Recipes for Canning and Pickling

Recipes for Canning, Pickling and Preserves

Christmas Chutney

Recipe from "Sandra's Taste of Britain" in Union Jack Newspaper, November 2011.

About 6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced
2 cups malt vinegar
¾ cup fresh dates
¾ cup sultanas (or Golden Raisins)
1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup dried cranberries
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped finely
2 Tbsp. preserved ginger, chopped finely
1½ tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. crushed cardamom seeds
2 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
8 cloves
2 oranges, grated zest and juice

Put apples into a large panwith half the vinegar. Bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer, cooking until soft. Add remaining ingredients, bring to the boil and simmer 30-45 minutes, until thickened.

Corn Cob Jelly

Recipe from Suzanne McMinn, Chickens in the Road.com

Notes from Suzanne:It’s still corn time, so I’ve been going through two to three dozen ears of corn a week putting up corn for the winter. I hadn’t thought about corn cob jelly! I got a hankering to try it right away.

Corn cob jelly is an old-fashioned idea and you can find recipes by the handfuls all over the internet. Even when printed at reputable websites, most of these recipes have not been updated to today’s food safety standards. Yes, we know our grandmas and great-grandmas ladled jelly into the jars and simply turned them upside down to seal them. Please don’t do that. We understand much more about food safety today. Preserving food in jars by either boiling water bath or steam pressure canning are the only two proven and recommended methods to destroy yeast, molds, bacteria, and enzymes and keep foods safe.

You can use any kind of corn in this recipe. Traditionally, (red) field corn was often used. The corn you plan to serve for supper will also make a delicious jelly, so use whatever you have on hand. Many recipes I saw recommend the addition of food coloring, either red or yellow, one to two drops. I have no idea why as the jelly turns out beautifully without it and it’s an unnecessary additive. I didn’t use food coloring–the lovely, clear, light amber of the jelly in my photos is the natural color.

After examining numerous corn cob jelly recipes, I created my own. This recipe sets up really well and tastes wonderful.

12 large ears of corn
2 quarts water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 package powdered pectin
sugar

Cook corn; cut kernels from cobs and store for another use. Measure 2 quarts water into a large pot; add corn cobs.
Bring to a boil; boil hard for 30 minutes. (If you had the pot covered when you brought it to a boil, take the lid off now. Boil it down uncovered for a more concentrated result.) Turn off heat and remove cobs. Strain corn liquid through cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer–if desired. (I prefer to leave the corn bits in there! I didn’t strain it. Up to you!)
Measure remaining corn liquid. I get a little over 3 1/2 cups corn liquid after it boils down. Return liquid to the large pot. Stir in lemon juice and pectin. (Add a dab of butter to prevent foaming.) Bring to a boil. Add sugar cup per cup to match the measure of your corn liquid. Stir to dissolve sugar. Bring pot to a rolling boil. Boil hard one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Ladle hot corn cob jelly into hot jars. Adjust lids and bands. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Makes 5 half-pints.

Notes from Suzanne: What I read about this jelly, over and over, was that it tastes like honey. Well, here’s the crazy thing – IT DOES! It tastes just like honey. Odd. But delicious. I’m planning to make another batch soon, maybe a couple more batches. Think what a unique holiday gift it would be! Make lots!

Cranberry, Pineapple and Date Chutney

Recipe from "Sandra's Taste of Britain" in Union Jack Newspaper, Nov. 2011

2-½ lbs. Ganny Smith apples
1 medium pineapple, peeled and cored
1 cup onions
1 cup shallots
1-¼ cup cranberries (dried is fine)
2 cups stoned (Pitted) dates
1 cup raisins
1 Tablespoon grated ginger
1 tsp. chili flakes
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
1 Tablespoon ground coriander
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1½ cups raspberry and red wine vinegar mixed
3 cups light brown sugar

Peel, core and chop apples; peel and chop onions and shallots; peel, core and cut pineapple in chunks. Mix together the apples, pineapple, onions, cranberies, dates, raisins, garlic and giner, and chop lightly in a food processor. (You need to leave some chunks - so not too smoothly). Then put all in a large pan, add the spices, vinegar nd salt and bring to the boil. Simmer 20 minutes. Stir in the sugar and simmer 45-60 minutes, until thickened, stirring frequently.

