canning jarDeb's Canned Yummiescanning jar

PLEASE NOTE: If you are a novice canner, please get some good resources about home canning. Done properly, home canned foods are safe and cost-effective. However, improper processing can be deadly! Do your homework. See the home canning links below.

My mom, mother-in-law and sisters have taught me how to can my own delights. It is a LOT of work, but the results are usually worth it. Here's a few favorites that have been taste-tested by my "expert" taste tester, Ken.





canning jarDeb's Blue Ribbon Corn Relish

First Prize at the 1999 Montgomery County Fair!

  • 8 cups cut corn (about 20 medium ears)
  • 4 cups shredded and chopped cabbage (about 1 small head)
  • 1 cup finely chopped onions
  • 1 cup chopped sweet green peppers
  • 1 cup chopped sweet red peppers
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp dry mustard
  • 1 Tbsp celery seed
  • 1 Tbsp mustard seed
  • 1 Tbsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp ground turmeric
  • 1 quart vinegar
  • 1 1/2 cups water

    • Boil corn on the cob for 5 minutes, slice kernels off cob. Combine with remaining ingredients. Simmer 20 minutes. Bring to boiling. Cool slightly, taste and adjust spices. Return to boiling. Pack boiling hot into hot pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Adjust 2 piece caps and process in a water bath 15 minutes. Makes 6 pints. Great on sandwiches, hot dogs or roasts!


    canning jarGreen Tomato Salsa

  • 8 cups chopped green tomatoes (can use some ripened ones)
  • 2 cups chopped green bell peppers
  • 2 cups chopped red bell peppers
  • 1 medium red onion, chopped
  • 6-8 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup non-iodized salt
  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp mustard seed
  • 1 Tbsp celery seed
  • 3 Tbsp prepared horseradish
  • 4 cups cider vinegar.

    • Sprinkle salt over chopped vegetables and mix thoroughly. Let stand until salt is dissolved and juices begin to flow (usually 4 hours). Drain off juice. Rinse and drain thoroughly. Combine sugar, spices, horseradish and vinegar and simmer 15 minutes. Add vegetables and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Pack boiling mixture into hot pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Adjust two piece lids and process 10 minutes in a boiling water canner. Yield: 7 pints.

    NOTES: For extra zing, add 2 Tbsp Tabasco sauce to boiling vegetables. May substitute 3 Tbsp mixed pickling spices for mustard seed and celery seed.


    canning jarPeach Sala

  • 6 cups peaches, blanched, peeled, pitted and chopped
  • 1 cup chopped red onion
  • 6 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 cup loosely packed chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 Tbsp lime juice
  • 2 Tbsp honey
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground cayenne pepper

    • Combine all ingredients in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly to prevent sticking. Simmer, stirring frequently for 5 minutes. Ladle into hot pint jars leaving 1/4 inch head space. Remove air bubbles. Clean rims and adjust 2 piece lids. Process in boilng water canner for 15 minutes. Absolutely the BEST salsa I have ever made!!!
    ALERT!
    Someone recently wrote me to let me know that my peach salsa recipe had a pH that was too high to safely be canned at home without testing the pH each time.

    "While you make be just under in many cases because the pH's fluxuate, (sic) this is a dangerous formulation that you are posting. Botulism could grow."

    However - she is also selling a book.

    Well, you know I am skeptical of those experts who have an axe to grind, but I am not about to kill anyone. SO - caveat emptor and all that. Make it fresh, use it in a week and keep under refrigeration.

    Back to your regularly scheduled recipes...

    canning jarLow Sugar Jellies

    The easiest way to make low sugar or sugar-free (artificially sweetened) jellies is to use POMONA Pectin™, a commercially prepared pectin which does not require large amounts of sugar to work like regular pectin preparations (such as Sure-Gel™). POMONA Pectin™ is available at most specialty canning stores. For more information, including ordering your own supply, surf here.

    I prefer using POMONA because I can get the jelly to gel using honey, limited quantities of sugar or fruit juices. My "recipes" with this pectin are taken straight from the package insert! It is highly concentrated and can be used in more recipes than regular pectin preparations.


    canning jarArtificially Sweetened Jelly

    Here is a recipe using unflavored gelatin which works fairly well. There is a slight after-taste from the artificial sweetener, but diabetic friends have enjoyed it!

  • 2 Tbsp unflavored gelatin powder
  • 1 quart fruit juice (I have used apple, blackberry and peach)
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 Tbsp liquid artificial sweetener

    • Combine gelatin, juice and lemon juice in saucepot. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring to dissolve gelatin. Boil one minute. Skim off foam. Stir in artifical sweetener. Ladle hot jelly into jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Adjust 2 piece lids and process in boiling water 10 minutes. Yield: about 4 half-pints.


    canning jarPickled Camels' Lips

    HISTORICAL NOTE FROM DEB'S MOM:
    The Pickled Camels' Lips recipe is an old family recipe, handed down from the archeolgist ancestor, W. A. Harsh. He spent much time in Egypt and returned with many interesting and unusual recipes. In the original recipe, he specified that the camel should be less than two years old, and had never been bricked. (If you do not know what that means, write for clarification.) The lips were to be removed within one hour after sacrificing the animal, or, preferably, when it was still alive. Females would require fewer days of marination and cooking. Sometimes male lips were non-existent, since they had given another some of their lip.

    You must do as well as possible with the ingredients. In the orinigal recipe, spices available only in the upper Nile Valley were to be used. These included the ground seed of the Ramses cactus, extract of elephant dung, and asp a**. However, in U.S.A., we must do the best we can.

  • 5 pounds camels' lips
  • 4 gallons vinegar
  • 1 cup mixed pickling spices
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 1 cup meat tenderizer
  • 1 bottle of cream sherry

    • Place pickling spices in a cheesecloth bag and tie securely. Mix all remaining ingredients in a large stock pot. Add spice bag, cover and let stand for 24 hours. Remove camels' lips and test for tenderness. If your knife blade does not dull immediately when trying to slice them, proceed with slicing them into 1/8 inch slices. Drain all liquid into a large stockpot. Bring to a boil and add sliced camels' lips. Simmer for 3 days. Pour a small (4 oz) glass of cream sherry. Sip it slowly. Pour the rest of the bottle into the camels' lips. Adjust seasoning. Add equal amounts of sugar and water when mixture begins to dry out. When lips are tender, bring to a vigorous boil and pack into hot gallon jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Adjust 2 piece caps and process in water bath 1 hour. Makes 2 to 3 gallons, depending on the size of the lips. Best used to keep the peace in your household, i.e., "I think we will have pickled camels' lips for dinner tonight."

    NOTES:
    • Try to get lips from young camels, as they do not take as long to tenderize.
    • Candied yak hooves are a nice addition and provide an earthy flavor that must be experienced!
    • Do not taste test until lips have boiled thoroughly.



    canning jar Bread and Butter Pickles

  • 1 quart of thinly sliced onions
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 2 Tbsp of Un-iodized salt, sprinkled on top of cukes and onions.
  • Cold water to cover.
    •  Let stand one hour. Drain. Make syrup to cover: 1 ½ cups sugar, 1 cup vinegar, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp mustard seeds. Heat syrup until sugar is dissolved. Boil together until just tender. Ladle into hot jars and seal in a hot water canner 15 minutes.


    canning jarCANNING RESOURCES ON THE WEB





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    Meals in Minutes Deb's Marinades Deb's Canned Yummies Sample Cooking Session