Green Tomato Enchilada Sauce {Canned}

This recipe is like a mix between enchilada sauce and salsa verde (which to be honest I don't really know the difference).  You can certainly pour this over your tacos and burritos, or use as a dip for chips.  I wanted a canned version of this recipe - a favorite when making chicken enchilada chili, and a great go to for delicious enchiladas like these ones.  However, I don't usually grow tomatillos, but green tomatoes seem to be in abundance this time of year as cold nights freeze exposed portions of my tomato plants.  I cringe at all of the green tomatoes still left on the vine, with no time to ripen, and this recipe solves my problem.

This is easy and delicious, and a great way to clean up the remaining produce from the garden.  And there is nothing like opening up a can of that garden goodness all through the winter.  Using a blender makes a big difference here - just throw it in and pulse, no need to skin, chop or dice anything.

I adapted this recipe from Our Best Bites, as well as Montana Homesteader, while still making it suitable for home canning, but you can certainly freeze this if the idea of canning intimidates you. 

Green Tomato Enchilada Sauce

9 lbs. green tomatoes, cored and rough chopped (about 24 cups)

2 extra large onions (about 4 c. pureed)

4 green bell peppers (about 3 c. pureed)

2-3 jalapeños, whole

1 1/2 c. lime juice (about 9 juiced limes with pulp)

2 bunches cilantro

2 heaping Tbsp. roasted garlic (or minced)

2 Tbsp. sugar

2 Tbsp. cumin

2 Tbsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

Heat a large pot over medium heat.

Puree green tomatoes and add to the pot.

Rough chop onions and puree in blender, then add to the pot and stir.

Puree bell peppers with jalapeños, then add to pot and stir to combine.

Combine lime juice and cilantro in the blender and puree.

To the pot add garlic, sugar, cumin, salt, pepper and cilantro lime mixture.

Stir to combine, and adjust seasonings as needed.

Ladle hot enchilada sauce into hot, sterilized jars.

Remove air bubbles, wipe rims, and top with sterilized lids.

Screw on bands and place in prepared pressure cooker.

Process in a pressure cooker at 11 lbs. for 20 minutes.

Be sure to adjust for altitude (13 lbs. of pressure for Utah).

Makes 13 pints.

Canned Pumpkin

Pumpkin season is right around the corner, and these easily canned jars are the perfect go to for delicious breads, waffles, cookies, cakes, pies, or whatever else you love pumpkin for.

Due to their acidity levels, pumpkins (and all vegetables), require the use of a pressure canner.  The internal temperature of puree'd pumpkin is questionable for home canning safety, so please don't try that at home.  Stick with this cubed method and strain the water when ready to use, if necessary.  This same method can be used for canning any winter squash.

Canned Pumpkin

Recipe from Presto

fresh pumpkin
mason jars

Wash and remove seeds from pumpkin.
Remove peel from flesh and cut into 1" cubes.
Drop cubes into boiling water and boil for 2 minutes.
Pack hot squash cubes loosely into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1" headspace.  Do not mash or puree cubes.
Cover with liquid that squash was boiled in, leaving 1 " headspace.
Remove air bubbles by running a plastic knife around the edges of the jar.
Wipe rim clean with a wet paper towel.
Place hot, sterilized lids on jars, and screw on bands.

Process at 11 pounds pressure, making sure to adjust for altitude (13 pounds if you live in Utah).
55 minutes for pints, or 90 minutes for quarts.

Apple Cider {Bottled}

Apple season is in full swing and thanks to wonderful farmers and a generous neighbor, I had a plethora of them last week.  I was stocked with dehydrated apples, applesauce and canned apple pie filling already, so I branched out to try something new: apple cider.  The results were fantastic.

You really can use whatever apples you have on hand; I had a mix of granny smith and red delicious; with a few fuji's and golden delicious in the mix.  The type of apples used will contribute to the sweetness factor, so you may need to adjust the honey or sugar to your liking.

If you are making a large batch you can definitely can this for future use (instructions follow), but if canning intimidates you then by all means just leave that part out.  This should store just fine in the fridge for up to 1 week.  If you are doing multiple batches, I would reuse the cinnamon/clove spice bag - you could definitely get more than one use out of it.

