Food preservation questions

[BigBoxaJunk]

I am trying freezing them this ear. We have an explosion of the cherries and for giggles i have 2 quarts frozen. Thawed 3 to test and the skins popped right off. Will be fun to try in chili this winter. No canning here yet.
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Someone else told me the same thing a few days ago. We're gonna try freezing some. We've been reducing the food in the freezer since late winter, then we did a big clean-out last week (found some fine Canadian Walleye - from 2006) so we've got lots of room this year.

 

[88GT]

If you are pressure canning, why are you worrying about salsa ph? It was my understanding that that was only an issue at water bath temps which aren't high enough to kill botulin.

I don't pressure can the salsa. But green beans would require it.

 

[bwframe]

I've made cherry tomatoe ketchup, still like Red Gold better though. The cherries that are left after being "garden candy," often get frozen whole to end up in the Vitamix later.

 

[hooky]

We just make salsa and can it. If you're worried, use lime juice as it fits the flavor profile.

On onions, we dice them large and dehydrate them. Just toss them into sauce, soup or whatever has a lot of liquid. If you want to sautee them, just soak them in hot water for 20-30 minutes and drain before tossing them in the skillet.

I don't pressure can the salsa. But green beans would require it.

We do pressure can salsa, so disregard my initial statement.

 

[fordmanchris]

You should make a batch of fermented salsa! It is really easy, just use real salt or himalayan pink salt. Im still working on different flavors, but there are recipes all over the internet and only takes a couple days. I recommend fido flip top jars if you decide to try it.

 

[88GT]

You should make a batch of fermented salsa! It is really easy, just use real salt or himalayan pink salt. Im still working on different flavors, but there are recipes all over the internet and only takes a couple days. I recommend fido flip top jars if you decide to try it.

Sounds interesting, but with as much salsa as I can, it would take up too much space in our fridges. And I don't have a decent root cellar option.

i have done some research and I am going to substitute lime juice for the vinegar.

 

[PistolBob]

If we can it, it's pressure canned. Just can't beat the safety of it and it minimizes waste.

 

[Balinor]

Pistol Bob has the answers !!!!!! i use the Mrs Wages mix also its quick easy and is very very good!!

 

[hooky]

I'd never heard of Mrs Wages until this thread. Yesterday, my brother had me try some salsa that he had made with it. It was pretty darn good.

 

[Lex Concord]

First issue: I want to dry my onions this year as they never keep long enough to get me through a winter. I have a dehydrator and a resource book on dehydration. But I wanted to ask if anybody else dries his onions and how he does it.

Second issue: I am ready to can the salsa, but I am not completely satisfied with the recipe I have used the past few years. I typically use the recipes out of the Ball book. I have the big one with over 400 recipes. It calls for apple cider vinegar. I hate the flavor the vinegar gives to the salsa. And it only intensifies as the salsa "ages" on the shelf after canning. I know the vinegar is included to lower the pH for safety purposes, so I can't exactly just drop it. Or can I? When I can the tomato sauce I only have to add 2 TBSP of lemon juice to the quart jar. So my question is this: does anyone have a canning recipe for salsa that doesn't use vinegar?

Ask Jackie: Recipe of the Week - Salsa Courtesy of Jackie Clay 070217

Jackie Clay has forgotten more about canning than most people will ever know. Backwoods Home is also an incredible magazine, including its regular section on shooting by Masaad Ayoob.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Too much work. And drying lets me store the same amount of onion is a fraction of the space.

I sliced them up yesterday evening and they have been drying ever since. Almost done. Next time I might try dicing them instead of slicing them. Has anybody done that?

Of course, the whole house reeked of it. But I did find a super simple solution to keeping the onion burn/eye water down. So yay there.

Borrowed the kids' swimming goggles?

CSB: the gas given off by the onions when mixed with your tears creates sulfuric acid. Thats what makes them burn so bad.

 

[88GT]

Borrowed the kids' swimming goggles?

CSB: the gas given off by the onions when mixed with your tears creates sulfuric acid. Thats what makes them burn so bad.

Dipped 'em in water before slicing.

 

[PistolBob]

Here's another online resource I hit pretty often when it is canning season. It's more or less the USDA version of the Ball Blue Book.

The Complete Guide to Home Canning

Good stuff.

 

[bwframe]

...

Didn't you post something about jalapeno jelly last year? I'm trying to isolate a proven recipe. TIA!

