Canning A Dill Crock

I'm trying to cheer up today. I visited the girls at their new home and they are sleeping warm and cozy, snuggled up with each other.

So, here are the directions for making a dill crock. I mixed mine up on the 9th before all the bad stuff happened.

The vegetables are supposed to brine for 2 weeks, so mine will be ready on the 23rd.

I'll write a post then, after I taste it.

Of, course if it kills me there won't be any more posts

- hint: wait to read my post before you taste yours ;)

ha, ha

This recipe was adapted from Stocking Up III by Carol Hupping

She writes, "Nearly any kind of firm, crisp vegetable is good in a dill crock. Use your imagination along with whatever's on hand, fresh from the garden."

Catalina's Dill Crock:

I started with a clean drink dispenser. First I checked it for leaks. Then I washed it.

First layer: dill, sliced onion chunks, summer squash sticks.

Second layer: carrot coins, grape leaves (too keep everything crisp)


Third layer: Garlic, broccoli

Fourth layer: Onion chunks, cucumbers (washed, blossom end cut off), dried red peppers, black pepper corns

Fifth layer: More dill, green beans (blanched for 80 seconds)

Sixth layer: peeled eggplant, handful of radish pods

Covered with a brine:

1 1/2 cups canning salt dissolved in

6 cups 5% acidity vinegar and 2 gallons water

Weight vegetables underneath brine with a plate.

Use a plastic bag filled with brine to hold plate in place.

After 2 days add 1 cup canning salt to the plate on top of the brine.

Do not pour the salt directly on to the vegetables.

Check daily and skim any scum that forms.

To determine when fermentation is complete, test for bubbles by tapping the container on the side with your hand.

Any bubbles that rise to the surface indicate the fermentation is still occurring.

The dill crock should be ready to can in 2 weeks

(depending on what you put in yours)

Remove vegetables from brine.

Strain the brine; bring to a boil in a large saucepot.

Pack vegetables into hot jars, leaving 1/4 in headspace.

Ladle hot brine over vegetables leaving 1/4 inch headspace.

Remove air bubbles.

Adjust two piece caps.

Process for 15 min in boiling water canner.

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The book "Stocking up III" also has an interesting recipe for fermenting pickles without salt and using rice bran instead.

I might have to try it.

County Fair

I won 3 red ribbons!

For my special events, buildings and birds entries.

I wish I could figure out what the judge was looking for, so I will know what to enter next year.

The grand prize winners are in the upper left hand corner.

Not really sure why she picked them for grand prize.

The Lumberjack show!

Lots of vegetable entries.

The biggest vegetable entries.

Mom and Dad checking out the flower entries.

Check out this HUGE sunflower!

Cute goaties!

If I could, I would love to have a goat.

They are so sweet!

Dad and a friendly goat.

Pretty Belgian horse and its baby.

Pickles and Bread

I baked and canned before work on Thursday -

Golden Egg bread, banana bread, peaches and garlic dill pickles.

I added grape leaves to the pickles They are supposed to keep the pickles crisp.

(Golden Egg bread recipe below)

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The life of a dill pickle:

Hanging on the vine.

And canned.

Golden Egg Bread

Make sponge:

1 cup flour

1 cup warm water

2 tsp. yeast

Let sponge sit covered for 45 min. in a warm place, until bubbly.

Dough:

31/2 cups flour

1 3/4 tsp. salt

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter

3 large eggs

Mix sponge and all dough ingredients in an electric mixer.

Dough will be very sticky.

Place dough into a well greased bowl, cover and place in a warm location.

Let rise until doubled - 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

With wet hands (dough is very sticky) shape dough and place it into a bread loaf pan.

Let dough rise for 1 hour.

Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 min, until bread sounds hollow when the bottom of the loaf is tapped.

August Giveaway!

On your mark, get set! - Cock-a-doodle-do!

Enter now for the August giveaway!

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This month is rooster themed.

A rooster kitchen towel.

A sliver of Lush Red Rooster soap - made with refreshing orange and cinnamon.

A painted card from a Bayfield artist - F. Austin Miller.

And........

A small bag of candy!

Rooster eggs and multi-colored minty poos!!!

:)

Leave a comment to be entered!

One entry per person.

Good luck!

I will draw the winner at random on Sept. 1st 2009.

Wall Me In

I am in love with vertical gardening!

It is possible to grow 10x more plants in the same space that I had 1 planted before.

This is my second year using the square foot gardening method of vertical gardening.

Last year I used zip ties to connect the plastic netting to the metal conduit arches, but this year I stole an idea from my Dad.

I wrapped twine in between the netting holes and around the metal conduit.

It makes the netting taunt, but flexible.

In the back green pole beans - In the front cucumbers

Above: Close up of Tomato wall #2

Below: Tomato wall #2

P.S. The tomato walls are 8 1/2 feet tall!


