Culinary yoU: Canning

Showing posts with label Canning. Show all posts

Friday, July 14, 2017

Refrigerator Pickles Keto Style

Each year we have a pretty prolific garden, and making pickles is one of my favorite pastimes when we have an abundance of cucumbers. This year however, at the beginning of the spring gardening season, our homestead was struck by a tornado, which not only destroyed our home, but pretty much left us without a spring vegetable garden for the first time in about 10 years. Fortunately, my friend Steven Coyne, author of the 'I Grow Vegetables' blog has quite the huge garden, and he has more cucumbers than he and his wife can eat, so we were fortunate enough to share in his bounty.

So last week we stopped over for the day and got into the kitchen to make a couple batches of pickles primarily dills, and some refrigerator pickles. Steven has a great refrigerator pickle recipe and you can read all about it on his blog 'I Grow Vegetables: Refrigerator Pickles'. We made refrigerator pickles last year as well, but that was before my wife and I embarked on a LCHF / Ketogenic way of eating (WOE). Steve's original recipe called for sugar, but I substituted liquid sucralose (25% concentration). Therefore, all of the carbohydrates in this recipe come from the vegetables, which is where the majority of your carbohydrates should come from when you eating LCHF.

So in this article, I will be teaching you how to make delicious LCHF / Ketogenic refrigerator pickles that everyone in your family will enjoy. The best part is that they will be ready to eat in a week, and you do not have to have any fancy canning equipment to make them.

The Recipe

As I mentioned, this recipe originally came from my friend Steve, but I made some small changes in order to suit not only my personal tastes, but to make it keto friendly. The biggest change is of course the substitution of liquid sucralose for the granulated sugar. I also changed some of the quantities of the spices in the pickling brine. To find put more about liquid sucralose, check out my article 'Liquid Sucralose: A Great LCHF Sweetener'.

8 cups of sliced cucumbers (about 3 large)

1 ½ cups onion, sliced thin

¼ cup red bell peppers, sliced thin

¼ cup green bell peppers, sliced thin

1 recipe pickling liquid (see below)

Chef's Note: Personally, I also like a bit more bell pepper, not only for color, but because I like their flavor when they are pickled. If you grow them or can get them on sale, zucchini makes a good substitution for the cucumbers and as a bonus 1 cup of zucchini only contains 2.4 net carbs, whereas 1 cup of cucumbers contains 3.2 net carbs.

Pickling Liquid (The Brine)

3 cups of white vinegar (5% acidity)

4 teaspoons pickling salt

2 teaspoons celery seed

2 teaspoons mustard seed

1 teaspoon liquid sucralose (25% concentration)

Place all of the ingredients for the brine in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil and simmer for 3 – 5 minutes.

Chef's Note: Personally I like my cucumber pickles for this recipe to be cut about the same thickness as dill pickle chips, and I usually cut them by hand. Steve likes the thinner slices and cuts his on a mandolin. You can also cut them into spears, just keep in mind that the thicker the cut of the veggies, the longer they take to brine. For spears, it may take 10 to 14 days before they are ready.

Putting it all Together

While the brine is coming to a boil, slice the cucumbers, onions, and bell peppers and place in a large bowl. When the pickling liquid is ready, remove from the heat and pour the hot mixture over the sliced cucumbers, onions, and bell peppers and allow to cool to room temperature (about 20 minutes).

Pack the vegetables in pint or quart jars and top off with pickling liquid. Attach the lids and place the jars in the refrigerator and chill. Allow the pickles to sit undisturbed for 3 – 5 days for thin sliced cucumbers, and 7 – 10 days for thick sliced cucumbers to allow the brine to work it's magic. (Yield: about 2 quarts)

Total Recipe

Calories – 233, protein 7.9 grams, fat 2 grams, carbohydrates 45.4

Per Quart Jar (2 pints)

Calories – 116.5, protein 3.95 grams, fat 1 grams, carbohydrates 22.7

Per Pint Jar (2 cups)

Calories – 58.25, protein 1.97 grams, fat 0.5 grams, carbohydrates 11.35

Per Cup

Calories – 29.12, protein 0.99 grams, fat 0.25 grams, carbohydrates 5.67

Chef's Note: Because I have them, I use canning jars for my pickles, but you could place them in any glass container with a lid. Remember we are not processing these pickles, they will be kept in the refrigerator. Because we are not processing them, I use clean, old lids from previous jars that have been opened and the contents eaten. No since in wasting new lids on refrigerator pickles.

Conclusion

We opened the first jar of these pickles today five days after they were canned up, and they taste fantastic. The veggies are crisp and crunchy, and sweet, just as if they were made with sugar. That's the great thing about liquid sucralose, you can use it in hot or cold conditions just like sugar. Not only does it taste the same as sugar, it has zero, yes I said it, zero carbohydrates. Keep in mind that because these pickles are not processed in a water bath or pressure canner, they only have a shelf-life of 60 days in your refrigerator. So while you could double this recipe, unless you eat a lot of pickles or intend to give them away to your friends and family, they may go bad before you can eat them all.

I hope that you will try out these pickles and I guarantee you that you and your family will love them. As always, we ask that if you find the information in this article informative and enjoyable, that you share it this post with your friends. Don't forget to send us a friend request on our Facebook page 'CulinaryyouLCHF', and/or add us to your circle of friends on Google+ CulinaryyoU.

Thursday, July 14, 2016

Pace Style Picante Sauce

There are a ton of 'picante' sauce or 'salsa' brands on your local supermarket shelves for you to choose from for snacking with a big ole bag of tortilla chips while watching your favorite movie, or sports program. Well maybe a ton is an over statement, and well a ton is actually a measurement of weight and not a measurement of quantity, but I digress. Of all the picante style sauces, my favorite is one of the originals 'Pace Picante Sauce' developed in 1947. I has what I believe is a well balanced flavor with just the right consistency and size of chopped veggies.

