In our goal to care for ourselves and our families, there are many challenges. Some more practical and some more emotional. But one of those practical challenges is to find ROOM!
Room to store food that will be accessible enough to our day-to-day living, so as to allow us to not only “Store-what-we-eat“, but to actually “EAT-what-we-store“. When I was a child, it seemed that most houses were built with a cold room. Ours was for sure. And it was COLD, all year round. All our non-frozen food went in there, the boxes of fruit my mother bought, and everything else that needed to be kept cold but not frozen. Twenty years later, by the time Dan and I were looking at houses to buy, the fashion was very different. There were fewer cupboards in kitchens, no (or very small) pantries and zero additional space to store food – especially if you wanted it cold. What the heck? Another twenty years later, with the homes my kids have purchased, I am noticing some common trends. The newer homes have fairly nice sized pantries, but virtually NO available space for additional storage. It seems that for the last several decades, storing more than a few week’s worth of food requires considerable creativity. And being creative is important, because where we store our food storage is a big factor in *how long we can expect it to last, *the quality that it will retain, and more importantly *how accessible it is to us to be able to USE. Types of containers, and conditions in the space we store it will impact its shelf life.
FINDING SPACE WHEN YOU’RE PRETTY SURE THERE ISN’T ANY
After we bought the house we are currently in, it took us a few years of trying this and that before we settled on not one area that worked for food storage, but a combination of three areas. A little over a decade ago, we made some big changes in what we were storing, which influenced of course, how we stored it. Although I still do home canning and I still dehydrate when its suitable, and yes, we still have a freezer, about ten years ago we began to incorporate FREEZE DRIED Food into our food storage. The exceptionally long shelf life was the initial attraction – twenty five years, as opposed to the suggested two years of canned food (whether home canned or commercially canned), and the one year or less recommended for frozen food. That’s a BIG Plus! But it was also the variety that appealed to me. Everyone knows that the weak spot of any food storage program is VEGETABLES. Eating canned fruit isn’t bad, but who really likes canned vegetables? canned peas? or green beans or beets? When I was a child, Popeye tried to convince us that canned spinach was desirable. It would make you strong! he said. And although he did a good job convincing me it would make me strong, even Popeye couldn’t make canned spinach taste good. Suddenly with freeze dried food, one could have spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, celery, onions, and a whole lotta other vegetables – that tasted like they had just been picked, and which were FULL of important nutrients! And not just vegetables. Fruits, dairy products and even meats!
When considering where to store food storage, it is important that you find a place that is dry, dark and cool. Wouldn’t it be nice to have those cold rooms of yester-year? But even though most modern houses don’t plan for that sort of thing, those three factors of *dry, *dark, and *cool, must be our focus when looking for a suitable place. All other factors are secondary to moisture and temperature.
CONTAINERS
Common containers for food storage are: *paper – such as sacks of flour and sugar, or cardboard pasta boxes – short term only. *plastic or cellophane – such as pasta bags, raisin bags etc – short term only. *plastic buckets with air tight lids – suitable to pour from, or place bagged foods into. Practical for holding large amounts of food while keeping smells in or out, air out, and light blocked. Shelf life is completely dependent on what you put into them. *glass – mostly used by home canners, this is as effective as metal cans except for the obvious need to keep in the dark. Food exposed to light will react to it. Shelf life is recommended to be two years or less. *metal cans – of wet food such as fruit, cans of soup etc – like jars, recommended shelf life is two years. Metal cans – of dried food extends the shelf life considerably. It is the absence of moisture and the absence of oxygen that is so beneficial, but of course, it depends what is in the can, and how dry it was when sealed.
In all cases, moisture in the #1 enemy, It is imperative that we protect food from moisture which creates a perfect environment for harmful micro-organisms to thrive in. *hint: moisture doesn’t always mean liquid. Be mindful of moisture in the air that dry food will absorb when exposed to it.
CREATING ROOM
When you invest in food storage, “where am I gonna put this?” has got to be a question we ask ourselves. We can’t just keep buying food without a proper place to put it. We need shelves of one sort or another. And we need some kind of dedicated space.
underneath our stairs we created a spot that promised to work just fine. The shelves are deep enough to hold #10 cans three deep.
The space underneath stairs is often awkward and poorly used. Its generally an unfinished area, without heat, and If its in the basement, the cement floor helps it to be cool. The absence of a window keeps light to a minimum. Building some sturdy shelves can take best advantage of the space. Make sure the shelves are high enough for large #10 cans and deep enough for 3-4 of them or 4-6 quart jars.
The incorporation of freeze dried food into our family food storage meant that our storage situation needed to be adjusted. Frankly, it made it a lot easier. We had already invested in a shelf rotation unit. The company was then called SHELF RELIANCE (changed their name in 2013 to THRIVE LIFE). We opted initially, for the variety unit which held small cans like tuna sized, right up to the large number 10 sized cans, and everything in between. Seriously, it was one of the best investments we ever made in the area of food storage. It made rotating the cans so easy, and rotation is a major consideration when managing long term food storage. First in, first out. No more wasting food because it gets forgotten behind something else. The shelf rotation system was simple and brilliant.
For those like us, who needed some serious organization and to maximize storage space, this can-rotation system was the cat’s meow. It holds more cans than I could have imagined – up to 300 cans of varying sizes. No more stacking boxes and searching for what you’re pretty sure you have somewhere. And more importantly, no more forgetting about cans that remain tucked away until way past their expiry date. They are suitable to set up in a pantry, in a closet, in a food storage room, tucked into some corner in the basement, or in whatever available space you have – it keeps food uncluttered, visible and accessible.
In time, we bought another unit to accommodate some of our growing supply of large family sized cans of freeze dried food. But still, where to put them? and where to create more storage space? When we first got them, we kept them both in the laundry room which wasn’t ideal for a number of reasons, so we kept our minds open to other possibilities.
two rotation units side by side. One is for larger cans only, the other is for a variety of sizes.