Jalapeño Jelly

6-8 Green or Red Jalapeños
1 cup apple juice
4-½ cups sugar
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 Pouch Certo

Singe peppers on hot plate until skin is blackened. Place peppers in damp paper towel; then place in a plastic bag and let "steam" and set for about 20 minutes. Remove peppers from bag and peel off skin. Remove stems and seeds and place in a blender, with apple juice and apple cider. Pulse to chop peppers; do not puree. Add drop of food coloring (green for green peppers; and red for red peppers!)
Measure exact amount of sugar in a separate bowl. Pour mixture from blender into a heavy saucepan and add sugar. Stir well and bring to a full boil and boil hard for 2 minutes - stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in Certo.
Allow to cool slightly. Ladle into hot sterilized jars, filling to within 1/8-inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Screw lids on tightly. At this point you can process the jars in canner. Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches; add boiling water if needed. Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process jelly for 5 minutes.
Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middle of lid with finger. (If lid springs back, lid is not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.
Let stand at room temperature 24 hours. Store unopened jars in cool, dry place up to 1 year. Refrigerate opened jams and jellies up to 3 weeks.

To serve, place block of cream cheese on plate; pour jelly over cheese. Serve with Ritz crackers, Wheat Thins, or cracker of choice; also good with little rounds of French or Sourdough bread, sliced thin! At Christmas, it's nice to mix red and green jelly and pour side by side over cream cheese; representing Christmas colors; or for a Mexican dinner party - the colors of the Mexican flag - White, Red and Green!

Mandarin Orange Prosecco Preserves

Recipe from Salted and Styled.com

4 Mandarin oranges, very thinly sliced into rounds
¼ cup freshly squeezed Mandarin orange juice (from approximately 1-2 oranges)
½ cup Prosecco
Granulated sugar

Sterilize a one pint canning jar, lid and band and set aside.
In a large non-reactive pot over high heat, add the orange slices and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and allow mixture to simmer for 10 minutes. Drain water and repeat the process.
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, add cooled slices and pulse just a few times. I like my marmalade chunky, but you can continue to pulse if you like yours a bit finer.
Using a kitchen scale, weigh the orange pieces. In a large non-reactive pot, add the orange pieces and the same weight of sugar as the slices weighed. Stir in orange juice and prosecco. Bring mixture to a boil and continue boiling until marmalade reaches the gel point of 220º F (approximately 10 to 15 minutes).
Remove from heat and skim off any foam. Ladle into prepared sterilized jar. Let cool 10 minutes and then refrigerate for immediate use. Process in a water bath for longer storage. Mandarin Orange Prosecco Marmalade will keep refrigerated for 2 months.

Cook’s Note: If you don’t have a thermometer, you can test to see if the marmalade has set by placing a plate in the freezer when you start cutting the clementines. A few minutes into the final boiling with sugar, remove the plate from the freezer and put a small dot of marmalade onto the cold plate. Run your finger through the marmalade. If the mixture leaves a clean path where you ran your finger through and doesn’t come back together, your marmalade is done. If it does run back together, keep cooking and re-test again until it is set.

Yields: 1 pint Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Inactive Time: 20 minutes Difficulty: You need to have a little skill

Recipe courtesy of Libbie Summers and adapted from her cookbook, "The Whole Hog Cookbook (Rizzoli 2011)

Mango Chutney

Recipe Courtesy of Ingrid Huffman, Cooking Channel TV

¾ cup white vinegar
¼ cup spiced rum
½ cup golden raisins
½ cup dark brown sugar
1 red onion, chopped
½ yellow bell pepper, seeded, ribbed, and chopped
1 (2-inch) piece ginger, peeled and grated
1 garlic clove, grated
1 teaspoon ground allspice
2 large mangoes, peeled, seeded and cubed
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, halved, cored, and cubed

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the vinegar, rum, raisins, brown sugar, red onion, bell pepper, ginger, garlic, and allspice. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the onions and peppers are soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the mangoes and the apple and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the fruit begins to break down and the mixture is thick and jammy, about 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Marmalade

Bitter oranges are usually known as Seville Oranges, although nowadays they come from Malaga and Sicily as well - but they are grown almost exclusively for the British marmalade market. Seville oranges have a very short season, arriving in the shops just after Christmas and are at their cheapest and most plentiful at the end of January. Their extra aromatic peel and wonderfully strong flavour makes them ideal for savoury sauces as well as orange ices, fools and custards. They also freeze very well, so you can use them throughout the year.

