Making Your Own Vinagrettes

As with many people, salads are an important part of my low carbohydrate, high fat (LCHF) diet. While there are many commercial salad dressing that only contain 2 – 4 carbohydrates per tablespoon, these extra carbs can add up really fast. The type of salad dressing most often recommended by proponents of the LCHF lifestyle are oil and vinegar dressings known as vinaigrettes. In most cases, these vinaigrettes contain no carbohydrates so you can use as much or as little as you want on your salad. The added benefit is that because of their high fat content, they help your body to feel sated thereby making you feel fuller and less hungry.

Vinaigrettes as mentioned are a combination of oil, vinegar, herbs and spices that are mixed together to form a temporary emulsion. Because the emulsion is temporary, and the oil and vinegar will separate, therefore it is best if the vinaigrette is placed in a bottle or container that can be shaken each time before use to mix the oil and vinegar together again. In this article I will teach you how to make a basic vinaigrette to use as a base so that you can add any number of herbs, seasonings and or flavorings to suit your own personal tastes. In addition to vinaigrettes there are a variety of creamed dressings (avocado, blue cheese, and creamy garlic) that use the oil and vinegar base with additions of heavy cream and other components that are then pureed or blended together to form a creamy style vinaigrette.

Basic Oil and Vinegar Base Dressing (Yield: 1 cup)

Oil and vinegar (vinaigrette) is the salad dressing most often recommended by those following a LCHF, Paleo, or Keto eating regimen because it is carbohydrate free and you can use as much as you want. Making a basic vinaigrette is also one of the first salad dressings that everyone learns to make in culinary school. A basic vinaigrette is a vinegar and oil based dressing made with a ratio of 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar (3:1). There are some chefs that prefer a 4:1 or even a 5:1 ratio of oil to vinegar, my suggestion would be to start with a 3:1 and experiment later. Keep in mind that less oil will make the dressing more tart, while more oil makes the dressing taste milder, but has a heavier oil taste.

¾ cup vegetable or olive oil

¼ cup wine or apple cider vinegar

¾ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon white pepper

Combine the vinegar, salt, and white pepper in a small mixing bowl and stir until the salt is dissolved. Then using a wire whisk, slowly add the oil a few drops at a time. Gradually increase the the oil stream and continue to mix until the oil is totally incorporated and an emulsion has formed.

Total Recipe – Calories 988, protein 0 grams, fat 109 grams, carbs 4 grams

Per Tablespoon – Calories 62, protein 0 grams, fat 6.8 grams, carbs 0.25 grams

Below I have included recipes for some of the more common vinaigrettes as well as a few creamed dressings that you might find at a restaurant or on your supermarket store shelves. This is by no means a complete list as any one vinaigrette or dressing can have multiple variations. Feel free to experiment and adjust the seasonings of the dressing to suit your particular needs. Remember as long as you keep the oil to vinegar ratio at 3:1, you will have a neutral flavor palate in which to play with.

Asian Vinaigrette – Substitute rice wine vinegar for the wine vinegar, for the oil use 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 3 tablespoons peanut oil, and 1 tablespoon sesame oil. Add 2 tablespoons soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice.

Avocado Dressing – Add ¼ of an avocado to the basic recipe or Herbed vinaigrette and beat until smooth with a wire whisk or immersion blender.

Blue Cheese – Add the to the basic recipe 1 ounce crumbled blue cheese or Roquefort cheese and 1 ounce of heavy cream and beat with a wire whisk or immersion blender until throughly combined.

Balsamic Vinaigrette – In place of the wine vinegar, use 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon wine vinegar (total of 4 tablespoons or ¼ cup).

Herbed Vinaigrette – Add to the basic recipe or to the Mustard Vinaigrette ½ teaspoon dried parsley, ¼ teaspoon dried basil, ¼ teaspoon marjoram, 1 teaspoon dried chives

Italian Vinaigrette – Use olive oil in place of the vegetable oil, add ½ teaspoon minced garlic, ¾ teaspoon dried oregano, and 1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley. Another option would be to use 3 – 4 teaspoons of dried Italian seasoning in place of the oregano and parsley).

Lemon Vinaigrette – In place of the wine vinegar, use 3 tablespoons wine vinegar and 1 tablespoon lemon juice (total of 4 tablespoons or ¼ cup).

