Sally's GF3 thread

[cavemanrich]

I've canned 26 quarts of tomatoes so far. I plan for a quart a week for spaghetti sauce. I've found I really like my rice cooked in the Instant Pot with a quart of (undrained) tomatoes.

Here is an idea you may want to try. I make my rice in a rice cooker, but instant pot should give you similar result.
I see that you are starting of with a quart of tomatoes. Dice up a large onion, and add about a tablespoon of Chicken bullion. Then add 2 cups of rice,,, and cook. (or use whatever ratio that works for you)
You may like this rice..

I use fresh tomatoes, and onion, that I puree in my blender. Then add bullion, and water to have a 2 parts liquid,, to 1 part rice.
My regular ratio, when using my rice cooker, is 1 part rice to 1½ parts liquid.
Reason I opt 2 to 1 in my tomato rice, is because the liquid part is quite heavy consistency, compared to water, or broth.
I can dig up a picture,, but would have to search some.
We eat rice at home of different flavors quite regularly in our menu.
Some other flavors, are Turmeric rice. Arroz con Gandules. (that recipe is in the baking thread that I posted a while ago. ) and others that I invented,,,,,, myself
Still to try is Saffron rice. I do have the tiny bottle of Saffron already. That stuff is the most expen$ive herb/seasoning on earth, but not much is needed.
Waiting for an occasion when family gathers so we all can taste, and judge it jointly. Still not sure which rice I will choose to use.

 

[ksbkeys]

I've canned 26 quarts of tomatoes so far. I plan for a quart a week for spaghetti sauce. I've found I really like my rice cooked in the Instant Pot with a quart of (undrained) tomatoes. I use tomatoes when I make stew or soup. There were about 24(?) quarts left from last year. Why so many? Dunno. We may have skipped a few weeks of spaghetti sauce (or had leftover), but not a lot.

I plan to can about 25-30 more quarts, if I get enough tomatoes. Still have to have tomatoes to make hubby's salsa. I'll make green tomato salsa for me once we're done with the ripe tomato stuff.

Quart jars of tomatoes don't cost me much. I have the seeds, saved from my tomatoes. I make my own potting soil. I have the pots. I started these plants, I didn't buy them. I did buy some Tomato-Tone and gypsum to combat blossom end rot, and it worked wonderfully. I easily have enough for next year. I had to buy canning jar lids, but have the jars and rings. Had to pay for the electricity for the stove when I can, plus the salt and the lemon juice.

They cost my time, and it's something I enjoy doing.

Remember when you were a little kid and your mom said, "Don't put that in your mouth! You don't know where it's been!" Well, with these tomatoes, I know exactly where they've been.

Wow! Great work! I do some canning, but also a lot of freezing. We have peaches, which I freeze...and I grow and freeze pea pods, green beans, kale, bok choy, Swiss chard and carrots.

 

[ksbkeys]

I've canned 26 quarts of tomatoes so far. I plan for a quart a week for spaghetti sauce. I've found I really like my rice cooked in the Instant Pot with a quart of (undrained) tomatoes. I use tomatoes when I make stew or soup. There were about 24(?) quarts left from last year. Why so many? Dunno. We may have skipped a few weeks of spaghetti sauce (or had leftover), but not a lot.

I plan to can about 25-30 more quarts, if I get enough tomatoes. Still have to have tomatoes to make hubby's salsa. I'll make green tomato salsa for me once we're done with the ripe tomato stuff.

Quart jars of tomatoes don't cost me much. I have the seeds, saved from my tomatoes. I make my own potting soil. I have the pots. I started these plants, I didn't buy them. I did buy some Tomato-Tone and gypsum to combat blossom end rot, and it worked wonderfully. I easily have enough for next year. I had to buy canning jar lids, but have the jars and rings. Had to pay for the electricity for the stove when I can, plus the salt and the lemon juice.

They cost my time, and it's something I enjoy doing.

Remember when you were a little kid and your mom said, "Don't put that in your mouth! You don't know where it's been!" Well, with these tomatoes, I know exactly where they've been.

BTW, I love my Instant Pot...have used it for years for oatmeal daily as well as cooking meals when I am teaching piano. I can take meat that is frozen solid, cook it in my Instant Pot and in 50 minutes to an hour it is done and very tender.

 

[Sally PB]

Since we use so many quarts of tomatoes, I'm glad they're easy to can. Shelf stable, put them in the pantry in the basement, and there they are. I don't have to worry about when the power goes out. We do have a generator, and that takes care of keeping the water running (pump), the freezer and the fridge going, keeping the lights on.

I do freeze beans and greens and some fruits. Canned beans are so-so, and I don't like the texture of canned greens. That makes no sense, as when I cook greens in soup, they're about the same texture. I dry quite a bit of fruit when I can get it on sale.

 

[saysfaa]

You might find this about beekeeping interesting.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/shows/6119013/

 

[Sally PB]

I had never heard of the Japanese honeybee, a different species from the apis mellifera, which are the honeybees here in the US. Interesting! Thanks for the link.

 

[saysfaa]

I liked the info about the different species and its different characteristics. But also the info about the ancient hives and practices and such.