea or black-eyed pea, and the chickpea or garbanzo are among the many other legumes sometimes considered beans. The sacred bean of India is the seed of the Indian lotus (of the water lily family).

Soya beans: These are rich source of proteins. They can be used in preparing delicious dishes. You can extract milk from these beans. Soya milk is healthy and tasty.

Kidney beans: These are most popular beans and widely used in North Indian cuisine. These beans are soaked over night and then cooked. These beans good for women who are going to reach their menpause state.

White beans: These are widely used in south-Indian cuisine. They are generally used with cauliflower, brinjal, reddish and tomato.

Black eye beans: They are rich in taste. These are generally prepared by soaking them in water overnight. Tomato and black eye bean combination is very tasty.

Other varieties are:

• Pitto beans
• Cranberry beans
• Azuki bean
• Lima bean
• Black bean
• Red bean

Caution: These beans must be cooked thoroughly to prevent toxins. That is why we need to soak them overnight and then cook on pressure for 5 to 6 whistles.

There are many different varieties of beans, Below is a list of all the different types of beans from around the world:-

1, Black-eyed peas, also known as; Field peas, cow peas, cream peas, Jerusalem peas, ton kin peas, crowed peas, and marble peas. These are small and shaped like kidneys with a black patch.

2.  Cranberry beans, these are oval with a nutty flavor.

3. Fava beans, which are long sometimes nearly 18 inches long, they are also known as broad beans, horse beans, and Windsor beans.

4. Lima beans, these were named after the capital of Peru.

5. Ford-hook Lima’s, also known as sieve beans, butter beans, civet beans, saawee beans and sugar beans.

6. Baby Lima’s.

7. Soya beans.

Most beans that people use today are canned or dried. They should be used regular as part of a healthy diet. They are high in dietry fibre and complex carbohydrates. Soya beans are the only beans that are a complete source of protein.

There are numerous types of beans, but very few were known before the discovery of the Americas. Broad (fava) beans, soy, mung, lentil and French haricot were the main beans known to the ‘Old World’, and they are still extremely important beans in much of the world.

http://www.holisticherbsinfo.com/green-beans-types-chart/

Green Bean Casseroles Recipes Here!

Store Garden Produce #6 – Storing & Freezing Green Beans Types Here!

Calories of Green Beans – Chart Here!

Green Bean Casseroles Recipes

Discover:

Store Garden Produce #6 – Storing & Freezing Green Beans Types Here!

Dehydrated Beans Here!

Calories of Green Beans – Chart Here!

String/Green Beans Salad

1 frozen whole string bean
olive oil
wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint (or 1 Tbsp dried)
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 garlic clove (thinly sliced or chopped)
salt & pepper

Cucumber, String Bean and Olive Salad

kosher salt for boiling
1/2 lb string bean
2 cucumbers (1 1/4 pounds)
1/4 lb  black olive, pitted, cut in half
1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
fresh ground pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
bowl ice water (for green beans)

Easy & Fast–Market Place Campbells String Bean Casserole

Green Bean Bake Recipe

1 (10 1/2 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon soy sauce
pepper (optional)
4 cups fresh green beans, cut in half,cooked until just crisp
1 can French-fried onions

Beans Casserole

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
1 medium carrot, sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
6 fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 (14.5 ounce) can red kidney beans, drained
1/2 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper to taste
1/2 (1 pound) loaf French bread, cut into
1/2 inch thick slices
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Recipe for String Bean Casserole

This Green Bean and Potato Casserole recipe makes 6-8 servings. To add even more flavor, crumble a few slices of bacon and add near the end of the cooking time.

