Now most people no longer use the berries,but I do like to make jelly and wine from them.
Elderberry Wine:
5 lbs elderberries, stripped from their stems
1 gallon boiling water
3 lbs granulated sugar
1 wine yeast packet
½ cup lemon juice
½ cup orange juice
You can get fancy and use one of those wine makeing kits,but around here we just use a old stonewear crock,think it is about 10 gallon and has been around longer than I have.
Place elderberries into your container.Add lemon and orange juices.Pour boiling water into container and stir.When cool, squeeze mixture to release juices. Let sit for 24 hours. Add 2 lbs sugar and the wine yeast packet. Stir and cover with a tea towel or chesse cloth. Let sit for 3 to 5 days.Strain the liquid into something then back in the crock and add remaining 1 lb of sugar. Stir.Let ferment in dark, warm location for about 1 week. Strain into another glass container and let sit for another 6 weeks. Pour into wine bottles and seal. Wine will be ready to drink in about 6 months.
Elderberry Jelly:
The Hard part is striping the berries from the stems,I have found that a plastic fork is just the right size,LOL and makes for less juice all over.Note:if you have a kid do this do not let them wear their good clothing.Granny tanned my butt for ruining my shirt way back when ;)
About 2 quarts of the berries,well washed.Place in a pot and cover with cold water.Simmer for 15 or 20 min..Then strain useing a jelly bag or one of those "Flour Sack"towels.You should come out with about 3.5 or 4 cups of juice.Most time I make my own pectin,and I'll cover how to do it sometime,but where I am now I don't have a crabapple tree.so just get some SURE-JELL.
3 1/2 c. elderberry juice
1/2 c. lemon juice
1 pkg. powdered pectin
5 1/2 c. sugar
Stir elderberry juice, lemon juice and pectin together. Bring to a rolling boil. Add sugar and return to full rolling boil. Boil exactly 1 minute!!. Remove from heat, skim the off foam and pour hot jelly into hot, sterilized half-pint jars. Place hot caps on jars and screw on bands finger-tight. Process in a water bath canner for 5 minutes.You should get 5 or 6 half pint jars out of one batch.
The Ferret
Showing posts with label frugal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label frugal. Show all posts
Monday, August 9, 2010
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Parched Rice
We were talking on another board last week about wheat and rice for your long term storage,reminded me of makeing some parched rice.
The taste reminds me of popcorn with a slightly nutty flavor.
My recipe:
1/3 cup white or brown rice
1 tsp.oil or shortening (bacon grease works too)
Heat a cast iron skillet(preferably)over medium heat and add the oil.Give the oil a minute or two to get up to temperature.
Add the rice and stir often for maybe 10 minutes. The rice will turn from white to translucent and then to varying shades of brown. This is the caramelization of the sugars in the rice. It is what adds the flavor component to your parched rice. You can make it as dark or as light as you want.
Be aware, parching rice can get VERY hot.
I added salt to the mix near the end of the parching process.If you want your parched rice to have a bit of seasoning.You could also add cayenne,chili powder,or Old Bay.
When the rice is finished,empty the skillet onto a plate and allow the rice to cool.
The Ferret
The taste reminds me of popcorn with a slightly nutty flavor.
My recipe:
1/3 cup white or brown rice
1 tsp.oil or shortening (bacon grease works too)
Heat a cast iron skillet(preferably)over medium heat and add the oil.Give the oil a minute or two to get up to temperature.
Add the rice and stir often for maybe 10 minutes. The rice will turn from white to translucent and then to varying shades of brown. This is the caramelization of the sugars in the rice. It is what adds the flavor component to your parched rice. You can make it as dark or as light as you want.
Be aware, parching rice can get VERY hot.
I added salt to the mix near the end of the parching process.If you want your parched rice to have a bit of seasoning.You could also add cayenne,chili powder,or Old Bay.
When the rice is finished,empty the skillet onto a plate and allow the rice to cool.
The Ferret
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Make your own lanudry soap
What you need:
5 gallon bucket
1 bar of your favorite soap
Borax
Washing Soda (have used Baking Soda as well)
Grate the soap into a pile of shavings and melt it on the stove in 4 cups of boiling water.
Fill the five gallon bucket with about 3 and 1/2 gallons of HOT water.
Pour the melted soapy water in the bucket and stir.
Add 1 cup of Washing Soda and stir.
Add 1/2 cup of Borax and stir.
Let cool overnight and you are ready to wash clothes.You will need to experiment with how much to use,but I find it is about the same as store bought.
Blog Notes: Added a few e-books and info. .pdf's for downloading,so check them out .The link is at the top of the page.All are free and if you know of anymore you would like or find useful let me know.