At the time, we had an exceptionally long family room in our basement. We measured off a few feet at the back and Dan built a wall, instantly creating a new room, narrow but sufficient for our needs. We put our rotation units into it, adding additional shelves as were appropriate. Having two rooms for food storage might not have been our initial preference, but one must make the best of one’s situation right? It does allow us to diversify and organize better. And it allows for easy access.
TEMPERATURE
When dealing with food that has such an exceptionally long shelf life as freeze dried food, it is tempting to assume that shelf life is unconditional, Make no mistake – there is no such thing as unconditional. Fluctuating temperatures of summer highs and winter lows undermine the integrity of any food, no matter how dry it is stays. That 25 year shelf life is dependent upon ideal conditions. Q: What is the ideal temperature condition? A: Consistent temperatures below 70 degrees Fahrenheit (or 20 degrees Celsius) with the most important part being “CONSISTENT”.
Yes, we all know people who store their food in an unheated garage, but in that condition (at least in the climate I live in) it is impossible to avoid drastic fluctuation of temperature. However, if that is your only option, all you can do is make the best of it. Do you best to keep the temperature as consistent as possible, and know that your 25 year expectation should unavoidably be adjusted. I have even known some who store their freeze dried food in an outdoor shed! Though it may offer shelter from the rain, shed, temperatures can easily dip below -40 C in winter and rise to almost +40 C in the summer, with everything in between. This is extremely undesirable, and will most assuredly affect the stability of your food. It is not necessarily cold or heat that causes the damage, as much as the continuous fluctuation between the two extremes.
In the end, all we can do is the best we can do. I am of the firm belief that FOOD STORAGE is very important. I believe it should be food of the highest quality possible, and that all precautions should be taken to ensure it stays healthy. Where to start? That is a discussion for another time, but it is critical to start somewhere. Better to have some than none. Better to start! Don’t wait for a location to suddenly appear. Take charge and carve out a spot that is dark, dry and maintains a temperature as consistent as possible. Build or buy some shelves to store it, and GO FOR IT. You’ll never regret it.
Where have you found the best place to store your food storage? I’d love to hear your creative solutions when space was limited.
Rosemary is a native of the Mediterranean region where it grows as an evergreen shrub. In Canada it is considered a tender perennial, which is a joke in the Edmonton region because it will NEVER make it through the winter. It is an aromatic herb with fragrant, green, needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple, or blue flowers.
a young Rosemary in the garden surrounded by her garden friends Marigold on the right, parsley bottom right, borage bottom left, red orach on the top and a poppy top left
growing and harvesting
Rosemary grows best in well-drained, loamy soil in full sun. Water plants evenly throughout the growing season, but be careful it doesn’t sit in soggy soil. Other than that, its a pretty easy plant to have a good experience with.
In the Edmonton region, consider Rosemary as an annual, but it can be brought indoors at the end of the season with a fairly high success rate if you have a nice sunny window. Even indirect sunlight will keep it reasonably healthy. Nothing will ever be quite the same as being outside in the heat and sunlight of summer, so don’t expect that, but it will still be okay. During its sojourn in the house during the winter months, make sure it gets enough to drink; if you’re going to lose it, that will be why. They drink a LOT. To bring it into the house and not bring any potential freeloading bugs with it, dig the plant when it is still very healthy, before the cold has caused it distress. Gently shake all the dirt from the roots, and gently trim if necessary. Prune the plant by 1/3 and then pot it into a clean pot with clean potting soil. Set in a nice sunny window for its temporary winter home.
I buy two or three rosemary plants every spring to plant in my herb garden. You can get a trailing rosemary or a plant that grows upright. I like to get different kinds if I can find them – just for variety. Prune regularly so that plants won’t get lanky. I keep one in a pot on the patio that I bring inside in the winter. It’s just easier that way for me to transport in and out, but you can also just dig a plant up at the end of August as described above, and then replant it outside in the spring after ALL danger of cold nights is it the past.
To use throughout the summer, simply snip a branch as needed and bring it in for dinner. If you’re pruning regularly anyway, you’ll always have fresh rosemary on hand. At the end of the season, cut your rosemary right off at the ground. Swish in water to clean and shake off excess or strain in a salad spinner. You can dry them in the dehydrator but I’ve found that the leaves go too dark and I don’t like that. I usually just lay the cleaned branches out on a clean tea towel and leave in the open air for about a week till they’re completely dry. Fluff up once or twice throughout each day to ensure they’re drying evenly. When completely dry, pick up a branch by the stem in one hand, and gently strip all the needles/leaves with your thumb and forefinger of the other. Store in an airtight jar in a nice dark cupboard. Label with date.
using Rosemary in the kitchen
Rosemary can be used fresh or dry, with the needles removed and minced or as whole sprigs, to infuse flavor into a larger dish like a stew or roast. To strip fresh leaves from the stem, pull the needles in the opposite direction from which they grow and they should easily slide off the stalk. Fresh rosemary is easiest to use because the leaves are soft and pliable, but if you don’t have a plant in the winter, then it’s easy to use the leaves dried.
Use rosemary with chicken and other poultry, pork, steaks, and fish. It also goes well with grains, mushrooms, onions, peas, potatoes and spinach. These are my favourite ways to use it: *Roasted potatoes: cubed potatoes in baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle liberally with chopped rosemary, coarse salt and cracked pepper. Bake in open dish at 400 degrees till nicely browned and tender to the fork. Timing depends on how big your potato pieces are – I use bite size pieces and it generally takes 45-60 minutes. Toss every 10-15 minutes to ensure they’re evenly coated with oil as they roast. *Rosemary bread: add chopped rosemary to bread dough, especially sourdough. *Rosemary in olive oil and balsamic vinegar to use as a dip for freshly baked bread. Serve along side a fresh green salad.
