Let the Preserving begin...

Last year I did a series on preserving,if you are new around here,or to home canning/preserving take a few minutes to check out this post on preserving,it is a preserving 101.

This year the summer squash has been producing like crazy,which is a very good thing!  But,what do you do with all that zucchini?  Of course there is always the favorite around here,zucchini bread,or zucchini muffins,but today we will be making something else entirely.

Zucchini Relish:

Ingredients needed...

• 2 cups chopped zucchini (about 3 medium size)
• 1 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium)
• 1 cup chopped bell pepper (I like color so am using three different peppers)
• 2 Tablespoons salt (I am using canning,but regular table salt will work)
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons celery seed
• 1 teaspoon mustard seed
• 1 cup cider vinegar

Combine zucchini,onion,and bell peppers;sprinkle with salt;

cover with cold water.  Let stand 2 hours.  Drain;rinse and drain again thoroughly.  Combine,remaining ingredients in a large pot.  Bring to a boil.  Add vegetables;simmer for 10 minutes.  Pack hot relish into hot,sterilized jars,leaving 1/4 inch head space.  Remove air bubbles.  Adjust lids and rings,and place on jars.  Process in a water bath canner at recommended time for your altitude.  (sorry,not photos of the last steps,but the above link covers that)

This recipe yields about 4 half pints.  The jar on the bottom left in this photo is a half pint,the other four are pints.  I have made several batches already,and just used larger jars.  If I had used half pints there would be nine pictured.  Of course we have already been enjoying some...

of our homemade relish!

Put em Up...

All the fruits and veggies from your garden or the farm,farmers market,or wherever you get them from.

Now that you planted,watered and nurtured,your garden all summer long,it is time to harvest all that goodness!  How can you possibly eat all of them before they spoil though?  Not to worry,that is what preserving/canning was invented for!

     
                                                                  And you can too!

I have been canning/preserving for at least 15 years now,the first time was not only exciting,but also a little scary.  However,there are so many resources at the tips of your fingers,you could be a pro in no time.

 

When deciding to give preserving a go,this is the book that helped me to have a successful first attempt!  Not to mention many,many more there after,and it is still my go to book.  I would highly recommend it for the person just starting out,and the seasoned home canner alike.

There are two methods for canning ~ Water Bath & Pressure Canners ~  Both methods heat the food,thus killing any microorganisms that might grow,as well as creating a vacuum seal in the jar.  This prevents any air contact with the preserved food,as well as cell growth which would cause the food to spoil.

 
~ Basic Supplies/Utensils Needed to get started water bath canning ~

• 21 quart capacity water bath canning pot with canning jar rack
• Jars,Ball or Mason brand
• Lid wand (for tightening hot lids)
• Wide mouth canning funnel
• Jar lifter (for lifting jars out of the canner)
• Bubble remover (you could use a butter knife for this)
• Ladle (for filling jars)
• clean cloth (for cleaning the jar rims)

~ The Process ~

The first step in canning is to sterilize your jars,to do this,wash them in very hot soapy water.  Then place them in a boiling water bath for ten minutes,after which time you can remove the jars.  Update,please click the link below to read about some NEW Changes in PROCESSING...

NEW CHANGES In Canning Lid Procedures 

When canning make sure to use only wooden,glass,or plastic.  Iron,Aluminum,and Copper can discolor your  produce.

~ Prepare your produce ~

For the best results,use only fresh ripe produce,the longer it sits,the less vitamins,and nutrients remain.  Wash,peel,core,slice,dice.  Lemon juice,or Fruit Fresh can be used to keep fruit from discoloring.

~ Filling Jars ~

When filling your jars,remember to only fill to the specified amount of head space listed in your recipe.

Each ridge on the jar represents an amount of headspace (see above photo).  Produce expands during the canning/boiling process,so it is Important to leave adequate headspace.  Once jars are filled,use the bubble remover to remove any air bubbles from the jars.  Lastly,before placing lids and rims on jars,wipe down the rim and sides of the rim with a clean damp cloth.  This will remove any spilled/dripped food or liquid,and help assure a good seal.

~ Processing Jars ~
It is best to preheat the water in the water bath canner,for hot produce,the temperature should be 180 degrees F.  For cold produce the water temperature should be 140 degrees F.  After all jars are placed in the canner,the water level should be 1-2 inches above the tops of the jars.  If using a pressure canner,refer to the manufacturers directions.  Mine came with a small booklet on how to use it,and also had recipes.

