Title: Ensuring High-Quality Canned Foods (part 1 of 2)
Categories: Canning, Information
Yield: 1 guide

Begin with good-quality fresh foods suitable for canning. Quality varies
among varieties of fruits and vegetables. Many county Extension offices
can recommend varieties best suited for canning. Examine food carefully
for freshness and wholesomeness. Discard diseased and moldy food. Trim
small diseased lesions or spots from food.

Can fruits and vegetables picked from your garden or purchased from
nearby producers when the products are at their peak of quality-within 6
to 12 hours after harvest for most vegetables. For best quality,
apricots, nectarines, peaches, pears, and plums should be ripened 1 or
more days between harvest and canning. If you must delay the canning of
other fresh produce, keep it in a shady, cool place.

Fresh home-slaughtered red meats and poultry should be chilled and
canned without delay. Do not can meat from sickly or diseased animals.
Ice fish and seafoods after harvest, eviscerate immediately and can them
within 2 days.

Maintaining Color and Flavor in Canned Food

To maintain good natural color and flavor in stored canned food, you
must:

* Remove oxygen from food tissues and jars,
* Quickly destroy the food enzymes,
* Obtain high jar vacuums and airtight jar seals.

Follow these guidelines to ensure that your canned foods retain optimum
colors and flavors during processing and storage:

* Use only high-quality foods which are at the proper maturity and are
free of diseases and bruises.

* Use the hot-pack method, especially with acid foods to be processed
in boiling water

* Don’t unnecessarily expose prepared foods to air. Can them as soon as
possible.

* While preparing a canner load of jars, keep peeled, halved,
quartered, sliced, or diced apples, apricots, nectarines, peaches, and
pears in a solution of 3 grams (3,000 milligrams) ascorbic acid to 1
gallon of cold water. This procedure is also useful in maintaining the
natural color of mushrooms and potatoes, and for preventing stem-end
discoloration in cherries and grapes. You can get ascorbic acid in
several forms:

** Pure powdered form–seasonally available among canners’ supplies
in supermarkets. One level teaspoon of pure powder weighs about 3
grams. Use 1 teaspoon per gallon of water as a treatment solution.

** Vitamin C tablets–economical and available year-round in many
stores. Buy 500-milligram tablets; crush and dissolve six tablets per
gallon of water as a treatment solution.

** Commercially prepared mixes of ascorbic and citric
acid–seasonally available among canners’ supplies in
supermarkets. Sometimes citric acid powder is sold in
supermarkets, but it is less effective in controlling
discoloration. If you choose to use these products, follow the
manufacturer’s directions.

* Fill hot foods into jars and adjust headspace as specified in recipes.

* Tighten screw bands securely, but if you are especially strong, not
as tightly as possible.

* Process and cool jars.

* Store the jars in a relatively cool, dark place, preferably between
50 degrees and 70 degrees F.

* Can no more food than you will use within a year.

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* USDA Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539 (rev. 1994)

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CROCKPOT FONDUE ITALIANO

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Meats Cheese/eggs
Italian Crockpot

Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
——– ———— ——————————–
1 lb Lean ground beef
8 oz Mozzarella cheese
1 Envelope spaghetti sauce mix
2 15 oz cans tomato sauce
2 tb Cornstarch
1 lb Sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 c Dry red wine

In a skillet or crock-pot with a browning unit, cook
beef until crumbly; pour off excess fat. In the crock-
pot, combine beef with dry spaghetti sauce mix, tomato
sauce, cheddar and mozzarella cheeses. Cover and cook
on low for 2 hours. Dissolve cornstarch in the wine.
Turn control to high. Add dissolved cornstarch. Heat
on high for 10 to 15 minutes. Dip chunks of Italian
bread into the fondue while > keeping the mixture hot
in the crock-pot. Makes 6 to 8 serv.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Title: MA-PO DOU-FU
Categories: Chinese, Pork
Yield: 6 servings

3 c To 4 c cubed bean curd,
-about 1 1/2 japanese style,
-ot 3-4 smaller
Chinese cakes
1/3 lb To 1/2 lb fatty pork
3 ts To 5 ts finely chopped
-fresh ginger
1/4 c Coarsely chopped green onion
1 tb To 2 tb hot bean sauce
1 c Pork of chicken stock or
-water (best with stock)

————————SEASONINGS————————
2 tb To 3 tb cornstarch mixed 4-6
-tb water
1 ts To 2 ts salt, depending on
-the saltiness of the
-hot bean sauce
1 tb Rice wine or dry sherry
1 tb Soy sauce
1/2 ts Ground szechwan pepper
4 tb To 5 tb cooking oil

————————-OPTIONAL————————-
2 tb Finely chopped garlic (never
-cook without it.. (g))
1 ts Fermented black beans (works
-well)
2 To 3 dried or fresh
-mushrooms (so-so in it)
6 To 8 pieces wood ear (I
-think these taste like
-rubber)
1 tb Sesame oil (include)

(this dish should be VERY hot)

TO PREPARE: 1. Cut the bean curd into small cubes. If
desired, palce the bean curd in boiling water in a wok
or pot and boil until the bean curd starts to float.
This procedure firms the bean curd slightly and is
especially advisable if you are using soft japanese
style bean curd. 2. Chop the pork into small pieces,
about 1/4 inch by 1/4 inch, or slightly smaller. Chop
the green onion coarsly. Chop the ginger as finely as
possible. 3. Mix the SEASONINGs in a cup, first
dissolving the cornstarch in water and then adding the
other ingredients.

