Pumpkin (Orange) Sauce
Chili Garlic Sauce
Green Chili Sauce
Tomato Sauce


Basic Sauces

Food preservation in some form or other has become an inevitable part of
today's life and food style. A major factor has been the changing home and
family structure where both husband and wife are working full time as
bread winners. Jams and sauces, relishes and chutneys have become an
integral portion of any meal, any snack. However, if we can find some time
once in a way to prepare your own preserves, you can far overweigh the joy
of relishing these tasty preserves by making them at home. You can pick
the best of fruit/vegetables in peak season, hygienically prepare your
choice of varieties and to your own taste. A little hard work during the
season will reap rich benefits for a long time. The all-important factor
of cost also counts a lot. Preserves made at home cost a little over one
fourth the cost of off-the shelf products.

Important Notes On Any Food Preservation:

Sterilizing Jars: and lids must be sterilized: Either boil them in plenty
of water so they soak in the water while it simmers. Drain out carefully,
place them first upside down, then upright on a clean kitchen towel till
they dry out completely. Or dry in the sun for a while to ensure complete
dryness.

You can even microwave by filling jars 1/3 full of water, keep as many as
fit comfortably with in between space. Bring water to a boil on high,
simmer for 1 minute. Remove, drain water, dry as above.

Use rustproof and airtight lids which will not allow air to enter.

Filling Jars: While filling bottles and jars, take care that bubbles are
not formed inside the bottle. The incorporated air, might be the cause of
bacterial growth after closing the bottle.

Dipping the cap and mouth of bottle in a bowl of molten wax for a few
seconds is a good way to seal filled jars and bottles.

Equipments And Vessels Used Should Be Dry: Wipe fry all equipment and
vessels before using them. Contaminated moisture can be harmful to
preserves.

Moisture While Washing Veggies./Fruit: If the fruit is
delicate(eg.strawberries), wash, carefully arrange on a soft kitchen towel
to absorb excess moisture.Dab dry if required. Other
fruit,(eg.apple,mango)
may be washed and wiped clean before using.

When Sauce / Preserves Is Done: Consistency: Sauces & preserves should not
be underdone, in which case it would stay watery, and may go bad soon.
Neither should it be overdone, in which case it will taste a bit gooey,
and may solidify into crystals.

It may also get charred. There are a few tests which give an indication
that it is done.


Plate test: Pour a tsp. of the jam on a cold plate.If it spreads a little,
not leaving water around it, then the jam is done.
Spoon test: Take on a tsp, and sway it a bit. If the surface starts
wrinkling, the preserve is done.
Fly test: When droplets of the mixture start flying about in big bubbly
outbursts, then the recipe is done.
Water test: If a blob of jam is dropped into cold water, it should not
disintegrate immediately, but start descending in a blob itself. Then the
mixture is ready.

Labeling And Dates: Always label the preserves,etc. that you make.Write
the name, date on which made and if you need to remember any other detail.
This will simplify your work later, as to which batch to finish first.

Quality Of Fruit/Veggies: Use best quality fruit. Do not use under ripe or
overripe fruit, in which case there is chance of the product going bad.

Use Of Artificial Colors And Their Options: Colors and essences though not
vital to the recipes, go a long way in enhancing the visual effects and
aural temptation of the product. Therefore, if using the right quantities,
and not overdoing it by using in daily cooking, they are not going to
cause
any major health hazards. Do not use them in overdose.

Which Sauce Used For What: There are sauces and sauces, but not any one of
them will go with any dish at all. Some taste good with particular
preparations, while not with others. Tomato sauce is an all rounder which
goes with practically any dish or preparation. Kids even enjoy eating the
drab old chapatti with it, to pep it up! Green chili sauce, Soya sauce,
garlic chili sauce,Szechwan sauce, etc., are some sauces which are used
mainly while cooking a preparation. Other sauces like pumpkin, etc. can be
eaten according to taste of an individual.