Mustard Vinaigrette – Add ½ to 1 teaspoon of yellow prepared or Dijon mustard to the basic recipe.

Picante Vinaigrette – Add to the basic recipe ½ teaspoon dry mustard, ½ teaspoon paprika, and 2 teaspoons finely minced or pureed onion.

Choosing Your Oil

When it comes to choosing an oil for your vinaigrette, almost all of the nutritional values are the same as you can tell by the comparison below. I realize that I may not have listed every conceivable oil you can use in a vinaigrette, but the oils listed will compromise 99% of all the oils that most people will use to create a vinaigrette dressing. The oils listed in this article are considered all-purpose, and should have a mild, sweet flavor. While some strong flavored oils (peanut, walnut, and sesame oil) can make excellent salad dressings, they should be used sparingly and are not generally appropriate for every type of salad.

Canola, Cottonseed, Grapeseed, Safflower, and Soybean Oil – These oils are all nearly tasteless, and some would say have a bland flavor profile.

Corn Oil – Has a light golden color and is nearly tasteless, but has a slight cornmeal-type flavor profile.

Vegetable Oil – Sometimes called 'salad oil' it is the most common oil used in the restaurant for making vinaigrettes. Vegetable or salad oil is a blend of oils and is popular because of it's neutral flavor and relatively low cost.

Olive Oil – Has a unique flavor profile that is somewhat fruity and greenish in color. Because of it's strong flavor profile, olive oil is not an all-purpose oil, and should generally be used only in specialty dressings. In theory, the best olive oils are labeled 'virgin' or 'extra virgin', which means they are made from the first pressings of the olives. In practice, many companies mis-label their olive oil as 'virgin' or 'extra-virgin' when it is really not. Something to think about when you go to the store to buy olive oil, if the bottle is less than $7.00 for 16 ounces, it is probably not extra-virgin, no matter what the label says.

Chef's Note: My recommendation is too buy standard olive oil and move on. The bottom line, most of us cannot taste the difference of the quality of the olive oil when it is used in a vinaigrette as the spices and flavorings change the flavor profile.

The following is a comparison of the nutritional values of all the common oils listed in this article for the use of making vinaigrette dressings.
 

Canola Oil (1 Cup) – Calories 1927, protein 0 grams, fat 218 grams, carbs 0

Fat Breakdown – Saturated 16 grams, polyunsaturated 61 grams, monounsaturated 138 grams

Corn Oil (1 Cup) – Calories 1962, protein 0 grams, fat 218 grams, carbs 0

Fat Breakdown – Saturated 28 grams, polyunsaturated 119 grams, monounsaturated 60 grams

Cottonseed Oil (1 Cup) – Calories 1927, protein 0, fat 218 grams, carbs 0

Fat Breakdown – Saturated 56 grams, polyunsaturated 113 grams, monounsaturated 39 grams

Grapeseed Oil (1Cup) – Calories 1927, protein 0, fat 218 grams, carbs 0

Fat Breakdown – Saturated 21 grams, polyunsaturated 152 grams, monosaturated 35 grams

Olive Oil (1 Cup) – Calories 1910, protein 0 grams, fat 216 grams, carbs 0

Fat Breakdown – Saturated 30 grams, polyunsaturated 23 grams, monounsaturated 158 grams

Safflower Oil (1 Cup) – Calories 1928, protein 0 grams, fat 218 grams, carbs 0

Fat Breakdown – Saturated 14 grams, polyunsaturated 31 grams, monounsaturated 163 grams

Soybean Oil (1 Cup) – Calories 1663, protein 0, fat 218, carbs 0

Fat Breakdown – Saturated 33 grams, polyunsaturated 99 grams, monounsaturated 24 grams

Vegetable Oil (1 Cup) – Calories 1984, protein 0 grams, fat 224 grams, carbs 0

Fat Breakdown – Saturated 32 grams, polyunsaturated 74 grams, monounsaturated 112 grams

So there you have it, a quick run down on the most common varieties of oils used to make vinaigrettes. I realize that many of you are probably shocked that the lowly common vegetable (aka. salad oil) is the most common oil used to make vinaigrettes, and believe it or not, as an all-purpose oil it is the workhorse of the restaurant industry. Not all of the oil choices available to you are listed here, but the goal was to list the most common oils that many of us a familiar with. So the big question that I often hear is which oil is the best choice for making salad dressings? If you are just starting out on a LCHF diet, the simple answer is the oil with the most amount of monounsaturated fats, that has a decent amount of healthy saturated fats. With that in mind here are my top four choices.

