Is canning your own food worth it?
Zesty Peach Chutney
Ingredients
2 lbs Peaches, peeled, pitted, and chopped (Frozen peaches will work, too)
1 lb Onions, chopped
3/4 Cups red wine vinegar
1/2 Cup Apple cider or juice
1/2 Cup Chopped, pitted dates
1/2 Cup Raisins
1 Habanero pepper, seeded and minced
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Ground ginger
1/4 tsp Ground cloves
1 Tbsp Mustard seeds
Grated peel and juice of 1 lemon
1 1/2 Cups Packed dark brown sugar
Directions
In a large saucepan, combine peaches with remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer until peaches and onions are tender, stirring occasionally for about one hour. Stir more often as mixture begins to thicken to prevent scorching. Ladle into sterilized jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Secure lids and rings. Process for 15 minutes in a hot water bath. Great with pork or chicken!
Herbed Butter
Ingredients
1 Cup Unsalted butter, softened
3/4 tsp Salt
1 clove Garlic, pressed (optional)
6 Tbsp Finely minced fresh herbs
Directions
Mix together all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Roll into a cylinder on waxed paper or plastic wrap or spread in butter molds. Refrigerate until serving time.
Berry Infused Vinegar
Servings: 1 Cup
Ingredients
1 Pint Fresh berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, or strawberries)
2 Cups Distilled white vinegar
Directions
Combine the berries and the vinegar in a nonreactive container. Crush the berries to release juices. (You can also puree the mixture in a blender or a food processor.) Cover, and let the mixture rest for 5-7 days in the refrigerator. Strain the mixture through a double thickness of cheesecloth, gently pressing on the solids to extract as much of the juice and vinegar as possible. Discard the solids. Bottle the vinegar and tightly cap. The vinegar will keep about 6-8 months. I store mine in the refrigerator so it will be ready for salad dressings!
Hot Pickled Okra
Ingredients
3 1/2 lbs Small okra pods, washed and patted dry
3 1/2 Cups Water
2 1/2 Cups Vinegar (5% acidity)
1/2 Cup Canning (pickling) salt
1/2 Cup Sugar
12 Sprigs Fresh dill
4 tsp Dried dill seed
4 tsp Mustard seeds
2 tsp Celery seed
1 tsp Crushed red pepper
4 Cloves Garlic (or more!!), peeled and halved
4 Small Hot red peppers, halved lengthwise
Directions
Trim stems of okra pods. In a medium saucepan, combine the water, vinegar, salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes. In the meantime, evenly divide the okra pods, fresh dill, dill seed, mustard seeds, celery seed, crushed red pepper, garlic, and hot peppers among the sterilized jars, packing okra pods in tightly.(I find it best to begin placing the okra pods in stem first, then poke the "pointy" ends down between them. This will allow you to get more into each jar.). Fill each jar with hot brine, leaving ½ inch headspace. Wipe rims well, place lids on, then screw down bands. Place jars in rack and lower into boiling water. When water returns to a boil, place the lid on the pot, and process for 15 minutes. Remove carefully with jar lifters. Let cool, and check to be sure each jar is sealed.
Zucchini and Summer Squash Relish
Ingredients
1 lb Zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 lb Yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 lbs Onions, diced
1 1/4 Cups Kosher salt
Cold water
3 Cups Distilled white vinegar (5% acidity)
1 Cup Sugar
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 tbsp Finely minced fresh rosemary
1 tsp Crushed red pepper
Directions
Toss the zucchini, yellow squash and onions with the salt in a large nonreactive container. Cover with cold water and let rest for 2 hours. Drain; rinse, twice and drain thoroughly. In a medium saucepan bring the vinegar, sugar, garlic, rosemary and pepper to a boil. Simmer until the sugar dissolves. Add the drained vegetables and boil 5 minutes. Divide among the sterilized jars, leaving about 1/2 inch headspace. Process for 15 minutes in a hot water bath. Remove jars, let cool, and store for up to one year.
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