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AllaN01Bear

(18,307 posts)
Fri Jan 20, 2023, 03:08 PM Jan 2023

i am on meals on wheels . sometimes meals on wheels gives way

too many veggies, at least for me.upon a suggestion from the director ,i freeze those veggies in a 1 gallon baggie in my freezer with intention to make a veggie soup. did that a while ago and have the soup in containers . i also have some in the refrigeerator for later eating.

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i am on meals on wheels . sometimes meals on wheels gives way (Original Post) AllaN01Bear Jan 2023 OP
Great idea! Diamond_Dog Jan 2023 #1
Sounds lovely. What do you use for broth? efhmc Jan 2023 #2
i get campbells veggie broth in a box. i cooked this in a full oval AllaN01Bear Jan 2023 #3
Great idea! SheltieLover Jan 2023 #4
I go to the food bank ... mntleo2 Jan 2023 #5
Such wonderful information. I wish it could be shared on DU more extensively. efhmc Jan 2023 #6
I am not sure where to post it... mntleo2 Jan 2023 #7

AllaN01Bear

(18,307 posts)
3. i get campbells veggie broth in a box. i cooked this in a full oval
Fri Jan 20, 2023, 03:41 PM
Jan 2023

slow cooker for 8 hours . the soup required 3 boxes.

mntleo2

(2,535 posts)
5. I go to the food bank ...
Fri Jan 20, 2023, 10:03 PM
Jan 2023

... another idea: I can and dehydrate stuff. You can can a lot of different things and dehydration is well worth the time. You can can or dehydrate corn ~ best taken off the cob. Dehydrated things stay good for a loooong time and canning stays good up to 18 months (and I use canned goods up to 2 years, but that's me).

Like the soups and sauces that I make to use the veggies. Such as spaghetti sauce, meats in broth.

I also can broth made from meats bones and just can the broth. I might flavor then broth with onions or other veggies, they are fine.

Don't throw away those chicken or ham scraps and bones! I freeze them while I gather the bones or use a big ham bone. Then I put them in a strainer and cook them in a pot of broth or water, adding whatever seasonings I like. The strainer is so the bones are collected to keep the little bones rounded up. This broth can be used to make beans, and soups ~ but any soup with veggies is good to can usually.

The only thing that you should never can or freeze is anything made with milk products. Those can be added when reheating such as clam broth with veggies such as potatoes, celery, that you can add cream or milk for chowder. Milk products just do not work.

Use pint jars and then use your big soup pan or whatever will cover them with about an inch of water over the tops of the 2 or three jars you made. You will need a jar grabber thingy, but then can them at least 20 minutes in boiling water. After taking them out of the water, wait to hear the lid pops or when you push down on the lids, then they are solid. Pint jars are for those who cannot use a whole quart of something or to can whatever food is left. Two pint jars for someone who feeds more than themselves works just fine.

Canning is not that complicated. You don't need to use huge canning pots, Although it helps to have them with larger canning project when you get a lot of fruit or whatever.

You can dehydrate almost anything, including veggies and fruits. Mushrooms, which do not freeze well are good to dry ~ but use the more expensive 'shrooms like shitakes, because the lesser expensive one (the white and brown ones) just do not have that much flavor after being dried. A Dehydrator is often less than $30 on Amazon ~ I found mine at the Goodwill store for 5 bucks!

This can also make lovely presents, with a pretty ribbon and perhaps a recipe to add other ingredients or a nice basket from the Goodwill store with some of your dehydrated veggies, spices and teas, which can keep for years. The second hand stores are cheap places to find jars and lids are not that expensive on Amazon.

Do some research about what grows wild in your area. Wild plants, and roots are something to dry or dehydrate for herbs to use for medicinal teas and cooking spices. My neighbors are very generous letting me pick their rose hips for tea, too many tomatoes, or fruits that fall on the ground. I make jellies and jam from them ~ and can them if necessary. I make a mean apricot jam and apple butter that I use to make holiday goodies and give away. To make friends and keep things good between us I always make sure to give my neighbors who let me raid their yards with whatever I produce.

Those of us need ways to preserve the food we get who use the food banks and meals on wheels because we often do not have big freezers or cannot eat it all before it goes bad. You can keep some of under your bed if necessary, but canned jars can look quite pretty on open shelves. Find inexpensive herb jars to put in that rosemary, mint or sage you dried.

This summer my church used some of their property to grow tomatoes, beans, and I cannot remember what else ~ it was a test to see how it would work. From the tomatoes alone (three plants) I canned almost 12 pints. Then we used them feed the homeless population in our community. We used a "keyhole garden" https://bit.ly/3J32ef4

I hope this is not too long winded, but I understand how it is to get delicious food that you cannot consume all at once. Plus if I can get all I want I just know I can do something lovely with them, not waste them. Take what you can use from this post and leave the rest. Hearts from Seattle!

Love, Cat in Seattle

mntleo2

(2,535 posts)
7. I am not sure where to post it...
Tue Jan 24, 2023, 04:35 PM
Jan 2023

Is it OK to post thing on other sites as well as this one? If so I will look around. I believe there is a poverty group on here, I will look for that to post if this is permissable.

Cat in Seattle .

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