Also, DON'T THROW OUT THE APPLE PIECES AND PULP AT THE END!  This can be sent through a Victorio Strainer and made into delicious applesauce, which you can either eat plain or bottle (instructions here).  Or you could use it to make apple butter.  I sifted through mine for core-less pieces and pureed them in my blender to make apple cider fruit leather, so you've got a lot of options!

Apple Cider

Recipe modified from BLDG 25
25 apples of choice

water to cover apples (should be at least 4 quarts)

1 c. honey (or sweetener of choice)

10 cinnamon sticks

15 whole cloves

Chop apples into 4-6 pieces (do not skin or remove cores - just throw it all in)

Add apples to a large pot and cover with water.

Add sweetener of choice to the pot.

Take cinnamon sticks and cloves and wrap in a spice bag or cheesecloth; toss into the pot.

Bring to a boil, and boil uncovered on high for 1 hour.

Turn the heat to low, and simmer for 2-4 hours longer.

Once cooking is over, remove cheesecloth or spice bag.

Use a potato masher to mash the apples into a pulp (as much as possible).

Using a fine mesh strainer, remove as much of the pulp as possible.

Pour the remaining cider and pulp through a mesh strainer to catch all of the big pieces (you can also pour it into a large cheesecloth bag and squeee out all of the liquid).

Season to taste, and adjust sweetener if needed.

Makes 4 quarts.

If canning: put strained cider into a large pot and bring to a gentle simmer.

Pour hot cider into hot, sterilized jars.

Wipe rims clean, and top with a hot, sterilized lid.

Screw band on as tightly as possible.

Let stand on a towel or hot pad until you hear the "pop", and the cider has cooled completely.

Store in a cool, dark place.

Pineapple Zucchini

As weird as this name may sound, this is no joke!  Cubed and skinned zucchini is soaked in pineapple juice, absorbing all of the flavor to make perfectly pineapple look and taste alikes.  I opted for tidbits, since that is what we use most, but you can also grate or shred your zucchini if you are going for more of a crushed pineapple texture.  This is an excellent recipe for those big or over ripe zucchini from the garden.

Now, as far as taste is concerned, these really do taste just like pineapple.  You will notice the difference in the way they look, and the texture, but I have had success in several dishes using these in replace of the real thing; fruit salads, jello's, etc.  If you want to see a picture of them on an actual dish, check out this Hawaiian Haystacks photo/recipe.

A second note on terms of canning.  Most vegetables need to be canned in a pressure canner (as opposed to a water bath) because of their non or low-acidity levels.  Soaking the zucchini in pineapple and lemon juice, as well as the sugar, makes these suitable for water bath canning.  However, it is recommended that you do not process in jars larger than pints (no quarts).

Pineapple Zucchini

Recipe from Cottage in the Making

16 c. zucchini, cubed in the size you want, or shredded

46 oz. canned unsweetened pineapple juice

1 1/2 c. bottled lemon juice

3 c. sugar

Prepare your zucchini by first cutting it in half lengthwise and removing all of the seeds.  

Use a knife or a vegetable peeler to remove all of the skin.

You should be left with just the "meaty" portion of the zucchini.

Chop zucchini into chunks or tidbits, or grate if you want crushed pineapple.

In a large pot, combine pineapple juice, lemon juice and sugar.  

Stir to dissolve sugar and then add the zucchini.

Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Fill hot, sterilized pint or half-pint size jars, leaving 1/2" headspace.

Remove air bubbles, wipe rims and place sterilized lids on each jar.

Secure with a band and fingertip tighten.

Process in a water bath canner for 15 minutes, being sure to adjust for altitude (25 minutes Utah time).

Makes 8-10 pints.

Canned Apricots

Canning apricots is a great way to extend the harvest all year long.  This method leaves the skin on, making it quick and easy.
If canned apricots aren't your thing, try using these to make apricot nectar - toss entire contents in a blender with some sugar and ice and you have a fantastic summer treat!
Or, you can make canned apricot nectar.

Canned Apricots

mason jars, lids and rings

Aprictots

sugar

In each sanitized quart mason jar put up to 1/4 c. sugar (based on taste of fruit).