Carefully add jars with your jar lifter,making sure that they do not touch each other,so that there is adequate water flow around them.  Place the lid on the canner and bring water to a boil,before starting the timer.  Each recipe will list the amount of time required.  Make Sure that you Check to see the amount of time listed for Your Altitude,as times vary depending on what altitude you are at.

~ Removing your Jars ~

After the boiling time has elapsed,carefully remove the jars from the canner,using the jar lifter.  Place them on a kitchen towel in a draft free place.  As the jars start to cool,you will hear them pop,as they seal.  When they are completely cool,you can push in the center of the lids with a finger,to check the seal.  If if pops back it is Not sealed.  To be certain my jars have sealed,I remove the rings,and gently tug on the lid,if it holds I know it has properly sealed.

If any of your jars did not seal (this has happened to me a few times) just place the un-sealed jar in the refrigerator  and use within the next few days.

~ Labeling and Storing ~

Some jars come with little sticky labels that you can write on,some do not.  You can do a google search and find free labels to download and use also.  Or,you can make up your own.  Store in a cool,dry,dark place.

Next week we will can something!

Preparing Green Beans for Freezing

Today there were things to be done in the kitchen so,instead of sewing I spent my free time preserving some of the goodness from the garden.  For a while now I have been toying with the idea of doing a series on preserving/canning/freezing...

Here is the question,would you peeps be interested in something like that?  Please let me know in the form of comments if that is something you would like to read/learn about.  I am not an expert by any means,but,am happy to share the knowledge acquired from my experiences!  With that in mind here is a sample...

How to prepare Green beans for Freezing:

Blanching (scalding in boiling water for a short timed interval) partially cooks,sets the bright green color,stops enzyme actions that can cause loss of color,flavor,and texture

What you will need:

• Green Beans (of course)
• A large pot,for Blanching the beans
• Ice,I just bought a small bag at the connivence store
• Freezer bags
• a metal steamer basket,(you can do without this,but it is Much easier if you use one)

First you will need the green beans,these are from our garden,there is just under two and a half pounds. I have already washed them,snapped off the ends,and also snapped them into bite size pieces.(you can also cut them,but I prefer to just snap them).

So,wash your beans,and either cut or snap them to the desired size.

If you live at a high altitude like we do here,you will want to put your water on to boil before preparing your beans,as it will take a while to reach the boiling point.  You should have 1 gallon of water per pound of beans. (I had to do mine in two batches,as my pot was not large enough to accommodate the correct amount of water and beans)

Bring your water to a rolling boil.

While waiting for your water to boil prepare your Ice water bath.  You can use a large bowl or another large pot.  Or,you can use the kitchen sink.  I prefer to do the latter,as there is plenty of room to work,and the sink will hold a lot of beans.  Which is great if you are preparing a large amount of beans.

The amount of blanching time will depend on the size of your prepared beans.  For small,or bite size pieces you will need to blanch for two (2) minutes ~ for medium size pieces,you will need to blanch for  three (3) minutes ~ for large size pieces,you will need to blanch for,four (4) minutes.

As you can see I am not using the metal steamer basket,because I do not have one.  So I have to use a slotted utensil to remove the beans from the pot.  Which I would Not recommend if you have little ones!
Once you have Carefully added the beans to the pot,place the lid back on,so it can return to a boil as quickly as possible.  Once it has returned to a boil,start your timer for the correct time,for the size of your beans.

After the blanching time has elapsed,Carefully remove the beans from the boiling water and immediately plunge them into the waiting Ice water.  Be sure to cool the beans in the ice water for the Same amount of time as you Blanched them for.

When the beans are done cooling in the ice water remove them to a towel,or place where they can air dry.  In the photo the beans are in a pile,you need to spread them out in a single layer to air dry.

While waiting for the beans to dry,prepare your freezer bags.  I am using bags that you can remove the air from,but regular freezer bags will work just fine.

When your beans have air dried place them into the freezer bags,in meal size portions that are appropriate for your family.  For Mr. P and I that is a half cup serving,or one (1) cup of beans per bag.

Thats seven (7) servings of green beans for us to enjoy this winter!

The sources I consulted for this post are as follows:
National Center for Home Food Preservation

How to Freeze Fresh Green Beans

You can find a lot of useful information at the first link,the second one is just how to freeze green beans,but there is also a link to a recipe for lemony green beans there.

Enjoy your week!