My First Ripe Tomato!!!
There were 2, but I ate one.......and then I ate the other one too!

Cucumber wall close up.

Green bean wall from the side.

Eggplants and peppers in the front.

Tomato wall #1

Overall garden view: Empty beds - harvested garlic and a finally crop of peas, then I took the vines out.

Guess which Ladies like pea vines?

All of them!

Overall garden view: Grow summer squash! That's Butter Stick summer squash. Very good - makes yummy squash pickles.

Overall garden view.

If you want to see more pics of my garden and directions to make the metal conduit arches
click Here

County Fair Confusion

I re-read the fair entry form yesterday, when I was preparing my salsa and jam for entry, and I noticed the entry form said, "mail or turn in to the county office on or before July 31st".

Oh no!

But when I dropped off my scarecrow today I saw a huge line of people waiting to register their entries.

And an empty window for pre-entries.

Ah ha!

I rushed home, but I only had time to grab my photography entries and rush back to the fairgrounds.

Then I stood in line for 1 1/2 hours.

This is what I entered.

Category - Nature

Special events



Flowers

Birds

Water scene

Buildings

Kids

Animals

Country scene

I'll try to enter my canned items next year.

When I'm more prepared.

County Fair Scarecrow

I turned in my scarecrow today for the master gardener sponsered contest at the county fair. The theme was "butterfly garden".

This is The Flower Family.

There are some very, very nice scarecrows, so nice I didn't even want to vote for mine!

Spicy Cabbage Relish

This is hot and tasty! Perfect for using up extra cabbage.

Spicy Cabbage Relish

Chopped veg. to equal 11 cups - cabbage, cauliflower, onions, green tomatoes, green peppers, red peppers.

5 Tablespoons salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp celery seeds
2 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp mustard seed
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ginger

2 1/2 cups vinegar

small hot chiles - your choice

Combine chopped vegetables; sprinkle with salt ; mix well. Let stand 4 to 6 hours in a cool place or 48 hours in the refrigerator.
Drain well. Rinse and drain.
Combine sugar, spices and vinegar in a large saucepot. Simmer 10 min.
Add vegetables; simmer 10 minutes.
Bring to a boil.
Prick each hot chile with a sharp knife. Add one hot chile to each jar.
Pack hot relish into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Adjust two-piece caps.

You don't have to use the chiles, if you want a cooler relish.
Process 10 min. in a boiling water canner.

Or skip the canning and eat!

Can Mania!

This last week, I have been canning like crazy in preparation for the county fair (and just 'cause I like to can - the fair's a good excuse).

I had one failure: my black raspberry/guava jelly didn't set up, so now it's raspberry/guava juice. It still tastes good!

So far this last week I have made: the jelly/juice mistake, gooseberry jam, raspberry jam, raspberry/current jam, squash pickles, banana butter and peach salsa.

(Banana butter recipe below)

My canning from last night: 6 pints/4 half pints banana butter

11 pints/8 half pints peach salsa

The bananas were 99 cents for a huge bag. I bought both bags AND they were organic! Score!

Walmart had peaches on sale for 78 cents a pound, so that will be my next adventure.

Because I have a LOT of peaches in my kitchen.

I couldn't resist! Yummy peaches.......

Banana Butter

For every pound of bananas add 1 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup bottled lemon juice.

Put bananas and sugar in a large pot; mash with a potato masher.

Cook over low heat until paste rounds up on a spoon.

Optional: add cinnamon and cloves to taste.

Ladle into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch head space.

Remove air bubbles.

Adjust 2 piece caps.

Process in a boiling water canner for 10 mins.

This is soooooo good! It is like banana bread in a jar.

Watch out - Very addictive - I warned you!

Happy Hatch Day!

I am such a bad chicken mommy!

August 1st was the 2 year anniversary of my hens hatching.

It's hard to believe it all started 2 short years ago.....

In this last year there have been many changes: Pippa found a new home, Lavender hatched out 4 chicks and Honey died.

What started out as the flock of five has expanded to a flock of eight and then to a tiny flock of four.

With any other chicks that I add to the flock, I will never feel the same trepidation and excitement that I felt that first night when I went to pick up their tiny cardboard box at the post office.

It was petrifying! It was so easy to order them online, but then to have 5 little lives that depend on you for everything!?!

That was terrifying.

I thought I was prepared, but I had no idea what it would be like to have chickens.

I thought they would be pets, but I didn't know I would love them.

Who loves a chicken?

I do!!

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P.S. Miss you still Pippa and Honey.

And The Winner Is........

The winner of the chicken basket giveaway is.....................................................................................



..............................(Just remember if it's not you - there will be a great prize for August too!

So come back

and enter for that one!)

..............................

The winner is: FisherMOM!!!!!

Congrats!

I will try to contact you OR you can send me your addy at catalinagrey@hotmail.com OR if you are a BYCer just PM me!

OK I found you on BYC and sent you a PM!