Last fall, when my husband and I closed up our home and went to Nevada for the winter, I froze my wild berries and sourdough starter. Then when we returned this year, we had plenty of berries for breakfast smoothies and our favorite berry desserts, and sourdough starter for fresh bread. I reactivate my frozen sourdough starter by feeding the thawed starter with a 1/2 cup of warm water, and 1 cup of flour.
Earlier this summer, our youngest son and his lovely girlfriend visited us for a week. And even though we were all under coronavirus travel quarantine restrictions, we had a great time together, and it was such a treat to have them here!
One of the projects we all worked on together was harvesting kelp from our skiff, and canning kelp salsa. Kelp Salsa is a unique summertime recipe, and a favorite of Southeast Alaska. My recipe is adapted from the book; Common Edible Seaweeds in the Gulf of Alaska, by Dolly Garza.
Kelp Salsa
Makes about 13-14 pints
Ingredients:
8 cups bull kelp, chopped
2 green peppers, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
9 ribs celery, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
15 cloves garlic, chopped
2/28oz. cans Diced Tomatoes
2/15oz. cans Tomato Sauce
6oz. can Tomato Paste
6oz. can Chopped Jalapenos
2 cups vinegar
6 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt
5oz. btl. Habanero Pepper Sauce (optional)
8 cups bull kelp, chopped
2 green peppers, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
9 ribs celery, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
15 cloves garlic, chopped
2/28oz. cans Diced Tomatoes
2/15oz. cans Tomato Sauce
6oz. can Tomato Paste
6oz. can Chopped Jalapenos
2 cups vinegar
6 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt
5oz. btl. Habanero Pepper Sauce (optional)
Helpful Tools:
Instructions:
- Combine all ingredients together in a large pot.
- Bring to a boil, then simmer for one to two hours.
- Spoon into half-pint or pint sterilized jars, leaving 1/2" headroom.
- Screw on lids, and boil in hot water bath for 20 minutes.
- Remove jars from hot water, and cool for 12-24 hours.
- Check lids to make sure they are sealed.
Kitchen/Harvesting Note: Avoid kelp with white splotches, they are past their prime; and do not collect floating kelp.
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His house was perfect, whether you liked food, or sleep, or work, or story-telling, or singing, or just sitting and thinking, best, or a pleasant mixture of them all.
~ J.R.R. Tolkien
The Hobbit
~ J.R.R. Tolkien
The Hobbit