Pumpkin Jam - For My Brother

(and the rest of us too)

Pumpkin Jam

5 lbs. pumpkin
1 lb. dried apricots (cut into 8ths, about the size of raisens)
1 lb. raisens
2 lbs. sugar
2 T. lemon juice
2 T. pumpkin pie spice (1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, 1/4 tsp. ginger, 1/8 tsp. cloves)
1 T. ground ginger

Bake pumpkin, puree, add sugar, let set for 12 hours.

Add remaining ingredients, cooking slowly until thickened.

Seal in jars and process for 10 minutes.

I am not sure if this is the recipe that I made a few years ago, but I've used it a couple times this fall. 
Recipe from:  Food.com

"Subway" Banana Peppers

After trying to raise peppers a few years in a row without success, I tried banana peppers this summer and they are actually thriving.   The other day, I found a recipe at this site.  I didn't follow the recipe completely, but here is what I did...

• 4 whole garlic cloves
• enough banana peppers sliced to fill a quart jar
• 4 tsp. salt
• 4 cups white vinegar*
• 4 cups water*

*I could have used a bit less, but I had made some pickles earlier and didn't have enough juices to fully cover the cucumbers, so I used the extra for that.

1. Wash whole banana peppers to remove any dirt. Remove tops from peppers and cut peppers into rings. You can cut them as thick or thin as you want. Also, de-seed if you choose to de-seed your banana peppers.
2. In a large pot, combine water and white vinegar. Heat on high until boiling.
3. Add 4 cloves of garlic to empty jar, then pack banana pepper rings tightly into the jar. Add 4 tsp. salt to the peppers. Pour hot vinegar-water mixture over the peppers. Immediately put on lid and ring.
4. I then placed my jar in the fridge and it sealed enough to store in the fridge for several months.  I won't take it out to shelve it until opened...but it will keep a while that way. 
5. Think I'll wait and try them next week.  That's what they said to do for the refrigerator pickle recipe that I used, so I'll go with that.

Rhubarb Strawberry Jam

I started with a recipe from cooks.com, but really didn't use it...  Here is my approximate recipe:

8 cups rhubarb
9 cups strawberry
a jar full of powdered sugar (didn't have granular sugar)

Brought to a boil for 4 minutes.  Removed from heat and added a few more cups of powdered sugar.  Returned to a boil for 4 minutes.  Pour into sterilized jars and "processed" for 10 minutes.  Extra was put in freezer jars. 

It filled:  4 pints and 6 halfpints

Horseradish Jelly

How to Prepare Horseradish
Horseradish Jelly

I didn't actually puree the horseradish.  I chopped it really fine, but when I was making the jelly the chunks stayed hard, so I boiled for longer.  I'm not sure if it will turn out!  I was cleaning the funnel and the pan afterwards and the drips of excess jelly were hard!  We'll see what the verdict is when dad tries some.  No, I probably won't try it... 

Maybe next year I'll try it with pureed horseradish and a full batch...

Lime-Pineapple Sauce

I started trying to make Pineapple Lime Jam, but couldn't bear to add sugar to so much wonderfully fresh fruit.  Also, not having a proper zester, I just very thinly sliced the lime and chopped it with a kitchen shears.  I did cut off a few spots from the lime.  Then, having looked up Pineapple Sauce, again tweaked the recipe.  This recipe only has 2 tablespoons of sugar.  Much more to my liking!

Lime-Pineapple Sauce

4 cups fresh pineapple, chopped
1 lime chopped, all except seeds
2 tablespoons brown sugar

put in saucepan, cook over med/high heat, pick out unsightly bits of skin that have been "juiced", blend to desired smoothness (with hand blender...or whatever you have), simmer on low to desired thickness, can some and leave a bit out for use in the near future.

Taste test:  Wow!!  It's Limey.  Changing the name:  Lime-Pineapple Sauce!  Oh, well, it will be good with ice cream.

In the future, I might half the lime and double the pineapple, but that's another day or year...or may never revisit this one, just because I like to keep experimenting...not because it is bad.  Please, please, tell me if you have tried this and if you tweak it!

Pumpkin Jam

Pumpkin Pie Spice:

• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Pumpkin Jam Recipe 
     Here I used a little less sugar and a little more spice!

Cold or Raw Pack Pears

Last weekend at Nana's house, she helped me with some cold packing.  It was very simple.  Since she had a dishwasher we sterilized and kept warm the jars in there.  I cut and cored but did not peel the pears.  Then, set some 100% apple juice on the stove to boil.  Once the lids were sterilized and the canning water was hot, we packed the pears in the jars, filled with boiling apple juice, got some bubbles out, covered and placed in the canning water.  The tip I learned was that you wait until the canner is blowing out steam before you set your timer for the processing time (25 minutes for pints and 30 minutes for quarts).  Ta-da!  Last night I bought another lug, so I am hoping the end of the week will be a good time to can those too, and make some more pear jam!

Overnight Apple Butter - Crock Pot

1. (Evening) Cut and core apples (no need to peel), enough to fill your crock pot. 
2. Sprinkle over:  3 cups sugar, 2 tablespoons cinnamon (or more!), 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/4 teaspoon salt.
3. Place crock pot on high for 1 hour.
4. Mix and turn crock pot to low overnight (9+ hours).
5. (Next morning) Mix and uncover for one more hour, stirring occasionally to smooth...you can always blend this to make it really smooth.
6. Can or cool and freeze/refrigerate.

The recipe that I started with called for 5 1/2 pounds of apples...I didn't measure it out, but I have a large crock pot...maybe a 6 quart capacity. 

What about pear butter?  Do you think that would be good?  Would you tweak the recipe at all?  Please comment!!!  :) 

Unsweetened Apple or Pear Sauce - Crock Pot

1. Fill your crock pot with cut and cored apples (no need to peel).
   
2. Place on high for about 4 hours...check at that time to see if the fruit is soft enough to smash.
3. Cool or can.

 

Pears after a few hours in the crockpot.

Canning Applesauce!

So, I made my a batch of applesauce from some free apples and canned it!  This is the first time I have canned in my own kitchen, in my adult life.  My mom used to can things...  Yummy things made from elderberries and mulberries!!  I don't recall her ever making applesauce.  

It was very easy. 

Applesauce
Lots of apples to fill your crockpot (cut and cored...not peeled)
A bit of water
Bake in crockpot until soft/mushy.
Can!

For canning tips I used:

Simply Canning

My neighbor J came over at just the right time to help!  She had been wanting to learn as well, so we went through the steps together.  Mutually confirming that what we were doing was correct (her mom cans also, so she knows bits).