Sweet Pickle Relish

This is an easy relish recipe from the Ball Blue Book of preserving. I used to make a relish that took a day to make. However, "The Italian" likes this recipe much better. I think it's because you leave the spices in the jar. The taste gets better over time.

Sweet Pickle Relish-  Ball Blue Book

1 qt. Chopped pickling cucumbers

2 cups chopped onions

1 cup chopped sweet green peppers

1 cup chopped sweet red peppers

¼ cup salt

3 ½ cups sugar

2 cups cider vinegar

1 tbsp. celery seed

1 tbsp. mustard seed

I add about 1 1/2 tsp. tumeric

Combine cucumbers, onions, green and red peppers in a large bowl; sprinkle with salt and cover with cold water. I also top with a little ice to keep the ingredients cold. Let stand 2 hours. Drain thoroughly; press our excess liquid. Combine sugar, vinegar and spices in large saucepan. Bring to boil. Add drained vegetables and simmer 10 minutes. Pack into hot jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Adjust caps. Process 10 minutes in boiling water bath. Yields: about 3-4 pints.

Enjoy!

 

Garden Happenings

The garden is really starting to produce.

 

We've been getting a lot of cucumbers

which means.....

pickles.....and

 

making "The Italian's" favorite

Sweet Pickle Relish

 

I've harvested a couple small heads of Red Acre Cabbage and....

 

this little tomato...a Dolly Parton!

Isn't it a beauty???

The tomatoes are starting.

I think the big tomato glut is about a week or two away

 

Our favorite slicing tomatoes, Cherokee Purples & Eva's Purple Ball are a regular.

  

I dug one hill of Yukon Gold Potatoes.

I couldn't believe the size of some of them!

 

We've had a half dozen Zucchini, including these two which were almost too big!

 

and the onions!!! Well, that's a post in itself!

 

So, how's your garden producing???

What's Going on in the Garden July 14, 2013

The harvests are starting to pick up and so is the preserving! This week I harvested almost 2 lbs. of peppers. They consisted of Hot Hungarian, Hot Banana, Jalapeno & Sweet Hungarian. All of them were promptly pickled and stored in the refrigerator, since we are totally out of pickled peppers from last year.

I pickle my peppers using 4 parts of white vinegar to 1 part of water, boil, cool and then add peppers and store in the refrigerator. I also occasionally add some garlic.

The first Zucchini and Cucumbers of the season.

There will probably be two more zucchinis ready today at the plots.

 

I've been pulling more onions and starting the curing process.

These are some storage onions.....

and these are some more Walla Walla onions

My largest onion has been 11 oz!!!

 

Some of the Walla Walla onions have been chopped and frozen. They do not store very long and chopped sweet onions will sure come in handy over the winter!

 

We also harvested some more Sungold tomatoes and the first of the very few Carrots we will have this year, another head of Cauliflower and the last of the Broccoli sprouts. The Broccoli plants have been pulled and a bunch of Cauliflower plants that did not form heads. Hopefully the fall cauliflower will do better. There's one more head over at the plots that may be ready today or tomorrow.

 

The big news is that there's a Cherokee Purple Tomato out there that is half ripe......maybe Monday or Tuesday it will be ready!!!!!!

 

Tomorrow, Daphne at Daphne's Dandelions, will be hosting Harvest Monday. Hop on over there to see what's happening in gardens around the globe!

   

Thursday's Kitchen Cupboard...........10/11/2012

Although most of the preserving is finished, I still have a few/many things to make or finish taking care of. Since the peppers are still going strong, I have made some pepper mash and will be experimenting with making hot sauces when we get back from vacation. I ordered the mustard seed for making mustard. That will also be started when we get back.

Presently there are two containers of pears sitting in the kitchen awaiting to be canned this Saturday. I will can them the same as the peaches with a mixture of fresh juice and light syrup. There's also the balance of the dry beans lying on racks drying in the spare bedroom. Hopefully they will be dry soon so I can finish shelling them, weigh them and put them away for later use. 

I haven't decided what I'm going to do about the popcorn. Most of the white corn is hanging in a mesh bag on the back of the door leading to the basement and most of the strawberry corn is hanging from the pot rack in the kitchen. I suppose that I will shell and weigh the white corn. However, we really like the look of the strawberry corn hanging in the kitchen. That corn may stay there for awhile since it's so pretty. There's also dried herbs and dried peppers hanging in the kitchen awaiting to be processed and put away for storage.  

It may sound like a lot and I'm sure that there is something I forgetting. With the exception of the canning of the pears, what's left to do really isn't all that bad. Most of it is fun and easy stuff, unlike the never ending canning and freezing of the summer crops this year!

Since I really didn't do any canning or preserving this week, I thought I would share a recipe and a tip. 

