VonThun Farms

Cook With Fresh Pumpkin!

Cindy — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:56:48 +0000

Once you go fresh, you’ll never go back!

A lot of recipes call for canned pumpkin, but…did you know that you can replace canned pumpkin for fresh pumpkin, even if a recipe calls for canned?

Pumpkins are easy to handle and cook once you know how. Here are some methods that we’ve found helpful. A lot of these are tips that have been passed on to us from friends and family.

Once the pumpkin is cooked, simply use a food processor or blender to whip it into a pumpkin puree.

You can store unused portions of the pumpkin puree in the refrigerator, or freeze in ziplock bags until you are ready to use it.

If you compare fresh pumpkin to canned pumpkin (sight, smell, and taste), you will definitely choose fresh everytime. When it is so easy to make, why wouldn’t you?

Fresh Pumpkin Cooking Option #1: The Oven

Cut the pumpkin open and scoop out the seeds. Place pumpkin halves facedown in a baking dish. Add 1/2″ of water to pan: this helps keep the pumpkin flesh moist.

Bake at 450º until you can pierce the skin with a fork (about 45 minutes to an hour).

Scoop flesh out of shell with a spoon.

Fresh Pumpkin Cooking Option #2: The Microwave

Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds. Cut the pumpkin into large chunks (so it will fit in microwave), leaving skin on. Place pumpkin chunks in a shallow, microwave-safe dish with a lid (or cover with plastic wrap).

Spray the cut pumpkin surfaces with cooking spray, and cover. Cook on high for 15 minutes, or until tender (feels soft and cooked).

Alternately, you can add water to the dish, eliminating the spray, to keep the pumpkin from drying out.

Fresh Pumpkin Cooking Option #3: The Stovetop

Cut the pumpkin in half, scooping out the seeds. Then, cut pumpkin into large chunks, but leave the skin on.

Place chunks in a large steamer basket (or a colander placed inside a dutch oven, with water on the bottom). Steam for 20 minutes, or until the pumpkin is tender.

Jack-O-Lantern Pumpkins Are For Spookin’, Not Cookin’!

The jack-O’-lantern type pumpkins are not that great for cooking. The smaller ones, called Sugar Pumpkins, or the lighter, flatter ones called Cheese Pumpkins, are the ones to use in recipes. They have a better taste. You can use any kind of pumpkin to cook with, but you will get a much better taste with Sugar or Cheese Pumpkins.

If you have ever cleaned out a jack-o-lantern, you know that they are pretty hollow on the inside…thats because its grown for the shell to carve into. Sugar and cheese pumpkins are grown for the insides and have a thicker shell packed all the way through with pulp.

Don’t Throw Out The Seeds!

Pumpkin seeds taste great, plus they are really good for you. You can add these yummy seeds to salads, or keep them handy for a healthy snack.

There are two great methods for cooking pumpkin seeds. These methods are both easy and quick.

BUT–Before you set off to cook your seeds, the first thing you want to do is wash them well. Put them in a strainer, then rinse under running water. Make sure you remove all of the pumpkin strings. Once the seeds are clean, blot them dry.

Egg Drop Results

Cindy — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 22:19:30 +0000

The Kendall Park Volunteer Fire Company Ladies Auxillary worked with the Brothers Helping Brothers Firefighter Organization and sponsored a ‘Fun, Fire Egg Drop’ that was held in conjunction with the Firefighters Weekend, here at the farm, on Saturday & Sunday, September 26th & 27th.

3 Grand Prizes Were Awarded!

1 FLAT SCREEN TELEVISION (Memorex 19″ Class/720p/LCD HDTV valued at $230)
—–Won by Tim, South Brunswick, NJ

2 APPLE - iPOD SHUFFLES (2GB* MP3 Player – Silver – Valued at $75 each)
—–Won by Liam, Princeton, NJ
AND—–Won by Rob, Woodbridge, NJ

Thank you to all those who participated and supported Brothers Helping Brothers!

Try It Again!!

Brothers Helping Brothers will be hosting an Egg Drop each weekend throughout October! Stop by to visit with the firemen, view their bucket ladder truck, and, for 4 tickets, participate in the Egg Drop. They’ll supply the materials…you build a carton for your egg, and keep your fingers crossed while it is taken UP high (is 30 feet high enough?! If not, the ladder can go to 75 feet!) and dropped. If your egg breaks, well…try again. If your egg survives, you’ll receive a FREE Corn MAiZE ticket! Proceeds will benefit the families of those NJ firefighters killed or injured in the line of duty.