I grew up eating the original Pace brand “medium” picante sauce, and while the company has gone on to add a variety of additional flavors and styles such as “chunky”, “mild”, and “hot”, the original is still my favorite. Besides, Pace picante sauce is an Texas original, not some family sauce created by someone up in New York City. So if you like the original, then making your own with fresh ingredients from your garden is even better.

So I took about 30 to 35 pounds of assorted tomatoes along with some cucumbers from the garden to my friend Steve Coyne's house who writes the 'I Grow Vegetables' blog and we decided to do some power canning (we also canned kosher dills, and refrigerator pickles). We used about 25 pounds of the tomatoes for picante sauce, and Steve made ketchup with the leftover skins and the cherry tomatoes. Anyway, here is my Pace style picante sauce recipe. It is easy, quick, and delicious and one I make every year. We just cannot seem to keep enough in the pantry. BTW, you can find Steve's recipe for refrigerator pickles by clicking on his blog link 'I Grow Vegetables'.

The Base Recipe

Honestly, the ingredients listed on the Pace “medium” sauce label are quite straightforward. Crushed tomatoes, jalapenos, onions, distilled vinegar, salt, garlic, water, and natural flavoring (whatever that is). As you can tell, the original Pace recipe was pretty basic, and I happen to think that Mr. Pace got it right with his original sauce. This base recipe is pretty close to his original “medium” style sauce. With this base as your foundation you can develop your own particular variation of the sauce to suit you and your families particular tastes.

10lbs tomatoes

3 jalapeno's, diced

2 large onions, diced

¾ cup distilled vinegar (5% acidity)

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons granulated sugar (optional)

1 tablespoon pickling salt

Wash tomatoes, remove the core from the small blossom end and then cut an 'X' on the bottom of the tomato with your paring knife. Place the tomatoes in a large pot with boiling water for 90 seconds. Then remove them and place them in a large bowl with ice water. Then remove the skins and coarsely chop the tomatoes and add to your stockpot.

Dice the onions and jalapenos and add them to the stockpot (wearing rubber gloves when you dice up the jalapenos will keep your hands from burning). Then add the remaining ingredients (except the sugar) and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to keep the salsa from burning.

Chef's Note: Do not add any additional water to the recipe, the liquid you get from boiling, dipping and removing the skins along with the vinegar is enough moisture. Adding extra water just means you have to cook it longer.

Reduce the heat and simmer the salsa for 30 to 45 minutes or until the mixture thickens. Once your salsa has the desired thickness, check the seasoning and add additional salt to taste. At this point you may add 1 – 2 tablespoons of sugar if you like your salsa to have a slightly sweet taste. Once you have adjusted the seasoning to your satisfaction, ladle the hot salsa into hot jars leaving ½-inch of headspace. Adjust lids and rings and process pints in a water batch canner for 15 minutes.

Chef's Note: Unlike my pasta sauce, I do not add tomato paste to my salsa. Rather I cook the salsa until it is thickened. You could use tomato paste to thicken your salsa if you desire, but for this recipe, my personal preference is to cook it down as it only takes 30 to 45 minutes rather than add tomato paste.

Chef's Note: When trying to determine the number of jars you will need when processing salsa, on average most recipes in the Ball Blue Book (see below) indicate that you get about 1 pint of salsa for each pound of tomatoes used. Of course adding more onions or other veggies may increase this number. For this batch of salsa we used 20 to 25 pounds of salsa and canned 20 pints.

Variations On A Theme

For this particular batch, I added a couple of bell peppers that I had in the refrigerator, but this recipe is so basic and right on, that there are an endless number of variations that you can make. Unless specified, all the base ingredients are the same, some of the techniques may be different. Some of the more popular variations include:

Mild – For a milder sauce, remove the seeds and membranes from the jalapenos before dicing them.

Hot – Increases the number of jalapenos to 6 to 8, and leave the seeds and membranes intact.

Chunky – For chunky variations either “mild”, “medium”, or “hot” simply cut the tomatoes and onions into larger chunks, pretty simple huh?

The possibilities are endless, for the batch in these photos I used only items from my garden so the pepper content was slightly different. I added a couple of green bell peppers, that we had in the fridge, two serranos, one jalapeno, and one poblano pepper (I didn't have enough jalapenos, and Steve did not have any). I could have bought some at the supermarket, but I was lazy. I just opened one of the jars that we made yesterday, the flavor as always is spot on, but it was a “mild” sauce as we doubled the recipe and we only had enough peppers for a single recipe. Anyway, I almost always add just a touch of sugar for a little sweetness. I know the original Pace ingredient label for "medium" picante sauce doesn't include sugar, and if your tomatoes are sweet enough you may not need it. However, we like our salsa with just a hint of sweetness.

Conclusion

If you like 'Pace' brand style original picante sauce, then you will definitely like this recipe. I make some every year and I cannot keep it in my pantry. The only complaint I get is from the grandkids, they want it to be hotter, but my wife likes it “medium”. So each year I have to tell the grandkids that I prefer to sleep in my bed and not the couch...[Grin]. Anyway I do always make a few jars with added jalapeno's for them, but I pretty much stick to the base recipe listed here. As always, if you have enjoyed this article, please share it with your friends and do not forget to send us a friend request on Facebook or add us to your circle on Google+ to get notifications regarding our latest recipes and articles.

Saturday, July 9, 2016

Watermelon Rind Pickles

Well the 4^th of July holiday has come and gone, and guess what watermelon was on sale. As we were unable to get together for the holiday weekend we bought a couple of seedless watermelon's and threw them in the fridge for a few days as some of our family was coming this weekend. I confess, we do not buy watermelon often, and I was out of watermelon pickles so I decided to kill two birds with one stone so to speak and make watermelon pickles.

I will say this, of all the pickle type recipes, this one probably has the most prep, but the sweet, candied fruit pickles that you get from the rind that most people simply throw away is quite delicious. Now I won't claim that this is an old southern recipe as my grandmother used to make them on the farm in Missouri and her's were simply heaven. Having said that, this is not her recipe, I wish it was, but to be honest my father's mother never taught me anything about canning. It's a shame really as they canned just about anything you could think of back on the old home place, and she was quite good at it.

