Strawberry Margarita Jelly

It's getting to be that time of year again. That time when I start to cook, and bake, and stockpile all sorts of assorted yummies to give as gifts. Some gifts need to be made right before they are given, but jams and jellies are wonderful in that you can make them in advance and pull them out of the pantry at the last moment.

I made this jelly before as a plain margarita jelly, and while it turned out well, I prefer to drink strawberry margaritas, so I wondered how a jelly would turn out. Oh my! It's beautiful and so reminiscent of a strawberry margarita. It's got a hint of the strawberry with a tart lime back. You can taste the tequila, but it's not overwhelming and the booziness has burned off. The other nice thing about this jelly is that you can basically make it year round. You just need a couple of clam shells of strawberries, limes, a little booze, and a packet of liquid pectin.

The first thing to do is prepare the strawberry juice. The recipe calls for one cup of clear strawberry juice and one cup of lime juice. If you want your jelly flavored more with strawberries and less with lime, you can adjust the proportions by up to half (i.e. max of 1 1/2 cup strawberry juice to 1/2 cup lime).

To prepare the strawberries, wash and hull them. Then cut them into small pieces. Measure out the sugar into a bowl and then use some of it, maybe 1/2 cup, to help get the strawberries juices flowing. In this bowl, the strawberries have only been macerating for a couple of minutes and look at all the juice that has formed already!

Once they get a good start, you can pour the strawberries into a cheesecloth lined colander over a measuring cup. Let the strawberries drip until you reach the correct amount of juice. Try not to press the fruit too much or you'll end up with jelly that is a little cloudy. For the best juice clarity, let it drip slowly through a muslin bag or a coffee filter.

When you have the correct amount of strawberry juice, it's time to juice the limes. Lime juice becomes bitter on standing, so you'll want to juice them right before you are ready to make the jelly. These were pretty good sized limes and they each gave about 1/4 cup of juice, so I used four. Strain the lime juice like you did the strawberry. The good news is that I found the juice you use does not have to be perfectly clear to end up with a beautifully clear jelly. Just do the best you can and call it good.

Once you have the strawberry and lime juice prepared, mix it with the tequila and Triple Sec and heat it over medium heat. Once it is warm, add the sugar and stir until it is completely dissolved. Add the butter and then increase the heat to medium-high. Stir constantly until it reaches a full rolling boil. Add the pectin, return to a full boil, and boil for one minute while stirring. Remove from the heat and immediately ladle into waiting canning jars. Leave 1/4 inch head space and process for 10 minutes (for half-pint jars). Look at that beautiful color!

Strawberry Margarita Jelly
Yield: 5 half-pint jars for canning, plus a little extra
Adapted from Blue Ribbon Preserves by Linda J. Amendt

1 cup of filtered, fresh strawberry juice (from 2 quarts berries)
1 cup of filtered, fresh squeezed lime juice (4 large limes)
1/2 cup tequila
1/4 cup Triple Sec
4 1/2 cups sugar (divided)
1/4 tsp butter
1 (3 ounce) pouch liquid pectin

Wash and hull the strawberries. Chop into small pieces. Stir in 1/2 cup of the sugar and let macerate, stirring occasionally. Once there is a fair bit of juice, dump the strawberries into a cheesecloth lined colander to collect the juice. Filter the juice through a coffee filter or a piece of muslin.

Because lime juice becomes bitter over time, juice the limes right before using. Filter the lime juice through a coffee filter or muslin as well. Mix the juices, tequila, and Triple Sec and heat over medium. Once the liquid is warm, add the rest of the sugar and stir until it is all dissolved. Add the butter.

Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a full, rolling boil. Add the pectin, return to a boil, and stir for one minute. Remove from the heat and skim any foam that formed. Ladle immediately into clean, half-pint jars. Leave 1/4 inch headspace, wipe the rims clean, and put on the lids and bands. Process in a water bath for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the jars sit in the water for five minutes before removing to cool on a towel lined counter. Letting the jars sit in the water for five minutes makes sure that the jars do not bubble over upon removal from the water. Let jars sit on the counter for 24 hours before removing bands and wiping the jars clean before storing.

NOTE: If you would prefer to make a traditional margarita jelly, simply substitute water for the strawberry juice. For a nice color, mix one drop of green food coloring with 2 TBS of water and add a little at a time until you get a hue you like. Color is best added after dissolving the sugar and before ramping the heat up.

Spiced Peaches

I'm really not sure how it happens that I go so long between posts sometimes. Sure, I'm busy, but I'm not that busy. Somehow, I turn around and two weeks (or longer) have passed me by. To be honest, if it weren't for my mom, it might even occasionally be longer between posts. Her gentle chiding, "I'm getting sick of looking at..." whatever it is I've had sitting there for a while is very motivating. And then I go look at my blog and think, "How can it really have been two weeks already? I could have sworn I just posted that recipe two days ago!" My how the time does fly! I guess that means I'm having fun, right? Or is it just that I'm getting older? Hmmm.... I think I'll stick with the former.



