I haven't really canned many tomatoes, mainly because while living in Chicago because the second the tomatoes would take on even a smidgen of that pinkish hue they get before they turn bright red, the squirrels would run up the stems, knock them off, take one bite, and then leave them. It made me ridiculously angry! In Chicago I could never find tomatoes priced low enough to make my own tomato sauce, so I never did (although I did do salsa - and have no idea where my delicious recipe went). Now ...
Canning Recipes
Organic Canning; Dilly Beans with Fresh Dill Heads
The farmer's market had a TON of fresh dill heads last week adn I decided that now is the perfect time to try out these dilly beans made with fresh dill. I've made these multiple years but have always used dried dill seed. Typically I've had a hard time finding fresh dill at the farmer's markets but for some reason this year it's been really prevelant (although I'm thinking that the season is coming to an end because it looked pretty dismal on Thursday). We even found a farm with cut your own ...
Organic Canning; Black Raspberry Preserves
Have you ever had black raspberries? Apparently they are native to North America. They're a wild raspberry and they have a more rich taste, some call it "wine-y". I personally like the tartness of red raspberries but I'm pretty sure my little guy likes these better and I know my husband does. So, what are Black raspberry preserves? Preserves in general are very similar to jam, they are fruit and sugar, cooked to form a thicker spread. Same ingredients, the only difference is that the fruit is ...
Summer Canning Series; Preserving the Harvest, Week by Week
It's the middle of peak canning season and I have NO time to do it :( On top of all of the things that normally keep you busy during the summer in Michigan (fun things like vacations up North, boating, etc) my family has been crazy doing other stuff. I got my real estate license, my son has had to start patching his eye for 6 hours a day (long story and I'm not going to go into it), my Etsy business has been doing pretty well (Wedding season, you know?) AND my husband and I started a business. ...
Organic Canning: Bread and Butter Pickles Recipe
My pickling cucumbers are finally starting to produce quick enough that I can start making pickles. My favorite? Bread and butter pickles! This was the first type of pickle I ever canned and a favorite with my family and friends! My grandma said, "Well, I thought I made the best bread and butter pickles but I might be wrong"! We can eat a jar a day. Last year I didn't make enough - Only 2 batches and I had family begging for more. This is my second batch of this year and I'm hoping to make ...
Organic Canning: Pickled Cherry Tomatoes with Rosemary
What should I do with tons of cherry tomatoes? I have WAY too many to eat plain, so I'm making pickled cherry tomatoes! I have been harvesting a pint or so every two days. I'm now to the point where I have 15 cups + additional for eating - enough for 3 batches! These pickled cherry tomatoes would be great in a holiday relish tray (yes, I'm bringing them back) or as an appetizer served with some crusty gf bread. This recipe also came from my 2011 Better Homes and Gardens Canning Magazine - Of ...
Organic Canning: Tart Cherry Jam Recipe
Get your tart cherries while you still can! I've heard this is the last week! I personally bought a TON of tart cherries a few weeks ago. I guess you can only get them in a few parts of the country - I'm in one of those areas. They go bad pretty quickly so they're really only available at farmer's markets - If you get some, use them quickly! I cooked with some of them, froze some of them, and still had about a million and 12 left. Because they're not very good eaten plain, I decided to can the ...
Organic Canning: The BEST Corn Relish Ever Recipe
So, last year I made like 4 batches of corn relish. I thought for sure I was going to have millions of jars left in the pantry come corn season this year but nope! All of a sudden everyone I know LOVES corn relish (I really had no idea) and even people who don't like it seem to like this kind. I kid you not, I gave it to grandparents, parents (3 different sets), friends, siblings, and more - every single one of them said that it was the BEST corn relish they've ever had! Most ate the entire ...
Organic Canning: Pickled Banana Pepper Recipe
I harvested some banana peppers last week - I picked 18 total and I have a TON left on the plants to ripen. Now it's time to pickle them! I like this recipe because you can calculate the ingredients based on the number of pints you want to create. My 18 peppers filled 4 pint jars. I used sweet banana peppers but you can use pretty much anything - last year I used Hungarian Wax Peppers (WAY too hot for me), Keep in mind that the amount of peppers needed is an estimate. My suggestion would be ...
Organic Canning: Pickled Beet Recipe
I harvested some beets a few days ago (if you're growing your own and don't know when to harvest check out my post here). They weren't on the meal plan for this week and I've got plenty more growing so I decided to can these ones. Some of my favorite canning recipes come from Better Homes and Gardens 2011 Canning Magazine - I can't help but buy their "special interest" magazines at the checkout counter at the store. I bought this a few years ago and I think the recipes in it have been my ...