as anything worthwhile is, DIY locavorian eating is a process. discovering new tastes, or new ways to preserve a fruit or vegetable that grows well in my new england garden is certainly the exciting part. but what has been important to hone around my digz is what we actually eat – and eat regularly. particularly in the years (this one!) when i don’t have as much time as i would like in the garden or the kitchen – and yes that is beginning to be a theme in my life – at least for now.
from the fall equinox in september to the much awaited one in spring, occurring just two short weeks ago, my preserving time in the kitchen was mostly spent focused on the basics. throughout the winter months, canned tomatoes, fermented cabbage, chiles and indian citrus pickles define my kitchen. they are my staples – the collection from which i draw – to put an endless amount of nourishing, bold-flavored meals on our table.
tigress’ fall/winter 2011-12 collection (the practical collection)
each category is listed chronologically by date of preservation
canned
- sweet tomato ketchup
spicy pickled green beans
fire (or not) apple chutney
new england apple butter
sauced tomatoes
honeyed hotties (formerly known as honeyed cayenne chiles)
spiced pickled beets
5 spice kumquat chutney
meyer lemon marmalade
fermented
- fermented chiles (bright red ones this year!)
super red hot curried kraut
juniper kraut
salt & pepper preserved kumquats
north indian lime pickle
sweet preserved kumquats (this year i added 3/4 tablespoon aleppo pepper)
gingery lime pickle
quick/fridge
frozen
- green beans
chiles
corn on the cob
oven-candied tomatoes
asian style stock (don’t let the title fool you, i use it as a vegetarian chicken broth everywhere)
marjoram pesto
dried
- chiles
shell beans
dairy
cellared
- leeks (in the ground)
winter squash
hooped
spinach (my spinach actually lasted through this uncharacteristically warm new england winter)
the stand out discovery for me this fall was my shell bean plot! it was an experiment to find out what grows best, and really, how labor-intensive shucking all those beanz would be. they grew like weeds, and with a glass of wine, a helpful mate, good music, and a warming fire in the wood-stove on a chilly fall night, shucking isn’t so bad! this year i am going bonkerz for beanz in my garden!
spring/summer 2012 sneak peek: beauty & abundance
past collections
spring/summer 2011
fall/winter 2010-11
spring/summer 2010
what are your fall/winter preserving staples – those things you preserve from your fall garden or farmers market, or wintertime preserving kitchen that are must-haves throughout the year?
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my fall/winter staples- tomatoes (i already do a lot of them but i need more more more!) both in jars and dehydrated. I agree with you 100% about the beans, and i also want to really go nuts with the winter squash this summer. I like that winter squash preserves itself and i don’t have to do anything, plus it’s so good for you and easily turn into so many filling meals. Also pear things. pear jam, pear-maple butter, pear sauce, I’m crazy for pears.
i really want to grow yellow indian woman beans this summer- they’re my favorite heirloom bean out of the ones i’ve tried so far.
i can feel your excitement through the screen caroline! i love winter squash – it was the very first thing i ever grew. i love them in the garden, and as a fall/winter display. you are totally right, they preserve themselves. i like your pear love too! and yes, can we ever have enough tomatoes?