My sister Judy's tips

Hi.  My name is Judy.  I’m one of Kathy’s sisters.  I’m the one who doesn’t live on a farm or ranch.  I don’t ride horses, help mama pigs or sheep with their deliveries, or even know how to collect chicken eggs properly. 

Now that you know what I don’t do, let me tell you what I am good at.  I can make killer jelly and jam, I know a secret for easy juicing of pomegranates, and I freeze tomatoes and zucchini during the summer for winter use.  I also knit, crochet, embroider and sew.  Yep, that’s me – Mrs. Homemaker.

I want to pass on a few of my tips that I have learned over the years.

What to do with all that zucchini?:  Well, don’t let it go to waste or give it all away.  Wash it, grate it and seal it in freezer bags.  Then freeze it.  I know what you’re thinking . . . I’m going to tell you to use it for zucchini bread.  Yes, you can do that, but I also put it in my spaghetti sauce, meat loaf and soups.  It adds some thickening and gets more veggies into the family, stretches the food dollars and adds 2.5g fiber per cup.  It is also a great source of vitamins A, C and potassium.

What to do with tomatoes?:  I put my tomatoes whole into boiling water until the skin starts to split but no more than 30 seconds.  Then put them into ice water to quickly cool them down so they don’t continue to cook.  Once cool, take the core out and the skin just peels off.  Put them on a cookie sheet, not touching, and freeze them.  Once they are frozen you can put them into freezer bags and they won’t stick together in one big messy lump.  Put them back into the freezer.  When I’m ready to make something with tomatoes, I can take out only as many as I need.  These fresh frozen tomatoes and the shredded zucchini become a base for my homemade spaghetti sauce during the winter.  The other bonus is that I didn’t have to can them during the summer when the last thing I want to do is stand over a hot stove all day. 

Another tomato tip:  Buy a dehydrator.  It’s a great investment.  Wash you cherry tomatoes, cut them in half and dehydrate them.  My grandchildren and husband eat them like candy.  The large tomatoes can be sliced and dehydrated.  Experiment on the thickness you prefer but remember that they are much smaller when dehydrated.  To keep them longer, I store them in freezer bags and after they are dehydrated and put these in my freezer.  Yum!

It’s berry season: Wash the berries, put them on a cookie sheet and freeze them. Once frozen I put them in freezer bags.  When I have time during the winter I take them out and make jelly or jam just in time for Holiday giving.   I also dehydrate strawberries got a great winter snack – or anytime snack.

Now, for those of you who don’t have enough zucchini, tomatoes or berries from you own garden, see Kathy at HZ Harvest.  Her garden is abundant and wonderful.