It's Canning Season!!!!!!

My canning is just beginning. Every year I can green beans, carrots, pickles and relishes, fruit, jams, preserves, juices.....HUNDREDS of quarts of food! It's a lot of hot work during the hottest part of the summer, but eating our own preserved foods saves so much money! For those of you that can, here are some recipes:

BEEF STEW WITH VEGETABLES

4 to 5 lbs. beef stew meat

1 Tbsp. oil

3 quarts peeled and cubed potatoes

2 quarts sliced carrots

3 cups chopped celery

3 cups chopped onions

1 1/2 Tbsp. salt

1 tsp. thyme

1/2 tsp. pepper

Cut meat into 1 1/2 inch cubes; brown in oil. Combine meat, vegetables and seasonings; cover with boiling water. Bring stew to a boil. Ladle hot stew into hot jars, leaving 1 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust lids and rings. Process pints 1 hour, quarts 1 hour and 15 minutes at 10 lbs. pressure. Yields 14 pints or 7 quarts.

BEEF STOCK

4 lbs. meaty beef bones

2 quarts water

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, sliced

1 stalk celery, sliced

1 bay leaf

salt to taste

beef boullion cubes or granules (optional)

Bring beef bones and water to a boil over high heat; skim foam; reduce heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf and salt to taste. Cover; simmer 2 to 3 hours. If more lfavor is desired, simmer longer or add beef boullion cubes or granules to stock. Remove beef bones. Strain liquid; skim excess fat from top of stock. DO NOT ADD MEAT BACK TO STOCK. Ladle hot stock into hot jars, leaving 1 inch headspace. Adjust lids and rings. Process pints 20 minutes, quarts 25 minutes, at 10 lbs. pressure. Yield: about 4 pints or 2 quarts.

CHICKEN SOUP

4 quarts chicken stock

3 cups diced chicken

1 1/2 cups diced celery

1 1/2 cups sliced carrots

1 cup diced onion

salt and pepper to taste

3 chicken boullion cubes

Combine chicken stock, chicken and vegetables. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Season to taste. Add boullion cubes. Cook until boullion cubes are dissolved. Ladle hot soup into hot jars, leaving 1 inch headspace. Adjust lids and rings. Process pints 1 hour and 15 minutes, quarts 1 hour and 30 minutes at 10 lbs. pressure. Yield about 8 pints or 4 quarts.

CHICKEN STOCK

1 3 to 4 lb. chicken, cut into pieces

4 quarts water

2 stalks celery

2 medium onions, quartered

1 Tablespoon salt

10 peppercorns

2 bay leaves

Combine chicken and water; bring t oa boil. Add remaining ingredients. Reduce heat; simmer 2 hours or until chicken is tender. Remove from heat; skim off foam. Remove chicken from stock, reserving chicken for another use. Strain stock through a sieve. Allow stock to cool until fat solidifies; skim off fat. Bring stock to a boil. Ladle hot stock into hot jars, leaving 1 inch headspace. Adjust lids and rings. Process pints 20 minutes, quarts 25 minutes at 10 lbs. pressure. Yield: about 8 pints or 4 quarts

VEGETABLE SOUP

2 quarts peeled, cored, chopped tomatoes

1 1/2 quarts peeled and cubed potatoes

1 1/2 quarts 3/4-inch sliced carrots

1 quart lima beans

1 quart cut corn, uncooked

2 cups 1-inch sliced celery

2 cups chopped onions

1 1/2 quarts water

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all vegetables in a large saucepot. Add water; boil 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Ladle hot soup into hot jars, leaving 1 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust lids and rings. Process pints 1 hour, quarts 1 hour and 15 minutes at 10 lbs. pressure. Yield: about 14 pints or 7 quarts.

