Ratatouille Salad
I had all the ingredients for ratatouille, a lovely French vegetable stew. I had eggplant, tomatoes, summer squash, peppers, onions and fresh herbs. But I was in the mood for a salad. I decided to use the same ingredients that I would use for the ratatouille, but transform them into a salad. It came out quite nice. I could see serving it on toasted bread, or using it like a dip. It reminded me of caponata, in a way.
I decided to cook the eggplant and onion, but leave the rest of the vegetables raw. I also decided to leave the skin on the eggplant. I did not salt the eggplant beforehand. The eggplant was fresh and tender- I saw no need for peeling or salting, but you could do both, if you like.
I always have roasted garlic on hand. I make a big batch and store in smaller containers in the freezer, until needed. The directions for roasting garlic follow the recipe. If you don’t have roasted garlic, you could add several cloves of garlic, peeled and minced. I invited a neighbor to try it- and she ended up taking the rest home.
Ratatouille Salad
1 medium eggplant, cubed. I had about 3 cups of eggplant.
3 T. oil
½ t. salt
1 medium onion, sliced
2 T. roasted garlic*
½ c. red wine vinegar
1 med. zucchini, cut in matchstick pieces, about 3 cups
1 sweet pepper, seeded and diced
1½ c. diced fresh tomato, seeded, if desired
Dressing:
1/3 c. red wine vinegar
1/3 c. olive oil
2-3 T. honey, or to suit your taste
2 T. chopped parsley
1 t. chopped basil
2 t. thyme leaves
Hot sauce to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
In skillet, heat oil and saute eggplant until tender and just starting to brown. Season with salt. Remove from skillet and set in a mixing bowl. In same skillet, saute onion and cook until wilted and tender. Add the garlic and vinegar to the skillet and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. While liquid is cooking down, place remaining veggies in mixing bowl with the eggplant. When most of the liquid is cooked off, place onion in mixing bowl with eggplant mixture. Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl or jar and whisk to combine. Pour over the eggplant mixture and toss to coat. Adjust seasonings. Chill until ready to serve. Serves 6-8 as a side.
*Once you have roasted garlic on hand for cooking, you will wonder how you did without it before. I get large amounts of freshly peeled cloves. Place the peeled garlic cloves in a roasting pan and pour a generous amount of olive oil over the garlic. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350 until garlic is tender and golden. This will take at least 30 minutes, but up to 40 minutes. It depends on how much garlic you are roasting. Be careful not to burn it. Once cooled, place the garlic cloves, and oil, in small freezer containers. Store in freezer.
Corn and Black Bean Salad
This salad was inspired by ingredients I had on hand. I had picked up some beautiful local sweet corn the other day. I also had some sweet peppers and home canned black beans. I knew the trio would work well together.
I used fresh corn in this dish. You could use frozen corn, if that was all you had. Fresh corn season is too short around here. I always buy extra corn for freezing. I just blanch the shucked corn for a few minutes in boiling water, then drop into ice water. Once the corn is cool enough to handle, I cut the corn off the ears. Then I package up the corn and freeze it.
You could also grill corn and cut it off the cob to freeze.
I like to boil the cobs after the corn is cut off, for a corn stock, which I also freeze. The cobs have a lot of flavor.
If using the frozen corn in a salad, you’ll want to drain it after thawing.
So here is the recipe. Pretty simple. You could add some sweet onion, if you like, too.
Corn and Black Bean Salad
4 c. cooked corn
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 sweet pepper, seeded and chopped
¼ c. olive oil
3 T. red wine vinegar
1 T. Balsamic vinegar
2 t. Italian seasoning- I used my Tuscan blend
Salt and pepper to taste
Hot sauce to taste, optional
Combine all ingredients in medium bowl. Stir to combine well. Chill before serving. Serves 6-8.
Carrot Pasta Sauce
This pasta sauce is one of my favorites. Most people don’t think of carrots, when they think of pasta sauce, but maybe they should. It tastes wonderful and looks pretty, too. It’s a simple sauce that packs a lot of flavor.
We made this sauce in cooking camp last week. The kids seemed to doubt that they would like it. Turned out, most of them loved it.
The process is easy. Just cook carrots, with sauteed onions and garlic in stock, until the carrots are really tender. Most of the liquid cooks off. Puree, adding cream or half and half and some dill. Adjust seasonings and you are done!
