Off Season Shopping (sale, price, budget)

[Larry Caldwell]

I just picked up a Carhartt Active Jac - 9 oz. cotton fabric with quilt lining and rain hood at Coastal Farm for $60. That's what I think of as a "light jacket," more than a single layer of cloth, but no heavy insulation to get in the way. My old flannel jacket with the fleece lining is ready for the rag bin, so it was time. That was 60% off the regular price. They are getting ready for the new fall inventory.

OTOH, there isn't a canning jar to be found in a thrift store, though they are on retail sale just about everywhere. Humph. Retail and sale are kind of an oxymoron. As long as the rims are good, canning jars last forever. You can find plenty of them in February for $2 a dozen. This time of year, people give them away to their friends instead of donating them to Salvation Army or Goodwill.

What are really cheap this time of year are fruits and vegetables. Zuccini is free! So are many fruits and berries, if you pick them yourself. The wild plums around here are having a big crop, so I'm going to do a big batch of plum sauce, the secret to Chinese sweet and sour. Himalaya blackberries look to be having a big crop this year, and they are edible enough if you get them early, before they lose all their flavor.

The Kitchen Aid is life saver. I have a colander attachment that separates the skins and pits from the little wild plums, and a squeezo attachment that removes the seeds from wild blackberries. I can't remember the last time I used the thing as a mixer, though the dough hook is great for making bread. The attachments are super. (There goes the budget.) My last attachment was the grain mill, that I bought from a friend second hand. Sadly, I think Hobart must have sold the line, because the new ones are not as well built.

[kadylady]

I need a foodsaver vacuum sealer of some sort. This year I'm going to dry tomatoes and package them up. I hear that they keep a long time in the feezer. But, will still need canning jars for salsa!!

[Larry Caldwell]

Originally Posted by kadylady

I need a foodsaver vacuum sealer of some sort. This year I'm going to dry tomatoes and package them up. I hear that they keep a long time in the feezer. But, will still need canning jars for salsa!!

If you have the freezer space you can just bag them in ziploc bags and toss them in. When you get ready to use them, run them under hot water in the sink and the skins will slip right off. I also make various kinds of relish, with apples, pickles, peppers, etc. I run them through the KitchenAid meat grinder, which rices them and gives a nice relish texture.

[Steve Pickering]

We suck the air out of the freezer bag before freezing. They keep better. Also a little sugar on the apples will keep them better.

Around here, used jars are priced the same as new.

[kadylady]

Originally Posted by Larry Caldwell

If you have the freezer space you can just bag them in ziploc bags and toss them in. When you get ready to use them, run them under hot water in the sink and the skins will slip right off. I also make various kinds of relish, with apples, pickles, peppers, etc. I run them through the KitchenAid meat grinder, which rices them and gives a nice relish texture.

Do you dry the tomatoes first?

[kadylady]

Originally Posted by Steve Pickering

We suck the air out of the freezer bag before freezing. They keep better. Also a little sugar on the apples will keep them better.

Around here, used jars are priced the same as new.

I need a bag sucker. We freeze a lot since we don't go to town every day. I think everything would keep better.

[Steve Pickering]

Just stick a straw in a corner and zip to the straw. Suck out the air, and pull the straw out with your lips while zipping the bag shut.

[Larry Caldwell]

Originally Posted by kadylady

Do you dry the tomatoes first?

No, just bag them up and throw them in the freezer. Peppers, including bell peppers, freeze just fine the same way. They don't even need to be blanched. Don't expect the tomatoes to be slicers, but they taste just fine in soups and sauces.

[Steve Pickering]

So does Celery and Onions. We cut them up and just break off what we want for the stock pot.