Yield: 8 cups

3 c Peaches, peeled & chopped
3 c Apricots, chopped
2 c yellow plums, sliced
2 Tb lemon juice
6 c Sugar

In a Dutch oven, combine 2 c each of the peaches & apricots with the
remaining ingredients excepting the margarine. Mash enough to break
the fruit. Stir in the remaining peaches & apricots.

Bring to a slow boil, stirring. Boil, continuing to stir frequently,
for 20 minutes or until setting point is reached.

Ladle into sterile 250mL (half-pint) canning jars leaving 1/2" headspace. Wipe
rim & seal. Process for 5 minutes in a boiling water bath. Remove,
cool, label & store.
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Cranapple Relish
(from _Canadian Living_ magazine)

For each pint of relish:

2 apples
1 1/2 cups cranberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup golden raisins
4 tsp cider vinegar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
dash hot pepper sauce

Peel, core, and chop apples. Chop cranberries coarsely. In heavy saucepan,
stir together apples, cranberries, 3/4 cup water, sugar, onion, raisins, vinegar, cinnamon,
salt, and hot pepper sauce. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; simmer,
stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until thickened and no liquid remains. Ladle into hot sterilized jars and seal. (Or simply refrigerate for up to 3 days.)

* I never bother to chop the cranberries.
* I assumed processing was 20 minutes, like for applesauce.
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Oven dried tomatoes

In large bowl combine:
1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tsp. Lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh chopped (or dried) Parsley
1 Tbl. chopped Rosemary
Dried Pepper flacks to your taste, oppt.
Salt & Pepper to taste

Leave skin on and cut tomatoes in to bite size pieces.
Take out any seeds.
Place tomatoes in the mixture and refrg. for at least 2 hours.
Set oven on lowest temp. Max. 200 degrees.
Take tomatoes out of mixture and spread on cookie sheet. It's OK if they touch.
They will need to Oven dry for about 14 to 16 hours. Size of pieces will determine time.
I put mine in about 7pm and get them out the next morning around 10:30am.

Amount of tomatoes is up to you.
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Sour Cream Walnuts

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups walnuts

Cook and stir sugars and sour cream to soft ball stage (240 degress F on candy thermometer). Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Add walnuts stirring gently til coated. Spread on pan to cool [no stick wax paper helps later removal]
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This next recipe came from KatieC & Annie....

Plum Sauce

4lbs plums
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup chopped onion
2 tbls mustard seed
2 tbls chopped green chili peppers (I used jalapeno)
1 1/4x1 piece of fresh ginger (I used 1/2 tsp ground ginger)
1 tbls salt
1 clove mined garlic
1 cup cider vinegar

Pit & chop plums [don't peel], Combine remiaining ingredients in a large pot, bring to boil, reduce heat. Add plums, cook until thick and syrupy, about 1 1/2 hrs. Ladle hot sauce into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Adjust caps and process 20 minutes in a BWB.

Yeild: about 4 pints.

I adore this on egg rolls and chicken fingers (I don't even like chicken). I also like a bit of it mixed w/ balsamic vinager and over a salad.
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This is my husband's favorite. We've made it when we cut all the green tomatoes off the vines before a hurricane (the vines lived to produce many more) and then at the end of the season when it was going to freeze.

Pickled Sweet Green Tomatoes
10 to 11 lbs of green tomatoes (16 cups sliced)
2 cups sliced onions
1/4 cup canning or pickling salt
3 cups brown sugar
4 cups vinegar (5 percent)
1 tbsp mustard seed
1 tbsp allspice
1 tbsp celery seed
1 tbsp whole cloves
Yield: About 9 pints

Procedure: Wash and slice tomatoes and onions. Place in bowl, sprinkle with 1/4 cup salt, and let stand 4 to 6 hours. Drain. Heat and stir sugar in vinegar until dissolved. Tie mustard seed, allspice, celery seed, and cloves in a spice bag. Add to vinegar with tomatoes and onions. If needed, add minimum water to cover pieces. Bring to boil and simmer 30 minutes, stirring as needed to prevent burning. Tomatoes should be tender and transparent when properly cooked. Remove spice bag. Fill jar and cover with hot pickling solution, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.

