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Canned Sweet Diced Carrots

August 1, 2010 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment

What You Need:

12 lbs of carrots, peeled and tops removed
3 tsp canning salt

How to Make It:

Prepare the canning jars according the manufacturer’s instructions and keep them hot.
Dice the cleaned carrots trying to keep all them as close to the same size as possible.
Place the carrots into a 12 qt. pot and cover them with water.
Place the pot over high heat and bring the water to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes or until tender on the outside but still firm in the middle.
Fill each jar with the hot carrots and with enough of cooking liquid to leave a 1 in headspace.
Add 1/2 tsp of salt to each jar and release the air bubbles.
Add more carrots and liquid if necessary to retain the recommended headspace.
Wipe the rims and seal the jars.
Place the jars in the pressure canner and bring the pressure to 10 lbs.
Process the jars for 25 minutes then allow the pressure to drop to 0.
Let the carrots stand in the unopened canner for 10 minutes.
Carefully remove and cool in a draft free area then check the seals.
Boil your carrots for 10 minutes before eating or tasting.

Makes 6 pints

Use carrots that are 1 to 1 1/2 in diameter for best results. Canned carrots will retain their sweet flavor and the texture will be perfect for any dish you use them in. To check the seals to ensure the jars have sealed correctly wait until the jars have cooled completely which can take up to 24 hours. Push the center of lid and if it doesn’t indent the jar has sealed correctly. If the lid does indent after applying pressure then the seal did not take and you need to refrigerate the jar. Most unsealed canned foods will stay fresh when chilled for up to 2 weeks. Always refer to your recipe for the period of time the food will remain safe to eat. These carrots may also be sliced in 1/4 in slices before canning if you prefer.

Preparation Time: approximately 15 minutes
Processing Time: approximately 25 minutes
Standing Time: approximately 10 minutes
Total Time: approximately 50 minutes

Nutritional Information: (approximate values per 1/2 C serving)
Calories 94; Fat 0g; Saturated Fat 0g; Carbohydrates 22g; Fiber 7g; Protein 2g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 424mg

Filed Under: Canning, Miscellaneous, Recipe Cards, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Sassy Tomato Salsa

July 31, 2010 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment

What You Need:

3 C of tomatoes, peeled and chopped
12 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeds removed and chopped fine
1 onion, peeled and chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped fine
2 tsp ground oregano
1 1/2 tsp pickling salt
1/3tsp ground cumin
1 C of cider vinegar

How to Make It:

Prepare the canning jars and two part lids according the manufacturer’s instructions and keep them hot.
Place all the above ingredients into a 5 qt. pot.
Place the pot over high heat and bring to a boil, stirring often to blend the ingredients together.
Simmer over low heat to 10 minutes.
Pour the salsa into the jars leaving a 1/4 inch head space.
Release the air bubbles and add more salsa if necessary to retain the correct head space.
Wipe the rims and tighten the seals.
Process the salsa in a water bath canner for 15 minutes from the point of boiling.
Remove the jars carefully and cool in a draft free area.
Check the seals and promptly refrigerate any jars that did not seal correctly.

Makes 3 pints

As this salsa cools and then sets the heat of the jalapeno’s will get stronger. Use less jalapeno’s if you prefer a milder salsa. This salsa will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 2 months. Use it on all of your favorite Mexican foods or as a dip with tortilla chips.

Preparation Time: approximately 20 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately10 minutes
Processing Time: approximately 15 minutes
Total Time: approximately 45 minutes

Nutritional Information: (approximate values per 2 tbsp serving)
Calories 6; Fat 0g; Saturated Fat 0g; Carbohydrates 2g; Fiber 0g; Protein 0g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 99mg

Filed Under: Canning, Dips and Salsa, Recipe Cards, Recipes, Sauces Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Canning Meats

July 30, 2010 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment

Canning meats can be a difficult task because there are so many different issues to take into consideration. Just as with cooking meats there is always a possibility for undercooked meats to contain bacteria and other harmful issues. This makes following a recipe that much more important when canning meat.

Canners

Meat is a low acid food, which means that it always needs to be canned using a pressure canner. This will make sure the temperature is high enough to kill all bacteria, spores and toxins that are naturally prevalent in low acid foods. A weighted gauge pressure canner is your best bet because it allows for more accurate monitoring of the internal temperatures, ensuring the meat is canned with the least possibility for spoilage.

Time To Prepare

Cutting the meat across the grain, into strips, is the best way to make sure the meat stays together during the canning process. Remember, there will be high pressures and high temperatures and the last thing you want is your canned meat turning in to a pile of mush when it comes time to break the seal.

You can also cut the meat into 1 inch cubes if you plan on using it in a stew at a later date. It helps to remove as much fat and gristle as possible because those two items can cause the meat to taste extremely “gamey” or prevent the proper seal on the jars.

