JALAPENO-HABANERO JAM WITH A TWIST

This recipe is great for using up summer's bounty of zucchini and peppers from your garden. I promise you it is NOT hot.  We love any kind of hot pepper jelly and jam around our house.  Try it as a snack with cream cheese & crackers or served with toast or hot biscuits!


JALAPENO-HABANERO JAM WITH A TWIST

Aunt Betty’s Kitchen

June 19, 2015

YIELD:  4 pints

*wear gloves when stemming/seeding peppers*

2 fresh habanero peppers, stems & seeds removed

5 fresh jalapenos, stems and seeds removed

5 cups seeded & cubed zucchini

1-1/2 cups distilled white vinegar

7 cups granulated sugar

6 fluid ounces of Certo liquid pectin

NOTE:  The habanero peppers add a bite to the jam, but the sugar counteracts the heat of the peppers overall. In my estimation, any jalapeno jelly without a touch of habanero isn’t worth the effort. But remember, I was weaned on hot peppers. I suppose if you are really wimpy you can cut the amount of habaneros to 1.  I promise the jam is not too hot.

Place peppers, zucchini and vinegar in food processor and process until smooth.

Combine with sugar in a large, heavy bottomed pot, preferably stainless steel, but use what you have.  Bring to the boil and simmer 25 minutes, stirring quite frequently to prevent scorching.

Add liquid pectin and bring to full rolling boil for 1 full minute.  *A full rolling boil is a boil you cannot stir down.  Start timing once it reaches full boil.

Ladle into sterile pint or half-pint jars, wipe rims. Attach lids and rings.  Process 10 minutes in hot water bath.  Water should cover jars by at least 1”.

Remove and cool. Do not re-tighten rings once out of the canner.

Jam should set up within a few days.

ZESTY QUICK PICKLES

Are you still getting gobs of cucumbers off your vines?  Try this easy recipe to put some up and enjoy later!


· PREP TIME: 10 min
· COOK TIME: 5 min
· TOTAL TIME: 15 min
· YIELD: 4 pint jars
· DIFFICULTY: easy



Ingredients:

2 c Water
2 c Vinegar (I used half white and half apple cider)
2 1/2 tbsp Sea salt
4-8 tsp Pickling spice, 1-2 per jar
8 cloves Garlic, 2 per jar
4 Bay leaves, 1 per jar
4-8 sprigs fresh Dill
1 Onion, sliced or quartered
8-12 small, pickling Cucumbers, quartered

Directions:

Over medium-high heat bring water, vinegar, and salt to a  simmer

While the water is heating ensure your jars are sanitized, clean and dry

Divide the cucumbers, garlic, and onion amongst the jars

Add the pickling spices and dill to each jar

Once the brine is simmering use a funnel to pour it evenly into the jars leaving about a 1/2 inch room at the top of each.  Wipe the jar rims before sealing.

Screw lids tightly on and let come to room temperature

Refrigerate the jars for at least 48 hours

They will keep in the fridge for 3-4 weeks!

You should be able to keep these pickles in a cool, dark place for several months once jars have sealed.  I always bring my liquid to a full, rolling boil, then reduce to low flame while canning. To sanitize your canning jars, run them through the dishwasher.

Published on August 12, 2013by thefreckledfoodie http://www.thefreckledfoodie.com/zesty-quick-pickles/

Tomatoes Everywhere!

This winter's supply cookin' up!

Tonight's Tomato Bounty

We normally harvest in the evenings and this is a small sampling of tonight's harvest from our garden. I'll bet I have already given away about 8 bushels of tomatoes and at least 3-4 bushels of Zucchini and Squash.  Thank goodness the zukes and squash are slowing down (getting too hot in this Texas heat).

But the tomatoes are still coming off gangbusters.

This is my big stainless mixing bowl (on the left) and as you can see it is overflowing with rich, ripe goodness.  There were more cherry tomatoes, but I couldn't resist and ate a bunch of them after washing.  

And for the rest that had a few spots, were super ripe or were misshapen, into the pot they went and they are cooking away now.  Winter is always good at our house because I have lots of summer veg put up.  But we need 'super fan' in the kitchen during canning season.  All the burners going it gets hotter than a firecracker in there!

Don't worry about peeling your tomatoes. 

Get the bad spots out, peel off any funky peel or areas of the tomato, slice up and put in a heavy bottom stock pot.  Cook until they are reduced by at least half.  Run through a wire mesh sieve and any seeds and skins will be retained. 

I usually sieve into the giant Tupperware bowl that I've had since the early 1970's and then put it all back into the pot and cook about another 15-20 minutes. 

Have your hot sterilized jars and seals ready and ladle into prepared jars.  I add 1 tsp salt and 1/2 Tbs lemon juice to the top of  a pint jar (leaving 1/2" headspace), (or 1 + 1);  wipe the rims and seal.  Set on a tea towel on the counter and wait for them to seal.  You will hear them popping.  Double check after 24 hours to make sure they all sealed.  If you have one that didn't seal, stick it in the fridge and use it within a few days.  Once completely cooled, I remove the rings and store.  I never store my canned jars with the rings on because sometimes they get so stuck on you can't get them off later.  At least that's the way I learned.  DO NOT RETIGHTEN the rings once you tighten them.  There will be some contraction usually after they seal.

If you are a novice to canning and preserving, I can strongly recommend the 'bible' of canning:  Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving, available at most book retailers, Wal-Mart, Amazon.com, Target and places like that.