Corn, Kimchi, Tomatoes, Tabascos, and Sweet Peppers
Whew, this weekend (and friday) has been fun and full of stuff to do!
First, I took care of the corn that my mom brought to me. I got several ears, which I boiled, and then cut up, to store in the freezer. I LOVE silver queen corn!! It is the most delicious tasting corn in the world, to me...no store bought corn can compare to the taste of freshly grown silver queen corn (with a little butter, salt, and pepper) in my opinion:
Then, I got the tomatoes, and made speghetti sauce, tomato sauce (I made 4 jars of this, but we have drank 2. It is good!), and salsa!
Here is a VERY easy step by step tutorial on how to make your own homemade Salsa. And here is what I used to do the Speghetti sauce. The tomato juice is from the leftover juice, and that site shows you how to do it too.
Look at the rich red color on the salsa. It's just beautiful- and delicious!
I had a lot of peppers that were the color of banana peppers (and tasted just like them), but were much larger. I don't know what they're called. I decided to pickle them, just like I would with a banana pepper.
And I picked the tabasco peppers too (just poured straight vinegar over them):
My grandfather gave me 5 cabbages from his garden, and I knew exactly what I wanted to do to preserve them- Make Kimchi! If you haven't ever heard of Kimchi, it is a staple in Korea. It is one of the healthiest foods you can eat, from what I'm told. Although, many people around here don't like it, because it is strong and the taste might be an acquired one- but my husband and I are big fans of Kimchi!
From Wikipedia:
"Kimchi, also spelled gimchi or kimchee, is a traditional Korean fermented dish made of vegetables with varied seasonings, most commonly referring to the spicy baechu variety. Kimchi is the most common Korean banchan, or side dish, eaten with rice along with other banchan dishes. Kimchi is also a common ingredient and cooked with other ingredients to make dishes such as kimchi stew (kimchi jjigae) and kimchi fried rice (kimchi bokkeumbap)."
You can read more about it here and read about the multiple health benefits of Kimchi here.
I did a lot of research on Kimchi before I began. I really don't know anything about the process, and there were so many contradictory articles on how to prepare it, that I wasn't totally sure of what to do. Some articles said to let it ferment in the sun, and some said to ferment it in an area cooler than 68 degrees, preferably about 50 degrees.
I finally decided on a recipe, and got started. My recipe didn't have any authentic Korean ingredients, but is still supposed to be fine without them.
First, I separated all of the leaves from a cabbage head (usually, you will see it being done with chinese cabbage, but regular cabbage works just fine), and then I poured salt over each leaf, and rubbed it in:
Then, I sealed the salted cabbage leaves in ziplock bags, for about 5-6 hours, so that Osmosis could begin and the water would be removed from the cabbage leaves. This makes them wilt and yet retain their crunchiness.
After the cabbage had been sufficiently wilted, I rinsed the leaves, and followed the recipe shown here, but instead of using Korean chili powder, I used ground red pepper, and reduced the amount a bit. This is what the mixture looked like:
It needed more liquid, so after doing research on what to do in that situation, I added filtered water, to cover the leaves. (If they aren't coated in liquid, they can mold).
It was DELICIOUS!!! So crispy, spicy, and just so much better than the store bought kind. I let it sit out one night, then stuck it in the fridge, where it should keep for months, hopefully! I love it, I love it, I love it!!
I loved it so much that I really wanted to make some Kimchi that is REALLY authentic tasting. So...I asked my husband if he would take me to the Korean food store that is about 1 hour's drive from our house, and we went there to get the REAL Korean chili powder, and some fish sauce. I really wanted to get that deep red pasty look in mine, that I wasn't able to achieve with ingredients at home.
Turns out, the store was so fabulously fun, we ended up purchasing almost 100 dollars worth of stuff! The people who owned the store were really nice. Their little girl came up to us while we were looking around, said "Hi!" in a bright, cheery voice, and she brought us a tiny korean drink for us to drink while we looked around. She was cute. The little drink was pretty good...I have no idea what was in it. lol Then, when we were loading up our groceries in the car, the man who owned the store, brought out two more orange drinks for us to enjoy on our way home. It was nice!