Corn MAiZE ‘09!

Cindy — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 19:29:45 +0000

NJ’s Most Fun, Interactive Corn MAiZE!

Visit our MAiZE this fall and you’ll find yourself
Lost, Laughing, and Loving it!

Whether you choose to do the entire 5+ acre MAiZE or just Phase I (which is about half) this year’s Corn MAiZE promises to be tons of FUN for all!

Our 2009 MAiZE benefits the Brother’s Helping Brothers Firefighter Organization.

Click here to view our Corn MAiZE page for additional MAiZE information.

U-Pick Apples

Cindy — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 22:15:52 +0000

Our U-Pick Apple Orchard will open for the season on Sunday, September 13th!

When you plan your day out at the farm this fall, be sure to schedule some time to Pick-Your-Own apples! From mid-September and well into October, VonThun Farms Pick-Your-Own orchard is open everyday, including weekends. The apple varieties are planted in blocks so that they are easy to identify and find. The dwarf trees are tied onto a wire trellis and kept short so all the apples are easy to pick from the ground. No ladders or long poles are needed.

Our apples got plenty of water this year from Mother Nature’s rains, so rest assured that our apples are juicy, crisp and delicious–and plentiful too!!

All apples are great for eating and cooking. So pick lots–put the apples in your refrigerator at home to keep them crisp and juicy. Make pies and apple sauce–put an apple in each lunch box. Get in the habit of eating a crisp, delicious apple at three in the afternoon each day. It relieves stress and gives a lift to carry you through your day! It adds fiber to your diet and very few calories.

Pick-Your-Own apples at VonThun’s are sold by weight–you pay for what you pick. Our employees can often be seen picking in the orchard, as we also sell our homegrown apples in our Farm Market.

VonThun Farm’s apples stay crisp and crunchy when stored properly at home

–Refrigerate in the cripser section….it’s that simple!

–Cool air maintains quality, juciness and crispness. Apples stored at room temperature deteriorate ten times faster than refrigerated apples.

–Handle apples gently to prevent bruising.

–Don’t store apples with broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumbes, leafy greens, lettuce or spinach. Apples give off ethylene gas that can damage these vegetables. This same gas will speed the ripening of bananas, kiwis, peaches, plums and pears. These fruits, placed in a paper bag with an apple will help them ripen much quicker.

Our Pick-Your-Own Apple Varieties:

Cameo…

What’s it like? Tart/sweet flavor; crispy.
Best Uses: Fresh eating, excellent for salads pies, sauce, baking.

Fuji…

What’s it like? Very sweet, very juicy, very hard and crisp; cream colored flesh.
Best Uses: Excellent for eating and salads.
Special Hints: Fuji apples have a long storage life.

Gala…

What’s it like? Mildly sweet, juicy; bright yellow-red color with creamy-yellow flesh.
Best Uses: Fresh eating and desserts.
Special Hints: Better eaten raw than cooked, a favorite in lunch boxes!

Golden Delicious…

What’s it like? Mild, sweet flavor, juicy, crisp; light yellow flesh.
Best Uses: Excellent for eating, sauce, and salads. Good for pies, baking, and freezing.
Special Hints: You can cut down the sugar in pies and sauces made from this variety because it is so sweet.

Mutsu…

What’s it like? Dense, firm, crispy, and very juicy; creamy- white coarse flesh.
Best Uses: Fresh eating.

Nittany…

What’s it like? Very sweet, crisp taste; creamy yellow flesh.
Best Uses: Great for baking.
Special Hints: Developed by scientists at Penn State University. Wegmans is the only retailer to carry them.

Stayman…

What’s it like? Tart, hard and crisp; white colored flesh. Everyone’s favorite fall apple!
Best Uses: Excellent for eating, sauce, baking and pies.
Special Hints: Long storage life.

Suncrisp…

What’s it like? Juicy, very crisp, tart/spicy taste; yellowish-white flesh.
Best Uses: Best for cooking.
Special Hints: The tart taste mellows with storage.

