Sourdough Starter + Other Kitchen Things

The two-month shots sort of took us for a loop this week -- sorry for the quiet! I had planned to share a couple recipes, but I'll only manage to start the discussion on sourdough bread. I love baking bread. Specifically, sourdough. But keeping my starter alive has been difficult for me for whatever reason. I get really into it, and then my interest wanes in the warmer weather. I'm sure some of you out there can relate.

So, I decided to get another one going before autumn using the super simple instructions over at The Kitchn. No grapes, no yeast, no voodoo. Just flour, water, and patience.

Oh, yeah . . .

A photo posted by A S H L E Y // neverhomemaker (@neverhomemaker) on Aug 17, 2016 at 6:24am PDT

And just like that . . . after only five days . . . she was fed and ready! The first recipe I decided to make was my favorite bread of all time. Do you guys remember this beautiful sourdough loaf from a few years back? I sure do. It was the first time I successfully made bread that was bakery quality.

Like so:


And then I started Googling and discovered that there's way more you can make with starter than I even imagined. Go check out this recipe for Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies! They're sweet with a hint of tang and a great texture. I want to try these Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls next with an orange glaze.

While we're on the topic of fermenting, we have a few other things going on in the kitchen as well. Stephen just made his first batch of pickles for the season. We have three gigantic jars of these guys in the fridge just waiting to be gobbled up.

A photo posted by A S H L E Y // neverhomemaker (@neverhomemaker) on Aug 19, 2016 at 7:05am PDT

He uses the recipe in Put 'Em Up, if anyone is wondering. That's a great book, and it basically lives in our kitchen in August when the harvest is plentiful. Other preservation books we like include Food in Jars, Preserving by the Pint, and Naturally Sweet Food in Jars (all the same author).

A photo posted by A S H L E Y // neverhomemaker (@neverhomemaker) on Aug 19, 2016 at 7:02am PDT

Stephen also made another batch of kombucha, which he says he'll write about for me another day. ( (Do you remember my epic fail when I tried several years ago?) He is relatively new at it (only a year or so), but he's getting on point with flavors. My favorite this time around was a cucumber basil variety he made by juicing some of our CSA produce. Very refreshing.

That's what's going on in our kitchen this week. I hope to get a delicious slow cooker recipe to you early next week (YES! It's hot, but slow cooking season is upon us!).

HAPPY FRIDAY!

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Blueberry Jam, Canned

In case you didn't already read -- we went blueberry picking this weekend! It was sort of a spur-of-the-moment decision because we were up early and looking for ways to take the cranky out of a toddler. The fresh air did the trick. We had so much fun, in fact, that we returned home with 14 cups of blueberries.

Far more than I needed to embark on my first canning adventure.

Since I'm no expert, I'm not offering a recipe today. I followed the "Classic Blueberry Jam" recipe + hot water method instructions in one of our favorite books: Put 'Em Up!: A Comprehensive Home Preserving Guide for the Creative Cook. I can't recommend this book enough. I've seen a few similar titles I'd like to check out, too, so I'll be sure to round out reviewing other modern books on preservation sometime soon.

Anyway, taking the leaves an stems out and cleaning the fruit was tedious. Probably my least favorite part. I enlisted Stephen to finish the rest of the cups of blueberries beyond the eight I needed. I wish there was some sort of magic de-stemming machine. Wouldn't that be grand?


Here's where I made my first mistake. I immediately jumped in and made my jam recipe. It didn't take much more than heating the blueberries, some sugar, and lemon juice on the stove and bringing it to a gel state. The issue? It says several times in the book to get the water in the canning pot going first because it will take a while to bring to a boil.

Oops!


I don't know how I missed these instructions because -- I must have read the canning stuff point by point probably 50 times. It ended up be OK, I just reheated the jam a few times until the canning pot was finally boiling. I never knew that you had to fill the entire pot with glass jars, but it became very apparent to me when I would move one and the rest would float + topple!

While I waited, I laid out all my tools in the exact order the author instructs. I've always been horribly intimidated by the process, so I didn't want any surprises. Since we're short on counter space, I used a TV tray (not pictured) to place down the pot lid, a couple towels, and a pot holder when I wasn't using them.


Here's what I used:

• Canning Pot w/ Rack
• Ball 8-ounce Jelly Jars
• Canning Utensil Set (came with jar funnel + lifter, lid lifter, bubble remover)
• Silicone Ladle
• The small bowl from this mixing bowl set
• Tea towels, lots of them

I don't have photos from the process because I was furiously trying to do everything the "right" way. In the end, I did lose one jar of jam because it tipped over when I was taking it out of the pot. But shortly after taking out these three others, I hear that glorious "POP!" sound of them sealing shut.

This is all a long way of saying if you've been meaning to learn how to can (and many of you have told me you want to), just do it! I was scared or intimidated for years and it really wasn't all that terrible!

What should I can next?!

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Red Curry Kimchi

Every year I say I'm going to learn more about preserving foods. Then the peak season comes and goes, some of our produce ultimately spoils, and -- in the end -- I've only frozen a couple things and made a few rockin' batches of homemade applesauce. Not this year. I'm trying to be more intentional in everything I do, food included.

Our garden is bursting with pak choy of all things. For me, it falls flat in stir-fries. So, we decided to do something fun and, at least for us, educational. Just as with Stephen's annual pickles, this recipe came (in part) from Put 'Em Up!: A Comprehensive Home Preserving Guide for the Creative Cook.

For the rest, I sampled some methods from an article I found on The Kitchn. Oh, and since we were missing most everything for the spice paste, I reached deep into the refrigerator to grab a heaping tablespoon of leftover red curry paste. Some garden-grown chives to replace scallions, too. We still have several more days till it's "done" and ready for consumption, but already this red curry kimchi smells incredible.

Reading and learning more about preserving foods and all the different methods for doing so has unlocked this whole new appreciation for cooking in me. I think bloggers can get bogged down by the frantic day-to-day need to create the hottest, most pinnable recipe. We forget to continue our culinary education (for which I'm homeschooled, right?).

I can't get over how gorgeous this batch looks in jars. I guess it will last three weeks in the refrigerator. If it lasts that long at all. I've been known to polish off a jar of kimchi in one sitting.


I'm feeling good with all this motivation coursing through my veins. And with this recipe, I'm working toward one of my goals with food. Cook more, appreciate food for its flavor and not so much impact on my weight. Use seasonal ingredients in new ways. Learn new techniques. (Which reminds me that I want to get going on a new + improved starter for fall's sourdough adventures!)

I also uncovered another book I'd like to pick up on this subject while researching an article I'm writing for Wise Bread. It's Kevin West's Saving the Season: A Cook's Guide to Home Canning, Pickling, and Preserving. It's a cookbook, but I guess West weaves in a great deal of storytelling (personal essays, etc.). I like thinking of the intentional preservation of food as a way of life and not just for the joy of my stomach.

Today on Writing Chapter Three, I wrote about another one of my goals: To get a handle on the mess in my house (and -- let's be honest -- inside my head). Everywhere I look, I'm seeing how the little things I do -- every 2 minutes of my time, in fact -- can have a huge impact on my everyday life.

It's been good slowing down and paying attention, however long it took me to get to this place.

What new cooking methods have you tried lately? What else do you want to learn?

Like what you just read? Browse more of our posts + recipes on Pinterest. You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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