2 16-oz. packages frozen cut green beans
5 medium red-skinned potatoes
1 large onion, sliced
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
Margarine

Store Garden Produce #6-Storing & Freezing Green Beans Types

As the cooler months take hold, you might have an abundance of green beans left over from your summer crops. Did you know that “Green Beans” actually derived its name from the young pods of the bean plants that are picked before the pods ripen or dry? Only then are they tender enough to be called “Green Beans” meaning “green” for the unripe fruit of the bean; many in fact are not green in color at all. The pod colors of “green beans” can be green, golden, purple, red, or streaked. Many people associate “green beans” to the recipes for green bean casserole or 3 beans salads. But Green Beans have many more attributes… This article is not inclusive and should be shared with Parts 1-10 of this series. Part 7 of this series will provide tips and techniques on Storing Cherries & Freezing Apples as well as preserving other orchard fruits. (See Link Below)

List of Legumes: There are over 7 million tons of green beans produced annually worldwide. Green beans are actually considered a legume which describes a pod, such as that of a pea or bean, that splits into two; with the seeds considered a fruit and the pod considered a vegetable. Shapes can range from the thin “filet” beans to the wide “romano” types with the more common types in between. Green, Runner, French, Broad, Yellow Wax, Sting, Snap Beans…whichever you prefer– Green bean types have been bred especially for the bright color, crisp texture, and juicy vegetable flavor of their pods. They all describe one thing in common…all are harvested and preserved in the same fashion. Click here for a chart on the different types of green beans (Or check the link below)…

Green Beans Types: There are basically three commonly known types of green beans: string or runner beans, string less or french beans, and snap beans. Snap green beans are the ones usually grown when green bean gardening at home.  They are named for the sound they make at the perfect ripening stage. They have a thin flat pod that requires less cooking time. Sting less or french beans are generally named due to whether the pod has a tough, fibrous “string” running along its length. And string or runner beans have long, flat pods that have a coarse textured skin. More mature beans display a pronounced fibrous string running down both sides.  All green beans used to be called string beans because older varieties had fibrous side strings.  Just before use, remove the strings and trim the ends.Generally purple beans and yellow wax beans are identical in taste and texture to true colored green beans.

Pole Beans Vs Bush Beans: To make matters even more confusing, when green bean gardening, beans are then split into two sub-categories: bush beans and pole or running beans. Bush beans are short plants, growing to approximately two feet in height, without requiring supports. They generally reach maturity and produce all of their fruit in a relatively short period of time, then stop production. Growing pole beans or runners requires a bean trellis in which to climb as they grow. There really is no difference between pole beans and bush beans, other than how they are grown. One may fit into your garden architecture better than the other or you may prefer the look of one to another. Some of the most popular bush beans are Blue Lake 274, Kentucky Wonder, Festiva and Burpee’s Tenderpod. Some popular pole beans are Kentucky Blue, Kentucky Wonder and Blue Lake. Check out the link at the bottom for a better distinction amongst the different green beans types.

Nutrition Facts on Beans: The calories of green beans are considered low carb beans that do not contain saturated fat. They are a rich source of vitamin K and B, minerals and are high in protein. This makes them an excellent substitute for meats in the diet. Apart from protein, beans also contain iron, fiber, folic acid and starch. Those with colored shells (such as scarlet runners) also contain antioxidants. The protein in legumes is incomplete, but, when combined with grains, they present a perfectly balanced protein, making beans and grains (mostly rice) dishes an ideal meal for vegans or vegetarians.

Harvesting Green Beans: The best time to harvest green beans is when they are small and tender. Look for beans with nicely shaped pods and small seeds. The beans should also have a velvety feel to them and be pliable. Beans that are over mature will be tough and stringy and should not be used. Light green to white wax beans have a tendency to be tough. The whiter they are, the older they are. To harvest, carefully pull them from the vine right above the bean, detaching a small length of the stem to avoid damaging the beanstalk. Look for slender yellow to pale green beans. Avoid beans with white mold or mushy tips. If you can see the shape of the beans within the pod, the beans are overgrown. If beans are picked just right, the green beans plants will continue to produce for several weeks. Pick regularly once the pods have reached a length of 6-8″ but make sure they are picked before the beans inside begin to swell. By accomplishing this – which may mean picking them every day or two – you will prolong the harvest period for 6-8 weeks. Production will stop if you allow even a few to ripen. If you plan on eating your green beans within the next few days, storing them in the refrigerator is the best option. Place the beans in a plastic bag to lock in the moisture and to prevent wilting. Do not wash or cut the beans before storage, only before eating, as they will begin to lose some of their nutrients.