Adjust lids and process according to the recommendations in Table 1.

Table 1. Recommended process time for Pickled Sweet Green Tomatoes in a boiling-water canner.
Process Time at Altitudes of
Style of Pack Jar Size 0 - 1,000 ft 1,001 - 6,000 ft Above 6,000 ft
Hot Pints 10 min 15 20
Quarts 15 20 25

This document was extracted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning," Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA. Revised 1994.
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Linda Lou's Apple Pie Jam
4 cups tart apples, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
4 cups sugar
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 box pectin
1/2 teaspoon butter
Add water to chopped apples to measure 4 cups. Place apples and water into large, heavy saucepan. Stir in lemon juice, cinnamon and allspice. Measure sugars. Stir pectin into fruit. Add butter. Bring mixture to full rolling boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Quickly stir in both sugars. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon. Ladle quickly into hot, clean jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands on finger tight. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
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Roasted Red Pepper Spread
6 lb. large red sweet peppers
1 lb. Roma tomatoes
2 large garlic cloves
1 small white onion
2 Tbsp. minced basil
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. coarse salt
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
Roast peppers under broiler or on a grill at 425 degrees until skin wrinkles and chars in spots. Turn over and roast other side. Remove from heat.Place in a paper bag, secure opening, cool 15 minutes. Roast tomatoes, onion, and garlic under broiler or grill 10 - 15 minutes. Place tomatoes in a paper bag. Peel onion and garlic. Finely mince onion and garlic.
Measure 1/4 cup and set aside. Peel and seed tomatoes and peppers. Puree in food processor or blender. Combine in a large pan.Bring to a boil over med.high heat, stir to prevent sticking. Reduce heat, simmer until spread thickens. Ladle hot spread into hot jars, leave 1/4 inch headspace. Process in water bath canner for 10 minutes.
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ANNIE’S SALSA

8 cups tomatoes, peeled, chopped and drained
2 ½ cups chopped onion
1 ½ cups chopped green pepper
3 – 5 chopped jalapenos
6 cloves minced garlic
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp pepper
1/8 cup canning salt
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup vinegar
16 oz. tomato sauce
16 oz tomato paste
Mix all ingredients, bring to a boil, boil 10 minutes. Pour into hot jars, process at 10 lbs of pressure for 30 minutes for pints.

Makes 6 pints
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Roasted Tomato Garlic Soup
Recipe By :Katie
12 tomatoes -- *see Note
2 carrots -- cut in 1" pieces
1 large onion -- quartered
2 whole heads garlic -- peeled (or more, to taste)
olive oil
2 cups chicken broth -- (or 3)

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil -- (or 1 Tbsp. dried)
Core tomatoes and cut in half. Place, cut side up, on foil covered cookie sheet with carrots, onion and garlic. Brush with olive oil. Bake at 400F for about an hour, or until vegies are roasted and a little blackened. Place in a large saucepan with the chicken broth and basil and simmer for about 10 minutes. Blend with a stick blender (or in small batches in a blender) until almost smooth. To can: Process in a pressure canner, pints for 60 min. and quarts for 70 min.For dial gauge canners use 11 pounds pressure at 0-2000 ft., 12 lbs. at 2001-4000 ft., 13 lbs. at 4001-6000 ft. and 14 lbs. above 6000 ft. For weighted gauge canners use 10 lbs. pressure at 0-1000 ft., and 15 lbs. over 1000 ft. *Note: These measurements are approximate...I use whatever it takes to cover the cookie sheet. This makes 1 1/2 to 2 quarts of soup. Cream may be added to taste when the soup is served.
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Habanero Gold Jelly