To make marmalade, cook the oranges whole. If they are frozen, cook from frozen to preserve the natural colour. Put 1.5kg/3lb Seville oranges in a large preserving pan with 3.5litres/6pints of water and bring to the boil Turn down the heat and simmer for 1½-2 hours until the skin is very tender and the water has reduced. Lift out the oranges and leave to cool.

Halve, remove the pips and tie them in a muslin bag with a long string which you can tie to the pan handle (the pips).

Cut the oranges into strips or whizz in a bender or processor until chunky. Return the fruit to the pan of water with the bag of pips and add 2.75kg/6lb of preserving or granulated sugar that has been warmed in the oven. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then bring to the boil. Boil rapidly for about 10 minutes; then test setting point by pouring a teaspoon of the marmalade on to a chilled saucer. It should wrinkle when pushed with a finger -- if not, boil for a few more minutes and test again.

Turn off the heat and leave to settle for 10 minutes. Remove the bag of pips and put in sterilised jars. Seal and label.

Monkey Butter

Recipe courtesy of Kris Watson, American Preppers Network

5 medium-size perfectly ripe bananas (no brown spots)
20 oz. can of crushed pineapple, not drained.
¼ cup coconut (I prefer ground coconut)
3 cups of white sugar
3 Tbsp lemon juice (use bottled for uniform acidity)

Peel and slice bananas, then add all ingredients to a heavy saucepan.
Bring to a boil, stirring often, and then reduce to a simmer. Cook until thick. As the mixture thickens, stir constantly until desired thickness is achieved.
When thick, spoon mixture immediately into hot sterilized jars, apply heated lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.
Other fruits can be added, particularly topical fruits such as mango. Also, it is common for the butter to take on a light pink hue when processed. If you do not process, just store it in the fridge which I (Kris) started to do once it became clear that this ambrosia doesn’t hang around long enough to require canning!

Peach Chutney

Recipe Courtesy of Bal Arneson, Cooking Channel TV

1 (14-ounce) can of peaches, drained and 2 tablespoons syrup reserved
1 green chile, minced
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1-½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon mango powder*
Pinch salt
2 tablespoons peach syrup

* Can be found at specialty Asian and Indian markets

Put the peaches, chile, red onion, chives, cumin, mango powder, salt, and peach syrup into a blender and mix until the peaches are finely chopped. The chutney will keep in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.Yield: approx. 1 cup

Pickled Feta

Recipe Courtesy of Anne Burrell, Food Network TV. "Secrets of a Restaurant Chef" (Secrets to Lamb Burgers)

1 cup champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
½ tablespoon kosher salt
2 mint tea bags
1 bay leaf
3 fresh mint stems (leaves reserved for something else), optional
3 fresh dill stems, same deal as the mint stems
3 fresh oregano stems, same deal as the mint stems
8 ounces feta, coarsely crumbled
½ cup plain Greek yogurt

Place the vinegar, sugar, salt, tea bags, bay leaf and herb stems, if using, in a small saucepan along with 1 cup water. Heat until the sugar and salt has dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Place the feta in a small container. Add the vinegar mixture and be sure that the feta is submerged in the liquid. Let sit for a couple of hours outside the refrigerator if using right away, or in the refrigerator if using in the future.

Strain the feta from the pickling liquid and discard the tea bags, bay leaf and stems. To make sauce for Lamb Burgers, place the feta in a food processor and add the yogurt. Pulse until combined.

Pickled Grilled Eggplant

Recipe Courtesy of Michael Chiarello, 2007

2 eggplants
2 tablespoons kosher salt
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons chili paste
1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley leaves
1 teaspoon freshly chopped mint leaves
Gray salt and freshly ground black pepper

Remove the stem end from the eggplants. Cut each eggplant in half lengthwise, and slice into half-inch thick moon slices. In a large mixing bowl, toss the eggplant with the kosher salt and let stand for about 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse and dry the eggplant well, and toss with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and a pinch of pepper. Heat a grill pan over high heat. When the grill pan is hot, cook the eggplant slices until nicely marked on both sides.

Meanwhile in a small mixing bowl whisk the sugar, and garlic into the vinegar, whisk in the chili paste and remaining olive oil. Add the herbs and check for seasoning with salt and pepper.

When the eggplant is marked nicely on both sides remove it from the pan and add it immediately to the marinade (a shallow baking dish works nicely to ensure that all of the eggplant is coated in marinade). Let the eggplant cool to room temperature and serve, or refrigerate in a sealed container.

Pickled Jalapeno Peppers

Stella Romo's famous "Chiles Encurtidos"

Use red or green jalapeños!

