Preserving Your Harvest

[muddy75]

First batch of Serrano peppers fermenting

 

[ladybrasa]

First batch of Serrano peppers fermenting

See the ‘face’ on the one pepper slice in the middle of the jar on the right? Yeah, that’s my face if I ever ate a Serrano pepper …

Fingers crossed your fermentation goes well!

 

[Isadora]

I canned for the first time today. It went well. Our peach tree had quite a lot of peaches that we weren't going to eat in a couple days so I figured out can the rest. I will probably be canning peaches for the next several days.

 

[BReeder!]

View attachment 2794698I canned for the first time today. It went well. Our peach tree had quite a lot of peaches that we weren't going to eat in a couple days so I figured out can the rest. I will probably be canning peaches for the next several days.

Great job! I'm jealous. I only got 15 peaches from our tree.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Great job! I'm jealous. I only got 15 peaches from our tree.

Last year we got over 8 five gallon buckets of peaches off of two trees, this year we got 5. Not buckets 5 actual peaches....

 

[Percheron chick]

View attachment 2783516View attachment 2783518

I just made pepper jelly/jam for the first time. Supposedly it is a delicious snack or hors d'oeuvre with crackers and cream cheese and can be used as a glaze for meat or vegetables. At the least, I found it to be very tasty. I left the peppers in it and they are finely chopped (used a for processer). More life a jam I guess (I usually call it jam if it has pieces of fruit in it and jelly if it's strained). Also, this recipe is not very spicy even though I used jalapeños hot enough to make my ear burn for a half hour because I itches it after cutting and deseeding the peppers. If you want hotter jam, take out a portion of the sweet peppers and replace with equal amount of jalapeños or use a hotter pepper in place of the jalapeños.

Ingredients:
4 cups banana peppers, seeded and finely chopped (can substitute with any sweet pepper)
1 cup jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped (can substitute any hot pepper)
1 cup apple cider vinegar
5 cups sugar
1.75 oz pectin

Canning supplies
6 half pint jars
Canner (used a waterbath for this recipe)
Canning funnel, tongs and lid magnet wand

Bring the waterbath to a boil. Submerge washed jars in the waterbath to sterilize. Place lids in waterbath to sterilize also.

In a large pot on high heat combine all ingredients and bring to a boil stirring constantly. Once there's a rolling boil remove from heat. Skim off and discard any foam and jelly skin. Ladel into jars using canning funnel (keeps the outside and lid contact surface clean). Leave 1/2 inch head space. Apply lids using magnetic wand and follow up with rings. Process in waterbath for 10 minutes. Let cool and check lids for seal.

Note: If a few seeds make their way into the jam, don't freak out. It just proves its handmade.

I can practically live on sesame seed bagels, cream cheese and jalapeno jelly. Straight jalapeno. Save the banana peppers for sandwiches. Use the extra peaches for jalapeno peach jelly but even better is raspberry jalapeno. When my brother sold his house last year, we found some jars we had canned when his kids were little. Those kids are now out of college. Didn't kill me. We must of done something right.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Today my husband happily cut up cucumbers for dill pickles. (I usually kick him out of the kitchen.) I think I've only made pickles one time so many years ago, so I'm trying again. I used Mrs. Wages but also some dill seeds and sprigs from my plants. I made 9 pints, but I want to taste them before I commit to making any more. They sure do look pretty though...
Before:

After:

 

[WthrLady]

Found some stew meat in the freezer. So that's in the pressure canner with some veg as beef soup. I was out of potatoes, So not stew, not that it couldn't be thickened up after for eating into stew with veg. LOL.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Called Punt huh doing that here also

 

[BReeder!]

Today my husband happily cut up cucumbers for dill pickles. (I usually kick him out of the kitchen.) I think I've only made pickles one time so many years ago, so I'm trying again. I used Mrs. Wages but also some dill seeds and sprigs from my plants. I made 9 pints, but I want to taste them before I commit to making any more. They sure do look pretty though...
Before:
View attachment 2795805
After:
View attachment 2795807

They look awesome! I've made so many pickles this year, too many honestly. As we have started eating them I food is very important to not pack pickles in the jar too tightly. The jars that are packed looser have a better taste. I think there's something to the ratio of cucumbers and brine. A few less cucumber slices goes a long way to improving the flavor because it means there's a little more brine in the jar. A stronger brine and tightly packed jars could also work I imagine...