Walking through the garden, we find tomatoes on the ground from recent windy days. Sometimes, we just can’t wait for the warm air to turn them from green to scarlet orange and we pick a few from the vine to enjoy.
Today marked the first Green Tomato Pie of the season. Each pie is made from a base that doesn’t change much. Sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt make up the basic recipe, to which we add green tomatoes and assorted fruits. The pies change according to what is available in the garden and kitchen. Depending on time, the pie shell is Graham cracker crust or traditional pie crust…or, if I am really strapped for time, they take the form of a cobbler and are baked in a Pyrex dish.
The basic recipe:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
pie shell
Plus, the fruit…
3 cups diced green tomatoes (feel free to substitute 1 cup of another fruit such as pears, apples, or berries)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Simply mix the flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in a medium bowl. Mixing before combining with fruit prevents clumping of the spices and ensures even distribution and a balanced taste.
Dice the green tomatoes (and fruit) and add 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to the fruit.
Mix fruit together with the base mix to coat evenly.
Pour into a pie shell.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 38 minutes until mixture bubbles.
Most maple syrup produced in the United States comes from Vermont, but that doesn’t mean we are shut out from the practice of sugaring. Virginia’s below-freezing nights combined with the mild above freezing days of late-winter can mean a short but prolific running of the sap. At 36° latitude, Virginia is on the lower edge of maple sugaring country. It is unique to the area above 35° latitude and east of 95° longitude.
Native Americans have been harvesting the sap and boiling it down since before the Pilgrims arrived. Maple syrup has been reported to have been on the menu of the first Thanksgiving in 1621.
Maple syrup was even a patriotic, politically-correct, sugar-alternative leading up to and during the Civil War, as traditional sugar used southern, slave labor.
Sugars are near-perfect foods in that they store well for very long periods of time and have a high caloric content needed in times of survival.
Maple syrup is commonly used to top pancakes and waffles but may also be used to sweeten drinks like lemonade and tea, lend sweetness to marinades for meats, flavor candies, muffins, cakes, frosting, and oatmeal. Plus, it makes a nice gift.
Add to the utilitarian uses the medicinal properties of maple syrup and I find even more reasons to harvest, process, and store it in our pantry. The maple sap has many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It may have anti-inflammatory properties, has a lower glycemic score than regular sugar, and is a component of many popular cleanse diets.
Maple season is wrapping up for me. This year was super fast and furious. It started quickly, flowed fast, and then as fast as it appeared, the season ended. We tap Red Maples, but you can also tap Sugar Maples, Silver Maples, or Black Maples ( as well as many other trees).
You will need to identify mature, healthy trees at least 12” in diameter.
You only need some simple supplies to tap trees: drill and drill bit 9sized for spile), spiles, tubing, cheesecloth or fabric, hammer or mallet, and buckets, bags, or jugs to collect sap.
Plastic spile and jugMetal spile with hook for bucket
You will need to check your area’s expected tapping date with the Local Extension Office, but the sap flows between late January and early March in Virginia. When the night’s temperatures are below freezing and the day’s temperatures are above freezing, the expansion and contraction squeeze the sap up through the tree. The wider the swings, the faster it flows. The season may last as long as six weeks for us. This year, it only lasted for three weeks. We tap each tree twice if possible. Trees12-18” can support a single tap, those 18-25” can support two taps, while those 32’ or more in diameter may support as many as six taps.
Start with clean equipment. Use a very sharp drill bit and good quality drill so that you may make a single hole 1 ½ inches deep, at a very slight upward angle, in one single pass. Resist the urge to drill back and forth as it may seal the hole. If there are wood bits at the edge of the hole, use a toothpick to sweep them out and promptly tap in the spile. The shavings of a healthy tree will be very light brown. If the shavings are dark brown, choose another tree. Do not tap within six inches of another hole or the hole from a recent year. You should see tree water or sap dripping. I prefer to use food-grade tubing attached to cleaned-out plastic milk jugs, rather than buckets or bags. The tubing resists debris getting into the sap and saves time filtering the sap.
I check the jugs every morning and every evening, emptying and filtering through cheesecloth or fabric, then refrigerating or freezing the yield until I am ready to cook it down. When the sap is flowing well, I will get a gallon a day from a tree. At times the flow may slow to a trickle. The sap will continue to flow until temperatures stabilize and remain above freezing day/night, and the tree buds. At that time the sap will get a bit cloudy and take on a bitter taste. Remove the taps from the trees with a pair of pliers, and all equipment should be cleaned and sanitized and stored for the following year. The tree will heal and be ready for tapping again next season.