Hot Pepper Jelly

• 2 Cups of finely chopped and seeded sweet peppers. I use a combination of colors to give the jelly a festive look
• 3/4 Cup of finely chopped and seeded hot peppers. You can adjust the sweet/hot ratio if you prefer hotter jelly or you can add a Tablespoon of Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 1/2 Cups Cider Vinegar
• 6 1/2 Cups Sugar
• 1 Pouch of Liquid Pectin

1. Place all of the Peppers and Vinegar in a large saucepot
2. Stir in Sugar and bring to a full rolling boil on high heat, stirring constantly
3. Stir pectin in quickly and pepper flakes (if you are using them)
4. Return to a full rolling boil and boil one minute
5. Ladle into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of the top. Cover with hot lids and process in a boiling bath for ten minutes

Once the jelly is finished processing, I put the jars on a wire rack. Once they cool down a bit, I turn them upside down. Then I continue to turn and shake them until the jelly has jelled enough to keep the pepper pieces suspended throughout the jelly. If you don't do this, the pepper pieces will float to the top.

Isn't it pretty???

What's been going in or out of your Kitchen Cupboard lately....and are you finished preserving your harvest???

Since we will be on vacation for the next two Thursday's, Jody & Belle at Spring Garden Acre will be hosting Thursday's Kitchen Cupboard.

Thursday's Kitchen Cupboard..............10/4/2012

The canning has really slowed down......thank heavens!! I still have some beans that are not completely dried and a basket of tomatoes that will most likely be made in to puree. I was planning to can some pears this week. But, "The Italian" ate them!! I guess I'll be going back to the orchard on Saturday to get more.

I figured I would post the Green Tomato Salsa recipe since a lot of you have been interested in it. This recipe is from Diana at Voice in The Garden. It's a big hit around here!

Green Tomato Salsa

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 11 lbs. Green Tomatoes, chopped
• 3 Extra Large Sweet Onions, chopped
• 3 Sweet Peppers, chopped
• 4 Jalapeno Peppers, seeds removed, finely chopped (+/- according to personal taste)
• 8 Large Garlic Cloves, minced
• 1 Cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped (I don't put this in before canning. It can be added, if wanted when served)
• 2 Tbs. Sea Salt
• 1/2 Tbsp. Black Pepper
• 1/2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
• 1 tsp. Cumin
• 1/4 Cup Lime Juice
• 1/4 Cup White Vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. Honey

Directions:

1. Add Olive Oil to an extra large pot and heat on medium
2. Add Tomatoes, Onions, Peppers and stir
3. Add and combine the remainder of the ingredients. Mix well, hear slowly to a simmer and cook uncovered for 35-30 minutes, or until it reaches the consistency you prefer. Stirring frequently to avoid burning.
4. Ladle the hot salsa into hot sterilized jars, and fill to within 1/2 inch from top.
5. Wipe jar rims with a clean cloth
6. Place sterilized lids on jars and adjust the ring.
7. Place in boiling water bath and process for 15-20 minutes

This is not a full batch.

It sure is good.....Thanks Diana for the great recipe!!

What's been going in or out of you Kitchen Cupboard lately???

Thursday's Kitchen Cupboard..........09/27/2012

The canning has been a lot more fun the past couple of weeks. I canned the balance of the peaches that "The Italian" and I got at the orchard.

They turned out perfect!

I can my peaches in a mixture of juice and light syrup. First I make some juice from the seconds. I just mash them up and strain the mash through a jelly bag. Then I make a very light syrup (recipe from the Ball Blue Book), combine the two and simmer. We really enjoy the peaches canned this way.

My fun jam of the year is this Carrot Cake Jam.

Sophia and I made it on Saturday. You can find the recipe here. I'm not sure if it tastes like carrot cake ....but it sure is tasty! With the combination of spices, we think it tastes like fall.

The small batch of sauerkraut was canned....

and for the first time I canned some Pimento Peppers!

Last year the groundhog ate each and every ripe pepper at the plots. We found how to can them here.

When I was finished canning the peaches, I made peach syrup with the leftover juice and light syrup mixture. I added a little more sugar and let it cook down. Of course "The Italian" had to make a nice drink using the syrup!!

Peach Martini

Peach Martini for two

5 oz. Vodka

4 oz. Peach Syrup

3 tsp. Sugar

Squirt of Lemon Juice

1 oz. Seltzer Float

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a shaker with some crushed ice, shake, pour into martini glasses, add seltzer or club soda, garnish with a slice of peach and enjoy!

What's been going in or out of you Kitchen Cupboard lately???

Thursday's Kitchen Cupboard...........09/20/2012

There's been a lot of canning going on around here this past week! Since the tomatoes finally slowed down, I managed to get some other stuff done!

The first thing I did was pickle some Hot Banana, Hot Hungarian Wax and Sweet Banana Peppers!

Of course there was some Tomato Puree canned this week.

I made two batches of Hot Pepper Jelly

Isn't it beautiful???

Tuesday after work, I made a batch of Peach Jam

I ended up with 8 Half Pints and Two 4 oz. jars even after I spilled some!

Last but not least...."The Italian" made the best martini ever!! Yes, it was even better then Granny's Tomatotini! It was a Chocolate Raspberry Martini! Oh boy was it good!!!

He even said I could share the recipe!!

Chocolate Raspberry Martini for 2

4 oz. Homemade Raspberry Vodka

2 oz. Godiva Chocolate Liquer

1 oz. Chambord Liquer

Pour all ingredients in to a shaker with a little crushed ice

Shake and serve with a few raspberries

Enjoy!!!

