Canning Archives - Fresh From Oregon

Homemade Strawberry Lemon Jam

May 26, 2016 · by Carrie Trax ·

Once you taste your own homemade strawberry jam, you’ll never want store-bought again! With the strawberries coming into season here in Oregon I need to get my water bath canner out and jars washed to make my strawberry lemon jam. The last few years I have been using the recipe for strawberry lemon jam from the Ball® Blue Book. The lemon peel gives this jam just another layer of flavor. When I first got married I wanted to make jam and the first one I made was strawberry. It is easy and simple to make and when you taste it you will feel like you are eating fresh strawberries. Make sure you make enough to last throughout the year since strawberries season is usually about a month long depending on your weather.

Homemade Strawberry Lemon Jam
1/4 cup thinly sliced lemon peel (about 2 large)*
4 cups crushed strawberries (about 4 pints)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
6 tablespoons Ball^® RealFruit™ Classic Pectin
6 cups sugar
7 (8oz) half pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands

Prepare boiling water canner. Heat jars in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Wash lids in warm soapy water and set bands aside.
Combine lemon peel and water to cover in a 6- or 8-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil for 5 minutes, until peel is softened. Drain and discard liquid. Return peel to pan.
Add strawberries and lemon juice to peel and mix well. Gradually stir in pectin. Bring mixture to a full rolling that can not be stirred down, over high heat, stirring constantly.
Add entire measure of sugar, stirring to dissolve. Return mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off foam if necessary.
Ladle hot jam into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight.
Process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.
* How to make lemon peel with Crisp™ “Tools for Healthy Eating”.

Recipe from ~ Fresh Preserving ~ Ball®

Corn Relish … Summer in a Jar

September 9, 2015 · by Carrie Trax ·

It’s not too late to have that fresh taste of summer preserved for winter. Corn is still in season and combined with peppers, onions and celery it makes the perfect relish. Served over some grilled chicken, steak or added to cooked rice, the flavors will make any dish have that fresh taste of summer. This is also great as a side dish served cold or hot. I like to enjoy this relish throughout the winter so I preserve some jars when the corn is fresh. During the cold winter months I can open up a jar and have that fresh taste of summer.

When making the corn relish I used my new Crisp™ Corn Stripper. WOW did this work fast and easy getting all the corn off the cob. The extra sharp curved blade that conforms to the shape of the corn cob quickly separated the kernels. It is a 2 in 1 tool with the addition of the DESILKER. The sturdy nylon bristles gently remove dirt and stray silk strands leftover from husking the corn. Check out the pictures below to see how it takes off all the corn in less than 15 seconds.

Corn Relish
16-20 ears of fresh sweet corn (8 cups)
2 cups water
3 cups of celery (6 stalks)
1 1/2 cups chopped red sweet pepper
1 cup chopped onion (2 medium)
2 1/2 cups vinegar
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 teaspoons dry mustard
2 teaspoons pickling salt
1 teaspoon celery seeds
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
3 tablespoons cornstarch

Shuck the corn and make sure you get all the silk off the ears. Cut the corn off the cobs, but do not scrape the cobs. Measure 8 cups of corn and put them in a sauce pan with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, cover for 5 minutes or until the corn is almost tender. Drain the water off.

In the same pot, combine the cooked corn, celery, peppers and onion. Stir in vinegar, sugar, mustard, pickling salt, celery seeds and turmeric. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir together cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water; add to corn mixture. Cook, stirring until slightly thickened and bubbly; cook and stir 2 minutes more. The mixture will start to thicken.

This will yield about 5 pints of corn relish. You can place in jars and refrigerate to use later or if you want a longer shelf life see the following directions.
Prepare 5 pint jars by sterilizing them. Ladle the hot relish into jars. Leave a half inch of head space. Wipe the jar rims with a clean towel and top with lids and bands. Process filled jars in a boiling-water canner for 15 minutes. Start timing when the water returns to a boil. Remove jars; cool on wire racks and then store in a cool, dark place. Refrigerate after opening.