Pour about 1 c. boiling water into each and shake bottles to dissolve sugar.

Wash, half and remove pits of apricots, and place halved pieces in prepared jars.

Pour hot water over apricots until jar is full.

Remove air bubbles with a knife or plastic spatula by running it down the sides of the bottle.

Steam quarts for 25 minutes, pints for 20 (do not start timer until steam in consistently coming out).

Remember to adjust for altitude - Utah time is 35 minutes for quarts, 25 for pints.

New to canning?

Peaches and apricots are very similar - click here to view my peach canning tutorial.

Click here for a complete list of canning tutorials.

Pickled Beets

Pickled beets are a great way to preserve the garden all year long!  They make a great addition to relish trays and salads, or as a side dish to sandwiches.  I prefer making this with honey rather than sugar, but I will include measurements for both so you have options.  The amount of sweetener is based upon taste, I prefer using less, but feel free to up the amount to your liking.
These particular beets were chioggia and albino, which gave them a pretty pink color, but this recipe will work for any type of beet.

Pickled Beets

Recipes modified from Sandy Bishop and The Prairie Homestead

10 lbs. beets

1 large cinnamon stick

12 whole cloves

6 c. apple cider vinegar

3 c. water or beet juice

1 c. honey (or swap for 1 - 4 1/2 c. sugar, depending on taste)

Cut tops off of the beats, leaving about 1" of stem attached.

Wash thoroughly and place beets in a large pot.

Cover beets with water and boil until tender, but not soft, about 30 - 1 hour depending on size.

When cooked, rinse beets in cold water; skins should slip off easily.

Remove root and top of beet stem.

Chop beets into bite size chucks (or diced!)

Combine apple cider vinegar and water into a pot.

Place the cinnamon stick and cloves in a cheesecloth bag and add to the pot.

Boil mixure for 3-5 minutes.

Stir in honey or sugar, and stir to dissolve.  

Taste and adjust sweetener to your liking.

Remove cheesecloth bag.

Pack beets into hot sterilized pint or quart jars, accounting for 1/2" headspace.

Pour hot vinegar mixture over beets until just covered.

Remove air bubbles by running a knife along 4 sides of the bottle.

Wipe rims clean, and top with lids and bands.

Process in a hot water bath canner for 30 minutes, be sure to adjust for altitude, (40 minutes Utah time).

Apple Butter

We like ours best swirled into oatmeal, but you could spread this over toast, slather it on a pork chop, eat it straight from the jar, etc.
This recipe is basically making applesauce, and then taking it a step further; thickening it and adding some spices.  I make both simultaneously.  I like to make the apple butter in my 7 quart crock pot; it makes my house smell like fall and doesn't require a lot of work from me.  You can do the same thing over the stove top in a shorter amount of time if you are in a rush.  You basically just need to simmer it down to your desired consistency.
This recipe includes instructions for canning, but by all means skip this step if this frightens you.  You can store this in the fridge for a couple of weeks, and freeze the extras.

Apple Butter

Recipe from Everyday Food Storage

28 c. sweetened applesauce (enough to fill a 7 quart crock pot)
Pour applesauce into slow cooker.
Use a cooling rack in-between the crockpot and the lid, to make evaporation of liquid possible.
Cook on low, stirring occasionally, until desired consistency is reached (8-24 hours).
**I like mine to reduce by half, which takes me the full 24 hours.  You can cook it on high for a shorter period of time, but if you are leaving this out overnight, use the low setting.

When desired consistency is reached, add the following ingredients
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. allspice

At this point the apple butter is done.  Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks and/or freeze.  If canning:
Spoon apple butter into sterilized pint jars.
Wipe rims and add lids and bands.
Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes, be sure to adjust for altitude, (20 minutes Utah time).

Tomato Basil Sauce with Roasted Garlic {Bottled}

Tomatoes are abundant here right now, and there is no better way to preserve the garden goodness all through the winter months than by making this sauce.
Toss it over noodles.
Spread it over pizza crust.
Add it to some tomato soup (or any recipe calling for tomato) for a touch of homemade flair.
It is thick and hearty and garlicy and delicious.
I often make this in a HUGE batch (I'll at least double the recipe if I have the tomatoes); I feel it makes my time more worth while.  You can easily half (or more) the recipe, but stick to measurements pretty closely here, as straying can alter the acid levels which is no bueno for canning.
If you aren't into the whole canning scene, this sauce also freezes beautifully.