SAGE – a culinary herb
Sage has a long European history as a medicinal plant, but is most commonly used nowadays in the kitchen. It has greyish green elongated leaves, with a soft, downy surface, and its pretty flowers are shy little spikes of purple, blue, white or pink.
growing and harvesting:
Sage is an easy to grow, hardy ‘semi perennial‘ with uniquely shaped and coloured leaves, that looks good in every garden, and is as much at home in your flower bed, and your vegetable garden, as your herb garden. When I say ‘semi perennial’, I mean in the Edmonton area – zone 3A/B – sometimes it comes back in the spring, but sadly – you cannot count on it from one year to the next. I generally plan to buy one or two greenhouse sage plants in the spring, and if what I had growing last season come back, then lucky me, I’ll have more. If they don’t then I’m still covered. Welcome to Alberta. Frankly, for the average household, a single sage plant is probably sufficient for all your needs anyway. A few years ago, my son introduced me to sage ‘tea’ (really an infusion), and I really like it, so since then, I grow more, to have enough for tea throughout the winter.
Plant in full sun, well draining soil. Sage likes to be near rosemary and carrots, but they do not like cucumbers so keep them separate. Be sure to water young plants regularly till they get established.
To use continually throughout the summer, simply pinch off leaves or snip off small sprigs from the plant. Don’t harvest too aggressively too early. Once your plants are established, especially if they’re in their second year, you can harvest two or three times during the season. The flavour is best when fresh, but it is easily dried or frozen to store. s
sage at the beginning of July in herb garden 2020
drying: You can hang sprigs of the leaves in a shady, well ventilated area. I do not. I’ve never really had a convenient spot to do that in the quantity of herbs I dry all summer long. I wash, shake off excess moisture and pat dry. I pinch off individual leaves and scatter loosely onto a clean tea towel – leave for up to a week, maybe more if the weather is humid. Every day when I think about it, I’ll fluff the leaves up with my hand to ensure they get enough air and are drying evenly. If you have a dehydrator, you can do in a couple of hours what might take a week to do in the open air. Make sure they are COMPLETELY dry before storing in an airtight container.
freezing: Apparently sage keeps its flavour well when frozen. I have never done this, but I can see the value for some people. Freeze loosely on a tray, then transfer into a labelled and dated freezer bag. Keep your bags handy in the fridge freezer in the kitchen so they don’t get lost in the bigger freezer.
Personally, I choose to dehydrate, mostly for convenience. I suppose how you choose to preserve it, depends on what you plan to use your sage for.
using in the kitchen:
sage tea steeping
*The most common use of sage in the North American kitchen is in traditional stuffing for roast meats like pork or turkey. Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner just wouldn’t be the same without that comforting smell of roasting turkey with sage in air. But! Don’t limit sage to only twice a year. Be experimental. *Add the crumbled dried leaves to tomato sauce. *During the summer, a sprig of fresh sage is a lovely, edible garnish on any dish. *Fresh sage in a jug of chilled water, makes for a nice light, refreshing drink. *Fresh or dried sage steeped in boiled water makes a nice infusion tea that is said to have have a calming effect. *Fresh or dried sage (chopped or crumbled) creamed into butter and left to sit for a few hours, makes a nice lightly flavoured butter. Use the butter for fresh biscuits, to top mashed potatoes, or to fry eggs or omelette.
non culinary use
Sage is known as an “aromatic” herb which means simply that it has a noticeable fragrant smell. This aromatic quality makes it a good addition to potpourris. Sage has astringent properties which tighten the skin. Dab a cold, strong sage infusion tea onto your face with a cotton swab. Keep it in the fridge. Sage has expectorant properties, which can be helpful for throat and chest disorders, promoting a productive cough to clear phlegm from the airways. Drink as a strong infusion tea.
SAVORY – culinary
Summer Savory is an aromatic plant related to rosemary and thyme, native to North Africa, southeastern Europe, the Middle East and Asia. As with so many foods, it was introduced to North America with European settlers. Although a perennial in some parts of the world, it rarely makes it through the winter, so be prepared to rebuy next spring if you love it. It can grow up to 20 inches high and has a white to pale pinkish flower. The flavour is intense, but milder than the almost bitter, stronger taste of winter savory.
growing and harvesting:
Savory is easy to grow, but since I only want one plant, it’s not worth my time to plant indoors by seed, so I buy it from a local nursery – which is sufficient for our needs. Best place is a well drained, sunny spot. If you want several, you might want to plant by seed in the house by the beginning of March, but definitely its gotta go into the garden as a plant, not a seed. Once it gets established, you can pretty much leave it alone. Don’t worry, it knows what to do.
By mid summer, your Savory is ready to pick. I pick all the bigger stalks, leaving some smaller ones to mature for a later picking. Wash by swishing around in clean water, flick off the excise and place the herb onto a clean white kitchen towel to dry. Plan to leave it at least a week. When thoroughly dry, pull the leaves from the stock (the tines of a fork are handy for this) and after removing any small stick-branches, place into a clean dry canning jar, storing out of the light.
using in the kitchen:
Savory resembles the flavour profile of sage and thyme, and smells like good down-home cooking to me. I think of roast turkey or chicken and stuffing, and gravy, so of course its means Thanksgiving Dinner to me. But good ol’ down-home cooking means a lot of other things too, like hearty bean soup.
who doesn’t like a nice hot thick bowl of ‘hearty’, on a cold fall or winter day? Savory White Bean Soup 1 lb white beans, sorted and rinsed 12 cups vegetable stock or chicken stock 2 bay leaves 1/4 oil (I prefer olive oil) 2 cloves garlic minced 2 lg onions chopped 3-4 lg carrots peeled and chopped 6+ stalks celery chopped 1 can tomatoes – whole (sliced), diced, stewed, your choice 1 teaspoon – 1 Tablespoon (how strong do you like it?) SAVORY, crushed leaves but not powdered please 2 teaspoon salt + 1 teaspoon pepper (if you’re using prepared bouillon for stock, its likely already salted. Taste test and adjust accordingly later.) Rinse beans, then cover them with stock water. No salt at this point. Add bay leaves and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to a slow rolling boil and simmer steadily covered for about 2 hours (till beans are beginning to tender). At this point, in separate pot saute in oil – garlic, onions over medium high flame, for one or two minutes till aromatic. Add remaining vegetables and saute 3-4 minutes max, then pour the vegetable mixture into the pot of beans. Add the can of tomatoes , savory and salt and pepper (tasting to adjust seasoning) Simmer slowly for another 30 minutes or so till all are tender and starting to thicken. Remove from heat and allow to sit for another 5 or 10 minutes before serving. *optional: corn is wonderful in this end of summer meal. I use freeze dried. Add 2-3 cups. Serve with nice crusty piece of whole wheat sour dough bread.
