Canning as you go

Man...I guess this is the speed of life, but things are progressing int he kitchen quite rapidly. Exciting recipes, ides, thoughts and journalling...so far all scrawl. I will keep the followers of this blog up to date as soon as I tackle the monster of a task of disciple in the home kitchen (see my lecture series). A blow by blow account of actually living in my own kitchen, rather than in the idea of it.

Starting about two weeks into the New Year, my lover and I decided to set forth on a task of regularizing our schedule, purchasing and preparing food weekly, to make sure we were set up for the week to come: chopping all the necessary ingredients for a whimsical salad, cooking off a chicken and making stock, canning extras, taking the leftovers and creating sides out of them. At first, the idea of canning leftover seemed pretty foreign, as far as it seemed like every time I have set up for canning, there has been a process and a whole day. But when it comes to acidic foods, simply cooking these sealed jars in Boiling water for 15 minutes post canning ought to do the trick. Lo and behold, after dinner, you have dinner for some unknown time in the future. If you have space in the freezer, being prepared at the end of each meal to freeze the leftovers will also save space in the fridge, prevent the moldy science experiment in the back of the fridge, and give a delicious meal later on. (we no longer have space in the freezer, and will glad take the donation of a drop freezer at the drop of hat. If you have an extra one.

At any rate, this practice is one that I have been regularly tending to now for the last three weeks, and while we have certainly spent more money on food than in previous weeks, we have a stock of food canned now, in the freezer, have items cut up, and I have about 18 new entries for the kitchen cookbook, waiting to be tested and perfected and printed for your enjoyment. The updates will keep coming.

Much love and happiness in your kitchen,
Your Culinary Coach

Zachary