Tomato Basil Sauce with Roasted Garlic

Recipe modified from Our Best Bites

24 lbs. ripe tomatoes

1/3 c. packed brown sugar

1/4 c. kosher salt

2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

2 tsp. ground black pepper

4 c. lightly packed fresh basil leaves, chopped

1 Tbsp. oregano

1 Tsbp. thyme

1 Tsbp. parsley

1/3 c. pureed roasted garlic (about 4 heads)

2/3 c. lemon juice (for canning only)

Blanch tomatoes and remove all skins and stems.

Rough chop tomatoes and add to large stainless steel pot.

Add brown sugar, salt, vinegar and pepper and stir to incorporate.

Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a steady simmer, but still bubbling all over.

Continue simmering, uncovered, until mixture is reduced to desired consistency (at least 2 hours).

Stir occasionally while sauce is simmering.

If you like your sauce with some chunks, leave as is.  If you like it smooth, you can pulse with an immersion blender.

Once desired consistency is met, stir in basil, oregano, thyme, parsley and garlic.

Adjust seasoning to taste.

If canning:

Add 1 Tbsp. of lemon juice into each hot, sterilized pint jar (12), or 2 Tbsp. for quart jars (6).

Ladle sauce into jars, accounting for headspace.

Remove air bubbles by running a knife along the outside of the jar, 4-5 times around.

Wipe rims and top with hot lids.

Screw on bands.

Process in a hot water bath canner for 35 minutes, adjusting for altitude if necessary (45 minutes Utah time).

Makes 12 pints or 6 quarts.

Jalapeno Jelly

I love canning.  Something about taking fresh produce and storing it away for another day with the twist of a lid is all over satisfying for me.

As I've advanced in the kitchen, I've started trying out new canning recipes.

Enter Jalapeno Jelly.

You could easily spread this on savory sandwiches or over freshly grilled chicken.

My personal favorite: start with a brick of cream cheese and top with half a pint of this stuff for the best cracker dipping appetizer of all time.

A few notes:

1: I leave the seeds in half of my jalapenos.  If you like more heat, leave more seeds in.  I am generally not a huge fan of ultra spicy, so I would recommend starting with half seeds in, and go from there.  You can always taste and add more as you go.

2: The original recipe called for 6 cups of sugar.  I'm happy with 4 1/2.  Start with that and increase until you reach desired sweetness.

Jalapeno Jelly

Recipe from Mels Kitchen Cafe

1 large red bell pepper

1 large green bell pepper

10 jalapenos

1 1/2 c. white vinegar

1/2 tsp. salt

4 1/2 - 6 c. granulated sugar, to taste

1 3oz. pouch liquid fruit pectin (certo)

Add bell peppers and jalapenos to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.

Add peppers to a large pot (account for rising foam).

Stir in the vinegar, salt and sugar, and bring to a boil.

Boil for 10 minutes, stirring often.

Add liquid pectin and boil for 1 minute.

Ladle jelly into warm, sterilized jars, pint or half pint jars, leaving headspace.

Wipe rims with a rag and screw on lids with bands.

Process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes (20 minutes in Utah, accounting for elevation).

Jelly needs at least 2 days to fully set up.

Makes about 9 cups.

Bottled Jalapeno Rings

The first time I bottled jalapenos I made the mistake of assuming they had to be canned in a pressure canner.  They came out of the canner looking beautiful and ready to add to fresh salsa and mexican dishes all winter long.  But they ended up being horribly mushy and I ended up throwing the entire batch down the drain.

After a little more research, I discovered that the jalapeno rings you get in the grocery store are in fact, pickled.  And so I was back in the kitchen to test this new recipe for pickled bottled jalapeno rings.

They are the perfect replacement for store bought jarred rings, and a wonderful way of extending the garden harvest if you grow your own jalapenos.  I was at first worried that the taste would be too 'vinegar', but the heat of the jalapenos overpowers all else and these are a welcome addition to my winter storage.

