Time for canning.

[Jackalope]

Summer's here and it's time to start putting away natures bounty. I grew up in a house that canned from our large family garden. I can remember shelling pink eye purple hill peas until my fingers were raw. Snapping a 5 gallon bucket a day full of beans, and picking okra until I it shed all over.

I've decided to get back in to it and today purchased 220 jars from a guy on craigslist whose mother passed away. Outside of the typical green beans, pickles and some wild plum jelly, I haven't done much canning since leaving home.

So dig out moms old canning book and post the canning recipes you'd like to share. Goulash, kraut, jellies, chow chow, etc. I'll get my mother to send me some of hers and post them.

 

[Jackalope]

Here's the jars that I bought earlier today.

 

[Hedgelj]

Awesome find

 

[Diane]

Since I am enjoying my first cucumber from my garden this year, here's a great pickle recipe.

These are pickle slices and the recipe is for a half gallon, but you can do it in a quart jar to try it. Yummy!

Refrigerator Pickles

Fill a half gallon jar with sliced cucumbers 3/4 full. Slice one hot pepper (I use banana wax) on top. Chop 3-4 medium size onions and place on top of pepper.

Mix 3 and 1/2 cups sugar; 3 cups cider vinegar and 1/4 cup salt. Mix well, pour over pickles. Store in fridge.

Ready to eat in about 2 days. Will keep up to 3-4 months and more cucumbers can be added later.

 

[Jackalope]

Since I am enjoying my first cucumber from my garden this year, here's a great pickle recipe.

These are pickle slices and the recipe is for a half gallon, but you can do it in a quart jar to try it. Yummy!

Refrigerator Pickles

Fill a half gallon jar with sliced cucumbers 3/4 full. Slice one hot pepper (I use banana wax) on top. Chop 3-4 medium size onions and place on top of pepper.

Mix 3 and 1/2 cups sugar; 3 cups cider vinegar and 1/4 cup salt. Mix well, pour over pickles. Store in fridge.

Ready to eat in about 2 days. Will keep up to 3-4 months and more cucumbers can be added later.

Sounds like a good one. I like to add a clove of garlic and some dill to mine. If you wanted to make a larger batch I bet you could make them shelf stable if you boiled the brine before filling the jars and processed them in a water bath for 5 minutes.

 

[Diane]

I bet you could make them shelf stable if you boiled the brine before filling the jars and processed them in a water bath for 5 minutes

If I get enough cucumbers, I might try that since I love this recipe.

 

[Big_Holla]

Good stuff Joe! I grew up canning stuff as well, just have never made the changeover into my family as well. Seems like every year I hope to put a garden in and never seem to be able to.

 

[Johnch]

I make several batchs of jalapeno pepper jelly every year .....that is double batchs
I can it into pint jars for my use , great on a sandwitch
1/2 pint jars to give out to others

Best taste is to wait a week after canning for the flavors to blend

Place bell peppers, and jalapeno peppers in a large saucepan over high heat. Mix in vinegar and fruit pectin. Stirring constantly, bring mixture to a full rolling boil. Quickly stir in sugar. Return to full rolling boil, and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and skim off any foam.
Quickly ladle jelly into sterile jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of the tops. Cover with flat lids, and screw on bands tightly.
Place jars in rack, and slowly lower jars into canner. The water should cover the jars completely, and should be hot but not boiling. Bring water to a boil, and process for 5 minutes.

1 (1.75 ounce) package powdered pectin
5 cups white sugar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cup finely chopped jalapeno peppers
3 1/2 cups finely chopped bell peppers ( a mix of Green , Yellow , Red )

 

[MK111]

I also grew up on my mom's canned food. We had a large poor family of 8 of boys, a sister and mom and dad.
Mom canned over 200 qts. of veggie soap.
200 qts. pears.
200 qts. plums.
200 qts. peaches.
200 pts. of red beets. We all loved red beets. At least us smart ones.
Some carrot, radish, and turnips.

Plus crocks of sour cabbage.

That way we had 4 of each week until the next year's crop came in. We ate good. The good ole days.

 

[Milo]

I've been doing kraut a couple years now and it's way better than store bought. It's about time to get a batch going again...lots of simple tips that my grandmother didn't have make it super simple.

 

[hickslawns]

Will have to get my wife to post them for me. She does the canning.

 

[jagermeister]

My mom is into canning but I really don't know much about it. I would like to get serious about it though. I just did a couple jars of fridge-pickled peppers the other day. Haven't tasted them yet... Hope they turn out okay.

 

[Mike]

If you are over run with zucchini, they make good pickles too.

 

[Redhunter1012]

If you are over run with zucchini, they make good pickles too.

I have 1 of my farmers just tell me that they use the shoestring potato attatchment and make hashbrowns out of their Zucchini and squash and vacuum seal and freeze them like that. He said just unthaw them and fry them up.

 

[jagermeister]

If you are over run with zucchini, they make good pickles too.

I have 1 of my farmers just tell me that they use the shoestring potato attatchment and make hashbrowns out of their Zucchini and squash and vacuum seal and freeze them like that. He said just unthaw them and fry them up.

Two very good ideas. I think I'm going to need to figure out something similar to do as I'm gonna have zucchini coming out of my ears soon.

 

[Diane]

I like to slice zucchini and yellow squash and fry them in butter. No flour or bread crumbs.

I slice and freeze packs of them, then pull them straight out of the freezer into the frying pan. If I let them thaw first, they are mushy.

 

[DJK Frank 16]

Last year was our first year gardening, we just put up tomato juice, salsa, pickles, and green beans. The salsa and pickles were just a store bought packet, but we will probably experiment with the recipes a little more this year.

 

[Jackalope]

Put up 17 quarts of green beans today.

 

[Mike]

Excellent! I did peppers and pickles today.

 

[Jackalope]

Excellent! I did peppers and pickles today.

I didn't grow any cucumbers this year so I've been keeping an eye out at the farmers market. Usually for about two weeks you can get the pickling cucumbers 10 for a dollar. Stopped in yesterday and they said it was about 2 weeks out. The ones they has were 89 cents a pound which is robbery.