* the age of your beans will influence the length of time they need to be cook. Older beans need longer time. Keep this in mind earlier in the day so you don’t rush the soup if your beans are older.
non culinary use
With its intensity, Savory has long been used to treat a variety of ailments such as a gargle for a sore throat. It is also used to enhance appetite, as a remedy for stomach and digestive disorders, and to help alleviate symptoms of asthma and colic. Personally, I am only interested in this wonderfully flavourful herb for its culinary benefits, although I am intrigued about that gargle idea for a sore throat.
SORREL
A hardy perennial, reliable to come back every year, will thrive on little attention, and is among the first plants to provide fresh green leaves in the spring. I don’t know about you, but that is a winning combination in my books. Lemony taste, strong flavour, can be lightly sautéed or added to salads.
growing and harvesting
Sorrel grows best in full sun, but will tolerate a little shade, and will even last longer into the summer before seeding. It has a very deep and persistent tap root which helps it do well with little attention, but don’t ignore it completely. Sorrel should have a minimum of one inch of water a week, so if it doesn’t rain regularly, give it a drink now and again. I’ve read that sorrel can be invasive, but I’ve had a single sorrel plant for years and have never had it make any attempt to take over. It can be divided into two plants, which I intend to do this spring, as I am ready for more of it.
It is a substantial plant, growing up to 18 inches high, so the leaves are nice and big too. To harvest, simply pinch off young leaves from the base. More tender when its young during the spring, so don’t waste those early weeks by forgetting about it. Careful, rabbits love sorrel too.
using in the kitchen
Lemons and limes aren’t the only foods that have a tart, acidic flavour, sorrel has got a lotta PUNCH. Surprising for a green leafy vegetable. I’ve heard it described as lemonade in a leaf. Long before citrus fruits ever reached Europe, people used it to add a sour flavour to the dishes. It is very popular in many parts of the world, but quite under used in North America, probably because we haven’t figured out what to do with it. Be adventurous. Be part of the movement that is helping bring this forgotten herb back to the table.
Sorrel leaves are tender in spring, but as the season wears on, they get a tougher. Don’t let that dissuade you though, they can still be used in soups and stew, and even pureed to add their wonderfully distinctive flavour. In Nigeria, it is steamed and added to onion and tomatoes with salt and pepper. In India, it is used in soups and curries with yellow lentils and peanuts. In eastern Europe, it is used to make sour soups, and stewed with vegetables. In Greece it is used with other greens in spanakopita. In the middle east, it is simmered lightly and served cold, marinated in olive oil, or stewed with onions, potatoes, garlic and bulgur wheat or lentils. It is even dried and then used as a dried herb in the winter, to flavour dishes.
Great in a mixed green salad or as a garnish. All sorrel is incredibly sour with a lemony flavour, and you probably won’t want to eat straight in large quantities. Just as well, because just like spinach, beets and their greens, swiss chard, rhubarb, and other vitamin rich foods, it contains high amounts of oxalic acid. This doesn’t mean don’t eat it, it means that moderation is the key. Studies show that lemon juice has a neutralizing effect on oxalic acid, so sprinkle some more on your salad.
Use sauteed sorrel in omelette, fritatta, or as a pizza topping.
If you’ve never tried sorrel, be prepared to pucker up. It is packed with potent astringency and a lemony, citrus-like flavor. Coarsely chop or tear into pieces to add to a mixed green salad. It bumps up the acidic quality of your salad, lifting the intensity of flavour to new heights. Gone are the boring, tasteless greens that need a dressing to make them taste like anything. For a dressing when adding sorrel to your salad, just use less vinegar or lemon juice. It also cooks down quickly when sautéed. A traditional way to enjoy sorrel is cooked into a lemony flavoured sauce for fish (without the lemon). If you don’t have lemons to make a salad dressing, use sorrel.
recipe for Sorrel Sauce 2/3 cup heavy cream 1/4 cup butter about a dozen sorrel leaves, stems removed 1/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock – maybe salt and pepper to taste Slice the sorrel leaves very thin. That is easier to do when you roll them up tightly. Bring the cream to a simmer in small pot – this will prevent it from curdling when you add the sorrel later. Not kidding. In another pot, melt the butter and add sorrel to saute and cook down. The colour will loose its brilliance. Stir in the hot cream, stirring while you bring it back to a slow simmer. If the sauce is thicker than you prefer, think it out with the stock, adding slowly and stirring till you get it to the consistency you prefer. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour over fish, chicken breast or even roasted potatoes.
STEVIA
A super sweet, natural substitute for sugar that is calorie free. Almost too good to be true, but it really is. Once you’ve grown stevia and are used to having it around, you’ll grow it every year. Native to the tropics of Central America, the stevia plant produces leaves packed with super-sweet compounds that remain stable even after the leaves have been dried. So that means you’ve got your FRESH natural sweetener available in your garden for snipping all summer long, and dried natural sweetener available in your kitchen for the rest of the year. Its been a common sweetener among the indigenous of Meso America for centuries, and is gaining in popularity in North America recently too. Popular and important to diabetics, dieters, those who want to reduce their sugar intake, and those who simply want to eat healthier. It is especially well-suited for sweetening drinks, salad dressings and yogurt.
