Homeade Salsa

Today was  my dadvand I's annual salsa canning marathon.  Normally we do 2-3 batches and yield 12-18 quarts of salsa.  Today, however, we did 4 batches and ended up with 31 quarts!!  No batch is exactly the same and I will go through our process so you can get an idea of the "how-tos".  
Over the years we have experimented with this recipe from using fresh tomatoes to freezing them, but we have finally settled on using canned tomatoes and fresh garden peppers.  Fresh tomatoes slow down the cooking process because you have to spend an hour or more cooking them down and there is a likelihood of burning due to heat and sugars in tomatoes.  We have decided speed is necessary to get the quantity we want.

First, start with your ingredients.  Each batch will require,
*2 large cans (gallon) of crushed tomatoes (for a chunkier consistency consider using diced tomatoes, but stay away from using whole tomatoes b/c you will lose a lot of quantity in juice and it will be more work breaking them down).
*fresh hot peppers - quantity dependent on spiciness you desire (jalepeno, garden salsa, hot banana, habenero)
*2-3 fresh onions
*spices:  granulated garlic (NOT garlic salt), cayenne pepper, chili power -- again this is to taste
*salt and pepper
*Variations:  use fresh garlic, cilantro, cumin, or to keep pepper flavor without the heat de-seed and de-vein the peppers

That's as specific as I can get because truthfully each batch is an experiment in developing flavors and playing with ingredients until we get the desired flavor.  There is a lot of taste testing along the way :-)

So we start by emptying the tomatoes into the stock pot and bring it to a simmer.  As we wait for that, we get our pepper ready by cutting the tops off.  Many times, we use frozen peppers because pepper won't stay fresh long.  If they are frozen, we let them sit in the sink with warm water.  Once the peppers are ready, we put them in the food processor and chop them up.  Do be careful that you don't chop them too fine that they cook down to mush.  You want to had a little thicker consistency to the tomatoes.  I would say we add 4-6 cups of peppers per batch.  Again, depending on the heat and consistency you want the amount will vary.

After you add the peppers, it is time to add the spices.  We start slow and work our way up to a flavor we're happy with.  I would say we use anywhere from 1/8-1/4 of a cup of each of the spices.  The salt and pepper are to taste.  If you want to add fresh garlic this the time to do it.  You will want to let it cook a little to infuse the flavor.  If you want to add cilantro wait until the very last minute or it will cook down to nothing and look kind of nasty in the final product.  After the peppers and spices have cooked, it is time to add the onions.  You don't want to add these until you are about to can because they will cook down to much.  If you add them at the end, they will add not only flavor but crunch and texture.

After the onions have cooked for just a bit (less then 5 minutes), it is time to can.  Be sure to have the jars and lids in the roasting pan (yes I figured out the name to it) and boiling by this point.  Again, this recipe has enough acid in it that additional processing is unnecessary.  We've been canning exactly this way for over 20 years and we've never had a problem.    We're really careful about contamination, and my dad is the "canner".  He is very diligent about having less than 1/4" of head room and wiping the lip of the jar clean.  As you can see from the picture, it is a messy process--but the final product is worth it!

Today's marathon yielded a monster 31 quarts!!! Batch 1 (7 quarts) and 2 (8 quarts) are pretty similar in flavor.  I would call them medium-hot.  Batch 3 (7 quarts) I would consider super spicy due to the habenero peppers we added.  Batch 4 (9 quarts) will give Batch 3 a run for its money in spiciness because we had so many left over peppers that we couldn't re-freeze so we just added them.  I don't think it will ultimately be as spicy, but it is going to be hot.    We also did that batch with 1 can of crushed and 1 can of diced tomatoes.  I think it definitely be chunkier consistency and thicker also due to the peppers.  The salsa making took about 4 hours from start to finish (including clean up) and this a short break to get more tomatoes and jars and have lunch.   My dad and I split up the the final product and it should last us until this time next summer :-).

Hot Pepper Dill Pickle Relish

So I am trying my hand at more canning.  I have had an abundance of hot peppers and pickling cucumbers, and I looked and looked for a recipe for a dill relish.  All I could find was a dill pickle relish, so I just started experimenting.  Here is what I came up with:

Food Process the following:
8-10 c of cucumbers (cut the ends off and cut into smaller slices for easy food processing)
3 c of onions
4 cloves of garlic
4 c of assorted hot peppers (I used a combo of:  hot banana, jalapeno, garden salsa, and a red and milder version of a habenero called a zavory.  Be sure to remove the stems).

Put in a large bowl and cover with a 3/4 a cup of pickling salt and water.  Top with some ice cubes for crispness.  Let sit for 3-4 hours.  Rinse thoroughly.

