Category: 2. Preserve

how to make vegetable broth

November 14th, 2011 · Bambino Steps (Kimberly) ·

In addition to making highly nutritious and delicious bone broth, I also make our own vegetable stock. It’s even simpler, and best of all, virtually free. Try the how-to below and you’ll have scrumptious, preservative-free broths to add to all of your Thanksgiving dishes.

Step One

Simply save all of your high quality vegetable peelings from the week. I store ours in Mason jars in the fridge until ready to use. Alternatively, you could simply chop up a selection of good, stock-worthy vegetables such as carrots, celery, onion, and parsnips. Toss garlic, lemongrass and ginger peelings into the mix to make an Asian-tasting stock, or add a selection of hearty herbs such as parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme for something more savory.

Step Two

Toss the peelings into a large stock pot, cover with water and bring to a gentle boil. Then turn the burner down to a low simmer, cover with a lid and cook for one-two hours. Your home will smell amazing!

Step Three

Allow to cool just a bit, then strain (toss the cooked peelings into your compost) and pour into Mason jars. I keep the jars on a cooling rack for some time, then transfer to the fridge overnight and label, until finally moving them into the freezer. Again, this gentle cooling process insures that the jars will not break.

Step Four

Mangia!

Do you make homemade broths?

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how to make bone broth

November 12th, 2011 · Bambino Steps (Kimberly) ·

When I first started making my own bone broth, I was more interested in saving money on boxed stock, as well as putting all those leftover bones to use. Since then, I have come to love it because it’s incredibly healing for the gut, super duper nutritious and infinitely more delicious. My body craves it really. Making your own broth is so easy and it is wonderful in absolutely everything from soups, stews, in lieu of water in any cooking, such as scrambled eggs, as well as simply sipped hot out of a mug.

Step One

Save those bones! Simply drop fish, pork, chicken or beef bones into separate mason jars and store them in the freezer until ready to use, or use them fresh. If you’re more of a boneless meat eater, below are three easy bone-in chicken recipes that I have featured on my blog. You can also acquire bones from your local butcher.

Roasted Chicken, Carrots, and Potatoes with Olives and Lemon

Roasted Chicken with Balsamic Acorn Squash

Roasted Whole Chicken (scroll down in post; I love it with onions, lemons and Kalamata olives)

Step Two

Toss the bones in a large stockpot along with your high-quality vegetable scraps. I save all of our carrot peelings and ends as well as celery, onion and parsley ends in a Mason jar in the fridge. Alternatively, you could simply chop up several carrots, celery stalks and an onion and toss it in the pot. Cover with water by several inches and add two tablespoons of organic apple cider vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice. Allow to sit for an hour; beef or pork for two hours. This draws nutrients out of the bones.

Step Three

Bring contents to a boil, skim off scum that arises to the top, cover with a lid and turn burner down to a low simmer. Cook for 12-24 hours for chicken and fish bones and up to 72 hours for pork and beef bones. Optional: Nourishing Traditions taught me to toss in a bunch of parsley 30 minutes before done cooking for additional nutrients.

Step Four

Allow to cool a bit and then strain. Eat the marrow. Freaky, I know, but it is insanely nutritious; my son actually shakes with excitement when it comes to this step. Pour broth into mason jars and allow to cool, then transfer to fridge for several hours, before finally storing in the freezer. You may skim the fat off the top (rendering lard) and save for cooking, though I keep it in the broth. This gradual, gentle cooling method insures the jars won’t break. Good, high-quality broth will be gelatinous when cold. Don’t be afraid – it will return to liquid when re-heated.

Step Five: Mangia!

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7 simple ways to preserve food

August 22nd, 2011 · Bambino Steps (Kimberly) ·

It’s that time of year of again, when summer fruit, veggies and herbs are at their peak, ready to be harvested and preserved for winter. There’s nothing better than cracking open a jar of fresh fruit in mid-winter, when spirits are low. Or sprinkling summer fresh dried herbs over a simmering tomato sauce during those dreary months. It’s like getting shot with Vitamin D: bliss. So why preserve food at home?

  • It’s economical.
  • Saves packaging waste.
  • Doesn’t contain nasty preservatives and excess sugar
  • Tastes, smells and looks so much fresher than store-bought
  • Saves your hide on busy days…
  • when you’re short on cash…
  • too sick to run to the store…
  • and you know, in the event of a zombie apocalypse, it’s always good to be prepared.

Not to mention it gives a serious ego-boost. Nothing like a good diy to feel like a super hero.

METHOD #1 – FREEZE

If the thought of canning makes you break out into a cold sweat, start with freezing. It’s the simplest and quickest method of preserving food. Put your garden herbs to good use and make parsley walnut pesto. Simply sub basil for parsley and pine nuts for walnuts and you’ve got a killer traditional pesto.

Preserve those fruits and veggies by freezing! After chopping, spread them out on a cookie sheet and freeze for 20-30 minutes before bagging or jarring them to prevent clumping. Visit this post for additional freezing tips and tricks.

METHOD #2 – CAN

Last year I tried my hand at canning and used a pressure cooker to preserve peaches and used the water bath method to can pears. For my go-to canning links, visit this post. This year I plan to switch to BPA-free, resuseable Tattler brand canning lids to keep toxins out.

METHOD #3 – PICKLE

I was beyond stoked when Prudent Baby featured my pickles last year. Check out the original post here. And for more inspiration (and more than just pickling), visit one of my favorite food preservation blogs, Tigress in a Pickle.