You can shake out the excess seeds if you prefer, but I find it much easier to just throw them all in.

Bottled Jalapeno Rings

Recipe from The Organic Prepper

5 lb jalapeno peppers

4 Tbsp. canning salt

4 c. white vinegar

1 c. water

Bring the vinegar, water and salt to a boil.

Slice washed jalapenos into rings, discarding stems.

Tightly pack jalapeno rings into warm, sterilized pint jars.

Pour boiling vinegar liquid over the jalapenos, allowing 1 inch for headspace.

Process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes (be sure to adjust for altitude).

(20 minutes for Utah).

Canned Apples

Apple season is in full swing, and this is a perfect, SIMPLE recipe to enjoy them all year long.  These are great chopped up and added to oatmeal, drained for an apple pie or crisp, eaten right out of the jar, mashed up for a quick chunky apple sauce, etc.

Canned Apples

mason jars, lids and rings

Apples of choice (I like Romans for canning and baking, but you could use just about any)

sugar

In each quart mason jar put 2 Tbsp. sugar (more if you want a sweeter taste)

Pour about 1 c. boiling water into each jar and shake to dissolve sugar.

Peel core and chop apples (I like to use an apple wedger and peel off the skin).

Pour additional boiling water into jars until full, leaving headspace.

Remove air bubbles with plastic knife or spatula.

Wipe rims, and top with lids and rings.

Steam quarts for 25 minutes, pints for 20, in a hot water bath.
Remember to adjust for altitude - 35 minutes for quarts for Utah elevation.

Cantaloupe Jam

I over did it on melons this year.

I realized I had a problem when I had 4 in the fridge, 8 freshly picked, and 7 more in the garden that would be ready in a week or so.  Not to mention that we had eaten at least 1 per day for the last couple of weeks.  We love summer produce.

I had heard about cantaloupe jam, so I surfed over to Pinterest and found lots of ideas.

I settled on this recipe because it uses a relatively small amount of sugar and sugar free pectin, which I replaced with Ultra Gel.  I was also really intrigued by the addition of vanilla.  

It turned out beautifully.

I was all sorts of worried about the consistency; I just thought for sure it would be a runny mess.  But it is smooth, and perfect, and oh so delicious!

Cantaloupe Jam {with Vanilla}

Recipe modified from the Boulder Belt Blog

12 c. cantaloupe puree with chunks

1/4 c. lemon juice

1/4 c. vanilla extract

1 1/2 c. ultra gel

3 1/2 c. sugar
1-2 Tbsp. butter

Pour cantaloupe puree, lemon juice and vanilla extract into a large stock pot.
Stir in ultra gel (or pectin) until dissolved and bring to a rolling boil.
Quickly stir in sugar.
Return to a rolling boil.
Boil and stir constantly for 4 minutes.
Add butter and stir until melted and mixed in.
Ladle into hot sterilized jars.
Top with sterilized lids and screw on the bands.
Steam or water bath for 15 minutes.
Remember to adjust for altitude.

Makes 12 half pints, plus more for immediate use.

Italian Seasoned Bottled Tomatoes

These are fabulous tasting tomatoes that add great flavor to practically any dish!  I particularly like this recipe because it has limited juice/liquid, which results in a more concentrated and enriched tomato flavor.  Petite dicing the tomatoes does result in using more tomatoes per jar, but the outcome is well worth it!

Italian Seasoned Bottled Tomatoes

Menu Managed Original

Tomatoes

vinegar

kosher or canning salt

minced garlic

seasoned tomato spice blend (below)

Spice Blend

6 Tbsp. dried basil

3 Tbsp. dried thyme

3 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. dried oregano

2 Tbsp. dried rosemary

2 Tbsp. dried sage

Blanch tomatoes and remove stems and skins.

Petite dice tomatoes and place in a large colander over a bowl to catch all of the juice.

In sterilized jars, using a slotted spoon, add tomatoes half way up the jar.

To each quart sized jar add:

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 Tbsp. spice belnd

1 tsp. kosher or canning salt

1 Tbsp. vinegar

Spoon in additional tomatoes.

Gently shake the jar to compact tomatoes, and spoon in more to within 1" headspace.

Ladle in tomato juice (from the bowl under the colander), to within 1" headspace.

