✦ Canning Tips + Favorite Recipes ✦

For Beginners!

Hi folks,

It’s that time of year again, that of: garden a’plenty, if we’re lucky! I’ve got beans coming on strong right now, alas, the dill I seeded last fall sprouted right quick and is already past its prime. Hoping the farmer’s market has some so I can do a round of Dilly Beans!

Of note, some of the recipes list the author as unknown. This is because I found a recipe on-line and printed it out, only to realize later that I didn’t get the website/author, or was gifted a copy of the recipe without an author listed.

Also, if you want to sign up for any of the Wild Plant Walks, the 13 Plants you can Chew up and Use on a Bug Bite class, or the Cold & Flu class held at Farm & Hive in Inkom, ID: REGISTER HERE.

As always, all photos are my own, as is the text unless otherwise indicated. This is probably the most info that I’ve quoted from outside sources — I’m not a master canner by any stretch of the imagination. These are beginner friendly tips and recipes that you can certainly learn from!

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✦ Canning Tips + Favorite Recipes ✦

#1 Always start with a clean kitchen, (trust me, you’ll thank me later)

#2 If it’s super-hot out, get an early start

#3 You can use your dishwasher to sanitize jars, unless your dishwasher sucks and leaves a film; then handwash

#4 If you can’t get a jam/jelly to set using Pomona’s, try using Sure Jel—I said what I said

#5 Adjust for elevation!

If your altitude in feet is:

0-1,000 -- process as recipe calls

1,001-3,000 -- increase processing time by 5 minutes

3,001-6,000 -- increase processing time by 10 minutes

Over 6,000 -- increase processing time by 15 minutes

I’ve really enjoyed having these canning books on hand:

Putting Food By – Ruth Hertzberg, Beatrice Vaughan & Janet Greene

Old school canning book my mother swears by. I found it more difficult to understand when just starting out then the next two books; however, it’s very thorough and I’m glad I have a copy.

Put ‘em Up – Sherri Brooks Vinton

A nice book with fun, interesting and lots of beginner friendly recipes. Pretty pictures and pleasing to the eye. Smaller quantities, so it’s nice if you don’t have a lot of produce and if you do, double or triple the recipe!

USDA The Complete Guide to Home Canning

I have the 2020 printing. The crushed tomato recipe is great. Beginner friendly + more advanced. Quality, sound advice that’s easy to understand. Text is plain Jane, very useful.

Canning preparation and basic know-how, a few things to keep in mind:

· Sanitation is super important.

· Following tried and true recipes is key. Know when it’s okay to make substitutions & when it’s not.

· Ratios are important.

· A kitchen scale is helpful for weighing.

· Water bath canning is good for fruits, jams, jellies, salsa, dilly beans, pickled beets, etc. Acidity must be high for it to preserve properly. Canned veggies (plain) and meats are pressure canned (a different process).

· Canning tongs, canning funnel and a lid magnet are non-negotiable tools for me

· If you can use a propane fueled two burner stove outside – this is an option to create less heat in the kitchen, or do multiple batches.

· Always wipe your rims. (I keep a paper towel nearby to help me remember.)

· Adjust for elevation.

· A nice big canning pot is essential. You can also start with small batches in a stock pot.

· Use canning rings on the bottom if you don’t have a canning rack (jars shouldn’t rest directly on the pan bottom).

· Make sure the water level is high enough over the jars. This ensures proper heating.

· Water bath canning is a very safe, effective and worthwhile investment to preserve your own foods. If done right there is little chance of an issue.

· If by chance there’s mold, fizziness or bubbling, a foul odor or lid swelling on your final product—discard.

{The following Supplies and Step-by-Step Guide come from the Farmer’s Almanac website: https://www.almanac.com/water-bath-canning-beginners-guide}

“What Canning Supplies Do You Need?

If you’re starting out, you’ll need to assemble some gear.

• A boiling water canner is a large deep pot usually made of aluminum. They have fitted lids and are deep enough so that you can completely submerge the jars, leaving at least 1 inch above their tops. Flat bottoms are best (to work on all cooktops). You don’t have to have a boiling water canner, but any stockpot needs to work similarly.

• Also essential is a rack that fits inside the canner to keep your jars elevated above the direct heat at the bottom of the stockpot. Don’t allow jars to sit directly on the bottom of your canner because they will crack from the heat.

• Canning jars—usually by Mason, Ball, or Kerr brands—come in many sizes, from four-ounce, to half-pints, pints, three-quarter quarts, and quarts, in both narrow- and wide-mouth versions. You can always reuse your jars. (Note: Even if you have access to hundreds of ornamental glass storage jars, recycled pickle, and mayonnaise, or the old-fashioned canning jars with wire bails and glass lids that are sealed with jar rubbers, do NOT use them for canning.)