How And Where To Store(Freezing Etc.): Most sauces and preserves which use
preservative, need not be stored in the fridge, but once the bottle seal
is opened, or you have started using a jar, keep the remaining jarful in
the fridge, for safety.

Purees may be frozen in ice cube trays, and used as and when required.
Take care not to insert wet or soiled spoons into the jars of goodies, or
there are strong chances of fungus formation.

Close lids tightly every time the jar is opened.

Where to Store Preservatives: If storing for a short while (2 weeks or so)
then one need not use preservatives, and mere storing the fridge is
enough. But for storage for long term, proper food methods and use of
preservatives becomes imperative. Always add preservative towards the end
of the cooking cycle.

A general approximation is 1/2 tsp.citric acid to 1 kg. sugar used.

1 level tsp. potassium metabisulphite is required to make 1 kg. sherbet.
For sour fruit like kokum, mango raw, Jamul, etc. 1 kg. sugar requires 3/4
tsp. sodium benzoate and 3/4 tsp. citric acid.

Other preservatives like sodium benzoate are also used.


Basic and Other Masala Powders The basic masala powders which though
commercially available these days, some of them are so much cheaper
preparing at home. Some of them are cheaper by almost 3 to 4 times than
the price. One more advantage is that small amounts prepared, say,
monthly, will give you fresh powders, having a wonderful unmatched aroma,
which cannot come with powders that are stored for months even a year.
Above all they are so easy to make.

Following pointers should be kept in mind while making masala and spice
powders at home:


All masala spices like chili, dhania, etc. should be sunned for a couple
of hours and then pounded. This way the spices will become crisper and
give a better aroma. Remember that though dry grinders, electric mortars,
etc. will produce good powders, the most flavorful ones are those which
are ground in a mill or pounded with a mortar and pestle. Always store the
pound masalas in airtight glass or transparent plastic jars with tight
lids. If available add a few Para tablets used to preserve edibles grains,
masalas ,etc. Pound enough to last about 6 months, then there is any sense
in going through the procedure. If you make too much, it may lose its
flavor, if too little then is the effort worth making so often. Use your
judgment.

Basic and Other Masala Pastes

Masala pastes are a boon to keep in stock in your refrigerator. They come
in handy when you are in a real rush but need to cook and flavor food
well. Besides, it rids you of your daily bore and chore of making tiny
amounts of paste. Just take care about a few following pointers to make
them last longer: Never touch them with wet spoons or soiled fingers while
removing them. Always use a dry spoon. If you are a regular user, keep
fixed jars to refill as you finish. Keep the same jar for the same paste
each time, so smells don't mix. Make enough to last about 3-4 weeks on an
average. Best quality pastes are got from grinding on a grindstone. But do
not be hindered and use a small wet electrical grinder, if you don't have
stone. Where water is allowed use as little as possible, and use boiled
cooled water. The texture of these pastes should be like that of soft cold
cream. Not too dry and not too runny. Choose tight fitting nonmetal lids
for jars, to avoid rust spoiling the contents. Since most of these pastes
will have some amount of extra salt, use salt sparingly in any dish, and
add more only after tasting the dish.


Unless cooking khichidis, potatoes, etc. avoid cooking direct in the
pressure cooker. Use the containers. Add a piece of lemon peel to the
pressure cooker water, to keep the cooker from becoming black from use.
Cover the containers when cooking items like dhal, rice, etc. to avoid
overspill. When boiling rice or dhal over stove in excess water, use the
extra water to make dhal, soup, etc. Use the rice starch water to starch
clothes. Make extra quantities of chili or garlic or onion pastes and
store in freezer for quicker use. If the first time does not give accurate
results, try again making changes that you may feel are required in your
particular case. Never overload a pressure cooker or add too much or too
little water at the base. Exploding or burning out are serious accidents.
If rice is very old, then soak for a longer time. However, the saying
goes, the older the rice, the richer the flavor. Always sieve any flour
before making dough, for hygiene as well as breaking any lumps that may be
present.