Jalapeño chiles (sliced in rounds or strips, called "rajas")
whole oregano
olive oil & salt
Pickling Spice/Bay Leaves
Onions (sliced in chunks)
whole garlic cloves
Pickling Vinegar (white)

Can add sliced carrots and cauliflower florets.

Place chiles, onions, garlic and carrots, if using, in oil in a large bowl, and coat thoroughly. Fill jars with chiles and other vegetables. Jars should be thoroughly washed and sterilized; and in which you have placed one teaspoon of salt and one teaspoon of oregano for each pint. Add pickling spice to each jar; one bay leaf and one teaspoon of oil from the bowl. Fill with mixture of ½ warm water and ½ white vinegar.

Last couple of times I made these, I didn't saute peppers (cut in slices), just stirred vegetables in warmed oil in glass bowl; and added just a touch of water to jars and filled with vinegar!

Pickled Onions

Recipe given to me by Margaret Thomas from Wales many years ago....

Use 6 to 8 lbs. of firm shallots or boiling onions
Top & tail and remove outside skin
Place in a glass bowl and sprinkle with ½ lb. salt; shaking bowl to cover all onions.
Place cloth over bowl to cover and leave overnight.

Next day, wipe off onions and place in clean jars, and fill jars to rim. Add 1 tsp. (coffee spoon) of brown or white sugar to each jar. Fill with cooled, spiced vinegar.

Spiced Vinegar: Add 1 oz. pickling spice to 1 quart malt vinegar and bring to a boil. Leave to simmer about 10 minutes. Cool and strain.

Fill jars to brim. Place cling film over jars and cover tightly.

To jars, can add: bay leaf, peppercorns. Ready in about a week.

Pickled Red Onions

Recipe courtesy Michael Symon

2 pounds red onions, sliced
White wine vinegar
Sugar
Kosher salt
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
4 garlic cloves
2 bay leaves

Pack the onions into 2 (1-quart) jars and add enough water to come within 1/2-inch of the rim. Pour the water out into a measuring cup. Note the volume, pour off half of the water and replace it with vinegar. Add 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 tablespoons of salt for every 3 cups of liquid. Pour the vinegar mixture into a nonreactive saucepan, add the mustard seeds, red pepper flakes, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, garlic, and bay leaves, and bring to a boil over high heat. Allow the liquid to boil for 2 minutes, and then remove it from the heat. Pour the hot liquid into the jars to cover the onions and screw on the lids. Refrigerate for up to 1 month.

Pickled Red Onions

Recipe Courtesy of Bobby Flay, Cooking Channel TV

3/4 cup fresh lime juice
3/4 cup distilled white vinegar
3 tablespoons super fine sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 serrano chile, slit down center
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh oregano leaves
1 large red onion, peeled, halved, cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices

Combine lime juice, vinegar, sugar, salt and chile in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook the mixture until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.

Put the onion slices in a small bowl. Pour the warm vinegar mixture over and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 48 hours, stirring the mixture a few times.

Pickled Red Onions

Recipe Courtesy of Kelsey Nixon, Kelsey's Essentials, Cooking Channel TV

1/3 cup lime juice
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced (about 3/4 cup)
1 jalapeno, seeded and cut into rings

In a small saucepan, over medium-high heat, bring the lime juice, sugar, vinegar and jalapeno to a simmer, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. In a separate bowl, add the sliced onions and pour the vinegar mixture over the onions. Cover with plastic wrap and let cool for about 20 minutes. Discard liquid before using.

Quick Pickles:

Recipe courtesy of Jeff Mauro - Sandwich King - Food Network TV

2 cups champagne vinegar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, lightly smashed
1 bay leaf
1 English cucumber, cut into 1/8-inch slices
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

Add the vinegar, 1/2 cup water, sugar, mustard seeds, salt, garlic and bay leaf to a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Once the sugar has dissolved in the simmering liquid, add the cucumbers and dill to a heat-proof container and pour over the pickling liquid. Let sit for at least 10 minutes.

Jeff used these pickles in his Griddle Burgers with 18,000 Island Dressing and Quick Pickles recipe. For the burgers: Chop 2 tablespoons of these pickles for the dressing, and reserve the rest for serving.

Raspberry Vinegar and Raspberry Vinaigrette

Toni's recipe from England....