Anyway, I was left to try and develop my own version of this old fashioned family favorite. After trying several different variations, I took components from several recipes and fine tuned it to meet my specific needs. I must say that I am quite happy this watermelon pickle recipe. I generally make two small batches some with the red hot candies (which both my wife and I like) and some without. If you have never made watermelon pickles before, I hope you will give this recipe a try, I am sure you will enjoy it.

The Recipe (Yield 14 pints)

Rind from two medium to large sized watermelons

9 cups of granulated sugar

4 quarts of water

4 quarts vinegar (5% acidity)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon whole cloves

1 3-inch piece of cinnamon

1 (5.5 ounce) bag of Red Hots cinnamon flavored candy (optional)

Make the brine and set in the refrigerator (see recipe below)

Remove the meat of the watermelon and place in plastic bowls for eating later. Make sure you remove as much of the meat as possible, however you do not have to scrape the rind down to the white part, some red is all right. Then slice the watermelon rind into 1-inch strips and peel the skin off with a potato peeler or small paring knife.

Once you have the watermelon rind peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes, or you could leave it as spears, but personally I think the cubes work best. Once you have all the rind cubed add it to the stockpot with the brine and then cover the top of the rind with ice (about 2 quarts) and place in the refrigerator for 4 hours.

After 4 hours or when you are ready (not longer than 12 hours). Combine the 4 quarts of vinegar and water along with the 9 cups of sugar and the lemon juice in a large stockpot and place it on high heat. While the syrup mixture is heating combine the cloves, and cinnamon in a small piece of cheesecloth to make a spice bag (sachet) and add it to the stockpot with the syrup solution. Bring the syrup to a boil and cook for ten minutes. Then reduce the heat just to simmer to keep the syrup warm. Remove the spice bag at this time, or if you like a stronger cinnamon clove flavor leave it in. At this time it is also a good idea to fill your water bath canner with water and get it heating. You do not what to waiting on a cold water bath canner once you rind is ready to be canned.

Remove the watermelon rind from the refrigerator and drain and rinse the thoroughly. Then after rinsing your stockpot, place the rinds back in the stockpot and cover with water and bring to a boil and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes. At this point the rind will be fork tender and just beginning to turn transparent. I personally like my rind to be just beginning to turn transparent when I remove it from the heat and start canning it as it will continue to cook from the residual heat of the water in the stockpot. Many recipes however tell you to cook the rind until it is totally transparent, but remember it will continue to cook some in the water bath canner so do not overcook the rind.

While the rind is cooking take your clean jars and add 3 cloves to each jar and 8 red hot cinnamon flavored candies (if your are using them) to each jar. Don't forget to heat your lids and bands and have them ready so that you can put the rind in the jars as soon as it is cooked. When the rind is ready fill your pint jars with the cooked rind and ladle the hot syrup into the jars leaving ½-inch of headspace. Remove any bubbles, adjust the two-piece lids and process in your 10 minutes in your boiling water bath canner.

The Brine

3 Quarts of water

¾ cup of salt

Combine 3 quarts of water and ¾ cup of salt in a large stockpot and stir until dissolved and place in the refrigerator to cool. You can make the brine overnight and allow to cool if you wish.

Conclusion

Of all the fruit pickle recipes, watermelon rind pickles are my favorite. It still amazes me that something like the rind of a watermelon when made into a fruit pickle using this recipe has the texture similar to that of canned apples or pears. In fact my first memory of eating these pickles in my grandmother's kitchen was that of eating canned apples. For just a little of your time and some basic ingredients that just about everyone has in their pantry you can make a delicious old fashioned fruit pickle recipe that is enjoyed by all generations. As always, if you have enjoyed this article, please share it with your friends and don't forget to send us a friend request on Facebook and Google+ so that you will not miss out on any of our new articles.

Sunday, July 3, 2016

Quick Kosker Dill Pickles

Love them or hate them, Mrs. Wages canning mixes have been around for a while and many first time canners have used them and many continue to do so throughout their years of canning. For the most part, the Mrs. Wages pasta and salsa mixes tend to be stronger or bolder than I like. On the rare occasion in which my wife bought some on clearance at our local Walmart, I actually doubled the amount of tomatoes called for in the recipe and found that the taste was acceptable. While doubling the amount of tomatoes made the mix more economical, I still prefer to use my own pasta and salsa recipes.

The two products of Mrs. Wages that my wife purchased on clearance that I do like are the 'Kosher Dill Pickles' and 'Bread And Butter Pickles' mixes. The thing that kinda gets me with these mixes though is that they cost somewhere between $2.50 to $3.50 (depending on where you shop) for approximately ¾ cup (6.5 ounces) of mix that contains: salt, turmeric, dehydrated garlic, citric acid and maltodextrin. Personally I think this is ridiculous when you can make your own Mrs. Wages style Kosher Dill Pickles mix for less then $0.50. I call them 'Kosher' style, because the mix sold by Mrs. Wages is not kosher approved (the package does not have the kosher seal on it). To make kosher dill pickles you have to use kosher salt (See Chef's Note regarding kosher salt).

The Recipe

Although I liked the Mrs. Wages pickling mixes, I knew that I could make my own brine that had almost the exact same taste for a whole lot cheaper, and I think I have succeeded. My version of Quick kosher style pickles are easy and quick to make using my recipe which I based on the flavor and liquid amounts as used by the Mrs. Wages Kosher Dill Mix (actually I could not tell the difference when compared side-by-side). If you like this particular pre-made mix, then you will love making kosher dills with this recipe.

Mrs. Wages Kosher Dill Clone (Makes 7 Quarts)

7 ½ cups water

3 ½ cups vinegar (5% acidity)

½ cup pickling salt

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 teaspoons pickling spice

1 teaspoon dried dill

1/8 teaspoon turmeric

1/8 dried mustard (See Chef's Note)

Add enough water to your boiling water canner to cover the jars by three inches that you will be canning the cucumbers in. And turn on high to bring to a boil. While the water is heating start by making your brine.