There are many derivatives of stevia that are commonly used in in our food industry, but I am only talking about the plant that we grow in our gardens. That is the only way I use it.
growing and harvesting:
Stevia in the herb garden
Growing stevia is easy in well-drained garden beds or large containers, and the leaves can be dried for winter use like any other herb. It grows best in warm conditions similar to that of its native Central America, and in the ideal climate with grow up to 2 feet high. In the Edmonton area where I live, you can expect full gown plants to grow nearly that high. I grow 1-3 stevia plants in my herb garden. They need full sun.
Stevia can be started from seed indoors around February to March, but germination is spotty at best and they’re pretty picky in their infancy. As I only ever intend to buy 2 or 3 plants, it’s simply easier pick them up at a local greenhouse. And frankly a couple of plants will give me more stevia than I will use all year long. Choose a well-drained site in full sun for your plants, and set them out after all risk of frost. Don’t worry, once they’re big enough for the garden, they become very low maintenance.
when? You can pick leaves anytime during the year as you need to use it, but for a bigger picking, watch for when it looks like your stevia is starting to bloom. You want to harvest before the buds flower. If you’re away and miss it by a few days, remove the flower heads and go ahead and harvest. If you let it go to seed, the leaves will grow smaller and energy will go to the production of seed.
With my garden clippers, I cut the stalk off, leaving 3-4 inches at the bottom, MAKING SURE THERE ARE AT LEAST A FEW LEAVES at the bottom. This is so that the plant has a chance to regrow if the season and weather allows, hoping of course that I’ll have a chance for one more smaller picking at the end of August. Make sure you pick it before the first frost. If it freezes, you’ll lose it.
Rinse leaves, lay out onto a clean kitchen towel to air dry for a few days. Might take up to a week depending on quantity and humidity in the air. Every day fluff it up to ensure good air flow.
using in the kitchen
Throughout the summer, I will use stevia for the odd sweetening job straight from the garden. The amount required to sufficiently sweeten a cup of tea for example, is surprisingly small. Like 1/4 of a leaf (if its not too big). Seriously. Taste test stevia to become familiar with it. It is shockingly sweet. If I am making a morning smoothie with sour cherries or tart raspberries, I might want to sweeten it up a little. Instead of sugar, honey is of course a lovely sweetener. But try something new. A single leaf of stevia from the garden is probably enough to take the sour edge out of your smoothie. Taste test using one leaf at a time. Too many will make it sickeningly sweet, and you’ll be surprised at how few it takes.
Remember to use dried stevia sugar in small proportions, as it is nearly 30 times sweeter than cane sugar. Roughly, one teaspoonful of dried leaves powder is equivalent to one cup of sugar; therefore, use it in small quantities adjusting the amount to achieve your desired levels of sweetness. Stevia ‘sugar’ is processed into a white crystalline powder, approximately 300 times sweeter than regular cane sugar.
recipe for Stevia Syrup: add a cup of hot water to 1/4 cup of fresh, finely crushed leaves. Allow to settle down for 24 hours, strain, then refrigerate.
Use stevia to sweeten tea or lemonade. Can be added in jam, yogurt, ice creams & sherbets, smoothies, desserts etc.
ST JOHNS WORT – insomnia and depression
St. John’s wort – know as a mood elevator – is most commonly used for conditions that sometimes go along with depression such as anxiety, tiredness, loss of appetite and trouble sleeping. There is strong evidence that it is effective for mild to moderate depression. Also used for symptoms of PMS and menopause, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder ADHD, obsessive-compulsive disorder OCD, and seasonal affective disorder SAD.
SHOULD NEVER BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH DRUGS FOR THE SAME PURPOSE, as there is a high possibility of poor interaction. Can be purchased from a health food store in capsule or tincture. From the home garden, most often used as an infusion tea.
Odd name I know. The word “wort” is an Old English suffix for “plant” and is frequently found in other common plant names. In this case it means – St. John’s Plant, and refers to the fact that the flowers were traditionally harvested on the Catholic Saint’s Day honoring the nativity of St. John the Baptist, June 24. After harvesting the flowers, the believer would hang them over a painting or statue of St. John in the home, which was thought to protect the believer from evil spirits.
growing and harvesting
Native to Europe, St John’s Wort was so valued for for its medicinal qualities, that it was introduced to North America when Europeans first began colonizing here. It escaped cultivation in the United States and spread throughout and into Canada, and is now listed as a noxious weed in many states and provinces.
It is a short woody, perineal shrub that grows about 2-3 feet tall, and has fragrant yellow flowers from mid to late summer. It grows well in all kinds of soil: sand, clay, rocky or loam, and tolerates acidic to slightly alkaline pH conditions. It adapts to both moist and dry soil, and even tolerates occasional flooding or drought. It spreads easily through roots and seeds, and is considered invasive.
St John’s wort in glass jar for storage. Keep sealed in dark cupboard.
It is loved by bees and other pollinators, and is still valued as a medicinal plant. To harvest, pick the fresh flowers and buds, or a quicker method is to simply cut the top 2 – 3 inches of the plant when it is full bloom in late June/early July. I swish in water to rinse any dust off, spin in my salad spinner to remove excess moisture, and then lay loosely on a clean tea towel on my table. Fluff up with my fingers a few times a day to ensure even drying, and let it sit for at least a week. More time if weather is humid. When completely dry, put into an airtight container, label and keep in a dark cupboard.
using
The leaves and flowers of this plant are all edible and can be used in garnishes and in salads. It is most commonly brewed to make an infusion tea. When consumed in large doses it can cause skin reactions to sun exposure.
St John’s Wort is credited with so many of curative properties, some of them based heavily on superstition, that it is hard to know what is accurate. I lean toward believing the mood elevation properties, simply because they seem to have a little more science behind them. I grow it for this reason, and harvest the flowers for this reason. There are some toxic attributes too however, when taken to excess, so as in all things, moderation is the key. If I was going to use it medicinally, I’d want to do considerably more research than what you have available here.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on any of these valuable garden herbs.