• Clean, rust-free, undented metal bands that fit your jars. These screw onto the threaded rims of the jars, holding the lids in place until the products are processed, sealed, and cooled. You can reuse your bands if they aren’t dented or damaged.

• Single-use metal canning lids that fit your jars. You must use brand-new lids every time you process food. These lids are designed with an inner gasket that softens during processing (heating in the canner), allowing air to escape from the jar during cooling and forming an airtight seal as the jars cool.

• A canning funnel. Ideally stainless steel or plastic, this wide-mouthed funnel keeps food from spilling onto the rim of the jar while you’re filling it.

• A stainless-steel ladle. You may already have a nice soup ladle that will work well for filling canning jars, but if you’re buying a new one, go for a long-handled model with a pouring spout or rim.

• A jar lifter. These are specialized tongs that fit around the base of the canning-jar rims to safely grasp and lift hot jars straight up and out of the canner after processing or to lower them into a canner of boiling water.

• A food mill or strainer. There are many styles and sizes of these devices, designed for mashing soft, cooked foods, and sieving them to remove skins and seeds from the pulp.

• A stainless-steel stockpot large enough to hold and cook a big batch of tomatoes, berries, or other products before you ladle them into the canning jars for processing in the canner.

Water-Bath Canning Step-by-Step Guide

Here’s the step-by-step process for canning produce using a water bath.

In advance: Have your supplies and produce on hand. All jars, lids, and bands should be clean, either washed in a dishwasher or washed in hot water with soap. Make sure your bands fit. Also, there shouldn’t be any nicks or cracks on the rim of the jars or the jar itself. Lids should be brand-new every time.

1. Your jars need to be hot prior to being filled with hot ingredients and placed in a hot canner. Put the clean jars in a separate large pot (not the canner), cover with water (fully immersed), and boil the water for 10 minutes. Note: The bands and lids do not need to be heated. Lids on the market today no longer need the seal to be heat-activated if they are new and clean.

2. Separately, heat the water-bath canning pot. Fill halfway full with water. Turn on the heat and let the water simmer (180°F). If you have a jar rack, hang it inside the canning pot. Keep the water simmering on your stovetop until Step 8, below, when you have filled each jar with the prepared food, and put the jars immediately into the canner.

3. Remove and dry the jars. Then, while they’re still heated, fill the jars with the prepared recipe. Use a wide-mouth funnel, and ladle the food into the jar. Leave a ¼- or 1/2-inch headspace at the top.

4. Gently use a clean spatula or plastic canning wand to swirl along the inside of the jar to release trapped air bubbles.

5. Wipe the rims of jars with a clean, damp cloth and remove any food residue. Put the lid on each jar and then apply the band. Screw the jar until finger-tight but not too tight.

6. Using the jar lifter, put sealed jars in the canner on the rack. Don’t allow the jars to touch each other. Jars must be covered by water—about 1 to 2 inches of water. Add more hot water from a separate kettle, if needed.

7. Turn up the heat to get water in canner to boil. Start timer when water starts boiling. Every recipe is different, but you’ll usually boil the filled jars for about 10 minutes.

8. Once finished, shut off the heat and remove the canner lid, allowing steam to escape away from you. Let jars rest in the canner for 5 to 10 minutes.

9. Remove jars using the jar lifter from canner and stand on a towel or rack, not touching. As they cool, you should hear the jars “ping” which means the jars have properly sealed.

10. Leave jars undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours to cool. DO NOT retighten bands, as this may interfere with the sealing process.

11. After the jars are completely cool, double-check the seals. Unscrew the bands and press down gently on the center of each lid. If you don’t feel any give, the jar has properly sealed. If the lid springs back up, the lid doesn’t seal, so put the jar in the fridge and eat within 2 weeks.”

Okay, normally I’m very good about citing my sources for info and recipes, etc. as it’s important to give credit where credit is due. However, I didn’t write the source when I printed out some of these recipes to try some years. However, they are such good recipes for the beginning canner, I really want to share them! I’ll always cite my sources, and when I don’t, I’ll let you know. Like with this cowboy candy recipe. Sweet and spicy, so yummy. Great on eggs, burritos, rice…so many things!

