A + B = Delicious Jam

You all know it is time for Fair and I am on a mission. Through out the years I have entered the Fair and done pretty darn good. Last year I won 16 ribbons. BUT this year I want a God Damn Best of Show.

Try as I might I can not bribe the judges make nice is the best I can do when dropping off my goods. Last year I made nice and happened to meet two wonderful women.

Well you know the Apricot story I always seem to find the best places to pick them. My last Mother Load made a batch of Apricot Butter and it was my first time making that . I thought it was a bit runny but sometimes when I let my jams sit they thicken up all by themselves.

Ingredients:

2 quarts of uncooked chopped apricots no I do not peel my fruit but you can
1/4 cup of lemon juice
5 cups of sugar


Oh and here is a great NEW IDEA put the apricot pits in the jam mixture it gives it a nutty almond taste. What Julia Ate she said and I quote and paste!

" I put in a sack of the apricot pits, for the almond flavor they impart. I don't crack them to release the kernel, like many folks do. I put them in whole because I am lazy. This step is up to you!" 

Now this means : You wrap the pits into a
sack made of Cheese cloth tie it tight with some
cooking twine then add the pits to your mixture.

Preparation:

Combine your apricots, blueberries and lemon juice in your sauce pot. Bring slowly to a simmer. Now add your sugar and stir until you have dissolved all the sugar.








Now add your bag of pits if you are doing that step bring everything to a rapid boil stirring so nothing sticks. Careful of your bag.  We do not add pectin to this jam because the blueberries have the right amount to gel this beauty. Once you have the rapid boil and the foamy stuff going on. Keep it at the boil until you get to your gel point.

Now remove your jam mixture from the heat,  remove the apricot bag and skim off the foam. Ladle into your clean, hot, sanitized jars leaving your 1/4" head space. Wipe the rim of the jars, Adjust your two piece cap and process in the water bath for 15 minutes. Once removed let them cool overnight or all day for you night canner's. Take the twist top off once cooled and wipe the rims and store with out the twist. Here is another Post on this great jam from Renee go looky see!

Canning Diva's

Well this all started with this girl Ms. Debbie one day we got together to Preserve some Jam. What a great time we all had.

Ok here is the 911. I have been asked by many people to teach them to can. So after Debbie and I had so much fun well why not. I put a little note out there to those interested to join me once a month to do this.



Everyone one had a few laughs

We started with your basic chopping on to mixing and the how to on jarring up your stuff. I really think it went well. I found that it is not so much the whole making the products that is scary. It is the little thing's.

We stared with chopping and cleaning our vegetables. We made Spicy Carrot and Jalapenos.












Then on to filling the jars with vegetables and the liquid.

Please note the slicked back safety hair do!

What your taking my picture !

How to wait patiently for your jar's !

At the same time learning the in's and outs of being a Preserved Super Model it is all in the smile.






Here is our group of girl's. It was a fun day and I truly enjoyed it!

Apricot Butter

Apricot Butter it is delicious like any type of fruit butter. Smooth in texture clean taste. It is different than regular jam in my humble opinion.

All butters are easy to make they just are a little more time consuming in the cooking process. Like a good soup they take a bit more time. So let us get started.

The ingredients could not be simpler. I took my recipe from the Ball Blue Book. The book calls out that it makes 3 pints I make my jams in half pints because it seem to be just enough to not get bored with the flavor and just enough to finish and move on to the next jar of jam.




Ingredients = 5 to 6 half pints

2 pounds of apricots (24 pieces of fruit)
3 cups of sugar
2 tablespoons of lemon



I do not peel my apricot but like most of my jams and jelly's I keep as much of the fruit as possible.











The reason is two fold first:
It is a pain in the ass to peel most fruit and veggies

Stuff after runnin food mill

There are essential vitamin I want from those skins in my jams and veggies mixes

So I chop up my apricots and simmer then in a large pot with a half cup of water. Simmer them until they are soft.  I then run mine through a food mill.





This is a funny step because if you put it through the Food Mill then it does become a bit more liquefied. So keeping it on a more firm/thickish side is not an easy task.  I have found the longer I preserve food  the more I learn and I find ways to avoid runny jams. It really is a hit and miss with this skill. Time is our best teacher.

Moving on the you will need a cup and a half to two cups of apricot pulp.Now put your apricot pulp and sugar back into the pot and simmer until it thickens. This is a slow and you must be patient. As you mixture thickens, stir frequently to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of your pot. Add your lemon juice and ladle hot butter into you warm, sterilized jars. Leave a 1/4" head space. Wipe down the rim of the jars and adjust and place you two piece caps. Process them in a HOT Water bath for 10 minutes.

 Remove you jar.s and let them cool overnight.

Once cool remove the twist cap and wipe jars completely so they are squeaky clean and store in a cool spot.

Vegetable Relish

This was fun my usual recipe is to make a relish that is geared toward heat thus a Giardiniera. But with Fair approaching I wanted to make a vegetable based relish. I semi followed a recipe from the Old Faithful book by Ball called the Blue Book.