I used chicken stock, but you could use a vegetable stock for a vegetarian version of this dish. Toss the sauce with pasta, rice, or even with veggies or meats. You can add some fresh grated cheese, too, if you like. For the version we did in camp, I was going to have the kids sprinkle some cheddar cheese over the pasta once it was tossed with the carrot sauce. The cheese got dumped in the carrot sauce instead, so we just mixed it in until it melted. The carrot sauce tasted like mac and cheese.
Here is the recipe. I hope you try it.
Carrot Pasta Sauce
1 T. oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 lb. carrots, peeled and sliced
2 c. chicken or vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c. cream, half and half or evaporated milk
1T. fresh dill or 1 t. dried
Hot cooked pasta
Sauté onion in oil until tender. Add garlic, carrots and stock and cook until carrots are very tender. Much of the liquid should have evaporated by then. Place mixture in blender and add cream or milk, mixing until smooth. Add dill and adjust seasonings, tossing over hot pasta to serve. I sometimes top with some shredded Parmesan cheese, too.
Variations: Use sweet potatoes, pumpkin, winter squash or even peas for different tastes.
Spiced Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes
It’s that time of year. Zucchini time. Maybe I should call it, “What do I do with all my zucchini time?” Zucchini and other summer squash are in abundance right now. This recipe is another, tasty way, to use them.
These are wonderfully spiced, moist cupcakes. Instead of frosting them, I decided to top them with melted butter and cinnamon sugar. It’s something I’ve done with muffins, in the past. I didn’t see why I couldn’t do the same thing with cupcakes.
It was a really good idea. The cupcakes stand up well in summer heat. Besides, not everyone likes frosting.
As an added bonus- it is a another recipe using zucchini, and that is never a bad thing.
Spiced Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
½ t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
½ t. nutmeg
Pinch of cloves
¼ c. unsweetened cocoa
½ cup butter, softened
½ cup olive oil
1½ c. sugar
2 eggs
½ c. buttermilk
1½ t. vanilla
2½ c. grated zucchini
1 cup chocolate chips
Topping:
½ c. butter, melted
½ c. sugar
2 t. cinnamon
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 24 muffin cups or use paper liners. Mix together the dry ingredients. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, olive oil and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the buttermilk and vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture, just until incorporated. Stir in the grated zucchini and chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top of the cupcakes spring back when lightly pressed. Cool in pans over a wire rack for at least 10 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Dip top of cupcakes in melted butter, then dip in the cinnamon sugar. Place on rack to finish cooling off. Makes 24.
Canning Tomatoes
I love my home-canned tomatoes. They taste so much better than anything than comes in a can. Worth the effort.
You have options when canning tomatoes- crushed, juice, sauce- and more. The one option you won’t see for home- canned tomatoes is diced. There is a reason for that. When tomatoes are canned commercially, calcium is added to keep them firm. That is why commercially canned diced tomatoes hold their shape. Home canned diced tomatoes will just cook down, get very soft and not hold their shape. Canning tomatoes whole will give you a firmer end product, if that is what you want.
I have been asked several times in canning classes, if it is safe to can yellow or orange tomatoes. We have all heard that yellow and orange tomatoes are lower in acid, so are they still safe to can? The answer is yes, they are safe to can.
Why?
In spite of you might have been told, orange and yellow tomatoes are not acid free or low acid.
Truth is, that yellow and orange tomatoes have just as much acid as red tomatoes.
Well, for the most part at least. In terms of acidity or Ph, yellow and orange tomatoes are about average. Some cultivars have more, some less. Bottom line is that all tomatoes are safe to can- as long as you acidify them.
Adding salt is optional, and is for flavor only. Use canning/pickling salt or non-iodized salt when canning.
Here are some popular canning recipes to get you started.
All follow the NCHFP (National Center for Home Food Preservation) recommended procedures.
Crushed Tomatoes
Peel and core tomatoes , trim off any bad spots and quarter. Place about 1/4 of your prepared tomatoes in the kettle and cook, stirring constantly over high heat. Use a potato masher to crush tomatoes and extract juices. Once they are boiling add remaining tomatoes, stirring constantly. You don’t need to crush these tomatoes. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. In clean, hot jars add needed acidity listed below. You can also add 1 teaspoon of canning salt per quart if desired. Ladle in hot tomatoes, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Wipe jar rims clean and adjust lids. Process in boiling water bath. Pints 35 minutes, quarts, 45 minutes. 1,000-3000 ft over sea level add 5 minutes. Twenty-two pounds of tomatoes will yield about 7 quarts of tomatoes.
