Pickling Spices & the Nutrition of Yellow Squash

We like yellow, crook neck squash and grow it every summer. This year, even though I have pulled up four plants due to squash vine borers, we have an over abundance of squash. That's a good thing, until people close their doors and turn off their lights when they see you coming with yet another bag of squash to give away.

We have canned 31 pints of squash in water, along with 28 pints of squash relish. That will be more than enough for us until next summer. You can find our canning techniques for squash here and the recipe for the squash relish here. There are three differences in making squash relish this year. One, is that I used some of the peppers I dehydrated last summer, instead of fresh. I rehydrated them, then ran them through the grater with the squash and onions. Two, we put the relish in a water bath canner for 15 minutes, like we do other pickled items, which we did not do last year.

The other small difference is that I mixed up my own pickling spices. Not a very significant thing, but I got a big kick out of it. Simple, huh? Last year I found a recipe online, then ordered the individual spices in bulk from Monterey Bay Spice Company. Now, I can mix my own according to our tastes. Some of these items I will be able to grow and use my own, but things like cinnamon, cloves and allspice, I will not. Here is the recipe.

Pickling Spices

4 cinnamon sticks, well crumbled

1 - 1" piece dried gingerroot, well crumbled, or 1 tbsp. dried root pieces

2 tbsp. mustard seed

2 tsp. whole allspice berries

2 tbsp. whole black peppercorns

2 tsp. whole cloves

2 tsp. dill seeds

2 tsp. coriander seeds

8 bay leaves, crumbled medium

1 small dried hot pepper, chopped or crumbled fine, seeds and all

Isn't it pretty? I think so.

The nutritional content of squash surprised me. I figured it would be higher in starches, carbohydrates and calories. Of course, the way it is prepared, such as fried, will impact the caloric content, but overall, squash is a very nutritious vegetable. Here is the rundown. In one cup of raw yellow summer or zucchini squash you will find:

• Vitamins A, C, K
• Folate
• Choline
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Phosphorus
• Potassium
• Sodium
• Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids
• 2 g protein
• 4 g carbohydrates with include 2 g from sugars
• 20 calories

Most areas of the country can grow squash in some form or fashion. Unless you are overrun with squash bugs and vine borers, it can be quite prolific, as well, yielding many pounds of produce from one single plant. There are also many different kinds of winter squashes, that keep well without canning. We will be growing some Cushaw squash for our winter keepers and I will report on their nutritional value as well.

I am learning a lot from researching the nutritional values of the things we grow in the garden. It will help us to evaluate what we grow and determine what nutrients are missing and how we can include them. Let's face it, if brussell sprouts will provide something that is missing from your food intake, but they make you gag, it doesn't really matter, does it? Finding and growing food that will help sustain us in a healthy manner, is a great learning process. Remember, life is a journey. It is the journey we learn from, or not, the choice is ours.

Until next time - Fern

Squash Relish

We were introduced to squash relish a few years ago and have made a batch every summer since then. A lot of folks have said they like it with beans or crackers. We mix it with canned salmon, kind of like tuna salad, or have it with cheese, crackers and fruit for lunch. It is good, versatile and easy.

If you have plenty of squash this summer, this will give you another way to use it up. That will save the neighbors pulling the shades and refusing to answer the door when you come walking up with yet another bag of squash to give away.

Squash Relish 
16 medium squash 
4 medium onions
6 green peppers
4 jalapeno peppers
Even some of your 'too big' squash will work in this relish. The white ones are our mutant volunteers that came up this year.

Finely chop squash, onions and peppers (one gallon). Add 3 trays of ice cubes and leave for 3 hours.

That gives you time to take the green beans out of the canner, or work on your other projects.

At the end of three hours, drain the relish.

While it is draining, boil:

3 cups vinegar
1 tbsp. salt 
1 1/2 cups sugar
(the original recipe called
for 3 cups sugar)
2 tsp. pickling spices

I tie my pickling spices up in a piece of cheese cloth.

It's time yet again, to wash up more jars, rings and lids .

Frank's feet are tired. It's been a long day. We have already canned green beans, made cheese and frozen corn.




Bring the relish to a good boil, ladle it into hot jars, wipe the rims, put on lids and rings tightly, place under a heavy towel to cool slowly. Then listen for that wonderful pinging sound as they seal.

This batch made nine pints. It will do for this year. We still have a few jars from last year that we are finishing up. And we can't seem to be able to give any more away...............

Until next time - Fern

All In a Day's Work

We had a lot to get done today. So here it is. The day in review.

Milked the goats, fed the chickens and Pearl.

Fed the new kittens

 

The frig is running over with milk again, so I made Chevre. It doesn't require any attention. It can sit on the counter all day while I get other things done. This evening I will hang the curd and it will be ready in the morning.

 
Canned 14 pints of green beans

While the green beans were in the canner, we made squash relish. I will post that recipe later.

While Frank was grinding up the ingredients for the squash relish, I put the water on and washed the corn that needed to be frozen. We got the first batch boiling and it was time to take the green beans out of the pressure canner. Once we had everything chopped up for the relish, it has to sit for a while, so we could finish the other projects.We blanched and froze 3 1/2 gallon bags of corn.





Now, it's break time. The last time we were at the warehouse market, Frank picked up two cases of Snickers -  our favorite. You know you need to stock up on comfort food too, right? Well, when he was putting

them on the shelf they wouldn't stack right with the old box. Then he realized that the new box wasn't quite as large as the old box. So he got out a candy bar from each box and compared the size. The old candy bars net wt. was 2.07 oz. and the new candy bars are 1.86 oz. with a difference of .21 oz. That comes out to about five candy bars less per case of 48 bars. Frank feels slighted. But they cost the same so that means prices are not going up and we have no inflation, right? It's too bad sarcasm doesn't come across the same in print as it does when you can hear a person's voice.

After break time we still had to finish up the squash relish, cook and eat dinner, then feed the animals. It's all in a day's work. And it's a lot of work. Those of you that grow and preserve your own food know just how much it is. And I would bet you wouldn't trade it for anything, would you? Not even at the end of a long, tiring productive day.

Until next time - Fern