1/3 cup finely sliced dried apricots
3/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 up finely diced red onion
1/4 cup finely diced sweet red pepper
1/4 cup finely diced habanero peppers, including seeds
OR 1/4 cup diced, combined jalapeno and Scotch Bonnet peppers
3 cups granulated sugar
1 pouch Certo liquid pectin

Cut apricots into 1/8 inch slices. Measure into a large deep stainless steel saucepan with vinegar; let stand 4 hours. Individually, cut onion and seeded peppers into 1/8 inch slices; cut slices into 1/4 inch dice. Measure each ingredient; add to apricots. Stir in sugar.
Over high heat, bring to a full roiling boil. Stirring constantly, boil hard 1 minute. Remove from heat. Immediately stir in pectin, mixing well.
Pour jelly into hot jar, dividing solids equally among jars and filling each jar to within 1/4 inch of top rim. Wipe rims. Apply lids.

Process 10 minutes in BWB. Cool upright, until lids pop down, about 30 minutes. When lids are concave but the jelly is still hot, carefully grasp jar without disturbing lid and invert, twist, or rotate each jar to distribute solids throughout jelly. The jar can be inverted temporarily but do not allow it to stand upside-down for prolonged periods.

Repeat as necessary during the cooling/setting time, until solids remain suspended in the jelly.
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Caraway Pickled Beets

1 quart beets, (about 2 lbs)
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 TBLSP caraway seeds
1/2 tsp pickling salt (optional)
I cup white vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar or 1/4 cup honey

Scrub beets, remove tops but leave tap root and 2 inches of stem. Cook beets in boiling water to cover until the beets test tender to a fork. This will take 20-40 minutes, depending on the size of the beets. Cool beets, slip off the stems and slice or dice them. Combine the beets with the caraway weeds, onion and salt.

For each quart of beets, heat together i cup vinegar, 1/2 cup water, and 1/2 cup sugar. While brine heats, pack the beets into a clean hot quart jar, (NOTE: I pack these in pints, I would never finish a quart of pickled beets). Leave about 1/2 inch head space. Pour the hot brine over the beets to cover. Seal. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Store in a cool, dry place. Do not open for 6 weeks to allow the flavor to develop.
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My other big hit is peach maple jam. This stuff doesn't keep too well once opened, so I put it up in small jars.

5 lbs. peaches
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp. cinnamon

Yields about 10 half pints.

Blanch the peaces in boiling water to cover for 1 minute to loosen the skins. Drain, cool and peel. Remove the pits and chop the peaches very finely. You can use a food processor.

I a large nonaluminum pot, combine the peaches, lemon juice, maple syrup and cinnamon. Bring to a boil and gently boil for 10 minutes until thick. The jam is ready when it begins to hold its shape when dropped onto a cold plate.
(NOTE: I find that I have to cook these jams much longer than the recipe says to get them to firm up. I use the cold plate method to test them that I outlined in the "No pectin jams" thread.)
Skim off any foam on the surface and ladle into hot, sterilized jars, (1/2 pint or 6 oz.), leaving 1/2 inch head space. Seal. Process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes.
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Raspberry Plum Jam

I made this with sour cherries instead of plums

2 cups pitted, finely diced plums (about 1 1/4 lbs)
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries or frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed
5 cups sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 pouch 3 oz. liquid pectin

Mix plums and raspberries in a heavy nonaluminum pot. Add sugar and lemon juice until well blended. Bring to a full, rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in pectin all at once. Return to a full rolling boil, then boil, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from heat and skim off any foam. (NOTE: I'd probably add a 1/2 tsp of butter to prevent excessive foaming). Ladle into hot sterlized 1/2 pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Process in a BWB for 5 minutes. Or can also freeeze.
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Last but not least, my salsa recipe. I got it from an old Woman's Day Magazine or some such, from an article about people who ran produce stands and their favorite recipes. It has more spices and ingredients than most salsa recipes, but that's what I like about it. It is pretty vinegary, so I guess you could use some lemon juice or lime juice, and also distilled vinegar.