1. Olive Oil (1 cup) – 30 grams saturated fat, 158 grams monounsaturated fat
2. Safflower Oil (1 cup) – 16 grams saturated fat, 163 grams monounsaturated fat
3. Canola Oil (1 Cup) – 16 grams saturated fat, 138 grams monounsaturated fat
4. Vegetable Oil (1 Cup) – 32 grams saturated fat, 112 grams monounsaturated fat

Remember, you have to decide what is best for you, obviously some oils have more beneficial fatty acids (omega 3, omega 6, linoleic acid, vitamin E etc…). The goal of this article is not to argue about oils made with 'genetically modified seeds', or how 'free radicals' get into your food, but about making better choices. Obviously you can look at the references for this article and you can see that the ranking of these four oils (canola, olive, safflower,and vegetable) may appear in a slightly different order, but any of these will work well for you. If all you have and or can afford is vegetable oil, then by all means use it. You can always decide to upgrade your oil choice at a later date. Using a vinaigrette made with vegetable oil may not be the best choice, but it is  a better choice than using a dressing that is loaded with carbohydrates.

Choosing Your Vinegar

Just as different oils have different flavor profiles, so do vinegars. Most often in the restaurant we used a wine vinegar as a base for all of our vinaigrette dressings. At home my personal taste preference is the use of apple cider vinegar as I like the slightly fruity flavor profile of the vinegar. In this section of the article, we will be examining the slight differences in the flavors of the more commonly used vinegars to make vinaigrette dressings.

Apple Cider Vinegar – Sometimes simply called 'cider vinegar', is made from apples and has a distinctive brown color and a slightly sweet apple taste.

White Vinegar – Also known as 'distilled vinegar' is vinegar that has been distilled and purified so that it has a neutral flavor, generally white vinegar is made by fermenting and distilling corn. This is common vinegar that you find on supermarket shelves generally labeled as 5%, which means it contains 5% acetic acid.

Wine Vinegar – Is vinegar made from red or white vinegar which leads it to have a winy taste.

Sherry Vinegar – Is a special wine based vinegar that has a distinctive, somewhat bitter wine flavor.

Balsamic Vinegar – The type found in most supermarkets here in the United States is made from wine or wine vinegar and caramelized sugar, which gives it a sweet taste. I may or may not be aged in wooden barrels which contribute to it's dark brown color.

Chef's Note: True balsamic vinegar is made from white grape juice not wine, it is then aged in wooden barrels for a minimum of 10 years and as long as 50 years per Italian law. Because it is only made by small artesian producers and the ageing process is so long, it is simply to expensive to be mixed with salad dressings. It is said that the flavor is so intense that it is used as a condiment in Italy measured out in mere drops.

Obviously there are a number of other vinegars such as rice wine, malt vinegar, and a variety of specialty fruit vinegars (raspberry, strawberry, blackberry, etc...). In addition, there are a number of flavored vinegars which incorporate a variety of herbs such as garlic, tarragon, and rosemary. Having said that, when it comes to making vinaigrettes, white, apple cider, and wine vinegars are the most common.

Conclusion

The bottom line, making your own vinaigrette and creamy salad dressings is fast and easy, and it allows you to add some healthy fat to your diet without adding any carbohydrates. Understand that I am not the food police, I will not chastise you for your choice of the oil or the vinegar that you use in your dressings. Rather it is my goal to give you all the information that I can so that you can make the best decisions that suit your particular needs and or desired outcomes. Going back and looking at this article I may have went into overkill mode and listed more information here than was necessary, but that is the way that I research my food choices based on both cost and nutritional analysis. 

I have also included a link in the references on how to make your own flavored vinegars so that you can add additional flavors to your salad dressings without adding any additional calories or carbohydrates for those who might be interested. As always, I hope that this article was informative and has shed a small amount of light on the sometimes controversial subject of making healthy salad dressings. As always, if you have found this article informative, we ask that you share it with your friends. Don't forget to send us a friend request on Facebook and or add us to your circles on Google+.