This is a great recipe. While you can forego the whole canning part and simply make a small amount to keep in the refrigerator for a week or so, I like to dive right in and make huge amounts when I have the chance.



A few weeks ago, I posted a recipe for rosemary peach freezer jam and I mentioned that I also made some spiced peaches. Since then, I made another batch as well. I love this fruit stand that's set up in town. This time my five bucks paid for a box of cast off peaches that made fourteen pints of spiced peaches!



I've made canned peaches every way known to mankind and I've decided, for a number of reasons, that diced are the only way to go. First, you don't need perfect peaches (or cling free peaches). Second, you can prepare the fruit a whole heckuva lot faster. Third, you can fit more fruit in each jar, reducing your need for shelf space and processing time. Fourth, they don't look any less pretty than slices or halves, and they're the perfect bite sized pieces. I highly recommend going this route.



The first step is the remove the skins. Bring a large pot of water to a simmer. Drop 5-10 peaches into the water and count to 30 for really ripe peaches or one minute for slightly under ripe peaches. I really like to use the cast off, slightly overripe peaches because they have the best flavor.



Remove the peaches from the simmering water and drop into a sink or bowl full of cold water. Prepare a large bowl of cold water sprinkled with a little Fruit Fresh, citric acid, or lemon juice. As you peel and cut the peaches, drop them in this water so that they don't brown in the interim.



If you are working with cling peaches, where the fruit stubbornly does not release from the fruit, simply cut around the pit. No sense getting frustrated for nothing. Again, another reason why diced fruit is an easier way to go.



When you're almost done with the fruit preparation (20-30 minutes out), start 10 cups of water to simmering. Add the bundle of spices to flavor the syrup. You can use cheesecloth to keep the spices together (shown here), or...



you can use a cute little spice bag like this one. The spice bundle includes cinnamon, cloves, and all spice. Let the spices simmer in the water for 10 minutes or so and then add the sugar. Reduce the heat to hold the syrup until you are ready to heat the peaches.



Drain the peaches from the acidified water and rinse them off. Place the drained peaches into the pot of warm syrup. Increase the heat to medium or medium-high and let them heat through. You do not want them to boil. Meanwhile, get your boiling water canner ready if you are going to can the peaches. If you need a refresher on standard canning practices, check out my Canning 101 post.



Fill your clean jars with the hot peaches leaving a 1/2 inch head space. Use a plastic knife to remove air bubbles and then wipe the rims clean. Place heated lids and rings on and process in a water bath canner for 20 minutes for pint containers and 25 minutes for quarts.



Spiced Peaches Yield: 8-14 pints peaches



10 cups water

4 - 3" cinnamon sticks

2 tsp whole cloves

2 tsp whole allspice

4 cups sugar

16 - 28 cups diced peaches (roughly 2 cups per pint)



Bring the water to a simmer. Place the spices in a spice bag or wrapped in cheesecloth. Place in the simmering water for 10-15 minutes. Water will be colored and very aromatic. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Reduce heat to low until ready to heat peaches.



Place peaches in simmering water for 30 seconds to one minute to facilitate slipping the skins off. Remove peaches from hot water and immediately place in a cold water bath. Remove pits and skins and any blemishes from the fruit. Dice into 1 cm cubed pieces. Drop into cold water mixed with a little bit of Fruit Fresh, citric acid, or lemon juice. When peaches are all prepared, drain and rinse the peaches. Place peaches in the warm syrup, increase the heat to medium or medium-high and heat until the peaches are hot through. Do not boil or simmer peaches.



Prepare a water bath canner and set the water to heating. Meanwhile, fill clean jars with peaches and syrup to a 1/2 inch head space. Use a plastic knife to remove bubbles and adjust syrup level as necessary. Wipe rims clean. Place heated lids and bands on jars and process in a boiling water canner for 20 minutes for pints and 25 minutes for quarts. When processing time is up, remove canner from heat and let jars cool slightly in canner before removing. If they are removed right away, they often ooze syrup, making a mess. After 24 hours, remove the bands and clean jars before storing in a cool dark place for up to a year.

Peach-Rosemary Freezer Jam

Once upon a time, there was a wife who talked her husband into buying a little patch of land with some peach trees on it. There were four peach trees: two yellow fleshed and two white fleshed. This wife had always dreamed of having her own peach trees, ever since she was a little girl "helping" her Nana can the peaches from a backyard tree.

