Making Your Own?

[PRgal]

Does anyone make their own butter?  I'd like to attempt this, using a food processor!  I've seen videos of people rinsing in the processor and others doing it by hand.  What's better?  And is ice water really better than water straight from the tap?  Thanks! 🙂 

[biakbiak]

I’ve only ever done it in my stand mixer and the stories my mother used to tell about having to do it when she visited her grandparents on their dairy farm makes me think that I wouldn’t want to do it by hand. Definitely use ice water.

[PRgal]

On 5/13/2020 at 6:27 PM, biakbiak said:

I’ve only ever done it in my stand mixer and the stories my mother used to tell about having to do it when she visited her grandparents on their dairy farm makes me think that I wouldn’t want to do it by hand. Definitely use ice water.

Oh no, I am NOT going to even attempt mason jar butter!  I meant rinsing.  Some videos show people adding water to the processor while others rinse it in a bowl using a spatula or their hands.

 

Update:  I DID IT!!

 

Edited May 16, 2020 by PRgal

[larapu2000]

Does anyone make their own sauerkraut?  My mom did, years ago, and it was the best kraut we ever had.  I recently tried out 2 different recipes, but one did not go well at all, and I pitched it, I think there wasn't enough brine-it covered it, but barely.  

Any tips or tricks?  When my mom made it, she used her massive crock to ferment it, and I don't have that, lol.  I used some large plastic foodservice containers (and when they say you should then only use them for fermenting, boy, is that right on), but considering fermenting in mason jars with glass weights and seeing how that goes, even if that means "burping" them every 4-5 days or so.  

Also, I felt like I couldn't quite get the shred right.  The food processor made it way too fine, and a knife was just on this side of too thick.  I've heard a cabbage knife helps?

[biakbiak]

I make it all the time. I use a knife, only the brine from salting the cabbage and letting it sit for several hours before putting it into mason jars. I use Easy fermenter lids so no burping needed. 

[Athena]

On 8/26/2020 at 2:18 PM, larapu2000 said:

Does anyone make their own sauerkraut?  My mom did, years ago, and it was the best kraut we ever had.  I recently tried out 2 different recipes, but one did not go well at all, and I pitched it, I think there wasn't enough brine-it covered it, but barely.  

Any tips or tricks?  When my mom made it, she used her massive crock to ferment it, and I don't have that, lol.  I used some large plastic foodservice containers (and when they say you should then only use them for fermenting, boy, is that right on), but considering fermenting in mason jars with glass weights and seeing how that goes, even if that means "burping" them every 4-5 days or so.  

Also, I felt like I couldn't quite get the shred right.  The food processor made it way too fine, and a knife was just on this side of too thick.  I've heard a cabbage knife helps?

I also make it regularly. You can experiment with spices and vegetables. I use a mandolin for slicing. My brine is only from the salt of the vegetables. I calculate the salt by weight and percentage. I use mason jars with glass weights. I find it has worked better. As for lids, I use fermentation lids which burp automatically as well. Burping is easy too though. 

I dream of having a giant crock as well. 

[larapu2000]

21 minutes ago, Athena said:

I also make it regularly. You can experiment with spices and vegetables. I use a mandolin for slicing. My brine is only from the salt of the vegetables. I calculate the salt by weight and percentage. I use mason jars with glass weights. I find it has worked better. As for lids, I use fermentation lids which burp automatically as well. Burping is easy too though. 

I dream of having a giant crock as well. 

Thanks everyone!!  I ordered a cabbage shredder that is like a mandolin but wider!  I also got some glass jar weights, so I will try again using jars!  I'm going to get some fermenting lids as well.

Because the one batch turned out fine, I think I didn't give the cabbage enough time or salt to make enough brine.  It's reassuring to hear that the right ratio works every time.

 

[Terrafamilia]

I just made some mayonnaise using Cook's Country's recipe. It was fairly quick and easy but turned out rather saltier than I would have preferred. The recipe stated 3/4 tsp table salt and 1/4 tsp sugar and I'm wondering if either that it ought to have been the other way around or I wasn't exact enough in my measuring..