Combine water, vinegar, garlic, and turmeric in a large stockpot. Place the dried dill and pickling spice in a cheesecloth and tie tight making a sachet (spice bag) and throw it into the stockpot with the remaining ingredients. Bring the liquid to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes to allow the spices to cook releasing their flavors into the liquid.

Wash cucumbers and drain, then cut off the blossom ends. If making hamburger dills, cut the cucumbers into ¼-inch slices. If making spears then cut lengthwise and quarter as necessary to fit into your jars of choice.

Chef's Note: I know Mrs. Wages uses 7 1/3 cups of water and 3 1/3 cups vinegar, but rounding the amount of liquids to ½ cup makes it easier. The ratio of water to vinegar is the same and there is no noticeable taste difference. If you do not wish to put mustard seed in your individual jars then add then add 1/8 teaspoon ground mustard to your brine. Personally I like the look of having the individual mustard seeds in each jar.

Pack cucumbers into hot jars leaving ½inch headspace. Add 1/4 teaspoon mustard seed per pint, 1/2 teaspoon per quart and pickle crisp if desired per the package instructions. Remove air bubbles and adjust two-piece caps. Process both pints and quarts in a water bath canner for 15 minutes.

Chef's Note: If you want true kosher pickles, then you need to use kosher salt instead of pickling salt. Kosher salt can be safely used in place of pickling salt, however you need to make sure that the kosher salt you use has no additives or anti-caking agents as they make cause the brine to darken and become cloudy.

Pickling Spice Recipe

Pickling spice comes in a wide variety of flavors and brands. If you do not have any pickling spice on hand and you have the necessary spices, you can make your own. I have included a basic pickling spice recipe for you just in case you do not have any or simply run out and what to make your own pickling spice mix.

2 tablespoons mustard seeds

2 tablespoons coriander seeds

1 tablespoon allspice berries

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

2 teaspoons dill seed

1-2 bay leaves, crumbled

Combine all the ingredients together in a small container and mix throughly. Use as directed by your individual recipe.

Conclusion

I hope you will enjoy making and using my simple kosher dill style pickle recipe. If you have used Mrs. Wages in the past, you can save 80% or more by making your own brine with the items you have in your pantry. After all isn't that part of the reason you grew a garden anyway to save money and supply your family with a ready supply of nutritious and delicious canned products? This recipe is quick, simple and easy to make and I hope that you and your family will enjoy making and eating these quick and easy kosher style pickles, I know mine does. As always, if you have enjoyed this article, please share it with your friends and don't forget to send us a friend request on Facebook and Google+ so that you will not miss out on any of our new articles.

Friday, January 8, 2016

Clearing The Confusion Regarding Jams, Jellies, And Preserves.

Jelly, jams, preserves, marmalades and conserves. They all are great on toast or in a peanut butter sandwich, but what makes each unique? This was actually the conversation that Steve Coyne (Author of 'I Grow Vegetables' blog) were having the other day when were were making jelly. It was this conversation that inspired me to write this short article.

According to the FDA, they essentially they fall into two distinct categories: jelly or jam. Now as far as I am concerened, 'preserves' is a seperate category, at least they are the way my grandmother made them, however the FDA considerers preserves to fall under the classification of jams. Because I have been making jams and jellies for a many years and people often ask me what is the difference between a jelly, jam, and a preserve, I decied I would write this quick primer on the differences and similarities of each.

Jelly Or Jam, Which Is It?

Jelly – Is made from the strained juice of the fruit. Because jelly does not have any of the pupled fruit or seeds as they have all been strained out, it tends to spread more evenly than jam. It is more labor intensive (although not much) but my grandmother almost never made jelly, prefering to make jam as she did not want to strain out the “good stuff” as she called it.

Marmalades – A type of jelly made from citrus fruits (lemon, orange, lime etc.) in which the rind is added to and left in the final product. Marmalades have a dual flavor profile being sweet (from the jelly) and sour (from the rind). Not exactly my favorite, but my wife loves orange marmalade.
Fruit Butters – Are a variety of jelly, that generally consists of a combination or variety of fruits (not always) that are cooked down until they are thickened until they have the consistency of butter, hence the name 'fruit butters'. Pectin may or may not be added to the mixture depending on the recipe. Popular types of fruit used to make fruit butters include: apples, pears, and peaches. According to the FDA, all fruit butters are considered a variety of jelly.

Jam – For canning purposes, jam is made the same way as jelly, except that the fruit is crushed extracting most of the juice, however the fruit solids and seeds are left in the final product. Because of the pupled fruit and/or seeds, jams tend to be more lumpy and more difficult to spread on your toast than jelly.

Conserves – Are a variety of jam that generally consists of a combination or variety of fruits. In addition, many conserve recipes include nuts and/or raisins. Conserves can be both savory as well as sweet. As with jam, pectin is added to help it gel. Just like with fruit butters, according to the FDA, all conserves are jams, but not all jams are conserves.

Preserves – Are small to medium sized chuncks of fruit that are canned in either fruit juice or a simple syrup. They may have pectin added to make them slightly 'jam' like in consistency. Depending on the cook and the recipe they may include a fair amount of crushed fruit, but they are generally less processed than jam. Therefore I consider them to be in a seperate category, but this is only my personal opinion. Preserves gets it's name as it was one of the original ways to 'preserve' whole or slightly crushed fruit. Thereby by allowing the preserved fruit to be later used to make sauces and flavor other types of foods during the cooking process. Of all of these categories, preserves are the least processed (i.e. they are not smashed, blending or pulped).

Conclusion

So there you have it, essentially all of these products fall under one of two categories if you consider preserves to be a jam as the FDA does. Regardless of whether you call them, jams, jellies, conserves, marmalades or preserves, they all taste great on your buttered toast or biscuits at breakfast or on a peanut butter samdwich at lunch. Preserves are especially nice fresh hot waffles or when used as a topping for homemade ice cream, or any ice cream for that matter.