When the first season came around, the wife watched, entranced as blossoms came with a multitude of honeybees earnestly going about their work. And when the blossoms set fruit, she rejoiced over each hard green marble. And as the season went by, she mourned the necessity of thinning such an abundance of fruit. And then one day, she walked out to check on the fruit of her labor and was rewarded with this sight:

Big, beautiful, aromatic, juicy, delicious fruit. And then she looked at the four trees and went, "Oh, my, but that's a heck of a lot of peaches."

And, indeed, it was. And so the canning began. And continued... and then continued some more.

But then one day, the wife and her husband got orders from the military: "Thou shalt sell your beloved farm and move to the suburbs in Florida." And so they did... leaving those beautiful peach trees behind.

Fortunately, Georgia peach country isn't that far from the panhandle of Florida. There's a fruit stand in town that sells the things and isn't ashamed to let a box of cast offs go to a gal for a decent price. I got this fifteen pounds of slightly blemished peaches for only five bucks. This box made seven 8-oz jars of jam and eight pints of cut peaches in syrup. Not a bad deal! Fortunately, when making jam, you can simply cut around all the bruises.

I made this jam once before in a cooked variety and it was decent, but I left the rosemary in too long and once the peaches lost their "fresh" taste when cooked, it just wasn't as good. However, when I tried the combination this time as a freezer jam? Heaven! The subtle aroma and flavor of the rosemary just adds a certain je ne sais quoi to the peaches. It may sound weird, but I urge you to give it a try!

I used the peach freezer jam recipe from a box of Certo liquid pectin. All I really did differently was add two four inch springs of rosemary to the fruit and sugar and let it sit a while, stirring periodically. I tasted every so often and continued to let it sit until the flavor was just right. When is it just right? Well, when it tastes good to you! It took my fruit about an hour to infuse to the level of flavor I thought right. Use your best judgement! Once the fruit tastes right, remove and discard the rosemary sprigs.

Add the pectin and lemon juice as instructed on your package and put into containers. I prefer jars, but you can use whatever floats your boat. Such a pretty hue! And oh so tasty!

Peach-Rosemary Freezer Jam
Yield: 7 or 8 cups
Adapted from the Certo Liquid Pectin Insert

2 3/4 cups finely chopped peaches
6 1/2 cups sugar
2 pouches Certo liquid pectin
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 4-inch rosemary sprigs

Remove the peel in a boiling water bath and pit and chop into small pieces. While working, toss finished pieces into a water bath with some lemon juice or fruit fresh to inhibit browning. Drain and measure out the fruit and add to the sugar. Stir together. Add the rosemary sprigs and let sit, stirring occasionally, until the peaches have a nice, subtle hint of rosemary, about an hour.

Remove the rosemary sprigs. Mix the pectin and lemon juice together and let them sit for ten minutes. Add the lemon pectin mixture to the fruit mixture and stir continuously for three minutes. At this point, the mixture should only have a few sugar crystals remaining.

Pour the jam into prepared containers, leaving a half-inch of head space for expansion as the jam freezes. Let the jam stand at room temperature until it is set, up to 24 hours. Freeze until ready to use. Thaw in the refrigerator before use.

Sangria Jelly

One of my favorite things about the holidays is that it gives me a great excuse to do all sorts of cooking that I can then give away as gifts. Every year, I prepare goody bags for family members. A lot of these recipes I have highlighted in my "Gift Ideas" section of this site and some of the others are forthcoming. This year, I included granola, chocolate cubed cookies, lemon jellies, pumpkin bread, butter toffee, and gingerbread men. For the kids, I included lollipops. For the adults, I included two kinds of jelly. One is this lovely sangria jelly. The other is a margarita jelly which I will post in the not too distant future.

I love making jelly to give as gifts. Of course, some are easier to make than others. Making jelly, with its crystal clear beauty, can be time consuming depending on the fruit being used. Some jellies can't be made at certain times of the year due to the lack of fresh fruit. That's why I especially like to make unusual jellies like this one which use mostly bottled or readily available juices and wine. I previously posted one of my favorite jellies to make, wine jelly. This recipe is a variant of that one. It still uses a bottle of wine, but it includes some fresh citrus juice, which moderates the wine flavor a bit. Its flavor is reminiscent of a gorgeous glass of sangria and it is just as beautiful.

This is a jelly that is quick and easy to make and is always appreciated as a gift. In fact, I can usually make a batch, start to finish, in less than half and hour.

The first step is to be sure you have all of your equipment set out ready to go. Here, you can see the jars I used. The jars should be washed but do not need to be sterilized since you will be processing them in a water bath. If you need a refresher on canning processes, go back and take a look at my Canning 101 post. The other equipment that should be handy is a jar lifter, jar funnel, small pan with hot water and tongs to warm the lids, a pot for cooking the jelly, and a large kettle for the water bath. What I really love about canning jelly recipes is that they typically make small amounts in small jars, which means I don't have to drag out my huge canning kettle; I can simply use a small stock pot. Don't forget to add a splash of vinegar to the water to keep your jars from ending up with mineral residue on them.