Cooking your meat before canning is a necessity. Again, using a recipe for this will help out until you get comfortable with the meat canning process. Then you can play around with ingredients and how to prepare the meat in the first place.

The Process

Meat can be canned without being cooked first. It is a technique called cold packing. This is where the uncooked meat is stored in a jar and covered with broth or water to allow the meat to cook evenly within the jar as it is heating up.

Especially if you plan on canning fish, you need to follow the recipe for canning. Paying close attention to the time and pressure needed to can each type of meat is extremely important. It is also important to see how to pack the meats. For instance, fish should be cut so it will fit long-ways, with no scales, head, tales or any other body parts. Of course as with everything, the higher quality food you start out with, the higher quality it ill be once it is finished.

Our Conclusions:

Canning meat is a great way to keep them for winter supplies. Make sure you have everything you need, including a tested recipe so you can have the best possible outcome when canning you meats. Keep your meat either in strips or small cubes so you have the highest quality canned meats around without turning them into mush. Finally, be sure to keep the jars stored in a cool, dry place to prevent loss of seal or spoiling.

Filed Under: Frugal Cooking, Healthy Eating, Time Saving Tips, Today's Kitchen Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Rise and Shine Raspberry Syrup

July 30, 2010 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment

What You Need:

5 C of fresh raspberries, hulled and cut in half
3 C of water, divided
1 tbsp lemon zest, grated
2 1/2 C of sugar
3 1/2 C of corn syrup
2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice

How to Make It:

Put the raspberries into a 5 qt. pot and mash the with a potato masher.
Pour 1 1/2 C of water over the berries and add the lemon zest.
Place the pot over high heat and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer the berries for 5 minutes.
Strain the berries through a mesh strainer.
Prepare the canning jars as directed by the manufacturer of the jars and keep them hot.
Stir the remaining water and the sugar together in a large saucepan.
Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar.
Cook the mixture until the temperature reaches 260 degrees on a candy thermometer.
Stir in the strained raspberry mixture and corn syrup and bring back to a boil.
Boil the syrup for 4 minutes, remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
Remove any foam that has formed off the top and discard.
Pour the hot syrup into the canning jars leaving a 1/4 inch head space.
Release the air bubbles and add more syrup if necessary to maintain the head space.
Process the syrup in a water bath canner for 10 minutes from the point of boiling.
Remove and cool on towels in a dry draft free area then check the seals before storing.

Makes 6 half pints

Maple syrup might be your favorite but after you try this syrup you may never go back to maple syrup again. The flavor is outstanding and is perfect for all those breakfast goodies like French toast or pancakes. For other great flavors use different berries or a mixture of all your favorite kinds.

Preparation Time: approximately 20 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 9 minutes
Processing Time: approximately 10 minutes
Total Time: approximately 39 minutes

Nutritional Information: (approximate values per 2 tbsp serving)
Calories 114; Fat 0g; Saturated Fat 0g; Carbohydrates 0g; Fiber 1g; Protein 0g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 0mg

Filed Under: Breakfast Foods, Canning, Fruits, Recipe Cards, Recipes, Sauces Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Home Canned Blueberries

July 29, 2010 By The Recipe Mom 1 Comment
blueberries

What You Need:

10 lbs. of blueberries
2 C of sugar
10 lbs. fresh blueberries, washed and stems removed
Water

How to Make It:

Prepare the jars, lids and screw bands according the manufacturer.
Place the clean blueberries into saucepan.
Pour the sugar over the top and bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring occasionally.
Fill another pot with water and bring it to a boil.
Ladle the berries through a funnel into the prepared jars.
Add enough boiling water to maintain a 1/2 inch headspace.
Release the bubbles and add more berries and water if necessary to maintain the correct headspace.
Wipe the rims and hand seal the jars.
Place them into a water bath canner and process for 20 minutes from the point of boiling.
Remove carefully with a jar lifter and cool in a draft free area.
Check the seals and refrigerate any jars that did not seal correctly.

Makes 4 quarts

Hard berries need to be cooked before canning to soften them just a little. It also helps to sweeten the berries by adding the sugar when cooking. Hard berries such as blueberries or cranberries hold up well when canned and are a great addition for all your winter baking ideas. The rule of thumb for adding the sugar is 1/2 C for each quart of berries.