To Freeze Beans: If you have been spoiled eating fresh green beans straight from your garden throughout the summer, then you may be dreading the end of the growing season where you will have to revert back to the store bought or canned green beans. Just know that freezing green beans is the easiest way to enjoy them year round. Canning requires jars, lids, and a pressure cooker along with having to sterilize the jars prior to use. It does entail tedious work. However, freezing green beans only requires a pot to boil the water, a bowl for blanching and freezer bags, or a good quality foodsaver.

Blanching Green Beans: Green beans must be blanched before any long term storage to destroy the enzymes attached to the pods that otherwise might cause the beans to change color, become pitted or lose their flavor. To blanch beans, first select the best specimens then trim and cut the beans to your desired length and form, about 1-2 inches in length. You may even prefer to leave them whole if they are young and tender. Wash them in salted water to remove any bugs. Next, bring a pot of water to a moderate boil, submerge the beans in the boiled water for about 3-5 minutes (You can re-use this water three to five times – but make sure it’s brought back to a rapid boil. Use the preserved water afterward to freeze as stock for soups or stews or use as additional boiling water for other vegetable stock—it contains nutrients). Next, use a large slotted spoon to remove the green beans from the boiling water and immediately transfer to an ice bath for about 3-5 minutes to stop the cooking process. Drain them well, trying to get as much water off them as possible before freezing.
A Word of Caution: When preparing colored green beans at home, a lot of cooks will boil or blanch them up and are then very disappointed when the color bleeds out and they are left with green colored beans. Once heat is applied to colored beans…especially the purple beans, they will loose their color and end up green in color. If you want to blanch beans, add a pinch of baking soda to the cooking water to help retain the color before freezing. Additionally, most chef’s will agree that the best way to cook colored “green beans” to retain their original color is to ” butter baste ” them. However, they will still not be as vibrant in color as in their raw form.

Freezing Green Beans: If you have a FoodSaver, now would be a great time to use it. If you don’t, make sure you get as much air out of the ziplock bag as possible to help prevent freezer burn. When packing the freezer bags, allow 1/2 inch of headroom in each bag for expansion. Seal the freezer bag and put it in the freezer. Beans can be stored for about 10 months at 0 degree Celsius. Green beans are often steamed, boiled, stir-fried, or baked in casseroles thereafter.

Dehydrated Beans: Excellent Article on Drying Green Beans – Chart on Green Bean Types Here!

Green Bean Casseroles Recipes-Green Bean Bake Recipe-3 Bean Salads- Here!

Follow All 10 Parts of Kali’s Series On Storing Garden Produce Here!

Successful Gardening!
Kali S Winters

Winter Squash Recipes-Healthy

Squash Stew

Peeling the squash is quite tricky, but I have found that a carrot peeler is the most useful tool for this job. Serve with pita bread

Ingredients:
* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 large white onion, diced
* 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
* 2 tablespoons chili powder
* 4 cloves crushed garlic
* 1 tablespoon cumin seeds, toasted
* 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 4 large tomatoes – peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped
* 1 medium acorn squash, peeled and diced
* 1 cup pinto beans, cooked or canned
* 1 cup water
* salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.  In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat olive oil and saute the onion for a few minutes. Add the cinnamon and chili powder and continue to saute for another 2 minutes. Mix in the garlic and cumin seeds, saute for 2 minutes more before adding lemon juice and the tomatoes. Mix thoroughly so the stew doesn’t get too chunky.
2.  Stir the squash, pinto beans and water into the stew. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let the stew simmer for 1 hour, or until squash is tender. Stirring occasionally throughout the cooking hour, and add more water if necessary. The finished stew should have a nice, thick stewy texture.
3.  Heat a large skillet over a medium-high heat. Place one piece of pita bread at a time into the skillet. When one side of the pita bread gets hot, flip the bread over and heat the other side; approximately 1 minute of cooking per side. Serve the stew with the heated pita bread.