You will first gently heat the wine, triple sec, orange and lemon juices in a large pot. Remember, hot sugar syrups expand quite a bit when cooking, so give yourself plenty of room. When the mixture is warm, add the sugar and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Be careful not to overheat this jelly or it may end up with a slightly bitter taste. When the mixture is just about at a simmer, remove the pan from the heat and add the pectin. Stir completely and remove any foam that may have formed on the surface.

Pour into the jars, leaving a quarter inch head space. Wipe the rims, and use the screw bands to hold the hot lids in place. Process in a water bath for ten minutes. Remove water bath from heat and let sit five minutes before removing jars from the water. This last step helps to keep hot jelly from oozing out of the jars which can happen if they are removed too suddenly from a hot water bath. Let jars sit 24 hours before removing screw bands to clean the jars for storage.


Sangria Jelly
Yield: 8 half-pint jars
Adapted from Blue Ribbon Preserves by Linda J. Amendt

3 cups pinot noir wine (or similar)
1/2 cup strained orange juice
1/4 cup strained lemon juice
1/4 cup triple sec liquor (or similar)
6 cups granulated sugar
2 3-ounce packets of liquid pectin

Heat the wine, juices, and liquor in a large pan over medium heat until it is warm. Add the sugar and stir, heating gently, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Heat until the mixture is almost to a simmer. Be careful not to overheat this jelly as it may develop a bitter flavor. Remove the pan from the heat and add the two packets of pectin, stirring completely. Skim off any foam and pour into eight 8-ounce jelly jars. Wipe the rims of the jars with a damp paper towel and screw on hot lids and bands.

Process in a water bath canner for ten minutes. Remember to only start timing once the water has returned to a boil. When the ten minutes is up, remove the canner from the heat and let the jars sit in the water for five minutes before removing jars from the canner to a towel lined counter. Let the jars sit undisturbed for 24-hours before removing screw bands and cleaning the outside of the jars, if necessary.

Chicken Broth

Today is a monumental day... today is the first day of the rest of my life. I love teaching, but - having taught now in multiple schools in multiple states - I have come to the following profound conclusion: all schools are not created equal. OK... maybe it's not profound, but it really has impacted my life. This is the second time I have gotten stuck spending a year at a school that has discipline (read: lack of) issues. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but that just doesn't fly with me. And so, I start a new chapter in my life. Granted, this last chapter wasn't that long, but - work with me here. It feels significant. I can breathe again!

I can cook again! This last weekend, I canned chicken broth. I really like having homemade chicken broth on hand. I know a lot of people freeze it, but as it is very often a last minute dinner ingredient for me, I prefer the convenience of not having to thaw it out first. Plus, it doesn't hurt that I don't have to fill up my freezer with it.

Can you believe that I made chicken broth for less than I can buy it at the store? I think I was recently paying somewhere between 65 and 85 cents a can for Swanson's recently. Depending on where you live, you may have to spend a lot more! I bought a ten pound bag of fryer legs for less than nine bucks. From that, I canned 18 pints of broth, had two meals from the broth that didn't fit in one canner batch, and put four cups of chicken meat in the freezer for later. Even with incidental costs for canning lids and vegetables, I still come out ahead. And it tastes better! For folks watching their salt intake, it's a heck of a deal.

You can sometimes get really cheap chicken parts from your butcher (backs work well and are usually quite cheap), but what I really liked about using the fryer legs was that I could then save the meat and freeze it separately to use later. The cost savings just keep on adding up!

The hardest part about this process is getting comfortable with a pressure canner. When I first got mine, despite the fact that I knew there were multiple safety mechanisms on them to keep them from blowing up, I was nervous. I'm over than now. I'll tell you what, you take my word for it and skip right ahead to being over it too. Pressure canners are so wonderful! To be honest, they're less work to use than a water bath canner (if you aren't up to speed on the difference between the two types of canning or on the basics of how to can, read this).

Place the chicken in a large stock pot. Please note, for this recipe, I really mean large! You can cut this recipe down however much you like, but for the amounts I used, you need at least a 20 quart (5 gallon) stock pot. The good news? This is not a hard and fast recipe. Exact proportions are not required, so use what you've got and wing the amounts. It'll turn out fine.

Roughly cut up a bunch of vegetables. I like to use the traditional combination of celery, onions, and carrots.

