# Canning last weekend



## JohnT (Aug 11, 2014)

Canned some Peach jam (2 batches), some peach-blueberry jam, some bread and butter pickles, and some pickled hot cherry peppers.


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## Julie (Aug 11, 2014)

John, what is the purpose of turning the jars upside down?


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## dralarms (Aug 11, 2014)

I was wondering the same thing.


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## JohnT (Aug 11, 2014)

This is jam and contains fruit pulp,

I turn the jars upside down to have the pulp settle to the bottom of the jar, then wait until it is just starting to solidify, and turn the jars over again. This way the pulp is spread out more and not just a nasty clump at the top of the jar.


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## dralarms (Aug 11, 2014)

Oh, ok. Mine has no pulp.


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## Julie (Aug 11, 2014)

the only jam I make is strawberry and concord grape and I never had any issues with the pulp settling in a clump. I never made peach jam, we always just made peach butter. Peach/blueberry does sound like a good combo. I'm thinking warm buttermilk biscuits with your peach/blueberry jam!

How do you seal the jars, are you using paraffin wax? I would think the jar would not seal being turned upside down.


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## dralarms (Aug 11, 2014)

I seal mine in a water bath. Never heard of sealing with wax.


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## Julie (Aug 11, 2014)

dralarms said:


> I seal mine in a water bath. Never heard of sealing with wax.



That is what I do but my Mom and her whole family used wax. Melt the wax, pour it on the jelly after it has set and cooled, then you place a string in the center of the wax. When we would "open" a jar of jam, all you need to do is pull on the string and the wax popped out. She would then save the wax and reuse it.


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## dralarms (Aug 11, 2014)

My recipe calls for a 10 min bath, I let it ride 20 min.


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## the_rayway (Aug 11, 2014)

Looking yummy JohnT!

I've never heard of the wax method, only boiling water canning. And with that method you never invert because it would kill the vacuum seal.

After the crab apple crush this weekend, I processed 8 litres of juice for the kids. Also spirited sour cherries, and spicy dilly beans. Tomatoes are just starting to ripen, so salsa will be soon!!


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## Julie (Aug 12, 2014)

dralarms said:


> My recipe calls for a 10 min bath, I let it ride 20 min.



10 minutes is plenty, actually it would seal without the water bath. The water bath is just insurance.
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/


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## JohnT (Aug 12, 2014)

Julie, 

My mother used the wax method, but I find that this is more trouble then just sealing using canning lids. 

10 minute boiling hot water bath is all you need. 


Rayway, 

HMMM, salsa? I have a ton of tomatoes. Any chance you could provide your recipe? Is the salsa better than you can get in a store?


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## almargita (Aug 12, 2014)

I never do a hot water bath when canning pickles & peppers, it makes them like mush......... The vinegar brine solution will kill any bacteria that exists, but 
I'm sure the canning police would disagree! I do turn them upside down after adding the hot brine, putting the rings on & they always seal. I make enough to last me about a year. When my kids were home, we would go threw a quart of pickles a week. My peppers & pickles are always very crunchy, if I did the water bath they would be very soft following the recommend methods of the canning police...... Been doing this method for roughly 50 years & still kicking....... I do use the water bath method for non-pickled foods though....... 

Al


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## dralarms (Aug 12, 2014)

I don't do pickles, but would love to do peppers that stayed crunchy. Can you pm me recipe?


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## Julie (Aug 12, 2014)

Al, there are some things I do a water bath and some things I do not and pickles and my zucchini relish are those that I do not do a water bath but I don't turn them upside down either.


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## the_rayway (Aug 12, 2014)

Hey JohnT you bet! I really like HOT salsa, but it would kill my in-laws, so I make a mix.

Here is a favourite of mine:
http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/canned_tomato_salsa/

I sub out the peppers for a mix of mild-extremely hot ones - as long as it's the equivalent amount you're ok to do that 

I also enjoy this one, it's for a small batch and again, I sub out the peppers into mild-hot heat depending on my audience. Also, you can chop the stuff instead of food process if you like a chunkier consistency. I use a food processor for nearly all of my salsa these days.
*Beyond hot*
8 plum tomatoes
1 large onion
4 lg cloves garlic
4-5 jalapenos
2 small hot chili peppers
1/4 c cider vinegar
2t dried cilantro
1t each pickling salt & sugar

Process till almost smooth in blender or processor
Put in pot, add vinegar, cilantro, salt & sugar bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat & boil gently for 15 min or until thickened.
Ladle into jars, with 1/2 inch space. Process for 20 min for 250ml jars, or 500 ml jars. Makes 750 ml.

