Rhubarb Jam

Ingredients:

5 cups prepared chopped rhubarb

5 cups sugar

½ tsp. butter or margarine

2 pouches Liquid Pectin (1box)

 4 drops red food coloring

Cooking Instructions:

Cook rhubarb over low heat until tenders.  Add sugar; stir. Add butter to reduce foaming. Bring to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in pectin. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 min., stirring constantly. Remove from heat and skim any foam. Stir in food coloring.  Place in sterilized jars with new lids.  Process 10 minutes in hot water bath.

Yields 8 cups

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

Ingredients:

4 c. strawberries
2 c. chopped rhubarb
1/4 c. lemon juice
1 pkg. powdered pectin
5 1/2 c. sugar

Cooking Instructions:

Crush strawberries in pot. Add rhubarb, lemon juice and pectin. Bring to a boil. Add sugar all at once. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and skim any foam. Pack into jars leaving 1/4 inch space at the top. Place in sterilized jars with new lids.  Process 10 minutes in hot water bath.

 Yields about 8 cups.

Rhubarb Lime Ginger Jam

Ingredients:
4 cups rhubarb

1 Lime, juiced

Zest of 1 Lime
2 Tablespoons minced fresh ginger
4 drops red food color
1 package powdered pectin
5 cups sugar
Cooking Instructions:
Chop rhubarb into 1/2 inch chunks. Place in large stock pot and cook over low until rhubarb is soft. Add ginger, lime zest, lime juice and pectin; cook over high heat, stirring constantly until mixture reaches a full rolling boil (cannot be stirred down). Add sugar all at once, and bring back to a full rolling boil. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 full minutes. Remove from heat and add food color. Place in sterilized jars with new lids.  Process 10 minutes in hot water bath.

Yields about 6 ½ Cups

Rhubarb Ginger Jam

Ingredients:
4 cups rhubarb
2 Tablespoons minced fresh ginger
4 drops red food color
1 package powdered pectin
5 cups sugar
Cooking Instructions:
Chop rhubarb into 1/2 inch chunks. Place in large stock pot and cook over low until rhubarb is soft. Add ginger and pectin; cook over high heat, stirring constantly until mixture reaches a full rolling boil (cannot be stirred down). Add sugar all at once, and bring back to a full rolling boil. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 full minutes. Remove from heat and add food color. Place in sterilized jars with new lids.  Process 10 minutes in hot water bath.

Yields about 6 ½ Cups

Apple Pie Filling

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Bushel of Apples + a couple more Apples that are good for pies.  I prefer tart so I use Haralsons.
• Lemon Juice (3 Tablespoons per Jar)
• 4 1/2 Cups White Sugar
• 1 Cup Cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 10 cups water

Directions:

1. Cook the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and water until thick.  I start on low while I am peeling, coring and slicing the apples.  Then I turn to medium and turn occasionally until thick.
2. Peel, Core and Slice apple.  I use the Pampered Chef Apple Corer, Peeler, Slicer.  If using this cut the slices in quarters.  Put in bowl.
3. Put 3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice in each jar.
4. Put Apples in jars until just over 1/2 full.  Be sure to pack the apples.
5. Pour syrup over apples in jar until the apples are covered.  Do not fill jar with syrup.
6. Fill to the neck of the jar with remaining apples packing tightly.
7. Put lids and rings on jars.
8. Process in hot water bath for 20 minutes.

These will not seal immediately.  Set on cooling rack and do not touch until completely cooled.

Makes 7 quarts.

Jalapeño Jam - Blue Ribbon 2010 Carver County Fair

I realize that I have posted pepper jam as an ingredient in a couple of my recipes.  You can find pepper jam in most grocery stores.  I actually can my own Jalapeño Jam and Raspberry Jalapeño Jam.  Both of these are great as an appetizer with the Jam served over Cream Cheese.  You can serve with crackers.

Jalapeño Jam

Ingredients:
4 Large Green Bell Peppers
14 Medium Jalapeño Peppers (be sure to use rubber gloves when working with peppers)
1/2 Fresh Lemon Juice
1 Cup Cider Vinegar
6 Cups Sugar
6 oz Liquid Pectin (both of the pouches that come in the pectin box)

Seed and grind the peppers in a food processor or blender.  Combine with lemon juice, vinegar and sugar in heavy stock pot.  Bring to a rolling boil (a boil that will not stop when stirred) and boil for about 15 minutes, stirring constantly.  Add the pectin and boil for 3-5 minutes more.  Remove from heat and add green food coloring if desired (note:  if entering into any competitions, food coloring is not allowed).  Skim foam and pour into prepared hot jars.  Adjust lids and rings.  Process 10 minutes in a hot water bath.

Notes:

• This may take a couple of weeks to set up.  
• I have never used powdered pectin, only liquid pectin for this recipe.  I would not suggest using powdered pectin, as it may not set up.  
• If you have a lot of foam, you can add up to a teaspoon of real butter, this will help reduce the foam.  
• If you are not entering in any competitions, I would suggest adding green food coloring.  You can get an outstanding green color using food coloring.  
• Only use 12oz or smaller jars.  It will not set up with pint size or larger jars.

Green Tomato Salsa - Reserve Champion 2010 Carver County Fair

This recipe one the Blue Ribbon for the "Any other Sauce" lot of the Relish/Sauce class at the 2010 Carver County Fair.  It also won Reserve Champion in the overall Relish/Sauce class.

It is a great way to use up any of your green tomatoes when you are cleaning up your garden in the fall.