Throw the vegetables into the pot with the chicken and then add a few sprigs of parsley, and small bunch of thyme, a couple garlic cloves, a teaspoon of whole peppercorns, a few bay leaves, and some salt. Add 2 1/2 gallons of cool water and turn on high. When it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. I cover mine to help it heat up faster and then cook it uncovered at a simmer.

Unfortunately, cooking chicken in this way does not lend itself to being a pretty sight. For that matter, the aroma isn't that great either. Have faith; all will be well in the end. Cook until the chicken pieces are cooked through (I use a thermometer to be sure). Remove the pieces and let them cool until you can handle them to remove the meat to save for another use. Return the bones and skin back into the stock pot and simmer another hour.

I got four bags of pulled chicken to put in the freezer (about a cup of meat each) to use for quick meals. I love the added bonus.

Prepare your jars and canner following the instructions for your canner. When the broth is done, ladle it through a sieve. For the best clarity, you don't want to pour the broth, but I was lazy this time and poured away and it didn't turn out too cloudy. Your judgement call here. Pints process for 20 minutes at 10 pounds of pressure, quarts for 25 minutes. Fill the jars leaving a 1/2 inch head space. Be sure you don't start your processing time until the pressure control starts jiggling (or however your canner works - be sure your 20-25 minutes starts after the pressure is sufficient for processing). Let the canner cool off at room temperature before opening and removing the jars.

Again, I got 18 pints out of this batch; this should last me a good while, don't you think?


Chicken Broth
Yield: approximately 22 pints of broth

10 lbs fryer legs
2 1/2 gallons water
3 onions
3 carrots
4 celery ribs with greens
parsley
thyme
2 bay leaves
1 tsp whole peppercorns
2 garlic cloves
1 TBS salt (or to taste)

Chop the onions, carrots, and celery into large pieces. Place all ingredients into a 20 quart stock pot. Cover and turn heat to high. When broth comes to a boil, uncover and simmer 1 hour, until chicken is cooked through (it may take a long time to come to a boil). Remove chicken pieces onto a plate or tray and let cool until you can handle them to pull the meat. Return scraps and bones back into the broth and continue cooking another hour at a simmer.

Prepare your jars and canner according to your canner's instructions. Ladle broth through a sieve and then pour into jars so that there is a half-inch head space at the top. Can at 10 pounds of pressure, 20 minutes for pints, 25 minutes for quarts. Allow canner to come back to room temperature slowly. Check for a proper seal before storing in a cool, dark place.

Berry Freezer Jam

There are certain types of fruits that just don't taste the same when they are cooked. I love strawberries but am not a fan of cooked strawberry jam. In fact, I think most berries are much better before they are subjected to heat. Have you ever noticed how both raspberries and strawberries change color when you cook them? Change color and flavor.

Fortunately, there is a wonderful alternative. Freezer jam is a great way to preserve fresh berries to enjoy year round in their just-picked perfection. I have made strawberry freezer jam for years. Two years ago was the first time that I tried making raspberry freezer jam. Wow! That stuff is phenomenal. Unfortunately, since I've moved to Florida, raspberries are a bit hard to come by.

This week I'm up in Seattle visiting my family. This morning, I went to the Issaquah Farmers' Market, and what did I find? Beautiful, fresh, sweet raspberries. I'm not sure how I'm going to get these jars home, but I'll figure it out! I also noticed that the blackberries, which grow rampant everywhere here, are ripening much earlier than usual due to the recent heat. I decided I would make some of each.

For most applications, I prefer liquid pectin. I think that it is more forgiving and leads to a more consistent product. Every container of pectin comes with a recipe sheet inside. I simply followed the recipe for red raspberry or blackberry. I needed about 2 pints of berries for each batch.

Because berries are so dadgum seedy, I like to process them through a food mill. This is my mom's Foley food mill. She's had it forever. You can see that, even though it is stainless steel, years of berry mashing have given it a purple patina. Any type of food mill will work. While I normally like a little more mashed fruit pieces in my jams, I think the trade-off for less seeds is worth it. I still typically get a good set doing it this way. Many food mills will not remove every seed but removes enough that you don't end up with a mouthful of seeds when you eat the finished product.

Mix the sugar and the fruit puree in a bowl. Stir to mix and let sit, stirring occasionally, for about twenty minutes.

Mix the liquid pectin and lemon juice and add to the sugar-puree mixture. Stir continuously for 3-5 minutes, until the sugar is basically completely dissolved. To test whether it is done, dip in a spoon and taste. If it is mostly smooth, you're good to go. Not every single sugar crystal will be dissolved. Pour jam into clean containers. You can use jars or plastic freezer containers; just be sure that you don't fill the container all the way to the top. Be sure to leave enough room for the jam to expand upon freezing.

