Canning & Preserving

Apple Butter
Apple Pie Filling
Bread 'n' Butter Pickles
Chow Chow
Homemade Pickling Spice
Peach Jam
Picante Sauce
Raspberry Rhubarb Jam
Save Time Tomatoes
Salsa
Strawberry Freezer Jam
Strawberry Marmalade
Watermelon Rind Pickles
Zucchini Pickles

Apple Butter
4 qt.. apples
2 qt.. apple cider
2 C. sugar
2 C. dark brown syrup
1 t. cinnamon
Boil the cider until reduced to 1 quart. Pare the apples and slice thin. Put the apples into the cider and cook very slowly, stirring frequently, until it begins to thicken. Add sugar, syrup and cinnamon and continue to cook until thick enough to spread when cool. Seal in sterile jars. Makes 5-6 pints.

Apple Pie Filling
1 C. cornstarch
4-1/2 C. sugar
2 t. cinnamon
yellow food coloring
1/2 t. nutmeg
1 t. salt
10 C. water
Mix together cornstarch, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir in 10 C. water. Add food coloring. Cook until thick. Peel and slice apples in jars. Pour thickening over apples. Process 20 minutes. Yield 6-7 quarts.

Bread 'n' Butter Pickles
8 lb. large cucumbers, cut into 1/4" slices
8 large onions, cut into 1/8" slices
4 large green onions, sliced
2/3 C. canning salt
6 C. vinegar
6 C. sugar
2 t. celery seed
2 t. mustard seed
1 t. ground turmeric
In a large container, combine cucumbers, onion, green peppers and salt. Add enough cold water to cover. Chill for 2 hours. Drain and rinse. In a large kettle, combine remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Add cucumber mixture; return to a boil. Ladle hot into jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Adjust lids. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. Yield: 10 pints.

Chow Chow
2 qt.. chopped cabbage
1 qt. chopped green tomatoes
6 large onions, chopped
3 sweet red peppers, chopped
salt
2 lb.. sugar
4 T. dry mustard
3 T. white mustard seed
1-1/2 T. celery seed
1/2 T. ginger
vinegar to cover (about 8 cups)
1 T. cloves
Put each kind of vegetable into a separate bowl and sprinkle a small amount of salt over each. Let stand 4 hours. Press juice from each vegetable and combine. Mix the dry ingredients and rub into a paste by using a small amount of vinegar. Then add all the vinegar and heat to boiling. Put in the vegetables and cook slowly for 20 minutes. Pack in sterile jars and seal. Cover jars with boiling water and simmer for 15 minutes. Makes 2-1/2 quarts.

Homemade Pickling Spice
2 T. mustard seed
1 T. whole allspice
2 t. coriander seeds
2 whole cloves
1 t. ground ginger
1 t. dried red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf, crumbled
1 cinnamon stick, 2"
Combine all ingredients and store in air tight jar or container. Yield: 1/3 cup.

Peach Jam
4 C. (2 lb) Ripe peaches; peeled/pitted & chopped
1/4 C. Bottled lemon juice
1 pkg. Fruit pectin = 1 3/4 oz.
5-1/2 C. Sugar
In 6 to 8 qt. pot, stir together peaches, lemon juice and pectin. Over high heat, bring to boil, stirring constantly. Quickly add sugar. Bring to a full boil; boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; skim foam if necessary. Immediately ladle into hot half-pint jars; leaving 1/4" headspace. Wipe jar tops and threads clean. Place hot lids on jars; screw bands on firmly. Process in boiling water canner for 10 minutes. Makes 7 half-pint jars.

Picante Sauce
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 qt. tomatoes, diced
1 t. sugar
1 t. chili powder
2 T. vegetable oil
10 oz. hot chilies
1 t. oregano
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
hot pepper (to taste)
1 T. vinegar
In a large sauce pan, cook onion and garlic in oil. Add chilies, tomatoes, seasonings and vinegar, stirring. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook uncovered 45 minutes or until slightly thick. Can in hot water bath for about 30 minutes.

