Image courtest of "The Daily Green".

Collard greens are various leafy greens in the same species that produces cabbage and broccoli. The plant is grown for its large, dark-colored, edible leaves.

Fresh collard leaves can be stored for up to 10 days if refrigerated to just above freezing at high humidity. In domestic refrigerators, fresh collard can be stored for about three days. Once cooked, it can be frozen and stored for greater lengths of time.

Widely considered to be healthy foods, collards are good sources of vitamin C (only when eaten raw, because heat destroys vitamin C) and soluble fiber and contain multiple nutrients with potent anti-cancer properties. Roughly a quarter pound (approx. 100 g) of cooked collards contains 46 calories.

Germination:

• Prepare the seed bed. Your collard greens will grow best in a light, rich, sandy loam with a pH of 5.5 to 6.8. Cultivate the soil thoroughly and deeply (at least 10 inches) since collard roots will grow as much as 2 feet deep. Form the soil into raised rows about 8 inches high and 3 feet apart.
• Sprinkle the tops of the planting rows with a 10-20-10 garden fertilizer. Use your garden rake to mix the fertilizer into the top 4 inches of the soil.
• Sow the collard green seeds in early spring for a summer harvest, or in mid summer for a late autumn harvest. Spread the seeds evenly along the top of each row of the seed bed. Ultimately your collard plants will be 18 inches apart, but collard seeds are small and hard to dispense evenly, so spread the collard seeds a little more densely; you will thin them later.
• Cover the seeds with ½ inch of soil.
• Water the planted collard seeds by sprinkling, so as not to disturb the covered seeds. Keep the seed bed slightly moist until germination. The seeds will germinate in 6 to 12 days.
• Continue to water the collards evenly, about 1.5 inches of water every seven to ten days. Drip irrigation works well for home gardens.
• Thin the seedlings to 6 inches apart when they are about 2 inches tall.
• Pull weeds from the collard green bed regularly throughout the growing season.
• Fertilize the collard greens again with a 10-20-10 garden fertilizer if you notice that the plants begin to look pale.
• Thin the plants again, to 18 inches apart, when leaves of adjacent plants touch. The young harvested plants are good for eating or may be transplanted to another area of the garden.
• Harvest the collard greens continuously by cutting the outer leaves when they are about 12 inches tall, leaving the inner three layers of leaves to continue growing. Or harvest the entire plant at the end of the growing season; in this case the tough outer leaves will not be good for eating, so discard them. In frost free climates or climates that have only light frost, collards may produce throughout the entire winter.

Storing:

• Short Term:  Refrigerate in a plastic bag; do not wash until you are ready to use.
• Long Term:
  • Wash greens thoroughly.
  • Cut off woody stems.
  • Blanch in boiling water for 3 minutes.
  • Chill in ice-water for 5 minutes.
  • Drain off excess moisture and pat dry.
  • Package in air-tight containers or freezer bags.
  • Freeze immediately.
  • Use within 10-12 months.

Try this yummy recipe:

Collard Greens Braised

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon butter
1 leek or 1 small onion, chopped
1 bunch collard greens, stemmed and chopped (rinsed well first of course)
½ cup vegetable or chicken broth
1-2 teaspoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 Tablespoon mild vinegar: champagne or cider

Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in large sauce pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Saute onion until soft, 3-4 minutes. Add half of the greens, broth, sugar, salt, and cayenne. Cover and cook until greens are beginning to wilt, about 1 minute. Stir in remaining greens and cook, covered, stirring occasionally over med low heat until quite tender, about 30 minutes. Remove lid and cook over med high heat until liquid is almost evaporated, about 5-10 minutes. Off heat, stir in butter, vinegar, and serve.

Storing:

• Store zucchini for use in the near future without washing it first. The vegetable will spoil much faster if it is bruised or punctured, so the less handling, the better.
• Put whole zucchini in a plastic bag and place in a cool area of the kitchen. If the weather is very hot, keep the zucchini in the refrigerator for 4 to 7 days.
• Store zucchini in the freezer for use at a later date or for baking. Be aware that its texture will become softer and mushier after freezing.  See below how to properly store in the freezer.