References

Beyond the Olive: 9 Healthy Oils For Cooking, Dressing Dishes, Today Food February 26,2013

Don't Fall Victim To Olive Oil Fraud, 60 Minutes, January 3, 2016

The Olive Oil Scam:If 80% is Fake, Why Do You Keep Buying it?, Forbes February 10, 2016

The Healthiest Oils For Cooking And Frying, Atkins, Accessed September 12, 2016

The 5 Best Cooking Oils For Health! Bodybuilding November 4, 2015

Preserving Food: Flavored Vinegars, University Of Georgia Cooperative ExtensionService

Pickled Banana Peppers

The end of summer is fast approaching, I have been lazy about harvesting my banana peppers this year. Fortunately for me I only planted three plants or I would have been inundated with banana peppers. Today, I took a quick 10 minutes out of my morning chores here on the homestead to get the peppers off the plants before the bugs get to them.

As you can see by the picture, I let the peppers get a bit larger than I wanted. My original plan was to pickle them whole, but instead I had to cut them into rings. If you have peppers that you want to pickle whole, simply make a few small slices along the sides of the whole peppers to allow the pickling liquid to get inside the pepper and process them just as I have for the banana pepper rings.


Getting Everything Ready (Mise En Place)

The use of vinegar in this recipe makes the banana pepper rings a high acid food so we will use a water bath canner to can our banana peppers. In addition to the water bath canner you will need four pint jars, lids, and rings. If you haven't cleaned yours jars, then do so before you get started. Once your jars are clean we are going to sterilize them. Fill your water canner about ¾ full with water and put on the stove and set it on high. I like to go ahead and sterilize my jars and set them aside on my racks just before I add my ingredients.

Once the water in your water bath canner or stockpot begins to boil, reduce the heat until the water simmers and using your jar tongs place no more than 3 pint jars in your water bath canner or stockpot at a time and leave for 30 seconds to sterilize the jars then remove to a rack to cool. If you do not have a metal rack, a bath towel folded in half to protect the counter will work, however be careful not to knock the jars onto the floor. At this point I also sterilize my funnels and other equipment by dipping them into the water and placing them on my canning racks with the jars. When you are ready to can your banana peppers, take a small saucepan and fill with water and set it on high and heat it just until it starts to boil. Turn off the heat and add your rings and lids.

Pickled Yellow Pepper Rings

2 1/2 to 3 pounds banana peppers
5 cups cider vinegar (5%)
1 1/4 cups water
4 tablespoons mustard seeds
2 tablespoons celery seed
5 teaspoons canning salt

Wash peppers well and remove the stem end of the pepper then slice the peppers in 1/4-inch thick rings. Place 1/2 tablespoon of celery seed and 1 tablespoon mustard seed in the bottom of each clean and sterilized pint jar. Then fill the jars with the sliced pepper rings.

Combine vinegar, water, and pickling salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, then remove from the heat. Make sure the pickling salt is throughly dissolved. Add the pickling liquid to the jars leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Remove any air bubbles and adjust headspace as necessary. Wipe the rims of the jars with a damp paper towel and add lids and rings.

Water Bath Processing

AS mentioned earlier, because the banana pepper rings are to be pickled in a vinegar solution they are considered a high acid food. Therefore, we will process them in a water bath canner. According to the USDA Canning Resource Guide, banana peppers in pints should be placed in a boiling water bath canner with at least 2 inches of water above the tops of the jars for 10 minutes (if you live at altitude 0 - 1000ft), 15 minutes (if you live at altitude 1001 - 6000ft), and for 20 minutes (if you live at altitudes greater than 6000ft above sea level).

Conclusion

As with all pickled vegetables, allow the banana peppers o sit for a minimum of three weeks before opening the jars. Most pickled vegetables are better after they have been allowed to sit undisturbed for 4 to 8 weeks. This allows the vinegar to penetrate the entire vegetable, in addition it allows the vinegar to become infused with the flavor and or heat of the pepper. If you decided to pickle your banana peppers whole, remember to make a small slice on each side of the pepper to allow the pickling fluid to enter into the pepper making for a nice pepper sauce. It is also important to let whole peppers age longer as it takes more time for them the become completely pickled.

So I hope your family will enjoy these banana pepper rings as much as ours does. As always, if you have enjoyed this article, please share it with your friends and don't forget to send us on friend request on Facebook and Google+ so that you will not miss out on any of our new articles.


