The Valley Preservery Archives • The Valley Preservery

Welcome!

New Podcast

I recently recorded a podcast for Canadian Food Focus.

CanadianFoodFocus link to the corresponding article: https://canadianfoodfocus.org/podcasts/podcast-what-are-the-best-practices-for-preserving-foodpodcast/

Create Your Own Group

If you have a group of friends, colleagues or family members who would to organize a custom designed workshop, email me at: preservingwithmartha@gmail.com Do you want to learn to can high or low acid foods? How about making sauerkraut or kimchi? Want to make holiday gifts of preserved foods? Learn to make fruit leathers for the kids. Whatever your interests, we will design a workshop that is hands-on, very informative, fun, and always seasonally relevant. We cover the science of food preservation, evidence-based methods and you go away with a list of authoritative resources, recipes, and the products you make.

Stay and Learn

Why not come for a couple of days and enjoy the area and combine the visit with a workshop on food preservation! Kimberley is in the heart of the Beaver Valley which is about 2 hours north of Toronto. It sits in the Niagara Escarpment and has a 300,000 year old history. There are many trail systems easily accessed, the Beaver River for kayaking, and lots of opportunity for skiing and snowshoeing. The Village has the lovely General Store and two very good restaurants. Any season, Kimberley is a super place to spend a couple of days or more. Sound appealing?

If you have an interest in visiting the Kimberley area to hike, bike, kayak, ski and enjoy the many wineries, cideries and restaurants, a class on canning, fermenting or food preservation in general can be arranged as part of your stay. To explore places to stay check out these links:

Next to the Kimberley General Store is the “Rock House” which is available for short stay rentals. Here’s the link:https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/6858022

The Jasper Stuart House: jasperstuarthouse.com

The June Motel: https://thejunemotel.com/pages/beaver-valley

Beaver Valley

Gardens

Giving Thanks to the Harvest

I stroll through my modest gardens as Thanksgiving approaches. I am grateful for the vegetables that continue to grace the garden and will make their way to my Thanksgiving table. We join many cultures around the world who give thanks to the harvest and to those who toiled to bring the harvest to fruition.

As much as I love turkey, this year, with only four of us, I am turning my sites to seared duck breast. The trick to great duck breast is scoring the fat, seasoning the breast, and starting it in a cold skillet. The cold allows the fat to gradually release. It takes about 15 minutes. Save the duck fat to roast potatoes later in the year. After all the fat has been released, remove the fat to a heat-proof container and place the skillet in a 350 oven for 10 – 12 minutes. Let the duck rest for 10 minutes and slice on the diagonal.

To accompany the duck, I am using a Cranberry-Port Conserve with Pecans and Raisins from Topp & Howard. It is a rich, tart-sweet condiment with the hint of Port in the background.

Cranberry-Port Conserve with Pecans & Raisins

4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (thawed if frozen)

¾ cup Port wine

½ cup finely chopped peeled orange

2 cups sugar

1/3 cup raisins

¼ cup chopped pecans (or other nuts)

Combine cranberries, sugar, and port in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil uncovered and cook until berries pop. Add orange and raisins. Return to a boil, reduce heat and boil uncovered for about 15 minutes until a gel is reached. Remove from heat and stir in nuts.

Ladle into hot jars and process in a water-bath or steam canner for 10 minutes. Rest for five minutes. Yield is 4 cups.

From the garden will be the first course of an arugula and beat salad. For vegetables, I am adding the last of my green beans with sauteed red peppers. I have beautiful leeks so I will make scalloped leeks with butter and cream. And, mashed sweet potatoes with brown butter and chopped sage, with crispy fried whole sage leaves as a compliment. My daughter-in-law is bringing an apple tart!

Giving thanks to the harvest, to friends and to our families who share this special time of year.

Happy Thanksgiving