Place lids on containers and let sit at room temperature for 24 hours. If jam is set, place containers in the freezer. If the jam still seems a little loose, place containers in the refrigerator until set, up to three days, before freezing. When ready to use jam, thaw in the refrigerator before using. Jam lasts in the freezer at least one year. I have successfully kept them for over a year and a half without any problems. Jam can be used immediately after making without a trip to the freezer, if desired.

Berry Freezer Jam
Yield: 5 cups
from the Certo pectin recipe sheet

2 cups of raspberry or blackberry puree (requires about 2 pints of whole fruit)
4 cups sugar
2 TBS fresh lemon juice
1 pouch liquid pectin

Crush berries, running through food mill if desired to remove some of the seeds. Mix puree and sugar together in a bowl. Stir to mix and then stir periodically over a period of twenty minutes to help sugar dissolve.

Mix the lemon juice and pectin together and add to fruit mixture. Stir continuously for 3-5 minutes, until sugar is almost completely dissolved (a few sugar crystals may remain).

Pour or scoop jam into clean containers (freezer containers or canning jars), leaving at least a half-inch of head space at the top to allow for expansion upon freezing. Close containers and let sit on the counter for 24 hours. If jam has set in this time frame, place them in the freezer until ready to use. If they have not yet set, place in the refrigerator for up to three days to give them more time to set. After three days, place the containers in the freezer.

When ready to use, simply let jam thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

Canning 101

Preserving food is all about keeping any creepy crawlies in the food in check. There are a number of ways of stifling their growth, cold temperatures being one of the easiest. The ease with which we store perishable foods these days was only a fantasy in yesteryear. Refrigeration and freezing are by far the easiest way to retard bacterial and fungal growth in food.

What are some of the others? Well, it's all about making an inhospitable environment for the critters. An environment that it too dry, salty, fatty, sugary, acidic, anaerobic, or hot is considered hostile to most microbes. Canning commonly uses the last four. Jams and jellies, for instance, are preserved by the amount of sugar they contain (have you ever noticed how long an open jar of jelly lasts in the fridge?).

There are two main types of canning: water bath and pressure canning:

Water bath canning requires an acidity of 4.6 or lower to help keep microbes in check. This acidity means that the jars of food do not have to be processed to as high a temperature. Water bath canning involves canning both acid and acidified foods. Acid foods are naturally high in acid and include most fruits like peaches, pears, and apples. Acidified foods are foods that have to have acid added to them in order to make them safe. Pickled goods are all acidified. If you are new to canning, you want to be sure to always follow tested recipes. I have been canning for over 15 years now, so I have started making up my own recipes, but to be sure they are safe and under the 4.6 pH requirement, I use a pH meter (see my aStore).

Pressure canning involves using pressure to increase the boiling temperature within the kettle. When you want to can something that is not acidic, you have to process the jars to a higher temperature; a pressure canner provides this ability. All modern pressure canners have very good safety valves, so you don't have to worry about you canner exploding if you don't know what you are doing (always a good thing to know!).

There are a few general things you need to know about supplies. The major components include canning jars (don't use other types of jars as they may not hold up to the rigors of the hot pot...), canning lids and bands, jar tongs, and a canner (either a large kettle/stock pot or pressure canner depending on what type of canning you are doing).


The basic procedures for canning are pretty standardized. So that I don't have to write them over and over again whenever I post a canning recipe, I will give those instructions here:


Water Bath Canning

1. Prepare food as instructed.


2. Wash jars in hot, soapy water. They do not need to be sterilized.


3. Prepare canner. This means filling and starting to heat the water for a water bath canner (just bring to a simmer). Remember that your jars will displace a large amount of water. Take this into account when filling your pot up so that your jars will be covered by at least one inch of water.


4. Have jars set out along with your canning funnel and bands. Heat up enough water to soak the canning lids. This process softens up the wax rim and allows them to sit better on the jar, making a better seal.


5. Fill jars as instructed leaving the proper head space. This space should be defined in the recipe. Leaving the proper head space is important in obtaining a good seal. It typically varies between 1/4 inch and 1/2 inch for water bath canning.


6. Use a plastic knife or wooden skewer to poke down the sides of the jars to release any trapped air bubbles.


7. With a clean sponge or rag, wipe down the top rim of the jar so that the lids can form a clean seal.


8. Place seals onto jars and screw on with the bands. Bands only need to be hand tight. Do not over tighten!


9. Using your jar tongs, place jars in your canner. Turn the heat up once the jars are in the water. Bring the water to a slow boil. Do not start counting your processing time until the water boils. Then process for the time specified in the recipe. Some recipes use a "pasteurization" process that uses a lower temperature. If this is the case, use a thermometer to keep track of the temperature.