Pumpkin (Orange) Sauce

1 kg. orange pumpkin
500 gms. Sugar
150 gms. Salt
1 small bulb garlic (peeled)
1 tsp. garam masala powder
2 tsp. red chili powder
400 ml white vinegar
5-6 drops red color (optional)
3 Tbsp. oil

Peel and chop pumpkin fine. Take care to discard seeds and stringy pith.
Grind garlic to a fine paste. Heat oil in a large pan, add garlic. Saute
till light brown, stirring continuously. Add chilies, garam masala, stir
for a minute. Add pumpkin and salt. Mix and cover. Simmer stirring
occasionally, till pumpkin is soft. Add sugar and cook till a very soft
lump is formed. Cool to room temperature. Add vinegar and blend in mixer.
Strain and add color. Mix and preserve. Making time: 30 minutes Makes: 1.5
kg. sauce approx. Shelf life: 3-4 months



Chili Garlic Sauce

500 gms. Long red chilies
2 medium bulb garlic
200 gms. Salt
300 ml. vinegar
1 Tbsp. oil
1-1/2 Tbsp. corn flour

Peel garlic, destalk chilies. Grind together till fine. Add vinegar to
help the grinding process. Add salt. Keep aside. Heat oil in a deep pan,
add cornflour. Stir fry flour for a few seconds. Add paste, mix
continuously. Stir frequently, simmer till thick. Bottle in sterile jars,
preserve. Making time: 30 minutes Makes: 1 kg. sauce approx. Shelf life:
3-4 months




Green Chili Sauce

500gms. Fresh hot green chilies
400 ml, white vinegar
250 gms.salt
2 Tbsp. oil
2 Tbsp. cornflour
1/4 tsp. green color (optional)

Wipe chilies clean, destalk and chop. Mix salt and vinegar, to dissolve
salt. Add green chilies, marinate for 1 hour. Stir, and dry roast
cornflour pan, for a minute. Grind chilies, marinade, cornflour to a fine
paste. Heat oil, add mixture, bring to a boil. Simmer till thick, stirring
occasionally. Preserve in sterile bottle. Making time: 20 minutes
(excluding marinating time) Makes: 1 kg. sauce, approx. Shelf life: 3-4
months




Tomato Sauce

1 kg. tomatoes ripe, red, flat small variety
50 gms. Onion chopped
25 gms. Ginger peeled
10 gms. Garlic peeled
2 tsp. chili powder
3 tsp. salt
100 gms. sugar
3 Tbsp. vinegar
1/5 tsp. Citric acid dissolved in vinegar
1/5 tsp. sodium benzoate dissolved in 2 tsp. warm water

Tied in a pouch (of muslin cloth):
5 cloves
2" cinnamon stick broken
1 bay leaf
2 cardamoms
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds

Wipe tomatoes clean, nip off base scar. Chop onion, tomatoes roughly.
Crush garlic, ginger and mix with tomatoes and onions. Put in a large,
heavy pan, drop in spice pouch. Heat while stirring frequently. Do not
allow to burn at the bottom. When the tomatoes are very soft, take off
fire. Remove pouch, blend smooth, sieve to remove skins, seeds, etc. Add
chili powder,salt and sugar. Boil till consistency achieve plate test. Add
vinegar, boil for 5 minutes. Remove from stove, add sodium benzoate
immediately. Stir and fill in sterilized bottles while still hot. Cap
immediately.

Making time: 1 hour
Makes: 600gms. Approx.
Shelf life: 6 months



--
William Barfieldsr

--
Rec.food.recipes is moderated by Patricia Hill at .
Only recipes and recipe requests are accepted for posting.
Please allow several days for your submission to appear.
Archives: http://www.cdkitchen.com/rfr/ http://recipes.alastra.com/