Remove air bubbles.

Wipe bottle rim clean.

Screw on lids and bands to fingertip tight.

Continue filling other jars.

Due to the size of the tomato chunks, and to the limited amount of juice (and the fact that you are using tomato juice instead of water), processing time must be increased to ensure that heat fully penetrates to the center.   

Process in a pressure canner at 13 lbs. (Utah elevation) for 25 minutes.

Tomatoes and liquid will seperate during processing - this is normal.

Once cooled, simply shake the jar to stir contents together.

Because this is a cold pack method (no cooking before putting tomatoes in jars), the tomatoes will shrink slightly, resulting in the larger headspace.

Bottled Mango Peach Salsa

This delicious summer salsa can now be enjoyed all year!

Mango Peach Salsa - Bottled

Recipe adapted from Ball Book of Home Preserving

6 c. chopped tomatoes

3 c. chopped peaches

3 c. chopped mango's

1 bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1 1/2 c. chopped red onion

4 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped

2 c. loosely packed finely chopped cilantro

1/2 c. honey

1 Tbsp. lime juice

2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1/4 c. apple cider vinegar

Blanch tomatoes to easily remove skins.

Chop tomatoes and place into a colander to drain.

Meanwhile, chop the bell pepper, onion, jalapenos and place in a large pot.

Chop cilantro and set aside.

Combine honey, lime juice and vinegars and set aside.

Chop the mango's and peaches and add to the pot.

Immediately measure out the strained tomatoes and add to pot.

Over medium-high heat, bring salsa mixture to a boil, stirring constantly.

Add cilantro and liquid ingredients.

Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

Ladle hot salsa into hot jars, leaving 1/2" headspace.

Remove air bubbles and wipe the rim of jars clean.

Screw band down on lid to fingertip-tight.

Process in steamer or waterbath canner for 10 minutes (half-pints), or 15 minutes (pints).
Remember to adjust for altitude.

Makes ~7 pints.

Bottled Pizza/Pasta Sauce

This is an excellent way to use up all of those tomatoes from the garden.  I particularly love this recipe because it has a lot of other veggies included, and still has a great taste.  We use ours primarily for pizza sauce, but it is also a great substitute for any marinara or spaghetti sauce for recipes.

If you don't have a pressure canner, this also freezes very well.

Bottled Pizza/Pasta Sauce

Menu Managed Original

20-25 slicing tomatoes

1 zucchini

1 1/2 onions

1 bell pepper (preferably red, orange or yellow)

4 carrots
1-2 stalks celery

2-3 jalapeno's, seeds and ribs included

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. kosher salt

1 Tbsp. pepper

2 Tbsp. parsley flakes

4 Tbsp. minced garlic cloves

2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1 tsp. celery seed

2 Tbsp. Italian seasoning

2 c. fresh basil leaves (or 2 Tbsp. dried)
1 large handful cilantro, chopped

2 cans tomato paste (optional)

balsamic vinegar

Blanch and peel tomatoes.

Chop tomatoes and drop into a large colander.

Let sit for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, to remove juice.

Meanwhile, chop remaining vegetables into large chunks.

Put tomatoes and veggies in a large pot and turn to medium-high heat.

Add seasonings and cider vinegar.

Bring to a boil and boil, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.

With an immersion blender, blend everything until desired consistency - we like ours smooth (if you want a chunky sauce, you can use a potato masher).

Let simmer, uncovered, until sauce reduces to your desired thickness - at least 2 hours.

The longer you let it simmer, the thicker it will become.

Add tomato paste (optional), for an even thicker sauce.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add balsamic vinegar to hot pint or quart sized mason jars (1/2 tsp. for each pint, 1 tsp. for each quart).

Ladle hot sauce into hot jars, leaving 1" headspace.
Remove air bubbles with a rubber spatula or knife.

Wipe rims clean and put on lids and screw bands, fingertip tight.

Process in pressure canner at 13 lbs. (Utah elevation); 15 minutes for pint jars, 20 for quarts.

Allow canner to release pressure naturally.

Remove from canner and place on towel to cool, tightening lids with hot pads.

