Do you ever wish you knew how to bake bread and preserve your own food? You can do it! Start by doing a simple project first. . . when you have mastered that one, move on to the next project. That is how I gained my experience in baking and preserving food.
There are many more sourdough, canning, preserving, and butchering recipes in the spiral bound 600+ page Around the Family Table Cookbook All recipes are sugar-free and label with the correct fuel. We have added a few products to our blog store. More will be coming over the next months. Buy It Now. I will be blogging more food preserving recipes over the summer months. If you follow my blog, Facebook, and Instagram pages you will receive the notifications when a recipe posts.
Sourdough Baking!
Sourdough is very forgiving…the easiest to do is to purchase a mature starter. Here is a link to my blog store where you can purchase numerous items, including Sourdough Kits to begin your sourdough journey. Caring for your Starter will take you through step by step instructions on feeding the starter you receive from me. I also have a video showing how I feed my starter and what it should look like. If you would like to experiment you can make your own starter by following the day by day instructions on this blog….Making a Sourdough Starter.
Sourdough for Dummies is a blog post that will answer many questions that I have received about sourdough.
Your sourdough items may not look exactly like mine, but, remember, I was baking as a young girl and have 40+ years of experience. And some days my loaves can still look interesting!! My Bernese Mountain Dogs loved when I made flops as I was starting my sourdough journey! They would come running when I walked out on the deck with a loaf that didn’t get right.
I still do some crazy things ….. like putting this full jar of starter in my fridge one evening with a lid screwed on tight….check out what happened the next morning! Take note of the bulge in the lid….I knew I was in trouble when I saw that!
One of the easiest sourdough recipes to make is pancakes or waffles. I would start with this recipe if you are a beginner baker. My family loves these two recipes. Our 11 year old daughter often mixes and bakes the pancakes and waffles. She loves to use the Mini Dash Waffle Maker which makes round waffles. I will freeze pancakes and waffles so that we can toast them for a quick breakfast on days that we are in a hurry.
Sourdough Naan Bread are so delicious and they cook on a hot griddle or frying pan. These flatbreads are soft and chewy but so flavorful!
If sourdough bread ingredients are confusing to you…read this blog. It explains the ingredients used in baking bread with sourdough. Understanding Sourdough Bread!
When you have mastered feeding your starter and making pancakes…here is an easy to make sourdough bread! No-knead Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread has pictures, videos, and directions dealing each step of the process. All you need for utensils is measuring cups/spoons, a large stirring spoon, mixing bowl, and a cover pan to bake it. You can use a cast iron pot with a cookie sheet for a lid, a clay baker, covered roast pan, or Dutch Oven.
This video below shows you how the texture of the dough should be, how to do stretch and folds, shaping, slashing,and baking the loaf.
If there is nothing else I would bake beside Sourdough Pizza I would still keep a starter in my fridge. Sourdough Pizza is the best pizza! This is another easy to make recipe that everyone loves.
Preserving Food!
Freezing and canning food is so rewarding. You know exactly what you put in each item and it is so much better for you. Below are a few easy recipes for a beginner to start with.
My family loves frozen Peach Slush for lunches on hot summer days. This is one of the easiest ways to preserve fruit. I will freeze this in personal serving size containers. You can also add banana, pineapples, and grapes to this recipe.
Cold brining veggies is another way to preserve veggies in your refrigerator. Pickled Jalapenos is my favorite way of using fresh jalapenos. You will be surprised at how easy this recipe is. I just love the crunch of the jalapenos on a sandwich. These jalapenos keep for weeks in the fridge if you can keep from eating them before.
Another easy veggie to can is tomatoes. All you need is a sharp knife, citric acid, jars/lids, and a large kettle. This blog post will take you through step by step directions with detailed explanation on how to can Diced Tomatoes.
Who doesn’t like jam? This Triple Berry Jam is my favorite. This can either be canned or frozen. There is even a version for Strawberry jam listed with is recipe
Barbecue sauce is another easy to make item. You can use bought tomato sauce if you prefer. This Memphis Barbecue Sauce is sweet and tangy. My family loves it. I will often blend this sauce in my blender cup before serving. That makes it silky smooth like bought barbecue sauce.
Once you have successfully canned a few items….Baked Beans is a favorite of mine to can over the winter months. You do need a Pressure Canner to do dried beans. These Saucy Baked Beans taste to much like Bush Baked Beans. It is so handy to go to your food pantry and get a jar to heat for a meal.
There are many more canning and preserving recipes in the spiral bound 600+ page Around the Family Table Cookbook All recipes are sugar-free and label with the correct fuel. Books can be purchased using this link. PM me if you would like to receive a small jar of mature starter. You may also request a small jar of free sourdough starter with the purchase of a cookbook. Buy It Now.
Old Fashioned Sauerkraut is an easy way to preserve cabbage. All you use is cabbage and salt. I have found that the thinner you slice cabbage the better your kraut will be. I have had fermented cabbage in a covered weighted 5 gallon bucket for months and it was delicious when I finally got around to opening it.
So to you as a beginner…start with an easy item and conquer that. Then move on to the next project. If you do have questions..please ask and I will try and help you though your issue. I love to can and bake as you can tell.
