Canning
General canning tips:
Make sure canning jars do not have nicks or cracks on the sealing surfaces.
Wash jars in hot, soapy water. Rinse. Leave jars hot until needed. Place
lids in saucepan filled with water and place on stove to simmer. Keep hot
until ready to use. Use fresh fruits and vegetables. Follow the
instruction booklet for the Pressure Canner or Hot Water Bath Canner
that you are using. Low acid foods must be canned under pressure.
High acid foods, like tomatoes and most fruits, can be canned using the
Hot Water Bath method.
Applesauce
apples
Peel, core and quarter apples. Cook down, using water as needed. You can add sugar if you like. I usually don't because many recipes call for unsweetened applesauce. Pour hot applesauce into hot canning jars leaving 1/2 inch head space. Run a knife down the side of the jar to release air bubbles. Wipe rim and top with hot lid and screw on the band. Hot Water bath for 20 minutes.
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Canned Blackberries
Wash berries. Place 1/4 cup sugar per each quart of berries in a heavy bottomed pan. Let stand 1 hour, then cook on low to boiling point, stirring gently until sugar is dissolved. Pour into sterilized jars. Add a little boiling water if necessary to cover berries, to 1/2" from top. Seal. Hot water bath 15
minutes. Perfect for cobblers and to thicken as pie filling.
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Canned Green Beans
green beans
salt
Snap beans, break and wash beans. Pour a little bit of boiling water in hot canning jar. Pack with beans to within 1 inch from top of jar. Use 1/2
teaspoon salt per pint. Pour boiling water up to 1 inch mark. Wipe rim of jar. Place hot lid on jar and screw the band on - not too tightly. Place jar in Pressure Canner, filled with about 2 inches water. After canner is full, follow the canning instructions and process pints 20 minutes and quarts 25 minutes under 10 pounds of pressure.
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Canned Peaches
peaches
sugar
Dip peaches in boiling water for a few seconds. Peel, pit and cut in half. Place halves, cut side down in hot jars. Make a syrup with sugar and water. For a light syrup use 2 cups sugar per quart of water. For extra light use 1 cup sugar per quart. Pour syrup over peaches, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Use a knife to run down the side of the jar to release any air bubbles. Wipe rim of jar, place hot lid on top and screw on the band - not too tightly. Process pints for 25 minutes and quarts for 30 minutes using the Hot Water Bath method. After processing, remove jars from canner and place on a towel to cool.
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Canned Tomatoes
tomatoes
salt
lemon juice
Dip tomatoes in a pan of boiling water for a few seconds. Place in sink and let cold water run over the tomatoes. Core, peel and quarter. Place in large pan and cook for a bit. Place hot tomatoes into hot canning jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Use 1/2 teaspon salt & 1 tablespoon lemon juice per pint. Wipe of the rim of the jar. Place hot lid on jar & place band on the jar. Hot water bath about 20 minutes.
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Chili Sauce
24 large tomatoes
2 medium onions -- chopped
2 medium bell peppers -- cored and chopped
1 hot pepper -- cored and chopped
1 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon salt
1 Tablespoon celery seed
2 tablespoons pickling spice
1 1/2 cups vinegar
Peel, core and chop tomatoes. Add other ingredients. Cook 1 - 2 hours until thickened. Pur into hot canning jars. Wipe rim, seal and place on the band. Hot water bath for 15 minutes.
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Cinnamon Cucumber Pickles
cucumbers
1 1/2 cups pickling lime
1 Tablespoon alum
10 cups sugar
red food coloring
2 cups vinegar
2
cups water
10 oz. bag of red hots
4 Tablespoons pickling spice or 8 cinnamon sticks
1st day: Peel & slice cucumbers to about 1/2" thick. Remove seeds, like apple rings. Put in gallon glass jar. Mix 1 1/2 c. lime with some water and pour over cucumbers. Pour in enough water to cover completely. Cover. Soak 24 hours.
2nd day: Drain cucumbers. Pour lime water outside. DO NOT POUR DOWN THE DRAIN!!! Cover with cold water and soak 3 hours, then drain. Mix 1 c. vinegar, 1 small bottle red food coloring, 1 T. alum and enough water to cover cucumbers. Heat to simmer on low for 3 hours. Pour off. Make a syrup of: 2 c. vinegar, 2 c. water, 10 c. sugar, 8 sticks of cinnamon or pickling spice tied up in a bag, 1 10oz. pkg. red hot cinnamon candy. Bring to a boil, making sure candy is dissolved. Remove from heat and pour over cucumbers (back in jar). Let set overnight.
3rd day: Pour off syrup. Heat & boil and pour back over cucumbers.
4th day: Heat syrup & cucumbers to a boil. Pack in hot jars with syrup and seal.
You
may want to hot water bath for a few minutes.
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Cucumber Pickles
Cucumbers
1 1/2 cups pickling lime
7 cups sugar
1 quart vinegar (5% acidity)
4 Tablespoons pickling spice
Cut off ends of cucumbers. Slice cucumbers thin. Place slices in gallon jar. Mix lime in enough water to cover cucumbers. Soak for 24 hours. Strain. Do not pour into the
drain in the kitchen sink, but rather pour the lime water in the garden or elsewhere. Soak cucumbers in fresh
water for 4 hours, changing the water every hour. Drain. Make syrup out of the vinegar and sugar. Place pickling spice into a strip of
cheesecloth and tie it up. Place in the syrup. Bring to a boil and pour over cucumbers. Let stand overnight. Next day, bring cucumbers and syrup to a boil and cook for 1 hour. Pack into hot canning jars. Seal.
You may want to hot water bath for a few minutes.
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Dill Pickles
cucumbers
3 cups cider vinegar
1/2 cup plain salt
garlic
dill
Soak cucumbers in ice water. Get jars hot. Place 1 piece dill weed and 1 section of garlic in bottom of hot jar. Cut cucumbers in strips or in slices. Pack in hot jars. Place 1 garlic section and 1piece dill weed on top. Heat vinegar, water & salt. Pour boiling vinegar mixture over the top of cucumbers. Seal. Place in cool, dry place for 6-8 weeks. Enjoy.
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Mexican Salsa
5 lbs. ripe tomatoes
3 cups onions -- chopped
1 1/4 cups peppers -- chopped
1 cup cilantro -- chopped
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup lime juice
6 cloves garlic
1 Tablespoon salt
Dip and skin tomatoes. Place a few at a time into a food processor. Pulse, just to chop. Do not process so long that it makes pulp. Peel and chop the other vegetables and garlic. [ Use peppers of your choice. For mild salsa, use a small bell pepper and one jalapeno. For hot salsa use several jalapenos, & salsa peppers. You may use red, yellow, or green peppers - a mixture of chili peppers, jabanero, banana peppers, etc. Peel and seed peppers, then chop. You may leave in the seeds for a hotter salsa.] Stir in the other ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 30 minutes, or longer if you want it thicker. Fill hot jars to within 1/2 from the top. Place hot lids on jars and screw bands on firmly. Hot water bath for 15 minutes. Makes about 5 pints.
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Salsa
10 lbs. tomatoes
6 cups chopped onions
2 cups seeded, chopped chili peppers
2 cups snipped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup lime juice
4 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons plain salt
Peel & core tomatoes. Chop. Mix with other ingredients. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat & simmer about 30 minutes, or until it reaches desired thickness. Fill hot pint jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Hot water bath 15 minutes.
NOTE : I sometimes use a mixture of peppers - jalapenos, salsa, bell, or whatever combination you like for the desired hotness or mildness. You can just use less peppers if you want it milder.