Included in the picture are:
Nori wrappers (for sushi)
Korean Hot Chili powder (bulk size)
2 bags of 5 spice
Bean paste
2 types of fish sauce
Sushi rice
Sea Salt
Gloves
Rice noodles
Acorn Noodles
Kimchi soup
Rice vinegar
Chili Pepper Paste (bulk size)
Sesame seeds (bulk size)
So, today I have already chopped up 3 more heads of cabbage (I got the cabbage from my grandfather's garden), and it is sitting and wilting right now. I'll be making THIS recipe for kimchi today, and will post about it later. I'm so excited to try it!
Okay...I have a lot more work to do, so I better answer a couple of comments and then get back to work!
First, I took care of the corn that my mom brought to me. I got several ears, which I boiled, and then cut up, to store in the freezer. I LOVE silver queen corn!! It is the most delicious tasting corn in the world, to me...no store bought corn can compare to the taste of freshly grown silver queen corn (with a little butter, salt, and pepper) in my opinion:
Then, I got the tomatoes, and made speghetti sauce, tomato sauce (I made 4 jars of this, but we have drank 2. It is good!), and salsa!
Here is a VERY easy step by step tutorial on how to make your own homemade Salsa. And here is what I used to do the Speghetti sauce. The tomato juice is from the leftover juice, and that site shows you how to do it too.
Look at the rich red color on the salsa. It's just beautiful- and delicious!
I had a lot of peppers that were the color of banana peppers (and tasted just like them), but were much larger. I don't know what they're called. I decided to pickle them, just like I would with a banana pepper.
And I picked the tabasco peppers too (just poured straight vinegar over them):
My grandfather gave me 5 cabbages from his garden, and I knew exactly what I wanted to do to preserve them- Make Kimchi! If you haven't ever heard of Kimchi, it is a staple in Korea. It is one of the healthiest foods you can eat, from what I'm told. Although, many people around here don't like it, because it is strong and the taste might be an acquired one- but my husband and I are big fans of Kimchi!
From Wikipedia:
"Kimchi, also spelled gimchi or kimchee, is a traditional Korean fermented dish made of vegetables with varied seasonings, most commonly referring to the spicy baechu variety. Kimchi is the most common Korean banchan, or side dish, eaten with rice along with other banchan dishes. Kimchi is also a common ingredient and cooked with other ingredients to make dishes such as kimchi stew (kimchi jjigae) and kimchi fried rice (kimchi bokkeumbap)."
You can read more about it here and read about the multiple health benefits of Kimchi here.
I did a lot of research on Kimchi before I began. I really don't know anything about the process, and there were so many contradictory articles on how to prepare it, that I wasn't totally sure of what to do. Some articles said to let it ferment in the sun, and some said to ferment it in an area cooler than 68 degrees, preferably about 50 degrees.
I finally decided on a recipe, and got started. My recipe didn't have any authentic Korean ingredients, but is still supposed to be fine without them.
First, I separated all of the leaves from a cabbage head (usually, you will see it being done with chinese cabbage, but regular cabbage works just fine), and then I poured salt over each leaf, and rubbed it in:
Then, I sealed the salted cabbage leaves in ziplock bags, for about 5-6 hours, so that Osmosis could begin and the water would be removed from the cabbage leaves. This makes them wilt and yet retain their crunchiness.
After the cabbage had been sufficiently wilted, I rinsed the leaves, and followed the recipe shown here, but instead of using Korean chili powder, I used ground red pepper, and reduced the amount a bit. This is what the mixture looked like:
It needed more liquid, so after doing research on what to do in that situation, I added filtered water, to cover the leaves. (If they aren't coated in liquid, they can mold).
It was DELICIOUS!!! So crispy, spicy, and just so much better than the store bought kind. I let it sit out one night, then stuck it in the fridge, where it should keep for months, hopefully! I love it, I love it, I love it!!
