Honeyed hot pepper Rounds

 Honeyed Jalapeño Rounds

Although the jalapeño is probably the most popular chile in North America, the many

cultivars sold today vary so much that some are barely recognizable as jalapeños. Big ones,

looking more like Anaheims, are meant for stuffing. Others have had all their heat bred out of

them. For this pickle you want traditional jalapeños—small and hot, but not too hot. If you

can’t find them, consider using serranos instead. The pickle will be particularly appealing if

you mix green and red peppers.

You can seed the peppers or not, as you wish (but wear gloves if you do). After cutting the

peppers into rings, you can take out most of the seeds with a grapefruit spoon (a pointed

teaspoon with serrated sides) or a swivel-style vegetable peeler. Then put the rings into a

colander, and rinse off the seeds still clinging to the peppers. Some people cut the peppers

into rounds and then seed each round with the tip of an apple corer.

Though popular with my readers, this recipe has frustrated me: The peppers soften too

much. To keep them a bit firmer, you can add a pinch of Pickle Crisp (calcium chloride; see

here) to each jar just before processing. For still crisper peppers, you can treat the pepper

rounds with lime, as recommended by the National Center for Home Food Preservation:

Soak them in limewater (1 1/2 cups pickling lime to 1 1/2 gallons water) in the fridge for 18

hours, stirring occasionally; rinse them; and then soak them three times in cold water, for 1

hour at a time, rinsing between soaks.

In the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s version of this recipe the peppers are “coldpacked”—

that is, they are put into jars raw. Cold-packing may lessen softening, but it can

also cause the peppers to float in the jars. For cold-packed pepper rings that don’t float, try

the variation that follows.

Pickled jalapeño rounds are usually used as a table condiment, to spoon right into tacos or

black bean soup.

Makes 8 to 10 half-pints

24 to 30 whole black peppercorns

8 to 10 small garlic cloves, sliced

2 tablespoons Mixed Pickling Spices

1 quart cider vinegar (5 percent)

2 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons pickling salt

2 1/4 pounds jalapeño peppers, cut into 3/16-inch rings and, if you like, seeded

4 tablespoons olive oil

1. Put three peppercorns and a garlic clove into 8 half-pint mason jars. Have 2 more

half-pint jars ready in case you need them.

2. Tie the spices in a spice bag or scrap of cheesecloth and put it into a saucepan with

the vinegar, honey, and salt. Bring the contents slowly to a boil. Add the pepper rings,

and bring the contents back to a simmer.

3. Divide the peppers among the jars, and pour the hot liquid over them, leaving a little

more than 1/2 inch headspace. Discard the spice bag. Pour about 1 1/2 teaspoons olive

oil into each jar and close the jars with two-piece caps. Process the jars for 10 minutes

in a boiling-water bath.

4. Store the cooled jars in a cool, dry, dark place for at least 3 weeks before eating the

peppers.

Cold-Packed Jalapeño Rounds

Follow the recipe, but toss the peppers with 4 teaspoons salt and let them stand,

preferably in the refrigerator, for 2 to 3 hours. Drain them well, but don’t rinse them

unless you’re trying to reduce your family’s salt intake. Heat the vinegar with the honey

and spices but without added salt; let the mixture simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Put

the pepper rounds into the mason jars with the peppercorns and garlic, and pour the hot

vinegar over. Add the olive oil, and process the jars

Notes:

cut to 1/4

I used hot Hungarian wax peppers 

Pickled Banana Pepper Rings

 

Pickled Banana Pepper Rings 

8 pints

Equipment

• 8 Glass pint jars with new lids and bands 
• Water bath canner
• Jar lifter
• Canning Funnel Optional: Helps to reduce spills
• Debubbler (aka bubble remover) Optional: You can use a spatula or butter knife
• Headspace tool
• Clean towels or paper towels
• Large stainless-steel pot
• Sharp knife
• Cutting board
• Measuring cups and spoons

Ingredients

  

• 4.5 lb Banana Peppers
• 10 cups White Vinegar
• 2 cups Water
• 1 tsp. Turmeric
• 8 tsp. Canning salt
• 4 T. Sugar
• 4 Garlic cloves Whole
• 1/4 tsp. Pickle Crisp

Instructions

Step One: Harvest or source fresh banana peppers.

Step Two: Wash the peppers.

Step Three:  Slice the banana peppers into rings.

