Drying food
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Burgoo is One Pot Glop, sort of a stew mess. Common "trail" food for the travelling fur traders, not something usually prepared back at the fur trading posts.
The Hudson's Bay Company Post Factors had to keep meticulous records. Every western fur trading post had a strict quota to prepare and supply their travelling agents.
For example, Rocky Mountain House prepared enough dried bison meat and fat that they made 44,000lbs of pemmican in 9 days.
Packaged in 90lb bison hide bags for travel. I can't imagine a more delectable evening repast for 30 nights in a row.
I've missed the Saskatoon crop again this year. Guess I'll have to suffer with apple pies this winter.
In theory, we've got at least 1/2 dozen species spread across western Canada.
Come and look at the Saskatoon bushes that I've transplanted into my own back yard.
At least 3 very distinctly different shaped shrubs and I prune nothing.
The Hudson's Bay Company Post Factors had to keep meticulous records. Every western fur trading post had a strict quota to prepare and supply their travelling agents.
For example, Rocky Mountain House prepared enough dried bison meat and fat that they made 44,000lbs of pemmican in 9 days.
Packaged in 90lb bison hide bags for travel. I can't imagine a more delectable evening repast for 30 nights in a row.
I've missed the Saskatoon crop again this year. Guess I'll have to suffer with apple pies this winter.
In theory, we've got at least 1/2 dozen species spread across western Canada.
Come and look at the Saskatoon bushes that I've transplanted into my own back yard.
At least 3 very distinctly different shaped shrubs and I prune nothing.
I feel quite the novice now with my yet to arrive electric dehydrator when in an old place with not much, they produced so much pemmican in so little time! That is the thing about those days. They just did everything with brutal hard work!
I've always been intrigued by things with unusual names. Saskatoon and sarsaparilla etc... Even when I find old UK recipes, they are equally fascinating like mock turtle soup and misers pie.
I've always been intrigued by things with unusual names. Saskatoon and sarsaparilla etc... Even when I find old UK recipes, they are equally fascinating like mock turtle soup and misers pie.
JamPan: you'll have a good time with the dehydrator. You'll pay attention to those late-day sales of fruit and veg, even meats, dry it up for storage.
Then some really crappy, cold, rainy, winter day with the wind howling off the North Sea, you get out a pot, make some stock and toss in your dried
veg by the handfuls for supper. I think I'd do a lot of chopping just for the sake of convenient size bits.
Bison is my basic red meat. On average, I've bought a side of a 2yr old every November or so for 15 years or more.
The ranch is on the other side of the village from my house. I confess that I have never got around to trying to dry
some for pemmican. I do know that bison fat is absolutley disgusting compared to cow fat. Maybe that's why.
Then some really crappy, cold, rainy, winter day with the wind howling off the North Sea, you get out a pot, make some stock and toss in your dried
veg by the handfuls for supper. I think I'd do a lot of chopping just for the sake of convenient size bits.
Bison is my basic red meat. On average, I've bought a side of a 2yr old every November or so for 15 years or more.
The ranch is on the other side of the village from my house. I confess that I have never got around to trying to dry
some for pemmican. I do know that bison fat is absolutley disgusting compared to cow fat. Maybe that's why.
One of my assistants brings me Saskatoon berry jam from her home in Saska......n.
Tasty, but those seeds are annoying.
I do not want to break a tooth as I do not trust any Dentist on this island with my precious gnashers!
Tasty, but those seeds are annoying.
I do not want to break a tooth as I do not trust any Dentist on this island with my precious gnashers!
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Yes. The City of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Good place to be from. I got a couple of degrees from USask in botany.
The seeds. It depends on the (sub?)species, also seems to depend on where you pick. Sask people like my local BC berries as the seeds are smaller.
There are cultivated varieties now that you can buy from landscaping houses. Berries like grapes and taste like cardboard.
Few people realize that with a shovel and a few boxes, you can dig up the wild bushes and bring them home to your own cave.
The jam: Last Mountain Berry Farm, perchance? Besides the fruit, they cook juice to 2X strong for more taste.
The seeds. It depends on the (sub?)species, also seems to depend on where you pick. Sask people like my local BC berries as the seeds are smaller.
There are cultivated varieties now that you can buy from landscaping houses. Berries like grapes and taste like cardboard.
