Repent - Elder Holland

Are We Prepared?

In the First Presidency message in the September 2014 Ensign, President Thomas S. Monson asks the question, "Are we prepared?"

I repeat what the First Presidency declared a few years ago:

“Latter-day Saints have been counseled for many years to prepare for adversity by having a little money set aside. Doing so adds immeasurably to security and well-being. Every family has a responsibility to provide for its own needs to the extent possible.

“We encourage you wherever you may live in the world to prepare for adversity by looking to the condition of your finances. We urge you to be modest in your expenditures; discipline yourselves in your purchases to avoid debt. Pay off debt as quickly as you can, and free yourselves from this bondage. Save a little money regularly to gradually build a financial reserve.”

To learn more: Are We Prepared?

Dehydrating Food

Dehydration is an alternative to canning and freezing fruits and vegetables. If you have a surplus of fruits or vegetables from your garden, but lack the canning equipment or freezer space, drying may be the right method for you!

Dehydrated foods have a number of advantages: Dehydration is a low-cost way to preserve food that is free from concerns about botulism, the dried foods require less storage space than canned goods, and there's no freezer to keep running.

Dehydrating your own produce does require time and some knowledge of food drying principles.

To learn more: Food Dehydration at pickyourown.org

How to Preserve Herbs

Herbs All Year by Laurie Constintino

I’ve been growing tender herbs like basil, parsley, dill, chervil, cilantro, and chives for the past 25 years, and it’s taken me nearly that amount of time to find the best way to preserve their flavor long after I have harvested the last sprigs. These are just some of the techniques I’ve tried with disappointing results: drying (the herbs lost all their flavor); freezing (they lost their texture and got freezer burn); freezing in water in ice cube trays (I was left with a soggy, limp, and unappetizing mess).

Luckily, along the way I discovered that the best way to preserve herbs is to freeze them in oil or butter. And there’s a good reason for this: Each herb’s distinctive taste and aroma come from aromatic oils in the leaves, so preserving them in fat protects their authentic flavors. Packed in flat, thin layers in heavy-duty zip-top bags, frozen herb butters and oils are easy to store. I put a half-cup or so in a bag, freeze it flat, and end up with a thin layer of frozen goodness, which can be broken off into pieces as needed.

I use herbs preserved in oil the same way I use fresh herbs. They are particularly good in soups, stews, and salad dressings, where their vivid flavors can transform an ordinary dish into a spectacular one.

Herb butters are even more versatile. I use them in sandwiches, pasta, seafood, meat, poultry, popcorn—anything that tastes good with butter and herbs will benefit. I even replace plain butter with herb butter when making cakes and cookies.

Spend just an hour whizzing up a few batches of herb oils and butter, and you’ll be rewarded all winter long with vibrant flavors and delicious meals. Not to mention fond memories of your summertime herb garden.

How to Preserve Fresh Herbs in Oil or Butter

* Wash herbs, discarding stems and damaged leaves. Spin leaves dry in a salad spinner or dry well with paper towels.
* Place herbs in food processor with 1/3 cup olive oil for every 2 cups leaves, or 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick) per 2 to 4 tablespoons leaves.
* For butters, add grated citrus rind, ginger, or garlic for extra flavor.
* To make sure herb oils are adaptable to a wide variety of uses, don’t add cheese or nuts.
* Pulse processor, scraping down sides of bowl from time to time, until you get a chunky paste and all leaves are chopped.
* To package for freezing, put 1 cup herb oil or 1/2 cup herb butter in a 1-quart zip-top bag, then flatten and spread mixture to make a thin layer. Freeze flat.
* Best used within 6 months.