Additional Resources On our Blog

To Pressure or Not To Pressure: That is the Question

Green Tomato Salsa

One can only make so much 'Chow Chow' from green tomatoes, unless of course you ask my wife who would tell you you can never have to much 'Chow Chow'. So I decided to make some Green Tomato Salsa as we were inundated with tomatoes this year (that's a good thing by the way!). Traditional Salsa Verde is made form tomatillas, but green tomatoes are a great substitute. My version of Green Tomato Salsa is based on a recipe from Ball called 'Green Tomato Salsa Verde' one that can be easily found on the internet.  You can adjust the heat to meet your specific tastes by adding or subtracting the number of jalapenos used in the recipe. I make a especially hot and spicy version for my grandson using habanero peppers. It's good, but it will definately make you sweat!

Todd's Green Tomato Salsa

2 quarts green tomatoes, minced (about 5-6 lbs.)

6 to 10 jalapenos, whole

4 onions, large

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

¾ cup lime juice

¼ cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon dried cilantro

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons black pepper.

Make sure you have about a dozen or so clean pint jars that are ready to be sterilized for the canning process. If you haven't cleaned yours jars, then do so before you get started. At this point they do not have to be sterile, just clean. We will sterilize them later.

Fill your water bath canner about ¾ full with water and put on the stove and set it on high. You want to do this first so that you are not waiting 30 to 45 minutes or longer depending on your stove after you have finished processing your vegetables. If you do this step first, your canner should be ready just about the time you are ready to process your green tomato salsa.

Wash the tomatoes, core and cut out any bad spots and cut into halves or quarters depending on the size of the tomatoes you are using. Process the tomatoes in small batches (2 to 3 cups) in your food processor or blender by using the pulse button until the are reduced to a small mince. Wash and cut the tops off the jalapeno peppers, cut the onions in chucks and and process them together.

Combine the tomatoes, onions, jalapenos and the remaining ingredients in a large stockpot and bring to a boil. Once it begins to boil reduce the heat to simmer and cook for 30 minutes while your are sterilizing your canning jars. Taste salsa and adjust seasoning and liquid as necessary. If your salsa looks to dry add some regular white vinegar, lime or juice to your preference.

Take a small saucepan and fill with water and set it on high and heat it just until it starts to boil. Turn off the heat and add your rings and lids.

At this point your water bath canner should be simmering or even possibly boiling which is a good thing because before we process our green tomato salsa, we are going to use the water bath canner to sterilize our pint canning jars. Using your jar tongs place no more than 3 pint jars in your water bath canner at a time and leave for 30 seconds to sterilize the jars then remove to a rack to cool. If you do not have a metal rack, a bath towel folded in half to protect the counter will work, however be careful not to knock the jars onto the floor.

Once your jars are ready and your green tomato salsa has cooked for 30 minutes, take your canning funnel and fill the jars leaving a ½ inch of headspace. With the rim of the jar with a damp paper towel and remove a lid and ring onto the jar and then using your jar tongs place the jar into the water bath cannner. Repeat this process until your water bath canner is full or you run out of green tomato salsa. Once all the jars are in the water bath canner, make sure the jars are covered by 3 to 4 inches of boiling water, then cover the canner to maintain the heat and process for the required time.

If you have more green tomato salsa than you have space in your water bath canner, only fill the enough jars to fill your canner and once you have finished processing the first batch, then fill any additional jars and follow the same procedure you did to process your first batch.

Processing Time:

Pints 20 - 25 minutes in a water bath canner.

Quarts 30 to 35 minutes in a water bath canner.

Remember, any time you are canning in a water bath canner, the processing time does not start until the water bath canner is boiling. To ensure food safety and proper processing, I will repeat you do not start counting your processing time until the water is boiling after adding your canned goods. It is also important that you make sure that your canner continues to boil during the entire process.

 

If you want to know more about growing an awesome garden and increasing your garden's yields, go check out my friend Steve Coyne's blog and Facebook page on the links below.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IGrowVegetables?fref=ts

Vegetable Blog: http://igrowvegetables.blogspot.com/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/IGrowVegetables

If you would like to see the original Ball 'Green Tomato Salsa Verde' recipe, you can find it here: http://www.freshpreserving.com/recipes/green-tomato-salsa-verde-recipe

Chow Chow Relish

My fathers parents were farmers. Actually dirt poor farmers from the foot hills of the Ozark mountains in Missouri during the 1930's and 40's. Nothing went to waste on the farm, and like most rural Americans of this era, preserving a large portion of your crop meant that you canned and pickled a wide variety of vegetables to store for the winter time. So at the end of the growing season (both summer of fall), any tomatoes left in the garden that were not ripe were processed into 'Chow Chow' or green tomato relish. Just about every family had their own unique take on the recipe, and even my grandmothers would change from season to season depending on the number and type vegetables that were left in the garden. Her recipe was kept in her head and she kinda winged it, but over the years I have come up with a recipe that I use as a basis for my 'Chow Chow.' My recipe doesn't have cabbage or carrots in it but sometimes grandma's did as the original the idea of chow-chow was to use up all the things in the garden that weren’t ripe by the end of the season.