10. When the time is up, turn the heat off and let the jars sit in the water for five minutes before removing them. While this step is not always needed, for certain items, pulling them out of the canner right away can cause the filling to come oozing out of the jars. This can be very messy and can lead to bad seals. While you are usually safe to pull jams, jellies, pickles, and fruit in syrup out immediately, I always figure better safe than sorry.


11. Remove jars from the water and set on a towel lined counter. Let jars sit undisturbed to cool for 6-8 hours. As they cool, you should hear the tell-tale "pop" as the jars vacuum seal.


12. Once the jars are cool, carefully remove the bands and wash the jars, if necessary. It is usually best to store canned goods without the screw band. Keep jars in a cool, dark place. Always check the seals before you use the food. "If in doubt, throw it out!"

Pressure Canning

1. Prepare food as instructed.


2. Wash jars in hot, soapy water. They do not need to be sterilized.


3. Prepare canner. With a pressure canner, you will want to follow the instructions that come with your canner for its preparation. Because pressure canners use steam to heat the jars, you need to use the specific amount of water for your canner.


4. Have jars set out along with your canning funnel and bands. Heat up enough water to soak the canning lids. This process softens up the wax rim and allows them to sit better on the jar, making a better seal.


5. Fill jars as instructed leaving the proper head space. This space should be defined in the recipe. Leaving the proper head space is important in obtaining a good seal. When pressure canning, this head space is typically 1 inch.


6. Use a plastic knife or wooden skewer to poke down the sides of the jars to release any trapped air bubbles.


7. With a clean sponge or rag, wipe down the top rim of the jar so that the lids can form a clean seal.


8. Place seals onto jars and screw on with the bands. Bands only need to be hand tight. Do not over tighten!


9. Using your jar tongs, place jars in your canner. Close the canner and prepare it for the proper pressure. This procedure will vary depending on your canner, so follow the directions that came with your canner.


10. When the time is up, turn the heat off and let your canner cool down naturally. This can take a while. Do not try to speed the process up! Let the pressure dissipate naturally.


11. Remove jars from the canner and set on a towel lined counter. Let jars sit undisturbed to cool for 6-8 hours. As they cool, you should hear the tell-tale "pop" as the jars vacuum seal.


12. Once the jars are cool, carefully remove the bands and wash the jars, if necessary. It is usually best to store canned goods without the screw band. Keep jars in a cool, dark place. Always check the seals before you use the food. "If in doubt, throw it out!"

This is a very abbreviated set of instructions for canning. I highly recommend that you invest in The Ball Bluebook for a more detailed set of instructions (see my aStore). It is really necessary, I think, to have a good reference around. I've been canning for a long time, and I always seem to be checking some bit of information in mine. If you have any troubles or questions, just let me know!

Tomato Soup

It's time to start thinking about planting tomatoes. I am sad that this year I will have to forgo this ritual since my husband and I are in middle of moving from our small Ohio farm to a subdivision in Florida (that's the military for ya!). Eventually, I'll make some raised beds in our new yard so that I can raise tomatoes there as well, but it won't happen in time for this summer. Fortunately, I have jars of tomato products in my pantry from last summer's monster tomato crop to tide me over.

Of all the tomato products I can, tomato soup is probably my favorite. It is so much better than what comes in a can at the store. I use my countertop roaster oven when preparing the tomatoes for this soup; it's almost like having a giant crock pot. You want to cook off a huge amount of the water, and I find cooking them down in the roaster oven provides less opportunity for scorching. Plus, the capacity is pretty darn good. If you aren't interested in canning this soup, I have also included directions for making it at home in a jiffy using store bought canned tomatoes.

Home Canned Tomato Soup
Yield: Variable, make as much or as little of this soup as you need/want. Specific instructions are given on a per pint jar basis.

Prepare the tomatoes: Wash and remove the green stems of the tomatoes you want to use. Fill stock pot or countertop roaster oven with halved or quartered tomatoes to help them cook down more quickly. Cook until thick and reduced by at least 1/3. It somewhat depends on how watery the tomatoes were to start, but remember that thicker is richer! In my countertop roaster, I used the 300 degree temperature setting. This cook down part takes a while, maybe as much as 6-10 hours, but you can turn it on and basically walk away. You could make it go much faster if you stood there stirring it the whole time, but I don't have the patience for that! Once it is nicely thickened, let it cool enough to handle without burning yourself. Process the sauce through a food mill with a tomato screen.

Fill the jars: Before getting too far along, be sure to get your water bath canner water ready. If you aren't sure about canning processes, get the low down on my Canning 101 page.

For each pint jar, add the following:
2 tsp cook type clear jel (a special type of corn starch specially made for canning)
1/2 tsp tomato soup seasoning (see below)
1/4 tsp salt
1 TBS lemon juice
2 TBS light corn syrup

Add a small amount of soup to the jar and mix thoroughly. Then fill up the jar leaving 1/4 inch of head space. Seal and process for 35 minutes.

