Canning Crushed Tomatoes

It's not a bad problem to have.  After a tough year in the garden the tomatoes finally started coming from it and from friends/family.  Although I was happy to get them, I didn't have any time to use them.  I washed and cored them, put them on a cookie sheet and popped them in the freezer.  When they were froze, I transferred them to baggies.  Now that the holidays are over I finally have time to can them.  This is how they looked when I took them out.

I let them thaw overnight and what I read was true, the skins do peel right off.

I was excited to use the new stock pot I got for Christmas.  

I added some sauteed onions and green peppers and let it simmer all afternoon.

You could run it through a sieve to remove the seeds, but I'm not monkeying with that this time.  Plus I think it would be more like tomato juice then.

Add 2 tbsp. lemon juice to quart jars.  Fill clean jars to 1/2 headspace.

Removed air bubbles with a rubber spatula and process for 15 minutes.

Done!  I had enough for 5 quarts and 2 baggies to put in the freezer.  Time for chili!

*Always follow safe pressure canning procedures.  

Review your pressure canning manual and the Ball guidelines.

Jalapeno Jelly

We aren't big jam/jelly eaters around here.  BUT, now that we have Jalapeno jelly in the house that has all changed.

This recipe is from the Ball book.
4 1/2 cups finely chopped green bell peppers (about 4 large)
1/2 cup finely chopped jalapeno peppers (about 4 small)
1 1/4 cups cider vinegar
3 Tbsp no/low sugar pectin
2 cups sugar
1 cup honey

I know you're not suppose to 'modify' jam/jelly recipes, but I did.  I only had about a half a cup of honey so I added a 1/2 cup more sugar.  I also threw in a couple extra jalapenos for good measure.

Prepare boiling water canner, jars and lids.

Combine green peppers, jalepenos and vinegar in a large saucepan.  Before I did this I threw the peppers in my food processor.

Bring mixture to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down over high heat, stirring constantly.

Add sugar and honey.  Return mixture to a full rolling boil.  Boil hard for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and skim foam if necessary.  Ladle hot jelly into hot jars leaving 1/4 headspace.  Wipe rim and add lid and band until fingertip-tip tight.

Process filled jars in boiling water canner for 10 minutes  Check seal after 24 hours.

My dear husband has been smearing this on his pork, ham, whatever he has for dinner.  I'm going to pick up some cream cheese and crackers to try with it.

I've been making a lot of jams/jellies this year.  They will be for sale at the Arts 'N More festival in Amboy on September 7th and the Maker Fair in Vernon Center on October 12th, along with other great things!!

Next up on my list....corn cob jelly!

*Always follow safe pressure canning procedures.  

Review your canning manual and the Ball guidelines.

Canning Beef Stew

This recipe is from Ball Canning and Preserving.  We've made this a few times and it's always good.  How could it not be?  With the garden running late, and me getting 49 canning jars for $5 at a garage sale last weekend--I needed to do something!

This recipe made 14 pints (or 7 quarts) with a little left over.

Ingredients:
4-5 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-1/2 inch cubes
1 tbsp vegetable oil
12 cups cubed and peeled potatoes (about 12 medium)
8 cups sliced carrots (about 16 small)
3 cups chopped celery (about 5 stalks)
3 cups chopped onion (about 4 small)  *we don't use this much
1-1/2 tbsp salt
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp pepper
water

Prepare pressure canner.  Simmer lids and prepare jars.

Brown meat in oil in large saucepot.  Add vegetables and seasonings to browned meat.  Cover with boiling water.  Bring stew to a boil. Remove from heat.

This looks like heaven.  

Ladle hot stew into hot jars leaving 1 inch headspace.  Remove air bubbles.  Wipe rims.  Center hot lid on jar, apply band and adjust until fit is figertip tight.

Process filled jars in pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure 1 hour and 15 minutes for pints (1 hour 30 minutes for quarts).  Turn off stove and let pressure go down.  Remove jars and check lids for seals after 24 hours.

*Always follow safe pressure canning procedures.  

Review your pressure canning manual and the Ball guidelines.

Zucchini Bread

This is a recipe my mom e-mailed me in 2009 (thanks, mom).  The recipe is spattered with food, oil, etc., that's how you know it's good!

Ingredients:
3 eggs
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup oil
3 tbsp vanilla
2 cups grated zucchini and peeling
3 cups flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 tsp cinnamon
*optional 1/2 cup nuts

This is the first any only thing I've gotten out of my garden this year (besides herbs)--never mind he's a little deformed.

Grate the zucchini and peeling.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Beat eggs until light and fluffy.  Add the sugar, oil and vanilla.  Beat well.  Add the zucchini, flour, baking powder, salt, soda and cinnamon.  Mix well.  Add nuts.  

I have two secret ingredients for better than normal zucchini bread:   Vietnamese cinnamon and homemade vanilla.

Pour into two greased loaf pans.  Bake 40-45 minutes (mine always takes longer).

This bread freezes really well....if it lasts long enough!

Pesto--chow down right away or freeze for later!

We love Pesto!  

Ingredients:

2 cups firmly packed fresh basil leaves

1/3 cup walnuts or pine nuts (pine nuts are worth the price--so much better)

3 tbs. grated Parmesan

2 small garlic cloves

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Even though my garden is looking rather depressed this year, I am lucky to grow a basil 'tree' every year!

In food processor combine all ingredients except the EVOO.

Pulse until a thick paste forms.

With processor on, add EVOO in a slow stream until mixture is well combined.  

To freeze for later, distribute in ice cube tray.  Press saran wrap tightly over top.

When frozen pop out of tray and put in a Ziploc.