Storing in the freezer:

• Cut slices of zucchini,
• Bring water to a boil in a large pot on the stove.
• Blanch the zucchini slices in the boiling water for three minutes.
• Remove from the boiling water directly into a bowl of ice-water and leave it for 5 minutes.
• Pat dry and freeze in a plastic bag or other airtight container. Make sure you label the container with the contents and date prepared.
• Frozen zucchini can keep for about 4 months before it starts to lose its flavor.

Chives are the smallest species of the onion family and are native to Europe, Asia and North America. Chives are also the only species of Allium native to both the New and the Old World and it is a perennial (So that’s why it came up again and I swore I hadn’t planted it again… I’m not going crazy.)

Culinary uses for chives involve shredding its leaves (straws) for use as condiment for fish, potatoes and soups. Because of this, it is a common household herb, frequent in gardens as well as in grocery stores. It also has insect-repelling properties which can be used in gardens to control pests from your other plants.  A plus is that they attract bees, a plus if you want your garden well pollinated.

The medical properties of chives are similar to those of garlic, but weaker; the faint effects in comparison with garlic are probably the main reason for its limited use as a medicinal herb. Chives are reported to have a beneficial effect on the circulatory system. As chives are usually served in small amounts and never as the main dish, negative effects are rarely encountered.

Chives are also rich in vitamins A and C, contain trace amounts of sulfur, and are rich in calcium and iron.

Cultivation

Chives are cultivated both for their culinary uses and their ornamental value; the violet flowers are often used in ornamental dry bouquets.

Chives thrive in well drained soil, rich in organic matter, with a pH of 6-7 and full sun.

Chives can be grown from seed and mature in summer, or early the following spring. Typically, chives need to be germinated at a temperature of 15 °C to 20 °C and kept moist. They can also be planted under a cloche or germinated indoors in cooler climates, then planted out later. After at least four weeks, the young shoots should be ready to be planted out.

In cold regions, chives die back to the underground bulbs in winter, with the new leaves appearing in early spring.

Chives starting to look old can be cut back to about 2–5 cm. When harvesting, the needed number of stalks should be cut to the base. During the growing season, the plant will continually regrow leaves, allowing for a continuous harvest.

Storing:

Chives can be stored multiple ways; Freezing and Dehydrating.

Dehydrating:

• Wash and pat dry your chives.
• Chop them to the appropriate size that you want them (I chop mine fine, but not so thin that they crumble or that you can’t tell what they are).
• Lay the chives in a thin layer on your dehydrator trays.
• Turn on your dehydrator to the herb setting or the lowest temperature that you have.
• When the chives are done dehydrating transfer them to air tight containers for storage.

Freezing:

Freezing chives is a very easy way to store them and make them seem almost fresh even if it is January when you are using them.  Not only is this simple, but it is fun… especially for kids also.

• Wash your chives.
• Cut them into small pieces to fit inside ice cube trays.
• sprinkle the chives into the ice cube trays.
• Fill the trays with water and place them in your freezer.
• When the cube have frozen all the way through, remove the cubes from the trays and place them into freezer safe storage containers or zip-lock bags.
• When you are ready for fresh Chives remove a couple of cubes and thaw them.  Your Chives will test just as fresh as the day you put them in the freezer.

Image courtesy of MarthaStewart.com

Ten years ago, Rhett and I had just graduated from college and we had our first “real life” apartment, versus the campus married housing that we had lived in.  We were excited to have a nice little patio and decided that it would be perfect to get some large pots and make our first garden…

So what did we grow you ask? We grew our three favorite things, Roses (pink ones), Tomatoes and Sugar Snap Peas… Yummm.

If you enjoy eating fresh vegetables from your own garden then Sugar Snap Peas is a perfect food to grow.  They are delicious and easy to grow.  The best thing about them is that if you do not like to have to shell bushels and bushels of pea pods then these are perfect.  With these vegetables, you get to eat the entire pea pod with the sweet little peas nestled inside.  The pods are sweet, crisp, juicy and have a wonderful crunch.

My favorite way to eat them is fresh, straight from the garden.

Helpful Hint: Sugar Snap Peas have “strings”, much like the ones on celery. To remove them, pinch one tip of the pea to get hold of the string. Pull it up the straight side toward the stem end, then pinch it off.

So, let’s go over how to grow these tasty vegetables.

