Canning Pumpkin

Nothing says October like pumpkins! Jack-o'-Lanterns, autumn decorations inside and out, pumpkin pie... Pumpkin stands start cropping up all over and corn mazes, fall festivals, and harvest celebrations abound. When October arrived this year I had to have a pumpkin... or four! I didn't grow any pumpkins this year and I didn't find a harvest... I just went to the grocery store and bought a few... Next year will be different, I'm gonna grow my own... I am! Really I am!

I brought my grocery store harvest home and started the process of canning pumpkin... here's what I did...

The hardest part of preparing pumpkin for canning is peeling and cutting up the fruit (or is pumpkin a vegetable?). I started by cutting each pumpkin in half and removing the seeds and "guts."

I used an ice cream scoop to scrape out all the innards (I read that tip somewhere and it works nicely).

Once I had the seeds and stringy insides scraped out, I cut the pumpkin halves into 3 or 4 pieces and placed them in a huge stockpot (or two... or three) and added water to almost fill the pot(s).

I covered the stockpot and brought the pumpkin and water to a boil, then simmered until the pumpkin flesh was soft.

After cooking for maybe 15 minutes, I drained the pumpkin, reserving the liquid, and allowed the pumpkin to cool until it could be handled without burning my fingers.

Once the pumpkin was cool enough to handle, I peeled it (much easier to peel after cooking!) and cut it into one inch chunks. (Don't puree or mash it, apparently the USDA or FDA or somebody has deemed pureed pumpkin unsafe to can, the denseness of the puree supposedly makes it difficult to heat thoroughly enough for the home canner to safely can it... personally I have my doubts about this, but I was a good girl and followed the safety "rules"... this time)

I returned the pumpkin chunks to the stockpot, added my reserved cooking liquid back in and heated the mixture through again (about 5 minutes of cooking time)

Meanwhile, I sterilized my pint canning jars by heating them in a flat pan of water set on two stove eyes. I simmered my lids in water and kept everything hot until I was ready for them.

Using a slotted spoon, I filled the hot pint jars with pumpkin chunks, leaving a half inch headspace.

I ladled in some of the cooking liquid to fill the jar...

I removed any air bubbles by inserting my plastic air bubble tool (a butter knife works just as well) between the inside of the jar and the pumpkin. I adjusted the half inch headspace by adding more liquid as needed.

I wiped the jar rim and tightened the lids and rings on to fingertip tightness.

Pumpkin, being a low acid food, must be pressure canned. I placed my filled jars into my pressure canner (follow the directions that come with your pressure canner). I processed my pint jars at 10 pounds of pressure for 55 minutes (quarts would be processed for 90 minutes).

After processing, I removed the canner from the heat and let the pressure drop to ZERO... then removed the jars from the canner and set them on a folded dish towel on the counter to cool and to listen for the PING of each successfully sealed jar.

Visions of pumpkin pies, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin crunch, and my favorite pumpkin roll fill my mind! Can't wait to whip up all my autumn recipes with my home canned orange loveliness... Pumpkin!

Simple delicious pumpkin to use for a myriad of recipes!

Canning Bell Pepper Relish

Using the bell peppers I had left from the end of the harvest... red and green (you could use all the colors, red, yellow, green, orange, black) I made up a batch of Pepper Relish. DH loves this stuff in scrambled eggs. I like it on tortilla chips like you would eat salsa. It's also good as a sauce over pork and chicken or mixed with cream cheese for a dip. Good stuff!

Here's what I did...

I finely chopped 24 peppers (some people grind them up, I like the chunkiness of chopping them)

I put the chopped peppers in a large stainless steel saucepan and added 7 finely chopped onions,

2 Tbsp. pickling salt

3 cups apple cider vinegar (white vinegar would work too, I just love the flavor apple cider vinegar adds)

3 cups granulated sugar

And 2 Tbsp. mustard seeds

I mixed all the ingredients thoroughly, brought it to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduced the heat and boiled gently for about 30 minutes.

