88-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 25, 2003
If you are looking for a recipe but can’t find it, send
your recipe request to Lou Ann Good, Cook’s Question
Corner, in care of Lancaster Farming, P.O. Box 609,
Ephrata, PA 17522. There’s no need to send a self-ad
dressed stamped envelope. If we receive an answer to
your question, we will publish it as soon as possible.
Check your recipe to make sure you copy the right
amounts and complete instructions for making the reci
pe. Sometimes we receive numerous answers to the
same request, but cannot print each one.
Answers to recipe requests should be sent to the same
address. You may also e-mail questions and answers to
LGOOD.EPH@LNPNEWS.COM
QUESTION - Melissa Evarts, Guilford, Ct.,
writes that her dad remembers his mother mak
ing a vanilla custard using 13 eggs. Does any
one have a recipe like that and also one for
homemade ice cream that uses pudding and
sweetened condensed milk and is hand
cranked.
QUESTION Mary Templon, Grantsville,
W.V., writes that she canned sauerkraut in jars
this past summer, but the seal broke by six
weeks, and the sauerkraut got brown and went
bad. What went wrong? Should she have re
canned the sauerkraut after six weeks? Editor’s
Note: check out the sauerkraut instructions
given as an answer further down in this col
umn.
QUESTION Mary Templon, wants the reci
pe for pina colada zucchini bread, which had
been printed in this paper she thinks in August
or September.
QUESTION Esther Sheaffer, Kirkwood, re
quests a recipe to make good meatballs.
QUESTION Shirley Schwoerer, Wysox,
wants to know if it is true that butter can be
made in a blender. If so, she wants instructions
for making it. If not, she wants to know if any
one has an electric butter churn, with instruc
tions, to sell.
QUESTION Shirley Schwoerer, Wysox,
wants to know if sesame seeds can be
sprouted. She is familiar with alfalfa seed
sprouting.
QUESTION - Ralph Kieffer, Halifax, wants a
recipe for Aunt Flossie’s tomato soup, which he
heard is printed in a Lancaster County cook
book.
QUESTION A steady reader wants to know
how to make natural vinegar, which is a vinegar
that gets a “mother” in it. Is there a place to
buy such vinegar?
QUESTION A reader wants low-fat recipes
and diabetic recipes that other readers have
tried and liked.
QUESTION A Narvon reader writes that
she accidentally discarded two recipes, which
she had clipped from this column, that her fam
ily really liked. One recipe was for waffles, and
the lady who had submitted it wrote that she
sold them at a stand when she was young. The
other recipe was for biscuits that used cold
butter cut into the flour. Anyone know to which
recipes she is referring? Please send in to be
reprinted.
QUESTION June Martin, Oxford, N.J.,
wants a recipe to make venison hot dogs.
ANSWER For Frank Bonk, Perth Amboy,
N.J., who wanted fresh geese, a Lebanon read
er writes that he has fresh geese and will clean
if desired. Call (717) 949-3115.
ANSWER Jane Freed, Mertztown, re
quested two different methods to make home
made sauerkraut: to can and one that ferments
in a crock. Thanks to Doris Brenzie, Shippens
burg, for sending instructions for both meth
ods. She writes that making sauerkraut re
quires a little work, but the end product is
delicious. Make and enjoy.
Sauerkraut (Jar Type on Counter)
Remove and discard outer leaves of cabbage
heads. Cut in halves or quarters, discard core.
Shred 5 pounds cabbage with a shredder or
sharp knife. It should be no thicker than a dime.
Sprinkle 3 1 /2 tablespoon salt over shredded cab
bage and mix thoroughly by hand.
Pack cabbage into clean glass jars, pressing
down with a wooden spoon. Pill to within
1 1 /2-2-inches from jar top. Be sure juice covers
cabbage. Wipe off jar top, put on lids, but do
not seal tightly. Set filled jars in shallow pans
or on folded newspapers. The brine may over
flow during fermentation. Keep at room temper
ature (70 degrees) for top-quality sauerkraut.
Skim off film, if directions followed carefully,
little or no film should form. Keep cabbage cov
ered with brine. If necessary, add more weak
brine made by dissolving 1 Va tablespoons salt in
1 quart water. Let ferment about 10 days or
until liquid settles and bubbles no longer rise to
the surface. If sauerkraut is to be used soon,
wipe mouths of jars and seal tightly. If desired
to keep a long time, make sure jars are full to
within 1-inch from top. Wipe off rims. Adjust
lids, process in boiling water bath (212 de
grees) quarts for 30 minutes. For 20-25 pounds
cabbage, use Va pound salt. Makes 8-10 quarts.
Crock Sauerkraut
Prepare cabbage same as for jar method: 5
pounds shredded cabbage mixed thoroughly
with 3Vz tablespoons salt. Pack firmly and even
ly with a potato stamper or your fist. Repeat
shredding 5 pounds cabbage and adding SVz ta
blespoons salt, mixing and stomping thoroughly
until crock is filled five inches from to. Make
sure cabbage is covered with juice. Cover cab
bage with a clean white cloth, tucking down
against the inside of crock. On top, place a
plastic bag filled with water to weigh down cab
bage so juice comes up over cabbage. Fermen
tation will begin the day following the packing.
Best product is made at 70 degrees room tem
perature. Remove film if there is any. When
bubbling stops in 2-3 weeks, tap crock gently,
if no bubbles rise it is finished. Pack into clean
jars within one-inch from top. Cover with juice,
if more juice is needed, combine 1 quart water
with IVa tablespoons salt. Wipe off jar rim. Ad
just lids. Process in boiling water bath at 212
degrees for quarts at 30 minutes. Makes 15-18
quarts.
If you eat sauerkraut often, it will keep in
crock all winter at room temperature 55 de
grees or lower.