[biakbiak]

How many eggs was that for? I have legit never seen a mayo recipe that called for more than a pinch of salt.

[Terrafamilia]

The recipe calls for 1 large egg (both white and yolk). Today the saltiness has mellowed a bit but it is still noticeable.

[chessiegal]

I've been getting Blue Apron every week since April. At least 1 out of the 3 meals calls for garlic, and they include a head of garlic even if the recipe calls for 2 cloves. Some days I'm too lazy to mince the garlic, and use a tube of garlic paste I keep in the fridge. I got to wondering if you can freeze garlic. I found some instructions for mincing and freezing, mincing and freezing in olive oil, and freezing whole cloves separated from the head. Supposedly the skin comes off easier when they're frozen. I got some 2 oz. freezable baby food containers and minced up 3 heads of garlic in the mini-bowl of my food processor. I filled one container with just the chopped garlic, and a second one with minced plus oil. I filled another 2 containers with separated gloves. So we'll see how this works out. I read you should never store minced garlic in olive oil at room temperature because it can grow the bacterium that produces the botulism toxin.

[scriggle]

You could try roasting the garlic then freezing it.

[Gramto6]

I buy the Christopher Ranch peeled garlic in bags. It is packed in small air sealed bags of maybe 6-8 cloves. I have frozen the baggies in small freezer containers. The garlic changes a bit in consistency, it is kind of translucent, but cut up and cooked you can't really tell a difference. 

I'll be interested in how the minced garlic in olive oil turns out. Roasting before freezing sounds interesting too.

Edited November 25, 2020 by Gramto6

[chessiegal]

The minced frozen garlic with and without oil is fine. You have to use a lot of oil o make it not freeze, but just letting the oil and garlic sit on the counter for about 15 minutes is enough time for it to thaw and be about to use.

[ethalfrida]

Sorry wrong forum...

Edited November 13, 2021 by ethalfrida
wrong forum

[ethalfrida]

I have a new passion- dehydrating. You find the most useful information in FB groups where people are living sustainable lives. And those who live with traditional ways of life.

Anyways, I used to waste so much food before learning to preserve them by dehydrating leftovers. Vegetables, soups, fruits, seeds, nuts, rinds, peels, jerky, some candies like marshmallows and peeps. 

So now I make my own seasonings too from spices and vegs I could not use fast enough. Like this one:

• 1 1/2 Tablespoons sea salt
• 3/4 teaspoons paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• (add 1/4 teaspoon sugar, optional, but I don't)
• 1/4 teaspoon cornstarch

Most of the ingredients come from my garden and are organic. The recipe can be expanded to make any amount. I usually multiply by four at the very least.

For Creole/Cajun seasoning use this one called The Trinity. It is the backbone of all seasonings in Louisiana: 

Equal parts onions, celery, and bell peppers. If you're using a small onion and small bell pepper, this equals about two stalks of celery.

You do not have to dehydrate any of these to get fabulous, delicious seasoning. Just use fresh for The Trinity or purchase your spices to mix your own seasoning.

[Trini]

6 hours ago, ethalfrida said:

I have a new passion- dehydrating. You find the most useful information in FB groups where people are living sustainable lives. And those who live with traditional ways of life.

Tell me more! My family has a dehydrator that I think we've used literally once.

Do you do any fruits? I'm interested in preserving apples.

[ethalfrida]

1 hour ago, Trini said:

Tell me more! My family has a dehydrator that I think we've used literally once.

Do you do any fruits? I'm interested in preserving apples.

Apple slices are awesome. Even the peels if that’s all you have. Say you buy a watermelon that isn’t sweet... dehydrate the slices minus the rind. It ends up so sweet it’s unbelievable. 

Actually, most people can’t avoid eating all the apples right out of the dehydrator. They are so good, if you dry the peels you can grind them into a powder. 

If you have any questions just ask away. Also, on FB there several groups.