Irene's Sassy Salsa

6 lbs. tomatoes, peeled and cut up
4 green sweet peppers (I ususally use a mix of some mild, some bannana, and some poblanos or anaheims if they have them in the store. Be careful, because you don't want more peppers than the recipe calls for)
3 red sweet peppers
1 lb. (2 large) onions, peeled and cut up
at least two jalepenos
1-2 stalks celery
1/4 cup snipped fresh parsley or cilantro
2 TBLSP sugar
2 TBLSP paprika (You can use hot or mild, depending on your taste)
1 TBLSP salt
2 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
2 TBLSP dry mustard
1 TBLSP garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp pepper
1-2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 cups vinegar (or part lemon or lime juice)

Put the chopped veggies and seasonings in a big heavy duty nonreactive pot. Add the vinegar. Bring to a boil, then simmer at least 30 minutes, until very thick. Ladle into hot sterilized jars, (I use the wide mouth 1/2 pints). Process 15 minutes in a BWB.
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GRAPE JAM
2 qts. stemmed Concord grapes
6 c. sugar
Separate pulp from skins of grapes. If desired, chop skins in a food blender or chopper. Cook skins gently 15 to 20 minutes, adding only enough water to prevent sticking (about 1/2 cup). Cook pulp without water until soft; press through a sieve or food mill to remove seeds. Combine pulp, skins and sugar. Bring slowly to boiling, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Cook rapidly almost to jellying point, about 10 minutes.
As mixture thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking. Pour, boiling hot, into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Adjust caps. Process 15 minutes in boiling water bath. Yield about 3 pints.
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CERTO® Pineapple Chutney
Prep Time: 45 min
Total Time: 45 min
Makes: about 8 (1-cup) jars or 128 servings, 1 Tbsp. each

4 cups prepared fruit (buy about 1-1/2 fully ripe medium pineapples)
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. chopped crystallized ginger
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
5 cups granulated sugar, measured into separate bowl
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. butter or margarine (optional)
1 pouch CERTO Fruit Pectin

BRING boiling-water canner, half full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain well before filling.

PARE and core pineapples; finely chop or grind fruit. Measure exactly 4 cups prepared fruit into 6- or 8-quart saucepot. Add raisins, vinegar, onion, lemon juice, ginger, salt and spices; mix well.

STIR sugars into fruit mixture in saucepot. Add butter to reduce foaming, if desired. Bring mixture to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in pectin. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon.

LADLE immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with 2-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.) Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 10 minutes. Remove jars and place upright on towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middle of lid with finger. (If lid springs back, lid is not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)
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Here are two tomato sauce recipes we really enjoy. Both are from the "Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving."

* Exported from MasterCook *

Chunky Basil Pasta Sauce

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
8 cups (2 L) coarsely chopped peeled tomatoes -- (about 9-12 tomatoes or 4 lb/2 kg)
1 cup chopped onion -- (250 mL)
3 cloves garlic -- minced
2/3 cup red wine -- (150 mL)
1/3 cup red wine vinegar (5 % strength) -- (75 mL)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil -- (125 mL)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley -- (15 mL)
1 teaspoon pickling salt -- (5 mL)
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar -- (2 mL)
1 6-oz/156 mL) can tomato paste

Combine tomatoes, onion, garlic, wine, vinegar, basil, parsley, salt, sugar and tomato paste in a very large non-reactive pan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 40 minutes or until mixture reaches desired consistency, stirring frequently.

Remove hot jars from canner and ladle sauce into jars to within 1/2 inch (1 cm) of rim (head space). Process 35 minutes for pin (500 mL) jars and 40 minutes for quart (1 L) jars in a BWB.

