Jalapeno Hot Sauce - or What to do with a Pound of Ripe Jalapenos

Yesterday I picked about 75 ripe jalapeno and cherry bomb peppers. There is no way I'm going to be able to use all those peppers fresh, and since I use hot sauce very regularly, I decided to make my own.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 – 1.5 lbs (about 60-70) fresh ripe jalapeno peppers, sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup minced onion
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 cups water
2 cups distilled white vinegar

Directions:

Prepare 1/2 pint canning jars per manufacturer's instructions.

Slice the peppers - wear gloves if desired.

In a non-reactive sauce pan over high heat, combine oil, peppers, garlic, onion and salt; saute for 5 minutes. Add the water and cook for 20 minutes, stirring often. You may wish to do this outdoors! Whew!


Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool to room temperature.


Transfer the mixture to a food processor and puree until smooth.


Strain liquid through a sieve into a clean saucepan, discarding solids. It's a pretty color!

Whisk in vinegar.

Return to a boil. Turn off heat.


Ladle hot sauce into a sterilized jars and adjust two piece lids. Process in hot water bath 15 minutes.


Since these are 8oz jars, when ready to use, I'll decant into a squeeze bottle to keep in the fridge.

Alternatively, skip the hot water bath and store in refrigerator up to 4 months.

This will heat things up!



Until next time, Eat Well & Keep Digging!


The Gastronomic Gardener
Garden blog http://amidwestgarden.blogspot.com/
Cooking blog http://ihopeyouarehungry.blogspot.com/
Twitter - @gastrogardener
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email: thegastronomicgardener at gmail dot com

Pickled Jalapenos

The Jalapenos have mostly ripened all at once. I can't use them all fresh and I do love pickled Jalapenos, so that's what I did, canning three pints. These should be nice bright spicy accents in a few weeks.

I tend to eat them right out of the jar, but they are good additions to other dishes as well.

Pickling peppers is easy - use equal amounts of vinegar and water, add a bit of salt, some pepper corns, bay leaf, sugar.

Makes 3 pints

Ingredients:
2 lbs of jalapenos, sliced about 1/3" thick
3 cups water
3 cups white vinegar
1 tablespoon pickling salt
1.5 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
3 bay leaves
3 garlic cloves





Directions:
Prepare jars according to manufacturers instructions.

Combine all ingredients except peppers in a big pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.

Pack pepper slices into hot jars leaving 1/4" head space.

Ladle pickling liquid over peppers leaving 1/4" head space, wipe rims, adjust 2 piece caps and process 10 minutes in hot water canner.

After canning, allow flavors to develop a few weeks before using.

Until next time, Eat Well & Keep Digging!


The Gastronomic Gardener
Garden blog http://amidwestgarden.blogspot.com/
Cooking blog http://ihopeyouarehungry.blogspot.com/
Twitter - @gastrogardener
http://www.facebook.com/TheGastronomicGardener
email: thegastronomicgardener at gmail dot com

Canned Marinara

The Romas are finally starting to come in, but there is not enough for a huge batch of sauce. I did however find a recipe for Marinara that only calls of 8lbs of tomatoes.

*If you are not comfortable canning this, you could always freeze it.

Let's give it a go...


Makes 4+ pints

Ingredients:

8 lbs. ripe Roma (plum) tomatoes

1-1/3 cups onions, finely minced

2/3 cup celery, finely minced

3 cloves garlic finely minced

1-1/3 cups carrots finely minced

2/3 cup olive oil

1-1/4 teaspoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Salt to taste

Directions:

Prepare 4 glass pint canning jars, lids and bands

Peel Tomatoes

Drop tomatoes into boiling water, a few at a time.
Let the water return to a boil, then remove the tomatoes and drain. Peel and chop.

In a large pot, cook the onion, garlic, celery, and carrots in the olive oil, covered over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring a few times.

Uncover and stir over heat for 5-10 minutes longer, or until the vegetables are very soft and a little gold.

Add the tomatoes, sugar, and pepper and simmer gently, covered for 15 minutes.

Puree the sauce through the medium disc of food mill. You could used a food processor and run through a fine colander

Return to pot, add basil and oregano,  cook at a simmer until desired consistency is reached, about 20-40 minutes, stirring often.

Add salt to taste. If you prefer a smooth sauce, work the sauce through the fine disc of a food mill.  

Ladle hot sauce into prepared hot jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
Remove air bubbles.

Wipe rim.

Center hot lid on jar. Apply band and adjust until finger tight.

