Tag: Water Bath Canning

Corn Tomato Salsa
Gardening · Homesteading · Preserving · Recipes

Corn Tomato Salsa

Sarah

While we are growing corn this year on the homestead, we don’t have a lot of it, so while out on the mainland I saw the annual signs along the highway for fresh corn. I wasn’t the only one peeling off the highway for it. At 4 ears for $1 you stop! It was being harvested across the street. Driving home I was thinking of things to do with it, and corn salsa came to mind. Our tomato season is in swing now, and I am picking 5 pounds every other day right now, so salsa is getting canned often. I strive for 75 to 100 jars a year of salsa….and I am barely getting there but the ripening weeks are on now, and I will quickly catch up.

Corn Tomato Salsa

Ingredients:

  • 5 pounds ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
  • 2 cups fresh corn kernels (scraped off of 2 to 4 fresh ears of corn)
  • 1 cup red onion, finely chopped
  • ½ cup bottled lime juice
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped

Directions:

Add 6 pint mason jars to a canning kettle, fill jars with water, and the kettle halfway with water, bring to a boil, then let simmer.

Place rings and new canning lids in a saucepan, cover with water, bring to a simmer.

Add ingredients to a large pot, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Drain jars back into the canning kettle, place on a clean kitchen towel.

Ladle the salsa into the jars. Run an air bubble popper in each jar, add more salsa if needed to leave a ½” headspace.

Wet a new paper towel, run around the rim.

Place a lid and ring on each jar, tighten finger-tight, place into canning kettle. Make sure the jars are fully covered with water. Bring to a boil, let process for 15 minutes.

Remove from kettle, place on a clean kitchen towel. Let cool fully, then remove bands (wash and airdry), and check for each jar’s lid to be flat and sealed. If any are not, place in refrigerator and use up within a week or two.

Store in a cool dry place for up to a year.

Makes about 6 pint jars.

Note:

I don’t peel tomatoes for salsa, and often use cherry tomatoes to make it, a mix of many colors. Just core and tidy as needed, then finely chop up.

~Sarah

Thai Style Sweet Chili Sauce
Preserving · Recipes

Thai Style Sweet Chili Sauce

Sarah

When I first did this recipe last year (Pomona’s Pectin helped me develop it!) I liked it, but noticed that after storage time the sauce got hotter as time went on. Oops! So I went back to it, and reduced the pepper flakes by half this year. It’s still spicy. Tender tongues might to cut it by half again. But more so, I decided to make it with honey this year, instead of granulated sugar. We processed so much honey this year, that I’ve been canning a lot with it so far this season. You can of course use sugar, use 2¾ cups of it.

Drizzle it on your meals and enjoy the punch of flavor.

Thai Style Sweet Chili Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tbsp pickling salt or kosher salt*
  • ½ cup minced garlic
  • ¼ cup red pepper flakes**
  • 6 cups apple cider vinegar
  • 4 tsp calcium water***
  • 1¼ cups + 2 Tbsp honey
  • 3 tsp Pomona’s Pectin

Directions:

Add mason canning jars into a water bath canner. Fill jars with water and the pot about halfway up. Bring to a boil.

Add the bands and new lids to a small saucepan, cover with water. Bring to a simmer, turn off.

Measure the honey into a bowl. Thoroughly mix pectin powder into the honey. Set aside.

In a large non reactive pot, add the salt, garlic, pepper flakes, vinegar and calcium water. Bring to a boil.

Add pectin-honey mix, stirring vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes to dissolve the pectin.

Return to a full boil, stirring often. Once the jam returns to a full boil, remove it from the heat.

Drain canning jars back into the pot, place on a clean kitchen towel. Sterilize ladle and funnel in the hot water.

Fill hot jars to ¼” of top. Wipe rims clean with a new damp paper towel. Place a drained lid on each jar, screw band on finger tight.

Place filled jars in canning pot, lower rack in. Make sure the jars are covered with water. Bring to a boil, and maintain boil 10 minutes (add 1 minute more for every 1,000 ft. above sea level).

Remove jars from water. Let jars cool on a clean kitchen towel. Remove bands and wash, check seals on jars; lids should be sucked down.

Sauce should sit for a few days/week before eating, as Pomona jelly/jam can take a bit longer to fully set up. If the pepper flakes/garlic sink, gently shake the jars while it is cooling, to help it float. It can also be mixed back in once opening.