To learn more: Organic Gardening

Freezing Corn on the Cob

Ingredients:
10 corn on the cob, shucked and silks removed
Water
2 tablespoons sugar
Ice (lots of ice)

Directions:
1.    Have all you cobs of corn shucked and silks removed before starting this.
2.    Pour ice into a large bowl then fill with very cold water; set aside on the counter near your stove.
3.    Fill a large pot of water a little over half full.
4.    Add in the sugar; bring to a full boil.
5.    Add in as many cobs of corn that will fit into the pot without over crowding.
6.    Bring the water up to a FULL boil again; cook the corn JUST until the cobs turn a darker yellow which will not take long (about 3 minutes) turning the cobs over in the water if necessary using long tongs to insure even cooking.
7.    Just when the corn takes on a darker shade of yellow, using long tongs immediately plunge into the bowl of ice water and allow to sit until completely cooled.
8.    Place the cobs onto a clean tea towel. to drain slightly.
9.    Dry the outside of each cob slightly with a clean tea towel.
10.  Wrap each cob individually in a piece of foil to prevent any freezer burn that might develop over the long freezing time.
11.  Place the foil-wrapped cobs in a large bag, then freeze.
12.  WHEN READY TO USE; remove as many cobs as you wish from the freezer place on the counter to thaw slightly (the corn does not have to be completely thawed).
13.   To heat the corn; place 1 cob into a microwave-safe plate and cook on high for 3-4 minutes or until completely heated through, turning the cob halfway through cooking time.
14.   The corn is now ready to eat and enjoy!

To learn more: food.com - freezing corn on the cob

How Does a Pressure Canner Work?

Modern pressure canners are lightweight, thin-walled aluminum or stainless steel kettles. Most have twist-on lids fitted with gaskets. There are still one or two that have screw-down knobs around the lid on the canner. They have removable racks, a weighted vent port (steam vent), and a safety vent. They also have either  a dial gauge for indicating the pressure or a weighted gauge (which both regulates the pressure and indicates, by rattling). Pressure canners can usually handle either one layer of quart or smaller size jars, or deep enough for two layers of pint or smaller size jars.

Unlike a water bath canner, the jars do not need to be completely covered with water. The directions that came with the pressure canner tell you how many cups of water to add in order for it to generate the right amount of pressure. You vent the pressure canner a considerable length of time while the water boils (with the jars in and the lid on). This causes steam to push out all the air. So the jars are in a space filled with only boiling water and steam. In theory, both will have the same temperature, which will be 240 F, substantially high than 212 F of an open water bath canner, due to the increased pressure. And since there is no air, just water vapor, the heat will be easily conducted to all sides of the jars.

If you want to can low-acid foods such as red meats, sea food, poultry, milk, and all fresh vegetables with the exception of most tomatoes,  you will need a pressure canners.  These foods  fit into the low acid group since they have an acidity, or pH level, of 4.6 or greater. The temperature which must be reached and maintained (for a specified amount of time) to kill the bacteria is 240 F. Pressure canning is the only canning method recommended safe by the U.S.D.A. for low-acid foods such as vegetables, meats, and fish. Ordinary water bath canners can only reach 212 F and cannot to kill the types of bacteria that will grow in low acid foods. This temperature can be reached only by creating steam under pressure as achieved in quality pressure canners.

To learn more: Pressure Canners at pickyourown.org

Caramel-Pear Butter

Caramel-Pear Butter
recipe from epicurious.com

1/4 cup apple juice
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
7 pounds ripe Bartlett pears
3 cups (packed) golden brown sugar
1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
preparation

Combine apple juice and 4 tablespoons lemon juice in heavy large deep pot. Peel, core, and cut pears, 1 at a time, into 1/2- to 3/4-inch pieces; mix pears into juice mixture in pot as soon as pears are cut, to prevent browning. Cook over medium heat until pears release enough juice for mixture to boil, stirring frequently, about 16 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until pears are very tender, stirring frequently, about 20 minutes (mixture will splatter). Remove pot from heat. Press pear mixture through fine plate of food mill into large bowl. Return pear puree to same pot. Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice, brown sugar, nutmeg, and 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until pear butter thickens and is reduced to 8 cups, stirring every 5 minutes to prevent scorching, about 1 hour.

Ladle pear butter into 8 hot clean 1/2-pint glass canning jars, leaving 1/4-inch space at top of jars. Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar threads and rims with clean damp cloth. Cover with hot lids; apply screw bands. Process jars in pot of boiling water 10 minutes. Cool completely. Store in cool dark place up to 1 year.