I loved it so much that I really wanted to make some Kimchi that is REALLY authentic tasting. So...I asked my husband if he would take me to the Korean food store that is about 1 hour's drive from our house, and we went there to get the REAL Korean chili powder, and some fish sauce. I really wanted to get that deep red pasty look in mine, that I wasn't able to achieve with ingredients at home.
Turns out, the store was so fabulously fun, we ended up purchasing almost 100 dollars worth of stuff! The people who owned the store were really nice. Their little girl came up to us while we were looking around, said "Hi!" in a bright, cheery voice, and she brought us a tiny korean drink for us to drink while we looked around. She was cute. The little drink was pretty good...I have no idea what was in it. lol Then, when we were loading up our groceries in the car, the man who owned the store, brought out two more orange drinks for us to enjoy on our way home. It was nice!
Included in the picture are:
Nori wrappers (for sushi)
Korean Hot Chili powder (bulk size)
2 bags of 5 spice
Bean paste
2 types of fish sauce
Sushi rice
Sea Salt
Gloves
Rice noodles
Acorn Noodles
Kimchi soup
Rice vinegar
Chili Pepper Paste (bulk size)
Sesame seeds (bulk size)
So, today I have already chopped up 3 more heads of cabbage (I got the cabbage from my grandfather's garden), and it is sitting and wilting right now. I'll be making THIS recipe for kimchi today, and will post about it later. I'm so excited to try it!
Okay...I have a lot more work to do, so I better answer a couple of comments and then get back to work!
Hi there,
I've been reading your blog for awhile now ( i love reading it!!) I am amazed at home much food you are giving!! haha. I'm ready to pack up my family and the city life and trade it in for apple trees and canning! Where do I sign up lol. Thanks for all of the great recipes
Reply to this
You'd probably love it here, Brandy... I love living in the country! Thank you for the comments!
Reply to this
I'm with Brandy!
The Kimchi sounds fabulous! I've never had it before but I might try making it. Do your kids eat it too or is it too spicy/hot for them?
Reply to this
The kids haven't wanted to try it, but maybe one day they'll get brave. lol It's very hot and spicy and I think they'd probably be begging for milk if they did try it.
Reply to this
Wow, looks like you've been busy!! I wonder if you could have found a recipe for the Kimchi at that store. Did they give you any ideas for cooking korean style?
Reply to this
Well, they didn't speak english (except little bits like "how are you", "thank you", etc), so I couldn't ask them, or I would have!
I found a lot of already prepared Kimchi at the store, but since I was already making some, we figured we'd pass it up. Oh, we got some prawn chips that were really weird tasting but good!
Reply to this
We have banana pepper plants and I would like to do something to preserve the peppers. The recipe you linked to seems to simple: ) Do you have to sterilize the jars or just the lids and rims?
You seem like you are having so much fun. It definatley is a satisfactory kind of work.
We live in the country too with lots of land. I would love to have a berry farm where pople can come to pick their own. I even have a name picked for our farm....we just need the funds to start it : ) In the mean time I'll be happy with our garden.
Reply to this
I was supposed to sterilize the rims, lids, and the jars. I just boil them in a large pot...some people use the dishwasher. That really was a simple recipe!
I don't know if you have a freecycle in your area, but if you do, you can sign up and ask people in your area if they have any large berry bushes that have offshoots they would be willing to part with. The fall would be the best time to transplant them if you did do this. You could probably get many FREE plants this way. If you live by me (north alabama), we have tons of offshoots on our blueberry bushes that we would be willing to give you, if you want to come get them!
Another place you might try looking is through craigslist. I think it's free to put in want ads.
I hope you'll get the berry farm you want soon! My husband and I are also thinking about spreading our bushes out a little bit more and starting a "you pick" sort of thing by next year, if the berries are doing as well then as they are now!
Reply to this
Hi Bethany,
Last year I pickled a ton of peppers but they all turned out mushy and we ended up throwing them all away
Reply to this
Sarah, thanks for your comment. I actually had at first just closed the seal, and since the water had been boiling, I heard the seal "pop"...I knew it was probably safe, but just to be sure, I went ahead and canned them anyway. Same thing as you said- they turned out mushy. Still taste good, just mushy. But I think that maybe putting them in the fridge would help a little. I think that most likely, they're safe without canning, but I was just wanting to be doubly sure!
