Ready or Not Canning Time is Here...Starting with Chokecherries

Kirk planted Chokecherry trees a few years ago.
This year the trees were loaded with fruit.
I am not real sure how to describe what the fruit taste like.
They are not bitter, sweet or even sour. They taste like
CHOKECHERRIES.

http://ecoplexity.org/node/933

But, they do make wonderful jam and syrup.

So, guess what I was doing today.

Because they are a little tiny berry, I use my steamer/juicer.

Steaming for about 2 hours.

After steaming the berries I had 7 1/2 cups of juice!

Enough to make a batch of Jam (Sure-Jel recipe)

and Syrup.

I found a very yummy syrup recipe at 

MAKE IT DO IT.

Here is the link to her recipe.

It is so simple... ready:

Chokecherry Syrup

from Cali at Make It Do It.

To make the syrup. Add 6 cups of sugar to 3 cups of juice. (Yes I know, it’s a lot of sugar… but it is syrup after all!) Stirring constantly, bring syrup to a rolling boil and let it boil for 1 full minute. This will thicken your syrup… too long and it will be very thick…. not long enough and it’s too runny

Remove the syrup from the stove and add 1/2 tsp. almond extract. 

Using a slotted spoon, skim off the foam from the syrup. Don’t ask me why, but I find this job oddly satisfying. I love how the foam kind of sticks together.

pour the hot syrup into hot and sterilized canning jars. This recipe make 7 half pint jelly jars. I sterilize the jars in my dishwasher and leave them in there to keep warm until I need them. You also want to get your lids ready by simmering them in hot water for a few minutes, but be careful not to boil them. When filling the jars I love to use my wide mouth funnel made for canning. Also be sure to leave at least a 1/4 inch space at the top of the jar.

AT THIS POINT I DID THINGS A LITTLE DIFFERENT

You DO NEED TO PROCESS your jelly and syrup.

I put my jars in my pressure cooker and cooked them without the pressure tab on for 25 mins.

(I process 10 mins longer because we are at a little higher altitude.) 

Pull your jars from the pressure cooker and place on a towel to cool for about 12 hours.

We had waffles for dinner and they syrup was delish!

First Freeze

I always have mixed emotions when this morning comes.

The first freeze arrived this morning.

Leaving all of the garden's plants drooping and done for the season.

With just a little life left, I know the canning season is over for what ever did not get picked.

I will miss my full pumpkin patch and the fruits on all the different garden plants.

 I am grateful for all the tomatoes that we were able to can this year.

The Salsa Verde from the Tomatillo plants, Zucchini Bread and Cookies from our very abundant plants, and Spaghetti Squash wow we had some easy and yummy dinners from this great squash.

I will also miss the onions, bell peppers,  jalapenos and fresh tomatoes for salads and sandwiches and fresh salsa (pico de gallo).

Wordless Wednesday

I just have to say I LOVE this web site for canning instructions. It has easy step by step pictures and easy to understand instructions.

http://www.pickyourown.org/index.htm

http://www.pickyourown.org//peachpickingtips.htm

Say It Is Almost Over!

I am so ready for canning season to be over! We have done 16 quarts of Salsa, 20 quarts of Tomoto Juice, 16 quarts of Veggie Soup, I don't know how many quarts of Stew tomatoes or pints of corn in the freezer.

I still have carrots to can. I have pulled all the onions and am letting them dry right now.

We still have apples to make into sauce and dehydrate, peaches and pears to can but I am So ready to be done!

Oh, but the food collecter in me just will not stop.

I found boneless, skinless Chicken Breast for $1.49 lb So, I cooked and shreaded it and now have 6-12oz. freezer bowls full of it in the freezer too.

I figure it will be awesome to pull out and make enchalada's or chicken noodle soup.

Has anyone ever put meat in bottles? How did it turn out? What do I have to do to proccess it? I would like to go buy more chicken, but I don't have that much freezer space.

Did I say something about wanting to be done canning for the year??? Maybe I am just ready for the mess of supplies to go back out to the storage room!

Scatter Brained and Canning

Ok, I know sometimes/most of the time/ all the time I am a bit scatter brained. Last night had to take the cake for not keeping my mind in one place.

I was busy getting the information I had "gathered" for The Weekly Mailer's "School Zone" ready to send to the Editor, and decided to go outside to talk to Kirk while he was working in the garden. While I was out there, I could see that we had lots of red tomatoes, the next thing I knew I was picking tomatoes, pulling carrots and onions and heading for the house.

A couple of hours later...TADA...Veggie Soup Mix! This batch doesn't have celery, well because I don't have any in my garden, but there are still plenty of more veggies out there and I am sure I will have a couple of batches with celery before the end of fall.

I was just glad when I was done canning I remember what I was doing when I went out to talk to Kirk for a minute. I think I got everything sent to the editor. Who knows maybe he ended up with just a veggie soup recipe!

Veggie Soup Mix:

15-30 carrots, sliced

1 Large Bunch celery, sliced

2 - 5 lbs of Onions, cut in chunks

1/2 Bushel Tomatoes, blanch, peel and crush

1/2 Cup Salt

1 Cup Sugar

1 Cup Pearl Barley

Cook carrots, celery and onions in a large pot with enough water to cover everything for 20 mins. Add Salt and Sugar (I will cut the sugar down a little next time it was just a little to sweet for me) and cook for 10 more minutes or until veggies are tender. Add tomatoes and barley. Cook 5 mins. Bottle, Seal and pressure cook at 15# for 25 mins. It made 9 quarts Recipe from Lorna Arbogast

I like to use this to make Chicken Veggie Soup during the winter, add a can of chicken meat, or cook a boneless, skinless chicken breast in water or chicken broth. When it is done add veggie mix and bring to a warm simmer. OH YEA!!! It is a simple and easy meal during the winter when you are running out the door for a High School Football Game!

First Canning Of The Year

When I got up at 8am I could hear Kirk in the kitchen. I walked in to see he had finished picking, cutting and canning the green beans! Yes, there are only 3 pints but he said if heavenly Father was going to bless the garden with 3 pints of beans he was going to make sure they got taken care of.Now, I know you are all thinking WOW what a guy, but let me tell you, he does have flaws...he leaves the toliet seat up and he loves to run around the house with no clothes on, but I think I can live with that if he is going to help with canning this year!