Yield: "8 cups"

Note: This sauce also makes an excellent base for a quick pizza.
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* Exported from MasterCook *

Multi-Use Tomato Sauce

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
10 plum tomatoes -- (about 2 1/2 lbs./1 kg)
10 large tomatoes -- peeled and chopped (about 4 lbs./2 kg)
4 large garlic cloves -- minced
2 large stalks celery -- chopped
2 medium carrots -- chopped
1 large onion -- chopped
1 large zucchini -- chopped
1 large sweet green pepper -- chopped
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes -- (125 mL)
2/3 cup dry red wine -- (150 mL)
1/2 cup red wine vinegar (5% strength or more) -- (125 mL)
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon pickling salt -- (15 mL)
2 teaspoons dried oregano -- (10 mL)
2 teaspoons dried basil -- (10 mL)
1 teaspoon granulated sugar -- (5 mL) (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon -- (2 mL) (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper -- (2 mL)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley -- (50 mL)

Combine tomatoes, celery, garlic, onion, zucchini and green pepper in a very large non-reactive pan. Add 1 cup (250 mL) water. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat and boil gently, covered, for 25 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken, stirring occasionally.

Soak sun-dried tomatoes in boiling water until softened. Drain and dice. Add to sauce with wine, vinegar, bay leaves, salt, oregano, basil, sugar, cinamon and pepper. Continue to boil gently until desired consistency, stirring frequently. Discard bay leaves and stir in parsley.

Remove hot jars from canner and ladle sauce into jars to within 1/2 inch (1 cm) of rim (head space). Process in a BWB 35 minutes for pint (500 mL) jars and 40 minutes for quart (1 L) jars.

Yield:"12 cups"
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I'm the second generation to make this pickle recipe. It originally appeared in an old USDA bulletin: "Making Pickles and Relishes at Home," but it can still be found on several Extension Service sites.

Crosscut Pickle Slices
(Bread & Butter Pickles)
4 quarts sliced medium cucumber, about 6 pounds
1 1/2 cups sliced onions
2 large garlic cloves
1/3 cup salt
2 quarts crushed ice or ice cubes
4 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons celery seed
2 tablespoons mustard seed
3 cups vinegar
Wash cucumbers thoroughly, using a vegetable brush; drain on rack. Slice unpeeled cucumbers into 1/8 to 1/4-inch slices; discard ends. Add onions and garlic. Add salt and mix thoroughly; cover with ice; let stand 3 hours. Drain thoroughly; remove garlic cloves. Combine sugar, spices and vinegar. Heat just to boiling. Add drained cucumber and onion slices and heat 5 minutes. Pack hot pickles loosely in clean, hot pint jars to 1/2 inch of top. Adjust jar lids. Process in boiling water bath for 5 minutes (jars will cool the water, so start to count processing time as soon as water in canner returns to boiling). Remove jars and complete seals, if necessary. Set jars upright to cool. Yield: 7 pints.
Note: Process 10 minutes BWB for elevations 1001 feet and above.
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Kosher Dill (Heinz Recipe)

4 lbs pickling cukes
14 cloves garlic, peeled & split
1/4 cup canning salt
3 cups distilled or apple cider vinegar, 5 % acidity
3 cups water
12-14 sprigs fresh dill weed
28 peppercorns

Wash cucumbers; cut in half lengthwise. Combine garlic and next 3 ingredients; heat to boiling. Remove garlic and place 4 halves into each clean jar, then pack cucumbers, adding 2 sprigs of dill and 4 peppercorns. Pour hot vinegar solution over cucumbers to within 1/2 inch of top. Immediately adjust covers as jar manufacturer directs. Process 10 minutes in BWB. Makes 6-7 pints.
Banana Jam

Prep Time: 45 min
Total Time: 2 hr min
Makes: about 8 (1-cup) jars.
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Zucchini Relish

10 cups ground zucchini
3 cups ground onion
5 tablespoons salt
4 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
3/4 teaspoon tumeric
1 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 1/2 cups cider vinegar
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 red bell pepper, ground
1 green bell pepper, ground

Using coarse grinder, grind zucchini and onion. If large zucchini are used, remove seeds before grinding. Combine zucchini and onion with salt and let stand overnight in the refrigerator. Drain thoroughly.