Consume within 1 year, once opened eat within 3 weeks and keep in refrigerator after opening.

Notes:

You can use whatever size mason jars you have on hand. Makes about 8 cups. We used 4 16-ounce pint jars.

I used jarred minced garlic to save time. Make sure it is not packed in oil. Use a 6 to 8-ounce jar, drain gently.

*Only use pickling salt or kosher salt. You want a pure salt that has no impurities, particularly iodine, which can cause discoloring.

**¼ cup red pepper flakes produces a nice hot and spicy sauce. If your taste to spice is less, 2 Tablespoons will be your friend. Find in bulk spice sections for the best price.

***Calcium water is made from the second packet in the Pomona’s box. It is mixed with water. The leftover water can be stored for months for further projects.

~Sarah

Canning Handcrafted Lemon Curd
Homesteading · Preserving · Recipes

Canning Handcrafted Lemon Curd

Sarah

One of the small luxuries in life I grew up with was lemon curd, because it was one of the few things my Nana passed on to my Mom. Nana wasn’t known for her cooking skills (my Grandfather hired housekeepers who did the cooking and cleaning), she could barely boil a pot of water for tea. But she at least passed down her family recipe to the person who did know how to cook and preserve food. And my Mom taught it to me. I am glad I didn’t lose the recipe, I found it after my Mom passed away.

Lemon Curd is a tricky one because the assumption is you can’t can butter or eggs, but the acidic nature of lemon and lime juice means yes, you can can it. However, the shelf life is far shorter, use it up within 3 months time. Keep it in a cool, dry area out of the sun in storage. My sons love lemon curd as well, so this time I doubled the recipe, because if I am going to the effort to slow cook it, and can it, I want enough to be around for a bit.

Lemon Curd

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
  • 6 whole eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup lemon juice (6 large lemons, or bottled juice)

Jars & Lids –

Add 7 4-ounce mason jars to a canning kettle, fill jars with water, and the pot halfway with water, bring to a boil, then let simmer.

Place rings and new canning lids in a saucepan, cover with water, bring to a simmer.

Directions:

Beat the eggs until light in a bowl, add the sugar and beat in, set aside.

Set up a double boiler over medium heat, bring the water to a boil, add the butter and melt. Whisk the egg mixture in, whisking constantly for 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice, whisk constantly for 5 minutes or until smooth and thickened. Don’t walk away from the pot, keep an eye on it. (I have an actual double boiler setup, if you don’t you can use a Pyrex bowl over a saucepan, so it fits on top of the rim.)

To preserve –

Empty the water out of your jars back into the kettle, fill to ¼” of the top with hot lemon curd. Run a sterilized air popper tool through. Wipe the rims with a new damp paper towel, removing any spilled curd, especially on the rim.

Place a lid on top and tighten a band around each jar, place them into a pot of boiling water, using a canning rack to lower in. Make sure all jars are upright and that jars are fully submerged, with at least 2″ of water above..

Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. Turn off the burner, take the lid off. Let sit for 5 minutes. Take out carefully using a jar lifter or tongs. Have a clean kitchen towel on the counter, place each jar on it and let cool for at least 6 hours, overnight is better. Listen for the “popping sound” and keep track of how many times you hear it. Check after cooling that the lid is firm when pressed on, if it pops up and down, it isn’t sealed. If that happens, refrigerate that jar and use within a week. Take off the bands, and wash them (they can rust if left on).

For best taste use within 3 months of canning, lemon curd can darken over time.

Makes 7 4-ounce jars and a bunch left over for immediate indulging. I chill the leftovers in a glass container, tightly sealed, before using.

Do not use larger than an 8-ounce mason jar to can in, and if you do, do it for 15 minutes processing time.

~Sarah

Canning Bread and Butter Pickles
Homesteading · Preserving · Recipes

Canning Bread and Butter Pickles

Sarah

This year I changed up my Bread and Butter Pickle recipe. Normally I do the combining of various spices, but I was feeling lazy and just used a premixed pickling spice blend. What that meant is my pickles are not yellow hued, as I left the turmeric out. I don’t care if my pickles are yellow-ish, so it’s a win for me. They are also a bit spicier than normal, as my blend had dried peppers in it. B and B pickles are an open ended recipe really…pick the spices you like. That won’t change the canning magic. It’s the ratio of sugar and vinegar that is important. But most of all? Your handcrafted pickles won’t be infused with artificial coloring like in the stores, and more so, won’t be tooth rotting sweet either, which a lot of pickles are.