Added a amazon store you can find the link on the right hand side under This and That.
The Ferret
5 gallon bucket
1 bar of your favorite soap
Borax
Washing Soda (have used Baking Soda as well)
Grate the soap into a pile of shavings and melt it on the stove in 4 cups of boiling water.
Fill the five gallon bucket with about 3 and 1/2 gallons of HOT water.
Pour the melted soapy water in the bucket and stir.
Add 1 cup of Washing Soda and stir.
Add 1/2 cup of Borax and stir.
Let cool overnight and you are ready to wash clothes.You will need to experiment with how much to use,but I find it is about the same as store bought.
Blog Notes: Added a few e-books and info. .pdf's for downloading,so check them out .The link is at the top of the page.All are free and if you know of anymore you would like or find useful let me know.
Added a amazon store you can find the link on the right hand side under This and That.
The Ferret
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
25 uses for Coffee Filters
Found in my inbox this morning
1. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave. Coffee filters make excellent covers.
2. Clean windows, mirrors, and chrome... Coffee filters are lint-free so they'll leave windows sparkling.
3. Protect China by separating your good dishes with a coffee filter between each dish.
4. Filter broken cork from wine. If you break the cork when opening a wine bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter.
5. Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.
6. Apply shoe polish. Ball up a lint-free coffee filter.
7. Recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.
8. Weigh chopped foods. Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale.
9. Can be used as a gun cleaning patch in a pinch
10. Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot. Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through the drainage holes.
11. Prevent a Popsicle from dripping. Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter.
12. Use as a "pre-filter" for your water purification system
13. Put a few in a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers, etc on them. It soaks out all the grease.
14. Keep in the bathroom. They make great "razor nick fixers."
15. As a sewing backing. Use a filter as an easy-to-tear backing for embroidering or appliqueing soft fabrics.
16. Put baking soda into a coffee filter and insert into shoes or a closet to absorb or prevent odors.
17. Use them to strain soup stock and to tie fresh herbs in to put in soups and stews.
18. Use a coffee filter to prevent spilling when you add fluids to your car.
19. Use them as a spoon rest while cooking and clean up small counter spills.
20. Can use to hold dry ingredients when baking or when cutting a piece of fruit or veggies.. Saves on having extra bowls to wash.
21. Use them to wrap Christmas ornaments for storage.
22. Use them to remove fingernail polish when out of cotton balls.
23. Use them to sprout seeds. Simply dampen the coffee filter, place seeds inside, fold it and place it into a plastic baggie until they sprout.
24. Use coffee filters as blotting paper for pressed flowers. Place the flowers between two coffee filters and put the coffee filters in phone book..
25. Use as a disposable "snack bowl" for popcorn, chips, etc.
And who said all spam was useless,add your in the comments
The Ferret
1. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave. Coffee filters make excellent covers.
2. Clean windows, mirrors, and chrome... Coffee filters are lint-free so they'll leave windows sparkling.
3. Protect China by separating your good dishes with a coffee filter between each dish.
4. Filter broken cork from wine. If you break the cork when opening a wine bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter.
5. Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.
6. Apply shoe polish. Ball up a lint-free coffee filter.
7. Recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.
8. Weigh chopped foods. Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale.
9. Can be used as a gun cleaning patch in a pinch
10. Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot. Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through the drainage holes.
11. Prevent a Popsicle from dripping. Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter.
12. Use as a "pre-filter" for your water purification system
13. Put a few in a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers, etc on them. It soaks out all the grease.
14. Keep in the bathroom. They make great "razor nick fixers."
15. As a sewing backing. Use a filter as an easy-to-tear backing for embroidering or appliqueing soft fabrics.
16. Put baking soda into a coffee filter and insert into shoes or a closet to absorb or prevent odors.
17. Use them to strain soup stock and to tie fresh herbs in to put in soups and stews.
18. Use a coffee filter to prevent spilling when you add fluids to your car.
19. Use them as a spoon rest while cooking and clean up small counter spills.
20. Can use to hold dry ingredients when baking or when cutting a piece of fruit or veggies.. Saves on having extra bowls to wash.
21. Use them to wrap Christmas ornaments for storage.
22. Use them to remove fingernail polish when out of cotton balls.
23. Use them to sprout seeds. Simply dampen the coffee filter, place seeds inside, fold it and place it into a plastic baggie until they sprout.
24. Use coffee filters as blotting paper for pressed flowers. Place the flowers between two coffee filters and put the coffee filters in phone book..
25. Use as a disposable "snack bowl" for popcorn, chips, etc.
And who said all spam was useless,add your in the comments
The Ferret
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