Canning tomatoes

Blanch tomatoes in hot water for a few minutes (usually until skins start to split). Ladle into ice bath and then peel the skins off. I leave Roma tomatoes whole and big round tomatoes I cut into quarters. Be sure to cut off any green parts. Add tomatoes into a pot as you peel them and when they are all peeled turn the pot on and boil tomatoes for 5 minutes.

While the tomatoes are boiling remove clean hot jars from the dishwasher and add 2 Tbsp lemon juice and 1 tsp salt per quart jar, or for pints 1 Tbsp lemon juice and 1/2 tsp salt. Ladle hot tomatoes into hot jars and use any remaining liquid to fill jars. Add boiling hot water if needed to the jars to fill them leaving 1/2 inch head space. Run a nonmetallic spatula around the jar and through the tomatoes to release any trapped air.

Wipe jar rims with clean damp cloth and place lid from warm water onto jar.

Process for quarts 45 minutes/ pints 40 minutes in a hot bath canner. When time is complete remove and set on a towel to cool.

Pepper Jelly

This is a delicious appetizer. I like to buy red peppers when I see them for less than a dollar and then bottle a couple of batches. Each batch makes about 17-18 half pints. We like it served best over cream cheese and eaten with Ritz crackers. The recipe comes from the cookbook Putting Up by Stephen Dowdney although I have changed it a little bit.

*I have changed this since first putting it up because I always do a double batch

2 1/2 c very small diced red peppers, seeds removed
2 1/2 c very small diced green peppers, seeds removed
1/2 c fine diced jalapeno peppers, seeds removed
3 c cider vinegar
13 c sugar
1 Tbsp butter
1/2-1 Tbsp red pepper flakes depending on how hot you want it
2 pack liquid pectin Certo brand, found in the canning section or by the Jell-O

Bring all ingredients except pectin to a rolling boil. Add pectin and return to a boil. Time for 1 1/2 minutes and take off burner. Hot pack in warm jars for 15 minutes. Remove from canner and allow to cool for 24 hours. The jelly will set up as it cools.

I'm not going to go into all of the details of how to bottle but it you have any questions please just ask in the comments section. You can also find some helpful canning hints in this post on peaches.

Applesauce

Its hard to gauge how many apples to a batch because apples differ so much in size. So for me I just took my big colander and filled it to the top and that was one batch.

You need to first get a large bowl filled with cold water and treat it with something that will make is so the apples wont change color. I used Fruit Fresh (found at my Walmart in the canning section) but I know some people use lemon juice.

Then I put the stopper in one side of my sink and place a cutting board right next to that. Meanwhile on the stove I get a large Saute pan (really large diameter but short with a lid...does that make any sense!?!) ready with 3-4 cups of water, depending on how runny you want your applesauce. Also have your deep bath canner full of water starting to warm up and a small sauce pan with your lids on simmer to stay warm. Also be running your jars through the dishwasher and set it for heated dry.

Peel...Peel...Peel. Some people cook the apples first and then use a strainer to squeeze the apples through but I like it chunky and also I think you get a lot more when you do it this way. Throw the apples into the big bowl of water until the whole batch is peeled. I just peel them straight into the sink that is clogged. Its easier on your back than doing it into a trash can and I just let it fill up all day and empty at the end of the day.

Take and rinse out your strainer and put that in the open part of the sink when you have peeled all of the apples. Take the apples one at a time and quarter and cut out seeds and then throw them into the stainer and discard the rest into your peeling pile in the sink.

When the strainer is about half full rinse apples well and put them into the saute pan. Do this with all of your apples. Your saute pan should be really full.

Cook on med-hi covered for about 50 minutes. Take lid off and add 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 c sugar and mash with a potato masher. You can adjust the cinnamon and sugar to fit your tastes and depending on the type of apple you are canning.

When you have mashed the apples to the consistency you would like use a rag to get a hot jar from the dishwasher and spoon applesauce into jar. Its really helpful to have the canning funnel so that you don't get the edges of your jars dirty. Place jar on counter on a dishtowel and run a clean wet rag around the lip of the jar to be sure its clean. Place a warm lid from the simmering water on the jar and screw a ring on.

Repeat for the whole batch. Process in deep bath canner for 25 minutes. Allow to cool and make sure they have popped by the next morning and that they have sealed properly.

Peaches

No I haven't given up on blogging here is what we have been doing...


If you have never canned peaches its the best and its pretty easy canning. Here is what we do.

Preparation:

• Place jars in dishwasher and wash and then have them on a hot dry cycle so they will stay nice and hot.
• Have a small pan with your lids on the stove on low, just to keep them very warm
• I use a deep bath canner so fill that about half way and turn on to get it to start boiling
• Make a syrup for your peaches. I like a light syrup so we do 5 1/2 c water to 2 1/2 c sugar. Bring this to a boil so the sugar dissolves and then turn to low.
• Have a good sized pot of water filled 3/4 full and bring to a boil.
• Place cold water with ice in a big bowl next to the sink
  

Your stove top should be sweltering hot and totally covered in pans now :)

To get the Peaches in jars:

• In the big pot of boiling water stick your ripe peaches in the boiling water and let sit for 30 seconds to a minute. Scoop out and add to ice bath immediately. This will make it so the peach skin comes off very easy.
• Peel the peaches and then cut in half and remove pit. Scoop out the red part where the pit was with a spoon carefully. You don't have to remove it all I just like to remove whats loose and comes off easy. Some people cut his out entirely.
• Place a rag on the counter and with a second rag remove a hot jar from the dishwasher and set on other rag. Quarter Peaches and drop into jar carefully. You should fill the jar to the top. I fill it to the top of the inside of the jar. Not to the very top of the opening but about 3/4 inches below that. Tap very gently to see if there is more room but don't pack them in. Holding jar with rag again ladle hot syrup until it comes to 1/2 inches before the top of the jar.
• Place back on counter and with a wet and clean rag, wipe the ring around the top of the jar. Take a lid out of the water and place on jar. Screw ring onto jar.
• Process in hot water bath for 30 minutes if you are doing quarts or 25 minutes if you are doing pints.
• Remove from water set back on rag on counter. Allow to cool and you should hear a pop after a while and you know that it has sealed itself. Sometimes this can take a few hours. The jars will be sticky so you need to wash them off before storing.

Some helpful canning hints my Mother taught me

• Canning is about timing. Get your timing down and it will start to go fast. It helps to have 2 people. My hubby will peel the peaches for me and I do the rest.
• There are some tools you can buy that are really helpful

1. The funnel helps to put the syrup in without getting it everywhere
2. The little stick at the bottom has a magnet on it and it helps you get the lids out of the hot water without burning your hands
3. The last tool that I feel is essential is the one right in the middle and that gets your cans out of the hot water bath.

• My mom taught me to have two types of rings. I have 12 rings that are rusty and yucky and these are the one I use on the jars when they are in the hot water bath. Then after it is done and cooled when I wash the jars I take of the rusty rings and put on a nice shiny ring. The hot water bath will make your rings rusty so I only use the same 12 in there to keep my other rings nice.
  

Its a long process so if you have any questions or something is not clear please ask.
We are gleaning the fields off of the peach farm here and we came home with over 50 pounds of free peaches! call around and ask if you know of some where around you where they have peaches. Often times they will let you go in after they have harvested and get the leftovers!