Canning

Well, It’s that time of year when a lot of people are “putting up” their garden produce - or, putting up the produce that is given to you by friends, buying it from a local producer or buying in bulk at the grocery store.
Lately I have received quite a few tomatoes and so have been using the salsa recipe that Carole Blakeman gave me (the recipe has been posted a couple of times in the past and is on my blog at: Hyshamecho.blogspot.com).
I also purchased 22 pounds of peaches and was able to get 13 quarts. (I would have gotten at least another quart if I wouldn’t have eaten some and given a few to a friend).
While I was canning the salsa I took a break to read my emails and had received one from Jennifer Anderson at the extension office that was on canning! The PDF file was titled: “Avoiding Common (Major and Minor) Canning Mistakes” and was written by Kathleen Riggs, and published by Utah State University Coop. Extension.
Some Major Canning Mistakes that are potentially deadly include: Making up your own canning recipe, adding extra starch, flour or other thickener to recipe, adding extra onions, chilies, bell peppers, or other vegetables to salsas (The extra vegetables dilute the acidity and can result in botulism poisoning), using an oven instead of water bath for processing, not making altitude adjustments, not venting pressure canner, failure to acidify canned tomatoes (not all tomatoes have an adequate acid level (pH), especially if the vine is dead when tomatoes are harvested. This can result in botulism poisoning), letting food prepared for “hot pack” processing cool in the jars before placing them in the canner for processing.
Some minor canning mistakes include: use of mayonnaise jars (the thinner walls of the glass may break especially if used in a pressure canner. However, if it seals, it is safe to use.
It is not recommended to use paraffin on jams and jellies or to cool too slowly after removing from canner (there is a group of organisms called thermophiles that can survive canning. If bottles are held hot for long periods, they can produce acid (fermentation).
For more information on safe canning practices visit the Rosebud-Treasure County Extension Office in the Rosebud County Courthouse in Forsyth.
After I finished the salsa I canned some applesauce. I plan to use the applesauce, not only for eating as a side-dish, but for making Applesauce Pies.

Applesauce

16 lbs apples
grated lemon peel from 1 lemons
Juice of 2 lemon, depending on the tartness of the apples
3 t. cinnamon (I use “Cinnamon Plus” from Pampered Chef which is a blend of cinnamon and sweet spices, including nutmeg, allspice and orange peel)
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup of white sugar, depending on sweetness of apples
3 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
Core and section the apples. (I use an apple wedger that divides the apples into ten sections and cores it at the same time. I do not peel them.)
Put all ingredients into a large pot. Cover. Bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer until the desired thickness.
Remove from heat and put through a food mill. I have an attachment for the KitchenAid that divides the applesauce from the peel and any seeds that escaped the apple wedger.
Reheat the applesauce if you are going to can it.
This freezes and will last up to one year in a cold freezer.
I prefer to can it in pint jars so I use a Hot Water Bath and process the pints for 20 minutes.

If you use the recipe above for the applesauce in the following recipe you may not need to add as much sugar or spices as the recipe calls for. The original recipe calls for unsweetened applesauce without spices.

Applesauce Pie

Source: http://www.food.com

2 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar - (depends on sweetness of applesauce)
1/2 cup butter - melted
1 cup Applesauce
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons lemon juice - (use less if the applesauce is tart)
1 9-inch pie shell
Mix all of the ingredients.
Pour into a 9-inch pie shell and bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.

One more thing I want to tackle is Sauerkraut. I have tried it in the past and use a clean plastic bucket with a bag filled with “brine” to weigh down the cabbage so it would be submerged under the brine. The bag broke and mold grew on the top so I threw it out..... This time I’m going to try canning it in individual jars. I purchased some small glass weights that fit into a wide-mouth jar to help keep the cabbage under the brine.
I wish I would have taken lessons from my grandmother Eisenman or my uncle Loren as they both made really good sauerkraut. I also heard that Cal MacConnel, that owns Clark Hardware, also makes really good sauerkraut the “old-fashioned” way in a large crock, so I might pick up some tips from him. In any case, I’m determined to have it turn out this time. I’ll let you know how it goes!

Some tips for making sauerkraut that I have picked up from my research:

Sauerkraut

• If cabbage head has been stored for a month or so, add 1 tablespoon sugar to the recipe.
• Peel outer layers from cabbage to use to place on top of shredded cabbage in jar to help hold it under the brine.
• Shred cabbage fairly thin so the brine can penetrate it easier. Use a food processor.
• Use 3 tablespoon salt/5 pounds of shredded cabbage.
• Place all the cabbage into a large, non-reactive bowl to massage the salt into the shredded cabbage and help extract the liquid. Newer/heavier heads of cabbage will have more liquid. Place a towel over the bowl and let rest for about an hour and then massage again before adding to the quart jars.
• Pack the cabbage into the jars a little at a time, packing it down after each addition. Pour the brine from the bowl over the top so the cabbage is covered with brine by about 1-2 inches. If juice does not cover cabbage, add boiled and cooled brine (1 1/2 tablespoons salt/quart of water).
• Place large cabbage leaf over the top of the shredded cabbage in the jar and then top with a glass weight, if you have one, or fill a small plastic bag with brine to place on top. Cover with lid and let sit for about 10 days.
• Put a label on the jar with a date to help you remember when you put the cabbage in the jar.
• Set the jar(s) on a tray or in a pan to collect juice that may leak out during fermentation. Do not pour the juice that bubbles out back into the jar.
• Store container with cabbage at 70° to 75°F for fermenting. Cabbage will ferment more quickly in the smaller containers, usually between 1 and 3 weeks, depending on container size.
• Cabbage changes from opaque, green-white to translucent, golden color and product smells like sauerkraut.
• If you fermented the cabbage in 1-quart or smaller size jars, just place the open kraut-filled jars in water that comes up to the shoulders of the jars. Bring water to a boil and boil 10 minutes. Remove jars.
• Then pack kraut into CLEAN 1-quart or smaller jars. Check head-space. If needed, add boiling hot brine to fill jars to 1/2 inch from the top. Wipe jar rims, and attach lids according to manufacturer’s directions.
• Process as recommended for hot pack.
Hot Pack in boiling water canner.
pints: 10 minutes
quarts: 15 minutes
• The advantage of using smaller containers to ferment is the speed; if you are not in a hurry I would recommend using a larger container.
• I would also recommend that you contact your county extension office to see if they have some information on making sauerkraut. Print this post