Making Jelly From Juice

Recently when my wife and I were shopping at our local Walmart we came across two different types of juices that were going to expire in May of 2016 (six months from they day we bought it). They were apple/mixed berry 96oz marked down to $1.00 each, and plain apple juice 64oz marked down to $1.00 each. Ounce for ounce the mixed berry juice was cheaper (33% more juice) than the apple, but for $1.00 each we bought 4 of each bottle for a total of $8.00. So with Christmas coming up, it was time to make some Christmas jelly to share with our friends and family.

Making your own jelly can not only be a great way to save money, but it is pretty satisfying knowing that you created something with your own hands. To make your own jelly you do not have to have access to an orchard or berry plants, you simply have to have a grocery store in your neighborhood in which you can purchase the juice to make the jelly. To be honest, it is as simple as that. If you have never canned before then making your own jelly is a great way to get started in the wonderful world of canning and preserving food.

After using this recipe to make 16 half pints (8oz jars) of jelly for Christmas presents we still had plenty of juice left over. So a couple days after Christmas we had our friends Steve Coyne (author of the 'I Grow Vegetables Blog') and his wife Sue as well as Rhonda and Andrew Jones over to talk all things homesteading and share ideas and information regarding food preservation. Steve brought two cases of half-pint jars (8oz) and I supplied the lids, bands and other ingredients and we made 24 half-pints of jelly using this recipe. As we were visiting with friends, I did not take a lot of pictures, so this article will only be semi-illustrated...sorry.

Before you get started making your own jelly, you will need to get your water bath canner, jars and canning supplies ready. I am not going to go into detail on how to sterilize your jars before canning your jelly in this article as I have covered this in another article on the blog. You can find detailed instructions regarding water bath canning at 'Canning Basics: A Step-By-Step Guide'.

Basic Jelly Recipe From Juice

Now there are quite a few jelly recipes out on the wide world web, and I guess I am going to add mine into the mix, but I cannot really take credit for this recipe. In fact, I use the standard Kraft brand Sure-Jell recipe that you can find on their website for making Jelly from juice. While the instructions that come with the Sure-Jell pectin are through, even I find them somewhat confusing and contradictory, however, the recipe listed below is an old one that Kraft still has on it's website. I have been using this recipe to make jelly from fruit juice for years and it has worked for me every time.

1 box of Sure-Jell powdered pectin

4 cups of juice (any type)

5 cups sugar

1 tablespoon butter (optional)

Gather you jars and all necessary equipment and clean and sterilize them. For step-by-step instructions on how to clean and sterilize your jars and equipment, see my article 'Canning Basics: A Step-By-Step Guide' on our blog.

Measure out 4 cups of juice into a 6 to 8 quart saucepan. Add the pectin and optional butter to juice and heat the mixture to rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) stirring constantly. Then add the sugar and stir until it is fully incorporated into the juice. Then bring the juice mixture back to a rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove the juice mixture from the heat and skim off any foam that may have occurred on top of the juice with a spoon.

Chef's Note: Do not try and double this batch. Making batches larger than this recipe is one of the more common reasons for set failures. If you have to, make a batch and take a break in between, but again I would not double the recipe.

Ladle into your cleaned and sterilized jars leaving ¼ inch of head space. Wipe the rims of the jars with a damp paper towel and cover with two-piece band and lids. Screw the bands until they are hand tight. Place jars in water bath canner. If using a canning rack, add the jars to to rack, then lower the rack into canner. Making sure the water covers the jars by 3 to 4 inches.

Place a lid on your water bath canner and bring the water to gentle boil. Once the water is boiling, process the jelly for 5 minutes. Remove jars and place upright on a wire rack or towel to cool. After jars are cool, make sure to check the seals by pressing middles of lids with finger. (If lids spring back, lids are not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)

Chef's Note: Some juice takes longer to set than others. Even if the jar is cool to touch, the jelly will need 24 hours for the pectin to fully set. Juices made from fruits that are higher in pectin will typically gel faster then low pectin fruits.

Choosing Your Pectin

When it comes to making jelly, jams, and preserves, it's all about the pectin. Pectin is a natural enzyme found in fruits and vegetables. Fruits such as apples, pears, plums, oranges, guavas, and other citrus fruits have large amounts of natural pectin, while cherries, strawberries, blackberries, and grapes contain small amounts of pectin. While most fruits contain pectin (primarily in the skin of the fruit), additional pectin is required to make sure that your jelly, jams, and preserves 'set' or 'gel' correctly. In addition to pectin, sugar is one of the primary ingredients in jams and jellies that not only makes the final product sweet, the sugar actually enhances the gelling power of the pectin. This is why some canners have difficulty with their jelly, jams, and preserves setting properly when using sugar substitutes and regular pectin. If you want to use a sugar substitute like Splenda or Stevia, then you need to use a product like 'Sure-Jell for Lower Sugar Recipes pectin'.

Powdered Pectins

The only type of pectin I have ever used to make jelly and jams is 'Sure Jell' powdered pectin. A 1.75oz box of Kraft 'Sure Jell' is $2.97 (at Walmart). Ball also makes a powdered pectin that comes in 4.7oz container for $9.47 (at Walmart). To use the Ball pectin, you can log onto their website and choose the individual type of fruit for the required amount of pectin (about 1 tablespoon for each ¾ cup of juice). Both work well, but for me I prefer to just open the powdered pouch and pour it into my juice. If you are using smaller amounts of juice, the Ball pectin may be a better choice for you. One major advantage of using Ball powdered pectin is that comes loose in the jar which can be helpful if you wish to try and fix a jam or jelly that will not set, but it is a lot more expensive than Sure-Jell.

Liquid Pectins

Both Kraft and Ball make liquid pectins. The Kraft brand 'Certo' is $3.97 for a 6fl oz box with two 3oz pouches (at Walmart) and Ball's 'Real Fruit' liquid pectin is $6.38 for 6fl oz box with two 3oz pouches. As I mentioned previously, I have never used liquid pectin, but I know people who have used it with good results. In my experience the liquid pectin is slightly more expensive, especially the Ball brand. Like most of us, I am a creature of habit, so when it isn't broke, I don't try and fix it, so I always use powdered pectin.