Raspberry Rhubarb Jam
3 lb. rhubarb
2-1/2 C. sugar
1/2 C. water
2 oranges, juice and rind
2 C. raspberries
Skin and cut rhubarb into 1/2" pieces. Add water and sugar, the orange juice and grated peel. Cook all together, stirring frequently to prevent scorching, for 30 minutes, or until clear. Put in sterile jelly glasses and seal.

Freezer Tomatoes
How ever many tomatoes you want to put up
Ziploc baggies in quart and gallon sizes
Cut your tomato in quarters. Put in bag. Freeze! Wasn't that rough? Now when you need them, pull the bag out of the freezer, pull out the number of quarters you need and put the rest back. I have learned to do a couple of gallon size bags back for when I make Chili or Vegetable Soup. This saves me hours each summer!

Christmas Salsa
20 C. peeled, chopped tomatoes
5 C. chopped peppers (bell or banana)
5 (whole) Jalapeno peppers
4-1/2 C. chopped onions (approximately 3 lb..)
7 t. salt
1 large whole garlic (minced)
7 C. vinegar

Combine all ingredients in enamel or stainless steel pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer one hour. Fill, cap and process jars in hot water bath -- 30 minutes for 1/2 pints.

Strawberry Freezer Jam
1 qrt. fully ripe strawberries
4 C. sugar
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1 pouch liquid fruit pectin
Rinse clean plastic containers or freezer jars, and lids with boiling water.
Wash fruit; remove stems, and crush berries. (Crush one layer at a time with potato masher, or, if using food processor, pulse to chop. Do not puree. Jam has bits of fruit.) Measure 1 3/4 cups crushed berries into a large bowl. Measure sugar into a medium bowl. Stir sugar into fruit. Set aside for 10 minutes, stir occasionally.
Empty contents of liquid fruit pectin pouch into small bowl. Stir in 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Stir pectin mixture into fruit mixture. Stir constantly until sugar is dissolved and no longer grainy, about 3 minutes. (A few sugar crystals may remain.) Pour into clean containers to within 1/2 inch of tops. Wipe off top edge of container; cover with lid. Let stand at room temperature 24 hours. (Caution, if room is very warm refrigerate as soon as product has thickened, to avoid possible fermentation). Freeze for long-term storage, or refrigerate and use within 3 weeks.

Strawberry Marmalade
2-1 pint baskets fresh strawberries -- hulled and quartered
1 1/2 T. sugar
1/2 C. orange marmalade
1 T. fresh lemon juice
2 t. balsamic vinegar
Stir strawberries and sugar in large bowl. Let stand until berries release juices, about 5 minutes. Stir in marmalade, lemon juice and vinegar. Chill at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours. This makes a wonderful topping for crepes or for vanilla ice cream. Makes about 3 cups.

Watermelon Rind Pickle
7 lb. Watermelon rind; peeled
2 1/2 qt. Water
1/3 C. Salt
6-1/2 C. Brown sugar
2 C. Vinegar
1 C. Water
1 T. Whole cloves
2 Cinnamon sticks
2 Lemons
Pare off the outer green from watermelon rind and cut in 1" squares. Put in large bowl and pour over them the salt and water mixed. Let soak for three days. Drain and let stand in fresh water for one hour. Make a syrup of sugar, vinegar, water and spices. Cut the lemon (rind and all) paper thin. Put melon and lemon into hot syrup and boil until watermelon is clear. Seal in jars.

Zucchini Pickles
1 gallon zucchini
6-8 medium onions
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1/4 C. slat
2 C. vinegar
4 C. sugar
2 t. celery seed
2 T. mustard seed
Cut zucchini and scoop out all seeds and soft areas. Cut into slices or chunks. In a large bowl, place first five ingredients, cover with ice cubes and let stand 3 hours. Drain; place in a large kettle along with the last four ingredients. Bring to a boil, but do not cook. Fill hot jars with hot mixture and seal. Makes 1 gallon.