For the Love of Lemon Balm

So sweet in the spring

Melissa officinalis aka: Lemon Balm is a wonderful and versatile member of the mint family.  I have it growing throughout the yard for it's beauty, hardiness and sweet lemon fragrance.  

Unlike most mints, lemon balm tends to form clumps rather than runners and so is much easier to contain than others.  However, if left to go to seed you may find starts all over your yard & garden.  To avoid this, simply cut it back when it blooms before seeds are produced.

Why add lemon balm to the garden?  

Lemon balm is a great addition to perennial borders, amongst your herb bed and even in the veggie patch.  One wonderful feature of this citrus scented herb is the way it attracts honey bees into the garden and every gardener knows, bees are the best pollinators.  Along with it being a lure of bitty buzzers, the shiny green foliage provides a nice frame for fancy flowers like dahlias and roses.

What can you do with lemon balm?

This special mint is known to be calming and soothing to the nerves as well as being full of antioxidants.

Tea Time

The most common use for it is as a tea.  Just add a large handful of fresh leaves in hot, but not quite boiling water.  Let it steep for several minutes then remove the leaves and sip away.  Add honey for a sweeter treat.

It's said that rubbing the leaves on exposed skin will help prevent mosquito bites although I haven't had a lot of luck with this, but it does make you smell lemony fresh!

Substitute lemon balm in any recipe calling for mint or lemon juice for a tangy flavor twist.  Mojitos made with lemon balm have a nice lemon/lime flavor. 

In the springtime pinch out some of the young tender leaves and add to a salad for a punch of flavor.

A bowl of lemony goodness and good for you too!

My absolute favorite use for lemon balm is a twist on my "world famous" fresh summer salsa!  Here's my recipe.....

Finely chop the following:

• 1 large tomato [or use 1-2 romas or a handful of sweet cherry toms]
• 1-3 fresh jalapenos peppers [remove seeds and veins]
• 1/2 of an onion
• 1 clove of fresh garlic [garlic in a jar it has an odd flavor in this dish]
• A handful of lemon balm leaves
• A handful of cilantro leaves
• Juice from 1 fresh lime 

Combine the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix well.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Allow to sit for at least an hour for flavors to meld.  There's one last item to really give the salsa a nice kick and a full bodied flavor.  My secret ingredient:

• 1 small can of El Pato tomato sauce with jalapeno

More recipes:

Here's some more lemon balm recipes I found for everything from cocktails to dessert to perfume....

   food

• Lemon Balm Schnapps
• Herbed Strawberry Wine
• Baked Salmon with Leeks & Lemon Balm
• Lemon Balm Asparagus
• Lemon Balm Vinegar
• Lemon Balm Cake

     

   beauty

• Lemon Balm Body Scrub 
• Eau De Cologne 
• Lemon Balm & Lavender Yogurt Cleanser  
• Lemon Balm Hair Rinse

   household

• Natural Lemon Balm Air Freshener 

What a fantastic addition to the home and garden.  Now you can see why I love Lemon Balm!

What am I gonna do with all these little green tomatoes?

Pickling is a great way to preserve your

green end of season tiny tomatoes

We've had torrential rains for the last few days.  October in the Pacific Northwest is the wet cold season and now that the rains have started, there's no telling when they'll end. 

I still have 3 large yellow pear tomato plants in the garden that are producing. All this heavy rain is causing them to split as they ripen.  So today I went down and filled my pockets with tiny green tomatoes for pickling.  Then I grabbed the pruners and harvested a handful of anise flowers and oregeno from my organic herb bed along with about 8 garlic cloves that didn't get planted earlier this week.

Yellow pear tomatoes are about 1/2 the size of cherry tomatoes

When fully ripened they are a bright yellow, but these green ones

will be better pickled

Organic Anise flower from the boat garden

Garden fresh organic oregeno from the herb beds

These garlics didn't make the cut for planting but they will

compliment the small tomatoes for pickles

Back in the kitchen, I washed all of my items and pulled out the canning equiptment again.  First thing was to sterilize 4 quart jars and start the water to boil in the canner. 