Bread and Butter Pickles

Directions:

Soak cucumbers in cold water, wash off and drain. Trim off both ends, slice in ¼” rounds.

Trim and peel onions, cut in half and thinly slice. (If very large onions, cut in quarters first.)

Layer cucumber and onion slices with salt in a large glass, or stainless steel bowl. Cover top with a layer of ice cubes. Let sit for 1½ hours. Drain in a colander, rinse well and shake off water, let drain.

Add 7 pint mason jars (preferably wide mouth) to a canning pot, fill jars with water, and the pot halfway with water, bring to a boil, then let simmer.

Place rings and new canning lids in a saucepan, cover with water, bring to a simmer.

Bring remaining ingredients to a boil in a large pot, add in drained cucumbers and onions. Return to a boil

Drain jars back into the canning pot, place on a clean kitchen towel.

Pack hot cucumbers and onions in jars, packing down gently, then add liquid. Run an air bubble popper in each jar, add more liquid as necessary to leave a ½” headspace. If you are short on liquid, top off with boiling water (but you should be fine).

Wet a new paper towel in hot water, then run around the top of each jar. Place a lid on each jar, then a band, screw on finger tight.

Turn canner up to high, place jars in water bath rack, lower rack into water. Water should cover by 1 – 2″, if not add a bit more from the saucepan that held the rings. Bring to a rolling boil, covered, process for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, carefully remove jars, placing on a clean dry kitchen towel to cool.

Once cooled, check again that seals are down (you should hear the Ping! as each one seals). Gently remove bands (wash, dry and store for your next project. While they look nicer on, if they have water inside from processing, they can rust. If you are giving away your canned items, you can always slip one back on), note on jar or lid what is in jar with a date. Store in a dry/cool/dark area and use within a year.

As always, if you ever go to use a canned item and the lid is not sealed anymore, or bulging, discard it immediately!

Let rest for 4 to 6 weeks once canned, for flavors to develop, before enjoying. Chill before serving for best taste, and store in refrigerator once opened.

Makes 7 pints.

*If you want to make your own blend, the traditional spice blend for Bread and Butter is:

  • 2 Tbsp yellow mustard seed
  • 2 tsp ground turmeric
  • 2 tsp celery seed
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp whole peppercorns

** Pickle Crisp is optional. It can be very hard to find this year in stores, as it was in 2020. You don’t have to use it, but it will help produce a firmer, crisper pickle.

Note – On salt, you can use kosher salt as well. Avoid table salt with iodine, it can affect coloring.

~Sarah

Canned Cranberry Orange Compote
Preserving · Recipes

Canned Cranberry Orange Compote

Sarah

A friend shared this recipe, that they had found on Food In Jars. I had found a 2 pound bag of cranberries for a song, and having already canned cranberry sauce was looking for more ideas. I doubled the recipe because if I am going to can, I want it to be worth my time. And we like cranberry sauce all year round…..

Canned Cranberry Orange Compote

Ingredients:

  • 8 cups cranberries, washed and shaken dry
  • 4 large navel oranges, zested
  • 2 cups orange juice
  • 1 1/3 cups honey

Directions:

Place mason jars in a water bath canner, fill jars with water, and canner halfway up, cover with lid. Bring to a boil over high.

Place lids and rings in a small saucepan, cover with water. Bring to a simmer over medium.

Take the oranges, remove all peel and pith, cut into segments (I cut mine jewel style, so the inner part is cut out of each section).

Add the orange zest, segmented oranges, cranberries, orange juice and honey to a large stainless steel pot. Bring covered to a boil over high, then reduce heat to medium-low. Remove lid and let simmer, until the berries pop and it has thickened. I let mine simmer for about 15 minutes.

Drain the mason jars into the canner, place on a clean kitchen towel. Sterilize a canning funnel, ladle and bubble popper.

Fill the jars, run the bubble popper through, take a damp paper towel and wipe the rims. Place lids and rings on, finger tip tight.

Place in canning rack and submerge in the water. Once boiling, process for 10 minutes for half pints, 15 for pints.

Take out, let cool on a rack. Remove bands (wash and dry for later use), mark jars for date processed, use within a year.

If any of the lids do not seal, store in refrigerator and use up.

Makes 4 pint or 8 half-pint jars.

~Sarah