METHOD #4 – DRY

I didn’t dry last year, though I did share my killer Italian Seasoning blend recipe. And have since dried. I’ll share more of that another day; in the meantime check out this helpful post about drying lavender and use my go-to food preservation site for more helpful tips.

METHOD #5 – BREW

There is a ton of information about brewing out there. We’ve experimented with different methods, and in short: it’s just plain fun. I shared a bit about our experience here. While I’m not drinking beer these days, the husband’s desire to brew hasn’t waned. I’ll share (or perhaps he’ll share) his tips and tricks another day.

METHOD #6 – ROAST

Roasting coffee is super easy and super fun. Like all food preservation, it also makes a stellar gift. While I’m technically not supposed to be indulging in coffee these days, I still do, every day.


METHOD #7 – FERMENT

We’ve just gotten into lacto-fermentation, and oh is it ridiculously cool. Not only is it simple, but it’s powerfully healthy, what with all those natural, gut balancing probiotics and enzymes swimming around. Fermenting is the simplest, most nutritious way to preserve food and consuming live-cultures can actually kill disease. Our go-to book is Wild Fermentation, a serious wealth of knowledge. I plan to write-up a how-to post soon. In the meantime, visit this fantastic post for a how-to.

Do you preserve food? What are your favorite preservation links? Or what’s stopping you from taking the plunge?

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how to roast coffee beans

January 14th, 2011 · Bambino Steps (Kimberly) ·

Today I’m going to teach you how to roast your own coffee beans. Oh yes my friends, you can DO THIS!

My husband has like, 8,000 interests. Often fleeting, one day he might be obsessed with researching home-sausage making, the next he’ll tell me how he’s going to make us a mattress. Okaaaaaay. Neat. One activity that has stood the test of time, much like home-brewing, is home-roasting. Double neat! He’s been home-roasting for over a year now and I have to say, it’s a fun activity, makes fantastic gifts, reduces packaging waste and saves loads of money. Let’s get roasting!

Supplies:

  • green coffee beans (see resources below)
  • electric air popcorn popping machine (check your local thrift shop. We found two machines for $1 each)
  • wooden spoon or other utensil – optional
  • stainless steel colander or mixing bowl
  • container(s) for storage

Step One – Prep

If you don’t want your entire home smelling like coffee, head outside. Plug in the machine and add enough beans so they spin freely but not bouncing around like mad. It’s about 3/4 cup. Now watch those beans whirl!

Step Two – Roast

The most compelling reason to roast your own beans is to control the blend and body of roast. The possibilities are endless! You can use just one type of bean in a roast or several. This particular batch is a blend of Tanzanian Peaberry and Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, which was super tasty. We let our beans whirl for quite awhile, until the second crack (in the bean) resulting in a dark roast, deemed between a Full City Plus and a Vienna Roast. If this is too much mumbo jumbo for you, I assure you it’s really easy and I’ve added additional resources for you at the bottom of this post. Fist bump!

Step Three – Cool Your Beans

When the beans are done roasting, carefully transfer the beans (they’ll be hot! hot! hot!) to the colander or mixing bowl. Allow the beans to cool. If you’re making a large batch, simply transfer them to a larger container once your next batch has finished. Blowing on the beans is optional. So is wearing a lion mask. UPDATE: see Mister’s comment for more information.

Step Four - Store/Package



Once the beans have cooled simply transfer them to the container(s) of your choice. Be sure not to put the lid on! The lid needs to stay off for about 12 hours to allow the beans to off-gas; and no taste tastes for about 24 hours. It’s worth the wait. Personally, we store beans on the counter top or in the freezer and grind on demand. I’m curious to know your method! Coffee and tea rituals are super fascinating to me.

Roasting Resources:

Coffee Enthusiasm:

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(italian) seasons greetings

January 8th, 2011 · Bambino Steps (Kimberly) ·

One evening, about two years ago, I was making pasta and my little jar of Italian seasoning ran out. Rather than purchase a new jar, I read the ingredients off the side label and blended up a new batch right then and there. Since then, I’ve refilled that little jar at least a dozen times. I purposely planted seeds from each herb in my blend over the spring, with the hopes of drying them and giving away the herbs as gifts. Sadly, some plants never survived past the sprouting phase and after all that canning I couldn’t quite muster the energy to preserve anything else. Thankfully, bulk organic herbs are easily available at the market, so I was able to whip up a huge batch of the blend. Buying in bulk is so awesome! It saves a ton of money and creates much less waste in the landfill.

Italian Seasoning

  • 4 TBS. oregano
  • 2 TBS. marjoram
  • 1 TBS. thyme
  • 2 tsp. basil
  • 2 tsp. rosemary
  • 1 tsp. sage

Combine ingredients in a widemouthed glass jar. Using a chopstick, mix until well blended. Store in a cool, dry place. For a different blend, try using less oregano and add in parsley and chopped dried garlic. I use this seasoning liberally in dressings, pasta sauces and marinades. I also sprinkle it across eggs,  roasted chicken and vegetables, and when I’m feeling more ambitious, to mayonnaise and butter when making sandwiches.

For the packaging I used 1/4 pint jelly jars, scraps leftover from making unpaper towels, and those gift tags as labels. The blend was a huge hit! I plan to make many more jars to use as gifts throughout the year. If you make this, I’d love to know how you like it.

Did you make any edible gifts this year?

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