I’m beginning to harvest some of the peppers growing in my garden. Now is a great time to make some pepper jelly. It is really important to follow the directions in a tested recipe as the ingredients in this recipe are lower in acid than other jellies made of fruit. My family really enjoys taking a jar of this jelly and pouring it over a brick of cream cheese. This makes a really easy appetizer when served with crackers. It also goes well with roast beef.
Pickled beets are another way to enjoy one of the lesser used vegetables. The process for making pickled beets is really pretty easy. Just remember that you want to leave one inch of stem and one inch of root on the whole beet when cooking them before beginning the pickling process. Leaving some stem and root intact prevents color loss in the beets; also called bleeding. After the beets have cooled, it will be an easy task to slip the skins off the beets.
Most pickled beets call for pickling spices. This is readily available at grocery stores, or you may choose to make your own. The Ball Blue Book contains an easy to follow recipe for pickling spice.
Follow this and any tested canning recipe exactly for best and safe results. Enjoy!
Do you struggle with what to make for dinner? Families today have very busy schedules and often we don’t think about what’s for dinner until it is time to eat. With a little planning you can have wonderful home cooked meals ready to take from the freezer, put in the oven and your family can be eating a in about an hour!
Here are a few helpful tips for preparing meals for the freezer.
Planning ahead helps you to take control of your family dinners making meal time enjoyable for everyone!
Vacuum sealers are machines that are marketed for vacuum packaging food at home. There are many different models available but these machines are intended to extend the storage time of refrigerated foods, dried foods and frozen foods. I bought one to use with freezing meats and leftovers to keep the quality better for a longer period of time. The benefit of removing the air before sealing is the increased storage time of refrigerated, dried and frozen foods. If the air is not removed, oxygen can cause fats to develop rancid flavors and change the food’s color, texture and flavor. Vacuum seal bags are designed to help keep meat and other foods fresh in the freezer by preventing the loss of moisture and the development of freezer burn.
What vacuum sealers do not do is make a product that needs to be refrigerated shelf stable. The removal of oxygen from a food package doesn’t eliminate all bacterial growth; it just changes the type of growth that can occur. Temperature control is critical for safe vacuum-storage. If foods that require refrigeration are vacuum sealed then left at room temperature, there is a risk of harmful bacteria growing and causing illness. This also means that frozen items that are vacuum sealed should be thawed in the refrigerator, NEVER on the counter.
To avoid risks when vacuum sealing follow these safe food handling tips:
Remember to always follow safe food handling practices and enjoy the benefits of vacuum sealing foods.
One of the questions we often hear when folks are canning is: What is the difference between Hot Pack and Raw Pack? Obviously, the main difference is that one style involves totally raw food while the other method uses partially cooked food. Both styles of pack have benefits; select the best pack for the situation.
Raw Pack is often used when canning vegetables in the pressure canner. This is an easy method; clean and slice the fruit or vegetable and pack tightly into the jar. Air is often trapped between pieces of raw food and this air can be difficult to eliminate. Trapped air can cause a loss of liquid during the canning process, floating fruit, or discoloration of the food after a few months of storage.
Hot Pack foods are heated to a boil followed by simmering for about 5 minutes. Precooking shrinks the foods, allowing you to fit more food inside the jar. Air is not trapped inside the food (so fruit will not float) or between the pieces of food, which can cause loss of liquid in the jars. Also, the best quality of some foods, like pears, is obtained by using a hot pack.
No matter which pack you choose for your food, remember to always use boiling water, broth, or juice to fill the jars. Happy canning.
Summer canning time is one of my favorite times of the year. We get many calls from people learning to can or trying something new. It is fun to teach people proper canning methods. There are so many different options available to us with the recipes tested by the USDA, National Center for Home Food Preservation, Extension Resources, and the Ball Blue Books.
Pickled carrots are yet another way to serve a delicious and nutritious vegetable. Carrots that are small, young, and tender produce a great canned product. You may want to try pickling some of the first carrots you pull in the garden this summer. The National Center for Home Food Preservation has this recipe available for Pickled Carrots. Enjoy!
Corn will soon be plentiful in both the farmers markets and our gardens. We used to freeze a LOT of corn when our kids were young; now we tend to enjoy it fresh from the garden. Sometimes it is fun to experiment with new recipes. You may want to try this one for Pickled Corn Relish that our friends at the National Center for Home Food Preservation have included on their website. It has a nice combination of garden vegetables and a tangy flavor. Enjoy making some this weekend. Just remember that canning recipes are designed and tested to produce a safe product. Do not alter the recipe in any way.
A rub is a blend of seasonings that is ‘rubbed’ onto the surface of meat before it is cooked. Using a rub is an easy way to dress up beef steaks and burgers with all kinds of seasoning combinations. Seasoning can be fresh or dried or a mixture. Sometimes a small amount of oil is added to the seasonings to make a paste-type rub.
A rub adds flavor only; it does not help tenderize less tender beef cuts.
Simply cover the outside surface of the meat with the seasoning blend prior to grilling. Rubs can be applied just before grilling or, for convenience, a few hours in advance. Just be certain to keep the beef refrigerated until grilling time. Flavors usually become more pronounced the longer the seasoning mixture is on the beef.
There is really no need for a recipe, as such, though we’ve included some in this information. You may use Italian seasoning, Mexican seasoning, or Cajun, as they are already mixed spices. Experiment and try your combination. Suggestions follow below.
RECIPES:
Lemon-Rosemary Rub
Makes enough for 2 pounds beef
Southwestern Rub
Shake together. Makes enough to season 2 pounds of beef
Pepper-Herb Mix
Shake to blend. Makes 1/3 cup
Spicy Seasoning Mix
Shake. Makes 1/3 cup
Easy Greek-Style Rub
Combine all ingredients in small bowl. Makes about 2 tablespoons