It takes about 40 parts sap to make 1 part syrup. Boiled sap (which is not reduced down to syrup) may also be used full strength as a drink or “light” sweetener. Five gallons boils down to about one pint of finished syrup. A few years ago, we ended up with 191 ounces of finished syrup and had a nice assortment of holiday gifts to share. We also made rock candy that year.
Our freezer is full of the wonderful sweet water/sap from the Red Maples that my grandmother planted. We are the fourth generation to live in our home and are blessed to have the legacy of our ancestors to help us subsist. In the coming weeks, I will find a nice day to sit outside and cook the syrup while I crochet or read a good book or two. Check back, and I will be sharing the cooking process in a future post. Until then, start scouting your trees and planning next year’s tapping adventure.
Imagine gallons of healthful apple cider vinegar…for free. It is easier than you think. Follow the easy, step-by-step instructions to turn waste into liquid gold.
If at all possible, start with organically grown apples. The redder the skin, the darker the finished vinegar will be. Any apples can be used. If you have an abundance of apples, the entire apple can be used. It is more efficient to make your apple cider vinegar when you are also processing apples for other recipes, such as applesauce, apple pie filling, apple juice or apple butter. The skins and cores which are left over from the recipes may be used instead of simply being discarded or tossed on the compost pile.
What you will need:
A large glass jar (1 or 2-gallon size works well)
Peels and cores from 5 pounds of apples
2 tablespoons of sugar
Water
Place bowl of apple peels and cores on the counter to rest and brown for 24-72 hours. You want them to turn brown, so let Mother Nature do her work on them.
Once brown, place the peels and cores in a large, wide-mouthed jar.
Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar over the peels and cores.
Pour enough room-temperature water over the apples to cover the peels and cores.
Cover with a piece of fabric or cheesecloth tied off with a string or ribbon.
Store in a warm, dark place for one month.
A mother will form on top of the mixture. It will resemble a jellyfish and is desirable. DO NOT THROW THE MOTHER AWAY!
Scoop out the mother and set aside in a bowl.
Strain apple pieces out of the liquid.
Return liquid to the large jar. If you do 2 batches at once, they can be combined at this time.
Replace mother on top of the liquid.
Re-cover jar with fabric and set aside for an additional 2-6 months until finished
.Finished apple cider vinegar may be stored in the refrigerator to keep it fresh.
Easy Slow Cooker Apple Butter
5 pounds of apples, peeled, cored, and cut into chunks
4 ½ cups white sugar
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon Himalayan sea salt
1 pinch ground cardamom
Place all ingredients in slow cooker.
Cook, covered, on high for 3 hours.
Reduce temperature setting to low and cook for 12-14 hours until dark brown.
At this step, an immersion blender can be used to make the apple butter super-smooth.
Uncover and cook for 1-3 hours to thicken.
Spoon into clean jars and process in waterbath canner (15 minutes for pints) or store in the refrigerator.
Comeback Sauce is a southern favorite. It is fantastic on salads, as a dip, on meat or seafood, as a secret sauce on sandwiches, and anything else you can think of. There are as many variations as there are family cookbooks. It has everything but the kitchen sink thrown in. Mix some up in a quart Ball jar and keep it in the fridge for several weeks. Go ahead and play with the recipe to make it your own!
Homestead Comeback Sauce
1 ½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup olive oil
5 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon spicy mustard
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 pinch cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon allspice
Mix all ingredients together and chill well. Great for seafood, dipping sauce, burgers, French fries, or salad dressing. There are tons of variations of this southern, Mississippi favorite. We find it’s better after chilled for 24 hours. Our original sauce contained chili sauce and did not contain brown sugar but we changed it after a discussion with a sandwich maker at a local, well-loved (now closed), sandwich shop.
Shipwreck Pie (featuring boxed dehydrated flavored potatoes)
This version of shipwreck pie uses an inexpensive, boxed, (any) flavored, dehydrated, sliced potatoes. Our family favorite is Rosemary & Herb with Creamy White Sauce but try others for unique flavors. The end result is a fancied-up many-layered meatloaf that is good served with vegetables, pasta, or rice.
