(Kinda) Historic Recipe: Dried Apple Skins

While processing all those pounds of pears and apples last week (after a fresh fruit dry spell) it seemed a shame to not get everything we could out of the produce. The cores, unfortunately, don't have much purpose unless you're making apple/pear sauce and/or feeding the pigs. We did neither. The peels, however, have possibility - especially since the apple magic makes such nice, even strips of peel with a little fruit on them to boot.

Determined to not let this resource be wasted, I took a pile of peels, drizzled an ever-so-tiny amount of oil on them and dusted them with cinnamon and sugar. I then tossed them in a bowl to coat evenly.

To dry the peels (or anything, for that matter) you can use either an oven or an electric dehydrator. I used both last week and liked the results from the dehydrator better, so I'll pass along those instructions.

Distribute the peels in single layers on dehydrator trays, being sure to not overlap the pieces too frequently. Set the temperature to 135 degrees and let the dehydrator run for five hours or so (time will depend on how much moisture is present in the peels).

When the skins are done they will be crispy like apple chips!

Most electric ovens will only go as low as 175 degrees, so if you use the oven watch the peels carefully so that they don't burn.

Trial and error last week also informed me that apple skins produce a much better product with this method. The girls did not like the pear skins, which were chewier after dehydration.

Time permitting, we might make some applesauce next week and put all the apple to good use. We love applesauce but it is not allowed on UK rations and on US rations it basically costs one blue/green ration point per once. With only 48 blue/green points per week it's quite a luxury!

--Rational Mama

(Kinda) Historic Recipe: Pear Butter

So...what do you do when you have nearly 70 pounds of pears (and some apples)? The first (and easiest) thing we do to extend the harvest is make pear butter.

Now, I'll be honest and tell you right up front that I use my crock pot (slow cooker, for those across the pond). That is a bit anachronistic but serves the same purpose as simmering gently on the stove top for all those hours. Believe me, it is best that I not have something simmering on the stove top for long...I tend to be forgetful and have been known to set timers so that I don't burn or over-boil dinner. I get distracted very easily, as I am usually multitasking (not well, apparently) and do not gauge my time correctly. During one incident (prior to rationing) I was steam-microwaving some green beans and become in some web-based entertainment. Unfortunately, the 14 year old microwave didn't turn itself off after seven minutes but just kept cooking and cooking and cooking. After a total of about 22 minutes I realized what was going on and unplugged the darn thing. The microwave never smelled the same way again.

All this to say: yes, I use my crock pot.

Making pear (or apple) butter is quite simple. First wash, peel and core 5 1/2 to 6 pounds of fruit. This is made easier at the Rational Living household with one of these:

It is a period-appropriate apple peeler/corer/slicer thingy. For lack of a better name it is called Apple Magic in our household - and magic it is (the girls love to operate this thing and many hands make light work). Simply wedge the bottom of the fruit onto the three-prong base and turn the handle. The fruit moves toward the peeling apparatus and on to the coring blade. What you're left with is a coiled, peel-less piece of fruit.

Soak the fruit in lemon water to prevent browning.

Once all your fruit is peeled and cored, chop the fruit into dime-sized pieces. Cuisinarts are a great non-1940s way to accomplish this task quite quickly. Just sayin'.

Combine the chopped fruit with three cups sugar, one tablespoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspon ground cloves and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

If you're using the stove top method the mixture should be brought to a boil in a large pot, then simmer gently for 10 or so hours.

If you're using the crock pot then add the mixture to the pot and cook on low for 10 to 12 hours. It helps if the lid is tilted slightly to allow extra moisture to escape. I like to start this in the evening before I go to bed and then it's magically done before I go to to work the next day.

Cooking times will vary depending on the moisture content of the fruit.

Once your butter is...butter...you can either place it into small containers and freeze it or process half-pints by water bath method (1/2 inch head space, 10 minutes).

Yum!