Cut the banana peppers into ¼ inch rings, discarding the ends. I usually push the majority of the seeds out of the rings and discard them as well. Removing them is completely optional, and keeping the seeds will not make the pickled banana peppers spicy.

Step Four: Fill the jars with peppers.

Fill 8 clean pint jars with the sliced banana peppers, leaving ½” of space between the peppers and the top of the jar. 

Step Five : Make the pickling brine.

The remaining ingredients, except for the Pickle Crisp, are combined and brought to a boil in a large, non-reactive pot.  boil for two minutes

Step Six: Add the brine to the jars.

Make sure to leave ½” headspace. 

Step Seven: Add Pickle Crisp (Optional Step).

Add 1/4 tsp. of Pickle Crisp to each jar. Although this recipe is just as delicious without it, I like to add it in to make sure my pickled banana pepper rings come out crunchy.

Step Eight: Remove air bubbles.

.

Step Eleven: Add lids and bands.

Cover the canner with a lid and bring the water to a full rolling boil. Once boiling, process your jars for 10 minutes (adjusting for altitude if needed).

or 

Low-Temperature Pasteurization Treatment

The following treatment results in a better product texture but must be carefully managed to avoid possible spoilage. Place jars in a canner filled half way with warm (120º to 140º F) water. Then, add hot water to a level 1 inch above jars. Heat the water enough to maintain 180º to 185º F water temperature for 30 minutes. Check with a candy or jelly thermometer to be certain that the water temperature is at least 180ºF during the entire 30 minutes. Temperatures higher than 185ºF may cause unnecessary softening 

Modified from https://www.thefromscratchfarmhouse.com/pickled-banana-pepper-rings-easy-canning-recipe/

Beans

Beans, Snap and Italian – Pieces, Green and Wax

Quantity: An average of 14 pounds is needed per canner load of 7 quarts; an average of 9 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints. A bushel weighs 30 pounds and yields 12 to 20 quarts – an average of 2 pounds per quart.

Quality: Select filled but tender, crisp pods. Remove and discard diseased and rusty pods.

Procedure: Wash beans and trim ends. Leave whole or cut or snap into 1-inch pieces.

Hot pack –Cover with boiling water; boil 5 minutes. Fill jars loosely with beans, leaving 1-inch headspace. Add 1 teaspoon of canning salt per quart to the jar, if desired. Cover beans with hot cooking liquid, leaving 1-inch headspace.

Raw pack – Fill jars tightly with raw beans, leaving 1-inch headspace. Add 1 teaspoon of canning salt per quart to the jar, if desired. Add boiling water, leaving 1-inch headspace.

Adjust lids and process in a pressure canner following the recommendations in Table 1 or Table 2 according to the type of canner being used. (There is no safe option for processing green beans in a boiling water canner.)

Hot and Raw  Pints20 min, Quarts 25 min 10lb 

Added  salt and 25mg zinc tablet to pints 50 mg to quart to preserve green color 

 

Peperoncini

 Peperoncini

This recipe is much like the preceding one, except that here I simplify the seasonings and use

thin, straight, mild-flavored, yellow-green peppers that are just long enough to fit into a pint

mason jar. You may have seen them pickled in jars in gourmet shops. Since these peppers

may be labeled simply peperoncini in seed catalogs, you need to look at the picture and read

the description to be sure you’re getting the variety you want. Japanese fushimi peppers and

some Spanish guindilla varieties make good substitutes.

Makes 4 pints

8 small garlic cloves, peeled

2 small Mediterranean bay leaves, torn in half

2 pounds straight green peperoncini, each slit once lengthwise, stems trimmed to about 1/4 inch

2 cups cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, or distilled white vinegar (at least 5 percent)

2 cups water

4 teaspoons pickling salt

1/4 cup olive oil

1. Divide the garlic and pieces of bay leaf evenly among 4 pint jars. Pack the peppers

vertically in the jars.

2. In a nonreactive saucepan, bring the vinegar, water, and salt to a boil. Pour the hot

liquid over the peppers, leaving slightly more than 1/2 inch headspace. Wait about 5

minutes for the liquid to fill the cavities of the peppers, and add more liquid as needed.

Then pour 1 tablespoon olive oil into each jar. Close the jars with two-piece caps

(make sure the rims are free of oil, which could prevent a good seal). Process the jars

for 10 minutes in a boiling-water bath.

3. Store the cooled jars in a cool, dry, dark place for at least 3 weeks before eating the

peppers.