While the relish was simmering, I prepared my pint canning jars by placing them in a flat pan of boiling water set on two stove eyes. I simmered my lids in hot water, keeping everything hot until I was ready to use them.

Then I ladled the mixture into the hot sterilized jars, tightened the lids and rings on to fingertip tightness and processed the jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes (place jars in the canner ensuring they are completely covered with water, bring water to a boil, the boil for 10 minutes)

After processing, I removed the jars from the canner using my jar lifter, and set them on a folded dish towel on the counter to cool... and of course, to listen for the PING of each successfully sealed jar! Yummy!

Canning Hot Pepper Bread and Butter Pickles

After a few other canning projects I had a few jalapeno peppers left, a few hot banana peppers, and some red chili peppers... what to do with these? I could have just dehydrated them, or frozen them, or eaten them, but I wanted to can them. So I came up with this...

I call it Hot Pepper Bread and Butter Pickles and here's what I did...

I sliced up my jalapenos and my hot banana peppers in rings, removing the seeds and inner ribs. I had about a pound total.

*I highly recommend wearing protective gloves when handling any hot peppers (ask me how I know this!) If you don't have gloves, you can protect your hands with plastic baggies. If you MUST handle the cut peppers with your bare hands, rub a bit of vegetable oil over your hands first. The oil will provide your pores with some protection. Wash your hands thoroughly with warm soapy water after handling peppers... and DO NOT touch your eyes for several hours!

I thinly sliced about a half pound of onions.

In a large saucepan, I mixed together...

1/8 cup pickling salt

1-3/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1-1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 Tbsp. pickling spice

I brought this mixture to a boil, dissolving the sugar and salt, then added my peppers and onions. I brought the mixture back to a boil. As soon as everything was cooked through (watch the peppers, their color will change from bright green to a more dull green)...

...I started packing my jars (I had heated and sterilized the jars by placing them upside down in a large pan of boiling water, I simmered my lids and kept everything hot until I was ready for them)

I used a slotted spoon to add the pepper/onion mixture to the jars, leaving about an inch of headspace, then added the hot syrup mixture to cover the peppers.

I removed any air bubbles then added more syrup as needed. At this point I inserted a couple of whole red chilis per jar for color and an added layer of flavor.

I wiped the jar rims, tightened the lids on to fingertip tightness, and processed the jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes (place filled jars into the canner ensuring they are covered with water, bring the water to a boil and boil for 10 minutes).

I removed the jars after processing using my jar lifter and placed them on a folded dish towel on the counter to cool and to listen for the PING of each successfully sealed jar.

This recipe only made 2 or 3 pints of pickles... it could easily be doubled, tripled, or more.

Making and Canning Pectin from Apples

After making all the applesauce, apple butter, and canned apples from my plethora of apples, I decided to make pectin from all those peelings I had left over (it can be made from quartered whole apples, underripe apples, crabapples, or apple peelings, the greener the apple, the more pectin you can get). Apple pectin can be used in place of the store bought pectin when making jams and jellies... or alone to glaze fruit to add a shine. I like the idea of making my own... I know what's in it and I have it on hand whenever I need it... no running to the store at the last minute because I forgot the Sure-Jel!

Here's what I did...

I placed all those peelings (I had about 10-12 pounds) in a large stockpot. The recipe I found said to use 2 pounds of apples to 2 cups of water... I filled the pot with water to just cover the peelings and heated it all on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until everything was fully cooked (mushy!)

I put a couple layers of cheesecloth in my big colander and strained the mixture.

Since I had so many peelings, I strained my mixture into a food grade bucket (use a bowl, saucepan, stockpot, or whatever you have that will hold the liquid). I covered it up and let it drip all the liquid out overnight (Tip: Don't press the mixture, just let it drip, or the pectin will be cloudy)

I poured the strained liquid into a large saucepan and heated it up. Once it was heated, I tested it for "pectin strength."

I added a few drops of the liquid (cooled) to a small amount of rubbing alcohol to test the strength.