COWBOY CANDY

(Original author unknown)

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups Apple Cider Vinegar [I usually use white vinegar]

• 3.5 cups white granulated sugar

• 1 tsp salt

• 2 garlic cloves minced

• 1/4 tsp turmeric

• 1/2 tsp mustard seed

• 1/2 tsp ground ginger

• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

• 2 pounds jalapeno peppers (about 28 large size peppers) – [I like to sub in a sweet red pepper as it adds a lovely pop of color; chop small]

Instructions

1. Wash, rinse, and dry peppers. Slice peppers into 1/4 inch slices; you can wear gloves to protect your hands—don’t rub your eyes with hot pepper cutting fingers.

2. Prep the Jars and Canner Prepare boiling water in a large pot or water bath canner. Heat jars in simmering water until ready to use. Wash lids in warm soapy water and set aside with bands.

3. Combine all ingredients except jalapenos in a large saucepan and bring to a full rolling boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Keep stirring so the sugar does not burn.

4. Add jalapeno pepper slices, lower heat to medium and cook for 15-20 minutes or until jalapenos are dark glossy green and have absorbed some brine.

5. Ladle hot jalapenos with a slotted spoon into hot sterile canning jars, leaving 1 inch of the upper rim of the jar clear. Pour hot brine over jalapenos, maintaining a 1-inch headspace.

6. Remove air bubbles with a butter knife running it around the rims of the jars to the bottom of the jar to remove trapped pockets of air. Wipe the jar rim clean with a damp paper towel or damp washcloth. Add lid and band and twist just until the band is finger tight.

7. Use a lifter to place the jars in a covered pot of boiling water or canner, with the water level one inch over the lids at all times. Process jars in boiling canner for 15 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off heat let jars stand 5 minutes. Remove jars, place on a cooling rack, and cool undisturbed for 24 hours. Check tops for seals; they should not flex when the center is pressed—place jars in a cool dark place for storage for up to a year.

Note

Save the leftover brine to make a quick mustard sauce for chicken or ham.

DILLY BEANS

Recipe adapted from Sherri Brooks Vinton, Put ‘em Up, pg. 118

(There wasn’t enough brine in the original recipe so I x’d it by half to up the amount. Same ratios. May be a little left over.)

Yield: 8 pint jars

Ingredients:

4 pounds green* beans, washed, topped and tailed

6 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced

1 cup fresh dill weed

1 T. dill seed

1 T. black peppercorns

6 cups distilled white vinegar

3 cups water

1/3 cup sugar

3 T. salt

Preparation:

1. Divide the garlic, dill weed, dill seed, and peppercorns among 8 clean, hot jars. Cut beans into lengths 1 inch shorter than the pint jars. Pack the beans vertically in, somewhat tightly.

2. Combine the vinegar, water, sugar and salt in a medium nonreactive saucepan, and bring to a boil. Pour the hot brine over the beans to cover by ½ inch. Leave ½ inch of headspace between the top of the liquid and the lid.

Can:

Use the boiling-water method. Release trapped air. Wipe the rims clean; center lids on the jars and screw on jar bands. Process for 15 minutes. Turn off heat, remove canner lid, and let jars rest in the water for 5 minutes. Remove jars and set aside for 24 hours. Check seals, then store in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.

*Purple beans work too, but they lose their color when cooked. There will also be a pinkish hue to your brine that may or may not look so appetizing. Your call.

PICKLED BEETS

From Sherri Brooks Vinton, Put ‘em Up, pg. 122

Yield: about 3 pints

Ingredients:

2 pounds beets

1 cup distilled white vinegar

½ cup water

½ cup sugar

½ T. salt

¼ cup fresh dill weed

1 T. dill seed

Preparation:

1. Pep the beets by boiling or roasting them until nearly tender. Cut them in half and then into ¼-inch slices.

2. Combine the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a medium nonreactive saucepan, and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve the sugar and salt, and then remove from the heat.

3. Pack the beets into three clean, hot pint jars, arranging them snugly but with enough room for brine to circulate. Divide the fresh dill and dill seed among the jars [I find doing this first is best, before the beets.]. Pour the hot brine over the beets to cover by ½ inch. Leave ½ inch of headspace between the top of the liquid and the lid.

Can:

Use the boiling-water method. Release trapped air. Wipe the rims clean; center lids on the jars and screw on jar bands. Process for 30 minutes. Turn off heat, remove canner lid, and let jars rest in the water for 5 minutes. Remove jars and set aside for 24 hours. Check seals, then store in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.

CANNED PEACHES or NECTARINES in Honey

(Original author unknown)

Ingredients:

• 20lb box of peaches or nectarines

• lemon juice from a jar

• 2/3 cup raw honey

• 8 cups water

Before you start, make sure your jars are sterilized. I run my jars through the dishwasher on the sterilize setting.