--Rational Mama

Take That, Rationing!

I just did a kung-fu roundhouse kick to the rationing chart. KA-POW!

Okay, maybe that's more figurative than literal...

But, I MADE KETCHUP (or, actually, catsup since that's how the recipe was labeled).

Ketchup is ridanculously expensive as far as ration points go (so expensive I had to use an imaginary word). One 14 oz bottle of ketchup will set you back more than one person's weekly allowance of blue/green points.

But having kids in the house means ketchup is a required condiment. They tell me, after all, that one can't possible eat hot dogs, hamburgers, french fries, onion rings, chicken strips and such without ketchup - to do otherwise would being considered abusive.

So ketchup we must have.

Using peeled, cored and pureed Roma tomatoes grown in our Victory Gardens (little hands are great peelers), I followed this recipe (adapted from the canonical Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving).

1. Combine 2 quarts pureed tomatoes, 1/2 cup sugar and 1 1/3 cups vinegar in a large sauce pot.
2. Add a spice bag containing 2 TB whole allspice, 2 sticks of cinnamon and 1 tsp whole cloves.
3. Add 1 1/2 tsp paprika (I used Hungarian), 1 tsp dry mustard, 1 tsp salt and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
4. Cook slowly until thick, stirring frequently.
5. When desired thickness is reached (took about an hour for me), ladle hot ketchup into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space.
6. Add caps and rings and process in water bath for 15 minutes.

The recipe said it would make 2 pints and that held true, although I used some half-pints for shelf-life considerations once individual jars have been opened. In all, I think this adds up to about 35 or 40 points worth of ketchup. Not too shabby.

The final product is nice and thick, although a bit sweeter than I expected - I think I'll reduce the amount of sugar in any future batches. The girls both like it, although Sissy remarked that it was more of a hot dog ketchup rather than a dipping ketchup. Whatever that means. TMOTH said it was a very tomato-y ketchup, which I believe was a compliment.

I think I'll try to make at least one more batch before the end of summer. Combined with what we already have in the fridge that should give us more than enough to make it through the winter.

--Rational Mama

Mommy Pickles

Pickles weren't rationed during WWII, so why-oh-why do I find myself canning homemade bread and butter pickles?

Same reasons every year:

I like the aesthetics...

I like the control over ingredients...

And I like that the girls say "mommy pickles" are their favorite pickles.

Do you have a favorite pickle?

--Rational Mama

Pesto-bilities

Making pesto is a summer tradition here at Rational Living since, 1) I always seem to plant too much basil, 2) We love pesto, and 3) Pesto freezes well so you can stock-pile a supply for future use.

This past weekend we made two batches of pesto for the freezer. Here’s the recipe we use:

Ingredients
2 packed cups fresh basil leaves
½ to ¾ cup olive oil
¾ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic
1 TB chopped walnuts*
Salt and pepper, to taste

*Yes, I know pine nuts are traditional in pesto but they are just too expensive for the copious amount of pesto we make. Plus, the walnuts add a nice supply of Omega-3 fatty acids.

1. Make sure your basil leaves are clean (we use a salad spinner for this).
2. Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender.
3. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.

Next we put tablespoonfuls of pesto into the individual compartments of ice cube trays. Typically, one batch of pesto fills one tray. By freezing the pesto into cubes you can then store the cubes in a zipper-style freezer bag and easily grab whatever amount is needed.

So what do we do with the pesto once thawed? Besides the traditional pasta topper, we’ve been known to:

• Add it to marinara sauce for a kick.
• Combine with cream for a different take on Alfredo sauce.
• Use it as a marinade for chicken and fish.
• Mix in with ground beef/buffalo for a moist/flavorful burger.
• Add a few cubes to a traditional potato soup.
• Use on pizza instead of marinara sauce.
• Spread on a sandwich in place of mayonnaise.
• Combine with cream cheese for a tasty cracker and vegetable dip.