Recipe ~ Better Homes & Garden

Crisp™ Zester + Oranges = Perfect Marmalade

January 16, 2015 · by Carrie Trax ·

What’s NEW in kitchen gadgets that every home cook needs to have in the kitchen? Crisp™ “Tools for Healthy Eating”. I received several of their new hand tools to try and since it was January, one of the best times to make homemade marmalade I opened up the Crisp™ Citrus Tool first. The first thing I loved was the ergonomic handle with rubber soft grip, which fits perfect in your hand. I made a double batch of orange marmalade and zested a dozen pieces of citrus so I gave this tool a real workout. Another great feature is it’s a 4 in 1 tool, it has a scoring blade, channel knife, and two zesting blades.

I wanted larger pieces of zest, about 1-inch long, for my marmalade so I used the top zester on my oranges and lemons. If you wanted a finer zest this tool has a second fold out zester blade built right into the handle. It has premium stainless steel blades and is dish washer safe. This multi-use Crisp™ Citrus Tool will become one of your favorite tools in the kitchen. So bring out the Zest in your Kitchen! Check out some of their other tools: Herb Mincer, Wavy Knife, Corn Stripper and so much more!

Orange Marmalade
4 medium oranges
2 medium lemons
2 1/2 cups water
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 box powdered pectin
1/2 teaspoon butter
5 1/2 cups sugar

Remove the colored part of the peel from oranges and lemons using the Crisp™ Citrus Tool. Place the orange and lemon peels, water and baking soda in a large saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and let simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the inside fruit of the orange and lemon and cut into small pieces and save any juice. Add to the peels after it has simmered 20 minutes. Cover and simmer an additional 10 minutes. Stir pectin into prepared fruit and add butter to reduce foaming. Bring mixture to full rolling boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon.

Carefully ladle hot marmalade immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids and screw bands on. Process jar in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Remove and cool.

Marmalade is perfect on your morning toast, bagels or English muffin. Add some marmalade to cream cheese and it’s perfect for stuffed french toast!

The recipe above is perfect to make Blood Orange Marmalade, just substitute 6 blood oranges for the regular oranges and lemons.

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Jalapeno Dip is it Sweet or is it Hot …

September 1, 2014 · by Carrie Trax ·

It’s a jalapeno dip that is “Sweet” & “Hot” and you just can not stop eating it. There are only two ingredients in the dip but you need to have a jar of homemade “Cowboy Candy” on hand to make this dip. Cowboy candy is easy to make and you can just store the jars in your refrigerator. I use so many jars of this that I get jalapeno peppers in season Fresh From Oregon and process them in a hot water bath and store them on my shelf. Jars of “Cowboy Candy” are great to give as a gift or perfect to have on hand for guests that just stop over. These sweet & hot jalapeno slices also can be added to many other things like sandwiches, chili or just enjoy eating them from the jar!

Jalapeno Sweet & Hot Dip

1 – 4 oz. jar Cowboy Candy, chopped

8 oz cream cheese, softened

Mix together and serve with nacho chips or crackers.

Cowboy Candy ~ Pickled Jalapenos

1 lb fresh jalapenos

2/3 cup cider vinegar

2 cups sugar

2 tablespoons mustard seed

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Slice jalapenos. Mix cider vinegar, sugar, turmeric, celery and mustard seed, garlic, and cayenne to boil. Reduce for 5 minutes to a simmer. Add jalapenos at the simmer for 20 minutes more. Cool to lukewarm and place in glass canning jars (I use the 4oz size it is perfect for the recipe above) or one big glass jar or container. Store in refrigerator until ready to use. If you would like to can some follow recipe below.

If you want to can them you need to simmer the jalapenos for 5 minutes once you add them to the liquid. Load sterilized jars with jalapenos first and add liquid filling the jars leaving a 1/4 head space. Process in a water bath for 15 minutes. Makes 8 (4 oz) jars.

“Fresh from Oregon” Summer Canning

August 18, 2013 · by Carrie Trax ·

With all the Fresh from Oregon produce coming in I have been busy preserving that fresh taste. I have filled my pantry to have that Fresh from Oregon taste all winter long. And I have been doing my favorite thing of the year, entering the local county fair. Each Saturday for the past 4 weeks I have been going to the farmer’s markets which are just overflowing with fresh produce. I then spend the next few days turning all that fresh produce into works of art. I have pickled beans, asparagus, carrots, peppers and beets. I turned little pickling cucumbers into Bread & Butter pickles, sweet slicers and garlic dills. I have made Fresh from Oregon fruits like peaches, blueberries and cherries into pie filling. Colorful jars of peaches, pears, fruit cocktail, blueberries and cherries line my shelves. I have jars with diced tomatoes and tomato sauce that are waiting for me to open during that winter snow storm and become that big pot of chili. No pantry would be complete without jars of jellies, jams and conserves. My family enjoys this fresh from Oregon taste all year long and I enjoy giving jars as gifts to family and friends. August and September are two great months to preserve the summer harvest for you to enjoy when things are not fresh in season. I will be sharing some of my easy and favorite canned good recipes in the upcoming weeks.