I replaced some of the peppers with carrots. I know a lot of people can not eat peppers due to heartburn and due to my entertainment addiction I want everyone to be happy!

So gather all your ingredients before you start it make it so much easier. Get your water bath heated up also with the jars waiting in that bath.

 Pre-chop and use a food processor





Ingredients

6 to 7 lbs of pickling chopped cucumbers
2 cups of chopped carrots
1 cup of any color bell pepper chopped
1 cup chopped one white onion
1/4 cup fresh chopped dill
1/2cup pickling salt
2 tsp turmeric
1/3cup sugar
1 quart water

1 quart 5 % vinegar 


This makes approximately 6 pint

I love to chop but relish takes a bit more time than usual. I used my Food Processor being careful not to over pulse !

Wash your vegetables  than drain them. Finely chop all your vegetables to the consistency you like. I like it a bit small so I can comfortably put it on a hot dog or cheese and crackers.

Ina large stainless steel pot put your brine. That is the salt, turmeric, water, sugar, dill and vinegar. Heat the brine up and add your chopped vegetables. Simmer for about 10 minutes

Ladle hot relish to your clean hot jars leaving a 1/4" head space. Remove air bubbles. Wipe the rims and place the two piece caps. Water bath them for 15 minutes in a boiling water canner!

This is just one more thing you can add to your no need to buy at the store list!

Get your Fair in Gear Giveaway

Ahh County Fair tis that time of year. I love Fair and beyond the ribbons the people are amazing.

Each year brings a new group of creative people in our community.

Well on to the giveaway . . .




This Fair Giveaway includes a Book called "The Art of Preserving" by Jan Berry with Photo's by  Rodney Weidland. This book is beautiful it goes from the basics of canning, citrus, summer fruit to dried fruit. The information is endless and here is the catcher it is useful .

I am also throwing in a jar of Ball's Pickle Crisp which is just a jar of Calcium Chloride this is great for super crisp pickles.

Here is the how to :

Join my blog as a Follower (nice gesture) BAM you are entered

Like us on Facebook ditto ZAP entered (only new likes) if you already like than leave a comment on FB

Leave a comment and POW another entry

The Giveaway drawing will be June 14th in time to use the Book and crisp for Fair! Thank you for joining us!

Three Berry Jam (Strawberry-Raspberry-Blackberry)

When it comes to the not in the season fruit I always have something available.
I freeze the fresh fruit when it is in season as a emergency fruit fund during the Oh shit I ran out of jam time.


 


So let us make some Berry delicious Jam with some Blackberries , Raspberries and Strawberries.
It is almost as good a very berry Pie!
Why it is a pie in a jar!

BUT this you can put on anything from bagels to cheese and crackers! I like the options!

Ingredients

2 cups of strawberries
2 cups raspberries
2 cups blackberries
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 box powder pectin
5 cups sugar





Once your fruit is measured put it the pot and warm it up.
Bring your fruit to a simmer and smush if needed.
I tend to use whole fruit and use a potato smasher to get it to the consistency.




Once your fruit is at a simmer and broken down to the consistency you like in your jam add the lemon juice.
Now is the time you want to bring your fruit to a rapid boil.
The kind of boil you can not stir down. This takes a while but there is a reason Yum!
Please stir it so it does not burn.
Mix pectin with equal amount of sugar I find when it is added to the fruit it incorporates better.
Once your fruit is at a rolling boil add your pectin mixture and bring back to a boil.
Next you add the sugar into the fruit mixture and cook over high heat continuing your rapidboil , stirring constantly.

You will get a foam on the top of the boiling jam
Continue until your have reached the gel point.
Gel Point you say well it to me is when I have a roiling boil and foamy top.





Remove from heat.





 
Skim and remove foam.

Ladle warm jelly into hot jars
Wipe the rim's of your jars and seal
Give them a 15 minute bath ......  

Pickle chunk's and garlic cloves

Pickles with garlic cloves is really great. I know so many people who do love garlic and we all know how good it is for you.
This combo goes well with crackers and cheese. One of our BBQ's I chopped up a jar of them and everyone used it on their hamburger and hot dog's.

It is simple and the good thing is the only thing there is a lot of labor is the chopping that said let us get started.

 Ingredients

8 pounds of pickling cucumbers
48 garlic cloves 5 to 6 per jar
1/4 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of canning salt or Kosher Salt
1-2 quarts of vinegar
1 quart of water
1 tablespoon of mustard seed
3 tablespoons of pickling spices
Fresh green or dry dill (1 sprig per jar)

Combine your sugar, salt, vinegar and water in a large stainless steel pot.  Add your pickling spices to your brine in the pot and simmer for 15 minutes. While your brine is simmering chop your cucumbers into bite size chunks.

Pack your cucumber's chunks and garlic cloves into the sterilizer jars, leaving a 1/4 inch of head space and add a sprig of dill per jar.





Ladle hot liquid into jars leaving the 1/4 inch head space.

Remove air bubble. Wipe the rim's of all your jar's. 
Adjust two piece caps.
Process pints and quarts for 15 minutes in a hot water bath.

The longer they sit the richer the taste of the garlic. Let them sit for at least 2 week.