Do you have any creative ways that you use pesto?

--Rational Mama

Can You Handle the Pressure?

By the 1930s canned goods were so readily available that they were regularly showing up as ingredients in cookbooks. With the emphasis on Victory Gardens and canned goods requiring lots of blue/green ration points there was a whole lotta canning going on during WWII.

At the start of the War 64% of American women canned. In 1943, the peak civilian canning year in the U.S., 75% of American women canned. Of that 11% increase, 8% said they had never canned before the war. While that statistic seems small, it actually represents thousands of women who had to learn the art and science of canning.

Community canning centers were created in larger urban areas and the Office of Civilian Defense and other civic organizations held canning demonstrations and classes to teach those inexperienced women how to properly can produce to maximum nutrition while preventing spoilage. It worked. During WWII the average canning woman had 165 jars of self-preserved food in their larder, half of it representing produce grown by the family.

The following delicious excerpt from an article in the April 22, 1943 Topeka Daily Capitol reports details from one so-called "Canning School."

CANNING SCHOOL A SERIOUS AFFAIR

Bridge Table Chatter Lacking

There was a noticeable lack of light chatter and the bridge table attitude among attendants at the United Victory Canning School in the Municipal Auditorium Wednesday afternoon. Heretofore, an occasion for much sociability and gossip, the school in wartime was transformed into a serious study time.

The women who attended know well the importance of the food crisis which they as housewives must face for the duration. And they were there to learn - to learn food conservation, wartime recipes, how to prepare edibles with the least amount of waste, and the methods of canning whereby they might be sure jar after jar of vegetables and meats would not spoil before used.

Took Notes

Women leaned forward in their chairs to hear the tips and instructions auburn-haired Miss Zella Hal Weyant told them over a public address system.Many carried small paper pads and took notes on her lecture. With deft movements, Miss Weyant, home economist for the Kerr Glass Manufacturing Company, canned fruits, vegetables, meats and poultry in a pressure cooker.

In addition to the cooker method Miss Weyant explained the older method of cold packing now usually termed the hot water bath type of canning. All phases of canning were brought out and will be repeated in today's canning session.

Not a Style Show

Contrary to usual belief so near Easter Sunday, the meeting was not a veritable style show. True, there were well-dressed matrons in attendance - as well as housewives with victory shopping bags over their arms. The conversation during intermission however, ran to Victory gardens and defense on the home front rather than spring hats.

Present was a crowd of approximately 1,100, including not only wives and mothers, but 4-H clubs, businesswomen, junior high school students, and members of Washburn [University] and high school home economics classes. One instructor brought with her a group of ninety-five young homemakers. The crowd was dotted throughout with men and boys.

...Homer Cunningham, genial WIBW radio announcer, was mater of ceremonies during the distribution of the gifts. Fifteen baskets of [donated] foodstuffs, glass fruit jars, canned milk, plants, cereals, salt bread macaroni, floor wax and cloths, yeast, syrup and a set of glasses and pitcher were amount the practical articles given away.

Under the auspices of the Office of Civilian Defense and American Red Cross nutrition executive committee, the school will continue promptly at 1:30 o'clock today in the arena of the auditorium, doors of which will be open at noon.

Miss Weyent is assisted by Miss Elizabeth Lillibridge, home economist of the Gas Service Company.

I love this article for so many reasons. I love how its emphasis on housewives and matrons marginalizes working women. After all, the canning schools mentioned in the article were being held during the work week. The truth is is that many women could not afford either the time or money to can up their own produce. New canning supplies were hard to come by during the War and community canning centers were underutilized.

I also love the somewhat salacious writing: "Women leaned forward in their chairs to hear the tips and instructions of auburn-haired Miss Zella Hale Weyent told them over a public address system." And the serious tone of the conversation on Victory Gardening and NOT spring hats! Intrigue! It almost sounds like a dime-store mystery novel...