VEGETABLE STOCK

7 quarts water

1 pound carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces

6 stalks celery, cut into 1 inch pieces

3 medium onions, quarterd

2 sweet red peppers, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 large tomatoes, seeded and diced

2 medium turnips, diced

3 cloves garlic, crushed

3 bay leaves

1 teaspoon dried thyme

8 peppercorns

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepot. Bring mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 2 hours. Uncover and continue cooking 2 hours. Strain stock through several layers of cheesecloth or a fine sieve. Discard vegetables and seasonings. Ladle hot stock into hot jars, leaving 1 inch headspace. Adjust lids and rings. Process pints 30 minutes, quarts 35 minutes at 10 lbs. pressure. Yield: about 8 pints or 4 quarts

TOMATO SOUP

• 14 quarts ripe tomatoes
• 14 tablespoons flour
• 7 medium onions
• 14 tablespoons butter
• 1 stalk celery
• 3 tablespoons salt
• 14 sprigs parsley
• 8 tablespoons sugar
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons pepper

WASH; cut up tomatoes. Chop onions, celery, parsley, bay leaves. Add to tomatoes; cook until celery is tender. Put through sieve. Rub flour and butter into smooth paste thinned with tomato juice. Add to boiling soup; stir to prevent scorching. Add salt, sugar and pepper. For smoother consistency put through sieve again or blender for a smoother consistency. Fill clean jars to within one inch of top of jar. Put on lid, screwing the band firmly tight. Process in water bath one hour and 25 minutes. I'm not sure on the yield on this recipe.



SALSA: makes a pretty mild salsa, add more peppers, chili peppers, or cayenne to suit your taste. My family LOVES this! I made 21 QUARTS of it last fall, and it was not NEARLY enough!

• 8 quarts chopped ripe tomatoes (no need to peel)
• 2 - 3 large onions, chopped
• 5 large green peppers, chopped
• 4 large red bell peppers, chopped
• 2 to 4 banana peppers, chopped
• 3 6 oz cans tomato paste
• 1/2 to 3/4 c. brown sugar
• 1/4 c. pickling salt
• 2 1/4 c. white vinegar
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 Tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 Tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 cup lemon juice

Combine in a large pot. Simmer for about 4 hours stirring occasionally until desired thickness. I have found that if I use Roma tomatoes, there is practically no simmering needed. Pour into hot sterile jars. Seal with lids. Process in a hot water bath, quarts or pints, 45 minutes.


Zucchini Pineapple: To use up those abundant zucchini, and it really does taste like pineapple! I use it for anything calling for crushed pineapple, and I've even gotten the kids to eat it over cottage cheese.

• 18 cups peeled, seeded, chopped zucchini
• 1/2 c. lemon juice
• 3 c. sugar
• 1 46 oz can pineapple juice

Bring juices and sugar to a boil. Add zucchini and simmer 20 minutes. Pack and seal in hot jars with hot lids. Process pints 15 minutes in a boiling water bath. Yields about 12 pints.



Spaghetti Sauce: My most requested recipe in the neighborhood!

• 12 lbs. Roma or Beefmaster tomatoes, peeled & chopped, may be put through a food mill if a smoother sauce is desired.
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 1/2 c. vegetable oil
• 48 oz. tomato paste
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. dried parsley flakes
• 1/4 c. dried oregano
• 1/4 c. salt
• 4 tsp. dried basil
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Cook onions in oil until tender. Add rest of ingredients except lemon juice. Mix well and cook to desired thickness over low/med heat, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Add lemon juice. Pour into hot jars, leaving headspace 1 inch for quarts, 1/2 inch for pints. Process in pressure canner at 10 lbs pressure, 25 minutes for quarts, 20 minutes for pints.



Grape Juice: let sit for at least 6 weeks after canning to allow for full flavor

For each quart:
1 cup destemmed clean grapes (I use Concord)
1/4 c. to 1/2 cup sugar or Splenda
fill rest of jar with boiling water leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Seal with lids and process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes.