Pumpkin and Butternut Creamed Soup

I serve this soup in mini halved roasted pumpkins. A blend of squash, cream, spices and sprinkled Asiago cheese is sure to warm your heart and soul.

Ingredients:
*6 cups cubed butternut squash
*6 cups cubed butternut squash
*2 tablespoons butter
*3 carrots, chopped
*1 large onion, chopped
*1 cup chopped celery
*1 cup heavy cream
*1 cup sour cream
*8 cups chicken broth
*1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
*1 teaspoon ground black pepper
*salt to taste
*6 small sugar pumpkins, halved and seeded
*1 cup grated Asiago cheese, divided

Directions:
1.  Place the butternut squash cubes in a saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat; simmer until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain off water, and set the squash aside.
2.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
3.  Melt the butter in a large skillet, then cook the carrots, onion, and celery until tender, about 10 minutes. Place the vegetables, cooked butternut squash, cream, and sour cream into a blender. Cover, and puree until smooth, working in batches if necessary. Transfer the blended vegetables to a soup pot; stir in the chicken broth, nutmeg, black pepper, and salt. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat, then simmer gently for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4.  While the soup is simmering, place the pumpkin halves, cut sides up, on the prepared baking sheet, and bake in the preheated oven until the pumpkin flesh is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Start the broiler, and place the pumpkin halves under the broiler about 6 inches from the heat source to brown the cut side of the pumpkins, if desired. Place a pumpkin bowl into a decorate soup plate; serve soup in the pumpkin bowls, and sprinkle each serving with Asiago cheese.

Acorn Squash Soup

The attractive rich yellow, thick and creamy soup is especially enjoyable during the cool nights of Indian summer.

Ingredients:
* 1 small onion
* 1/4 cup chopped celery
* 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
* 1/2 teaspoon dill weed
* 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
* dash cayenne pepper
* 2 cups chicken broth
* 1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
* 3 cups mashed cooked acorn squash
* salt and pepper to taste
* 5 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

Directions:
1.  In a large saucepan, saute the onion and celery in butter. Stir in flour, bouillon, dill, curry and cayenne until blended. Gradually add broth and milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add the squash, salt and pepper; heat through.
2.  In a blender, process the soup in batches until smooth. Pour into bowls; garnish with bacon.

Spaghetti Squash

The flesh of spaghetti squash comes out in long strands, very much resembling the noodles for which it is named. In this recipe, the ‘noodles’ are tossed with vegetables and feta cheese. You can substitute different vegetables, but be sure to use ones that have contrasting colors.

Ingredients:
* 1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1 onion, chopped
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
* 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
* 3 tablespoons sliced black olives
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
2. Place spaghetti squash cut sides down on the prepared baking sheet, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a sharp knife can be inserted with only a little resistance. Remove squash from oven, and set aside to cool enough to be easily handled.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic, and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, and cook only until tomatoes are warm.
4. Use a large spoon to scoop the stringy pulp from the squash, and place in a medium bowl. Toss with the sauteed vegetables, feta cheese, olives, and basil. Serve warm.

Seasonings and Foods to use with Winter squash: butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, chicken, couscous, garlic, honey, lamb, maple syrup, olive oil, onion, rosemary, sage, thyme

Preparation: Wash thoroughly under cool running water before cutting. Carefully cut in half and remove the seeds.

Bake: Place squash halves cut-side down in a pan with some water and bake at 400°F for approximately 30 minutes until soft and tender.

Steam: Carefully peel squash and cut into chunks. Place in a steamer basket in a pan of boiling water and cover. Steam squash for approximately 15-20 minutes or until tender.

Baked: This vegetable is a flavorful side dish when baked with butter and brown sugar or maple syrup. Another option, for a less sweet dish, is to bake it with olive oil and herbs.

Stuffed Squash: The halves can be stuffed with other vegetables or meat or a combination of both vegetables and meat and then baked until tender and cooked through.

Pasta Dish: Substitute baked spaghetti squash for regular pasta. After cooking, simply take a fork and pull the squash away from the shell. It will come out in strands similar to pasta. Toss with a little olive oil, your favorite pasta sauce and fresh grated cheese.

