My friend Jill (and her friend Maya) are writing Friday Five posts on their blog Itinerant Foodies. It's a great idea for a quick post before the weekend and starting today I'm going to steal it!
This week, I want to share five things that are aging in the house. Sometimes I feel like I have no space and this is why: tucked into every corner and counter are jars of foodstuffs fermenting, drying, and infusing. In the end, the customized all-local flavors are totally worth the sacrifice of space.
1. Limoncello - We have had a bumper crop of meyer lemons from our potted tree this year. It's the first significant harvest we've ever had in seven years of keeping the tree and I am committed to preserving the flavor so that we can enjoy it for some time to come. I'm using a version of the Restaurant Widow recipe for home brewed limoncello.
2. Candied Meyer Lemon Peels - For my sister and father in law's birthdays (Happy Birthday Heather and Tom!) I was tasked with making a dairy free dessert. I juiced some of our homegrown lemons and made meyer lemon sorbet ala Simply Recipes. I could never discard the peels of a fruit so long in the making, so I candied them. They are drying over the pot rack.
3. Hard Apple Cider - Four gallons of home pressed cider from Ohio apples is still bubbling away in the carboy. It's been stewing for about a month now and we hope to bottle soon.
4. Apple Cider Vinegar - Last weekend we pressed the last of the apples. I made some into cider syrup and we kept a bit fresh. I put 1 1/2 quarts in a half gallon jar topped with cheese cloth to make vinegar. According to the Ohio State Univeristy Extension, raw cider will naturally ferment into alcohol and then natural cultures change the alcohol to acetic acid. Right now there is quite a bit of 'funk' on top and I'm not sure what exactly is happening...
5. Pancetta hanging - Alex cured some pork belly in the refrigerator this week. It is now hanging in the basement to dry as pancetta.
Yay for yeast and salt and sugar and dehydration! Yay for home preservation! Yay for Friday!