Babies!

My favorite time of the year... the calves are arriving! I love being the first human they see. lol
They can really put on a show when they hear me sweet talkin' to them.

This little girl couldn't find her mom, so she found shelter beside the closest tall dark critter she could see. (the horse).  lol

The drought is in full swing. It's so nice to see a bit of new life in the pasture!

Smoked Chicken, Ribs n Twice Baked Tatoes

Had the chance to fill up the drum for quick meals later on!
I spatchcocked the bird, stuffed smoked sausage under the skin, slathered it in duck fat and sprinkled with my cold smoked salt, pepper, garlic blend...

I gave the ribs a head start, they received a simple salt and pepper sprinkle...

Added oiled, salt, pepper and garlic seasoned tatoes, chile sausage and some boudin...

The drum chugged along at 275F...

I removed the sausage and boudin when done and twiced baked some of the tatoes...

Made a glaze for the ribs with my homemade corncob jelly and a dash of cayenne...

The corncob jelly has a "hint" of honey flavor...

I like the way the sausage keeps the chicken moist and adds a bit of flavor...

Everything was tasty.. and it was nice to have some smoked goodies in the freezer for future meals!!

Everything is going great here! Still in a drought and high fire area. Burn ban is in effect.
Things could be worse! No wildfires so far (knock on wood). No tornadoes.... I feel fortunate. 

The weather has caused problems elsewhere. Still wish I could take some of that moisture off your hands in the flood areas! 

The cows are calving and the rest of the critters are fat and happy. Life is good!

Hope everyone else is going well. Thanks for stopping by!

Cold Smoking and Canning Salmon (picture heavy)

I recently had the time to replenish my smoked salmon supply. It's nice to have this on hand for quick meals! I've been doing this for several years and this method works well for me. I am able to order the fish through my local seafood lady... she gets shipments in 3 times per week. I load up when it's on sale.

I start by cutting slits into each slab for even curing and even smoking....

Mix my cure...three parts brown sugar to one part canning salt.

Coat the fish well and get the cure into the slits..

I wrap and let it cure in the fridge overnight.. ( 12 hours)

The next day, I rinse the fish to remove all cure...

I dry the slabs and hang in the smokehouse...

I use a blend of alder and apple wood. Keep the smoke light. If I can smell the smoke, I know it's working. It doesn't take a ton of billowy smoke to treat the meat..
The canning process intensifies the smoke flavor so only a couple of hours of cold smoke are needed.  I keep the smoke temperature under 80F for salmon. In this case, the weather was 45F so that worked out just fine.

The fish turns a rich color while smoking...

Ready for the canning process...

I remove the smoked meat from the skin of the fish...

For each 1/2 pint jar, I add 1 tsp of oil, a sliver of onion....and some of the jars received a slice of  jalapeno...

I fill hot sterilized jars with the smoked salmon, then add my oil, onion and peppers...

I keep my lids hot...

After filling each jar, I wipe the rim with a towel that has been dipped in white vinegar. This helps clean the rim of the jar and it removes any oil which would prevent the jar from sealing..

Place the lids and screw bands on and they are ready for pressure canning..

 I add 3 quarts of water and a splash of white vinegar to my pressure canner. (follow the instructions on your canner)..

I am able to get 24-1/2 pints into my canner...

For my altitude, I pressure can for 100 minutes at 12lbs of pressure. (check the instructions for your area)

I let the jars cool on the counter overnight. Check to see if they are sealed before storing..

Right off the bat I had to have a taste test!
Made some smoked salmon, deviled, duck eggs from my Blue Swede duck...

Then some smoked salmon, cream cheese dip for snacking...
I can make a meal out of these.

I've been enjoying smoked salmon, caper, onion, cream cheese bagels for breakfast....

Puff pastry, cream cheese, smoked salmon, asparagus bites...

Good ole smoked salmon patties, rolled in panko and fried til golden.... with a spicy sriracha sauce..

....and my favorite. Smoked salmon lasagna...
 I layer smoked salmon and lasagna noodles with a creamy sauce. I'll make a post about this one soon!

This stuff is creamy, gooey and tasty!

I've made this so often, I know that 6 sides of salmon will be enough to fill 24-1/2 pint jars. So I just smoke the 6 sides at a time. There is usually a small amount of smoked salmon left over after filling the jars for canning. I just cook it for supper while the canner is running.
24 jars lasts me a good while.

I'm getting a lot of use out of the smoked salmon. It's nice to have on hand! The jalapenos didn't add much heat to the jars, I will add more next time (if I use them again). I kind of like having regular ole smoked salmon in the jars, I can spice it up later if I want.

The weather is still on the mild side here. Yesterday the temperature reached 80F. That's unheard of for this time of the year.  I know many are getting hit with storms, rain and snow. It would be nice to be able to take some of that moisture off your hands. 

The cows are still calving. All is going well with the other critters. I have some of my garden seeds planted in the house, I'm ready for spring!
Hope everyone is healthy and happy. Thanks for stopping by!