In a large pot combine and bring to a boil:
6 c of cider vinegar
1/2-3/4 c of sugar (depending on your taste...I started with 1/2 but sprinkled in a little more to combat tartness)
3 T of mustard seed
1 T of celery seed
1T of dill seed
2 T of dill weed (dried spice version)
1 T of red pepper flakes

Add vegetable mixture.  Bring back to a boil for 15-30 minutes (depending on desired consistency).  I got 7.5 pints out of this recipe.  It seems good on first try.  In hindsight, I would definitely try to add more red peppers just for color.  I wonder what the difference would be if I used regular vinegar and not cider vinegar?  Overall, this is good relish with a kick.  I like the flavor and consistency.  I think if I make sweet pickle relish I will use this recipe and just add sugar and less dill b/c my other relish had too much turmeric.

Sorry no pictures this time.  My darling photographer assistant is busy redoing our 1/2 bath.

Canning Sweet Pickle Relish

So the pickling cucumbers in my garden are keeping me on my toes.  So far this year I have canned 2 batches of dill spears, 1 batch of bread and butter, and now a batch of dill pickle relish.  This was a first for me, so there will be some things I do differently next time, but overall I think it turned out good.

The ingredients were pretty simply:
1/2 c canning salt
2 c. vinegar
1 T cornstarch
about 10-12 cucumbers
2 red peppers
2-3 onions
5 c sugar
1 t tumeric
1 t celery seed
1 t of mustard seed

First, don't peel the pickles.  I used my mandolin and my 3.5 mm julienne blade to slice them into strips.  Then I diced the strips up into fairly small pieces.  I did the same with the onions and red peppers.  I mixed all of that into a large bowl and tossed in the canning salt and then added 8 c of boiling water and let it set for 1 hour.  As it sat and cured I mixed the vinegar, sugar, tumeric, cornstarch, celery seed, and mustard seed in a large pot.  After the hour was up, it was time to drain the water from the relish mix.  I used my strainer for this process.

After that I mixed the relish into the liquid mixture that was waiting in the pot.  I brought it all to a boil then continued boiling for another 35-49 minutes.  If the mixture is a little liquidy keep going to get it to firm up.  As this was boiling, I got my roasting pan going with the jars and lids so they would be sterilized.  If you time it right, your jars are ready about the same time as your relish is.  I put 6 pints in the roasting pan, but I was skeptical I would get 6 and I was right.

I got 5 pints out of this.  I think if I do it again I will change a few things.  First, I will use more cucumbers.  I got too few pints and I think it was a bit watery for me.  Second, I will tame down the turmeric.  It is a little overpowering.  Third, I might try cider vinegar and see if that improves the tartness.

I should get a few more rounds of pickling cucumbers from the garden.  I think I would like to try another bread and butter batch and then I will try my hand at a pickle and hot pepper dill relish.  That one will be for my dad :-)

Bread and Butter, Baby!

Second harvest of pickling cucumbers and today it was time to try the bread and butter pickle.  I had a great recipe I used with my sister a few years ago and decided to get it out of the recipe holder.  So, here is how it goes.  First, wash the cucumber and cut the top and bottom off.  The, cut in even pieces. I like mine to be a little thicker because I prefer them to be a bit crunchier.  The recipe calls for 28 cups of sliced cucumbers; however, my harvest only yielded 14, so I just halved the recipe.

After you cut all the cucumbers, you then need 8 cups (of for 4 cups for 1/2 recipe) of yellow onions.  I like to cut the onion in half and then cut the them in slices. Again, I like them a little thicker to keep their crunch.  After you cut these, put them in a large bowl and cover with 1/2 c of canning salt (different from table salt, it will leave sediment at the bottom of your jar--oh, and I used 1/4 c).  Mix it around with your hands or a spatula.  Afterwards, cover liberally with ice cubes, then tin foil, and finally a towel.  Let sit for 4 hours.

I started prepping for the canning after about 3 1/2 hours.  For this I use my largest pot (I need a larger one--hint, hint hubby, it would be a great xmas present) and my dutch oven (I don't think it is actually a dutch oven, but I have no other name for it.  The large pot is for boiling the syrup and spices and the dutch oven is for sterilizing the cans.  I started by getting the water going for sterilizing.  I placed both the jar and the lid in the pan.  I left the ring out because if it is hot, it is too difficult to twist on.  Then the recipe called for 7 1/2 cups of white vinegar (I used 3 3/4 c) and 7 1/2 c of sugar (again, 3 3/4).  To that I added 3 T mustard seeds (1 T), 1 1/2 T celery seed (3/4 T), and 1 T of tumeric (1/2 T).  I poured it all in the large pot and started them to boiling.  While this was coming to a boil, I uncovered my cucumbers, removed the ice, and rinsed them off lightly with cool water.  Once the mix was boiling, I threw them in and got them submersed in the liquid.  I waited and let it come to a boil again.