TO COOK: 1. Heat 4-5 tbsps cooking oil in a wok or
large frying pan until very hot. (This recipe actually
calls for rendered pork fat, but I invariably use
vegetable oil and fatty pork instead.) Add the pork
pieces and cook briefly. Then add the hot bean sauce,
stir and add the chopped ginger. Stir until the meat
and ginger have absorbed the red color from the hot
bean sauce. Add 1 cup of stock or water. Then
carefully add the bean curd cubes and stir gently. 2.
Allow the liquid in the wok to cook down somewhat,
keeping it over medium flame. Stir occasionally, being
careful not to break the bean curd cubes. Just before
the liquid has cooked away, stir the seasonings and
add the green onion. Stir, check for salt. The
consistency should now be very thick, almost custard
like. If necessary add a tbsp or so more cornstarch
first mixing it with a few tbsps of water to make a
thin paste. Sprinkle ground Szechwan pepper over the
bean curd. Serve hot. Should be eaten on top of rice.

From The Good Food of Szechwan: Down to Earth Chinese
cooking. Robert A. Delfs. Kodansha International Ltd.

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Curry Powder~

Recipe By : Sukh Dyal, 1942 Chemical Publ. Co., Inc. Brooklyn, N. Y.
Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Condiments

Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
——– ———— ——————————–
6 pounds turmeric — powdered
6 pounds coriander seed — powdered
2 pounds white pepper — powdered
1/2 pound cayenne pepper — powdered
2 pounds jamaica ginger — powdered
2 pounds yellow mustard — powdered
1 pound allspice — powdered
1 pound cardamom — powdered
1/2 pound cumin seed — powdered
1/2 pound cloves — powdered

Mix well.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Of course you may go into spice packaging….

There are also a lot of recipes for imitation flavours as well as extracts in
this book, in case somebody needs something specific.

Title: Butterfly Cookies
Categories: Chinese, Cookies, Ceideburg 2
Yield: 1 servings

1 Package won ton wrappers
1 c Powdered sugar
Oil for deep frying

Fixed these guys last night. Good stuff! Quite simple to do. I also
tried using granulated sugar and cinnamon as well as the powdered
sugar. All were equally good.

Yield: About 80

PREPARATION: Cut each won ton wrapper into 2 rectangles. Lay one
rectangle on top of the other to form a double thickness. Make three
1/2-inch slits in the center, lengthwise. To form a bow, pull one
end through the middle slit.

COOKING: Deep fry butterflies until golden, about 1 minute or less.
Drain on paper towel. Sift powdered sugar over both sides. Cool.

DO-AHEAD NOTES: These keep several weeks in air-tight containers. [Fat
chance! They didn’t even make it through the next day! S.C.]

COMMENTS: These can also be made from egg roll wrappers but they’re
three times as large. I prefer using won ton wrappers because I
think their mini size makes them more attractive.

From “The Chinese Village Cookbook.” A practical guide to Cantonese
country cooking. Rhoda Yee, Yerba Buena Press, San Francisco. 1975.

Posted by Stephen Ceideburg; February 28 1991.

MMMMM

PINTO BEAN LOAF

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Main dish

Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
——– ———— ——————————–
3 c Pinto Beans, cooked/mashed
1 c Tomato sauce
1 c Bread crumbs, finely ground
1/4 c Minced onion
1/4 c Quick oatmeal
3 ts Egg replacer mixed with
4 tb Water, beat til frothy
Fresh ground pepper to taste
1/4 c Catsup or barbeque sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all
ingredients, except catsup, in a large bowl. Mix
well. Turn into a non-stick loaf pan, 9-1/4 x 5-1/4 x
3, and flatten.
Spread catsup or BBQ sauce over the top. Bake for
45 minutes. NOTE: Makes a good sandwich spread when
cold.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

SHERRY TRIFLE

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Cakes Desserts

Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
——– ———— ——————————–
3 Egg yolks
1 pt Double cream
1 oz Sugar
1 Level tsp cornflour
5 Trifle sponge cakes
2 oz Flaked almonds, lightly
-toasted
-Raspberry jam, use a very
-good quality one
2 fl Oz of sherry ( or more!)

8 oz frozen raspberries ( or fresh in season) 2 small
bananas

Break the sponge cakes into medium size pieces and
spread each piece with jam. Place in a large glass
bowl and sprinkle over the raspberries. Add the sherry
until the cakes are saturated.