Lemons are one of the most popular fruits in the world, and probably the most versatile. I can’t think of too many other fruits or vegetables you eat, then wash your windows with. They are highly acidic and are used in every part of a meal: main dish, sides, salads and desserts. They are used to tenderize meat and in salad dressings. They are used in baking, drinks, sauces and dips. My favourite yogurt flavour is lemon. They bring a fresh, delightful ZIP to everything they’re added to.
But did you know they’re also your best friend when it comes to cleaning your house?
They are clean and green, non toxic and relatively common. They cut grease and leave a pleasant smell behind, instead of the heavy antiseptic smell of normal household cleaners.
Recently I’ve been on a lemon-kick. I asked a lot of people what they use lemons for, and was surprised to find that very few people actually USE them outside of cooking or baking, and truth be told, not even a whole lot of that. Unfortunate. I suppose perhaps, most of us just don’t know their tremendous value. I readily admit, that lemons can be pretty pricey up here (in Alberta) for most of the year, but I thought: “if I had a house in Arizona and had a lemon tree, I’d probably use lemons for everything.” So I phoned my friend in Arizona who has a lemon tree, . . . . . Guess what? She doesn’t use them for anything more than I do LOL. Except that she puts them down her garburator because they help clean it out, and make it smell better. I don’t have a garburator anyway.
On the internet, I came across a TON of sensational claims for lemons! Apparently, they can do everything short of drive your kid to school. Who knew? It was tricky sifting through the ridiculous claims to extract reasonable tidbits of truth because there were SO MANY claims. It seems every thing on the internet has to be miraculous to get any attention. So I made it a matter of personal study. I bought some lemons and did a lot of experimenting, and I learned a lot of things.
The truth is – lemons are pretty amazing in the house and they don’t need us to exaggerate their usefulness, or try to make them look better than they really are. Admittedly, a lot of what they do well, vinegar also does – which is considerably cheaper in my world. Nevertheless, I think its worth taking note of some things, and I certainly think we should use them more than we do.
So I’ll tell you what I learned about lemons. Fresh – Dehydrated – Powder concentrate – Oil
in the kitchen: cooking and baking
Add them to baking: breads, muffins and cakes; as well as lemon soups and other dishes. Who doesn’t like lemon poppy seed muffins? Lemon blueberry muffins? Lemon coffee cake, lemon sugar cookies, lemon cheese cake . . . . the list is endless of things lemons made better.
– Lemon marinade for shrimp Dan uses lemon to marinade shrimp (that he grills on the BBQ). Very delicious. Lime would have been equally delicious. – drizzle lemon juice over fish or chicken while grilling – Lemon Chicken* See recipe below – Ricotta Cheese* See recipe below Not kidding. Use lemon juice to make homemade Ricotta Cheese*. Oh my goodness, so easy. You’ll never buy ricotta again. – Lemon Sauce*See recipe below Use to pour over fresh gingerbread and as a lemon drizzle for cookies, muffins or coffee cakes.
lemons and limes in the dehydrator fall of 2020
– Dehydrated I dehydrate lemons and limes when I have excess. A couple of years ago, I came across a great deal, and dehydrated about 10-15 pounds. Sliced and laid single layer in the dehydrator, they took about 24 hours when the dehydrator was full. They’re Beautiful, and very handy to use the rest of the year.
dehydrated lemons in water
One thing I love about having them on hand is lemon water. I use them dried to flavour cold drinking water all year long, when ‘fresh’ lemons are not readily available. I keep it in the fridge and serve it daily. I top up the water whenever we drink it down, keeping it going for a couple of weeks at least. When the lemons seem to have lost most of their flavour, I dump them into the dish washing water* (see below) and get a few new slices for the next jug of water.
Lemons as a natural alternative for cleaning
in the KITCHEN
CLEANING PRODUCE claim: fruits and vegetables from the store often have pesticides and other contaminants on them. The disinfectant quality of lemons make them a natural to remove toxins. Use 1/4 cup in 2 cups water. Soak your other and vegetables fruits for five minutes in the lemon water, then rinse and dry. Store as usual. my experience: seem to be fine
PREVENTING OXIDATION IN FRUIT AND VEGETABLES claim: Fruits such as apples, pears, peaches and avocados begin to ‘brown’ when exposed to air. This is called oxidizing. Squeezing lemon juice over top with prevent of at least slow this natural process down. my experience: ABSOLUTELY!! Who hasn’t used this age old kitchen hack?
CANNING ACID FRUITS AND TOMATOES claim: Adding a tablespoon of lemon juice to a quart of tomatoes, increases the acid level needed for safe hot water processing. my experience: ABSOLUTELY! Anything that is preserved in boiling water bath, MUST have a high acid content. The heat of boiling water is sufficient to kill off the micro organisms that cause spoilage, mold and fermentation, but not enough to kill botulism spores. Botulism can only develop in low acid, oxygen free conditions, which is why acid fruits like peaches and tomatoes are canned in hot water baths, but low acid foods like most vegetables, legumes and meat – must be canned at the much higher heat that pressure canning can offer. Acid is critical because it inhibits the germination of botulism spores. Adding a tablespoon of lemon juice (or vinegar) will give you an added level of safety to already acid rich fruits. I have ALWAYS added that little bit extra acid when home canning with the hot water bath method.
REPEL BUGS claim: to repel bugs my experience: I put some lemon wedges in a couple of house plants that were problematic for me with little types of fruit flies. Disappointingly, after several weeks, I didn’t find it helped at all. No effect worth reporting.
CUTTING BOARDS claim: Because of their antibacterial and antiseptic qualities, lemons are valuable for cleaning cutting boards, pizza stones and that sorta thing. my experience: I was happy with the results. It looked cleaner, felt cleaner, smelled cleaner, all of which gave me confidence that it actually did ‘good’.