To prepare the soup for eating, pour soup into a sauce pan with half a jar (1 cup) of milk (or water). Heat over medium-high heat until the soup starts to boil and turns bright red. Serve with shredded cheese and sprinkle with dried oregano.


Tomato Soup Seasoning Mix

2 TBS dried parsley
1 TBS dried oregano
2 tsp garlic powder
4 tsp onion powder
4 tsp beau monde seasoning (a seasoning blend, often available in the spice section of the supermarket, available through Amazon if not)


Quick Tomato Soup
Yield: 2 servings

1 15-oz jar plain crushed tomatoes (be sure to check the label, a lot of them have other flavorings in them)
1/2 tsp tomato soup seasoning (see recipe above)
1/4 tsp salt (will vary depending on the brand of tomatoes you use)
1 TBS fresh lemon juice
2 TBS corn syrup
1 cup milk (or water)

Mix all ingredients in a sauce pot and cook over medium-high heat until it starts to boil and turns bright red. Serve with shredded cheese and sprinkle with oregano. Also very good with pepperoni that has been nuked in the microwave to a crisp. Yum!

Wine Jelly

The nice thing about enjoying cooking is that it provides a great way to thank and gift those special people in your life.

I try to keep my jelly pantry well stocked so that any time I need a small gift, I have plenty of beautiful, tasty varieties to choose from! In this picture, I have raspberry, pineapple, strawberry, peach-rosemary, cranberry-orange, Bing cherry, Merlot, and blackberry.

The other bonus is that you get all the jam and jelly your household could want. I think I currently have five varieties open in my fridge. The hardest part of my day is deciding which one am I in the mood for!

While most of my jellies get put up in the summer when fresh fruit is abundant, some can be made any time of the year. A perfect example is wine jelly. Just as "in season" in the winter as the summer, it is the quickest and easiest jelly to make because there is no fruit processing required. I can make a batch in about half an hour. And the taste is divine! The vast majority of the alcohol burns off, so that isn't a concern. It's like grape jelly with the pizazz factor ramped up.

Canning simple jellies like this requires very little special equipment compared to a lot of canning, but there are a few things you will definitely want. While you don't need a huge canning kettle here, you will need a large stock pot (test fit jars before starting so you know how many jars you can fill). A canning funnel will make your life much easier and canning jars are a must since they are specifically made for this type of processing. Also, you cannot do without a jar lifter. If you're unsure what these things are, just looking under the "Canning & Preserving" section of my aStore for examples.

Before you start making the jelly, you want to have your water bath and jars ready. Fill your large pot with enough water so that when all your jars are submerged, their tops will be at least one inch under the water line. Bring the water to a low simmer. Add a splash of vinegar to keep water deposits from forming on your jars (not very attractive). Wash jars (no need to sanitize). Heat one cup of water to a boil and submerge flat canning lids until ready to use. Have screw caps, jar lifter, and canning funnel handy.

Wine Jelly
Yield: 4 cups

1 3/4 cup wine
3 cups sugar
1 pouch liquid pectin (do not use the powdered for this recipe)

Stir wine and sugar over medium-high to high heat to dissolve sugar and burn off alcohol. Bring to a gentle boil and let cook for 2-3 minutes. Be careful of the steam; the strong alcohol vapors can make you a little tipsy!

Remove jelly from stove and immediately add pectin. Stir thoroughly and pour into jars, leaving 1/4 of an inch of "head space" at the top. Head space varies depending on the type of canning you are doing, but is required for a good vacuum to form.

Wipe rims of jars down to be sure there will be a clean seal. Carefully remove canning lids from the hot water and place over jar, using screw top to seal. You do not have to put the screw band on very tightly; hand tight is plenty. Using your jar lifter, gently place jars into the simmering water and place lid on pot. Turn heat up to bring water to a gentle boil. When water comes to a boil, begin processing time. Remove jars after six minutes onto a towel lined counter. Let jars cool undisturbed. When completely cool, carefully remove screw bands and make sure jars are clean and dry. It is typically best to store them without the screw bands on unless you are very sure that the threads on the jars are completely clean and dry. Store jars in a cool, dark place. Canned jelly is best within the first year, but unless the seal breaks or you see other hints of contamination, they are good for two to three years.

Unlike most jelly recipes, this one doubles well. If you want to double it, just use a whole bottle (750 mL) of wine, twice the sugar, and two pouches of pectin. The type of wine you use is completely your choice! Merlot is my favorite, but I've made pinot noir (second favorite), white zinfandel (very pretty), and chardonnay (tastes good but not so pretty). Hmmm... I think I'll go have some toast.