Whole Tomatoes in Juice
Use any extra tomatoes to make juice. I use tomatoes that are too big to can whole, or those that have blemishes that need to be trimmed. Cut up clean, unpeeled tomatoes in a kettle and cook, stirring often until tomatoes are mushy. Strain mixture, pressing on solids or run through a food mill or tomato juice extractor. Set aside,. Place peeled, whole tomatoes in kettle and add enough tomato juice to cover them. Heat to a simmer and simmer gently 5 minutes. Add lemon juice or citric acid to jars, using amounts listed below. Add salt, if desired. Add tomatoes and cover with hot juice, leaving 1/2 -inch headspace. Wipe rims and adjust lids. Process both pints and quarts 85 minutes in a boiling water bath.
Tomato Juice
Wash, stem and trim bruises off tomatoes. Cut into chunks. Add about 1 pound of tomatoes to kettle and bring to a boil while crushing. Continue to add additional cut up tomatoes slowly, keeping mixture boiling. This will keep the juice from separating later. Simmer an additional 5 minutes once the tomatoes have all been added. Press mixture through a strainer , sieve or food mill to remove seeds and skins. Add lemon juice or citric acid to jars according to directions listed below. Add salt if desired. Return juice to boil and add to prepared jars leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Wipe rims and adjust lids. Process n a boiling water bath pints 35 minutes and quarts 40 minutes. Add 5 minutes processing time at elevations between 1,001 and 3,000 ft.
Tomato Sauce
Prepare as for juice. After juice is made return to pot and start cooking down to desired thickness. You’ll lose about 1/3 of the volume for thin sauce and 1/2 of the volume for thick. Add lemon juice or citric acid to prepared jars as described below. Add salt if desired. Add boiling sauce leaving 1/4 -inch headspace. Wipe rims and adjust lids. Process in a boiling water bath 35 minutes for pints and 40 minutes for quarts. Add five minutes at 1,001-3,000 ft. elevation.
Acidity and Tomatoes
Tomatoes must be acidified before canning. When canning either whole, crushed or juiced tomatoes you must add either 2 T. bottled lemon juice per quart or 1/2 t. citric acid . For pint use 1 T. lemon juice or 1/4 t. citric acid. You can also use 4 T. (5%) vinegar per quart, but it will alter the flavor and is not recommended. You can add a little sugar to offset the flavor, if you like.
Creamy Fresh Tomato Soup
Tomatoes are in season and I am loving it. I have been enjoying tomato sandwiches, tomato salad and fresh tomato sauce.
This is a great recipe for some of those tomatoes. A simple soup, with lots of flavor, it is a favorite of mine. So much better than the canned tomato soup of my childhood.
I enjoy it served hot, but this soup can also be served cold. On a hot day, this soup, served chilled, is a wonderful change from a salad with dinner.
I prefer to use fresh tomatoes, but I have used my home canned tomatoes, in a pinch.
If you want a stronger tomato flavor- use a couple extra tomatoes.
Creamy Fresh Tomato Soup
3 medium-sized ripe tomatoes
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 rib celery, chopped fine
1/4 t. ground cloves
1 small bay leaf
3 T. butter
3 T. flour
1 t. salt
3 c. milk or half and half
Peel and chop tomatoes. Place tomatoes in saucepan with onion, celery, cloves and bay leaf. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and cover, simmering 15 minutes. Melt butter in a large saucepan then stir in flour and salt. Cook mixture until bubbly. Add milk and cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove bay leaf. Puree tomato mixture through a strainer, food mill or in a blender or processor. Add to milk mixture and heat through. Serves 6.
Blueberry Kolachy
I have fond memories of making these delicate cookies with my Mother. I think of her every time I make them. We made these in cooking camp yesterday. The kids loved them. They made over 200!!! We used three batches of the dough.
I made my own blueberry pie filling, but you could use store-bought, if you prefer. We also used canned cherry pie filling. Finish off the cookies with a light dusting of powdered sugar, if you like.
