40 this morning, feels almost balmy.
I've been making a few simple things in the kitchen. Two are on the windowsill, being aided by Mr. Sol.
First, vanilla. I made my own lo these many years ago, and finally got around to doing it again. The process is simple: a clean, sterilized bottle, vanilla beans slit lengthwise, and alcohol. I used vodka so there would be less other flavoring in the vanilla, but you can use bourbon or brandy too. I used bourbon before and liked the result, also used vodka and liked it too.
Put the beans in the jar, pour the alcohol over them, seal and put in a sunny window. Give the bottle a shake a couple times a day and wait. I heated the vodka just to warm to speed the process a little. My vanilla will be ready in a month or two. I used Grade B Madagascar beans. This isn't a project for the impatient, but worth the wait. I leave the beans in the bottle; I will add more alcohol at some point and let them steep again.
Dill vinegar. Again, a simple process. Wash the dill, let it dry. Put the stems or seeds if you don't have stems, in a sterilized jar, pour vinegar over, and seal. I used white vinegar, but cider vinegar works just as well, just has a stronger vinegar flavor in the finished product, to me anyway. Put the bottle in the window and let it sit a while. This is faster than vanilla, probably ready to use in 2 weeks. Taste to see if it's strong enough for your taste. Take the dill out of the bottle and store the bottle away. 
I sometimes make rosemary oil too. A similar process--put rosemary in a bottle, cover with a light olive or other oil, and put in the window. Wait. When the flavor is to your liking, remove the rosemary, and store. I grabbed a little of the late dill in the garden to get this made a couple weeks ago. Good thing, because the dill is gone now, victim of the cold.
Lastly, calendula petals, a plant called pot marigold in the UK with good reason. Calendula has been used as a saffron substitute for years, although it really only adds the yellow color and has a unique flavor, but doesn't really taste like saffron, sorry.
I simply pull the petals from the flower, and let them dry. Not in the sun, though--these need a place away from direct sun to dry. I find that the top of my stove, which stays a little warm because of the pilot lights, is ideal. Once dry, store in a bottle in a dark cupboard. This website has suggestions for harvesting and using calendula. It's too late for this year, of course, but you might want to add calendula to your garden plans for next year.
Thanks for sharing these processes. Might have to try making vanilla.
ReplyDeleteAbout your question about frosted flowers, occasionally we get some but not many.