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I’m slowly working towards some simplicity within the home, but hey! It’s a lot of hard work!

I love having a go at growing my own veges and always use herbs fresh from my garden. I try to plant from seed whenever I can and have learnt to save and share my own seed for the following year. I make Award Winning preserves and pickles; and my husband brews Award Winning boutique beers as well. I love to stockpile and try to limit quick trips to the shops. I dabble in bread making and enjoy making my own stocks too.

I enjoy feeding my family good hearty meals, nothing like those tiny restaurant stacks you have to look for on the plate. My husband maintains our vehicles and machinery and we both enjoy fabricating on a small scale mostly relying on metal & timber recyclers for any materials needed.


While I don’t always have time to reply to comments, I love reading them. I hope you enjoy your stay and I hope you learn something new because I love sharing what I learn, and I'm always looking for another new skill myself.

Cheers!

Monday, May 16, 2011

Spinach in your stockpile

It was a busy weekend in the kitchen....I hope everyone had a lovely weekend, mine was spent mostly in the kitchen doing what I love...

I was given 2 large bunches of spinach, so I wanted to preserve it for future use...We don't usually eat spinach on it's own as a side vegetable, but I love adding it to recipes like quiche, stir-fries, soups and stocks etc.

Place a huge pot of water on the stove to boil....once boiling .
Wash and rinse the spinach, then cut to size the way you use spinach. I cut mine into about 1/2 inch strips....this way I can use it as is, or shred it more later depending on the recipe.
Once the water comes to the boil, add half the spinach then place lid on pot, allow to blanch for 3 minutes then lift out with a strainer.
Place the spinach in a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process.
Strain well, then pack in serving sizes in muffin trays and freeze.
After blanching and freezing in single uses.

Stored in the freezer in a press-seal bag.
Another food for your stockpile.
Next time you have plenty of spinach in the garden, preserve it for when it is not so bountiful.

6 comments:

  1. Hi Nelly Mary

    I do this too with spinach. We love it in all sorts of dishes rather than as a vegetable on its own. I also like to do it with whatever other vegie or fruit I have in abundance.

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  2. I agree Anne, I can't see the point in letting it go to waste...better still, being able to have foods when they are out of season is such a blessing...and far cheaper than buying out of season foods at the shops. I love the photos of your tropical flowers on your blog....I bet it was a big day at SeaWorld with young children. Love your blog, keep up the good work.

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  3. Thank you for this idea, I have spinach growing in my garden now. Usually I just go and pick what I require.

    xTania

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  4. I love your mini bread pan. I need one of them or maybe two or three...tee hee!
    I absolutely love to keep things ready for use in the freezer. My only problem is not enough space. 4 freezers and I still need more.
    Melissa

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  5. Thanks Tania, I also do this with herbs when in abundance...it is especially handy when it is raining outside, a trip to the freezer is so much easier...lol

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  6. Melissa, I have two of those bread pans, I make cakes for the boys, as a 'grab n go' snack...Sounds you and I are soooooo much alike, its uncanny.....or canny? lol...hehe

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