Make the custard: Heat half the cream in a small
saucepan. Blend the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour
together in a basin and when the cream is hot pour
over the mixture , stirring constantly. Return to the
pan and reheat gently until thick, then allow to cool.

Slice the bananas, mix in with the raspberries, and
pour the custard over. Whip up the remaining cream and
spread over the custard. Decorate with the flaked
almonds. Cover and chill for 3 – 4 hours before
serving.

This is nice served with a good dessert wine, one of
the Australian or Californian Muscats would be great.
From: Sandee Eveland

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Title: Hot and Sour Soup (Chinese)
Categories: Chinese, Soups, Ceideburg 2
Yield: 1 servings

3 Dried black mushrooms
1 Heaping tablespoon small
-tree ear mushrooms
20 Dried lily buds
2 Pads firm bean curd
1/4 lb Lean pork, cut into
-matchstick shreds
2 ts Dark soy sauce
1 tb Light soy sauce
5 tb White vinegar
2 ts Salt, or to taste
1 tb Peanut oil
1/4 c Bamboo shoots, cut into
-matchstick shreds
5 c Chicken stock
3 tb Cornstarch mixed with 1/4
-cup water
2 Eggs lightly beaten
1 ts White pepper
1 tb Sesame oil
2 tb Chopped scallions
2 tb Chopped fresh coriander
-leaves

Here’s a classic Chinese version.

Put the mushrooms, tree ears and lily buds into a bowl and cover with
boiling water. Let stand for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, slice the bean
curd into strips and set aside.

Combine the pork shreds with the dark soy sauce in a small bowl.

Combine the light soy sauce, vinegar and salt in another bowl.
Remove the black mushrooms from the soaking liquid, cut off the woody
stems and discard, then slice the caps thinly and put into a bowl.
Drain and rinse the tree ears and add them to the mushrooms. Remove
the lily buds, cut off the woody tips, slice them in two, then pull
each apart by hand into 2 or 3 shreds and add them to the mushrooms.

Heat the oil in a wok or large pot. Stir-fry the pork just until it
changes color. Add the tree ear mixture and bamboo shoots; cook,
stirring for 1 minute. Add the stock and bring to a boil (you may
have this simmering in a separate pot), and stir in the vinegar
mixture.

Adjust the seasonings.

Cook for 1 minute then add the bean curd. When boiling, give the
cornstarch/water mixture a stir to recombine and stir into the soup.
Cook until the soup thickens and clears slightly. Turn off the heat
and slowly swirl in the beaten eggs. Transfer to a soup tureen,
sprinkle with the pepper, drizzle in the sesame oil, garnish with the
scallions and coriander and serve.

San Francisco Chronicle, 12/18/87.

Posted by Stephen Ceideberg; February 10 1992.

MMMMM

Chipotle Chutney Dressing (Gourmet)

Recipe By : Gourmet / May 1996:266
Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:05
Categories : Sauces And Condiments

Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
——– ———— ——————————–
1/4 cup Major Grey’s chutney — bottled
1/4 cup fresh orange juice — see note
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon canned chipotle chili
in adobo sauce — minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 garlic clove — minced
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil — see note

– For chunky style, place ingredients into a container and shake.
– For a smooth salad dressing, blend and process with a small food
processor.
– Store in a non-metal container and refrigerator for 7 to 10 days. Makes
about 3/4 cup.
– Serve dressing with lettuce, potatoes, melons, apples.
~Original recipe omitted salad oil.
~Add more water to thin to desired consistency.
~Substitute other chilies or salsa for the chipotle; or use jalapeno
jelly. If chipotle with adobo not used, add the sesame oil for a comforting
smoky flavor.
~The more sugar in the orange juice, the shorter the shelf life.

from Pat Hanneman’s collection aka ‘patH’
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Title: GINGER SHRIMP WITH SNOW PEAS
Categories: Chinese, Seafood
Yield: 4 servings

2 tb Peanut oil
1/4 ts Sesame oil
3/4 lb Medium shrimp, peeled and
-deveined
1 Clove garlic, crushed
1 1/2 c Fresh or frozen snow peas
-(about 1/4 Lb)
8 oz Sliced water chestnuts (1
-can)
1/2 c Chicken broth
2 tb Soy sauce
1 tb Cornstarch
1 tb Cold water
1 tb Fresh ginger, grated
Chow Mein Noodles OR:
Freshly Cooked Rice

Heat the oils in a wok or heavy skillet until hot but
not smoking. Add shrimp and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
Transfer to plate and set aside. Add garlic to wok;
stir for 15 to 20 seconds. Add snow peas, water
chestnuts, broth and soy sauce; stir-fry for 2
minutes. Combine the cornstarch and water in small
cup; blend until smooth. Add to wok. Return shrimp
to wok with ginger and stir until sauce thickens and
mixture is heated through. Serve immediately over chow
mein noodles or rice.

Bon Appetit LIGHT AND EASY SPECIAL

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