Thursday's Kitchen Cupboard............09/13/2012

There's been a lot of preserving going on around our place lately. I'm a little behind on a few things. But, I'm gradually getting things done. As usual, I didn't dry as many herbs in the beginning of the season like I should have.

Right now there's Oregano and also Tarragon hanging in the kitchen drying .

I also need to dry a little more basil. That will be done in the microwave.

And of course, Tomatoes and a little more Tomato Puree have been canned.

Hopefully the tomato canning will be done this week since I have other things that need to be canned!

The beautiful Strawberry Popcorn adorns the pot rack.

It's so pretty, I think I will leave it there!

I've also started shelling some of the dry beans. These are Kidney Beans.

The raspberries I picked are being made into some Raspberry Infused Vodka. I can't wait until "The Italian" makes us some nice Adult Beverages with it this weekend! I wonder what he will come up with this time???

So, What's hanging around your place or going in or out of your Kitchen Cupboard lately???

Thursday's Kitchen Cupboard & More......09/06/2012

Since I harvested so many tomatoes this past Sunday, I finally made some ketchup!! Oh yum!! We have been out of ketchup for some time now. I use a recipe from the Ball Blue Book.

The ketchup cooked all day until it was nice and thick!

I ended up with 6 Half Pints and 1 Pint of Ketchup!!

While the ketchup was cooking, Erin had posted a challenge called "Medicine Cabinet".

I know I'm the last person to be issuing demands and challenges since I've been such a bad blogger lately, but since I put up the kitchen photo and it is that time of year, how 'bout you share a photo of where you do your canning and a photo of what you have stashed away so far?  I'll call this the "Medicine Cabinet" challenge, because you have to admit that for us like minded folks looking at photos of other's canning spaces and under-bed storage pantries is like other peoples' fascination with medicine cabinets!

Here's what my place looked like on Labor Day Monday.

View of part of the island and kitchen

At the other end of the kitchen.

Doesn't everyone have their computer in the kitchen and veggies everywhere??

There's even canning jars under the table on a chair!

The ketchup cooking at it's earlier stage before it was transferred into a different pot. 

Don't you like our recycling center?? A bag hanging on a knob and a box for the paper???

This is the cupboard in the basement....

and the other side.....

I started stashing tomatoes on another shelf downstairs. That shelf will have to be reorganized soon to accommodate the rest of "The Italian's" tomatoes!! 

While I was down there taking pics, I took this pic of the chest freezer and all it's frost!!

So, I defrosted it , reorganized and it's still full!!

There are also two side by side refrigerator/freezers, garlic hanging and potatoes stored in baskets.

I think you get the picture!!

What's been going in or out of your Cupboard lately.....and how's your mess???

Thursday's Kitchen Cupboard..................8/30/2012

With all the produce coming in, the days have been long. I think I'm keeping up pretty well considering. This past week I have canned Tomatoes and Tomato Puree almost daily. I also made some meals and froze them.

This is the Zucchini & Tomato Bake that Dave posted a few weeks ago here. 

We just love it! I have made several and froze them for use over the winter!! I only made one adjustment to his recipe. I sprinkled some seasoned breadcrumbs in between the layers.

Here are a couple of the Tomato Bakes packaged and ready for the freezer.

I also made several Eggplant Parmigiana and froze them too. They are the thicker packages at the bottom of the pile.

Another time consuming canning project was making the tomato salsa, recipe here. I stayed up late on Tuesday evening and made 8 pints. That's enough to get ME through the year! I will also make some Green Tomato Salsa.

Some other things that were frozen this week were Chinese Red Noodle Beans and Asparagus Beans. I think we have enough of the Chinese Beans frozen. But, we can definitely use some more Asparagus Beans in the freezer.

What's been going in or out of your Kitchen Cupboard lately???

Thursday's Kitchen Cupboard.........8/16/2012

With all of the harvesting going on around here and my 11-12 hour days away for work, it's been quite a task keeping up on the preserving! To top things off, last weekend we froze corn. My mother orders corn from a local farm and picks it up within minutes of it being harvested. She showed up on Saturday morning with 150 ears of beautiful sweet corn to be processed!

They pick the corn at 8:30 in the morning. So, Sophia was here at 9 to help me get set-up outside. First, we husked the corn on the round table on the deck. Next we set-up for the Big Sweet Corn Processing.

The Corn was blanched in this pot on a propane burner on the upper porch.

Next, it was cooled in ice water

Then the kernels were removed from the cob. 

We had a great set-up and nice weather! The whole process took us about 3 hours. My mother put her corn in freezer boxes with plastic bags inside. She had those boxes for years. My corn was put on trays, flash frozen and the next day vacuumed sealed in bags. I think we will have enough corn for quite some time! 

The worst part was cleaning up after we were done. The corn sticks to everything like cement. It's definitely not a job to do in the house.

I also froze some Chinese Red Noodle Beans this past week......

and some Celery.

Of course tomatoes were canned this week as well! I hope you're all keeping up with preserving your harvests!!

What's been going in or out of your Kitchen Cupboard Lately???