Yields: ~14 cups (7 pints, or 3 1/2 quarts)
One pint jar makes enough sauce for 2 pizza's.

**If freezing:

Once sauce has reached your desired thickness, simply let it cool, place in freezer containers or bags, and freeze.

Apple Sauce (Canning)

Homemade applesauce is something we always have around our house.

It is infinitely better than anything you can get from a store, and it works great a healthy alternative to oil/butter in recipes.

This is a very condensed version of how to make it.  If you are new to canning, or you need a more detailed description, (including lots of pictures), click here.

Canned Applesauce

Apples (I prefer Gala or Romes)
Apple juice or water
sugar and spices (optional)

Wash apples individually.
Use an apple wedger, or rough chop apples and place in a large stockpot (include all parts of the apple except the stem and the little "hairs" on the bottom).
Fill stockpot with about 3" of water.
Bring apples to a boil.

Cook apples, boiling constantly, but at the lowest possible temperature, until apples are tender, about 20 minutes; stirring occasionally to prevent the bottom pieces from burning.

Put cooked apples through a Victorio Strainer.
Send the pulp through one more time, adding water as needed.

Once through the strainer, you may add liquid and/or sweetener and spices to reach your desired taste and consistency.
I never use any spices - but I always thin it down and sweeten it.
I will either use water and sugar, OR apple juice.

Fill sterilized jars to within 1" headspace.
Remove air bubbles with a plastic knife or spatula.
Wipe rims clean.
Screw on new lids and bands to fingertip tight.

Process in steamer or waterbath canner for 20 minutes.
Remember to adjust for altitude - Utah time is 30 minutes.

Bottled Apple Pie Filling

Every year I make a dozen or so jars of this:

Truthfully, I NEVER use it to make apple pie.  I always end up using them to make THE BEST TASTING apple crisp!

There are two recipes below.  One uses Cornstarch, and the other uses Ultra Gel.  (Ultra Gel is a modified corn starch).  The Ultra Gel recipe is much better - better tasting, better looking, and no clumping.

I've included both because sometimes I don't have one or the other ingredient.

Apple Pie Filling (Ultra Gel)

5 1/2 c. sugar

1 1/2 c. modified corn starch (ultra gel)

1 Tbsp. cinnamon

2 1/2 c. cold water

5 c. apple juice

3/4 c. lemon juice

1 tsp. nutmeg

Combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large pot.

Add water and apple juice.

Stir and cook on medium-high until thick and bubbly.

Add lemon juice and boil for 1 minute.

Pour over peeled, cored and sliced apples in jars.

Makes 7 quarts.

Steam for 25 minutes.

Remember to adjust for altitude.

Apple Pie Filling (Cornstarch)

1 tsp. salt

4 1/2 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 c. cornstarch

2 tsp. cinnamon

10 c. water

Mix all ingredients together and cook until clear.

Then add:

6 Tbsp. lemon juice

Pour over peeled, cored and sliced apples in jars.

Makes 7 quarts.

Steam for 25 minutes.
Remember to adjust for altitude.

Grape Juice (Bottled)

Grape juice is my absolute favorite thing to can!

So much better than what you can get in the store.

Bottled Grape Juice

Rinse grapes in sink full of cold water after removing all leaves and the majority of the stems.

Place rinsed grapes in juicer and fill the bottom half with water.

Steam grapes for 1 hour (do not start timer until steam is consistently coming out).

Juice may start to overflow before 1 hour; check after 20 minutes, and fill one or two jars.

Place juice in sterilized bottles and top with sterilized lids.  They will seal themselves.

For a much more detailed description of how to bottle grape juice (with lots of pictures), click here.

Roasted Jalapeno Salsa

I decided to can salsa for the first time.

After the first batch I decided it was not worth the time.

But then a couple of weeks went by and I had already single handedly consumed 2 jars of it.

Long story short, I ended up making it over and over again, each time I picked a new batch of tomatoes from the garden.

So, yes, it is time consuming.

But it is totally worth it.

Roasted Jalapeno Salsa

Recipe modified from Epicurus.com



6 lbs. ripe roma tomatoes

2 jalapenos

1 large white onion

16 cloves garlic

1 1/3 c. chopped cilantro

4 generous tsp. salt

3 Tbsp. cider vinegar

Remove stem of each tomato and place on a foil lined cookie sheet.