1. Sugar Snap Peas enjoy cool weather growing conditions and can be planted during early spring, with a second crop planted during late summer for a fall harvest.
2. Sow the seeds about an inch deep.
   • Some recommend that you should treat the seeds with a nitrogen fixing inoculent designed for peas. The inoculent isn’t required but will help improve growth, result in higher yields, and increase the nitrogen levels “fixed” in your garden’s soil. The inoculant contains a natural bacteria and can be purchased at garden centers or organic gardening suppliers and seed companies on the Internet.
3. Sugar Snap Peas will grow well in raised beds, the biggest challenge is to space them out evenly. One planting technique is to lay all the seeds out on top of the prepared bed using the desired spacing pattern and the go back and use a finger to press the seeds to the proper depth.
4. The peas will quickly germinate and begin growing so you should be prepared to provide some type of support to hold the plants upright as they grow taller. The dwarf varieties that only grow a foot or two in height will do fine without additional support from fencing, stakes, or trellis material.
5. Aside from weeding and watering when needed, there’s not much routine maintenance required to raise your crop of Sugar Snap Peas. The pea vines grow very fast and within a few weeks of planting you will notice blossoms that will quickly be followed by the developing pods.
6. Harvest the Sugar Snap Peas when the pods are plump and have reached full size but to enjoy the best flavor don’t allow them to over mature or start to shrivel and dry out on the vines.

Sugar Snap Peas are wonderful when they are cooked by steaming or sauteing them.  I love them in Stir Fry.

Note:  In addition to the pea pods you can also harvest and enjoy eating the flower blossoms and leafy plant tips or pea shoots. Just be sure that you don’t attempt to eat any portion of the varieties of ”sweet peas” that are grown as ornamental flowers and are not edible.

STORING:

You can store sugar snap peas in a plastic bag for up to three days.  Any longer and they begin to dry out and lose some of their flavor.

Long Term Storage:  Sugar Snap Peas must be blanched before storing in the freezer. To blanch, add 4 quarts of water to a pot and bring to a boil. While water is heating, prepare the pods by pinching off the ends and pull to remove the strings along the seams of the pods before eating or freezing.  Add 2 to 3 cups of pea pods to the boiling water and cover. Time for exactly 2 minutes and remove promptly from heat. Drain off water and place the pea pods immediately in a bowl of ice water for 2 minutes. Remove from bowl and dry pea pods on paper towels. Place snow peas or sugar snap peas into freezer bags or containers, seal, label and store in freezer.

Freezing corn on the cob is fun, easy and a yummy way to have good food all year round.  By freezing corn on the cob you will be able to experience sweet, tasty corn all year round.  The corn that you freeze will taste much better than the frozen corn that you purchase at the grocery store.

Freezing corn is simple, just follow these easy steps:

• The first step is to purchase your corn.  Corn is always best when purchased locally.  I live in the great Columbia Basin of Washington State where you can easily get just about any fruit or vegetable fresh and very tasty.  Try to get your corn for a great price.  4 or 5 for a dollar is a great price (at least where I live it is).  Free is even better.  I was lucky enough to get 56 ears of corn free from a local farmer who donated corn for a cause I was involved it and we did not eat it all.  He allowed me to keep the rest at no charge.
• Your next step is to husk your corn.  Make sure that you remove all of the little corn hairs that you can.
• In order to preserve all of the flavor and sweetness that we can the next step is to prepare a large pot of boiling water to blanche the corn.  This means that we drop the corn into the boiling water for 10 minutes. Blanching the corn will kill enzymes that destroy the freshness and flavor of the corn.  (Note that this step isn’t crucial but does help if you plan to freeze the corn for extended amounts of time (over a month)).
• Remove the corn from the water and dip it into a sink full of cold water.  This seals the flavor and enhances the color.  Shake and remove as much of the water as possible.  Removing water is very important to keep your corn fresh and avoid freezer burn.
• Prepare your seal-a-meal or whatever machine you use to extract all of the air and all of your bags.  Seal one end of each bag.
• Insert your corn into the bags (as many as fit or however many you want per meal -I have a family of 2 adults and 2 small children.  I seal 3 ears of corn per bag which is perfect for my family).
• Use the vacuum to extract the air and seal the end of the bag.
• Place the sealed bags into the freezer.
• Remove the bag, open and cook the corn before eating.

