Seasonal Chef
I finally got some quince on Saturday, a half bushel. Yesterday as the first snow fell I cooked up the first batch and canned it. The world may going to hell in a hand basket but I've got me some lovely quince.
The black canopy covers the stairs that go down to The Empire Brewing Company. The second floor windows directly above the canopy are those of The Mister's new office. He can actually take an elevator from his floor and walk out into the middle of the pub.
from The New York Daily News:HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR GROWLER
Once you are the proud owner of your own jug of beer, American Beer's Jay Steinhauer - who hopes to add even more taps for growlers at American in the fall - offers a few tips on taking care of it.
1. KEEP IT FRESH: Freshly poured beer won't stay fresh for long, says Steinhauer, so “keep it in the fridge,” he says. Unopened, it'll last for a week or two at most, but “once you open it pour it off in a couple of days,” he says, if not that night.
2. TREAT IT GENTLY: “Don't let it jostle around,” recommends Steinhauer of growlers, as that will kill the carbonation in the beer, especially if it has already been opened.
3. CHECK YOUR SUDS: If your growler has been sitting for a few days, says Steinhauer, gently rotate it, as the first beer poured is a little thinner and less flavorful. Or do as Steinhauer does, and serve yourself last.
4. TIDY UP: Most places don't clean the growlers before they refill them for you, so be sure to clean them yourself with lots of hot water. But don’t use soap, says Steinhauer, as it is hard to rinse away and the residue will interfere with the flavor of your beer.
This poor pot has had something cooking in it everyday for a couple of weeks. I think it needs a few days off.
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Elderberry Pond Farm
Lorings are still my favorite for canning. I wish I could preserve the beautiful colors in their skin but at least a good part of it bleeds into the flesh and makes for some lovely jam.
Not the recipe I used years ago but one with more spices and in this batch my Metechi garlic and chiles japones. Two long weeks until we can crack open the quart of trimmings...
It's hard to believe that we can be enjoying such glorious weather while the Gulf Coast hunkers down as Gustav approaches. But that's what we've got and we're making the most of it. After spending Saturday at the state fair where I enjoyed an hour or so getting as close as I could to 13 hitches of six draft horses each, we biked up to Oneida Lake yesterday and ended up doing over 40 miles before we went to our final baseball game of the season.
Really, really good peaches this year and some spectacular red heart plums but they don't begin to make up for the dismal tomato crop. After a few more jars of peaches I'll be moving on to green tomato chutneys & piccalillies, lots and lots of chutney & piccalilly.
We had rain most of the time we were in Vermont and now more rain here at home. The Brandywines are doomed. I should have planted rice.