Pickled Whole Hot Peppers

Pickled Whole Hot Peppers

For this pickle I have used Cascabella peppers, in their glorious colors of yellow, orange, and

red. But you can use any small hot fleshy pepper, such as Floral Gem (a similar wax-type

pepper), jalapeño, or hot cherry. Give a jar of these pickled peppers to some chile-head

friends and stick around to watch them gasp and sweat.

Makes 4 pints

8 small garlic cloves, peeled

8 whole allspice berries

16 whole black peppercorns

2 small Mediterranean bay leaves, torn in half

2 pounds small, fleshy fresh hot peppers, such as Cascabella, each slit twice lengthwise, stems trimmed to

about 1/4 inch

2 cups cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, or distilled white vinegar (at least 5 percent)

2 cups water

4 teaspoons pickling salt

1/4 cup olive oil

1. Divide the garlic, allspice, peppercorns, and pieces of bay leaf among 4 pint mason

jars. Add the hot peppers.

2. In a nonreactive saucepan, bring to a boil the vinegar, water, and salt. Pour the hot

liquid over the peppers, leaving slightly more than 1/2 inch headspace. Wait about 5

minutes for the liquid to fill the cavities of the peppers, and add more liquid as needed.

Then pour 1 tablespoon olive oil into each jar. Close the jars with two-piece caps

(make sure the rims are free of oil, which could prevent a good seal). Process the jars

for 10 minutes in a boiling-water bath.

3. Store the cooled jars in a cool, dry, dark place for at least 3 weeks before eating the

peppers.

Freeze-dried Batch 41 Rice, peppers, celery,

 

Picking of the peppers

 

Mexican Pickled Jalapeno Peppers

Mexican Pickled Jalapeno Peppers

3 lbs jalapeno peppers

1 tbsp pickling or canning salt

6 cups white vinegar

4 cups water

6 cloves garlic, halved

6 sprigs oregano (4 inches/10 cm long)

1. Prepare canner, jars and lids (see pages 7 to 8).

2. Trim off stems and cut jalapenos crosswise into ’4-inch (0.5 cm) slices, discarding seeds if desired (see tip, at left). You should have about 12 cups (3 L). Set aside.

3. In a pot, combine salt, vinegar and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often until salt is dissolved. Reduce heat to low and keep liquid hot.

4. Working with one jar at a time, place 2 garlic pieces and

1 oregano sprig in hot jar. Pack peppers into jar, leaving room for liquid and leaving 1 inch (2.5 cm) headspace. Pour in hot pickling liquid, leaving V2 inch (1 cm) headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace as necessary by adding hot pickling liquid. Wipe rim and place hot lid disc on jar. Screw band down until fingertip-tight.

5. Place jars in canner and return to a boil. Process for

10 minutes. Turn off heat, remove canner lid and let jars stand in water for 5 minutes. Transfer jars to a towel-lined surface and let stand for 24 hours. Check lids and refrigerate any jars that are not sealed.

Jalapeno peppers

Canning jalapeno peppers

Prep Time1hour hour

Cook Time 35minutes minutes

Total Time1hour hour 35minutes minutes

Ingredients

jalapeno peppers

vinegar

water

Instructions:

Wash peppers.

Cut into quarters, removing stems and seeds.

Put in a large pot of boiling water and when the water returns to the boil, let boil for 3 minutes.

Remove from pot with slotted spoon.

Pack into ¼ litre (½ US pint) or ½ litre (1 US pint) jars.

Leave 3 cm (1 inch) headspace.

Add 1 ½ teaspoons vinegar to each ¼ litre (½ US pint) jar; 1 tablespoon vinegar to each ½ litre (1 US pint) jar.

Top up each jar with clean boiling water (such as from a kettle, for instance), maintaining headspace of 3 cm (1 inch.)

Debubble; adjust headspace.

Wipe jar rims.

Put lids on.

Processing pressure: 10 lbs (69 kPa) weighted gauge, 11 lbs (76 kpa) dial gauge (adjust pressure for your altitude when over 300 metres / 1000 feet)

Processing time: either size jar 35 minutes.

Notes:

The seeds are where the heat are; you can leave some in, if you wish.

From https://www.healthycanning.com/canning-plain-jalapenos

Stewed Tomatoes

 

Freeze dried potatoes

 Got a 50lb bag of potatoes for $5

Freeze dried corn, celery, peppers venison, onions.

