Does maple syrup need to be refrigerated?

Because of its high moisture level and lack of preservatives, maple syrup is a perishable food product that is susceptible to the growth of yeasts, molds, and bacteria. Refrigeration not only helps maple syrup retain its flavor but prevents microorganisms from growing as well. Unopened, maple syrup will last several years stored in a cool, dark place. Once opened, it will keep six months to a year in the refrigerator.

But as maple syrup can be pricey, it can make sense to buy it in large quantities when seasonal. For long-term storage, we wondered if storing syrup in the freezer would work as well as refrigeration. We froze half the contents of one bottle of syrup, refrigerated the rest, and then conducted a comparative tasting. The syrup stored in the freezer never froze solid and, once warmed, was identical in taste to the refrigerated syrup. (The syrup never froze because of the high concentration of solids in the liquid–in this case, the sugar.) At most, the syrup will become thick, viscous, or crystallized during freezing, but a quick zap in the microwave will restore it so well that you would never know it had been “frozen.”

You can see the entire recipe here:

http://www.broccolirecipes.net/easy-quiche.html

BTW, I also found this ingredient:
“1 (1 pound) loaf processed cheese food, cubed”
Okay… I know that this is just Velveeta, but seriously? Yuck.

Still sounds appealing? The full recipe is here:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Broccoli-Cheese-Soup/Detail.aspx

Here is a photo of some of the food I got at the Catonsville Farmers Market on a Wednesday in mid-August. The dark purple pods are okra. You can also see yellow and red peppers, corn on the cob, onions, peaches, beans, garlic and maybe some other kinds of produce.
The other photo is some of the August vine-ripened tomato harvest from our garden. So fresh and so good!

The second page includes a chart of scoop/disher sizes. Ice cream scoops come in many sizes for a variety of applications. Who knew? Alton Brown recommends using a #20 disher to scoop his cookie dough onto the cookie sheets. I researched what that meant and gathered the info to share with you all.

Theresa’s Decadent Chocolate Cookies

I bought these colorful carrots at the Farmers Market few weeks ago.  I served them with cheese ravioli.
The second photo shows them cut up so you can see the color was different on the inside.

Beets On the Way to Being Pickled

These colorful beets from the Farmers Market were so pretty that I wanted to share them with you. This photo was taken just before stirring all of the ingredients. This will be my second batch of pickled beets. I am using the “Red Turnip Pickles” recipe from American Home Cooking.  You can see it here: http://totallyrandomfiesta.blogspot.com/

The lazy days of summer have given way and passed through the gentle days of a Mid-Atlantic October.  Now comes the dreary onset of a Maryland winter.  Around here, we always have to pass through the damp mid- to late-November rains to get to the cold, crisp clear winter days.

Today’s a day for a comforting, warming meal.  Tender greens and light summer flavors are out of season.  In cooler climes, this is the time of year most of us should start changing over to the flavors that sustain until warmer days return.  Root vegetables, potatoes, brassicas like cauliflower, kale, brocolli, and cabbage.  Now’s the time to break out the canned and preserved bounties of our summer gardens.  The flavors are changed, but provide a reminder of what to look forward to next year.

I’m going to tell you how to take the humble red cabbage, much-maligned vegetable that it is, and transform it into pure autumn.  All you need to do is slice it coarsely, combine it with some diced Granny Smith apple, and pan-braise it in an acidic liquid in order to keep its color.  Short cooking times keep it from becoming the red mush we remember from bad childhood meals, and a finish with butter transforms the dish into a glorious representation of fall flavor.

Pan-Braised Red Cabbage with Apples

Ingredients
1 medium head red cabbage
1 Granny Smith Apple
1/2 cup apple juice or cider
2 tbsp. red wine or cider vinegar
3 tbsp butter, softened
salt
pepper
lemon juice (fresh or concentrate)

Prep time: 5-10 minutes.  Cooking time: 15-20 minutes.

Remove any wilted outer leaves from the cabbage head.  Quarter the cabbage and cut out the hard, white core from each section, leaving the rest intact.

Place the cabbage quarters on a flat side and slice each into about ¼-inch ribbons.  You should have about 10-12 cups of cabbage when you’re done.  Place into a large bowl and cover with cold water to which you have added a splash or two of lemon juice (to preserve color and crispness).

Core and peel one Granny Smith apple, and cut into a ¼-inch dice.  Add apple pieces to the bowl with the cabbage.

Heat a large stainless, non-stick, or anodized skillet over medium-high burner.  Add olive oil and coat pan.  Drain the cabbage and apples.  When oil begins to shimmer on the surface, add the sliced cabbage.  Add the apple juice and vinegar, 2-3 healthy pinches of salt, pepper to taste, and cover.  When liquid begins to simmer in the pan, reduce heat to medium-low, and continue to cook, covered, for 12-15 minutes.

Uncover, and check seasoning – add salt if necessary.  Turn heat back to medium high, and continue cooking, tossing occasionally with tongs, until the thickest parts of the leaves are tender, but still offer firm resistance to the tooth.  The liquid should have reduced considerably, leaving just enough to just coat the cabbage.

Remove from heat and toss with butter until melted.  Serve with roast pork or fowl.  Serves 6.  Approximately 116 kcal/serving.