Once it came to a boil I started canning, by using a ladle and funnel to get the pickles in the jar.  They slid in easily and barely needed any coaxing, but if they did I just used a spoon to help.  I made sure there was plenty of liquid in each and I tried to make sure the was enough head room, but not too much to keep it from sealing.  Once they were filled, I got a lid and placed it on with my tongs and then sealed it with a lid.  I put it to the side to sit until it popped.  For this batch I got 4 pints and 2 quarts.  One jar doesn't have quite enough liquid, so we will put that in the fridge and eat.  The longer they sit the better, but they should be ready to eat in 2 weeks.  I don't process these in a boil bath.  I suppose you could with the a 10 min bath for a quart and 5 min for a pint.  I have been making salsa like this with my dad for ages and we've never had a problem.  As long as you keep your jars sterilized and hot right up to the point you're filling the jars you should be fine.  Since I started typing this about 30 minutes ago, all of my jars have popped and are sealed, even the one with less liquid.
Happy canning!

I'm in a Pickle...

First significant harvest from the garden and it looks like I am going to have to pickle tomorrow.  From the looks of it, I should get a few quarts of dill pickle spears.  It has been a while since I pickled....the last time I helped my sister and took some spoils.  This time I will do it solo and see what I get.  I am rather excited.  I am a little disappointed though because my squash and zucchini are not doing well.  Most of them have died on the vine. I think the heat has been too much for them.  However, we are looking at some cool weather and maybe the ones that are on the vine and doing well will grow enough.  I love to have some fried zucchini and use squash in a saute.

My herbs are also doing extremely well.  The mint (julep and  chocolate) is thriving and I am having ice tea with it daily (seriously--who needs soda?!?).  My basils (thai, boxwood, spicy, and regular) are doing better than I have ever seeen basil do.  Finally, my oregano (spicy and greek) and rosemary are thriving in their container.  I need to figure out more recipes to use with herbs because at the rate they are growing I am going to have a lot to go to waste.  Normally, in my old yard, my herbs barely grew and I used them sparingly.  Now they are multiplying by leaps and bounds.

Finally, my flower gardens are coming along.  They have a long ways to come, but I am slowly but surely getting them under control.  The thistles in the front yard are almost defeated and I am moving to back to fight the good fight.  I have some beautiful flowers and I have been enjoying seeing what pops out.  After I learn what I have I will begin to add my own favorites...luckily I don't dislike any plants but the yucca (can you say yuck?).  I just need to do some thinning and repositioning.  I am most in love with a hydrangea called Glowing Embers.  It is a gorgeous pink and I think it fits in great in the bare back garden patch.  There is still a lot of work to do, but I think it will be easier next year after I get all the gardens edged, weeded, and mulched.  I will post more after my pickling exploits!  Wish me luck.

Kids Say the Darnest things...

So, Christmas break was too long for miss A to be idle and without constant focus and input. After Christmas her behavior went downhill. She was kicking, hitting, screaming, and pretty much making every day with her a nightmare. I thought, for a moment, I might be raising a sociopath because of her hateful behavior. I was worried.
Luckily, her dear dad has a degree in psychology and a book called "Raising the Strong-Willed Child" which helped us correct some of our behaviors and mixed messages which were causing some of the issues. We quickly changed and started taking every toy of hers away whenever she misbehaved. After a few more unbearable days, she started getting the message; however, she started getting hopeless at ever earning her toys back.

We implemented Audrey-bucks. She could earn one whenever she followed the rules for a bit and when she did something more than was asked of her. That was really the moment she gained control back. She is now at a 5:1 earned to loss ration. We can now reason with her and help her learn and make better choices.

So, the other day when she slammed a door in anger, I calmly walked upstairs to talk to her. Here is the conversation:
"Audrey, what did you do wrong?"
"I slammed the door."
"Why don't we do that?"
"We might break the door."

"Yes. What might have been a better way to deal with your anger?"

Pause to think.

"Uhhh...I don't know, walk away and hate you quietly?"

Mom's heart on the floor.

"Wow. I wish you wouldn't hate me, but I can't help how feel Audrey. As long as you don't slam doors or break any rules, you can feel however you need to."
"Ok, I won't slam the doors."

I walked out of the room and part of me wanted to cry and the wanted to burst out laughing. While part of me was a little disappointed, the other was pretty impressed at her mature thought.

While she will take great effort to corral and mold; the rewards will be great with this one. She is a wild one with a heart of gold!