Easy Grape Juice

Easy Grape Juice
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Choose ripe, tight-skinned, preferably green seedless grapes or purple concord grapes once they reach optimum eating quality (you can tell by tasting them, if they are very sweet they are ready.  You can also tell if they are ready to pick if the seed inside has turned a darker color.  Once the seed is dark and the grapes taste very sweet, they are ready to harvest).  Stem, wash, and drain grapes.

Fill jars with 1 ½ cups of grapes, ¼ cup sugar and fill the rest of the jar with boiling water, leaving 1-inch headspace. Have lids simmering in hot water.  Add lids, tighten rims, and process according to the recommendations in Table 1.  With where I live, I process my quart jars for 30 minutes.

 

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If you don't have a juice steamer, this is such an easy way to bottle grape juice.  The final juice isn't as flavorful as juicing the grapes, but they taste wonderful and it's really easy.  Guidelines are from the National Center For Food Preservation.  Our grapes are ready to harvest at different times depending on the weather that year.  They are generally ready 1-2 weeks after our Lemon Elberta Peach tree.  It has been as early as the end of August and as late as the end of September. 

Canning Tomato Sauce

Wash, remove stems, and trim off bruised or discolored portions. To prevent juice from separating, quickly cut about 1 pound of fruit into quarters and put directly into saucepan. Heat immediately to boiling while crushing with a potato masher.

Continue to slowly add and crush freshly cut tomato quarters to the boiling mixture. Make sure the mixture boils constantly and vigorously while you add the remaining tomatoes. Simmer 5 minutes after you add all pieces. If you are not concerned about juice separation, simply slice or quarter tomatoes into a large saucepan. Crush, heat, and simmer for 5 minutes before juicing.

Press heated crushed tomatoes through a sieve or food mill to remove skins and seeds. Simmer tomato juice in large-diameter saucepan until sauce reaches desired consistency. Boil until volume is reduced by about one-third for thin sauce, or by one-half for thick sauce.

Add bottled lemon juice and salt to hot jars. Fill jars with hot tomato sauce, leaving ¼-inch head space.

Adjust lids and process the correct time for your altitude (I process my pint jars for 45 minutes and quart jars for 50 minutes).

Add to pint size hot canning jars:
1 TBSP lemon juice (to achieve proper acidity levels for safe canning)
½ tsp. salt (optional)

Add to quart size hot canning jars:
2 TBSP lemon juice (to achieve proper acidity levels for safe canning)
1 tsp. salt (optional)



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I like to can my tomato sauce plain without additional seasonings so I can add the seasonings depending on what I'm using it for. Guidelines are from the National Center for Home Preservation .

Canning Peaches

Canning Peaches
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1. Wash jars and lids, then leave in dishwasher to keep warm
2. Wash peaches in a clean sink with cold water
3. Boil water for syrup
4. Blanch peaches in boiling water for 30-60 seconds, then submerge blanched peaches
in ice cold water
5. Peel skin, remove pit and slice in half (or in thirds for extra large peaches).
Store sliced peaches in a bowl of cold water while preparing enough slices for a
batch.

6. Heat water to 180 F, simmer lids in water
7. Add 2/3 cup sugar to each quart jar, then add 1 cup of boiling water. Stir until
dissolved, then pack peaches to ½ inch below rim.
8. If needed add more water to cover all peaches
9. Wipe down jar top and place lid and screw on ring finger tight
10. Place jars in rack above boiling water to acclimate

11. After a minute or two gently lower jars into hot water. Add more water to
ensure jars are covered by 1” of water.
12. Bring to a boil and start timer
13. After processing for the correct time for your altitude (I process mine for 25
minutes), remove from water and allow to cool at room temperature and free from
drafts
14. The following day, remove rings, check seals and wash jars.
15. Home process foods last for up to 3 years.

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On the stove you will want a large stock pot to blanch the peaches, a medium size pot to boil water to pour into the jars and a small pot to simmer the lids. I put my large water bath canning on our propane camp chef outside on the back patio. It frees up room on our stove and keeps all the heat outside.

A bushel weighs 48 pounds and yields 16-24 quarts (2.5 pounds per quart)

Guidelines are from the National Center for Home Preservation

Enjoying the Harvest

For those that enjoy gardening, I have started a second blog as a place to put my collection of gardening thoughts. I'm excited to have a place to list our favorite varieties as we find new loves and a place to keep track of ways to preserve our harvest to use throughout the year.

We start many of our plants indoors and cover our raised garden beds with mini hoop houses. I'm often asked for a list of materials on how to get started so I have also listed pictures and quick directions for these easy projects.

Check it out at Enjoying The Harvest.