More Recipes Here!

Follow Kali’s 10 Part Series on Storing Garden Produce for Winter Here!

Successful Gardening!
Kali S Winters

Recipes For Squash Soup

Cream of Squash Soup

This soup could also be made with zucchini or broccoli.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds yellow summer squash
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1/4 lemon, sliced, seeds removed
• 1/4 cup flour
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 3 to 4 grinds of fresh nutmeg or dash of ground nutmeg
• 1 cup heavy cream

Preparation:
Wash and trim squash. Slice, reserving 8 very thin slices for garnish. In a large saucepan, melt butter; gently saute onion and lemon. Sprinkle with flour and cook slowly, stirring, until flour is absorbed. Add chicken broth gradually, then sliced squash, salt and pepper. Simmer for 1 hour. Puree soup in blender or food processor. Add nutmeg. To heat, stir in cream with a wire whisk and cook over low heat. Do not allow to boil. Garnish cream of squash soup with reserved squash slices.
Squash soup serves 8.

Pumpkin Soup Recipe

A wonderful pumpkin soup recipe made with steamed pumpkin, cream or milk, maple syrup, butter, and nutmeg.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds fresh pumpkin, peeled, cut into chunks, seeds removed
• 3 cups milk or half-and-half, scalded
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Preparation:
Steam the fresh pumpkin until tender; mash or puree. Stir into the hot milk; stir the remaining ingredients. Heat through and serve immediately.
Serves 6.

Summer Squash Bake

A summer squash casserole recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup chopped onions
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 hard cooked eggs, chopped
• 3 summer squash, diced, about 3 cups
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/3 cup half-and-half
• 1/4 cup soft bread crumbs tossed with 1 tablespoons melted butter

Preparation:
In a saucepan, sauté onion in butter. In a large bowl, combine onions and butter with summer squash and chopped hard cooked eggs. Place squash mixture in a greased 1 1/2-quart casserole. Mix beaten eggs with half-and-half; pour over squash in casserole. Sprinkle top with buttered bread crumbs. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Serves 6.

Stuffed Summer Squash

Baked stuffed summer squash recipe, with sausage and onion, along with bread crumbs and seasonings.

Ingredients:

• 4 to 6 medium yellow squash
• 4 ounces fresh sausage
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 slices fresh bread, crumbled
• seasoned salt, to taste

Preparation:
Boil squash whole until just tender; remove and carefully split lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out pulp, taking care not to break shells. Set pulp aside. Place squash shells in a baking dish.In skillet over medium-high heat, cook sausage with onion. Add salt and pepper to taste; remove from heat. Add squash pulp, bread crumbs, and seasoned salt. Add a little water if the mixture is too dry.Stuff squash shells with the sausage mixture; bake at 375° until browned.
Serves 6 to 8.

Summer Squash Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 3 cups grated yellow summer squash or zucchini
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
• 1 medium clove garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup biscuit mix
• dash pepper
• milk, as needed

Preparation:
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add enough milk as necessary to make a thin pancake-like batter. Drop by spoonfuls onto hot oiled griddle or skillet. Turn over when bottom is golden and cook until browned on both sides.

More Recipes Here!

Wild Food Recipes Here!

Successful Gardening!
Kali S Winters

Summer Squash Types

Summer Squash Types:

One of the best things about summer squash versus winter squash is that they are completely edible, the skin, seeds and flesh, which means they can be eaten raw. However, summer squash are much more fragile than winter squash and do not keep as long. There are many varieties of summer squash to choose from, the most commonly found are:

Zucchini: Zucchini can be dark or light green, and generally have a similar shape to a ridged cucumber. A related hybrid, the golden zucchini is a deep yellow or orange color. When used for food, zucchini are usually picked when under 8 in. in length, when the seeds are still soft and immature. Mature zucchini can be as much as three feet long, but the larger ones are often fibrous and not appetizing to eat.

Yellow Squash:  It has mildly sweet and watery flesh and thin tender skins that for many recipes don’t need to be peeled off.  The squash grows on vined plants reaching 2 to 3 ft in height that thrive in mild weather.  It is often used in recipes interchangeably with zucchini in which it is fried, microwaved, steamed, boiled, or baked.