Finally, for something AMAZING that has nothing to do with tomatoes:
*Apricot-Habanero Salsa*
1 c white vinegar
12 c chopped pitted apricots
2 1/2 c chopped red onion
2 habanero peppers, seeded and chopped
2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 c loosely packed finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup honey
2 cloves of minced garlic
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper

Plonk everything into a bot and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes or until thickened. Pour into pint jars with 1/2 inch headspace and boiling water can for 15 minutes. This is also nice with a hit of lime zest/juice.
Will make approximately 8 pint jars.

Enjoy!! I like to make a nice selection depending on what I've got available and who I'm making it for (like my wine, I give 90% of it away). I have a girlfriend who makes stuff out of purple tomatoes and only sweet peppers, or tomatillos and we swap a few jars of each. Makes for a yummy winter.


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## the_rayway (Aug 12, 2014)

almargita said:


> I never do a hot water bath when canning pickles & peppers, it makes them like mush......... The vinegar brine solution will kill any bacteria that exists, but
> 
> Al



Hey Al, I'm interested to know: do your hot peppers take on a metallic taste when you pickle them? I've been unhappy with my pickled habaneros and would like to find a recipe that does not have that taste. I'm careful with my pots, utensils, etc to use non-reactive, and only my hot peppers get that taste!

Any pointers/recipes to share?


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## ostensibly (Aug 12, 2014)

Rayway, your peach salsa looks tasty. I may borrow that this year, peaches are about to come into season right here. 

I end up with a surplus of chiles each fall and usually pickle them in a salt brine, but last year I started making a fermented relish. It's funky, but so good.







odd, not sure why the pic shows up twice. oh well.


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## the_rayway (Aug 12, 2014)

Recipe please!


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## vacuumpumpman (Aug 12, 2014)

Wow !!

All these great pics and my mouth is watering beyond belief !!

I am going to have to start canning some hot peppers and pickles as I like them both


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## JohnT (Aug 14, 2014)

Rayay, 

I am gonna try your "Beyond hot". Sounds amazing!


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## the_rayway (Aug 14, 2014)

JohnT said:


> Rayay,
> 
> I am gonna try your "Beyond hot". Sounds amazing!



Awesome! I hope you like it. Let me know how it goes.


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## JohnT (Aug 18, 2014)

Canned another quart of hot cherry peppers. Also canned 9 jars of pickle relish.


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## the_rayway (Aug 18, 2014)

Did the Apricot Salsa, raspberry jam (no pectin, low sugar).

DO you have a recipe for the hot peppers JohnT?


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## JohnT (Aug 18, 2014)

*Russian Tears*

Yes, This one was given to me by JamesNGalviston. I tried it last year. I ran out of them by January.

Story: I opened a jar of these peppers during a family hamburger cookout. My niece decided that she wanted to try one. I warned her that they were spicy, which made her want one even more. Well, she took one, ate it, and sat there without any expression as I studied her face for some kind of reaction. 

She really did a good job of suppressing the agony she must have felt. She was desperate to show her toughness. After a minute or two, I noticed a tear run down her cheek. 

"Are you crying??", I asked, "My cooking has never made anyone cry before!". We didn't stop laughing for 10 minutes.

Ever since that day, the peppers have been called "Russian Tears" and are VERY popular with my family. So popular, in fact, that I planted and entire flat of them this year. 

Despite the name, they are not that hot. I like them on burgers, on tuna sandwiches, and even as a small side dish with a steak.

One tip: Make sure that the peppers are of a deep red color. The green ones so not taste nearly as nice and sweet!

Here is James` recipe. I like to also add just a little bit of mustard seed and celery seed 1/4 tsp of each added into each quart jar. 


INGREDIENTS
2 pounds
hot cherry peppers, washed well and dried​6
garlic cloves, halved​3
dried bay leaves​3/4 teaspoon
whole black peppercorns​4 cups
white-wine vinegar (at least 5 percent acidity)​1 1/3 cups
water​1/4 cup
sugar​1 1/2 teaspoons
coarse salt​

Trim cherry pepper stems. Divide peppers, garlic, bay leaves, and peppercorns among 2 quart-size and 1 pint-size sterilized glass jars.
Bring vinegar, water, sugar, and salt to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook until sugar dissolves. Pour hot pickling liquid over peppers, leaving 1/4-inch headspace at tops. Can in water bath for 15 minutes.


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## the_rayway (Aug 18, 2014)

Thanks JohnT! I'm totally going to source a few of these to try 
Great story!


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