Remove the stems from the jalapenos and put on the sheet.

Broil tomatoes and jalapenos for 6 minutes or until darkly roasted; blackened spots or splitting skin is good.

Turn over and broil on the other side for an additional 6 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice onion into 1/4" slices.

Smash garlic cloves with a knife and remove the peels.

When tomatoes are done broiling, turn the oven down to 425.

Use a turkey baster to suck up all of the liquid in the bottom of the cookie sheet (do not reserve).

Lay onion rings and smashed garlic cloves on top of tomatoes and roast in oven for 15 minutes.

Lay out to cool.

Suck up any remaining juices with the turkey baster again.

Use a spoon to scoop up the jalapenos (leave whole with seeds), the onions and garlic, and put in a food processor; pulse until desired consistency (I like it fairly smooth).

Once tomatoes are cool enough to handle, skin and squeeze out all of the juices into a garbage bowl.

Use a food chopper to rough chop the remaining flesh and add it to the jalapeno/onion mixture.

If there is any liquid in the salsa pot squeeze it up with the turkey baster.

Stir in cilantro, vinegar and salt.

Season to taste, if necessary, with more salt and vinegar.

Bring pot of salsa to a boil.

Fill hot, sterilized jars with hot salsa.

Process in a steamer or water bath for 10 minutes.
Remember to adjust for altitude.

Makes ~10 cups:
2 1/2 quarts OR 5 pints

For a more detailed tutorial (with lots of pictures), click here.

Chili Sauce

This is pretty much a Bishop family favorite.

We use this to make our taco sauce, serve it over eggs, and (my personal favorite) roast beef.

Seriously.

My husband refers to it as 'glorified ketchup'.

Either way, I always make sure that I have enough to last me the whole year when canning season comes around.

Chili Sauce
Recipe from Sandy Bishop

15 lbs. peeled tomatoes
8 large red peppers
8 large green peppers
8 large white/yellow onions
2 jalapeno peppers (with seeds)
1 c. canning/pickling salt
5 1/2 c. sugar
5 c. apple cider vinegar
2 1/4 oz. mustard seed (1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. + 1 tsp.)

Blanch tomatoes.
Peel and quarter, placing in a large colander (do not reserve juice).
Put all vegetables and tomatoes through a veggie/meat grinder (you should have about 4 gallons, or 64 cups, after everything is ground).

Sprinkle with salt.
Put everything into double layered cheesecloth bags and place bag in a large colander in sink.
Let drain 6-8 hours, or until draining has stopped.
Amount should decrease significantly.

In a large stock pot bring sugar, vinegar and mustard seed to a boil.
Add drained vegetables and bring back to a boil.
Add hot chili sauce to hot sterilized bottles.
Boil lids momentarily.
Steam for 10 minutes right after filling bottles.
Remember to adjust for altitude.
Makes 10-12 pints (amount will depend on juiciness of tomatoes)

If this is WAY too much for you, here are some smaller conversion recipes:

Makes ~6 pints:
7.5 lbs. peeled tomatoes
4 large green peppers
4 large red peppers
4 large onions
1 jalapeno, whole
(ground vegetables = about 2 gallons, or 32 cups)
1/2 c. canning/pickling salt
2 3/4 c. sugar
2 1/2 c. vinegar
3 Tbsp. + 1/2 tsp. mustard seed

Makes ~4 pints:
5.75 lbs. peeled tomatoes
3 large green peppers
3 large red peppers
3 large onions
1 jalapeno, whole
(ground vegetables = 1 1/2 gallons, or 24 cups)
1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. canning/pickling salt
2 c. + 1 Tbsp. sugar
1 3/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. vinegar
2 Tbsp. + 1 1/4 tsp. mustard seed

Makes ~3 pints (or 6 half-pints):
3.75 lbs. peeled tomatoes
2 large green peppers
2 large red peppers
2 large onions
1/2 jalapeno, whole
(ground vegetables = 1 gallon, or 16 cups)
1/4 c. canning/pickling salt
1 1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/4 c.vinegar
1 Tbsp. + 1 3/4 tsp. mustard seed