Pattypan: Its small size, round and shallow shape, and scalloped edges, somewhat resembles a small toy top, or flying saucer. Pattypan comes in yellow, green, and white varieties. The squash is most tender when relatively immature; it is generally served when it is no more than two to three inches in diameter.

Summer Crookneck Squash: They have bumpy, yellow skin and sweet flesh. The taste is closer to winter squashes than to summer squashes, although it is a short-season bearer.  The squash taste best when harvested at approximately 6 inches in length

Straightneck Squash: Also called yellow zucchini, good-quality yellow Straightneck should be firm, smooth-skinned and small in size. The surface will shiny and bright yellow in color. Large squash will be less tender than smaller product.

Winter Squash Types:

Winter squash comes in many shapes, sizes and varieties. Some of the more well-known squashes are:

Acorn: A smaller variety with ridged skin and color ranging from a beige or buff to orange to dark green. It is one of the most widely available and has sweet and smooth-tasting flesh with a somewhat stringy texture.

Buttercup: This is a square and stocky variety with a turban-shaped top that becomes bigger as the squash matures. It is green in color with orange flesh that is somewhat dry and dense with a taste that is similar to sweet potatoes with a nutty flavor, as well.

Butternut: A very good all-purpose squash with a soft beige color, wide bottom and thick, narrow neck. The neck is solid flesh while the wider bottom contains the seed cavity. When cooked, the flesh is bright orange, firm, moist and has a creamy texture.

Hubbard: This is a very large squash with extremely hard skin. They have an irregular shape with tapered ends and blue-gray skin. The flesh is very moist and dense and is good for pie-making.

Kabocha: A smaller variety, kabocha ranges in color from orange to green and is rough-skinned with very dense flesh. The flavor of this squash is rich and sweet when cooked.

Pumpkin: This variety ranges in size from quite small to very large, the smaller sizes containing sweet, firm flesh. It has a round shape and orange color and is popular for making Jack-o’-lanterns for Halloween.

Spaghetti: An oblong shaped variety with a thin, hard shell and golden yellow skin. The flesh is very fibrous, resembling spaghetti when cooked, with a sweet and mild taste. The larger this squash becomes, the thicker the fibrous strands of the flesh will be.

How to Freeze-Store Squash – Pumpkin Storage-Here!

Recipes For Squash Soup

Wild Food Recipes

Successful Gardening!
Kali S Winters

Easy Summer Squash Recipes

Pan-Seared Summer Squash

3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
¼ tsp salt
2 large summer squash

For the vinaigrette, in a small bowl, mix together olive oil, lemon
juice, lemon zest, fresh basil and salt. Slice squash into large
rounds. Warm a 10-inch skillet (cast iron is best) until very hot.
Place squash in pan and sear over high heat, until blackened, 2 to
3 minutes. Flip onto other side and sear additional 2 to 3 minutes,
until both sides are blackened. Place squash on a large platter.
Spoon vinaigrette over squash and serve warm.

Summer Squash Bites

1 cup grated cheese
25 wheat crackers, crushed
Chopped basil
3 summer squash, cut into ½ -inch-thick rounds
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lime juice
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425F. In a medium bowl, toss together cheese,
cracker crumbs and basil. In a large bowl, toss together squash,
oil, lime juice, salt and pepper. Arrange squash in a 9 x 13 inch
casserole dish. Scatter cheese mixture evenly over the top and
bake until melted and golden brown and squash is just tender for
about 20 minutes.

Summer Squash Corn Waffles

1 cup flour
¼ cup corn meal
1 ½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp dried basil
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup shredded summer squash
½ cup cottage cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Combine flour with the next 5 ingredients. Combine buttermilk and
next 5 ingredients. Incorporate the wet and dry ingredients together. Coat waffle iron with nonstick spray and spoon in the batter Cook for 5-6 minutes or until steaming stops.

