As we're winding down and only have one more cooking class, I'd like to share some personal thoughts with you; I hope that if I have accomplished anything from these cooking classes, it's that I've encouraged you to try new things, work a little outside your comfort zone and NEVER give up.
I have a habit of using certain terminology repeatedly, like;
"It's CRAZY good"
"Everything is subjective, especially taste"
"Taste it"
"Season it as you go along"
"Recipes aren't always necessary"
"This is NOT brain surgery"
"Have FUN"
I'm sure there's more that you've taken note of over the months, just know that whatever terminology I use, you are all AMAZING! Thanks for hanging in there with me and going the distance. Thanks for trying the recipes and sharing your achievements with me, it's what's kept me committed, over the long haul.
Well, let's talk about canning ....... I learned canning from my mother, who learned it from her mother, and so on....., but it wasn't until some years later that I started experimenting with combinations of flavors and stretching my boundaries, as far as canning is concerned.
I think that if you want to do anything well, you need to study it. Canning is a whole different world from cooking and baking. It's a technique and discipline all it's own. If you're interested in becoming a GREAT canner, doing more than jams and jellies, then spend some time studying the art of canning. You'll find it very rewarding.
I love the sound of jar lids popping as they seal, I love the look of those jars, cleaned, labeled and lined up on my shelves, ready for use or for longer term storage. It's gratifying to see the results of my hard labor before my eyes, knowing that I've achieved something that few people participate in any longer. Canning is truly one of the lost homemaking arts and fewer people are canning every year.
There are certain basics that you should to be aware of:
1. If you want to be safe, be clean. Sterilize your jars in a dishwasher, sterilize the lids according the manufacturer's directions and always, always, always, follow directions.
2. If you're using a pressure cooker canner (this is not a pressure cooker. You can can
and cook in a pressure cooker canner, but only cook in a pressure cooker), be sure to have the seal tested once a year. Check with your community offices to see if they offer testing once a year, most do, but if yours doesn't, check with a local kitchen store to see if they'll test your canner or inform you who might offer that service. I know that many of you are nervous about using a pressure cooker canner, just be sure to FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS.
When your canning time is over, turn your stove off and don't touch the canner till the pressure gage is down to zero. When it reads zero, remove the "toggle" at the top, allow any remaining steam to escape, carefully remove the lid, and ALWAYS tip it away from you. Carefully remove the jars from the canner and place them on the counter to cool for 12-24 hours, making sure that the jars are spaced 1-2 inches apart. After they've cooled sufficiently, clean the jars, remove the rings, washing them and wash around the top of the jar. Gently lift up on the lid, if it doesn't come off, return the ring to the jar, label and store. If the lid comes off, put it back on the jar, return the ring and store in the refrigerator, or clean of the rim of the jar, place a new lid on the jar and re-can, following the initial process.
3. If you're not sure what process to use to can something, whether you should water bath, steam can or need to pressure cooker can, look it up. There are so many sites on the web. You can access The National Center For Home Food Preservation by going to:
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/publications_usda.html . Their latest revision is 2009. You have links and a volume of pertinent information on your cd, but it's always a good thing to look something up, or give me a call, if you're not sure. You'll notice that these sites don't
recommend "steam canning", mostly because they've never studied it to see what the
long term results are. Use whatever method you're comfortable with. I've used a "steam canner" for over 30 years and have never had any trouble, but I'm always very conservative in my
processing method. I never start timing my jars till I see steam coming from the vent holes. I never process anything less than 35 minutes; most recipes indicate 10, 15 or 20. I would much rather ere on the side of caution.
Make sure you understand that processing time, whether using water bath, steam or pressure cooker canning, is given for "sea level". If you live above sea level, you'll need to adjust your #'s of pressure, for your pressure cooker, and your processing time as well. You
need to add 1/2 # of pressure for every 1,000 feet above sea level. The normal boiling point of water at sea level is 212°. At higher altitudes, water boils at lower temperatures. When
processing jars of jams, jellies or pickles, and other preserves in a boiling water bath at higher altitudes, use the following chart to adjust times.
1,001 feet to 3,000 feet, add 5 minutes to processing times.
3,001 feet to 6,000 feet, add 10 minutes to processing times.
6,001 feet to 8,000 feet, add 15 minutes to processing times.
8,001 feet to 10,000 feet, add 20 minutes to processing times.
If you're not sure what your altitude is, Google it. I type in "altitude for saint george, utah" in my Google search and find it in Wikipedia. Check out your altitude, you'll want to know for making candy also - it's important.
I'd suggest that you save the e-mail I sent you on Thursday with canning information, I haven't included that information here.
I know that this sounds, somewhat, overwhelming. Take a deep breath and think about what the worse case scenario is: If you're jars don't seal, place them in the refrigerator, to use later or pour the contents out of the jars, and freeze. Not to worry! If your jam or jelly doesn't set - You have some "crazy good" pancake syrup. Not to worry! Nothing is wasted, not even your time, because everything you've made can be used for your family.
Practice makes perfect. There's a great deal of truth to that. If you give up after one, less than perfect attempt, you'll never reach your goal.
Remember - Everything is possible - even canning.
Here are the recipes I promised. Give them a try and let me know how you do.
Carrot Cake Jam - yields 6-8 oz. jars
1 1/2 C Finely grated peeled carrots
1 1/2 C. chopped, cored, peeled pears (you could also use apple)
1 3/4 C. canned pineapple, including juice
3 Tbl. lemon juice
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 pkg. powdered fruit pectin
6 1/2 C. granulated sugar
Prepare canner, jars and lids.
In a large, deep stainless steel saucepan, combine carrots, pears, pineapple with juice, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat, cover and boil gently for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and whisk in pectin until dissolved. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Add sugar all at once and return to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil hard, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from heat and skim off foam.
Ladle hot jam into hot jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot jam. Wipe rim; Center lid on jar. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to finger-tip tight.
Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool and store.
Zucchini Relish – yields 10-12 pints
10 C. ground zucchini
4 C. chopped onions
4 ground bell peppers
Grind all (I use my food processor, you can use whatever works best for you) and place in a very large bowl and stir to blend. Sprinkle 5 Tbl. of salt over the mixture and let it rest for 5 hours, or overnight. Drain off liquid & cover with water. Rinse twice and drain well, then pour into a large pot. Add:
2 ½ C. apple cider vinegar
5 C. sugar
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. celery seeds
1 heaping tsp. cornstarch
Bring to a boil and boil 30 minutes. Pack into jars, leaving ½ inch head space and process.
Note: As I said, I process everything 35 minutes by “steam canning”, if you’re water bath canning, I’d use the same time required for pickles. As with pickles, this relish is good fresh, but much better after it ages 6-12 months.
This is a GREAT recipe for those zucchini that got away from you. Those big giant ones that have the really hard skin – perfect!
I often grate my zucchini and other vegetables as I go through the summer and freeze them till I have enough for a batch of relish. Just measure your ingredients and make a note of the volume on your zip lock bag.
The only problem with sharing this recipe with your family and friends is that they no longer give you their truckload of extra zucchini.
ENJOY!
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