10-07-2015, 12:47 AM
That's great that veggies are cheap right now there. Nothing is cheap here. 
10-07-2015, 04:12 PM
There are a lot of vegetables and fruits that are grown in this area. Every thing seems to ripen at once. Squash and pumpkins are abundant. This is the best time to buy them. Some years I have gotten busy and cooked and frozen quite a supply. It would be good if I could store them uncooked. I may still give a day to squash/pumpkin cooking. A couple of weeks ago carrots were ten pounds for $2.00. Of course they were big mature carrots, but those make the best soup.
I froze some of the carrots chopped, but raw. I understand I can make soup/ roasted veggies from them. Can I do the same for squash? I would peel and chop it, but it would be nice to have a supply during the winter. It would be worth trying because the price is right.
You don't have a good veggie source? I guess it depends on where you are. If they have to truck them very far the price goes way up.
I froze some of the carrots chopped, but raw. I understand I can make soup/ roasted veggies from them. Can I do the same for squash? I would peel and chop it, but it would be nice to have a supply during the winter. It would be worth trying because the price is right.
You don't have a good veggie source? I guess it depends on where you are. If they have to truck them very far the price goes way up.
10-08-2015, 09:38 AM
Oh how strange...I just pm'd you about butternut squash and carrot stew!
Yes you can cut up squash into cubes or something and store it in freezer bags in the freezer. I do it in 'portion-sized' bagfuls. It should freeze just fine without being par-cooked, as I know sliced carrots do. But par-cooking means when you come to use it you will have a quicker meal.
Carrots are usually cheap here. Organic cost more. But I had an online grocery order the other day, and I bought 4 carrots for 35p! Now those carrots, when they arrived shocked me....they were the most humongous carrots I have ever seen! Each about 10" long and about 2" thick! They are not organic and don't have superb flavour, but they are okay in stews, with other tasty ingredients.
The tastiest carrots are usually those which are sold with all the green leaves on top. But they are more expensive. I cut off the leaves and put them in the field for the deer or rabbits.
Yes you can cut up squash into cubes or something and store it in freezer bags in the freezer. I do it in 'portion-sized' bagfuls. It should freeze just fine without being par-cooked, as I know sliced carrots do. But par-cooking means when you come to use it you will have a quicker meal.
Carrots are usually cheap here. Organic cost more. But I had an online grocery order the other day, and I bought 4 carrots for 35p! Now those carrots, when they arrived shocked me....they were the most humongous carrots I have ever seen! Each about 10" long and about 2" thick! They are not organic and don't have superb flavour, but they are okay in stews, with other tasty ingredients.
The tastiest carrots are usually those which are sold with all the green leaves on top. But they are more expensive. I cut off the leaves and put them in the field for the deer or rabbits.
10-08-2015, 04:19 PM
I love the butternut squash. I did a butternut squash chowder tonight.
I always keep a squash on hand because the bearded dragons eat it.
I will cut and freeze some squash. I would want it for soup anyhow so raw would be best. I can get other kinds of squash and I do like the hubbard and buttercup squash. Pumpkins will be really cheap after Halloween so I could cut up and freeze some. Then I could do good veggie stews/soups all winter. Can I freeze sweet potatoes the same way? I guess I could do cauliflower and broccoli as well. I may as well take advantage of the harvest abundance.
Those big carrots must have been quite a surprize. They are not tasty, but the cook up very well. I love the taste of the young carrots with the tops still in place, but they can be very expensive. The guinea pigs love the tops. I bet the deer in your area really love the carrot tops.
I am really getting inspired to do a lot of food preparation and winter stocking up.
I always keep a squash on hand because the bearded dragons eat it.
I will cut and freeze some squash. I would want it for soup anyhow so raw would be best. I can get other kinds of squash and I do like the hubbard and buttercup squash. Pumpkins will be really cheap after Halloween so I could cut up and freeze some. Then I could do good veggie stews/soups all winter. Can I freeze sweet potatoes the same way? I guess I could do cauliflower and broccoli as well. I may as well take advantage of the harvest abundance.
Those big carrots must have been quite a surprize. They are not tasty, but the cook up very well. I love the taste of the young carrots with the tops still in place, but they can be very expensive. The guinea pigs love the tops. I bet the deer in your area really love the carrot tops.
I am really getting inspired to do a lot of food preparation and winter stocking up.
10-09-2015, 09:42 AM
(10-07-2015, 04:12 PM)Catherine Wrote: [ -> ]There are a lot of vegetables and fruits that are grown in this area. Every thing seems to ripen at once. Squash and pumpkins are abundant. This is the best time to buy them. Some years I have gotten busy and cooked and frozen quite a supply. It would be good if I could store them uncooked. I may still give a day to squash/pumpkin cooking. A couple of weeks ago carrots were ten pounds for $2.00. Of course they were big mature carrots, but those make the best soup.Well, we have regular stores for veggies. I know the best ones come from the farmers market but I don't know where one is and don't really have a good car to drive too far. So, I get baby carrots for 1.49 for a pound. That is a bargain here. Sometimes I can get them for .50 a pound at a better place. I like squash, too, but find it so hard to cut, it's so hard.
