Fall apothecary jar mini

This week I was finally able to squeeze in a little sewing!  After all the canning/preserving going on around here,the idea to make a mini jar quilt came to me.

Not just the plain ole mason jars which are very functional,but not so pretty as all those jars in the preserving magazines.  Which by the way are not actually recommended for preserving,because they do not seal good enough.  So my jars are not what you will find on any other jar quilt,but I sure do like them!  As you can see it is still in progress...when the preserving is all done and I can once again see my table top,this will be on it.

Speaking of preserving,this is part of what I put up today.  Seven pints of spaghetti sauce and a partial,which will be used in the next few days.  The little jars on the right are pesto.  They have joined a ton of other things in the freezer.

This is one of my cupboards,it used to be an entertainment center...since the storage space in our mobil home is very lacking,I asked Mr. P to up-cycle it for me.  He did a great job,and even made a shelf specially for my pressure canner.  The two smaller shelves hold my baking chips,nuts,and dried fruits.  The canned goods from left to right are:  blueberry syrup,peach syrup (for pancakes/waffles) blueberry/orange/rhubarb jam,tomato jam,peach chipotle jam,relish,and lastly pickled beets.

I still need to make salsa,and apple butter,and the mountain of zucchini and yellow squash is slowly being made into bread,and frozen.

Yesterday these foxy goodies were all packed up and shipped off to my swap partner.  I decided on a hoop art for her and added some braided embroidery with beads and a fox charm.  So that when it is hanging it sort of looks like a dream catcher.  The first coffee kozie was scrapped and the one on top of the little fabric bundle is my second attempt.  It is a keeper,or in this case a sender!  Might just have to make one for myself.

Pina Colada Freezer Jam

Are you ready to can/preserve some more veggies from the garden?  Today we are going to be making some jam reminiscent of a cocktail drink called Pina Colada!  You are going to be surprised by one of the ingredients,but don't let that make you shy away from trying out this recipe.  I assure you,that this jam is so good you could eat it right out of the container with a spoon!  (at least,Mr. P did!)

Pina Colada Jam:

Supplies from the cupboard/pantry needed to make this recipe.

• Large stock pot
• Mason jars (or plastic freezer containers) 8 oz
• wooden or plastic spoon 
• ladle
• grater or food processor 
• clean cloth (for wiping the rims of the containers)
• 2 three ounce packages of Pineapple gelatin
• 1 teaspoon of Rum extract
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1 20 oz can of crushed pineapple (do not discard the juice)
• 6 cups grated Zucchini (use a grater or food processor)
• 6 cups sugar

Add to your stock pot,the grated zucchini,lime juice,sugar,pineapple including the juice.  Stir to incorporate/mix all of the ingredients together.

Bring to a boil.  Stirring constantly,boil for 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat (I just turned off the gas burner).  Add the 1 teaspoon of rum extract,and stir to incorporate.

Add the two packages of pineapple gelatin,and stir until it has all dissolved.  Allow to cool slightly,especially if you will be using plastic freezer containers.

These are the containers I will be using for my jam,because they stack nicely in the freezer.

Move your stock pot to a location with plenty of room to work.  The kitchen table works great for me.

Now we are ready to start filling the containers.  Make sure that you leave a 1/2 inch headspace at the top of your containers.

After filling all the containers,set them aside to completely cool before placing the lids on them.

Once the jam is cooled off wipe the rims of your containers with the(damp) clean cloth before placeing the lids on your containers,label them and place them in the freezer.  I left one container out at Mr. P's request :)

The jam wil keep for up to one month in the refrigerator,or up to one year in the freezer.  Hope you give this one a try,you will be surprised at how unexpectedly delicious it is!

Bring on the Bacon ,jam that is

When trying to decide just exactly what recipe to use for my first preserving/canning how to tutorial,I was really not sure.  Should I go with a tried and true jam recipe,or take it up a notch and start with a modern take?  Well,the modern take won out,so here we go...

Utensils:

• Large Stock Pot
• Chefs knife
• cutting board
• measuring spoons
• measuring cups
• ladle
• large wooden spoon
• slotted spoon
• Food processor
• freezer containers (mason jars,or plastic freezer containers)

Bacon Jam:

• 2 pounds sliced bacon (you can use pork,beef,or turkey)
• 2 large yellow onions,peeled and thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic,peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 cups very strong black coffee
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Cut your bacon into one (1) inch pieces.