One problem people sometimes have, when making kolachy, is having them open when baking. When you fold the dough over the filling, give it a good pinch. Then fold it over and pinch it again. Also, don’t leave too much flour on the dough. It will prevent the dough from sticking to itself and will cause it to pop open. Some people like to moisten the dough a little, before sealing. That works, too. I just find the double pinch method works fine for me. Important to know- even the ones that pop open will taste amazing!! We were is a very warm kitchen and the cookie dough was on the sticky side. Very few opened up while baking.
Blueberry Kolachy
Dough
3 sticks butter
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 cups flour
Blueberry Filling– recipe follows
Powdered sugar, optional
Mix dough ingredients together and chill well before using.
Roll out chilled dough into squares or circles. Spoon a little blueberry filling into the center and pinch 2 ends or corners together. Bake in 350-degree oven for about 12 minutes, or until golden on edges. Cool and dust with powdered sugar. Makes 4-5 dozen.
Blueberry Pie Filling
3 1/2 c. blueberries
3/4 c. sugar, or to taste
1/4 c. cornstarch
1 c. water
1 T. lemon juice
In saucepan, bring blueberries and sugar to a boil, stirring often. Combine cornstarch with water and lemon juice and add to the blueberry mixture. Return to the boil and cook until thickened and bubbly. Makes 4 cups. You might not need the whole batch for the cookies.
Zucchini and Corn Sauté
For those of you looking for another way to use some of those zucchini this dish is really fun and easy. The flavors of the zucchini, corn and peppers work really well together and makes a tasty side dish in just a few minutes. I served mine in pita bread. I sometimes add a little cheese, too.
Quick Zucchini and Corn Sauté
2 sweet peppers, seeded and cut into strips
2 medium zucchini, sliced
Oil
2 c. corn kernels cut from cobs, about 3 ears
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. salt
2 t. Italian seasoning
In oil, cook peppers and zucchini until crisp tender, about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and cook 4 more minutes, or until heated through. Serves 6-8.
Homemade Blueberry Liqueur
I always stock up on blueberries when they are in season. I end up with a lot of frozen berries to enjoy throughout the year. I was cleaning out the freezer awhile ago, and decided to use some of my frozen berries to make blueberry liqueur.
After steeping for several months, I strained out the blueberries last night. I ended up making two different liqueurs. One is unsweetened- just blueberries, vodka, lemon zest and a clove. It is sometimes called an eau de vie- French for water of life- or blueberry vodka.
The other was sweetened a little with a sugar syrup- but you could use honey. That is blueberry liqueur or blueberry cordial. It will be allowed to mature for a couple of weeks.
Both are wonderful.
The color is so pretty and they can be sipped, as is, or used in cocktails. You can use other berries, if you prefer.
I look forward to enjoying these with friends and family.
Blueberry Liqueur
4-c. fresh or frozen blueberries
Sliced and scraped peel of one lemon, optional
1 clove, optional
3-c. vodka or 2 c. vodka and 1 c. brandy
1 c. sugar syrup, optional, recipe follows
Lightly crush berries with a fork. Combine with peels and clove and vodka and steep 3 months. Strain and filter and add sugar syrup. Mature 4-6 weeks.
Sugar Syrup
Simple syrup is made from 1 cup of sugar and ½ cup of water. Bring to a boil, then cool. You will have 1 cup of syrup. Some recipes call for plain sugar and others for honey. Watch when you substitute honey for sugar, as it is sweeter and stronger flavored. Better to use orange or clover honey.
Safe Canning Basics
A lot more people are canning this year. That’s great, but maybe not so great if they are not canning safely. Following are some facts you might want to know before you can. When you follow the rules, home canning is very safe.
Canning isn’t cooking. The rules are stricter. Not a lot of room to be creative. But you can be creative later on, when cooking with the foods you canned.
Before canning there are some basics you should know. There are general guidelines that need to be followed and some equipment that will make the job easier.
Great sources for safe canning recipes are NCHFP (National Center for Home Food Preservation) and recipes from Ball. There are a few reputable sources for information on social media. My own website has many safe, canning recipes. My friend, Debbie Seagraves, has a YouTube channel with safe canning recipes. There is also a lot of bad information out there. Be careful about who you listen to.
The USDA recommends that all jams and jellies be processed in a boiling water bath, unless it is a recipe that is frozen or unless all the preserves are to be kept refrigerated. Sealing jars with paraffin is no longer considered to be a safe way to preserve jams and jellies.
Other high acid foods, like tomatoes (when acidified), fruits and fruit products, and pickled foods can also be canned in a hot water bath. Tomatoes are acidified with bottled lemon juice or food grade citric acid.