 

Freeze dried Eggs and beets

 2 trays of egg whites 2 trays of egg yolks and 1 tray of beets

Goodby to the rooster and new hen

The rooster was starting to crow so he had to go.  He was replaced with a hen that was worse for wear from another flock. 

Freeze dried Eggs half and half and tomatoes

 

Fire & Ice Pickles

Ingredients

6 lbs cucumbers pickling variety

8 cups onions thinly sliced (I only used 3 cups)

½ cup salt pickling

4 cups vinegar 5%

4½ cups sugar

2 tablespoon mustard seed

6 tsps crushed red pepper flakes (added 2 poblano peppers) 

1½ teaspoon celery seed

1 tablespoon turmeric ground

Instructions

Wash the cucumbers and cut the blossom end off.

Cut into 3/16-inch slices. I use a wavy cutter to give them a crinkle look.

Combine cucumbers and onions in a large bowl. Add salt on top and mix. Cover with 2 inches of crushed ice. Let sit for 3-4 hours. If you have room in your fridge stick them in there, if not don't worry about it.

Combine remaining ingredients in a large pot. Boil 10 minutes.

Drain and add cucumbers and onions and slowly reheat to boiling. 

Fill jars with slices and cooking syrup, leaving ½-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process. 

To process in a hot water bath: submerge jars in a pot of boiling water. When water returns to the boil, process for 10 minutes if your elevation is 0 - 1,000 ft. ---- Process for 15 minutes if your elevation is 1,001 - 6,000 ft. ---- Process for 20 minutes if your elevation is above 6,000 ft

When finished processing remove jars from water and let sit undisturbed on counter until seals pop.

-I used this

To process with low temperature pasteurization: Place jars in a canner filled half way with warm (120º to 140ºF) water. Then, add hot water to a level 1 inch above jars. Heat the water enough to maintain 180 to 185ºF water temperature for 30 minutes for pint or quart jars.

From -https://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/making-pickles-heres-a-little-known-way-to-preserve-them/#recipe

Pickled Pears

 

Pears

 

Maple Balsamic Brussel Sprouts (frog balls)

Maple Balsamic Brussel Sprouts

Prep Time 25minutes mins

Cook Time 15minutes mins

Total Time 40minutes mins

Servings 5 pints

Ingredients

 2 lbs fresh Brussel sprouts (trimmed and halved)

½ cup water

2 ½ cups white balsamic vinegar (or regular balsamic for a deeper flavor) (I used 1/2 and 1/2)

½ tbsp Kosher salt

⅓ cup real maple syrup

6 cloves garlic (sliced)

Instructions

 

Step 1:

I started by washing and trimming all the Brussel sprouts. If any were larger than bite-sized, I cut them in half to help the flavor soak in better.

Step 2:

In a large pot of boiling water, I blanched the sprouts for about 4 minutes. Then I drained them and set them aside while I worked on the brine.

Step 3;

I combined 2½ cups of water with 2½ cups of white balsamic vinegar in a large saucepan. Then I stirred in 1½ tablespoons of kosher salt and ⅓ cup of real maple syrup. I heated it just until everything dissolved and the brine was hot but not boiling.

Step 4:

With clean, sterilized pint jars ready, I added a few slices of garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes to the bottom of each jar. Then I packed in the Brussel sprouts snugly, but not too tightly.

Step 5:

Using a funnel, I poured the hot brine over the sprouts, leaving ½ inch headspace. I used a chopstick to remove bubbles and wiped the rims clean before adding the lids and rings.

Step 6:

Process the jars in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes, adjusting for altitude as needed. After removing them, I let them cool for 24 hours and checked for proper seals.

From https://theoffgridbarefootgirl.com/how-to-make-and-can-maple-balsamic-brussel-sprouts/

Saving tomato seeds

 

Pickled Banana Pepper

 https://sites.google.com/view/pickled-banana-pepper/home

SWEET N SPICY PICKLES

SWEET N SPICY PICKLES

Prep Time 2hours hrs 30minutes mins

Water Bath Processing Time 10minutes mins

Total Time 2hours hrs 50minutes mins

8 pint jars  

Ingredients

5 pounds cucumbers sliced 1/4 inch thick

2 large onions sliced (left these out) (used hot peppers instead)

1/2 cup non iodized salt (kosher or sea salt)

6 cups water

3 cups white distilled vinegar

1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar

3 1/2 cups sugar

2 tablespoons mustard seed

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

10 whole cloves (left these out)

5 tablespoons garlic chopped

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes more if you want it spicier 

Instructions

Place the cucumbers, onions, salt, and water into a non-reactive container and let sit for two hours.