Enjoy your yummy corn on the cob all year round.

step 1Pick your Berries

For many of us, this may be as simple as finding a few boxes in the produce section with no mushy berries while they happen to be on sale. However, I highly suggest visiting a “pick your own” farm, if at all possible. These places offer bulk prices, and of course, you can be sure you’re getting your berries at peak ripeness. Besides, it’s a fun way to spend your morning!  At the very least visit a local fruit stand.

Some tips for berry picking:

• Call ahead or check the farm’s website to confirm availability; crops can vary greatly from year to year in both quantity and quality due to weather and over-picking.
• Pick early in the morning, especially in hot weather, for peak flavor.
• Bring containers if your farm doesn’t provide them.
• Dress comfortably; sometimes the best berries require reaching.

I suggest picking as many as your freezer will hold. They get eaten faster than you expect. We brought home 17 lbs, and in a week and a half have probably already consumed or given away half.

step 2Rinse and Arrange

*Note: Some prefer not to wash their berries before freezing, however I like to use the frozen berries in smoothies and eat them frozen so I wash them before freezing that way they are clean.

Rinse your berries in a colander and remove any stems or stray leaves and wildlife.

Then pat dry and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet that will fit flat in your freezer (notice mine is very small). I suggest placing a clean, dry dish towel on the bottom of the tray so the berries do not stick to it or a layer of waxed paper or saran wrap.

step 3Place in Freezer

Place your baking sheet in the freezer, preferably flat against the shelf to prevent the berries from rolling into one another. Ideally, the berries should touch one another as little as possible.

If you have many berries, feel free to stack two or more trays, so long as there’s space for cold air to move through.

Wait about 4 hours, or until all berries are frozen through, before moving on to the next step.

step 4Fill Containers

Once the berries are frozen solid, choose containers to keep them in. Many people prefer freezer bags or plastic containers.

• If you use plastic, you can use a straw to suck out excess air before completely sealing to help prevent freezer burn.
• If you use glass, do not attempt to thaw contents by placing the container in hot or boiling water. Glass does not appreciate such treatment, and may break and harm you in retribution.

step 5Consume Berries

Blueberries are small and thaw quickly, so for most recipes, there is no need to thaw them before use. Any berries that are stuck together should be very easy to nudge apart. I usually just shake the bag gently before opening or tapping it on the counter.

Fresh strawberries, the most popular of all berries are in season during late spring and early summer.  Locally grown berries that are ripe and ready to eat and enjoy are delicious and naturally sweet.

Even better, there is only about 50 calories in a whole cup!

When shopping for berries, choose strawberries with a bright red color. The strawberry size does not play a factor in how sweet, flavorful or ripe the berry is.

Remember, Strawberries do not continue to ripen once they are picked from the plant.  In addition, do not wash fresh strawberries or remove the green tops until you’re ready to eat them or use them in a recipe.

To wash strawberries, place them in a large strainer or colander and rinse with cool water. Remove their tops with the point of a paring knife or gently twist and pull them off.

To help determine the amount of fresh strawberries to buy for a recipe use the following as a gauge:

• # 1 pint strawberries = 2 cups whole berries
• # 1 pint strawberries = 2-1/4 cups sliced berries
• # 1 pint strawberries = 1-3/4 cups pureed berries
• # 1 pint strawberries contains about 16 to 20 medium size berries or 12 to 14 large berries.
• # 1-1/2 to 2 quarts of fresh strawberries are needed for a 9″ pie
• # 1 cup of strawberries weighs about 4 to 5 ounces
• # 1 quart of strawberries weighs about 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 pounds
• # 1 flat of strawberries contains 8 quarts and weighs about 12 pounds
• # To use fresh strawberries in a recipe that calls for frozen strawberries – Substitute 2 cups of sliced fresh strawberries for one 20 oz. package of frozen strawberries.

Ingredients:

• * 1 Quart washed and chunky smashed fresh strawberries
• * 4 cups sugar
• * 1 (1.75 ounce) package dry pectin
• * 3/4 cup water

Directions:

1. Mix crushed strawberries with sugar, and let stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, stir the pectin into the water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and boil for 1 minute.  Stir the boiling water into the strawberries. Allow to stand for 3 minutes before pouring into jars or other storage containers.

2. Place tops on the containers, and leave for 24 hours. Place into freezer, and store frozen until ready to use.

Note* – The recipe on the Pectin insert uses 2 cups of strawberries and 4 cups of sugar. I double the strawberries and leave the sugar the same and my jam turns out just as yummy and lower in the sugar content.