Preparation Time: approximately 15 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 5 minutes
Processing Time: approximately 20 minutes
Total Time: approximately 40 minutes

Nutritional Information: (approximate values per 1/2 C serving)
Calories 124; Fat 1g; Saturated Fat0g; Carbohydrates 32g; Fiber 6g; Protein 1g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 2mg

Filed Under: Canning, Fruits, Recipe Cards, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Home Canned Zucchini Pickles

July 28, 2010 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment

What You Need:

6 lbs. zucchini, sliced thin
2 C onions, sliced thin
1/2 C of pickling salt
2 C of sugar
2 qts of ice water
2 qts of distilled white vinegar
1/4 C of whole mustard seed
1/4 C of celery seed
1 tsp turmeric

How to Make It:

Place the zucchini and onions into a 12 qt. nonreactive pot and sprinkle evenly with the salt.
Pour the ice water over the vegetables and stir once.
Cover the pan and let the veggies stand at room temperature for 3 hours.
Dump the veggies into a colander, rinse well and drain.
Roll the vegetables in a dry kitchen towel to dry them.
Prepare the jars and lids as directed by the manufacturer.
Combine the sugar, vinegar, mustard and celery seeds and the turmeric in a nonreactive pot.
Place the pot over high heat and stirring constantly bring to a brisk boil.
Add the vegetables and return the mixture to a boil.
Pack the pickles into the jars and add enough of the hot cooking liquid to maintain a 1/2 inch head space.
Release the air bubbles and add more pickles and water to retain the correct head space.
Wipe the rims, seal the jars and place in a water bath canner.
Process the pickles from the point of boiling for 10 minutes.
Remove carefully and cool in a draft free area, check the seals and refrigerate any jars that did not seal correctly for up to 2 months.

Makes 12 pints

These sweet yet slightly tart pickles will be a hit when you serve them. It’s a great way to use up the over abundance of zucchini we all seem to have in our gardens. Use zucchini that is about the size of cucumbers and try to use them on the day they are picked for best results.

Preparation Time: approximately 30 minutes
Standing Time: approximately 3 hours
Cooking Time: approximately 5 minutes
Processing Time: approximately 10 minutes
Total Time: approximately 3 hours 45 minutes

Nutritional Information: (approximate values per 2 oz. serving)
Calories 22; Fat 0g; Saturated Fat 0g; Carbohydrates 6g; Fiber 1g; Protein 0g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 116mg

Filed Under: Canning, Miscellaneous, Recipe Cards, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Fresh Green Peas

July 27, 2010 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment

What You Need:

28 lbs. fresh peas in the pod
7 tsp of canning salt

How to Make It:

Prepare the jars and two piece caps according to the manufacturer’s specifications.
Wash the peas and remove the pods.
Put the peas into an 8 qt. pan and cover them with water.
Place the pan over high heat and bring the peas to a boil.
Continue boiling for 5 minutes or until the peas are bright green in color but not cooked through.
Loosely pack the peas into the jars and pour cooking liquid over the top leaving a 1 in headspace.
Add 1 tsp of salt to each quart jar then release any air bubbles.
Add more liquid if necessary to maintain the required headspace.
Wipe the rims clean and seal down the lids by hand.
Place the jars in the pressure canner and process at 10 lbs. of pressure for 40 minutes.
Allow the pressure to follow to 0 and let the jars stand in the canner for 10 minutes.
Remove the jars carefully and place in a draft free area to cool.
Check the seals and promptly refrigerate any jars that did not seal correctly.
Boil the peas 15 minutes before tasting or eating.

Makes 7 quarts

Most children will refuse to eat peas but when they find out they have been canned right in their own kitchen they may have a change of heart. Peas are a great staple to have in your pantry. They can be added to most recipes and believe it or not they taste great all by themselves.
Remember there is only one way to can low acid vegetables such as peas and that is with a pressure canner. Don’t try to use any other form or your vegetables will not be safe for consumption.

Preparation Time: approximately 15 minutes
Processing Time: approximately 40 minutes
Standing Time: approximately 10 minutes
Total Time: approximately 1 hour 05 minutes

Nutritional Information: (approximate values per 1/2 C serving)
Calories 70; Fat 0g; Saturated Fat 0g; Carbohydrates 13g; Fiber 4g; Protein 5g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 295mg

Filed Under: Canning, Recipe Cards, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Sinful Apple Pie Filling

July 26, 2010 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment
appletree

What You Need:

6 lbs. of apples, peeled and cubed
2 C of sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 tbsp lemon juice

How to Make It:

Place the apples and sugar into a heavy pan.
Sprinkle with the cinnamon and nutmeg.
Add the lemon juice and gently stir to coat the apples well.
Let the mixture stand 30 minutes or until juicy.
Prepare the canning jars and two piece lids according to the manufacturer’s directions.
Place the apple mixture over medium heat.
Stirring often, cook for 7 minutes or until the apples soften.
Spoon the pie filling into the prepared jars leaving a 1/4 inch headspace.
Clean the jar rims and hand tighten the seals.
Process the jars in a water bath canner for 25 minutes from the point of boiling.
Remove the jars with a jar lifter and cool completely in a draft free area.
Test the seals and refrigerate any jars that did not seal for up to 2 weeks.