Grandma’s Garlic Dill Pickles

11 cups water
5 cups white vinegar
1 cup canning salt
12 pounds pickling cucumbers, quartered, halved or left whole
9 dill sprigs
18 garlic cloves
18 dried hot chilies
In a stockpot bring water, vinegar and salt to a boil; boil for 10 minutes. Pack pickling cucumbers in pint or quart jars to within 1/2″ to top. Place one dill head, two garlic cloves and two peppers in each jar.

Carefully ladle hot mixture over cucumbers in the jar leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove any air bubbles, wipe rim and place on a lid and ring and finger tight. Process for 15 minutes in a boiling-water canner. Remove from canner and sit on a towel for 24 hours. To check to see if they are sealed press the ring and if you hear no click they are ready to place on your shelf. To get the best flavor do not open for at least 6 weeks. Store in a cool place and do not store in direct light. If you have any jars that did not seal place in your refrigerator and enjoy in six weeks. I learned to can by reading the Ball Blue book and would recommend it for any beginner canner.

My Fresh from Oregon Pantry of vegetables and fruits!

Fresh Blackberry Apple Jelly

July 19, 2013 · by Carrie Trax ·

If the word homemade jelly makes you think wow that’s a lot of work and looks so hard to do I am here to change your mind. I have been making my own jam for 30 years and I always thought jelly was a lot of work until I decided I was going to give it a try last year. At first I went to the store and bought a jelly strainer with the washable cheesecloth and started to make my first batch. It was easy to take the fruit, add some water and let it cook down for about 5 minutes. So with my cheesecloth lined strainer I added my fruit and juices only to discover the store bought metal strainer was not as sturdy as I thought and the cheesecloth did not hold all my cooked down fruit. I did eventually get all the juice into a bowl and made my first jelly but I needed a better way to strain my juice from the fruit. One Saturday morning my husband and I went to an estate sale and there in front of my eyes was a vintage jelly strainer. For $5 I could not pass it up and had to give it a try. After making my first batch of jelly in this vintage jelly strainer I was hooked. I have found 2 more since at estate sales and sometimes I have 3 different batches of jelly going at one time. With blackberries Fresh From Oregon this week it was time for me to make a batch of blackberry apply jelly. So if you have been thinking about making homemade jelly just hit a few estate sales and come home with your own vintage strainer and get started.

Fresh Blackberry Apple Jelly
3 pounds blackberries (2 1/2 quarts)
1 1/4 cup water
8 medium apples
Bottled apple juice (maybe)
1/4 cup lemon juice
8 cups sugar
2 pouches (3oz each) liquid fruit pectin

In large sauce pan, bring blackberries and 1 1/4 cup water to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Line a stainer with a double layer of cheesecloth and place over a bowl. Place berry mixture in strainer and let stand for 30 minutes or until you think all the juice has strained out. Reserve the juice and discard the pulp.

Remove and discard the stem and blossom ends of the apples (do not peel or core), cut into small pieces. Place in large saucepan with just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until apples are tender. Place apples in cheesecloth lined strainer and leave for 30 minutes. Reserve juice and discard pulp.

Measure the reserved blackberry and apple juice to 4 cups each. If necessary, add bottled apple juice to get to the 4 cups. Stir in lemon juice and sugar and mix until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Stir in the two packets of liquid pectin; return to a full rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat; skim off foam. Ladle into hot jars, leaving a 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe the rims of the jar and adjust the two-piece cap. Process 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. Remove jars from canner and set on a towel to cool.

Source ~ Taste of Home Canning & Preserving magazine

Homemade Apricot Jam

July 15, 2013 · by Carrie Trax ·

Fresh apricots can be found in our local farmers markets this week in Oregon. This small orange golf ball size fruit is perfect eaten fresh or if you want that delicious flavor all year it makes some of the best jam. You only need a few ingredient to turn this Fresh From Oregon fruit into a sweet jam you can enjoy throughout the year. My husband enjoys this apricot jam on his toast but it can be added to so many other things. It is perfect for using as a filling in your cookies like thumbprints, and apricot bars. You can even heat apricot jam in a small saucepan and use as a glaze for grilled chicken and salmon. So add this to your canning list this year and see what you can use it for and please share in the comments below.