Combine sugar, dry mustard, turmeric, celery seed, pepper, vinegar and nutmeg. Cook over medium heat until it begins to thicken; then add ground bell peppers and cook on low heat for 30 minutes or until desired consistency is reached.

Pour into pint jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Adjust lids.

Process in boiling water for 15 minutes.

Yield: 6 pints
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Pecan Praline Syrup
2 cups dark corn syrup
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine syrup, sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; boil for 1 minute. Reduce heat. Stir in pecans and vanilla extract. Simmer for 5 minutes. Ladle hot syrup into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Adjust 2-piece lids, and water bath for 10 minutes.

Yields about 4 half pints.
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No Pectin Strawberry Jam

4 cups strawberries hulled and cut about 1/4 inch pieces
- this takes about 2 quarts whole berries
between 2 and 2-1/2 cups cane sugar according to tartness of berries
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Fruit Fresh (vitamin C and citric acid powder) or 2 tablespoons more lemon juice
4 half-pint canning jars

Put strawberries only into graniteware or stainless steel pot Mash a bit with a masher or flat bottom glass to bring out juices. Cover. Cook on medium low just until simmering stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to maintain gentle simmer. After about 5 minutes a lot of water will come out of the berries. Uncover pot and simmer 15-20 minutes stirring often until reduced, thicker, not watery. Add sugar, lemon juice,fruit fresh. Mix well and bring to simmer over medium low heat. Do not leave pot alone or cook higher than low, or medium low heat. If the sugars overheat they can burn on the bottom of the pan, and ruin the jam. You can't ruin it on a low simmer if you watch. Cook another 15-20 minutes, stirring often until mixture is reduced like a thin jam. You can test it by putting a teaspoon on a saucer and putting in the freezer for a minute or two. If the tester is jam-like it is ready. It doesnt have to be super thick. Total cooking time should be 25-30 minutes not counting times to bring up to a simmer. Don't try to boil it super thick
Fill half pint jars to 1/4 inch of top. Make sure water is 1-1/2 to 2 inches above tops of the jars. Put in canner covered with 1 to 2 inches boiling water. Bring to boil, cover, and process 10 minutes. Turn off heat. Remove canner lid. Let jars sit in water 5 minutes. Remove jars to a towel to cool. Let sit 12 to 24 hours before testing the seal. Should store for one year. Refrigerate after opening. Should be good for a week or two, or maybe more, after opening.
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Creamy Tomato Sauce/Fondue

1/2 pint heavy cream
1 oz marinated tomatoes, pureed *
1/8 cup white wine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped

Sautee garlic in olive oil. Add other ingredients and cook to desired thickness. As a sauce, try over chicken breasts. As fondue, use sour dough bread and prawns for dipping.

*Marinated: rehydrate dried tomatoes, then pack in extra virgin olive oil with or without spices. Store in refrigerator until ready to use.
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Surprise Cheese Puffs (a snack/hor d'oeuvre)

1/4 lb sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 cup softened butter
1 tsp garlic salt
1 cup flour
3 Tbsp dried tomato powder
Marinated dried tomatoes

Blend cheese and butter until smooth. Combine dry ingredients and add to cheese mixture. Drain marinated tomatoes; chop. Wrap about 1 1/2 Tbsp of cheese around small amount of tomatoes. Roll into ball. Chill balls for 1 hour before baking on ungreased cookie sheet (400 degrees f) 15 minutes. Serve warm.
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Tomato Spread (perk-up breads, crackers, celery sticks...)

