Canning time will be here soon and

[mmorris]

[SheilaR]

Hi everybody..I've been sick for awhile now but I'm popping back in to see how we're doing. If for some reason this thread gets buried, someone post a new one during the growing season, harvest, whenever.....OK? I'd hate to lose you guys!!!

[gonnabskinny]

here is a good recipe for strawberry jam... One year I forgot the sure-jell and made a wonderful strawberry sause for Icecream!


10 cups of strawberries (about 4 quarts- Hulled and washed)
14 cups of splenda
2 boxes of sure-jell
1 tsp butter

Mix all ingredients into a pot and place on the stove to simmer and cook. Bring to a full rolling boil and boil for exactly 1 minute stirring constantly.

Remove from the heat and skim the foam off the top. Ladle jam into clean & sterilized jars. Fill w/in 1/8 inch of the rim. Wipe rim and seal with a two-part lid. Inver jars for 5-minutes and then turn upright. After jars cool, check to make sure they sealed.

Makes 18 1-cup jars.

[gonnabskinny]

here is a good recipe for strawberry jam... One year I forgot the sure-jell and made a wonderful strawberry sause for Icecream!


10 cups of strawberries (about 4 quarts- Hulled and washed)
14 cups of splenda
2 boxes of sure-jell
1 tsp butter

Mix all ingredients into a pot and place on the stove to simmer and cook. Bring to a full rolling boil and boil for exactly 1 minute stirring constantly.

Remove from the heat and skim the foam off the top. Ladle jam into clean & sterilized jars. Fill w/in 1/8 inch of the rim. Wipe rim and seal with a two-part lid. Inver jars for 5-minutes and then turn upright. After jars cool, check to make sure they sealed.

Makes 18 1-cup jars.

[SassySean]

Can we substitute some of that Splenda (14 cups) with Liquid Splenda or is the splenda needed for the Sure Jel to work????

[Jenita]

SassySean,
I think you would be able to substitute, but you have to be sure to use the type of pectin that does not require sugar. With the fresh strawberries showing up in the stores, that sure sounds good, though, doesn't it?
Jenita

[rosethorns]

Hi Sassysean

I use liquid splenda all the time in my jams & syrups.
Jenita is right .
Try to find Pamona universal pectin at the Health food store. It is for no sugar added recipes.
You also might want to do half the recipe .
It does look good.

[ttime]

Are the strawberries cooked whole or should I slice them up?

Thanks

[SassySean]

Thanks for your help all. I'm making some of this this year.

ttime-- I mash(with a potato masher) mine ever so slightly--before LCing it seemed that they would breakdown more after freezing and turn into jelly.

The less I mash them the more I like them. I want to bite a berry every now and then

[gonnabskinny]

Hi - I only really am able to pop on line on the weekends... between job, school and kids... life is pretty busy... AS for the jam... I have never used the liquid... but it sounds like others have. I hull and slice my strawberrys. (I prefer small chunks of berry's in the jam)

[ttime]

Just wanted to post that saturday I made the strawberry jam, the orange jelly and the pickled squash that are on the board. My DH and I are both doing this WOE and my grandmother is diabetic and her 85th birthday is next week and she loves to eat so I'm going to fix her a goody basket with all of these new things in it. Thanks for all the recipes they taste great and were simple to make...

[rosethorns]

That's wonderful ttime. Great for you!!!!!!!
I love to can. Make her a cheesecake too. She will love all the work you did for her. I make s/f marmalade for my stepDad who is diabetic.

[SassySean]

BUMP

[sunrae]

Ran across this on a board about being thrifty:

"I dehydrate a significant portion of our harvest. When I'm canning--whatever doesn't fit into the jars, goes on the dehydrator screens and dried. Then usually tossed in a jar and mixed with whatever comes next for our version of make your own soup starter. I also dehyrdrate pureed vegetables and make into a powder for soups or cream of soups. They are a great thickener.

These veggies make nice soup flakes or can be used as toppers for salads: zucchini, jalapeno, green or red pepper, cabbage, spinach, onion, celery, tomato. Just be sure to dry only one type vegetable at a time or the stonger ones will flavor the milder ones.

These veggies don't dry as well and are better frozen: broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, turnip, rutabaga, parsnips."

[SheilaR]

Dehydrating veggies is a wonderful idea! It had never crossed my mind. I'm definately going to try it! Thanks for the tip!!

[rosethorns]

Sunrea
I love the idea of dehydrating pureed veggie for soups.
I dehydrate part of my harvest too.

Do I dehydrate and then whirl it in a food processer to make a powder ??????

I love this idea.

Ess

[sunrae]

Your idea for whirling it into powder in the food processor or the blender sounds like a perfect way to do it.

When I ran across this idea on a site about being thrifty, I thought the vegetable powder or flakes would be a super easy thing to add to canned broth on cold and flu days; It seems like that subject comes up a lot because when ill, no one feels like cooking. This would be "toss it in the microwave a minute".

I plan to try this out myself this year.

[gonnabskinny]

What a great idea! I dry my herbs... and I have dried strawberry's, bananas and apples but never veggies!

[rosethorns]

I found these in an old canning book for Rhubarb.