Roasted Tomato Soup

Roasted Tomato Soup
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3 LB tomatoes
3 TBSP olive oil
Salt
Pepper

1 cup onions, medium chopped (or 1/4 cup frozen caramelized onions)
2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes (optional)
4 cups chicken broth
Thyme (fresh or dried)
1 cup packed fresh basil, finely chopped (can substitute with dried basil in a pinch)

1 cup milk or half and half (optional)


Heat oven to 400° F. On a baking sheet, combine the tomatoes and 2 TBSP of the olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss the ingredients to coat evenly and spread them in a single layer. Roast the tomatoes until they are shriveled with brown spots (about 50-75 minutes).

In a large pot, heat 1 TBSP of olive oil over medium heat. Sauté onions until they are softened, then add the garlic and sauté briefly making sure to not burn the garlic. Add the canned tomatoes with their juice, the broth, thyme, basil and the roasted tomatoes (including any liquid on the baking sheet). Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce and simmer partially covered for 40 minutes.

Using a food processor or blender, puree soup until it is smooth. Then push soup through a sieve or strainer to remove all pulp and seeds. Return the soup to the pot and stir in the milk or half and half. Season to taste with additional salt, pepper, thyme and basil. Warm the soup over medium heat, stirring often and taking care not to let the soup boil. Freezes well.



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We LOVE this soup. We’ve made it a few times adjusting the recipe each time so it’s still a work in progress. It’s very forgiving with proportions and every batch we’ve made we enjoyed. We make a triple batch of this recipe from our fall harvest of tomatoes, onions, garlic, thyme and basil in the garden to have on hand in the freezer for quick soup and sandwich dinners through the winter. Thanks to My Muffin Thursdays and the Family Fun February 2009 issue for the inspiration for this recipe.

Roasted Chili Peppers (replacement for canned Chili's)

Roasted Chili Peppers (replacement for canned Chili's)
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Chili peppers (we prefer Anaheim Chili’s)

Preheat oven to 450°F. Spread the peppers evenly on a cookie sheet, in a single layer. Roast the peppers for about 5-8 minutes until the skins blister, then turn peppers to allow them to blister on all sides (cooking for a total of 15-20 minutes). Watch carefully so they do not burn. After all sides are blistered, place the roasted peppers in a plastic bag and seal the bag (or place in a large bowl, then cover with plastic wrap). Once the peppers are cool enough to handle (approximately 15 minutes), pull the stems out of each pepper.

Hold one end of the pepper down on a flat surface and gently peel the skin off of each pepper. The skin should slide off fairly easily. Lift each pepper up and use your free hand to squeeze down the pepper's length. The bulk of the seeds and pulp should drop out the bottom when this motion is completed. Using a sharp knife, slit open each pepper and spread them out. With the dull side of your knife, scrape off any of the ribs or membrane that remains in the pepper. Then chop to a medium to fine dice. Use in any recipe that calls for “canned green chili’s” or freeze for later use.

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These are fantastic to add to any Mexican dish such as Shredded Chicken Burritos or recipes that call for “canned green chili’s.” Chiles roasted impart a delicious smoky flavor and the heat can be controlled by the type of chili you use. Anaheim’s and green bell peppers are our favorites. We freeze in quart size bags and break off a piece as large as we need.

Caramelizing onions (for the freezer)

Caramelizing onions (for the freezer)
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Onions
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Fresh thyme leaves (optional)

Prepare onions by peeling and slicing. Drizzle a bit of olive oil in a roasting pan or cookie sheet. Add onions and then drizzle a bit more oil on the onion. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and add fresh thyme leaves (optional). Roast at 350° F for approximately 2 hours, stirring with tongs every 30 minutes. Allow onions to cool, then store them in your fridge for several days or freeze for later use.

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Caramelizing onions, by slowly cooking them in a little olive oil until they are richly brown, is a wonderful way to pull flavor out of this simple ingredient. Onions are naturally sweet, when you cook onions slowly over an extended period of time, the natural sugars in the onions caramelize, making the result intensely flavorful and wonderful. Use these onions to top a baked potato, top a steak, add to French onion Soup or other soups and stews. Add to a pot roast or add to a gravy. They work great as a topping for pizza, focaccia or fajitas. Added to an onion dip is also a great option.

I love caramelized onions in several dishes but it is very time consuming and takes a large allocation of time just before dinner. I recently came across the idea of caramelizing a large batch of onions in the freezer to use for later dishes. The method is fantastic and is a huge time saver. The texture is affected slightly by the freezer but the flavor is the same. I avoid freezing raw onions due to the side effect of all my bread in the freezer smelling like onions but have loved the option of freezing these onions because they don’t impart the bitter raw onion smell plus they take up such a small amount of freezer space. What a great way to store a bunch of onions from the garden, plus have a huge time saver for preparing meals.