2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 oz marinated tomatoes
1 lb cream cheese

Blend all ingredients in food processor until smooth. Add more olive oil if needed to get the right texture. Enhance with other spices to taste.
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Refilled Baked Potatoes

Scoop out the inside of a baked potato. Combine and mash with potato:
marinated dried tomatoes (or dried tomato flakes)
green onions, chopped
sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
Refill the potato skin. Top with grated cheese and return to oven (350 degrees f) until cheese melts.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------

Salads (tossed green, potato, pasta)
Any salad can be easily enhanced by tossing ingredients with chopped, marinated, dried tomatoes or by topping salads with dried tomato flakes. Dried tomatoes are particularly great for full tomato flavor and color in winter when fresh, vine-ripened tomatoes are not available.

1. Dried Tomatoes: Eat slices as a nutritious snack or make tomato flakes or powder for recipe ingredient. Flakes/powder are easily made by putting a bag of dried tomatoes into the freezer for about 15 minutes (until brittle). Remove from freezer then chop or grind in food processor (or crumble in the bag by hand).
2. Rehydrated: Steam dried tomatoes in a colander over boiling water (covered container) for 4-5 minutes or put tomatoes in a sieve and dip quickly in and out of boiling water; drain.
3. Pureed: Use food processor or blender to puree rehydrated dried tomatoes (add a little water or olive oil). Sotre in sealed container in refrigerator until ready to use.
4. Marinated: Rehydrate dried tomatoes, then pack in extra virgin olilve oil with or without spices. Store in refrigerator until ready for use.
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Pear and Currant Chutney

Makes 2 ½ - 3 cups
1 cup dried currants
6 tbls pear brandy
4 pears, peeled, cored and cut into ½" pieces
2 ribs celery, cut into ¼" pieces
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
3 – 3 ½ inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
pinch cayenne

Put currants and brandy into a medium saucepan and simmer over medium heat until currants are plump and have absorbed most of the liquor, about 7 minutes. Add pears, celery, sugar, lemon juice, ginger and cayenne and stir well. Return to simmer, reduce head to medium low and simmer until pears are very soft and translucent and juices are thick and syrupy, about 1 hour.

Put chutney into a clean jar with a tight lid or hot water bath 10 minutes. If not processed, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Allow chutney to sit for a couple of weeks, the flavor improves with age.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------

Pear Apple'n Cranberry Chutney

Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Makes 6 half-pints

2 Cinnamon Sticks , broken in half
1 teaspoon Whole Allspice
1/2 teaspoon Whole Cloves
1/2 teaspoon Whole Black Pepper
2 pounds pears, peeled, cored, and finely chopped, (about 5 cups)
1 1/2 pounds green apples, peeled, cored, and finely chopped, (about 4 cups)
3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar (5% acidity)
1 package (6 ounces) dried cranberries or one 12 ounce bag fresh cranberries, chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped, (1 cup)
1/3 cup Crystallized Ginger, finely chopped
1. Tie cinnamon, allspice, cloves and pepper in a cheesecloth bag.
2. Combine all ingredients in 6-quart saucepot; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally. Cook until thickened, about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. As mixture starts to thicken, stir more frequently. Remove spice bag; discard.
3. Ladle into hot half-pint-size canning jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Run thin, non-metallic utensil down inside of jars to remove air bubbles. Wipe rim of jars clean with damp cloth.
4. Cover jars with metal lids and screw on bands. Process in boiling water canner for 10 minutes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------

APPLE CHUTNEY

8 C chopped apples (I use Northern Spy's)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 XL sweet red pepper, chopped (or 2 med)
1 lb golden raisins
1 lb black raisins
2 jalepenos, chopped
2 Tbsp mustard seeds
4 C apple cider vinegar
2 med onions, chopped
4 C brown sugar
1/4 C fresh ginger, chopped (no need to peel)
2 tsp salt
2 tsp grd allspice
2 tsp grd cinnamon
2 tsp grd cloves

Combine all in a large kettle and bring slowly to a boil, stirring often to keep from sticking. Boil till thick. Pour into hot jars, adjust lids and process in BWB 10 min.