To learn more: epicurious.com

ONE Challenge

The ONE Challenge - One Name Each - given to us by our Stake Presidency during Ward Conferences is quickly coming to an end. Have you been successful in finding your ONE name to take to the temple? If not, check out the website below for some links to help you along.

To learn more: Find Family Names

Freezing Zucchini

Mick Telkamp from HGTV Gardens says, "For the home gardener, zucchini is often a first round pick when planning the summer garden. With good reason. Easy to grow and with a long growing season, zucchini is an easy home run when looking to fill the gathering basket.

And fill it you will. Harvest begins in early summer and does not let up until summer is over. Depending on your growing zone, that can mean a whole lot of zucchini.

Zucchini bread, sauteed zucchini, grilled zucchini, zucchini muffins, marinated zucchini salad, zucchini pancakes, zucchini fries, zucchini lasagna, zucchini frittata, zucchini pizza, zucchini quiche, zucchini in zucchini sauce, zucchini stuffed zucchini, zucchini zucchini…

By mid-summer, the ideas have run out. Bags of zucchini begin to appear in the office break room or are left on your front porch as other intrepid gardeners also face zucchini burnout, desperate to clear the counter before the only choice is the compost pile.

Sure, you’re sick of them too. But take them all. Every last one. Don’t worry. We have a plan.

Believe it or not, there will come a day when a zucchini muffin is going to sound pretty good. Added to a hearty winter soup, that zucchini heft and flavor might be just the ticket. And we’ll be ready.

Zucchini (and summer squash, for that matter) freezes well. With a little preparation up front, zucchini and squash can become a welcome “go to” for fall and winter cooking."

To learn more: How to Freeze Zucchini

Freezing Raw Tomatoes

Tired of canning? Did you know you can freeze raw tomatoes? The UNL (University of Nebraska) food website explains the procedure.

It is possible to quickly freeze raw tomatoes without blanching them first. They may be frozen without their skins or frozen whole with their skins. Frozen tomatoes are best used in cooked foods such as soups, sauces and stews as they become mushy when they're thawed. Roma tomatoes are ideal to freeze. They have fewer sides, thicker, meatier walls, and less water.

Tomatoes may be frozen whole, sliced, chopped, or puréed. Additionally, you can freeze them raw or cooked, as juice or sauce, or prepared in the recipe of your choice. Thawed raw tomatoes may be used in any cooked-tomato recipe. Do not try to substitute them for fresh tomatoes, however, since freezing causes their texture to become mushy.

Tomatoes should be seasoned just before serving rather than before freezing; freezing may either strengthen or weaken seasonings such as garlic, onion, and herbs.

Step 1. Preparation and Selection

Select firm, ripe tomatoes for freezing. Sort the tomatoes, discarding any that are spoiled.

Step 2. Wash Tomatoes

Tomatoes should be washed before cutting. To wash, wet each tomato with water, rub its surface, rinse it with running water, and dry it with a paper towel. After washing, cut away the stem scar and surrounding area and discard it before slicing or chopping the tomato.

Washing tomatoes in a sink filled with water is not recommended since contaminated water can be absorbed through the fruit's stem scar. The use of soap or detergent is neither recommended nor approved for washing fruits and vegetables because they can absorb detergent residues.

Dry them by blotting with a clean cloth or paper towels.

Step 3.

Freezing whole tomatoes with peels: Prepare tomatoes as described above. Cut away the stem scar. Place the tomatoes on cookie sheets and freeze. Tomatoes do not need to be blanched before freezing. Once frozen, transfer the tomatoes from the cookie sheets into freezer bags or other containers. Seal tightly. To use the frozen tomatoes, remove them from the freezer a few at a time or all at once. To peel, just run a frozen tomato under warm water in the kitchen sink. Its skin will slip off easily.

Freezing peeled tomatoes: If you prefer to freeze peeled tomatoes, you can wash the tomatoes and then dip them in boiling water for about 1 minute or until the skins split. Peel and then freeze as noted above.

To learn more: UNL Food - Freezing Raw Tomatoes