Freezer Tomato Puree

Freezer Tomato Puree
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Roma tomatoes

Slice Roma tomatoes in half and gently squeeze over the sink to remove jelly and juice. Process tomatoes through a Victorio Food Strainer using the applesauce/tomato juice attachment. Simmer for approximately 2 hours until sauce is reduced in half. Freezer in containers or follow proper canning instructions to preserve for later use.



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My favorite containers for freezer storage are the Rubbermaid Take-along 2.9 cup storage containers. They stack great, hold up well to repeated washings and if they break they are cheap to replace (10 for $3.97).

A half bushel (23LB box) of tomatoes produces 35 cups of tomato puree. 2009 prices are $16.00 a box.

Freezer Corn

Fresh corn on the cob
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Remove all the husk and silk from the ears of corn.

Bring a large stock pot of water to a slow boil. Blanch corn in batches, boiling for 4 minutes each batch. Remove corn from boiling water and quickly cool in cold water (a sink filled with ice water works well for this step).

Once corn is completely cool, cut kernel s off with an electric knife or sharp chef’s knife. A quick way to do this is to use an angel food cake pan or bundt pan. Place ear on center and begin cutting kernels off so they fall into the pan. Run the back of the knife along the corn a second time to get the juice and small bits out of the ears. Repeat until pan is full or all ears are cut.

Place in quart freezer bags or freezer containers. When ready to eat, simply warm in the microwave or stove, then serve.



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Growing up I always looked forward to visiting my Grandparents farm and especially looked forward to my grandma’s freezer corn. It was the highlight of every meal. Incredibly sweet year after year- we all loved it. Thanks to my grandma for teaching me how to make this corn.

My grandma recommends using young corn and freezing the corn as soon as possible after it has been picked. This is due to once the corn has been picked its sugar will turn to starch causing it to lose its sweetness.
My favorite containers for freezer storage are the Rubbermaid Take-along 2.9 cup storage containers. They stack great, hold up well to repeated washings and if they break they are cheap to replace (10 for $3.97). Corn will be good for up to a year, to use, defrost in the microwave and serve.

45 ears of corn produces 27 cups of corn or 11 2.5 cup servings. 2009 prices are $4.00 for a bakers dozen. Salt and pepper variety is fantastic.

Canning Applesauce

The day before canning:
1. Check jars to make sure none have nicks on the rims, cracks or sharp edges.
2. Gather all canning supplies and assemble strainer (it is worth $10.00 to purchase a canning jar lifter and a magnetic lid lifter, worth every penny!!).
3. Wash all kitchen towels and washcloths (you'll need them).
4. Create a plan for dinner for tomorrow that doesn’t include any cooking (something fast and easy).

Day of Canning:
Step 1: Wash jars and rings in dishwasher, then leave in there until needed (this will keep them hot).

Step 2: Fill a clean sink with warm water and fill it with apples. Rub apples by hand to remove any residue, dirt, or spray.

Step 3: Cut apples into quarters with a large knife. Do not leave the apples in the cut stage too long or they will turn brown.

Step 4: Steam apples by filling a 12 quart stock pot with 2 cups of water and cut apples. Cover with lid. As the pot boils the steam will render the apples soft. You need to stir the pot often so it doesn't burn on the bottom. Use a long wooden spoon and try to lift up from the bottom of the pot to the top and push the hard apples on the top to the bottom. When the steam has rendered the apples soft (they will start to fall apart and will look mushy) take the pot off of the stove. This process generally takes about 20 minutes. If you have room on your stove, you may want to have two large pots steaming apples.

Step 5: Using a colander, strain the apples from the water. Allow the apples to sit in the colander for a 3-5 minutes until they cool enough to handle (they will still be very hot).

Step 6: Separate skins from sauce by filling up the strainer with the steamed apples and processing them. When the bowl is full of applesauce pour it into another 12 quart pot on the stove and cook over medium low stirring occasionally to keep the bottom from burning.

Step 7: Repeat steps 2-6 until you create enough applesauce to can a full batch.

Step 8: Fill water bath canner half way with water, heat to low boil (or 140° F). I prefer place my water bath canner on my camp chef propane stove on my back deck and process my canning there. It keeps the heat outside and allows me to have more room on my stove (just bring the jars inside to cool after processing).

Step 9: Add sugar and spices to applesauce. None is required. Sugar will help hold the color but is not required. 1/4 cup sugar per quart, 1 1/2 teaspoon of salt for taste, 4 sprinkles of cinnamon, 2 sprinkles of allspice. Some may like to use some ground cloves. I personally don’t add anything to my applesauce.