Carrot and Butternut Squash Soup
Low-fat cooking spray
3 cups peeled and diced butternut squash
2 cups carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 large leek, white and tender green parts only, thinly sliced
2 14-1/2 oz. cans low-sodium chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup 1% milk
Salt to taste
Sprig of rosemary for garnish

-Spray a large saucepan with low-fat cooking spray and heat pan to medium-high heat. Add squash, carrots and leeks and cook, uncovered for 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
-Add broth, pepper, and nutmeg then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
- Place a third of the soup mixture in a food processor, cover and process until smooth. Repeat with remaining soup and then return to saucepan. Bring to boiling, reduce heat then stir in milk. Add salt to taste.
-Serve soup garnished with a sprig of rosemary (optional.)

Butternut and Acorn Squash Soup

1 butternut squash, halved and seeded
1 acorn squash, halved and seeded
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped sweet onion (I omitted)
1 quart chicken broth
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened (I omitted the cream cheese and used a bit of milk and a splash of cream instead)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
ground cinnamon to taste (optional)
fresh parsley, for garnish

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place the squash halves cut side down in a baking dish. Bake 45 minutes, or until tender. Remove from heat, and cool slightly. Scoop the pulp from the skins. Discard skins.
-Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat, and saute the onion until tender.
-In a blender or food processor, blend the squash pulp, onion, broth, brown sugar, cream cheese, pepper, and cinnamon until smooth. -This may be done in several batches.
-Transfer the soup to a pot over medium heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Garnish with parsley, and serve warm.

More Great Recipe Ideas!
Fresh Pumpkin Recipe-
Recipes Using Sun Dried Tomatoes-
Wild Food Recipes-

Fresh Pumpkin Recipe

Pumpkin Puree
Peel pumpkin and remove seeds. Dice the pumpkin flesh then stew in a saucepan until soft. Mash it and squeeze it through a sieve. Discard the residue. Pumpkin puree can then be frozen in half-pint portions for later use in pies or soup.

Pumpkin Pie
4 oz short crust pastry
half-pint pumpkin puree
2 eggs
half-pint milk
1/4 cup sugar
dash of nutmeg
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Make the pastry and line a pie plate. Beat the eggs; add the milk, sugar, flavorings and pumpkin puree. Stir well and pour into the pie shell. Bake at 450 degrees F for 15 minutes, then finish cooking at 350 F for at least 20- 25 minutes, or until filling is set. Allow to cool before eating. May be served with cream and stored in the refrigerator.

Pumpkin Pancakes
Pumpkin puree (see  recipe above)
1 tbsp plain flour
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon sugar
dash of salt
pepper to taste
vegetable oil for frying

In a medium bowl mix flour, eggs, sugar , salt and pepper to a very thick batter. Add to mashed pumpkin and mix very well. Taste for seasoning.

Heat oil in a heavy frying pan over medium heat. Pour 1/4 cup of mixture, flattening or spreading each out for about 2 minutes or until golden brown on each side. Turn carefully using slotted spatulas. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Pumpkin Marmalade
3 pounds of pumpkin, peeled and diced
grated rind and juice of 3 lemons
about 5 cups of sugar

Boil the pumpkin until it is tender, drain well and mash thoroughly. Add the grated lemon rinds and juice and put it all into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Boil for 20 minutes or until thick and pour into sterile jars. This is quite runny marmalade, so use pectin if you want it more jelly-like.

Spicy pumpkin soup
2 tablespoons margarine
1 large onion chopped
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
3 cups pumpkin puree
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup non-fat evaporated milk or long life
1. Heat margarine in a large saucepan over medium heat, add onion and cook for 2 minutes.
2. Add the stock , pumpkin puree and nutmeg. Simmer gently until mixture boils.
3. (a) Stir in milk and serve immediately. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired.
(b) alternatively, leave out the milk and add freshly-cooked skinless frankfurters (chopped up) and serve.

More Great Recipe Ideas!
Easy Summer Squash Recipes-
Recipes Using Sun Dried Tomatoes-
Wild Food Recipes-

Follow all 10 Parts of Kali’s Store Garden Produce For Winter Series Here!

Successful Gardening!
Kali S Winters

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