In a seperate pot I brought these ingredients to a boil for the brine:

     *1 1/2 Quarts of white venegar

     *1 Cup sugar

     *1/3 Cup sea salt

As the brine was heating  I placed a pinch of mustard seed, corriander, and a few black pepper corns along with a few sprigs from the fresh herbs in the bottom of each jar.

No need to measure, just add a pinch to each jar

 Next I drained the tomatoes and packed them raw into the jars and added 2 cloves of peeled garlic in each jar.

So pretty!  The tomatoes and garlic cloves are the same size

Once the brine was boiled, I removed it from the heat and poured the hot liquid over the  tomatoes and herbs.  I left 1/2" of head room in the top of each jar and then added the lids and rings.  These went into a hot water bath canner at a boil for 10 minutes. Next I pulled the jars out and set on a towel on the counter where they will cool.

Pickling tiny tomatoes is quick and easy

Once they're cool I'll remove the rings, label the jars and place in the cupboard for at least 1 month.  After brining for a month these will be delicious little pickles and would make a nice garnish for bloody mary's or compliment any relish tray.

Easy as pie! Canning apple pie filling

Seems like everywhere we go lately, we see trees covered in beautiful ripe apples. 
On our trip to town this week, we stopped by to visit our good friend Mark.  His apple tree was bursting with big juicy Gravensteins.  Mark had eaten a few apples off the tree but was content to give the rest to the birds and the squirrels. 



We had just purchased some nice red delicious to make a pie and thought the Gravensteins would be a nice compliment in flavor.  So before it all went to the wildlife, we grabbed a bag, filled it with fresh picked apples, then headed home with visions of hot apple pie.


On our way back to the island, we realized this was a lot more apples then we would need for one pie!  Why not whip up a batch of homemade apple pie filling and have organic and delicious apple pies throughout the year! So we pulled our canning equiptment back out and got to work.

To make our homemade canned apple pie filling you will need:

• 6 Sterilized wide mouth quart jars
• Apples - any variety.  We like to mix them to make a more flavorful pie.  Peeled cored and cut.  Enough to fill 6 quart jars
• 5 1/2 Cups Sugar
• 1 Cups Cornstarch
• 1-2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg.
• 1-2 Tablespoons cinnamon
• 1/2-1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 10 Cups water
• 3 Tablespoons lemon juice

1. Combine dry ingredients in a large pot.  Add water and lemon juice.  Heat to a slow boil, stirring constantly, until mixture thikens.  Remove from heat.
2. Fill bottom inch of sterilized jars with thickened mixture
3. Wash, peel, core and chop apples filling jars with apples as you go
4. Pour thickened mixture over apples to fill jars.  Be sure to leave 1/4-1/2" head room for processing.  Use a knife to remove airbubbles in the jar
5. Wipe jar rims clean
6. Place caps and rings on jars.  Be sure not to over tighten rings
7. Process jars in a hot water bath canner for 25 minutes
8. Remove hot jars onto a towel on counter
9. Allow to cool overnight. Remove rings and label your jars

Recipe variations:

• You can leave out any of the spices that you don't like. 
• You can add 1 teaspoon of salt to the recipe, but I prefer them sodium free.
• You can use pre ground nutmeg.  If you find whole nutmeg too expensive, check at your local mexican market.  I buy my whole nutmegs in a package of 4 for less that $1 at our tienda
• Try adding pears along with the apples for a mixed fruit pie

To make your pie: Use your favorite pie crust recipe or frozen crusts. Fill with your homemade pie filling and bake for about an hour at 375 degrees. Allow pie to cool for 2- 3 hours before serving. You may also use this filling in empenadas, turnovers and other filled pasteries. Or warm and serve over icecream or yogurt.

Ben prepping for our apple project:

  

Ears to you and other corniness

This morning we got up and got right to work to finish our corn freezing project.  Ben started cutting up bags to use in the Foodsaver vacuum packer.