Step 10: Bring lids to a boil. Some recommend not boiling lids but to bring them to 190° F. I think that is difficult to get them to that temperature and bring to boiling rather than test the temperature. We have never had any trouble with boiling. Don't boil them for a long time, just bring to boiling and take them off of the stove.

Step 11: Bring applesauce to a boil. Stir often and keep the heat evenly distributed in the apple sauce so it will not burn (about 20 minutes). You do not want to scorch the sauce and spoil the flavor.

Step 12: The applesauce is boiling and the jars are hot, now is the time to begin filling up the jars. Fill the jars to within a 1/4 inch of the top (use a cloth towel to handle the hot jars). Wipe the rim with a clean damp cloth to remove any spilled sauce on the rim. Put on a lid and finger tighten ring on the jar.

Step 13: Load jars into bath with rack above water. Slowly lower jars into water and add extra water if necessary to ensure 1” of water is covering jars. Cover and bring to a boil. When boiling, start timer and reduce temperature to maintain a gentle boil. When timer is done, remove jars from canner and allow jars to cool at room temperature away from drafts.

Step 14: The next day check to make sure all of your jars sealed (if you find one that didn’t seal, store in the refrigerator and use within a few weeks). Remove rings, wash jars and use within 3 years.



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Check with your local extension service for current guidelines on processing times. As of 2008, our extension service offers the following time table for applesauce. I live at 4,930 feet, so I process my quart jars for 30 minutes.

I can a two year supply of applesauce in late September so I only need to can it every other year. I enjoy using applesauce in my baking as a fat substitute so it’s nice to have plenty of jars in the basement. Plus I love how the memories of canning applesauce with my mom come flooding back as soon as I smell the sweet apples as they cook on the stove. There is something so gratifying about canning your own fruits.

1 bushel of apples weighs 48 pounds and yields 14 quarts of applesauce. Working alone it generally takes 5 hours to process 28 quarts of applesauce.

Freezer Tomatoes

Fresh ripe tomatoes
Quart size ziplock freezer bags

If you have the freezer space, freezing tomatoes is incredibly fast and easy (last night it took 35 minutes to freeze 14 quarts of tomatoes including clean up time). We use frozen tomatoes in soups, sauces, fajitas’, chili’s or any recipe calling for canned tomatoes. To use, simply run warm water over the tomato and the skins easily fall off.

Directions:
Wash, core and quarter tomatoes. Fill quart size bags with tomatoes and store in deep freeze.

Option 2 (flash freezing): Place washed, cored and quartered tomatoes on cookie sheet in freezer. Once frozen, transfer to quart size ziplock bags. Benefits of flash freezing are the tomatoes are frozen separately allowing you to later remove only a portion of the tomatoes from the bag.

Use within 1 year (if kept at 0° F).

Dehydrated Peaches

Dipping Solution (for color retention)
1 ½ cup water
½ cup sugar
½ cup honey

or
4 cups water
5 grams pure Ascorbic Acid*

Combine water, sugar and honey in a medium sauce pan, then heat until sugar dissolves. If using ascorbic acid, mix with water, then set aside.

Wash peaches, then dip in boiling water for 30-60 seconds, then submerge in cold water. Peel, remove pit, then slice each half in 5-6 slices. Dip slices in solution (see above), then pat dry with paper towels or kitchen hand towells.

Fill dehydrator trays with a single layer of peaches with at least ½” of spacing between fruit. Follow dehydrators directions for drying process. Once dry, store in ziplock bags.

*I use a pure powder mixture of Ascorbic Acid from Now Foods.

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We try to dry peaches each day for 6-8 days each August/September with Lemon Elberta Peaches. They are a perfect snack! I have two Nesco dehydrators and it takes 5-8 hours to dry a full batch of peaches. Start to finish (including set up, prep and clean up) it takes about an hour to get two full batches of peaches drying- but worth every minute.

If you start a batch in the evening and they aren’t quite finished when you’re ready for bed- just unplug the dehydrators for the evening, then plug them back in first thing in the morning or use a timer to stop the dehydrators in the middle of the night.

Old Fashioned Strawberry Jam (with no added pectin)

8 cups crushed hulled strawberries
6 cups granulated sugar

In a large deep stainless steel saucepan, combine strawberries and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly to dissolve sugar. Boil, stirring frequently, until mixture reaches a temperature of 216 F (or above the boiling point of water at the altitude where you live. The altitude of where I live is 4,000 feet with a boiling point of water at 216 F). Measure the temperature with a candy or jelly thermometer.

Freeze jam or can with a water bath canner for 10 minutes.

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Recipe taken from the 2006 version of the “Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving.” For additional canning instructions, see page 26. When I make this jam I cook it on a low heat stirring occasionally, then stirring frequently as the temperature gets closer to 216 F. With this method it takes about 3 hours.