Process jars in a boiling water canner for 35 minutes, adjusting for altitude.

Remove jars and cool. Use in the dead of winter, think of the warmer months, and smile!

Until next time, Eat Well & Keep Digging!


The Gastronomic Gardener
Garden blog http://amidwestgarden.blogspot.com/
Cooking blog http://ihopeyouarehungry.blogspot.com/
Twitter - @gastrogardener
http://www.facebook.com/TheGastronomicGardener
email: thegastronomicgardener at gmail dot com

Dill pickles

The other day while I was smoking some pork butts for BBQ I had some time on my hands as well as about 5 lbs of cucumbers. I've made sweet pickles, I've made relish. Dill pickles would round out my pickle storage requirements. I used the recipe right out of the Ball Blue Book.

While I didn't have as many pickles as suggested for the recipe I figured if I had a little extra pickling liquid that would be OK. It's very inexpensive.

Ingredients:

8 lbs 4-6 inch cucumbers split

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup canning salt

1 quart each: vinegar, water

3 TBS mixed pickling spices

dill

garlic (1 clove per jar)

Jalapenos - 1/2 per jar

Directions:

Wash cucumbers, drain.

Split lengthwise and trim off a little the blossom end. (I ended up quartering them to fit the jars better)

Combine, sugar, salt, vinegar and water in a large sauce pot.

Tie spices in a spice bag (I used cheese cloth), add spice bag to vinegar mixture.

Bring to boil then simmer for 15 minutes.

Pack cucumbers into sterile jars, add jalapeno slice, dill and clove of garlic to each jar.

Ladle pickling liquid over cucumbers leaving 1/4" head space.

Adjust two piece caps. Process pints and quarts 15 minutes in boiling water canner.

I got 6 pints out of this and maybe a cup of left over pickling liquid. Incidentally, this was the first canning I've done where a jar didn't seal.  That's OK, it's in the fridge and I'll eat them up soon!

Until next time, Eat Well & Keep Digging!

The Gastronomic Gardener

Garden blog http://amidwestgarden.blogspot.com/
Cooking blog http://ihopeyouarehungry.blogspot.com/
Twitter - www.twitter.com/DavidPOffutt
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email: thegastronomicgardener at gmail dot com

Cowboy Candy - Sweet pickled Jalapenos

I saw this recipe over at http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/. The site over there is fantastic, please go check out her witty postings and fantastic food!  What a great idea, I have to try it!  It's been months since I broke out the canning equipment, but I have to for this...

These instructions come from  this page: http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/blog/2010/05/23/candied-jalapenos-cowboy-candy/.  Additional comments in Italics are mine

So lets make them!

Yield: About 9 half-pint jars of Candied Jalapenos plus additional jalapeno syrup. (I got 3 pints plus 1 pint of syrup)


Ingredients:
3 pounds fresh, firm, jalapeno peppers, washed
2 cups cider vinegar
6 cups white granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon celery seed  (I substituted mustard)
3 teaspoons granulated garlic
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Wearing gloves, slice the peppers into uniform 1/8-1/4 inch rounds (using a mandolin made this process much faster than a knife and all the slices are consistant). Set aside.

In a large pot, bring cider vinegar, white sugar, turmeric, mustard seed, granulated garlic and cayenne pepper to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the pepper slices and simmer for exactly 4 minutes.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer the peppers, loading into clean, sterile canning jars to within 1/4 inch of the upper rim of the jar.

Turn heat up under the pot with the syrup and bring to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for 6 minutes.

Use a ladle to pour the boiling syrup into the jars over the jalapeno slices. Insert a cooking chopstick or the canning tool to the bottom of the jar two or three times to release any trapped pockets of air. Adjust the level of the syrup if necessary. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, damp paper towel and fix on new, two-piece lids to finger-tip tightness.

*If you have leftover syrup, and it is likely that you will, you may can it in half-pint or pint jars, too. It’s wonderful brushed on meat on the grill or added to potato salad or, or, or… In short, don’t toss it out!

Place jars in a canner, cover with water by 2-inches. Bring the water to a full rolling boil. When it reaches a full rolling boil, set the timer for 10 minutes for half-pints or 15 minutes for pints. When timer goes off, use canning tongs to transfer the jars to a cooling rack. Leave them to cool, undisturbed, for 24 hours. When fully cooled, wipe them with a clean, damp washcloth then label.

Store for at least 2 weeks, preferably 4 before using.

Thanks again http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/ for this fabulous recipe.

