Preserving Your Harvest

[wyoDreamer]

I posted on the Iowa State asking if they could tell me the reasons for no longer recommending the Ball Books and there is a reply. In a nutshell, the Ball Company has been bought and sold many times recently and subsequently updated their books with "Gourmet" type recipes, un-precise measurements, unusual ingredient amounts and have not provided any recent testing data when requested for review.
So, not saying the recipes are bad, just that they cannot state unequivocally that the Ball Book recipes are safe and tested.

 

[vall]

I have a toddler who loves almost all fresh produce, but will NOT eat cooked zucchini. I recently tried grating it (like you do for bread/muffins) and mixing it into scrambled eggs, and she ate everything on her plate.

I won't eat zucchini either. I plant pattypan squash instead, maybe she'll eat that on its own? Much firmer texture and still works in bread/casseroles.

 

[wyoDreamer]

I grew pattypan squash last year - we didn't like it at all. DH barely eats zucchini. A friend of ours recommended the pattypan as his family loves it grilled. It does have a different texture than zucchini, and a different taste from what I remember.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I posted on the Iowa State asking if they could tell me the reasons for no longer recommending the Ball Books and there is a reply. In a nutshell, the Ball Company has been bought and sold many times recently and subsequently updated their books with "Gourmet" type recipes, un-precise measurements, unusual ingredient amounts and have not provided any recent testing data when requested for review.
So, not saying the recipes are bad, just that they cannot state unequivocally that the Ball Book recipes are safe and tested.

That is good to know. Thank you for investigating it.

 

[Sally PB]

15 out of 15 quarts of tomatoes sealed. These are with Fillmore Container lids. That's a relief, as I have gobs of them, and not too many Ball lids left.

 

[wyoDreamer]

anyone have luck reducing a canning recipe as a trial run.
I don't want to cook 10 pounds of tomatoes for 4 hours and then can it, only to find out I hate the recipe.

 

[21hens-incharge]

anyone have luck reducing a canning recipe as a trial run.
I don't want to cook 10 pounds of tomatoes for 4 hours and then can it, only to find out I hate the recipe.

Can you post the recipe?

 

[ladybrasa]

As far as cherry tomatoes - we have some cherries and grapes. I dehydrated some and they turn out fine enough. I’ll mostly just be snacking on them. Also tossed some in for tomato sauce. Just cut any tomatoes I had in chunks and cooked with a dash of water until soft, then ran through a hand mill. Separated out skins and seeds.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Okay so brought more tomato couple small onions picked blackberry but made a 3 berry pie of frozen going to make Jam for the first time

 

[rosemarythyme]

Also, (not a preserving thing, but just a zucchini side note) I have a toddler who loves almost all fresh produce, but will NOT eat cooked zucchini. I recently tried grating it (like you do for bread/muffins) and mixing it into scrambled eggs, and she ate everything on her plate.

I won't eat zucchini either. I plant pattypan squash instead, maybe she'll eat that on its own? Much firmer texture and still works in bread/casseroles.

As an adult who hates zucchini and dislikes summer squashes in general (and also does the veggie growing and the cooking) I find that it's palatable as long as it's mixed with things with stronger flavors, such as tomato or bacon, that help kill the zucchini taste. So yes I grow it every year, because it grows so easily, and every year I remind my hubby that I don't like it.

Planning to make some zucchini and corn fritters tonight.