Cost Analysis

My original goal of this was not to do a cost savings analysis, we simply bought the juice to make jelly to share with our friends and family, but old habits die hard, and I wanted to see how much it really costs me to make this jelly from clearance juice. I opted not to perform any price comparisons so if you want to see the actual savings you can achieve from making jelly from store bought, then you will have to look at the supermarket next time you visit, or compare prices here on the internet.

So how much did It actually cost to make this jelly using bottled or canned juice? And can you really save any money making your own jelly at home from bottled juice? Obviously your choice of juice and the type of pectin you will use will affect the final price of your jelly. For our recipe we were able to purchase the a 96oz of Apple/Mixed Berry juice for $1.00 ($0.01 per ounce), the 64oz jar of Apple juice was $1.00 ($0.015 per ounce). The Sure Jell was $2.94 for one box, and 5 cups of sugar $1.09 ($0.031 per ounce).

Mixed Berry Jelly (2.94 + 1.09 + 0.32 = $4.35 for 8 half pint (8oz jars), that's $0.54 per jar ($0.07 per ounce).

Apple Jelly (2.94 + 1.09 + 0.48 = $4.51 for 8 half pint (8oz jars), that's $0.56 per jar ($0.075 per ounce).

When Your Jelly Dosen't Set?

So what happens when your jelly does not set or gel after 24 hours? There are many causes that I will not go into in this article, but if your jelly does not set it is not the end of the world. As I mentioned earlier, if you follow these directions, you should not have any problems, but alas we are all human. The few times I have had a jelly not set properly I simply used it as a syrup. Syrup's like this are great on pancakes, waffles or biscuits fresh from the oven. Like Jellies, fruit syrups make great gifts, and unless you tell everyone your jelly failed to set, they will never know unless you tell them.

I have never attempted to fix a jelly that would not set, as I mentioned I use them for syrup. However, if you are constantly having set problems, there are a few different options or ways that you may be able to get your jelly to set. On their website, Ball lists some major problems you may encounter during your jelly adventures including ways to fix jellies that will not set. For more information check out their web page 'Ball Problem Solvers: Jams and Jellies'.

Conclusion

We had a great time socializing and making jelly with our friends, and with 24 half-pints, there was plenty of jelly for everyone to take home. If you have never tried your hand at canning, making your own jelly is a great way to get started. After all, who doesn't love opening a jar of homemade jelly and spreading it on your buttered toast, or making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with your own jelly?

You can make jelly from just about any type of juice, even the frozen concentrates as long as you follow the directions for re-constituting them correctly. I recommend that you use only 100% juice when making jelly for best results, stay away from 'fruit flavored' juices. I hope that you and your family will enjoy making and eating your own jelly for years to come. I know our family loves it when we make jelly and share it with them and I am sure yours will too. As always, if you have enjoyed this article, please share it with your friends and don't forget to send us a friend request on Facebook and Google+ so that you will not miss out on any of our new articles.

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Quick Beef Stew (The Canning Version)

Maybe it's not better than Grandma's because I did have to cook it, but that is the only reason. Actually my grandmother was a pretty good cook, limited in what she could make, but pretty good nonetheless. Anyway, so I have shown you have to make your own 'pre-stock', white and brown stocks, and soup bases to create a variety of soups and stews. But I can hear the wheels turning in the back of your head and you want to know if there is a easier way to may great soup and stews without going through the whole stock and soup base making process.

Well of course there is, the flavor of the stew will not be as full bodied and have as great a depth of flavor as one made from a stock or soup base, but they are still quite tasty. Making and canning beef stew without using a homemade stock or soup base means that you will have to use either a powdered bouillon or canned broth. For the homemaker trying to save money there is really only one option and that is using the powdered bouillon. Using pre-made canned stock is simply to expensive if you are living on a budget and trying to stretch your food dollars. Powdered bouillon may contain some ingredients that some people may not like, I will be honest I use them all of the time, but you may not want to. For more information regarding using powdered bouillon, see my article 'Restaurants Use Them So Should You?'

The Recipe

The ratio of fresh chopped vegetables you put in your canning jars will depend on what you like. Generally what I do is estimate that I will need ¾ of a large onion, 1 large carrot, 1 stalk of celery, and ½ diced boiling potato per quart jar. The amount of beef you put in your stew, will determine if you need more vegetables or not. Not listed in this recipe are a few additional items I like to add when I have them available such as corn, tomatoes and even green beans. I generally add them fresh from the garden when I have them, but I have already canned all of my tomatoes and green beans for the season. As with many of my recipes, this is really more of a stew base, that you would add additional ingredients such as corn or tomatoes to once you open the jar as they are already cooked and only need to be heated. The potatoes, onions, and carrots of course cook in the jars while pressure canning.

4 to 6 quart canning jars

2 – 3 ponds roast or stew meat

3 large boiling potatoes (Yukon Gold or Red New Potatoes)

4 to 6 onions

4 to 6 carrots

4 to 6 stalks of celery

Ingredients Per Each Quart Jar

1 teaspoon chicken bouillon*

1 teaspoon beef bouillon*

½ teaspoon minced garlic

¼ teaspoon black pepper

* Because powdered bouillon tends to be high in sodium, I do not add any additional salt to the jar when canning soups and stews using this method. You can adjust the seasonings when you open the jars and heat up the contents.

As always when canning, you need to get your jars and all of your canning supplies ready before you start prepping for canning. This includes getting your pressure canner filled and ready, washing and sterilizing your jars and other equipment so that once your prep is down you can get down to the business of canning.

Once your canning supplies are ready, you want to trim all the fat away and cut up your roast in bite size pieces. If using pre-cut stew meat, trim any extra fat off, and cut the large pieces into bite size chunks. Then in a small sauté pan with a little olive oil you want to brown the beef just to give it some color and texture. You do not need to cook the beef until it is done, just brown it, again we are looking to add color and texture to the meat, the beef will finish cooking while it is being canned. Cook the meat in batches and place in a bowl until ready to layer into your jars.