Reply to this
Korean food in general is amazing. My best girlfriend's mom was from Korea and so always had Korean foods available. It is SO yummy!!!
Reply to this
I want to try lots of different recipes from Korea (as long as other foreign recipes).. If your girlfriend's mom has any recipes she'd like to share through you, please feel free to pass them along...I may just try them!
Reply to this
Our silver queen corn has just come in really good too! I think we will eat it every night this week! Yum!
Reply to this
Yes, they love full sun! Ours are constantly in the sun and they have done so well. They also love acidity! If you go to the store, you can get some kind of powder that is acidic to pour all around the bushes. That is the only maintenance that we have done to the bushes, and they do so well even without our help at all. No need for pesticide ...at least not with ours!
Reply to this
You are am.a.zing.
Reply to this
Reply to this
Reply to this
Bethany,
You are so blessed to have so much food to preserve and learning to do it. I am proud of you. You are being a good steward of your blessings. God bless you.
Debbieo
Reply to this
Debbieo, thank you so much for your kind words. You are very encouraging!
Reply to this
Bethany,
I have commented before that your posts are inspiring and entertaining. I want to add that you are truly like the wise woman in Proverbs. Such diligence and dedication! I am ashamed to say that we throw out too much food because of negligence and forgetfulness. By the way, your kimchi looks delicious. They look superior to mine.
Reply to this
Lily, what I said to Debbieo- ditto to you.
Reply to this
Hi Bethany! I stumbled across your site last night and couldn't stop reading! I'm so impressed with all that you do. How on earth do you do it? I'll definitely keep reading. You have some great ideas and what an inspiration you are to all of us moms that want to do more!
Reply to this
It's sometimes hard to keep up with all of the stuff I want to get done- many times, housework gets put on the back burner while I'm doing my projects.
Reply to this
I love kimchi. I tried it in college. I never thought of making it. I haven't had any since I've been married (5 years!) My husband can't stand the smell!
Reply to this
My mom is Korean so naturally I grew up on kimchi. I LOVE the cabbage kind (hubby is not so fond of it) though I have never made it. My mom also makes a cucumber kimchi that is not fermented but is still oh so tasty-that one my hubby (who loves spicy things) adores =)
Anna
Reply to this
Hi Bethany!!
I have been reading your blog for awhile now, and let me just say that you amaze me. All the neat things you do and then share your beautiful ideas and pictures with so many people. I don't see how you find the time to do it!!! I have 2 3 year olds and am going back to school while my husband works overseas. And I barely get the time to check my email!!
Anyway, I was reading about your experiences on putting up vegetables and wanted to share an idea with you. I also put up a lot of veggies during the summer. We planted a small garden this year of tomatoes, okra, cucumbers, squash, watermelon, and cantelope. We live in town so we don't have much room. So we had to buy the corn, peas and butter beans this year. Anyway on to my point--we always put up about 20 bags of creamed corn, 20 bags of peas, 15 bags of butter beans, and about 10-15 bags of corn on the cob. After we cut our corn off the cob we take the knife and scrape it down the corn to get all the creamy yummy juice. It is soooo delicious when cooked. You will never eat creamed corn from the can again!! Anyway just wanted to share that tip with you!!
I also have seen that you have a lot of ppl that read your blog, so I was wondering if you could do me a favor. I am a member of an organization that I would like you to help me spread the word about. If you are interested please email me and I tell you all about it. I don't want to put it in the comments unless I have your approval!!
Thanks so much and God bless you and your family!!
Sorry for such a long comment!!
Lin =)
Reply to this
Thanks for sharing this useful information! Hope that you will continue with the kind of stuff you are doing.
Reply to this
Thanks for sharing this useful information! Hope that you will continue with the kind of stuff you are doing.
Reply to this
Very Interesting Post! Thank You For Thi Post!
Reply to this
Very Interesting Post! Thank You For Thi Post!
Reply to this