First time, the apple liquid just mixed right in with the alcohol...

So I cooked it down, boiling gently, and testing it about every half hour (I dipped a small amount out and put it in the fridge to cool then tested it)

The pectin should coagulate into a jelly-like mass when added to the alcohol... if it can be picked up with a fork it's concentrated enough, if not, it's too weak and you continue boiling it down to increase the concentration.

Yes, I know what it LOOKS like, but it's what I was going for!

Finally, after 3 or 4 "tests" I got coagulation!!!! Success!

I poured my pectin into hot, half-pint canning jars and tightened hot lids and rings on, then processed them in a boiling water bath for ten minutes (put jars in canner ensuring they are covered with water, bring to a boil and process), then removed them with my jar lifter and set them on a folded dish towel on the counter to cool, and to listen for the PING of each successfully sealed jar.

To use in jelly making... 

• Use 4-6 Tablespoons of homemade pectin for every ONE cup of prepared juice. 
• Use equal amounts of juice+pectin and sugar to make jelly.
• Place juice+pectin and sugar in a large saucepan and place over medium-high heat.
• Stir constantly to keep it from burning to the bottom of the pan
• After jelly comes to a full, rolling boil, let it do so for about a minute.
• To test, dip a large spoon into jelly mixture then hold it over the pan sideways.
• If the jelly falls off the spoon in a sheet rather than a drop, it is ready.

*Note: Adding homemade pectin to fruits which are low in pectin will not affect the flavor of the original fruit and will help bring the fruit mixture to a "soft-set" without excessive cooking.

Canning Granny©2011 All Rights Reserved

Canning Apples in Cinnamon Syrup - A Welcome Announcement at Any Occasion

What's the perfect smell and flavor combinations of fall? For me it's apples and cinnamon... simple and simply WONDERFUL! Apples in Syrup... with cinnamon added... the ultimate flavor combo for making into cobblers or pies... or just baking and eating.

Here's what I did...

I peeled 10-12 pounds of apples, cored them, and sliced them into eighths, treating them with Fruit Fresh as I went along to prevent them from browning.

I prepared a batch of hot syrup by combining 4 cups of sugar

With 4 cups of water

And one tablespoon of cinnamon

In my big stainless steel stockpot, I combined the apples with the cinnamon syrup (I used a syrup using a 1:1 ratio, if you like your syrup lighter, use 1/2 cup sugar to 5 cups water for ultra light syrup, 1-1/4 cups sugar to 5-1/2 cups water for extra light, 2-1/4 cups sugar to 5-1/4 cups water for light, or 3-1/4 cups sugar to 5 cups water for medium syrup).

I brought my apples and syrup to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduced the heat to medium-low and boiled them gently for about 5 minutes, until heated through.

Meanwhile, I prepared my pint canning jars by placing them in a flat pan of boiling water set on two stove eyes and kept them hot until I was ready for them.

I simmered my lids in hot water and kept them hot until I was ready for them.

When my apples and syrup were heated through, I packed my hot apples into the hot jars to within a generous half inch of the top of the jar. Then I ladled hot syrup into the jars to cover the apples. I removed air bubbles and adjusted the headspace when needed by adding more hot syrup.

I wiped the rims, then tightened the lids and rings on to fingertip tightness. I placed the filled jars into my canner, ensuring they were completely covered with water. I brought the water to a boil and processed the jars for 20 minutes. After processing, I removed the jars from the canner using my jar lifter and set them on a folded dish towel on the counter to cool, and to listen for the PING of each successfully sealed jar.

Apples in Cinnamon Syrup! Yum!

If you receive graduation announcements or invitations to graduation parties, using the apples you have been canned in cinnamon syrup to make delicious apple crisp or another dessert such as apple pie would be an excellent dish to bring. At graduation parties and other family functions some of the best memories come from sharing home cooked meals and desserts with your loved ones. Hearing the graduation announcements of your loved ones is always great news, so why not make it that much more special by preparing a dish such as this.