Ingredients:
4 Cups Chopped Green Tomatoes
2 Cups Chopped and Seeded Sweet Peppers (Anaheim, Banana, Red Bell, Yellow Bell)
1 Cup Chopped and Seeded Jalapeños (approx 1/2lb = 1 Cup Chopped)
1 Cup Chopped Onion (I usually use sweet)
2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
1 1/2 Cup Cider Vinegar
3 Cloves Chopped Garlic
Cilantro to taste
Sugar to taste

Chop and place all ingredients in saucepan.  Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.  Pour salsa into hot prepared jars.  Adjust 2 piece lid and rings.  Process in hot water bath for 30 minutes.  Makes about 5 pints.

Corn Relish

I have never and will never can plain sweet corn, as I do not have a pressure canner.  To be honest, pressure canners scare the heck out of me and I will never own one.  With that being said, if you add ingredients that are high enough in acid you are able to can corn in a hot water bath.  Vinegar is very high in acid.  I found a recipe in Better Homes and Gardens and adapted it to my own tastes.  It turned out great.  Today, I took what was left and would not fit in a jar and we ate it with tortilla chips.

This is great with my cornmeal crusted walleye.  It is also good with quesadillas, hot dogs or burgers.

Makes 8 pints or 16 half pint jars.  I used mostly 1/2 pint jars.

Ingredients:
12 Cups Corn cut off cob - About 20-22 ears
2 1/2 Cups Chopped Celery
1 1/2 Cups Chopped Sweet Red Peppers (About 2 peppers)
1 1/2 Cups Chopped Sweet Green Peppers (About 2 peppers)
2 Cups Chopped Sweet Onion (About 1 1/2 Onions)
2 1/2 Cups Vinegar
1 3/4 Cups Sugar
4 teaspoons dry mustard (also known as ground mustard)
3 teaspoons pickling salt (only use pickling salt)
2 teaspoons celery seed
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 Tablespoons water

• With the corn still in the husks, cut off the top end down to the top of the corn.  Break off the bottom and remove about 1/2 of the husks.
• Microwave 3 ears at a time for 3 minutes.
• Remove the husks and silk from cooked corn.  Use a clean vegetable brush to remove all of the silk.  
• Cut corn off of ear using a sharp butchers knife into a bowl.  I use an upside down bowl in a bigger bowl to set the corn on when I am cutting.  
• At the same time, I am microwaving the next 3 ears of corn.
• As the bowl of corn fills up, I measure it out and put in a big stock pot, at least 10 quarts in size.
• When all the corn is cut off the cob and in the stock pot, add all of the ingredients except the cornstarch and water.  
• Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally for 7 minutes, after the boiling has begun.
• Put the water and cornstarch in a plastic container with a tight sealing lid.  Shake the heck out of it to blend the cornstarch and water.
• Add the mixture to the corn and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
• Pack into prepared jars leaving 1/2 headspace.  Only fill the amount of jars that your water bath can hold.  Put the left over corn mixture back on a low stove and stir frequently.
• Put the rings and lids on jars
• Process for 15 minutes.
• Remove and let cool.
• Repeat until all of the corn is in jars and sealed.

Zucchini Relish - Grand Champion 2010 Carver County Fair

The Ball Blue Book  - guide to preserving is a must have for canning.  I adapted this recipe from the Ball Blue Book.

9 Medium Zucchini - Chopped
3 Medium Sweet Onions - Chopped
2 Medium Sweet Red Peppers - Chopped
3 Medium Sweet Green Peppers - Chopped
6 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
5 Cups Sugar
6 teaspoons celery seed
3 teaspoons mustard seed
3 cups cider vinegar

Combine zucchini, onions and peppers in a large bowl with a cover.  Sprinkle with salt and cover with water.  Put cover on bowl and put in frig overnight.  Drain and rinse.  Drain completely.
Put sugar, celery seed, mustard seed and vinegar in large stock pot.  Bring to boil; add vegetables and simmer for about 20 minutes.  Put relish in hot jars.  Remove are bubbles.  Put on lids and rings.  Process in hot water bath for 10 minutes.  Remove and let cool.

Essentials for Canning

It is the first of August.  The gardens are now producing awesome vegetables.  The taste of the fresh vegetable can not compare to that which you can buy in the store.  I love this taste in the long winter months, so I can what I can this time of year.  Canning is very simple, but there are many tedious steps to do it.  Prepping is the hard part, while the canning itself is very simple.  I am planning on canning different zucchini recipes and will post them when I am done.  But before you try canning, you need to have the right equipment.  Here are some of the essentials for canning.

The canner:  I only use a hot water bath canner.  I do not use a pressure canner.  What does this mean?  It means that I only can foods that are high in acidity.  Foods that are low in acidity require a pressure canner.  In a hot water bath canner, the high is transferred to the product by the boiling water which must completely surround the jars and 2 piece caps.  A temp of 212 F is reached and must be maintained for the time in the recipe.  This destroys molds, yeasts and bacteria and also inactivevates enzymes.  I can pickles, jellies, relishes and tomato based products using the hot water bath canner.  I do not can green beans, corn or peas, which require a pressure canner.

Salts - There are so many salts to choose from.  When canning, you only want to use canning salt,  table salt has additives which may turn your canning brown.

Jars - Only use jars that are sterilized.  I wash and sanitize my jars in the dishwasher.

Vinegars - If a recipe calls for either white vinegar or cider vinegar, use the vinegar that the recipes states.  If a recipe calls for vinegar, you may use either one.

Canning Utensils - Bubble remover, funnel, jar lifter and lid wand

• Bubble remover - Use this tool before putting lids on jars to remove any air bubbles
• Funnel - Use this tool to aid in putting product in jar
• Jar Lifter - Use this tool to remove jars from hot water canner after processing is complete.
• Lid Wand - Use this tool to remove lids from the hot water that is used to sterilize.