1. Fill your water bath canner with water, cover and bring to a rolling boil.

2. Prepare your syrup. In a large saucepan, heat 8 cups of water. When the water comes to a boil, add 2/3 cup raw honey. Stir and bring back to a boil. When the syrup starts to boil, turn the heat to low. If you want it a little bit sweeter, add honey to taste.

3. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil.

4. Wash lids and bands in warm soapy water; bring a saucepan of water to a simmer, add lids and bands, keep hot (not boiling!).

5. In batches, add 8-9 peaches into the large pot filled with boiling water for 45-60 seconds.

6. Immediately immerse in a bowl filled with ice water or underneath running cold water. The skins of the peaches and nectarines should slide right off.

7. Cut your peaches in half and remove the pit. You can either slice them into small pieces or leave them in halves.

8. Add a squirt of lemon juice into a quart sized mason jar. (This will prevent your fruit from browning while in storage.

9. Add your peach slices or halves into the mason jars. Make sure to pack tightly, however only fill up to the neck of the jar.

10. Immediately fill your mason jars with the honey syrup, leaving half inch headspace and set aside.

11. Continue moving in this fashion until half of your fruit box has been packed. At this point, I usually can my first batch.

12. With a plastic spatula or knife, run it down the sides, inside, of the jars to remove any excess bubbles trapped within your fruit.

13. Clean the top of your filled jars with a damp towel to make sure there is no syrup on the top of the mason jar or on the sides.

14. Place a lid on each mason jar and gently put the screw on. DO NOT screw this on tightly. Place in the water bath canner and boil for 20 minutes with the lid on.

15. Continue... until all peaches or nectarines have been packed.

BEST SALSA EVER

Found on: https://www.delishknowledge.com/the-best-homemade-salsa-for-canning/

Ingredients

• 9 cups peeled and chopped tomatoes (they must be peeled first)

• 2 1/2 cups chopped green bell peppers

• 2 1/2 cups chopped white onion [yellow or red works here too]

• 4 medium jalapeños, chopped (see notes)

• 8 large cloves garlic, chopped

• 6 teaspoon canning salt

• 1 cup white vinegar

• 1 (12-ounce) can tomato paste

Instructions

1. Remove the skins from the tomatoes. To do this, make an “X” in the bottom of the tomatoes, then place in boiling water for 60 seconds. Then, remove the tomatoes from the water and place directly into a bowl if iced water to shock. The skins should slip right off. (I use my spider to transfer the tomatoes from the boiling water to the ice water without getting splashed.)

2. Make the salsa. Place all of the ingredients in a large pot (you will need a 10qt. saucepan for this batch, or split the ingredients among 2 saucepans) and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until thickened and cooked.

3. Prepare cans to be sealed. Ladle the cooked salsa into clean, sterile jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe rims of jars with a damp, clean, paper towel, then place lids on top. To make filling easy, I highly recommend a wide funnel designed for canning jars.

4. Process using a water bath. To do this, bring a large saucepan filled with water to a boil. Your saucepan needs to be tall enough to have the water cover the jars by 2 inches- though the jars will displace some of the water as they are added.

5. Add the jars to the water bath and cover with a lid. Process for 30 minutes, then remove. I use these tongs to make things easy.

6. Let the jars sit for 24 hours. The salsa will remain good in the jar for up to 18 months… if you can keep yourself from eating it all before then!

Notes

You can make this salsa as spicy or hot as you’d like. For a hot salsa, I use 4 Serrano (or habanero peppers) with the seeds. For a milder salsa, seed 1-2 of the jalapeños before chopping. For very mild salsa, seed all of the jalapeños. Remember that the heat will lessen as the salsa sits, so I tend to err on being spicy then not. It’s hard to correct spice level so if you don’t like things spicy, then start with only 1 jalapeño and go from there.

However, note that you can decrease the number of jalapeños but you cannot increase for pH balance. If you prefer a very hot salsa, then you’ll want to sub in a hotter pepper for the jalapeños OR you can sub jalapeños for some of the green pepper.

Makes 6-7 pint jars. [I bump up the numbers by a 1/3 to get 10 pints.]

MARINARA SAUCE

For a super yummy spaghetti sauce go here and use this recipe: https://www.melskitchencafe.com/homemade-spaghetti-marinara-sauce-for-canning-or-freezing/

I double the recipe so I get 8 quarts. You could also put it into pints if you find quart jars are too large.

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Thanks for reading, hope you found something worthwhile in these words!

Blooms & Blessings,

Emily

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