Update: Due to technical difficulties, this post was originally scheduled to go live on Thursday, but I accidentally scheduled it to be posted on Sept 27, 2013. A little late, but here you go. -A
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Sam did some home electric work and got an outlet in our pantry so we could start cooling the chest freezer. After a little room reorganization, we have a functioning pantry. I have no excuse to delay filling it with the summer’s bounty.
Chopped peppers on a cookie sheet lined with plastic wrap. They’re ready to go into the freezer.
Green Bell Peppers. Cost was $2/lb at the Norwich Farmers’ Market from Crossroad Farm in Fairlee, VT. I bought 4 lbs (Pre-processed weight, PPW). Bell peppers I prefer frozen, but some people like to pickle them. Steps: Wash. Chop. Lay on cookie sheets lined with plastic wrap. Freeze for 48 hours. Transfer to pint freezer bags.
Broccoli. $2.75/lb at NFM from Your Farm in Fairlee, VT. 4 lbs PPW. Into the freezer. Steps: Separate stalks from florets. Peel stems. Chop stems. Blanch for 2 min in boiling water. Transfer to sink of ice water. Drain well (Get out the salad spinner!). Portion 2 cups into pint-sized freezer bags. Suck out the air. Stack in the freezer.
One of our favorite PFB tools is a heavy polyester mesh bag. Originally it came with our vacuum cleaner and was intended to hold the attachments. However, it fits really nicely in our enamel water bath canner and we use it as a strainer when blanching vegetables. Ideally, we would have a metal strainer for our water bath canner, but alas, I got the WBC years ago at a garage sale and it didn’t come with a strainer. In my next life…
ReLocavore: Redefining "local" 