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Preserving

By Shelly Garner

I love this time of year. It's not just the beauty of the changing leaves and the smell of apples in the air, but also the harvest and the joy I get out of preserving for the winter. This year has not been a great one for some of the garden, as there was not enough heat, but thankfully the Farmer's Market helped out with cucumbers and peppers. The rest of my garden was good and bountiful.

In this article I'd like to share some of my favorite recipes with you. The best recipe book I have found for easy recipes with easy to find ingredients is Jean Pare's - Company's Coming - Preserves. I would recommend purchasing this book as it has more wonderful recipes than you could possibly make in a lifetime. (See www.companyscoming.com for more information)

Golden Relish

I never used relish on anything until I started making my own. I have tried several recipes now but my favorite is Jean Pare's Golden Relish. I just made my second batch as it's very popular with everyone who has tasted mine and I like to share good things.

Vegetables

Onions 5 lbs 2.5 kg

Cucumbers with peel, seeds removed 5 lbs 2.5 kg

Celery hearts 2 2

Green peppers, seeds removed 3 3

Red peppers, seeds removed 3 3

Large cauliflower head 1 1

Coarse (pickling) salt ¾ cup 175 mL

Sauce

Granulated sugar 6 cups 1.5 L

All-purpose flour 2 cups 500 mL

Turmeric 1 tbsp. 15 mL

White vinegar 5 cups 1.25 L

Vegetables: Wash and cut vegetables into chunks. Put through food grinder.

Sprinkle salt over vegetables in large bowl. Add enough water just to cover. Cover and let stand overnight on counter. Next morning, drain very well. Press down on vegetables to squeeze out juice.

Sauce: Put all ingredients into large pot. Whisk over medium heat until it boils. Simmer and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Add vegetables. Stir over medium heat until boiling. Remove from heat. Pour into hot sterilized jars to within 1/4 inch (6 mm) of top. Seal. Makes 13 pints.

I have many times changed the amounts of ingredients, according to what I have had available and it has always turned out wonderful.

Super Dills

I love pickles and so do my children. Dills are our faves and I try to do some Dilled carrots as well. I also like a mild Beet Pickle. There are as many recipes out there as there are tastes, so try these and check out others if your taste differs from mine.

Brine

Water 12 cups 2.7 L

White vinegar 4 cups 900 mL

Granulated sugar 1 cup 250 mL

Coarse (pickling) salt 1 cup 250 mL

Mixed pickling spice,

tied in double layer of cheesecloth 2 tsp. 10 mL

Garlic clove, per quart 1 1

Heads of dill,

3 inch (7.5 cm) stems intact, per quart 2 2

Small cucumbers 8 lbs. 3.63 kg

Brine: Combine first 5 ingredients in large pot. Stir and bring to a boil. Boil 3 to 5 minutes.

Pack hot sterilized jars with garlic, dill and cucumbers to within 1 inch (2.5 cm) of top. Fill with boiling brine to within 1/4 inch (6 mm) of top. Seal. Let stand 4 to 5 weeks before serving. Makes 8 quarts.

I have made only 3 quarts at a time and kept the brine in the fridge to warm and use for the next crop of pickling cucumbers. It works just fine.

Dilled Carrots

Head of dill, per pint 1 1

Small garlic clove, per pint 1 1

Small whole carrots or larger ones cut in fingers to fill 1 pint

Coarse (pickling) salt, per pint 1 tbsp 15 mL

Boiling white vinegar, per pint ¼ cup 60 mL

Boiling water to fill jar

In bottom of hot sterilized pint jar, place head of dill and garlic.

Fill with carrot sticks to within 1 inch (2.5 cm) of top.

Measure salt over carrots. Add vinegar. Fill with water to within ¼ inch (6 mm) of top. Seal tightly. Let stand 6 weeks before using. Makes as many pints as you wish.