"Well, shucks," mumbled the town's one and only police officer, Lieutenant Jones. "Miss Zella," he confided in his raspy drawl, "We need your help. The town pharmacist, Mr. King, has just been found belly up at the soda fountain. It looks like foul play and you're the best detective this town has, for better or for worse. Can you help us?"

Miss Zella paused for a moment, thinking about the peaches she planned to preserve that afternoon. The peaches would have to wait, even if it meant the preserves would be less than perfect. Some things are less than perfect, the auburn-haired Miss Zella told herself - including murder. And with that thought she placed her spring hat on her head with a defined precision and headed towards Sweet Sips, the town soda fountain on Main Street...

Sorry about that, I got carried away.

Anyhoo...here at Rational Living canning is, of course, serious business. We first tackled water bath canning about 12 years ago, and this year there will be plenty of goodies from that method: pickles, jams, beets, and salsa.

But, just like homefront do-gooders we're expanding into pressure canning, thanks to a very generous donation of a pressure canner from a Rational Living friend and reader. Using a pressure canner allows one to preserve non-acidic/non-sugared/non-pickled items, like green beans, meats, and soups. I'm definitely going to get TMOTH's help on this one, since I have a sincere phobia of unintentionally making something explode (chemistry lab was never any fun for me). I think our first try will be with green beans.

So what are your canning plans? Have you ever canned before?

--Rational Mama

Jammin'

How often do you eat jam or jelly?

If you have kids in the house (or at least a kid at heart) the answer is probably "pretty often." In the Rational Living household the girls eat some form of peanut butter sandwiches nearly every day - by choice, I might add. It could be PB&H(oney) or PB&J(am) but either way they are a house favorite.

During WWII jams and jellies were rationed under the blue/green point system, with the exception of citrus-based marmalades. Typically ranging from 14 to 16 points per 16oz jar, a daily PB&J habit for a family with multiple children could quickly eat away over one-third of a household's blue/green point allotment.

Lucky for us, last summer I canned several jars of cherry and peach jam (I also put up some jalapeno jelly but for some reason it isn't considered PB&J material). At the time we didn't know we would be rationing within a few months (how historically accurate of us) so this surplus has been a lucky break. And so this year I'm determined to again can several batches of jam/jellies to get us through the remaining rationing period.

Since you need either fresh or frozen fruit to make jam we are very limited in what options will be available, but this week locally-grown strawberries began flooding the farmer's market. Let the jammin' begin!

This weekend I made the first batch of the season: strawberry-ginger jam. Unusual combination? Yes. Heavenly? Most definitely. I won't go into the nitty-gritty of how to can (there are plenty of websites, such as Moo Said the Mama, which offer great tutorials on the basics of canning), but I will share the super-simple recipe I used.

Ingredients:
4 lbs fresh strawberries
3 cups sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 heaping tsp ginger powder

Directions:

• Remove the green tops of strawberries and crush enough strawberries so that you have 4 cups full.
• Combine strawberries, sugar, lemon juice and ginger in a large, heavy pot and stir over medium-low heat.
• Once the sugar is dissolved turn the heat up to high, stir frequently and bring mixture to a rolling boil.
• Keep at a rolling boil for 10-12 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Ladle strawberry jam into hot, sterilized canning jars.
• Wipe rims and add lids/rings.
• Process with boiling-water method for 15 minutes.
• Carefully remove jars and place on cabinet - leave undisturbed for 24-48 hours until seals have set.

Don't forget to find a volunteer to help you clean out the pot!
This recipe made four and a half jelly jars and doesn't use any additional pectin, so it is a very manageable canning project for the beginner. It's absolutely delicious and I plan to make at least one more batch while local strawberries are still available.

Oh, and if you like to think (and eat) outside of the box...microwave a portion of the jam in the microwave for 20 seconds and pour it over all-natural vanilla ice cream. Pure joy!

--Rational Mama