Homemade Apricot Jam
8 cups apricots, crushed
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 box powdered pectin
6 cups sugar

To crush the apricots cut them into small pieces and with a potato masher crush into small pieces. I find it easier to place in a food processor on pulse only to get the small size pieces I need. Place the crushed apricots, lemon juice and powdered pectin into a large pot. Stir until the pectin is mixed in thoroughly. Bring to a gentle boil, add the sugar all at once. Stir for at least 2 minutes to make sure all the sugar is mixed in. Bring the mix back to a boil that can not be stirred down and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and skim off any foam from the surface. Ladle hot jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Adjust two-piece cap and process for 15 minutes in a boiling water bath. Remove and sit on a towel to cool.

Source ~ Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving

Summer Pickled Vegetables

September 16, 2012 · by Carrie Trax ·

If you have a garden or go to a local farmers market you will see an abundance of vegetables at this time of the year. Making pickled vegetables is a great way to preserve that summer taste so you can enjoy it all winter long. A jar of pickled vegetables makes a great gift during the holidays and is perfect for the hoilday dinner table.

2 heads cauliflower, small pieces
1 head broccoli, small pieces
1 cup peeled pickling onions
1 each green, yellow & orange peppers, small pieces
2 cups carrots, 1/2″ rounds
12 pickling cucumbers, 1/2″ rounds
8 small hot peppers, strips
1/2 cup canning salt
2 quarts vinegar
3 cups sugar
4 teaspoons mustard seed
4 teaspoons celery seed

In large bowl combine cauliflower, broccoli, onions, peppers, carrots, pickling cucumbers and hot peppers. Sprinkle with the pickling salt, cover with crushed ice and let stand 3 hours. Drain vegetables; rinse well. Combine vinegar, sugar, mustard seed and celery seed in a large 8 quart pot. Bring to a boil; add vegetables and simmer 5 minutes. Pack hot into hot pint jars and add enough liquid leaving a 1/4-inch headspace. Add lid and band and process in a hot water bath 10 minutes.

Adapted from ~ Ball Blue book

Buttermilk Biscuits & the Best Peach Jam

September 1, 2012 · by Carrie Trax ·

If it is Saturday then you will find me at the Gresham’s Farmers Market seeing what is fresh this week in Oregon. With an empty bag in one hand and my dog Sage in the other we started down the aisles to fill our bag. We see some of the early apples that are just coming into season and a few early pears but what catches my eye at almost all the produce booths are still the fresh peaches that are still in season. One of the vendors offers me a piece of the peach and I thought of the peach jam I made earlier this month and decided that buttermilk biscuits and peach jam where going to be on the dinner plate tonight. I also bought a couple pounds of peaches for a special treat for breakfast tomorrow. So check out the post tomorrow and next week to see what else I filled my bag with.

Buttermilk Biscuits

3 cups Bob’s Red Mill white flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and butter until crumbly. Mix in buttermilk, egg and just enough water to make workable dough. Mix the dough until it is just barely combined (don’t over mix). Roll the dough onto a floured cutting board about 1 inch thick. Cut with a 2 inch biscuit cutter. Place on a greased baking sheet a few inches apart and bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Makes about 12-15 biscuits, depending how thick you make them.

Best Peach Jam

8 cups pitted peeled, chopped, slightly mashed peaches
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
6 tablespoon powdered fruit pectin
7 cups sugar
1 tablespoon finely chopped crystallized ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated ginger root
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Zest of 1/2 lemon

Sterilize the jars, rings and lids according to manufacturer’s directions.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring the peaches and lemon juice to a boil. Add the pectin and return the mixture to a boil. Stirring constantly, slowly add the sugar. Stir in the crystallized ginger, fresh ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and lemon zest and continue to boil, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and skim any foam from the top of the jam.

Carefully pour the jam into the sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch space between the jam and the neck of the jar.
Cover with the lids and screw the bands on. Hot water bath for 10 minutes.

Source: Peach Jam ~ Food.com