Welcome to “Putting
Up” With Jeanne
is devoted to canning
and preserving the fruits and veggies of our harvests. If you
are a newbie to canning, go right out and get yourself the “bible
of canning”! It is a good resource for beginner and experienced
canners as well.
The Ball Blue Book
It's about $5.00 and available at most grocery stores - if not,
order one from the:
Alltrista Corporation
Post Office Box 2729
Muncie, Indiana 47307-0729 |
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Read and follow the instructions carefully
and you will have no problems. A lot of people get into trouble
because they don't bother with the proper sterilization techniques
or omit processing in either a water bath canner or a pressure
canner. You cannot take short cuts. I can several hundred jars
each year as they are part of my Christmas gifts and because
I do things the proper way, no one has ever gotten ill or died
from botulism.
There is nothing more wonderful than opening up a jar of homemade
strawberry preserves for your morning toast on a February day
when the snow is up to your eyeballs. Canning your own produce
using your own herbs is fantastic. You know that there is nothing
artificial in the product....things you cannot even pronounce.
It is healthier for you. Besides, there is just this sense of
satisfaction that cannot be duplicated when you look in your
cabinet or pantry and see rows of beautiful jars of every color
in the rainbow beckoning you to "Open
Me First".
Click
here for a great selection and the best canning Links on the
Net!
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JEANNE’S
GREEN TOMATO RELISH
20-25
lbs. solid hard totally green tomatoes
10-12 lbs. onions
4 large green peppers
4 large sweet red peppers
4 large sweet orange peppers
4 large sweet yellow peppers
1 container Morton’s Pickling Salt (DO NOT USE table or Kosher
salt)
2-3 gallons white vinegar
2 quarts Cider vinegar
5 lbs. white sugar
1/2 cup mixed pickling spice
8 Bay Leaves
2-4 Dried Hot Peppers (if you like it spicy – add more)
Cheesecloth and kitchen string
Wash very hard totally green tomatoes in cold water. Drain and
dry with paper towels. Core and cut into bite-sized chunks.
Start layering them into a very large stockpot. Sprinkle well
with pickling salt. Continue layering tomatoes and salt until
all are used up. Cover with a clean dish white cotton dishcloth.
Let sit in a draft-free sight for 2-4 hours. The pickling salt
draws moisture from the hard tomatoes. If it is a very warm
day, 2 hours is sufficient to soften tomatoes a bit. Rinse in
cold water at least twice. Drain well. Divide into 2 large stockpots.
Slice onions. Divide equally into each stockpot. Wash sweet
peppers, dry with paper towel, seed them, and cut into slices.
Divide equally between two stockpots.
Pour 1 quart of cider vinegar into each stockpot. Pour one gallon
white vinegar into each part. The extra gallon can be divided
equally between each stockpot (if needed to cover veggies completely).
Add 2-1/2 lbs. white sugar to each stockpot. Stir well.
Onto a quadrupled square of cheesecloth place ¼ cup mixed pickling
spice, ½ the dried hot peppers, and four of the bay leaves.
Gather up the corners and tie with kitchen string. Place one
spice ball into each stockpot. Sink it down towards the middle.
Stir ingredients in each stockpot well.
Cover and bring to a boil on high heat. Once it comes to a boil,
turn down heat and simmer about 30 to 45 minutes until tomatoes
are tender but not mushy.
Meanwhile, sterilize 12 to 15 quart mason jars and lids and
bands according to manufacturer’s recommendations.
Remove and discard spice balls. With slotted spoon fill each
jar with veggie mixture packing down with plastic knife to remove
air pockets. Cover with hot brine within one inch of top (headroom).
Wipe rims with clean wet cloth and place sterilized lid on each
jar. Screw on sterilized band tightly.
Process in boiling water bath for 20 minutes (timer begins after
water comes to a rolling boil. Remove with jar tongs and place
on kitchen counter covered with old terry cloth towels (I use
two old bath towels) to cushion them. The best sound you will
hear is “pling” “pling” “pling” which means the jars have sealed.
Cool overnight. Check seals. Wash jars in cool water. Dry and
label them. Yield: 12 to 15 quarts. Sounds like a lot but once
you have tried them, they won’t last long.
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JEANNE’S
HOT PEPPERS
Variety of Hot Peppers
Vinegar to Cover (about 1 to 1-1/2 pints per jar)
2 to 3 cloves of peeled garlic per jar
1 tsp. Red Pepper flakes per jar
2 whole bay leaves per jar
IMPORTANT NOTE: Always wear
disposable rubber gloves when handling Hot Peppers. Do
not touch face. Dispose of used gloves when finished.
Wash peppers and leave whole if small. If large peppers, cut
into smaller pieces. Place into sterilized quart mason jars.
Sterilize jars and lids and bands according to manufacturer’s
recommendations. Add garlic, bay leaves and red pepper flakes.
In a stock pot bring vinegar to a boil. Pour into jars packing
down with plastic knife to remove air pockets. Cover with
hot brine within one inch of top (headroom). Wipe rims with
clean wet cloth and place sterilized lid on each jar. Screw
on sterilized band tightly.
Process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes (timer begins
after water comes to a rolling boil. Remove with jar tongs
and place on kitchen counter covered with old terry cloth
towels (I use two old bath towels) to cushion them. The best
sound you will hear is “pling” “pling” “pling” which means
the jars have sealed. Cool overnight. Check seals. Wash jars
in cool water. Dry and label them.
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JEANNE’S
SUN-DRIED TOMATOES IN OIL
Sun-dried tomatoes
Olive oil to cover
1 Tbs. Capers per jar
1 Tbs. Garlic chopped fine per jar
1 Tbs. Parsley or any other fresh herb (s) minced per jar
Fill sterilized Mason jar with sun-dried tomatoes, capers,
garlic and chopped herbs. Cover with Olive Oil. Cover with
a sterilized lid and screw band. Set on a counter for two
weeks.
Use as an appetizer; add to homemade pizza or garlic bread,
or use in any recipe that calls for sun-dried tomatoes.
(Note: recipe makes as many jars as
you have sun-dried tomatoes because you simply add 1 Tbs.
each of the other ingredients and then cover completely
with olive oil.)
NOTE: Unless you are
making more than a jar or two, you don’t have to process
this. For large batches, I would process these in a water
bath canner for 20 minutes.
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A Few Of
My Favorite Links!
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Web ReDesign MFWP101.com
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