We tried using our handy corn kernel device, but it broke on the first try.  Some kitchen gadgets just aren't worth their cost. So I went back to the "old fashioned" way.  With a sharp knife in hand, I started cutting the kernels off the corn ears.

It was a bit of work, but worth the effort.  Box after box came out of the fridge and I sliced away.

After about another hour and a half of cutting, I'd hit the end of the corn.  Boy, 90 ears of corn is a lot when it's all cut up too!  I filled the large restaurant pan and small canner with kernels.

Ben worked on the packaging end.  After he made all the bags for vac-packing, he filled them with a little over 1cup each.  We figured that was about perfect size for the 2 of us.  Each bag was double sealed on both ends.  That way just in case 1 seal failed we still would keep our corn fresh frozen and delicious!

The vac-packed bags built up quick and then went right into the freezer.

Here's the cobs that we had at the end of the process.  As usual, we found a good way to reuse them.  They're going to our friends farm to feed his cows on the bit of corn that's left in the cobs! 

I admitt that this project of preserving corn for the freezer took a bit more work than what I anticipated.  I still think it will be worth it though!  Now we'll be having sweet summer fresh tasting corn throughout the winter.  I'm even planning on making some for Thanksgiving dinner.

Afterthought:

I heard tonight could be our first frost of the season, so ran out this morning and cut my dahlias that were in bloom.  Now whether the forcast is right or wrong we can have beautiful cut flowers for 2 weeks.

Fresh local apples and adventures in canning

Wonder how canning your own produce qualifies as a green lifestyle activity?  Well let me see if I can explain my take on that.

First off, did you know those cans of food that you buy at the local grocer are not just harmless tin cans?  In my battle to live a more plastic free life, I began buying a lot of canned foods rather than getting those that are packaged in plastic "jars".  I really thought I was doing a good thing for my family and for the environment.  Well I learned something that made me take a second look at that idea.  Did you know that most food cans are lined on the inside with a plastic?  Take a look next time you open that can of tomato paste or refried beans.  You'll notice that the inside of that can is white and if you run your fingernail over it, you can scrape up some of this plastic lining!  The problem is that if I can scrape that lining off with my fingernail, how much of that plastic and those hormone displacing chemicals are leaching into the food even before I open the can.

This really got me thinking how beneficial it can be to preserve my own food as often as I can.  The great thing with canning is it's a low investment to buy your supplies, like jars and canning bather.  Once purchased you can reuse those items again and again for years to come!

The other thing that makes canning a green activity, is that when you can local food, you can buy organic in season produce at a relatively low cost.  Or you may even be able to grow your own with a little bit of ground breaking.  Organic foods use no pesticides which means not only are they better for your health, but they're also better for the environment!  Pesticides leach into ground water and wind up harming aquatic life and can even affect the egg strength in nesting birds.  Imagine what they're doing inside our own bodies!

*****Christi steps down from soap box*****

Ok so here's another project that I did while having my technological crisis.  I canned applesauce! 

As luck would have it, we have some good friends here on the island, Victoria and Barry, had a bumper crop of apples this year. They offered us some pickings off their 2 trees.  Ben and I went over last week and picked 3 boxes of apples. 

So making applesauce is really simple. 

Step1:  First you'll want to wash your fruit.  Then pare, core and slice the apples into a large pot.  Victoria loaned me her handy 3 in 1 tool that saved me lots of time as it cores, cuts and peels with just the turn of a handle.

Step 2:  Add a small amount of water to your pot of chopped apples.  I use just enough to cover the bottom of the pot.  This helps to keep the apples from scorching durring the start of heating.  The rest of the liquid will come from the apples themselves as the juices stew out.

Step 3: Place covered pot on medium low to medium heat and begin to warm the apples.  Once the pot begins to steam, stir and reduce to a low heat.

