Photo: Great grandparents at their farm in Blandinsville, IL, with five of their six children .. my grandpa was yet a twinkle in grandma's eye. Stable boy and governess also pictured. Hodges farm, circa 1903-4

Thursday, June 18, 2009

The turnip greens are growing. I had to thin out this section of the garden. Soup's on! Today's fare included the wilted turnip greens and a few small turnips, thinly sliced ham, garden garlic. Can't get much fresher than that!
Last winter when time was plentiful, I froze and canned chicken stock ... and cooked white beans to freeze. These are handy items to have available for a quick batch of soup at lunch time.

To freeze cooked beans: Sort and wash your beans. Soak overnight. Discard the water and place the beans in a large pot. Add water to cover the beans by one inch. Add some diced ham if available (optional). Add a few pinches of salt and bring to a boil cooking until just barely tender. Let cool. Ladle beans and liquid into freezer jars 2/3's full to allow for expansion when frozen. Label the container and date. These will keep frozen in a deep freezer for at least six months. To thaw and use, just remove from the freezer a few hours ahead of time. I like to rinse the beans before adding to soups. If I'm short on containers, I've used plastic quart size freezer bags ... just squeeze out the air before freezing.

2 comments:

Stella Jones said...

I freeze chicken stock too and it is lovely in soups, isn't it. I've never frozen beans, but I expect they freeze really well, don't they. I like bean soup and stew, but it does have a way of reminding you about itself later on, doesn't it.
I like the design of your Blog and I enjoy reading it. Write on...
Blessings, Star

LynnS said...

Thank you for the info on freezing beans. I have never done this before, but will certainly make up a pot this week!

I also preserve my own chicken stock (as well as other stocks) because soup is a staple in our home.

I came to your blog via Rhonda's Down To Earth and surely identified with your comment on the simple living ideology. I think the majority of 'going green' is one of the latest fads in America. (Where were these folks 10 or 20 years ago?!)

Like you, I believe there is much about our economic recession that will force people to reassess what is truly important. With this cap-and-trade enormous tax that was just passed last night, I believe there will be many Americans who will not be able to pay the penalty taxes for this 'go green' movement.

I am enjoying your blog.
Lynn
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