Low acid foods, like vegetables (not pickled) and meats and seafood must always be processed in a pressure canner. Contrary to what some people might tell you, there is no safe canning time for water bathing green beans. The water will never get hot enough to kill botulism.
Just because someone didn’t get sick from incorrectly canned food does not mean they were right. They were just lucky. There was a case in Ohio a few years ago where a woman who served improperly canned potatoes, made people sick. At least one person died. Botulism has no taste or smell.
Rice, pasta, flour and most starches should not be used in home-canned foods. Clear -Gel, a modified corn starch, can be used in homemade pie fillings.
Dairy and eggs are also not recommended in home canning. No canned butter!!! However, there is an NCHFP tested recipe for canned lemon curd, using eggs and butter. It has a very short shelf-life- use in 3-4 months!! The lesson here- use a tested recipe. It has been tested over and over to be sure it is safe.
Just because it seals, it does not mean it is safe. You have to process properly, using a safe recipe. I can pour almost any boiling hot food in a jar and get it to seal. Does not mean what I did is safe. Don’t risk your family’s health.
Since the jars are sterilized in the canning process (of at least 10 minutes), there is no need to sterilize jars as a rule. They should be freshly washed in hot, soapy water, rinsed and kept warm until ready to use. You can also run them through the dishwasher and keep them in there until ready to fill. Because jams and jellies are packed when hot, cold jars might crack. Before starting make sure the jars are free of nicks and cracks, being extra careful to check the rims.
Note: the only time you must sterilize a jar is if it contained food that had spoiled. When I get jars second-hand I also sterilize them before use. To sterilize jars submerge them in boiling water for twenty minutes.
To prepare to water bath, have a canner (large kettle with a wire rack) filled with enough water to cover the jars by 1-2 inches and have it almost boiling when the jars are added. Turn up heat and cover the canner. Timing begins when the water comes to a boil (usually only a minute or two when hot jelly-filled jars are added). I get the water in the canner boiling first and turn it down to a high simmer until just before it is needed. Keep it covered to heat up faster and to prevent evaporation. If you do not have a canner, a kettle deep enough to accommodate the jars can be used. However, you must cover the bottom with a towel. Jars that touch the bottom of the pan directly can break during processing. You can also cover the bottom of the kettle with a small cooling rack. I have known people to wire canning jar rings together to make a sort of trivet for the bottom of a stock pot.
Pressure canners for use in the home were extensively redesigned beginning in the 1970’s. Models made before the 1970’s were heavy-walled kettles with clamp-on or turn-on lids. They were fitted with a dial gauge, a vent pipe in the form of a petcock or covered with a counterweight, and a safety fuse. Most modern pressure canners are lightweight, thin-walled kettles; most have turn-on lids fitted with gaskets. At least one style is still made with heavy cast aluminum, has screw-down knobs around the canner and does not have a gasket, however.
Modern pressure canners have removable racks, an automatic vent/cover lock, a vent pipe (steam vent), and a safety fuse. Use only canners that have the Underwriter’s Laboratory (UL) approval to ensure their safety.
Today’s pressure canner may have a dial gauge for indicating the pressure or a weighted gauge, for indicating and regulating the pressure. Weighted gauges are usually designed to “jiggle” several times a minute or to keep rocking gently when they are maintaining the correct pressure. Read your manufacturer’s directions to know how a particular weighted gauge should rock or jiggle to indicate that the proper pressure is reached and then maintained during processing. Dial gauge canners will usually have a counterweight or pressure regulator for sealing off the open vent pipe to pressurize the canner. This weight should not be confused with a weighted gauge and will not jiggle or rock as described for a weighted gauge canner. Pressure readings on a dial gauge canner are only registered on the dial and only the dial should be used as an indication of the pressure in the canner. One manufacturer now makes a dual-gauge canner; read the manufacturer’s user manual for information on when and how to use either the weighted gauge or the dial.
Pressure canners come deep enough for one layer of quart or smaller size jars, or deep enough for two layers of pint or smaller size jars. The USDA recommends that a canner be large enough to hold at least 4 quart jars, upright, to be considered a pressure canner for the USDA published processes. Smaller pressure cookers are NOT safe for use as pressure canners.