When you want to use it, take out what you want to use (we use 2-3 cubes per meal).  We are usually making pasta so we put a couple in a bowl on the stove to thaw while we are cooking.  I need to make about 10 more batches so we have enough to get through the winter!

Sunshine Rhubarb Juice Concentrate

This is a very tart drink you mix with water, ginger ale, spritzer, vodka, whatever.  From the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving.

12 cups chopped rhubarb
4 cups water
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
Grated zest and juice of 1 orange
1 1/2 cups sugar
(I used the juice of 1 lemon and 1 orange and 1 cup sugar)

Combine the rhubarb, lemon zest, orange zest and water.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat stirring constantly.  I used two pans.

As it cooks down it will start to look 'mushy'.

Transfer to a dampened jelly bag or strainer lined with several lawyers of cheesecloth set over a deep bowl.  Let drip, undisturbed for at least 2 hours.

I read a tip somewhere to hang it up and let it drip longer so I rigged something up with a candle holder!

Meanwhile, prepare water bath canner, jars and lids.
Combine rhubarb juice and sugar.  Heat to medium high to dissolve sugar but do not boil.

Skim off foam.  Ladle into hot jars leaving 1/4" headspace.  Process for 10 minutes.

Beautiful color and the options are limitless.  I can't wait to try a slushie!

*Always follow safe pressure canning procedures.  

Review your pressure canning manual and the Ball guidelines.

Ben's Beans

I'm not sure how I would continue on without this recipe.  This is from a Ben Scoles in the canning group on Facebook.  It is such an awesome group with unique ideas, quick responses and helpful information.

This recipe is so versatile.  As far as I know you can pretty much use any kind of dry bean (pinto, red, navy, black, Lima, etc.) and any kind of spices.  You can also add meat and/or veggies.  I haven't tried that yet.

1.  Fill a large pot with water and heat to boiling.
2.  Put the lids in simmering water.
3.  For each pint add 2/3 cup of dry beans (not presoaked) to a clean, hot jar.
4.  Add your spices to the jar, the sky is the limit.

5.  Fill the jar with boiling water to 1" headspace.  Run a knife through the jar for air bubbles and wipe the rim.

6.  Process at 10 lbs. for 75 minutes.
It's that simple.  This time I did chili beans, black beans and Lima beans (for the first time).

For chili beans I used:
1/2 tsp. dried onion
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
per pint.
These are just an estimate.  You can really add whatever you like.  I just keep experimenting every time I make these.  The chili beans are awesome in chili (obviously), on hot dogs, in burritos, with chips, etc.  You can make refried beans out of the pinto beans.  This list just goes on and on......Enjoy!

*Always follow safe pressure canning procedures.  

Review your pressure canning manual and the Ball guidelines.

A Little About Me!

I like flowers.

Our lab-Ham and cat-Minnie.

Our other cat-Juice.

Our outside cat-Getouttahere.

Orioles!

Just a few of the things that brighten my days :)

Canning Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

Ingredients:
4 cups chopped fresh strawberries
2 cups chopped fresh rhubarb
1/4 cup bottled lemon juice
1 package powdered fruit pectin
5 1/2 cups sugar (yikes!!)

In Dutch oven combine the strawberries, rhubarb and lemon juice.  Stir in pectin.  Bring to a full rolling boil and stir in sugar.  Boil for one minute, stirring constantly.  The one minute thing is important to having the jam 'set'.  You can crush the strawberries and rhubarb while its cooking depending on how chunky you want your jam.

Remove from heat and skim off foam.  Ladle hot mixture into hot, sterilized pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.  Process in boiling water bath canner for 5 minutes.

Enjoy!!!

*Always follow safe pressure canning procedures.  

Review your pressure canning manual and the Ball guidelines.

Canning BBQ Beans

These beans are so good, easy, fast and just plain tasty!

2 lbs. pinto beans
4 cups water
3 tbs. dark molasses
1 tbs. white vinegar
2 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 tsp. dry mustard
1 cup light brown sugar
1 medium red onion, diced

Sort through beans and add to dutch oven with 8 cups of water to cover.  Cook on high until the beans come to a boil for 2 minutes and turn off the heat.

Cover the beans and let them sit for 40 minutes.  Drain the beans through a strainer and add 8 cups of fresh water and red onion.  I didn't use a whole onion and in a pinched used a white one.  Cook beans again for 15 minutes at a full boil.

Sauce:  In another saucepan mix 4 cups of water, molasses, vinegar, salt, mustard and brown sugar to a slow boil.  

Prepare 6 pint jars.  Using a slotted spoon file the jars a little over 3/4 full of the beans and onion mixture.  Ladle the sauce into the jars leaving 1" headspace.  Process the jars and the standard pressure for 75 minutes.

I will wipe the jars off and take off the rings for storage.

This recipe is from http://www.sbcanning.com, a great website for canning and preserving food.

*Always follow safe pressure canning procedures.  

Review your pressure canning manual and the Ball guidelines.

Rhubarb Cake

This is too easy and EVERYONE loves it.  Rhubarb--when we bought our house I didn't know a thing about rhubarb.  Now I make tons of things with it and so many people wanted some this year.

Ingredients:
4 cups rhubarb
3/4 cup sugar
4 cups mini white marshmallows
1 small box strawberry Jello
1 box yellow cake mix
Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat the oven to350 degrees.

Spray 9x12 cake pan with cooking spray.  Spread the chopped rhubarb in the bottom of the pan.  Then add the sugar, jello and marshmallows.

Prepare the cake mix according to directions and pour over the top.  Finally sprinkle topping over the cake mix.  Cook for 40 minutes at 350 degrees.  That's it!

I didn't get a picture before 'somebody' grabbed a fork and dug in!

It's so good warm topped with whip cream.