Anyway, here is my all-purpose chow chow recipe, add any vegetables you wish or even omit some if you want to create your own masterpiece. This recipe is a great substitute for sweet pickle relish and is great on hotdogs, and bratwurst, or as a condiment for sandwiches. It's use is only limited by your imagination. Once processed this relish can be eaten right away, but for the best flavor I think it needs to sit at least for a few weeks before eating. Sometime however, you just cannot wait.

Green Tomato Chow-chow

2 quarts green tomatoes, minced (about 5-6 lbs.)
3 onions, large

4 green bell peppers
1 red bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

1 orange bell pepper
1 to 3 jalapeno peppers (optional)
3 cups white vinegar
3 cups sugar
2 tablespoons mustard seed

4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons turmeric

Make sure you have about a dozen or so clean pint jars that are ready to be sterilized for the canning process. If you haven't cleaned yours jars, then do so before you get started. At this point they do not have to be sterile, just clean. We will sterilize them later.

Fill your water bath canner about ¾ full with water and put on the stove and set it on high. You want to do this first so that you are not waiting 30 to 45 minutes or longer for your water to boil (depending on your stove) after you have finished processing your vegetables. If you do this step first, your canner should be ready just about the time you are ready to process your chow chow.

Wash the tomatoes, core and cut out any bad spots and cut into halves or quarters depending on the size of the tomatoes you are using. Process the tomatoes in small batches ( 2 to 3 cups) in your food processor by using the pulse button until the are reduced to a small mince (like you would see in pickle relish). Wash, cut and removed the seeds and membranes of the bell peppers the same way. If you are adding the optional jalapeno or banana peppers for hot relish, just cut off the tops after washing and process them whole.

Once you have your vegetables ready, combine vinegar, sugar, salt, turmeric and mustard seed in a large stockpot and bring to a boil. Once it begins to boil reduce the heat to simmer then add your minced vegetables and allow the chow chow to simmer for 15 minutes while your are sterilizing your canning jars.

Take a small saucepan and fill with water and set it on high and heat it just until it starts to boil. Turn off the heat and add your rings and lids.

At this point your water bath canner should be simmering or even possibly boiling which is a good thing because before we process our chow chow, we are going to use the water bath canner to sterilize our pint canning jars. Using your jar tongs place no more than 3 pint jars in your water bath canner at a time and leave for 30 seconds to sterilize the jars then drain and remove to a rack to cool. If you do not have a metal rack, a bath towel folded in half to protect the counter will work, however be careful not to knock the jars onto the floor.

Once your jars are ready and your chow chow has cooked for 15 minutes, take your canning funnel and fill the jars leaving a ½ inch of headspace. Wipe the rim of the jar with a damp paper towel and remove a lid and ring from the hot water and place onto the jar and screw the ring hand tight. Then using your jar tongs place the jar into the water bath cannner. Repeat this process until your water bath canner is full or you run out of chow chow. Once all the jars are in the water bath canner, make sure the jars are covered by 3 to 4 inches of boiling water, then cover the canner to maintain the heat and process for the required time.

If you have more chow chow than you have space in your water bath canner, only fill enough jars to fill your canner. Once you have finished processing the first batch, then fill any additional jars and follow the same procedure you did to process your first batch.

Processing Time:

Pints 20 - 25 minutes in a water bath canner.

Quarts 30 to 35 minutes in a water bath canner.

Remember, any time you are canning in a water bath canner, the processing time does not start until the water bath canner is boiling. To ensure food safety and proper processing, I will repeat you do not start counting your processing time until the water is boiling after adding your canned goods. It is also important that you make sure that your canner continues to boil during the entire process. If it stops boiling, bring it back to a boil and start the processing time from the begining (ie. a full 20 to 35 minutes depending on your jar size)