Pickled Beets

Beets with 1 inch (2.5 cm) tops intact 3 lbs 1.36 kg

Water to cover

Brine

White vinegar 2 cups 500 mL

Water 2 cups 500 mL

Granulated sugar 1 cup 250 mL

Table salt 1 tsp. 5 mL

Cook beets in water in large pot until tender. Cool in cooking water until you can put your hands in comfortably. Slide off beet skins. Leave tiny beets whole. Cut larger beets into chunks. Pack into hot sterilized jars to within 1 inch (2.5 cm) of top.

Brine: While cooking water is cooling, combine vinegar, water, sugar and salt in saucepan. Heat on medium and stir often until it reaches a boil. Pour over beets in jars to within ¼ inch (6 mm) of top. Seal. Makes 3 pints.

Jams and Jellies

So far this year I have been fortunate to find enough chokecherries to do two batches of jelly. I also have my own raspberry patch in the back yard so can make my own raspberry jam for the year every year. I simply follow the recipe from the Certo box for chokecherry jelly and freezer jam for the raspberries. My son and husband don't use jam on bread or toast but we all love it on pancakes and waffles.

"What do you call a person who has no zucchini in the fall?"

A person with no friends.

If you have friends and zucchini to use, there are many wonderful recipes; I'm including one for Zucchini-Peach jam. I'm also including one for Blueberry-Rhubarb Jam that is just yum.

Zucchini-Peach Jam

Peeled and grated zucchini 6 cups 1.35 L

(5 – 6 medium)

Granulated sugar 6 cups 1.35 L

Crushed pineapple with juice ¾ cup 175 mL

Lemon juice, fresh or bottled ½ cup 125 mL

Peach flavored gelatin (jelly powder) 2 x 3 oz. 2 x 85 g

Stir zucchini and sugar together in large pot. Heat, uncovered, on medium stirring a few times until it comes to a boil. Boil gently for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add pineapple with juice and lemon juice. Stir. Return to a boil. Boil, uncovered, for 6 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Stir in gelatin until it dissolves. Skim off foam. Pour into hot sterilized jars to within ¼ inch (6 mm) of top. Seal. Makes 8 half- pints.

Blueberry-Rhubarb Jam

Ground rhubarb, about 2 lbs. (900 g) 4 cups 900 mL

(cut rhubarb into short pieces before grinding)

Ground blueberries or saskatoon’s, about 2 lbs (900 g)

4 cups 900 mL

Granulated sugar 14 cups 3.15 L

Liquid pectin 6 oz. 170 mL

Combine rhubarb and blueberry pulp in large pot. Amounts of each needn't be exact as long as the total amount is 8 cups (1.8 L). Mix in sugar. Heat and stir on medium-high until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil. Boil 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add pectin. Return to a full rolling boil on high. Boil hard for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Skim off foam. Pour into hot sterilized jars to within ¼ inch (6 mm) of top. Seal. Makes 7½ pints.

These are my favorite recipes and have all been made more than once in my home. I love to preserve. It reminds me of watching my mother when I was a little girl, tasting everything for the first time. I love knowing that my own good ingredients go into every jar and there is nothing in there that I would worry about my children putting in their mouth. Preserve and enjoy.

Remember:

“May your stuffing be tasty

May your turkey be plump,

May your potatoes and gravy

have nary a lump.

May your yams be delicious

and your pies take the prize,

And may your Thanksgiving dinner

Stay off of your thighs.” - Unknown

“Tickle the earth with a hoe, it will laugh a harvest.” - Unknown

“An addiction to gardening is not all bad when you consider all the other choices in life.”

- Unknown

__________________________________________________________________________

Shelly Garner lives in Moose Jaw where she has resided most of her life. Married to Brian and the mother of four children, she is an avid gardener. “I love my yard, it keeps me sane in the summer. I love to open my freezer and have my own food, raised in my own yard, to have for our meal.” Many of her friends and family have benefited from her love of gardening and the preserving and freezing of her garden bounty.

Shelly is a certified reflexologist, a part – time secretary for a local specialist, and a volunteer with local non-profit organizations that provide support to families of children with disabilities. Shelly is a regular contributor to Gwen’s Healing Garden Newsletter and writes gardening articles. She may be contacted at (306) 693-0571 or e-mail: vanadis58@hotmail.com

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