Step 4:  Add sweetner and spices.  I like to add a bit of sugar to this sauce because the apples I was working with were a sweet/tart variety *I think they are gravensteins, but not positive*  For my recipe I added 2 1/2 C of sugar to a large pot of warm apples plus a couple teaspoons of cinnamon and some fresh grated nutmeg

Step 5:  Mix, Cover and simmer on low heat for about 2 hours or until apples are sauced.  The longer you simmer your apples the darker your sauce will become.

Step 6:  While your apples are stewing it's a good time to take your peels and cores out to the compost bin.  Then you'll want to prepare your jars and lids for canning.  When canning always check your jar rims for dings, dents and cracks.  If you find any place the damaged jars in your recycling.  Sterilize your good jars, lids and rings in boiling water:

 

Step 7: When your applesauce has finished stewing you're ready to begin filling your jars for canning. Leave about 1/4 to 1/2" of headroom in your jar to allow for expansion during the hot water bath.  Wipe rim of jar clean of any apple sauce.  Top with lid and then tighten ring by hand.

This is my finished applesauce.  Note the deep caramel color.  This was simmered on low for 4 hours.

Step 8:  Place lidded jars into hot water bath canner.  Return water to a boil and then begin timing.  Applesauce should stay in the hotwater bath for 15 minutes.

Step 9:  Remove jars from hot water bath and place on a towel. 

Step 10:  Allow to cool overnight.  Label jars and store in a cool dark place such as a kitchen cabinet, basement storage area or root cellar.

Follow up:  Be sure to save out some of your fresh picked apples for snacking.  There's nothing like an apple picked right from a local tree.  Yummy!  Also, I save out some applesauce for immediate eating.   Here are some of my favorite ways to use applesauce:  use it as filling in pasteries, spoon warm over icecream or yogurt, bake over porkchops or just eat it as is.  And don't forget your friends!  Homemade canned goods make lovely gifts!

Vinegar..... The miracle GREEN product in your cupboard!

Orignal posting:
Tuesday, July 14, 2009


From smog in the air we breathe, to BPA in our bottled drinking water, our modern world seems to be bombarding us with toxins. One small step we can take in our homes is to replace many of the household chemicals we use and replace them with eco-friendly and non-toxic substitutes. Vinegar is one of the best!

Here's a short list of uses for good old fashioned distilled white vinegar.

Weeds plaguing your yard or driveway? Instead of Round-up or some other harsh weed killer try using full strength vinegar. This tried and tested method to kill unwanted plants and weeds really works. Be sure to be careful not to spill on plants that you love. The natural high acid content in the vinegar will cause the plant to die. This may take a repeat application if after 1 week you see new growth, but it does work!
Need a little more time on a winter morning? Instead of scraping the ice from your windshield in the a.m. try this. At night coat the outside of your car windows with a solution of 3 parts venegar and 1 part water. You'll be thrilled when you gain time for an extra cup of coffee before heading out to work.

Chrome looking dull? Don't waste your hard earned money to buy fancy chrome sprays that may be harmful to the environment,. Instead simply douse a soft cloth in full strength vinegar and rub on your chrome. Shiny, clean and eco-friendly!

Your organic lettuce hard to clean? Add a drop or 2 to rinse water and any bugs that hitchhiked in on your harvest will float out in the rinse.

Eggs cracking when you boil them? Add 2 Tablespoons of vinegar to the water and this will prevent the cracking.

Extra greasy dishes? Add a Tablespoon of vinegar to hot soapy dish water and it will cut through the grease easily and eliminate odors too!

Don't do windows? You'll change your mind when using this amazing cleanser. Simply combine 1/4 Cup of vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon of dishsoap and 2 Cups of water in a spray bottle. Windows clean to a streak free shine with ease.

Looking for a good GREEN all purpose cleaner? Easy. mix equal parts of water and vinegar. This cleanser is great for kitchen and bath and causes no harm to the environment.

So take that small step and replace some of your household chemicals with vinegar solutions. You'll save money, your health and best of all you'll be saving the planet!

Remember when we all do our small part, we can change the big picture!