Drain the mixture and rinse thoroughly. Allow it to sit in the colander for several minutes.

Mix the remaining ingredients in a large pot. Over medium heat, bring to a boil. Add the cucumbers. When it comes to a simmer, remove it from the heat.

Pack the cucumbers into sterilized jars. Pour the liquid over the cucumbers leaving 1/2 inch headspace.

Wipe the rims with a cloth dampened with vinegar and water. Place the flats and rings on the jars and tighten.

Bring the water in the water bath to a rapid boil. Gently, place the jars in the water making sure the tops are covered by at least one inch. Cover and process for 10 minutes. (used low temp pasteurization 30 min @ 180f) 

Remove the jars from the water and place on a towel. After 24 hours, remove the rings.

Wait two weeks before eating. This will give all the flavors time to meld together.

From https://parsleythymelimoncello.com/2017/07/17/sweet-spicy-pickles/

Salsa

 

Cowboy Candy

Cowboy Candy

1 lb fresh jalapenos

2/3 cup cider vinegar

2 cups sugar

2 tablespoons mustard seed

1/4 teaspoon tumeric

1/4 teaspoon celery seed

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions

 

Slice jalapenos. Mix cider vinegar, sugar, tumeric, celery and mustard seed, garlic, and cayenne to boil. Reduce for 5 minutes to a simmer. Add jalapenos at the simmer for 5 minutes more.

Load sterilized jars with jalapenos first and add liquid filling the jars leaving a 1/4 headspace. Process in a water bath for 15 minutes.

Makes 2 pints

From - https://www.sbcanning.com/2010/10/cowboy-candy-check-this-out.html

White Grape Jelly

 Making Jelly without added Pectin

Use only firm fruits naturally high in pectin. Select a mixture of about 3/4 ripe and 1/4 under ripe fruit. Do not use commercially canned or frozen fruit juices. Their pectin content is too low. Wash all fruits thoroughly before cooking. Crush soft fruits or berries; cut firmer fruits into small pieces. Using the peels and cores adds pectin to the juice during cooking. Add water to fruits that require it, as listed in the table of ingredients below. Put fruit and water in large saucepan and bring to a boil. Then simmer according to the times below until fruit is soft, while stirring to prevent scorching. One pound of fruit should yield at least 1 cup of clear juice. Table 1 recommends process times for jelly without pectin made in a boiling water canner.

Extracting Juices and Making Jelly

When fruit is tender, strain through a colander, then strain through a double layer of cheesecloth or a jelly bag. Allow juice to drip through, using a stand or colander to hold the bag. Pressing or squeezing the bag or cloth will cause cloudy jelly.

Using no more than 6 to 8 cups of extracted fruit juice at a time, measure fruit juice, sugar, and lemon juice according to the ingredients in the table and heat to boiling. Table 2 provides instructions and proportions for extracting juice from jelly fruits. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Boil over high heat to the jellying point. To test jelly for doneness, use one of the following methods.

Temperature test: Use a jelly or candy thermometer and boil until mixture reaches the following temperatures at the elevations in Table 3.

Sheet or spoon test: Dip a cool metal spoon into the boiling jelly mixture. Raise the spoon about 12 inches above the pan (out of steam). Turn the spoon so the liquid runs off the side. The jelly is done when the syrup forms two drops that flow together and sheet or hang off the edge of the spoon.

Remove from heat and quickly skim off foam. Fill sterile jars with jelly. For more information see "Sterilization of Empty Jars". Use a measuring cup or ladle the jelly through a wide-mouthed funnel, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process.

Recommended process time for Jelly without Added Pectin in a boiling water canner.

Hot Half-pints or pints 5 min

 To Extract Juice.

Cups of Water to be Added per Pound of Fruit -None or 1/4

Minutes to Simmer Fruit before Extracting Juice 5 to 10

Ingredients Added to Each Cup of Strained Juice 3/4 sugar

Yield from 4 Cups of Juice (Half-pints) 8 to 9

Temperature Test - Use a jelly or candy thermometer and boil until mixture reaches 220° F at Sea Level

 

This document was adapted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning," Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA, revised 2015.

From - https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/make-jam-jelly/jams-jellies-general-information/making-jelly-without-added-pectin