More information: http://www.mixbook.com/cards/graduation-announcements

Canning Applesauce

My great Grandma Allison is the lady in the center holding my second cousin Melanie.
My Nanny Sensing (left) is holding me and the lovely lady on the right is my great aunt Macie holding my
second cousin Sonja.

One of my favorite "applesauce" memories is the fried pies my great grandmother, Grandma Allison (Minnie Belle Johnson Allison) made... she would spice up some applesauce with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves... mix up some pie crust dough and fry them in a cast iron skillet...Oh my... melt in your mouth goodness! Every family gathering, Grandma was requested (or perhaps demanded!) to bring her fried pies. I was fortunate to know my sweet little great grandma (she lived a long life and I was in my early 20s when she passed away). Grandma was a strong, amazing woman. I never knew Papa, my great grandfather, he passed away before my Mama was born and Grandma never remarried, living alone for many many years in the little cabin where she and Papa had raised their children. For a lot of years, she cut her own firewood, raised chickens, cooked on a wood cookstove, and worked her garden... once she finally slowed down a bit (probably in her 80s), the family tore down her little cabin and bought her a new mobile home where she contentedly spent the rest of her life. I loved that tiny, tough little woman dearly. Grandma came to stay with my brother, Jeff, and me when Mama was in the hospital having our little brother, Kevin. Our little blue tricycle got to missing and Grandma, holding my four-year-old hand and carrying two-year-old Jeff, scoured the neighborhood until she found our trike (Daddy had written our names on the metal seat, so we knew it was ours). She firmly requested the little bully to remove himself from our property (his older brother, hearing the firmness in her voice told him he'd better get off!), she retrieved our blue tricycle, and all was right in our toddler world again. She always wore her silver hair in a bun on the back of her head... one time when I was maybe 8 or 9 years old, Grandma spent the night with us and had to sleep in my room with me. It was the first time I had ever seen her hair down, when she took the long hair down and brushed it out getting ready for bed... I remember being mesmerized with her beautiful, thick, long, silver hair.

I thought about Grandma Allison as I made applesauce recently, wishing I had paid better attention when watching her make those famous fried pies so I could reproduce them... I guess they'll have to remain a beloved memory.

Here's what I did...

I peeled and sliced 12 pounds of apples. LOVE my apple peeler/corer/slicer... it made short work of all those apples! 

I sprinkled Fruit Fresh on the apples as I went along to prevent browning.

In a large stainless steel saucepan, I combined the apples with just enough water to prevent sticking. I brought them to a boil over medium-high heat. I reduced the heat and boiled gently, stirring occasionally until the apples were tender (this took about 20-30 minutes). I removed the apples from the heat...

...and, working in batches, transferred the apples to a food mill, pureeing until smooth (you could use a food processor for this step) I milled all of my apples because I was going for a smooth sauce... if you like your applesauce chunky, coarsely crush some of the apples, and puree the rest.

I returned the pureed apples to a saucepan and added 3 cups of sugar.

... and 4 Tablespoons of lemon juice.

I brought the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to prevent sticking.

I sterilized my pint canning jars in a flat pan of water set on two stove eyes.

I heated my lids and kept them hot until I was ready to use them.

I ladled the hot applesauce into the hot jars, leaving a half inch headspace.

I removed any air bubbles and adjusted the headspace, when necessary by adding more applesauce.

I wiped the jar rims...

...and, using my magnetic lid wand, removed them from the hot water and screwed the lids on to fingertip tightness.

I placed the jars in the canner, making sure they were completely covered with water, brought the water to a boil and processed the pint jars in the boiling water bath for 20 minutes.

I removed the jars from the canner after processing and set them on a folded dish towel on the counter to cool and to listen for the PING of each successfully sealed jar.

Finished applesauce!

I may not be able to reproduce Grandma Allison's fried apple pies... but with some of the sliced apples, I sure was able to make a mean apple crisp (yummy with vanilla bean ice cream!)