REMOVING ODOURS claim: will remove unpleasant odours on surfaces like cutting boards and garlicky fingers. my experience: I rubbed half a lemon cut side down over the cleaned cutting board. Rubbed lemon juice or lemon oil onto my finger tips after peeling and mincing garlic. I was happy with the results. Smell gone from my hands completely. The board – pretty good, although I have used it to chop garlic and onions for years, so I don’t think anything is gonna bring it back to newness.
lemon oil
REMOVING ‘STICKY’ GLUE claim: will take away the stickiness on surfaces left from labels etc my experience: For label residue on book covers or other surfaces, just drop a couple drops lemon oil and rub gently around with your finger tips. Wipe away with clean cotton swab or tissue. Works GREAT!
NATURAL AIR FRESHENER claim: the oil in the skin of a lemon or lime is where the fresh scent is. Simmer uncovered gently in water for an hour on the back of the stove. my experience: pretty good
CLEANING STAINLESS STEEL, COUNTER TOPS, STOVE TOPS claim: to clean all that stuff my experience: dip half a lemon cut side down into coarse salt, and rub onto stove tops, counter tops, and stainless steel pots. Rinse and dry with dry cloth. I was happy with it.
okay, this is orange vinegar, admittedly not lemon. But don’t discount the value of other citrus fruits. Made with orange peel steeped in white vinegar for a couple of weeks. I dilute in the spray bottle slightly with water, and I use it as an all purpose cleaner. Cuts grease like nobody’s business.
SINKS, TAPS AND FAUCETTS claim: to clean, degrease and shine those things my experience: I used a lemon half with course salt or baking soda to scrub my sink and taps etc, in the kitchen and bathroom. I liked it.
CLEAN MICROWAVE claim: half a lemon in bowl of water in the microwave – power on for 5 minutes then let it sit for 5 more minutes to let the steam loosen the baking on nastiness, then simply wipe out with moist micro fiber cloth. my experience: I tried it and it seemed to work great. Admittedly, I don’t have and never have a really dirty microwave. I have talked to several people who’ve used lemons to clean them and they swear by it.
REMOVE HARD WATER SCALE AND DEPOSITS claim: boil water with a half lemon in your kettle for a five minutes then let it cool. Wipe out with a dry cloth to remove hard water deposits. Scrub with half a lemon if the stain is pretty set it. Soak your faucet head in lemon juice or vinegar overnight. Wipe down or scrub with with a brush. Rinse and wipe. my experience: I did exactly that and IT ROCKS!
CUTS GREASE claim: throw a leftover half lemon into your dish washer for a cycle. my experience: I don’t have a dish washer so I throw it in my sink of hot soapy water when washing dishes. I love how squeaky clean it makes every thing. Shinier metal pots, clearer glasses, streak free counters.
GLASS CLEANER: 3 T lemon juice + 1 cup of water in spray bottle. Spray onto windows and wipe with dry micro fibre cloth.
GENERAL CLEANSER: fill clean jar with clean lemon peel. Top up with white vinegar and let sit for a minimum of two weeks. Strain and put into glass spray bottle. See the image above for orange vinegar. Another excellent all purpose cleaner.
DEGREASER: 3 T lemon juice + 2 cups water + 1 T baking soda + 1 t dish soap. Spray onto surface, let sit for a few minutes, then wipe off with clean damp cloth.
LAUNDRY
claim: that they make your whites even whiter – no bleach required my experience: Yes they do. Slice up a few lemons and add to a pot of water. How many? One, two, three: depends how big your pot is and how much water you’re using. Bring the water to a boil. Turn off heat, add your white tea towels, napkins, pillow cases or whatever, into the water and let them soak for an hour or so. Remove, wring out by hand, and launder them as you usually would – with other whites of course. Will lemons replace bleach in getting out stains? I doubt it. The citric acid breaks down stains that make whites seem dingy after a while, and it IS a gentler alternative to bleach. But for the bad stains, bleach is still here to stay. On a side note however, I find that sunshine also does a great job of keeping whites white. I use a clothesline in the warm months, and in the hot sun of summer, I’ll sometimes leave my whites on the line for two full sunny days. Back when I was using cloth diapers (yes, I used cloth diapers for all five kids), I found that by the end of winter, my diapers were getting a little dingy. Over the course of summer, they became noticeably brighter and whiter. Clean whites soaked in strong lemon water and then hung on a sunny clothesline is a total winner!
BATHROOM
– Use half a lemon with baking soda on all your taps and faucets, scrub then rinse and wipe off with clean dry cloth – plunge the water out of the toilet, then use half a lemon with baking soda to scrub the inside bowl. Dispose of lemon immediately. – clean anything in your bathroom the same way – then rinse and wipe. – soak your toothbrush in lemon juice and baking soda for 30 minutes then rinse. – do the same thing with your hair brush.
SKIN CARE
Lemon juice as a : – natural toner and cleanser, – natural astringent, lemons will help decrease inflammation – decrease oil that may contribute to acne and other blemishes – breaks down dead skin cells for better removal, which also helps with acne – Vitamin C is a natural antioxidant that helps reduce skin damage and premature aging – mixing with aloe vera may help with any irritation caused by the acidity of it – lemon oil dissolves sticky wax residue when waxing your skin
Lemons are *ANTIBACTERIAL, * ANTIMICROBIAL, * ANTISEPTIC. The enzymes help with digestion, the rich vitamin content helps with our immune and respiratory systems, and “we” have discovered they help with kidney stones.
our experience: My Dan is a professional kidney stone maker. He can produce them like nobody’s business, but if you’ve ever had a kidney stone, you know this isn’t a good thing. He’s done everything and taken everything, that we’ve ever heard of or read about, that even had the slightest chance of helping. We set all prejudice aside in the name of being open minded. So hard to say if most of those things helped or not, because after a while there was always another kidney stone. Until over 10 years ago. . . . We heard that the natural acid in lemon juice prevents the formation of kidney stones – something about dissolving the calcium they’re made of. I don’t pretend to be an expert, or even to understand the science behind it, but Dan started drinking lemon juice in his water faithfully every day. Its a pretty strong sour taste – but he acquired a taste for it. And for more than a decade, no more kidney stones! Yup, you could say we’re converted. Longest stretch in his adult life without kidney stones. Kinda hard to turn your back on that little wonderful fact. However, that much lemon juice in your water everyday is not without its underside. It is absolutely brutal on the enamel of your teeth! Dan hardly has any enamel left, and he’s in the process of getting lots of crowns. Truthfully, we cannot blame lemon juice entirely for all of that. I suspect a life time of drinking coke contributed, but the lemon juice sure didn’t help. Would we recommend it? Yes! Would we do it again? You betcha. But we’d pay more attention to the problem of acid on the teeth. The Moral to that story? Lemon juice is good for you. But rinse your mouth out after drinking it.