Valuable Coupons

Cindy — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:29:52 +0000

SUPER COUPONS!
Choose the coupon you wish to use…you can only use one!

Print this page and bring to the Farm for your super savings!

These coupons will be honored through October 31 or while supplies last.
One coupon per visit, please

ONE FREE MUM
With the purchase of 2 or more
homegrown hardy field mums

(Must be of equal or lesser value)

—or—

FALL FESTIVAL ADMISSION

Buy 1 Festival Ticket, Get the 2nd Free!

Limit 4 free admissions.

Homegrown Sweet Corn

Cindy — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 02:51:57 +0000

Now available in our Farm Market!

The season is finally here! Since this season had a late start, we’re sure it will have an equally late finish! So far, the corn has been deliciously sweet. We grow white corn and bi-colored corn…yellow corn is a thing of the past. If you ask which is sweeter or more flavorful, the answer will depend on who you ask…because it really is a matter of personal preference.

Although there’s many ways to cook corn, we suggest a QUICK boil. Bring your water to a boil, and drop your corn in. Set your timer…because you ONLY want the corn in the water for a short time–3 minutes for just a few ears, 5 minutes for quite a few. The quick boil will cook the corn, but still retain the flavor. Boil for more than 5 minutes and you won’t be happy with the flavor!

Another way to cook the corn is in the microwave. Husk the corn. Wrap each ear individually in cellophane. Put them in the microwave and cook on high for 1 minute per ear. Flip each ear over and microwave for one additional minute per ear. Be careful when taking the corn out of the microwave…it’ll be HOT!

Most people don’t realize how easy it is to freeze sweet corn. It’s simple! Husk the corn, cut it off the cob, put it in a freezer bag, and freeze. You can even skip the cutting process and freeze the whole ear! Buy a dozen ears at a time. Eat some with your dinner and freeze the rest…you’ll be happy that you did this winter! If you feel ambitious, we sell corn by the bag – 55 ears to the bag.

Sweet, Juicy Blackberries

Cindy — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 02:40:24 +0000

Now available for Pick-Your-Own
& in our Farm Market!

Our blackberry season is now in full swing, and there are plenty available! The branches are full of berries…just waiting for you to pick! Fresh blackberries are now available for Pick-Your-Own, and are usually available in our Farm Market.

Be sure to pick the ripe ones…they’re black, not red, and will come off the branch with a gentle tug. If they don’t come off with that gentle tug, they’re not quite ripe yet and they’ll be a little more sour than sweet. They blackberries that virtually fall off the branch when touched will be sweet as sugar…those are the ones you want!! Blackberries freeze wonderfully, just pick them, lay them on a cookie sheet until frozen, and put them in a freezer bag! They’ll be great this winter for pies, baking, or even on your cereal!

Campfire Potatoes

Cindy — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 14:30:42 +0000

5 medium JERSEY FRESH potatoes, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
3/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup butter or margarine, cubed

Place half the potatoes on a large piece of heavy duty foil. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic powder, salt and pepper; dot with butter. Top with the remaining potatoes. Fold foil over and seal tightly. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 30-35 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Freezer Coleslaw

Cindy — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:59:58 +0000

1 large head JERSEY CABBAGE, shredded
3 medium JERSEY CARROTS, shredded
1 medium JERSEY GREEN PEPPER, chopped
1 small JERSEY ONION. chopped
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup cider vinegar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground mustard
1 tsp. celery seed

In a large bowl, combine cabbage, carrots, green pepper, and onion. Add sugar; toss to coat. In a saucepan, combine vinegar, oil, salt, mustard, and celery seed. Bring to a boil. Pour over cabbage mixture; toss to coat. Cover; refrigerate for atleast 2 hours before serving. Coleslaw may be frozen for up to 3 months; remove from freezer 2 hours before serving.

Berry Lemonade Slush

Cindy — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:49:55 +0000

1 pint JERSEY FRESH, sweetened sliced STRAWBERRIES
3/4 cup pink lemonade concentrate
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup ice cubes
1 cup club soda

In a blender, combine strawberries, lemonade concentrate, water and ice cubes. Cover and process until smooth. Pour into a freezer container. Cover and let freeze for atleast 12 hours or up to 3 months. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Stir in club soda and serve.