Edited November 14, 2021 by ethalfrida

[Gramto6]

OK this just sent me down a rabbit hole looking up info... my DD gave me a dehydrator years ago which I used once to make jerky.  Turned out OK sent most of it to her. Never used it again. It is not high end...Nesco but for my purposes now should be fine. Just want to try veggies, maybe some fruit. I stopped using it as it was very noisy and scared my sadly now departed cat. Willing to give it a try again now.

Edited November 14, 2021 by Gramto6

[Mondrianyone]

I have a dehydrator that I've almost never used after trying to dry fruit slices to make potpourri and having the fruit still not dry after more than 24 hours. I think I must have a cheap piece of junk.

I did make wonderful orange powder without using the dehydrator at all. Just peeled off very thin slices of zest and made sure there was no pith on them. I set the pieces on a paper towel in the bright sun, and they were brittle in hardly any time. It still smells heavenly.

You're inspiring me, @ethalfrida, to give it another go, maybe upgrading the equipment. I make all sorts of spice mixes and rubs, and I'm betting they would be even better with fresh-dried ingredients.

[ethalfrida]

8 hours ago, Gramto6 said:

OK this just sent me down a rabbit hole looking up info... my DD gave me a dehydrator years ago which I used once to make jerky.  Turned out OK sent most of it to her. Never used it again. It is not high end...Nesco but for my purposes now should be fine. Just want to try veggies, maybe some fruit. I stopped using it as it was very noisy and scared my sadly now departed cat. Willing to give it a try again now.

Many of dehydrators are moderately priced and used by the more experienced. Another option used is the oven. 

My attempt at jerky was not good at all. The texture  was like Pop Rocks. So I would toss some in a pot of beans every once in a while. 

Sorry about your cat 😔.

If can, try using it in your garage.

 

2 hours ago, Mondrianyone said:

I have a dehydrator that I've almost never used after trying to dry fruit slices to make potpourri and having the fruit still not dry after more than 24 hours. I think I must have a cheap piece of junk.

I did make wonderful orange powder without using the dehydrator at all. Just peeled off very thin slices of zest and made sure there was no pith on them. I set the pieces on a paper towel in the bright sun, and they were brittle in hardly any time. It still smells heavenly.

You're inspiring me, @ethalfrida, to give it another go, maybe upgrading the equipment. I make all sorts of spice mixes and rubs, and I'm betting they would be even better with fresh-dried ingredients.

Some things take days especially if you don’t run it overnight. I don’t. Drying my pickles took like three days because I ran it only eight hours at a time. Got some awesome pickle powder, though.

The big thing is to dry marshmallows. I did Peeps I had for Easter decoration. You would not believe how the texture changed and how great they were. Sadly, the humidity softened them some after a few days.

Your spice mixes sound great and fresh does make a difference. One thing I found out was even though there is a certain pepper designated for paprika, it can be made from red bell pepper. So that’s what I do. It makes such a flavor difference. Turmeric, also.

 I agree the citrus peels are fantastic. 

 

[caitmcg]

3 hours ago, ethalfrida said:

Some things take days especially if you don’t run it overnight. I don’t. Drying my pickles took like three days because I ran it only eight hours at a time. Got some awesome pickle powder, though.

My mother dries plums from her tree, and it takes 36–48 hours of continuous drying them to dehydrate them sufficiently that they keep at room temp. She does keep the dehydrator going, just plugs it in in a room where the noise won’t bother anyone.

[Mondrianyone]

5 hours ago, ethalfrida said:

Some things take days especially if you don’t run it overnight. I don’t.

 

2 hours ago, caitmcg said:

My mother dries plums from her tree, and it takes 36–48 hours of continuous drying them to dehydrate them sufficiently that they keep at room temp.

Just to be clear, I was talking about very thin slices of orange and lemon, not whole fruits. Should slices take days? I did eventually move them into a low oven and got them done that way.

[caitmcg]

29 minutes ago, Mondrianyone said:

Just to be clear, I was talking about very thin slices of orange and lemon, not whole fruits. Should slices take days? I did eventually move them into a low oven and got them done that way.

I imagine it depends on water content of the fruit/veg and the texture you’re going for. The plums are halved (and they’re relatively small), and she dries them until they’re chewy.