Brown one third of your bacon at a time,in a large heavy duty stock pot.  Cook,stirring frequently until the bacon is browned.

Using a slotted utensil,remove browned bacon to a bowl or plate,you can place paper towels at the bottom to soak up more of the grease.

While the bacon is browning,thinly slice the onion and garlic.

After the last third of bacon has browned,and been removed from the pot,discard all but two (2) tablespoons of the drippings/grease,and add the onions and garlic to the pot.  Stir the the onions and garlic,and reduce the heat to medium.  Continue to cook and stir frequently,for 8 minutes,or until most of the onions are translucent.

Add the coffee,brown sugar,cider vinegar,maple syrup,and freshly ground pepper to the onions and garlic,stir well.

Bring to a boil, and boil hard for two (2) minutes.

Return all of the bacon to the pot,and stir well.  Reduce heat to low,and simmer uncovered for two to three hours.  Stirring occasionally,so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot.  If,and Only If it looks like the liquid is evaporating and the mixture is drying out,you can add a 1/4 cup water.  (I didn't need to add any extra liquid)

When the onions are very soft and the liquid is thick and syrupy,remove from the heat and let stand for 5-10 minutes.

While the mixture is standing prepare your food processor.

Using your ladle,transfer the bacon mixture to the food processor.

Depending on the size of your food processor,you can either process the mixture in one or two batches.

My Kitchen Aid is fairly large,so I processed all of the mixture at once.

You are looking for a spreadable consistency,so you decide how much or how little to process.

Fill the freezer container of your choice,but make sure not to fill it to the top!  You want to leave room for expansion.  I left a good 1/2-1 inch of head space.

Allow the containers to cool,label and place in the freezer.  Of course you will probably want to keep at least one,in the fridge!  (we did)

Your bacon jam will keep for up to a month in the fridge,or for 6 months in the freezer.

Now go make some toast and enjoy your very own Bacon Jam :)

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sew darn crafty link party

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!

A polka dotted basket...

A little basket sewing,and some canning as well.

A few weeks ago I purchased the divided basket pattern from Noodlehead's pattern shop this is the first basket made from that pattern.   Although the dot lining and binding appear to be different shades,it is in fact the same print!  The next one I make will either have a shorter front pocket,or I will use the print for the pocket.

A look inside.

Once the divided basket was under my belt,I couldn't stop!  So these three were made using some scraps left from a baby quilt made earlier this year.

 

On to the canning,this is the Peach Chipotle jam made this past weekend.  The batch actually yielded 7 half pint jars.

Three of the 6 jars of Caramel Apple jam,also made this past weekend.  This one took a long time,because as the recipe directed,the caramel was made from scratch,a first for me!  This jam is delicious,but a Lot of work.

Row,row,row...

Well,2013 is now officially half over.  Crazy,I know,before we know it December will be knocking on the door!  Saturday I had planned on working on BOM blocks,since it rained,that did not happen,but this did...

Remember my row quilt top?  Well it is a top no more :)  The first rain drops started to fall just as I finished packing up my F M booth.  What timing!  Anyway after a late lunch,and the sewing tables back in place,this was calling my name.

The back is a Joann's fabric called scallops,with the star row a little off set from the center.  At the bottom are the extra geese,as somehow that row ended up with too many!  The binding is made up of scraps from the quilt front,and also the backing fabric.

I am so happy to have this one finished,as it is mine All Mine :@)

Yesterday,was spent in the kitchen and the garden.  Here are the fruits of my kitchen labor!  The four jars at the back are Rhubarb and blue-raspberry (blueberry/raspberry) jam,sounds out there but is really yummy.  The four shorter jars at the front are Strawberry Marmalade,a first for me.  Of course I had to add my own twist to it!

Instead of oranges and lemons,it has lemons and limes,in place of the water the reserved juice from cooking down the rhubarb was added,and to take it over the top fresh French Tarragon from the garden.  A party in your mouth!

On the left is my French Tarragon,on the right Mexican Tarragon.  There are also two sweet peppers in between,also harvested but not pictured...lettuce,swiss chard a bit of lavender,mint,kale,and a couple peas.  Which will probably be all we get as the deer wreaked havoc in the garden one day this last week :(  Thank goodness they were picky and left the majority for us!