ANSWER Thanks to Janet Burgenson, Mid
dletown, Md., for answering Nina Biddle’s ques
tion about why sugar cookies made with the
same recipe but with a different brand of flour
may taste differently. Janet writes that King Ar
thur flour is made from red Durham flour and is
harder. It has a higher protein content than
Gold Medal flour. The percentage isn’t much
but may be enough to change the texture and
taste.
ANSWER Sandra Smith requested a recipe
for potato skin soup. Thanks to Anna Martin,
Denver, for sending one.
Potato Peel Soup
Wash 4-6 ootatoes, depending on size. Scrub
with a brush. Peel and add peelings to the soup
stock immediately.
Soup Stock:
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh dill, parsley, or desired herbs
Simmer broth, carrots, onions, and celery
about 30 minutes or until tender. Add your
choice of fresh herbs and salt and pepper. Add
as much milk or half and half as needed.
ANSWER Here are some dip recipes sent
in by Holly Lutz, Jonestown, in request for dips.
Blueberry Brie
You can also make this with raspberry sauce or sun
dried tomatoes, both of which taste excellent. This will
cook in the microwave in about three minutes. Serve
with warm French baguette slices.
2.2 pound wheel Brie cheese
16-ounce can blueberry cheese filling
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place Brie
cheese in a baking dish. Pour blueberry pie fill
ing over the top. Bake until hot, about 10-15
minutes.
Cucumber Yogurt Dip
Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but
requires chilling time.
2 8-ounce containers plain yogurt
1 pound cucumber, peeled, seeded, chopped
fine
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh dill plus dill
sprigs for garnish
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Pita loaves, cut into wedges as an accompa
niment
Let the yogurt drain in a fine sieve set over a
bowl, covered and chilled, for six hours. Pour
the liquid from the bowl and in the bowl stir to
gether the drained yogurt, cucumbers,
squeezed dry between paper towels, the chop
ped dill, garlic, oil, lemon juice, and salt to
taste. Let the dip stand, covered and chilled for
at least two hours and up to eight hours to
allow the flavors to develop. Stir the dip, gar
nish it with the dill sprigs, and serve with pita
wedges. Makes about 2 cups.
Roasted Garflc, Onion, and Red Bell Pepper
Dip
1 garlic head, halved crosswise
1 medium onion, peeled, halved crosswise
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 red bell pepper
8-ounces cream cheese
Vfe cup crumbled feta cheese
6 Kalamata olives or other brine-cured black
olives, pitted
1 tablespoon drained capers
1 French bread baguette, cut into %-inch
slices
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place garlic
and onion, cut side down on small baking
sheet. Brush with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Bake
until onion is tender and garlic is golden and
tender, turning over halfway through baking
about 30 minutes. Cool.
Char red bell pepper over gas flame or in
broiler until blackened on all sides. Wrap in
paper bag and let stand 10 minutes to steam.
Peel and seed pepper. Chop coarsely.
Squeeze garlic from skin. Cut each onion half
into quarters. Place garlic, onion, red bell pep
per, and next four ingredients in processor and
blend well. Transfer to small bowl. Cover and
refrigerate until firm, about two hours. (Can be
prepared one day ahead. Keep refrigerated).
Preheat broiler. Place baguette slices on
baking sheet. Brush with remaining 2 table
spoons oil. Broil until golden grown, about 2
minutes. Stir dip and serve with toasted ba
guette slices. Makes 2Vi cups.
Mexican Fiesta Dip Mix
This is an unusual Southwestern dip mix that can be
presented in a small sombrero.
V 2 cup dried parsley
Va cup minced onion
V* cup dried chives
Va cup chili powder
Va cup ground cumin
V* cup salt
In a large bowl, combine the spices and store
in airtight container.
Mexican Fiesta Dip
Makes 2 cups
3 tablespoons Mexican Fiesta Dip Mix (above
recipe)
1 cup mayonnaise or low-fat mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream or low fat yogurt
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the dip
mix with mayonnaise and sour cream. Whisk
the mixture until smooth. Refrigerate 2-4 hours.
Serve with tortilla chips or fresh vegetables.
Ranch Dressing
Makes 1 cup
Va cup mayonnaise
Va cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon Ranch Dressing and Dip Mix
(above recipe)
In a large bowl, whisk together with mayon
naise, buttermilk, and dressing and dip mix. Re
frigerate for one hour before serving.
Ranch Dressing
Makes 2 cups
2 tablespoons Ranch Dressing and Dip Mix
1 cup mayonnaise or low-fat mayo
1 cup sour cream or low-fat yogurt
Combine Ranch dressing and dip mix with
mayonnaise and sour cream. Refrigerate for
two hours before serving with raw vegetables,
or as a topping for baked potatoes.
Community Hospital Offers
Free Health Screenings
For Amish Community
LANCASTER (Lancaster Co.) Community
Hospital of Lancaster, (CHL) 1100 E. Orange
Street, will offer a free Health Fair for the Amish
Community at the Kinzers Fire Hall, Route 30, Kin
zers, from 8 a.m.-noon on Saturday, February 8.
Inside the fire hall, there will be free vision and
hearing screenings, blood pressure checks, informa
tion about men’s and women’s health and child
hood immunizations.
Dr. Carol Struminger, D. 0., of Harvest Drive
Family Practice, will offer free osteopathic manipu
lative therapy, and Dr. David Abbot, D. 0., will offer
information about prenatal care and childbirth.
The Pennsylvania Blue Shield Health and Well
ness Bus will also be on the premises to provide free
cholesterol and blood pressure screens.
Free giveaways and light refreshments will be of
fered to all who attend.
For more information, call CHL Community Re
lations Department at (717) 239-4048.