Until next time, Eat Well & Keep digging!
The Gastronomic Gardener
Garden blog http://amidwestgarden.blogspot.com/
Cooking blog http://ihopeyouarehungry.blogspot.com/
Twitter - www.twitter.com/DavidPOffutt
http://www.facebook.com/TheGastronomicGardener

Apple Butter - a taste of autumn preserved!

Yesterday the DW and I went out to an apple orchard to walk around, get some apples, and some apple cider donuts. The doughnuts were sublime, light, fluffy and warm, they almost melt in your mouth, but I digress.

We ended up with 1/2 a peck each of Jonagold and Honeycrisp. DW prefers the Jonogold, I like the Honeycrisp. That's about 20 lbs of apples.  It is unlikely we'll eat that many out of hand so I immediately started looking in my canning book for recipes. I decided to make some apple butter, if you are not familiar with it, it is like very thick and highly spiced applesauce - great on toast for breakfast instead of jam or jelly. I used the Honeycrisp for this  recipe.


Canned Apple Butter  - Makes 3 pints.

Ingredients:
4 lbs apples, peeled, cored and quartered.
2 cups water
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground clove

Honeycrisp are large heavy fruit - here is the 4 lbs!

Using the super peeler, (no I don't feel like I am cheating) all I have to turn the crank! This makes very short work of the apples. All peelings go right out to the compost pile.

To make the apple puree, put the prepped apples into a large pot with 2 cups of water. 

Simmer until soft.

Run the cooked apples through the food mill with the largest screen - you want a puree not liquid.

Return the puree to the pot, add the sugar and spices.

Cook over medium head until thickened and puree will round up on a spoon. That is, if you scoops some out, it has enough body to be a small mound on a spoon.

Prepare your jars for canning following manufacturers instructions. Here is my filling station.

Fill jars, remove any air bubbles, leave 1/4" head space, adjust 2 piece lids, and process in hot water canner for 10 minutes.

As I had the water canner  already setup and had all the ingredients on hand, I went ahead and  made another batch of the Eggplant Tomato Relish. - another 6 1/2 pints.

As you can see, by this point it was dark outside. I cleaned up and called it a night.


Until next time, Eat Well & Keep digging!


The Gastronomic Gardener
Garden blog http://amidwestgarden.blogspot.com/
Cooking blog http://ihopeyouarehungry.blogspot.com/
Twitter - www.twitter.com/DavidPOffutt

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Eggplant tomato relish

I had eggplant, tomatoes, onions and basil from the garden. So I decide to make this relish.

I got this recipe from the Wednesday July 28, 2010 Chicago Tribune, Good Eating section. Originally, it comes from the Williams-Sonoma "The Art of Preserving" by Rick Fields and Rebecca Courchesne with Lisa Atwood.

It is an updated version of caponata, a Sicilian antipasto. Serve with crusty bread or stirred into linguine or spaghetti.

Ingredients:
2 lbs eggplant sliced 3/4 thick
1/4 cup salt
1.75 lbs tomatoes, peeled, cored, cut in 3/4" dice
4 tbs olive oil
1 onion cut in a rough dice
2 cloves garlic minced
1/3 cup Kalamata Olives
3 tbs lightly toasted pine nuts (these are ridiculously expensive, so much so, that I consider them optional)
2 tbs capers
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup finely sliced basil
salt and pepper to taste

Put eggplant in a colander, sprinkle with the salt, allow to drain for 1 hour. Rinse under cold water, cut into 3/4 inch dice.

Heat 3 tbs oil in large sauce pan. Cook eggplant in batches, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes, transfer to plate.

Add remaining oil to pot, reduce heat to medium low, add onion and cook until tender - about 10 minutes.

Add garlic, cooking stirring often for 2 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes, olives, pine nuts, capers, and vinegar.

Raise heat to high and bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, gently stir in eggplant and basil, simmer until heated through.

Season with pepper (salt if needed, but olives and capers provide salt)

Ladle hot relish into  sterilized jars leaving 1/4" headspace. Wipe rims clean and adjust two piece lids.

Process jar in boiling water canner 20 minutes for 1/2 pints, 25 minutes for pints.

Cool jars, test seals, store. If seal fails, refrigerate that jar for up to two weeks.

I got 2 pints and 1 half-pint from this recipe, plus a little left over. It was delicious with pasta.

Use it up!

Until next time, Eat Well & Keep Digging!.