Makes 6 pints

Go ahead and get a head start on that fall pie making by canning up some tasty apple pie filling. If you need to thicken you’re filling before baking that sinful apple pie or crisp just add 1 tbsp of flour to the filling before adding the top crust.

Preparation Time: approximately 15 minutes
Standing Time: approximately 30 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 7 minutes
Processing Time: approximately 25 minutes
Total Time: approximately 1 hour 17 minutes

Nutritional Information: (approximate values per 1/2 C serving)
Calories 121; Fat 0g; Saturated Fat0g; Carbohydrates 31g; Fiber 2g; Protein 0g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 0mg

Filed Under: Cakes and Cookies, Canning, Desserts, Miscellaneous, Recipe Cards, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Garden Fresh Canned Green Beans

July 25, 2010 By The Recipe Mom 1 Comment
greenbeans

What You Need:

4 lbs. fresh green beans
Boiling water
Canning Salt

How to Make It:

Prepare the canning jars, lids and seals following the manufacturer’s instructions and keep them hot.
Place 2 qts of water into an 8 qt. pot, place over high heat and bring to a boil.
Trim the ends off the beans and cut them into 2 in. pieces.
Pack the uncooked beans into the jars tightly.
Pour boiling water over the beans maintaining a 1 inch headspace.
Sprinkle 1 tsp salt into each jar then release any air bubbles.
Add more beans and water if necessary to retain the correct headspace.
Wipe the jars and tighten the lids by hand.
Place the jars in the pressure canner at 10 lbs. of pressure and process 25 minutes.
Let the pressure return to 0 then wait 10 minutes and carefully open the canner.
Remove the jars and cool in a draft free area, test the seals and promptly refrigerate any jars that did not seal correctly.

Makes 8 quarts

Green beans are easy to can and are great to have as a fall back for evening meals. This recipe is simple and it makes a great starter recipe for any just learning to can. Other types of beans such as purple or yellow beans may also be canned using this recipe. Some raw vegetables such as green beans can be cold packed. This means no cooking for adding them to the jars. This keeps your vegetables crisp not mushy. Just remember that some raw foods canned in this manner may discolor or float due to shrinking. This does not affect the flavor or quality of your canned foods.

Preparation Time: approximately 15 minutes
Processing Time: approximately 25 minutes
Standing Time: approximately 10 minutes
Total Time: approximately 50 minutes

Nutritional Information: (approximate values per 1/2 C serving)
Calories 10; Fat 0g; Saturated Fat 0g; Carbohydrates 1g; Fiber 1g; Protein 1g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 292mg

Filed Under: Canning, Recipe Cards, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Canning for the Winter

July 24, 2010 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment
greenbeans

You poured your heart and soul into that garden this year.  Toiling over the ground; tilling until it is just right. Mixing fertilizer until your hands are stained black and neat little rows are prepared, equal distances apart, to ensure the best end results. Laying down the seeds with care, making sure they are properly spaced and judging the depth of each different variety by your well-trained measuring utensil, otherwise known as your pointer finger.

Tending to the seedlings you watch them sprout and grow up into magnificent plants. It is now August ? harvest time ? and while you may have the proper tools to harvest your prized crops, there are some other gardening supplies and accessories that you may not have considered to help you keep and store your hard work for later use.

Supplies

Remember the story of the ant and the cricket? The ant worked hard to make sure there was food for the winter while the cricket had fun. Being prepared for the winter makes living a lot easier and tastier as well. Some of the tools you will need to can for the winter is a boiling water canner and a pressure canner, jars, lids, rings and of course, hard work gathering the things you want to can.

While these items will help you, there are some other things you may want to consider such as recipes, a temperature and pressure guide for canning. Don’t for the most important and final part, family and a few friends to share your delights with.

Storage

While it is always great to can 100 jars of your favorite strawberry preserve, it might help out to have a place to put them all. Make sure you have enough room to store all of your canned goods. The way to store your jars is in a cool room that does not get direct sunlight. This will keep the cans under pressure so they hold the seal. Remember, the heating then cooling off is what created the seal in the first place; getting them hot again will only loosen the seal and cause the goods to spoil.

Quantity

Make sure you have enough of each item to be canned. This way you can make it through the winter. A little prior planning can go a long way and can really make the difference in the winter dishes. Imagine having freshly canned green beans in your casserole during the holidays, instead of having to use poor quality ones found in the grocery stores during that time.

Pick and can more of the items you know you and your family will use, after all, they can be used at a later date and it is better to have more than less. The canned goods can also be used to give away as presents or special gifts to those who are dear to your heart.

Conclusion

Canning for the winter is all about preparation. Making sure you have the right supplies, the right amount of storage space and enough ingredients to get you through. This is a great way to make the cold winter months much more enjoyable.

Filed Under: Frugal Cooking, Healthy Eating, Time Saving Tips, Today's Kitchen Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,
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