Last week at the farmers market there were plums available, and I had onions from my garden. So I decided to make plum sauce. I can't eat most Chinese sauces. They all contain peppers, but making my own means that I can eat it. I used the Ball Blue Book for the recipe, but I'm a little sad that I did. I've seen others with cinnamon and cloves which I think would taste wonderful. I may have to make my own hoisin sauce at some point. It just won't taste the same without the peppers though. I wouldn't can that though. I'd just put it in the fridge.
I've finally finished up most of the bok choy and Chinese cabbage that I picked in June. It is amazing how long it can store in the fridge. The best was the Michihili cabbage. The worst storer was the Soloist Chinese cabbage. It got brown and mushy in the middle pretty quickly. Ick. And now that it is August I've started using the two regular cabbages that I picked as the regular ones store better than the Chinese cabbages.
Well regular might not be the right word. I'm so used to the round cabbages, but Early Jersey is a conical cabbage. It is an heirloom and I have to say one of the tastiest cabbages I've ever grown. I hope it does as well in the fall as it did in the spring because I have three planted out right now. I would love more of this. It is just so good. It has been over a month since it was picked. I wonder how long it can store in the fridge. It would be wonderful if it could store into the winter months. I do have a storage cabbage planted, but I think I got it in too late. I'm not sure it will head up in time.
Head on over to Robin's place at The Gardener of Eden and link up to let others see what you've been using or preserving from your garden and pantry.
Daphne, nice looking cabbage. I am interested in the hoison sauce as I use a lot of it but every recipe I have found call for things that I can't get around here and looking like even though not as healthy the store bought would be much cheaper.
ReplyDeleteI noticed the other day you were harvesting your dried beans. Since I am just getting back into gardening big time for the first time in about 15 years I can't remember do you wait for the beans to dry on the fine before you pick them or just pick them when they are ready to eat?
You can pick them as shelling beans or as dry beans. But a lot of the typical "dry" beans don't develop their full colors until they dry out so usually are picked once the pods dry. But at the end of the year when I'm pulling the plants they typically have some on them that aren't dry. So I use those as shelling beans.
DeleteThanks Daphne. That is what I thought but it has been a long time and DH did most of the harvesting.
DeleteVery nice cabbage and I'd love to try making plum sauce. I find chinese plum sauce a bit too salty.
ReplyDeleteOh, wow, plums already! Sounds nice! Love the cabbage - in Sweden we call this type 'pointed cabbage' but I can´t get a good translation (for the group of cabbages)! As I feel so sorry for You and Your allergy, I must ask if You compensate the loss och chilies for a certain amount of white or black pepper, or what do You do for 'ordinary' recipies? Best wishes /Mia
ReplyDeleteMostly I avoid things that would usually have chili peppers in them. I've found cooking this last year difficult as most of my tried and true recipes had either peppers or tomatoes in them. I had very few recipes without them. I'm very slowly finding more recipes, but not a lot. If I liked cream based sauces I'd be all set, but I'm not a big fan. Black pepper does give a bite, but it doesn't have the same flavor and usually I like the peppers for their flavor.
Deleteeverything looks lovely
ReplyDeleteWow. I've never seen pointy cabbage before.looks like a conehead! Very interesting!
ReplyDeleteSome people at the community garden are growing that cabbage this year. Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteThe Italian made and canned plum sauce a few years back. I don't remember where he found the recipe though.
I've grown those conical cabbages before - fun shape aren't they? I do like your sauce labels - I've been thinking about doing some nice ones on the computer but somehow have yet to get round to it.
ReplyDeleteIt really is amazing how long cabbage will keep in the fridge crisper! I have some in there right now from a large head of red cabbage I harvested a while ago. We are slowly working away at it. Going to have another head of red cabbage soon to add to it so I best use more of it up soon to make room. The plum sauce looks really beautiful.
ReplyDeleteIs ginger OK for you to use? You could use ginger as a subsititute for chili peppers.
ReplyDeleteLove this time of year. Your harvest is looking good. I am a little behind, didn't get it planted until June but the farmers market is in full swing here.
ReplyDeleteHi Daphne, love your blog, I read all the time. Very interesting but upside down for me seasons wise. I am in New Zealand. I found this plum sauce recipe on a NZ site, it is very good, I made it and the family love it. It is in kilograms though which means you would have to convert it to pounds as I believe you use imperial measurements in the USA. Plum Sauce recipe...3klg plums, 2 onions, 3 cloves of garlic, 1.5klg sugar, 6 cups malt vinegar, 2 tablespoons salt, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 2 teaspoons ground cloves, 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 2 teaspoons ground black pepper.
ReplyDeleteCount and note the number of plums. Coarsley chop the onions and crush the garlic. Combine all the ingredients in a large saucepan, and bring them to the boil. Cook slowly, uncovered, until the onions are soft.
The sauce can now be rubbed through the sieve. However, it is far better to remove and discard the plum stones( the number were noted) and pur'ee the sauce in batches in a food processor.
Reheat the sauce to blend, and pour into hot, clean bottles, and seal.
The longer this sauce is kept the better. Makes about 4 litres. Good luck.
Jo in New Zealand,
Own hoisin sauce at some point. It just won't taste the same without the peppers though. wouldn't can that though.
ReplyDelete