Ingredients:
1 boxed dehydrated sliced potatoes with flavoring packet
1 lb. ground beef (divided into 2 equal portions)
2 cups beef broth
1 ½ cups shredded Colby-Jack cheese
1 medium onion diced (diced finely and divided into 2 equal portions)
2 tablespoons butter, sliced into thin pats
4 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
In a well-greased slow cooker, layer the ingredients as follows:
Dehydrated sliced potatoes from box mix
2 cups beef broth poured over potatoes
Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of nonfat dry milk over broth
2 tablespoons of butter sliced thin into pats spaced evenly on top
Sprinkle ½ of seasoning packet from box
1 pinch Italian seasoning
½ cup Colby Jack cheese
½ of the diced onion
½ lb. ground beef
½ seasoning packet
½ cup Colby Jack Cheese
½ lb. ground beef
½ of the diced onion
Pinch of Italian seasoning
½ cup Colby Jack cheese
Sprinkle 4 tablespoons flour over surface
Remainder of Italian seasoning sprinkled on top
Cook on high for ½ hour, then on low for ½ hour. Can keep on warm up to 2 hours.
This is one of the easiest ways you can save some serious money. If you eat yogurt, add up how many little, 5-7 oz. cups you go through in 7-10 days. For the cost of some milk, yogurt, gelatin (optional), and electricity, you can make the creamiest homemade yogurt. It is so easy!
What you need:
a slow cooker, thick beach towel, small clean containers for finished yogurt, and a whisk
1 gal of milk (fresher is better, pasteurized is fine)
3 TBS powdered milk (optional- use if you want thicker finished yogurt)
1 small packet Knox gelatin (optional- great for thicker yogurt)
1/2 cup yogurt with active cultures (save some from previous batches or use store bought as a starter. Just check the label for active cultures)
Pour milk in slow cooker. Mix in powdered milk if you prefer a thicker yogurt or if milk is high heat pasteurized. Turn on low. Let milk cook for 3 hours.
Unplug slow cooker and let sit for 3 hours without removing lid.
Scoop out 2 cups of the warmish milk and whisk with active yogurt and optional gelatin.
Return milk mixture to slow cooker and whisk quickly into warm milk.
Cover still unplugged slow cooker. Wrap in thick beach towel to retain heat and leave sitting without disturbing for 8-10 hours (this is where I go to bed).
When the cover is lifted and you scoop your spoon through the creamy yogurt you won’t believe how easy it was!
Scoop into containers and refrigerate promptly.
Top the unsweetened yogurt with fresh fruit, jam, or chocolate syrup. It’s so yummy.
If you like sour cream or Greek yogurt, simply strain through cheesecloth overnight in a colander in the refrigerator. The whey that collects is wonderful for making bread, lemonade, or even acidifying the soil around plants.
Now, you do the math. You can get a gallon of yogurt for the price of milk and some extras in 16 hours.
2 TBS bacon grease (or other natural oil/shortening)
6-ish cups of all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
4 TBS sugar
2 standard loaf pans, greased
2 9×5 standard loaf pans
This bread is so incredibly easy to make—even for folks who don’t think they can bake bread.
I got the recipe from my grandmother, back in the 80s, when I was a fairly new housewife, making our first home, and struggling to save money. It was then that I learned that my grandfather once owned a bakery. I’m thankful that they were able to pass on skills that are in danger of slipping away. Note that *bacon grease or oil prevents the dough from becoming too elastic and controls the big air holes in the bread. Don’t leave it out, if you want a nice small crumb that goes with sandwiches and everyday use. Once you are making bread, you can experiment with it and its effect on texture. Have fun!
Put 2 cups of warm water in a very large bowl. Add the active dry yeast sugar and salt. Add the *bacon grease and whisk to mix.
Gradually add flour to the mixture, ½ cup at a time. At first it will be soupy, then it will start to get sticky, then move on to have a sturdier form. It will be hard to mix. A large sturdy metal spoon works well (or a stand mixer with a dough hook). The bread will become a workable, soft dough at somewhere near 6 cups of flour. Don’t add too much or it will be too stiff and prevent proper rising. Knead for 5 minutes.
Oil the inside of a large bowl and transfer the dough into it. Set it aside to rise until it is 1 ½ its original size. Pick a warm location that is free of drafts. Plan on this taking an hour or so.
Turn the dough onto a floured surface. Punch down and knead about 1 minute.
Divide into 2 equal pieces. Shape the pieces into a loaf and put in the 2 greased loaf pans.
Set aside and let rise until double in size.
Split top with a sharp knife and drizzle butter down middle for a fancy butter-top finish.
Bake at 375° until light golden brown. Bread will sound hollow when thumped or tapped.
Bread will be done in approximately 25-30 minutes. Set a timer and check it at 20 minutes.
Bread is a living thing and will have slight changes from batch to batch. The more you make it, the more you will get to know your yeast, altitude, personal oven, etc. Once you find the perfect crumb for your family, stick to the recipe variations you have found successful. If you get a new oven, you will have to play with it a bit to find the perfect timing.
Recipe makes 2 loaves. We slice into about 12 slices per loaf.
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