To prepare a pressure canner add several inches of hot water in the bottom of the canner that has a rack in the bottom. The canner will usually come with specific directions or a fill line. Some will have a specific amount of water that is added, like 3 or 4 quarts. Water will not cover your jars in pressure canning the way it does in water bath canning. After jars are added to the canner the lid is secured and the heat is turned on. Once steam starts to come out of the vent on top, the canner is vented for 10 minutes. The gauge is applied and the canner will start to increase in pressure. When proper pressure is attained timing begins.
To know when proper pressure is attained, you will just look at your gauge- if your pressure canner has a dial gauge. When using a weighted gauge, pressure is achieved when the weight begins to rock gently. Once you get up to pressure, you will be able to turn the heat down a little. Be careful not to reduce heat too much. If you go below the proper pressure, you have to get back up to pressure and start the timing over.
When the timed process is completed, turn off the heat, remove the canner from the heat (electric burner) if possible, and let the canner cool down naturally. (Lift the canner to move it; do not slide the canner. It is also okay to leave the canner in place after you have turned off the burner. It is better to do so than to let jars inside the canner tilt or tip over if the canner is too heavy to move easily.)
While the canner is cooling, it is also de-pressurizing. Do not force cool the canner. Forced cooling may result in food spoilage. Cooling the canner with cold running water or opening the vent pipe before the canner is fully depressurized are types of forced cooling. They will also cause loss of liquid from jars and seal failures. Forced cooling may also warp the canner lid. When the pressure is back down to zero, wait another few minutes before removing the lid. Always remove the lid away from you- the steam in the canner could burn you.
Prepare foods for canning in enamel, non-stick or stainless steal pans. Never use aluminum or copper, or enamel cookware that has chips.
Today, lids are two pieces consisting of the ring and a flat lid with a rubber ridge. Lids should be prepared according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Some ask you to boil them, others may just ask you to wash them and hold in warm water until ready to use. The rings can be used over and over, but the flat lids should only be used once. They may fail to seal if processed a second time. There are silicone lids, which can be used over and over. They are a little pricey, but you don’t have to replace them.
Jar-lifters are a handy tool to have. They allow you to place and remove the jars easily, with little risk of dropping them. They are available at many grocery stores and in cookware and department stores as well. A wide-mouth funnel (or canning funnel) is also handy when trying to ladle hot liquids into jars. Be sure to wipe off jar rims before putting the lid on to prevent food from causing the jars not to seal.
Screw the ring on firmly, but not too tight, or the jars will not seal properly. The term you will often hear is finger tip tight. Suggesting you tighten the ring using your fingertips only. That actually works well.
Jars removed from the water bath should be placed on a wire rack or on a towel to cool. You should hear them “plink” as the jars seal. Keep them away from drafts until cooled down. When completely cooled check to make sure that the jars have sealed. Press down on the middle. If the lid makes a “plink” noise it is not sealed. After jars have sealed and cooled remove ring, wipe with a damp cloth and store in cupboard until ready to use. I like to put dates on my jars, so I know when I canned them.
Always start with top quality produce. Bruises and blemishes will lead to spoilage. Small blemishes can be cut off, but be sure to remove all areas of spoilage.
If you are canning tomatoes and have a lot of imperfect fruit you are better off trimming off any bad spots and using this produce in recipes that will be frozen rather than canned.
When canning, always use canning salt or pickling salt. Iodized salt will cause an off-flavor in canned foods. Non-iodized salt can be used in a pinch. Sea salts contain minerals that will make liquids cloudy.
When using older canning books always check with your local Extension Office or the USDA for most current information and canning times. Periodically, times are changed or ingredients are adjusted for maximum safety. If you have old family recipes also check with your local Extension Office to find out if the recipe is still considered safe. You can also email NCHFP with questions about the safety of your recipe.
Never can in an oven. There are no safe canning times for home canning in ovens. Plus, thermal shock can cause the jars to shatter.
Nothing beats planning. When getting ready to can read the recipe all the way through and get all your equipment out. It is often easier and more fun to can with a friend or two. The extra hands always come in handy and when time is critical the extra help will make errors less likely.
In tomato-based products herbs can be added for flavor but do not randomly start adding other vegetables (like onion, peppers etc.). They will reduce the acidity and may make the product unsafe to can in a water bath.
When you do follow the proper rules, home canning is very safe and fun, too. It is a way of preserving your garden produce to enjoy all year long. Homemade jams and jellies make lovely, thoughtful gifts.