I froze some of the carrots chopped, but raw. I understand I can make soup/ roasted veggies from them. Can I do the same for squash? I would peel and chop it, but it would be nice to have a supply during the winter. It would be worth trying because the price is right.
You don't have a good veggie source? I guess it depends on where you are. If they have to truck them very far the price goes way up.
I love squash so much so I better sharpen my knife to cut some up. lol.
10-09-2015, 03:35 PM
Squash is probably my favourite vegetable, but it is so hard to cut.
I get farmers market quality stuff in the grocery store that is at the end on my street. I am spoiled here in Toronto. I understand I can freeze tomatoes as well. Of course I can get them all year round so I am not sure I need to freeze them. I just like the idea of the good root vegetables being cut up in my freezer.
We both better sharpen out knives. I think this is a good harvest year.
Maybe I should get a lot of soup veggies and chop up and freeze bags of soup mix. That would be good. Fall is really coming on fast. I get the urge to stockpile foods when fall comes. I know how the squirrels feel. Some instinct says I need to store food even though I can get fresh stuff all year round.
I get farmers market quality stuff in the grocery store that is at the end on my street. I am spoiled here in Toronto. I understand I can freeze tomatoes as well. Of course I can get them all year round so I am not sure I need to freeze them. I just like the idea of the good root vegetables being cut up in my freezer.
We both better sharpen out knives. I think this is a good harvest year.
Maybe I should get a lot of soup veggies and chop up and freeze bags of soup mix. That would be good. Fall is really coming on fast. I get the urge to stockpile foods when fall comes. I know how the squirrels feel. Some instinct says I need to store food even though I can get fresh stuff all year round.
10-10-2015, 12:33 AM
It's Fall here Since Sept. 23. I can't wait to get some acorn squash and spaghetti squash.
10-10-2015, 04:59 PM
I know it has been fall on the calendar, but now that it is colder we really feel like it is fall.
I am starting to change from summer foods to winter foods. This is the time to be making things that cook for hours. If I have the oven on or a soup pot on the stove, the kitchen gets all warm and fragrant.
I have only tried spaghetti squash once many years ago. How do you cook it and what do you serve it with.
I am starting to change from summer foods to winter foods. This is the time to be making things that cook for hours. If I have the oven on or a soup pot on the stove, the kitchen gets all warm and fragrant.
I have only tried spaghetti squash once many years ago. How do you cook it and what do you serve it with.
10-12-2015, 01:24 AM
I have found you can freeze just about anything.
Lazy by nature, I am not much of a "canner". I will do some pickling, but that's mainly jalapenos and pickle slices.
I've been told I need to blanch my green beans before freezing [again, lazy I am, lol] but I just clean them and pop them into the freezer. They seem to turn out quite nicely.
I make up bags of salsa for winter time: Roma tomatoes, garlic cloves, jalapenos, a little onion, maybe some bell pepper. Throw them together in a freezer bag. When I want salsa, I just empty the bag into a baking dish and roast in the oven until veggies are tender. Let it cool, blend in the blender and presto...garden fresh salsa. Yummm!
Have you ever thought about zucchini squash? Very easy to work with and very versatile. It's also very affordable as it seems to be abundant this time of year.
I freeze everything that comes out of my garden. I spent an afternoon just chopping bell pepper and onions. They are wonderful for just grabbing a handful out of the freezer and drop in potatoes, eggs, or whatever.
Lazy by nature, I am not much of a "canner". I will do some pickling, but that's mainly jalapenos and pickle slices.
I've been told I need to blanch my green beans before freezing [again, lazy I am, lol] but I just clean them and pop them into the freezer. They seem to turn out quite nicely.
I make up bags of salsa for winter time: Roma tomatoes, garlic cloves, jalapenos, a little onion, maybe some bell pepper. Throw them together in a freezer bag. When I want salsa, I just empty the bag into a baking dish and roast in the oven until veggies are tender. Let it cool, blend in the blender and presto...garden fresh salsa. Yummm!
Have you ever thought about zucchini squash? Very easy to work with and very versatile. It's also very affordable as it seems to be abundant this time of year.
I freeze everything that comes out of my garden. I spent an afternoon just chopping bell pepper and onions. They are wonderful for just grabbing a handful out of the freezer and drop in potatoes, eggs, or whatever.
10-12-2015, 04:44 AM
Quote:Have you ever thought about zucchini squash? Very easy to work with and very versatile. It's also very affordable as it seems to be abundant this time of year.
It is delicious too. Sadly it is one of the foods I have shown an intolerance for. Maybe I should try it again carefully. I keep it in the house because the beardies eat it chopped, raw. I could try just a bit. Maybe I got sick because I ate too much at once.
I am able to eat tomatoes again, but I watch how much. I just eat a few slices.
I have started chopping carrots and squash and freezing them in bags. So beans can be frozen raw. When I think of all the work we did to blanch things. I want to do bags of soup/stew veggies ready to be cooked. Carrots were 10 pounds for $2.00. Beets were that price too and I wanted to buy them, but I couldn't lift another ten pounds.
In the old days we canned stuff. It was way too much work.
I am with you. Let's do it the easy way.
Sweet potatoes would freeze. What else? Broccoli and cauliflower for sure, but what about mushrooms?