Few people realize that with a shovel and a few boxes, you can dig up the wild bushes and bring them home to your own cave.
The jam: Last Mountain Berry Farm, perchance? Besides the fruit, they cook juice to 2X strong for more taste.
Hey Robson, sorry, my post should have said Shrooming (not chroming, dam auto correct, lol). Kilner factory was referring to the fact we have so many Kilner jars (the glass jars with a rubber seal and a lid held in place with a wire bail.
baggins: thanks. I have a few of those jars, they are rare birds here. Most everybody uses the very thin metal disk lids with a thin rubber seal band.
Basically use once and keep for non-sealing tasks or toss them. They make a very musical note when they go from convex to concave as the vacuum seal forms.
Shrooming. Don't pay attention to it here but the Pine Mushrooms are as good as gold.
My ancestors were sod-busting homestead pioneers in Sask in 1884.
My parents thought the better of that and escaped to eastern Canada.
Why we returned is still a puzzle.
We've dried everything else, why not some dry humor?
Basically use once and keep for non-sealing tasks or toss them. They make a very musical note when they go from convex to concave as the vacuum seal forms.
Shrooming. Don't pay attention to it here but the Pine Mushrooms are as good as gold.
My ancestors were sod-busting homestead pioneers in Sask in 1884.
My parents thought the better of that and escaped to eastern Canada.
Why we returned is still a puzzle.
We've dried everything else, why not some dry humor?
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I should mention that I tried to dry some quartered limes and mandarins (?) but they did not turn out well.
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It's surface area to volume. Some stuff dries better than others. I would have sliced the limes less than 1/4" at the very most.
I know. Tomatoes are slop. I've never dried any citrus = no reason.
Garden mussels (cultivated) are really cheap, even this far inland. I'll buy a kg or two.
Steam open, shuck and thread on a cotton string and into the dryer.
Marinade? Any ideas?
I know. Tomatoes are slop. I've never dried any citrus = no reason.
Garden mussels (cultivated) are really cheap, even this far inland. I'll buy a kg or two.
Steam open, shuck and thread on a cotton string and into the dryer.
Marinade? Any ideas?
So thanks to this thread I've now bought a dehydrator, thanks... I think
I've considered buying one for ages but went on ebay last night and there was one going cheap round the corner so I'm now sorted with one (but it's a little bigger than I expected...!_
I've considered buying one for ages but went on ebay last night and there was one going cheap round the corner so I'm now sorted with one (but it's a little bigger than I expected...!_
For storage of stuff like apple rings, Home Bargains are selling the huge clip seal jars for just over two quid just now. Those are Kilner jars too! I've no idea how they got hold of the Kilner stuff, but they had masses of it in their stores here. It's about a third of the price for the same jars in the Range and Sainsbury's.
Guess who stocked up ?
M
Guess who stocked up ?
M
Since joining this site I've spent a fortune on stuff! At least it keeps me out of trouble.
I'm curious, could you post a pic of your service berries, I have a few service trees(I think) but the berries are mostly seed.
The day that I picked the cherries, July 24, a flock of Waxwings flew in and gobbled up what was left of the Saskatoons!
The robins had been selecting just the ripest berries, the waxwings just suck everything down.
The berries, in fact, have exactly the same anatomy inside as an apple but larger seeds out of proportion to the fruit size.
Imagine, if you can, a purple apple, 1/2"/12mm and smaller.
Might get pictures of the bushes later today if the rain lets up.
I don't have a new image hosting site since Photobucket got greedy.
The robins had been selecting just the ripest berries, the waxwings just suck everything down.
The berries, in fact, have exactly the same anatomy inside as an apple but larger seeds out of proportion to the fruit size.
Imagine, if you can, a purple apple, 1/2"/12mm and smaller.
Might get pictures of the bushes later today if the rain lets up.
I don't have a new image hosting site since Photobucket got greedy.
The Saskatoon berries are a completely different fish from the Service tree.
The Service tree belongs to the Sorbus family
The Canuck berry to Amelanchier family
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(Had to look it up for you!)
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You have lead me astray yet again.
Just ordered one of the round cheapy ones off fleabag, £24 delivered.
Will start playing next week
Just ordered one of the round cheapy ones off fleabag, £24 delivered.
Will start playing next week
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