The Gastronomic Gardener
Garden blog http://amidwestgarden.blogspot.com/
Cooking blog http://ihopeyouarehungry.blogspot.com//
Twitter - www.twitter.com/DavidPOffutt
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Bread and Butter Pickles

I went to the French Market yesterday in Wheaton, Illinois to see what I could see.  Two rows of vendors plying their wares. I did find a farm stand that did not have outrageous prices. So I purchased some pickling cucumbers. When I made the early in the  year the flavor was fine but the texture was a bit disappointing. Reader Brian said to ice the cukes before pickling them I hope it turns out better this time.

Ingredients:
 4 lbs 4-6 inch cucumber cut into slices
2 lbs onions thinly sliced
1/3 cup pickling salt
2 cups sugar
1 tbs mustard seed
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp celery seed ( I substituted fennel)
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
3 cups vinegar

Wash cucumbers.

Slice the cucumbers and combine with onion slices in a large bowl layering with salt.

Cover with ice and let sit 1.5 - 2 hours.

Drain, rinse and drain again.

Combine remaining ingredients in large pot, bring to a boil.

Add drained cucumbers and oinions, return to a boil.

Pack hot pickles and hot liquid into hot jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. remove air bubbles.

Adjust 2 piece caps. Process 10 minutes in a boiling water canner.
Remove from canner and place in cool spot away from drafts or temperature fluctuations.

When cool, check seal and label.

Allow 4 to 6 weeks  for pickles to develop full flavor.


Can't Wait!

Until next time, Eat Well & Keep Digging!

The Gastronomic Gardener
Garden blog http://amidwestgarden.blogspot.com/
Cooking blog http://ihopeyouarehungry.blogspot.com/
Twitter - www.twitter.com/DavidPOffutt
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Canned Tomato Sauce - Summer in a Jar!

I have a good pile of tomatoes that I'm never going to be able to eat while fresh so I decided to can some up for the cold winter nights. I can already taste some delicious pasta made from the summer's harvest.

I started with a big bag (2 gallon) of tomatoes quartered.

Put them in a big pot with some garlic, dried oregano and basil, and a little bit of olive oil. The exact recipe in in the Balls  Blue book - guide to canning and preserving.

Cook them down until quite soft.- about 20-30 minutes.

I have a new gadget, a food mill. This will make it easy to remove the skins and seeds. It's wet because I just washed it prior to using it the first time.

Run the cooked tomatoes through the mill.

Cook down the tomato sauce until the volume is reduced by half.

Then can as normal - adding 1 TBS on lemon juice to each jar prior to filling with sauce.

I processed them for 35 minutes per the instructions for pint jars. And voila! Summer in a jar!

Until next time, Eat well and keep digging!

The Gastronomic Gardener
My garden blog http://amidwestgarden.blogspot.com/
My cooking blog http://ihopeyouarehungry.blogspot.com/
Twitter - www.twitter.com/DavidPOffutt
http://www.facebook.com/TheGastronomicGardener

Canning some salsa

Since I have so many tomatoes, I decided to make some salsa.

The recipe is based on one from a colleague of mine. His salsa is always a hit in the office.

Tomato Salsa (Spicy)


Yield – 4 pints

5 cups chopped peeled seed tomatoes
1 ½ cups roasted seeded long green chiles
½ cup finely chopped roasted jalapenos seeded and skinned (per taste)
3 chopped roasted Serrano peppers seeded and skinned (per taste)
4 cups chopped onions
1 cup bottled lemon juice
6 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 TBS ground cumin
1 TBS salt
1 tsp ground black pepper

Here are the ingredients

Did you catch whta I forgot to lay out? That's right, the onions.

Roast the peppers  till they are charred. Place in a paper bag to steam and further loosen the skins.

While the peppers are charring, bring a pot of water to boil to blanch the tomatoes. Plunge the tomatoes a few at a time until the skins loosen, remove from pot and put in colandar. Repeat until done.

Peel, and seed the tomatoes and peppers. Chop them up. Put all ingredients into a large pot, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Ladle hot salsa into pint jars , leaving 1/2" headspace. Adjust lids and process in a boiling water canner 15  minutes. (at 0-1000 foot altitude). Adjust for your altitude.

After canning stage - allow to rest 5 minutes before removing jars and placing in a dry place.  Follow cooling  and  storage instructions.

We'll see how it is later.

Keep digging and eat well!


The Gastronomic Gardener
My garden blog http://amidwestgarden.blogspot.com/
My cooking blog http://ihopeyouarehungry.blogspot.com/
Twitter - www.twitter.com/DavidPOffutt