When the beef is partially cooked, it is time to work on the veggies. Scrub your potatoes clean to remove any loose dirt, peel them if you wish, but I generally do not. Then dice your onions, carrots and celery and set aside. I cube my potatoes last as I do not want them to change color (start to brown) while I am doing my other prep.

Now that your 'mis en place' is done (everything is prepped and ready), it is time to start adding the dried ingredients to your sterilized jars. Once you have the bouillon, black pepper, and minced garlic added to the jars, then layer your vegetables and meat in the jars as you desire. There is no right or wrong way to do this, you just want to evenly distribute the meat and vegetables. I usually start out with some of the onions first then the celery and then the meat and potatoes and top off the jar with more onions and vegetables as necessary.

Chef's Note: This is not a thickened stew as thickened liquids do not can very well. When canned the stew will actually be more soup like. If you like a thickened stew (which I prefer) then you will need to thicken it after you have opened the jar and are heating it up.

Processing Your Stew

Anytime you process a recipe that contains meat, raw or partially cooked it must be canned in a pressure canner. Attempting to can meat or meat products in any other fashion besides using a pressure canner is unsafe and could cause you, your family, or anyone you share your bounty with to become gravely ill. But don't fret, if you pressure can your stew as recommended by the USDA, you will never have any problems. Ok, now that you have been warned, let's get on with it….[GRIN]...

One at a time, ladle your boiling water into your beef and vegetable filled jars leaving 1-inch of headspace. Then, wipe the rim of the jar with a damp clean paper towel. Place the heated lid on the jar then hand tighten the ring and using your tongs, place the jar in the simmering pressure canner. Repeat this process until your canner is full, then place the lid on the canner and process at the recommended time and pressure (see below).

If you have more stew to process than your canner will hold, only fill enough jars to completely fill the canner. Once the first batch of stew has been processed and removed from the canner, check the water level in the canner and adjust it as necessary. Then fill the remaining beef and vegetable filled jars and following the previous instructions and process the remaining stew. Continue to do this until all of your stew has been safely processed.

If per chance, you do not have enough jars of canned stew to fill the pressure canner (which happens to me all the time) Take empty jars filled with warm water without lids and add those to the canner to take up the empty space. These water filled jars will keep your precious bounty from falling over and possibly breaking during the pressure canning process. Remember to take care as any jar you remove from the pressure canner will be boiling and quite hot to touch.

Processing Time In Dial Gauge Pressure Canner

Pint Jars 75 minutes at 11lbs (0 – 2,000ft), 12lbs (2,001 – 4,000ft), 13lbs (4,001 – 6,000ft) and 14lbs (6,001 or greater).

Quart Jars 90 minutes at 11lbs (0 – 1,000ft), 12lbs (2,001 – 4,000ft), 13lbs (4,001 – 6,000ft) and 14lbs (6,001 or greater).

Processing Time In Weighted Gauge Pressure Canner

Pint Jars 75 minutes at 10lbs (0 – 1,000ft), 15lbs (greater than 1,001ft altitude).

Quart Jars 90 minutes at 10lbs (0 – 1,000ft), 15lbs (greater than 1,001ft altitude).

Thickening Your Stew

Making stew using this recipe is quick, easy and relatively painless. However, for my tastes there is one step left to do after you open the jar and heat up the stew, and that is to thicken it. Now, there are several different ways to thicken a hot soup or stew, check out my article 'Thickening Soups, Stews, and Sauces' on or blog to find fast easy ways to thicken your soups stews and sauces.

Conclusion

Most often we make soups and stews when we are able to get roast on sale. When it is on sale or we can comp it at Walmart for half the normal price, we buy a lot of it. Not only do we make stew out of it as in this article, we also use it to make stroganoff, beef tips and rice, and roast. Sometimes, we simply cook the beef partially done then can it in a light beef broth made from powdered beef bouillon.

By purchasing food (especially meats) when it is on sale and either freezing or canning it, is one of the many strategies we use to stretch our food dollars. Having pre-made stews or soups either canned in the pantry or vacuumed sealed in the freezer really help when you have had a long day and need to feed yourself or your family quickly. In order to be as efficient as possible, we try and have one big canning day in which we can a variety of soups, stews and gumbos as well as beans and other vegetables.

If you are looking to find additional ways to stretch your food dollars, be sure and check out some of my other articles on the subject on our blog. And as always, if you have enjoyed this article, please share it with your friends and don't forget to send us a friend request on Facebook and Google+ so that you will not miss out on any of our new articles.

Saturday, October 17, 2015

Making Your Own Soup Base

It's October and the cool weather is fast approaching and now is the time that fresh hearty soups begin to enter my family's menu rotation. Actually I like soups any time of the year, my wife however like many people prefer soups only during the cooler months. Just as a building has to have a strong foundation to stay upright, great soups rely on a solid stock and soup base to give them depth of flavor and character. In simpler terms, 'garbage in equals garbage out'. And because you will use your soup base to make soups throughout the year you definitely want to make sure you have a great base.

The basic liquid I use for my soup base is a variation on a 'white stock.' The term white stock refers to any stock made with chicken, rabbit, lamb or beef bones, mirepoix, and a small amount of seasonings and spices. A brown stock is simply a white stock with tomatoes or a tomato product added to the stock. A vegetable stock is made without bones and can be either a white or brown stock. See my article 'Investing In Good Stocks Will Save You Money' on our blog.

So what exactly is a soup base? In this instance, a soup base is a variation or enhancement of a stock. It is a stock with all the basic vegetables that I use in my soups added to the stock. I then can this soup base in quart or pint jars so that whenever I need to make a quick soup, all I have to do is open a jar and pour it in a saucepan and add any additional ingredients to the base, then heat and serve. If you do not have the equipment to can the soup base you can freeze it in plastic containers.