Makes 1 pint - 5 kcals per tablespoon

175g Fresh Raspberries (6 oz), thoroughly washed
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Sugar*
600 ml. (1 pint) White Wine Vinegar

Method:

Pick over the raspberries and discard any fruit that look rotten. Rinse and dry on kitchen towels.
Place the vanilla sugar into the vinegar bottle with 3 tablespoons of wine vinegar and swirl around.
Carefully add the raspberries. Top up with the remaining vinegar and seal the bottle. Gently turn upside down several times to distribute the sugar; then store in a dark, cool place for at least one week before using.

*Vanilla Sugar: Place whole vanilla bean in a small jar of sugar and store in pantryRaspberry Vinaigrette

Mix:

1/2 tsp. honey, dijon mustard; or 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/3 cup raspberry vinegar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup walnut oil; or 1/2 cup canola oil and 1/2 cup olive oil

Add some dried tarragon and shake well.

Red Pepper Jelly

Recipe Courtesy of Kelsey Nixon, Cooking Channel TV

5 cherry bomb peppers or Fresno chiles, stemmed and chopped with stems removed
2 large red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded and chopped
3 cups sugar
2 cups apple cider vinegar
Half a 9-ounce packet powdered pectin, such as Sure Gel

Place the peppers in a food processor and process until completely broken down. Transfer to a cheesecloth or clean towel and squeeze tightly to remove any excess liquid.
Add the sugar, vinegar and peppers to a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a rolling boil, 4 to 6 minutes. Attach a deep-fry thermometer, whisk in the pectin and watch the mixture carefully, stirring occasionally, to prevent from boiling over. When the temperature reaches 221° F, 12 to15 minutes, remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
Pour the mixture into six 1/2-pint properly sterilized jars. Seal according to proper USDA canning procedures.
Jars should then be inverted to prevent the peppers from settling at the bottom. Cool completely before storing in the refrigerator. The jelly will continue to thicken as it cools.
Properly-handled sterilized equipment will keep canned foods in good condition for years. Sterilizing jars is the first step of preserving foods.

Tips:

Jars should be made from glass and free of any chips or cracks. Preserving or canning jars are topped with a glass, plastic, or metal lid, which has a rubber seal. Two piece lids are best for canning, as they vacuum seal when processed.
To sterilize jars, before filling with jams, pickles, or preserves, wash jars and lids with hot, soapy water. Rinse well and arrange jars and lids open sides up, without touching, on a tray. Boil the jars and lids in a large saucepan, covered with water, for 15 minutes.
Use tongs when handling the hot sterilized jars, to move them from boiling water. Be sure the tongs are sterilized too, by dipping the ends in boiling water for a few minutes.
As a rule, hot preserves go into hot jars and cold preserves go into cold jars. All items used in the process of making jams, jellies, and preserves must be clean. This includes any towels used, and especially your hands.
After the jars are sterilized, you can preserve the food. It is important to follow any canning and processing instructions included in the recipe and refer to USDA guidelines about the sterilization of canned products.

Spicy Pineapple Vinegar (Vinagre)

Recipe courtesy Daisy Martinez - Cooking Channel TV

2 ripe pineapples
½ large Spanish onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon smashed fresh oregano leaves
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
20 garlic cloves, crushed
6 habanero peppers or chile peppers of choice, stems removed, peppers coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon cider vinegar, or as needed
½ teaspoon salt, or as needed

Cut the tops off the pineapples and discard. With a large knife, cut the rind off the pineapples leaving as little pineapple attached as possible. Put the rinds in a pot large enough to hold them comfortably and pour in enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over low to medium heat and cook until the pineapple peel is very tender, about 30 minutes. Add water, if necessary, to keep the rinds submerged.
Meanwhile, put the onions, oregano, peppercorns, garlic, habanero or other chile pepper, vinegar, and salt in a large jar with a tight-fitting lid.
Strain the pineapple liquid into the jar. If there is not enough liquid to cover the ingredients, add more water to the pineapple and boil for 20 minutes. Taste and add a little more salt and/or a little vinegar, if you think it needs it. You can use it as soon as it cools, but it will get better as it sits.

Virginia's Applesauce

This recipe contributed by Virginia Field, Apple Valley, California

Peel & core apples (any variety) - about 6 lbs. makes 1 large pot. Place water in pot with cut-up apples. Use 1/4 part water for 1 part apples. Cook until consistency that you can mash easily. Use 1-1/2 cups sugar for a full pot. Add nutmeg and cinnamon (1 tsp. each). (Can use pumpkin pie spice.) Cook for 10 minutes longer.

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