Sweet Pickle Relish: Personally, I find that I use 1/4 c. to 1/2 c. less sugar

• 4 c. finely chopped unpeeled cucumbers
• 1 c. finely chopped green pepper
• 1/2 c. finely chopped sweet red pepper
• 3 c. finely chopped celery
• 1/4 c. salt
• 3 c. sugar
• 2 c. white vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. celery seed
• 1 Tbsp. mustard seed

Combine chopped vegetables in a very large bowl. Sprinkle with the salt and cover with ice water. Let stand 4 hours. Drain thoroughly in a colander and press out all liquid. In a large pot, bring rest of ingredients to a boil Stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in drained vegetables and simmer 10 minutes. Pack into hot pint jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Seal. Process in boiling water bath 10 minutes. Yields 5 to 6 pints.



Dill Relish

• 6 cups chopped cucumbers
• 2 cups chopped green peppers
• 3 onions, chopped
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 2/3 cup pickling salt
• 6 cups water
• 4 cups white vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons dill seeds
• 1 Tablespoon mustard seeds
• 1 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
• 1 tsp. celery seeds

Combine vegetables, sprinkle with pickling salt and add 6 cups ice water. Let sit for 3 hours; drain and rinse once. Drain again, squeezing to remove as much water as possible. Combine rest of ingredients in a large pot, add vegetables and heat to boiling. Ladle into hot jars, add lids and rings and tighten. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.



Crock Pot Apple Butter:

• 4 quarts sliced unpeeled apples
• 2 1/2 c. white sugar
• 2 Tbsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. allspice
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves

Place apples in crock pot. Top with mixture of sugar and spices. Let stand, covered, overnight. Cook covered, on high for 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Put mixture through a food mill (we have a Squeezo). Ladle into 1/2 pint or pint jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Seal with lids. Process 10 minutes in boiling water bath.





Pickled Beets: family favorite

Any amount of beets, tops removed, rinsed. Put in large pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Cook until you can easily insert a fork into beets. Cool beets off in cold water, skins should slip off easily. Trim off root and top. Cut into 1 inch chunks or 1/2 inch slices. Pack into pint jars.

Syrup: be prepared to make multiple batches of syrup as needed
2 c. water
1 3/4 c. white vinegar
2 c. sugar
2 Tbsp pickling spices in clean nylon or cheesecloth bag or tea strainer
Bring all ingredients to a boil, remove pickling spices, and pour over beets to within 1/2 inch of top. Seal with lids. Process 30 minutes in boiling water bath.

ETA: Per a request for something I completely didn't think about.....

Water boils when its vapor pressure exceeds the atmospheric pressure, which reduces as the altitude increases. Water will boil and maintain a lower temperature at higher altitudes than at sea level. These lower boiling point temperatures increase the cooking times for any food, they increase the processing time for canning in a water bath and they increase the pressure required to process in a pressure canner.

The temperatures and processing times that we publish are from sea level up to an elevation of 1,000 feet. The charts below indicate the adjustments that should be made for each processing method at different elevations.

Boiling Temperature of Water:

Sea Level	1000 ft.	3000 ft.	6000 ft.	8000 feet
212	210.1	206.3	200.6	196.8

Water Bath Canner Processing Times in Minutes

Sea Level	1000 ft.	3000 ft.	6000 ft.	8000 feet
5	10	15	20	25
10	15	20	25	30
15	20	25	30	35
30	35	40	45	50
45	50	55	60	65
60	65	70	75	80
75	80	85	90	95
90	95	100	110	120

Adjustment for Pressure Canner, Dial Gauge

Sea Level	1000 ft.	3000 ft.	6000 ft.	8000 feet
5 lbs.	6 lbs.	7 lbs.	8 lbs.	9 lbs.
10 lbs.	11.5 lbs.	13 lbs.	14 lbs.	15 lbs.

Adjustment for Pressure Canner, Weighted Gauge

Sea Level	1000 ft.	3000 ft.	6000 ft.	8000 feet
5 lbs.	10 lbs.	10 lbs.	10 lbs.	10 lbs.
11 lbs.	15 lbs.	15 lbs.	15 lbs.	15 lbs.