Soup bases can be very basic with just a few ingredients (onions, celery, and garlic) or they can be more complex with more ingredients. I like to sauté peeled and chopped yellow squash and zucchini which I then puree with a little stock and add to my soup base to give it a greater depth of flavor and nutrients as I am a big texture eater and do not care to eat zucchini or squash any other way except in soups. A friend of mine likes to add fresh kale and chunked vegetables to his soup base. For Asian inspired soups I like to add chopped cabbage or bok choy. The bottom line is, make your soup base the way you and your family like it. Keep in mind the more basic or generic (for lack of a better term) the more versatile your soup base will be. Versatility not only gives you more options, but helps you stretch your food dollars.

The Recipe

There are a couple of different ways to make and can this soup base. The most basic way would be to take your white stock and add all the vegetables you want in your soup base bring it to a simmer and then ladle the soup base into your pint or quart jars and process them as necessary. The second way, and the method I use, is to prep all of the vegetables that you want in your soup base and then put equal amounts into each of your canning jars. Bring your stock to a simmer and then ladle the hot stock into the jars and process the jars as necessary.

The first method is probably the easiest, but it is also more difficult to get an even distribution of your vegetables into each canning jar using this method. The second method requires a little more time as you have to measure the vegetables and put an equal amount into each jar, but you get a more consistent product each time. I prefer the second method as I want my soup bases to be as consistent as possible from jar to jar. My grandmother however, just dumped everything into the stock pot and ladled it into to jars and processed them, and her soups were great. Anyway, try it both ways, one method is not more correct than the other. However, you get a more even distribution of ingredients in your soup base following the second method, and consistency is important to me.

Basic Soup Base

1 gallon (128 ounces) of white stock

3 large onions, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 stalks of celery, chopped

Place your stock in a stockpot and bring to boil, then reduce the heat to low just to keep the stock hot. While the stock is coming up to temperature, start prepping your vegetables. Obviously if you already have fresh white or brown soup stock heated in your stockpot do not have to do this.

I like to dice my onions small to medium dice, and roughly chop the carrots (if using them) and celery the same size. I then distribute the chopped vegetables evenly between 4 to 5 quart or 8 to 10 pint jars that have washed and sterilized. It does not matter how you layer the vegetables they will all get mixed up when they are processed in the pressure canner (see canning instructions below).

Storing Or Preserving Your Soup Base

If you are not going to can your soup base but want to freeze it instead, you should add all the chopped vegetables to your stock and cook them for about 20 minutes to throughly cook the raw vegetables. Then cool the soup base and place it in plastic freezer containers. Keep in mind that liquid expands when it freezes so if you decide to freeze your soup stock only fill the containers about 75% full. If you have a vacuum sealer, you can freeze your soup base in small containers, then once it is fully hardened take it out of the container and vacuum seal your blocks of soup base.

Most of the time I prefer to can my stocks and soup bases. Fortunately, I have the storage space and the equipment to do so, but I understand not everyone does. The added advantage to canning my soup base is that it does not take up precious space in my freezer and the canned soup base is shelf stable until opened. All soup bases are low-acid foods and low acids foods whether they contain meat or meat products must be pressure canned to make sure they are safe for you and your family. For more information regarding pressure and water bath canning check out the article 'To Pressure Or Not To Pressure, That Is The Question' on our blog.

Pressure Canning Your Soup Base

By the time you reach this point you have done all of the complicated stuff, now comes the easy part. One at a time, ladle your hot stock into your vegetable filled sterilized jars leaving 1-inch of headspace. Then, wipe the rim of the jar with a damp clean paper towel. Place the heated lid on the jar then hand tighten the ring and using your tongs, place the jar in the simmering pressure canner. Repeat this process until your canner is full, then place the lid on the canner and process at the recommended time and pressure (see below).

If you have more soup base to process than your canner will hold, only fill enough jars to completely fill the canner. Once the first batch of soup base has been processed and removed from the canner, check the water level in the canner and adjust it as necessary. Then fill additional jars with soup base following the previous instructions and process the remaining soup base. Continue to do this until all of your base has been safely processed.

If per chance, you do not have enough jars of canned soup base to fill the pressure canner (which happens to me all the time) Take empty jars filled with warm water without lids and add those to the canner to take up the empty space. These water filled jars will keep your precious bounty from falling over and possibly breaking during the pressure canning process. Remember to take care as the soup base in the canning jars will be boiling and quite hot to touch. The following are the USDA recommended canning times depending on altitude and jar size for meat broth.

Recommended Processing Time In Dial Gauge Pressure Canner

Pint Jars 20 minutes at 11lbs (0 – 1,000ft), 12lbs (2,001 – 4,000ft), 13lbs (4,001 – 6,000ft) and 14lbs (6,001 or greater).

Quart Jars 25 minutes at 11lbs (0 – 1,000ft), 12lbs (2,001 – 4,000ft), 13lbs (4,001 – 6,000ft) and 14lbs (6,001 or greater).

Processing Time In Weighted Gauge Pressure Canner

Pint Jars 20 minutes at 10lbs (0 – 1,000ft), 15lbs (greater than 1,001ft altitude).

Quart Jars 25 minutes at 10lbs (0 – 1,000ft), 15lbs (greater than 1,001ft altitude).

Conclusion

Homemade soups and stews are an inexpensive way to feed your family. Making your own soups from stock or soup base is a great way to make delicious inexpensive soups and stews. Having a soup base on hand allows you to open the canning jar pour it into your saucepan and add some meat, beans or additional vegetables and make a quick and delicious meal that your family will love.

This article kind of goes hand-in-hand with my article on making homemade stocks as I usually make stock and soup base at the same time. In my next article, I will be showing you how to make several soups straight in the jar by adding your soup base and a few additional ingredients along with your soup base to give you complete ready to eat meals.

Additional Articles On Our Blog:

Investing In Good Stocks Will Save You Money!

Yes You Can! Preserving Your Harvest

To Pressure Or Not To Pressure, That Is The Question

Additional References On the Web:

Complete Guide to Home Canning, Guide 1: Principles of Home Canning, United States Department Of Agriculture, http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/usda/GUIDE%201%20Home%20Can.pdf

Pressure Canning Low Acid Foods, http://www.freshpreserving.com/tools/pressure-canning