Rhubarb marmalade

2 lbs. rhubarb chopped small
4 1/2 cups sweetner of your choice
zest of 1 orange & 1/2 of lemon
1 c. water
juice from 1 lemon


Combine rhubarb & sweetner in glass container
let stand overnite.
The next day , add zest & simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until thickens, stirring occasionally.

Prepare jars, 4 pint size, process for 10 mins.




Rhubarb Conserve

5 c. rhubarb diced
5 1/2 c. s/f sweetner
zest of 2 oranges & lemons
2 c. chopped walnuts
1/2 c. chopped pecans
juice of 1 lemon

combine rhubarb & sweetner let stand over nite.
Add oranges and simmer 40 mins. until thickened.
Add nuts 5 mins. b4 removing from heat.

Prepare 5 pint jars, Process for 10 mins.



Ess

[sunrae]

I made the two rhubarb recipes today and found them unique. The conserve, perhaps because I used a blend of sweeteners, was WAY too sweet. I made a note to use at least a cup less sweetener equivalent next time (or twice the amount of rhubarb). The marmalade was about right -- maybe could have used 1/2 C less.

It's surprising how much bulk disappears when not using regular sugar. Each recipe made 2 1/2 pints.

I also made some Apple Pie Jam today using the basic jam directions on the pectin and:
4 C grated jicama
4 pkts sf apple cider mix
4 C water
1-2 T lemon juice
a teaspoon or so apple pie spice
little extra sweetener to taste
1 box pectin (for sugar free canning)
That turned out very well and will be good mixed in yocheese.
*****
Here are a couple of rhubarb recipes that are different since we're in the middle of the season. Haven't tried them but thought they sounded interesting as a relish/sauce-type thing.

Oriental Rhubarb Jam
1 lb (4 C) chopped rhubarb
3 C sugar equivalent (use less, add if needed)
1/2 t five-spice powder
1/8-1/4 C ginger peeled, chopped
dash hot pepper sauce
3 T lemon juice

In a saucepan, combine rhubarb, sugar equivalent, five spice powder, ginger, hot pepper sauce and lemon juice, blend well. Place over low heat, stirring constantly until sweetener dissolves. Bring to boil, skim off foam (if any) and cook over medium heat, stirring frequenly, until mixture thickens, about 15 to 20 minutes. Ladle into hot, sterilized jars, boiling water bath for 10 min.
*******
Rhubarb Side Sauce for Lamb or Turkey
3 C rhubarb cut in half inch slices
1 3/4 C water
Equivalent of 2 C sugar
1/4-1/3 C white wine vinegar
3T chopped (fresh) rosemary leaves
2 pkts unflavored gelatin (like Knox)

Cut rhubarb crosswise into 1/2-inch slices. Bring rhubarb, 1 1/2 cups of the water, sugar equivalent, vinegar, and rosemary to a boil and simmer 15 minutes (rhubarb will disintegrate).

While rhubarb is simmering, sprinkle gelatin over remaining 1/4 cup water in a small bowl and let soften 1 minute. Remove kettle from heat and stir gelatin mixture into rhubarb mixture until gelatin is just dissolved.

Fill sterilized jars and process 10 min.

******

http://www.rhubarbinfo.com is the "Rhubarb Compendium". It even has recipes for rhubarb soup!

[Twokitty]

I am SO reluctant to say anything since I eat stuff most of you wouldn't and dislike the food police that say all the old recipes are unsafe..... However, I would personally be reluctant to can a vegetable like zucchini without the pressure canner and even more so without the real sugar in it. I used to make it the sugar way for a pineapple sub. I made delicious jams one year without sugar but kept them in the fridge and am leery of doing it again sealed up to put on the shelf. We just don't know that much about it yet or at least I don't. The commercial ones aren't just poured into a jar and sealed. If I had a smaller pressure cooker I would try jam that way but otherwise feel safer with them kept cold. Just my personal concern here.

I have a simpler recipe everyone loves for relish using green tomatoes, peppers and onions. But again, I would pressure can them without the real sugar added.

[stews]

I have never heard of putting sugar in dill pickles. I have made them for years and never used sugar. I don't want sweet dills, lol.

[rosethorns]

Bump

[YarnLady]

Years ago my mom made a batch of canned dill string beans - and they were wicked good! Anyone ever made these? Can you can them just like dill pickles? (not that I know how to can, but hope to learn this year)

[rosethorns]

Justa Bumpin

[rosethorns]

bump

[Lisakay]

Hi all,

I have a ton of apricots that I want to make to make jam out off, but don't have the time right now. Can I freeze them and make the jam later?

TIA!


Lisa

[sashadane]

Absolutely! I've done the same thing with cherries. You may want to go ahead and cut them up and put lemon juice on them.

[SnowWhite]

Just bumpin - love this thread!

I want to make some strawberry jam. Someone said you can use strawberries and strawberry jello?
Is there a sub for pectin? I'm out of sure gel. Thanks!

[chickiemom]

Does anyone can with a steamer? I'm going to be buying some canning supplies this year and noticed this in one of the catalogs. Uses less water and gets hotter with the steam. Any thoughts on this. Also going to buy a dehydrator and make some of the veggie powders for soups. Great idea. I'm always learning so much from this board