 

[Cameramonkey]

Didn't you post something about jalapeno jelly last year? I'm trying to isolate a proven recipe. TIA!

Just make sure you stay away from Kentucky Jelly recipes. I was in the hospital several years ago and I put some of that stuff on my biscuit. Man, was that stuff nasty! I dont know how those rednecks eat it.

 

[88GT]

Didn't you post something about jalapeno jelly last year? I'm trying to isolate a proven recipe. TIA!

I did! But the Ball recipe was all wrong. Way too much pectin. I have to heat it up in the microwave or chisel some of it out. The taste was phenomenal though, so the ingredients/amount was right on. Ironically, the other non-fruit jellies were spot on. There was a roasted garlic jelly that is to die for. Plus the house smells wonderful while the garlic is roasting. I'm not at a place where I can dig out the recipe, but I will get it later. I'll give you the original recipe and then how I think it should be modified to avoid concrete in the jar.

I was going to test the modification this year, but my jalapeño pepper plants have stopped flowering (low temps this summer?) and I have only harvested about a dozen of them. Hopefully, this latest round of heat will spur some production. My tomatoes had stopped flowering too, but I noticed this morning that there are new flowers. Fingers crossed.

 

[Sailor]

Best pepper jelly ever Habanero Gold Jelly Recipe - Food.com

We make this every year.

 

[88GT]

Didn't you post something about jalapeno jelly last year? I'm trying to isolate a proven recipe. TIA!

12oz jalapeño peppers, stemmed, seeded, and deveined
2 c cider vinegar, divided
6 c granulated sugar
2 pouches liquid pectin
green food coloring (optional)


In a blender/food processor, purée peppers and 1c of vinegar until smooth. You can leave small bits of pepper if you like though. In a large, deep stainless steel saucepan, combine pepper purée, remaining 1c of vinegar, and sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil, stirring constantly, for 10 minutes. Stir in pectin. Boil hard, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from heat, stir in food coloring if using, and quickly skim off foam.

Pour hot jelly into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rim. Center lid, screw band down fingertip tight.

Boil water process for 10 minutes.* Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool, and store.


*Time is for 8oz jelly jars. Recipe makes 4-5 jars.

Also note that original recipe calls for 2 packages, but the finished product is entirely too hard. Most of the other recipes call for 1 pouch and those turned out much better. (I made some red pepper jelly that is awesome as well.) If I can get enough jalapeños this year, I will re-try the recipe with 1 package.

 

[bwframe]

12oz jalapeño peppers, stemmed, seeded, and deveined
2 c cider vinegar, divided
6 c granulated sugar
2 pouches liquid pectin
green food coloring (optional)


In a blender/food processor, purée peppers and 1c of vinegar until smooth. You can leave small bits of pepper if you like though. In a large, deep stainless steel saucepan, combine pepper purée, remaining 1c of vinegar, and sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil, stirring constantly, for 10 minutes. Stir in pectin. Boil hard, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from heat, stir in food coloring if using, and quickly skim off foam.

Pour hot jelly into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rim. Center lid, screw band down fingertip tight.

Boil water process for 10 minutes.* Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool, and store.


*Time is for 8oz jelly jars. Recipe makes 4-5 jars.

Also note that original recipe calls for 2 packages, but the finished product is entirely too hard. Most of the other recipes call for 1 pouch and those turned out much better. (I made some red pepper jelly that is awesome as well.) If I can get enough jalapeños this year, I will re-try the recipe with 1 package.

Thanks, I'm gonna try this. I'm thinking I'll substitute dry pectin since I have it on hand.
I intent to try Sailor's recipe with some of the uber-hot varieties I have also.

 

[Higginbo]

My Wife does most of our canning, and she has a fantastic book called Putting Food By. Putting Food By: Fifth Edition: Ruth Hertzberg, Janet Greene, Beatrice Vaughan: 9780452296220: Amazon.com: Books It goes through all the safety of canning in great detail. My understanding is that highly acidic foods (low Ph) are a lot less friendly to bacteria than higher Ph foods. Tomatoes are one of the most acidic foods commonly canned, we successfully hot water bath them with no vinegar, which is what both of our parents have done for years. I see in the USDA reference above, it suggests adding either lemon juice, vinegar, or citric acid, so I guess this is just my , but not supported by the government. I also noted they claim that Pressure canning makes the tomatoes more nutritious than hot water bath canning. I'm curious why that is. Any thoughts?