Tag: How to preserve

Homemade Pumpkin Puree/Preserve:

October 29, 2018

Pumpkin is usually considered as fall / Winter vegetable even though it grows all year round without any issues. Pumpkin vine needs least attention compared to growing other vegetables. It is low in calories, high in anti-oxidants, Vitamins, minerals as well as high on natural source of Beta carotene.

I normally make use of pumpkin in many forms and one such form is Pumpkin Puree. When home grown, organic pumpkin is available, it is an awesome way to store the goodness and use it as needed in your cooking from making pastas to baking.

Usually puree can be made by using two methods. Either on stove top or by baking. I normally prefer stove top method. In this method, I don’t even remove the outer skin. In this way, we can retain the added goodness.

How I make is –

Ingredients;

Pumpkin – 1 kg

Water – 1 cup

Method:

-Wash pumpkin, remove inner core and seed part.

-Chop pumpkins into bite size pieces.

-Take one tawa, spread all the pieces and sprinkle water and cook those pieces until done.

-When pumpkin pieces are well cooked, water also evaporates.

-Cool and grind this into puree.

-Store this in a freezer by putting it in an air tight container and use whenever it is needed.

How to preserve Jack fruit Seed:

May 12, 2018

Yes!! You heard it right. I am using jackfruit seeds in my cooking all year round by preserving it in frozen form. It is rich in anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, calcium, potassium, carbohydrate and starch. So, when we eat the fruit and then throw away the seeds, you are discarding this power house of goodness.

In our region, people have been using jackfruit seeds in their traditional cooking for ages. After consuming the fruit, our elders used to apply some mud paste and used to pile it up in one corner of the veranda. In rainy season, they used to use these seeds as needed for cooking, by making Rasam, palya, sambar by mixing with some other vegetables or greens. They used to prepare some desserts as well.

I never used to like this when I was young, and never realised the importance of it’s goodness. After marriage, I started using these seeds in my cooking, because of my husband, who likes jack seed in some of our traditional recipes. I will post our favourite recipes in the coming days one by one.

Method:

-After consuming or using the fruit bulbs, Collect all the seeds.

-Remove outer slimy cover and discard.

-Wash the seeds and keep aside (to air dry) for 3 to 4 days.

-After 3 to 4 days, seed jacket will become brittle and it will be easier to peel now.

-Take one rough kitchen cloth and one stone pastel or pressing stone.

-Keep individual seed and hit hard. Outer jacket will break, and inner seed will crush.

-Collect all the crushed seeds and throw away all the outer jacket.

-Store the seeds in zip lock for future use and freeze it in a freezer compartment.

-This way, frozen seed will be ready and available to cook throughout the year, until next season.