PRICE
Winter is CITRUS SEASON. You should find prices will be best between November – April, especially December – February.
My TAKEAWAY from all my lemon experimenting – Would I buy lemons just for cleaning? Living in Edmonton, probably not. Unless I got them for a pretty good price. I use vinegar for much of the same things. If I lived in Arizona however, I’d use lemons a LOT. For now, it would depend on price and availability. But – I’d sure second-use every piece of lemon that was in my house before I threw it into the compost. I use lemons for everything I mention above and I REALLY like the results. I like the squeaky clean (literally ‘squeaks’) feel, and the scent. I like that it cuts through grease and stickiness.
words to define: *ANTIBACTERIAL – prevents the growth of, or outright destroys bacteria. *ANTIMICROBIAL – resists or destroys pathogenic micro organisms. *ANTISEPTIC – destroys and prevents the development of microbes. *PATHOGENIC – means capable of producing disease MICROBE – germs
Recipes:
*LEMON CHICKEN: Dan’s version(4 servings): 3 or 4 pounds chicken pieces – evenly sized zest from 2 lemons + juice from one, slice the other lemon to use as garnish 2 cloves garlic crushed fresh garden herbs in the summer: thyme and rosemary chopped OR dried garden herbs in the winter: thyme and rosemary (crumbled) 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper 2 Tablespoons melted butter Marinade the chicken in lemon juice and seasonings for about two hours. After marinading, place chicken in baking dish (reserving the lemon juice mixture in the fridge), brush liberally all over with butter and bake at 425 for about 40 minutes. About 20 minutes into cooking, remove from oven and baste the chicken with ALL of the reserved marinade. Be generous. Return to oven and continue to bake till chicken is cooked through. Chicken is cooked when the juice runs clear and the skin is brown and crispy. Remove from oven. Don’t over cook. Cover with tin foil and let rest for 15 minutes. Serve with remaining juices in a saucer on the side. * Not including marinade time, expect this dish to take about an hour. While its baking, prepare some rice or noodles to serve it with.
Thrive Life lemonade powder, while in a base of non GMO cane sugar, is for all intents and purposes, unsweetened. Strong natural lemon flavour from lemon oil, used to make lemonade of course (add your own sweetener), and in place of lemon juice in most recipes.
LEMON CHICKEN: Cindy’s version (4 servings): I don’t cook meat, so I use freeze dried chicken pieces. Using the same recipe as above, I would take the larger pieces of FD seasoned chicken strips (about 2 1/2 cups), and refresh / marinade them in the same mixture as above, for about twenty minutes to ensure all the wonderfulness of the lemon was absorbed fully.
In a hot skillet, I would saute Freeze Dried sliced onions, (just a minute or two until aromatic) in the melted butter, then add the seasoned chicken pieces and the remaining marinade liquid. I would probably add some FD red and green peppers because I could, and maybe some FD broccoli too. Maybe even some FD asparagus at the very end. Depending on the additional vegetables I ‘might’ add, its possible I might have to add a bit more water if necessary. Not too much. 1/2 cup to 1 cup (?) When all is heated thoroughly, remove from heat and let it sit covered for 5 minutes. * Not including marinade time, expect this version of the dish to take less than 15 minutes. You better have your side dishes ready. Serve over rice or noodles or mashed potatoes – exactly the same as Dan’s recipe above.
*Lemon Sauce 1 cup white sugar 1 tablespoon white flour 1/4 cup butter 1 cup boiling water Stir together over low heat till sugar is dissolved and sauce is beginning to thicken. Add juice of 1 lemon (or 1 tablespoon of THRIVE lemonade powder). Stir till incorporated. Add a little more water if necessary. Pour over gingerbread cake, Christmas pudding, English trifle, or wherever you want it.
* Homemade Ricotta Cheese What is RICOTTA CHEESE? Italian ricotta is a fresh, soft, white cheese made whole milk It is heated near a boil, which causes it to coagulate and form a soft cheese. Like paneer, and cottage cheese, and other fresh cheeses, ricotta can be heated without melting. This makes it perfect for filled pastas like ravioli, and baked good like cheesecake.
2 litres WHOLE milk 1 teaspoon of salt – optional 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (or 1 T Thrive Life Lemonade) large pot, wooden spoon or silicone spatula, thermometer, something to keep the thermometer off the bottom of the pan, colander and some cheese cloth to strain the cheese, large bowl to strain into
Pour milk into a large pot and begin heating over medium low heat. Slowly bring to 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Expect it to take up to 30 minutes, stir frequently to prevent scorching on the bottom. Increase the heat and cook, watching closely until the surface begins to lightly bubble, but doe NOT boil. Keep a watchful eye on it, stirring regularly. This should be approx 200 degrees F (up or down a few degrees). Add lemon juice (or lemon powder), stir to incorporate. You will see the milk immediately begin to curdle.
Remove from heat and let the pot sit for 15 minutes. Line a colander with cheese cloth, and place over large enough bowl to catch the whey. Spoon the curds from pot to cloth lined colander, and let it strain for half an hour. When cheese is cooled squeeze gently to form ball. Use immediately, or store in fridge up to 3 or 4 days.