Yield: 12 to 14 half pints (maybe?)
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5 PEPPER JALEPENO JELLY
1/2 c. fresh peppers, stemmed and seeded, I use jalepeno, serrano, habanero, tabasco and pequin.
1 lg. red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut up
2 c. apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 c. dried apricots, chopped (you can also use peaches or pears)
6 c. granulated sugar
1 (3oz.) pkg. liquid pectin
Put peppers and apricots in food processor and pulse until coarsely ground. Stir in vinegar.
Put in large saucepan. Add sugar and bring to a boil, boil for 5 min. stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Let cool for 2 min. Mix in pectin. Pour into jars and seal in water bath. Makes about 7 half pint jars. A few weeks ago I had several couples over and this got rave reviews and is our favorite over any jalepeno jelly that I have made.
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Apple Chutney
2 quarts chopped, cored, pared tart apples (about 10 medium)
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped sweet red bell peppers (about 2 medium)
2 hot red peppers, seeded and chopped
1½ pounds seedless raisins
4 cups brown sugar
3 tablespoons mustard seed
2 tablespoons ground ginger
2 tablespoons ground allspice
2 teaspoons canning salt
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 quart white vinegar (5%)
Yield: About 6 pint jars

Procedure: Combine all ingredients; simmer until thick, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. As mixture thickens stir frequently to prevent sticking.

Pour boiling hot chutney into hot jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened clean paper towel; adjust two-piece metal canning lids. Process in a Boiling Water Canner 10 minutes for pints or 1/2 pints.
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Katie's Peach Salsa

6 cups peaches -- diced (I used frozen for convenience)
1 1/4 cups red onion -- chopped
4 jalapeno pepper -- chopped*
1 red pepper -- chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro -- loosely packed
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
3 cloves garlic -- finely chopped
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 cup fresh lime juice

Simmer all ingredients for 5-10 minutes. Pack into hot jars and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes (0-1000 ft.), 15 minutes (1001-6000 ft.), and 20 minutes (above 6000 ft.).
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Kiwi Daiquiri Jam Recipe

Ingredients
5 kiwifruit, peeled
3 cups sugar
2/3 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1 pouch (85 ml/3 ounces) liquid pectin
Green food color, optional
4 Tbsp rum

Instructions
Fill boiling water canner with water. Place 4 clean half-pint mason jars in canner. Cover, bring water to a boil; boil at least 10 minutes to sterilize jars at altitudes up to 1000 ft.

Place snap lids in boiling water, boil 5 minutes to soften sealing compound.

In a large stainless steel or enamel saucepan, mash kiwifruit to applesauce consistency. Stir in sugar, pineapple and lime juice. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Stirring constantly, boil vigorously for 2 minutes.

Remove from heat, stir in pectin. Continue stirring 5 minutes to prevent floating fruit. (If desired, add green food coloring to create a more lively, intensely green jam.) Stir in rum.

Ladle jam into a hot sterilized jar to within 1/4 inch of top rim. Remove air bubbles by sliding rubber spatula between glass and food; readjust head space to 1/4 inch. Wipe jar rim removing any stickiness. Center snap lid on jar; apply screw band just until fingertip tight. Place jar in canner. Repeat for remaining jam.

Cover canner, return water to a boil, process 5 minutes at altitudes up to 1000 ft. Remove jars. Cool 24 hours. Check jar seals. (Sealed lids curve downward.) Remove screw bands. Wipe jars, label and store in a cool dark place.

Yield: 4 half-pints
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1 12 oz. bag of fresh cranberries
1 crunchy apple
1 whole orange
1`cup of sugar
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger (or a couple of lumps of candied ginger finely chopped)
1 cup pomagranate ariols
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

In food processor, place cranberries, apple quartered/cored, sugar, 2 teaspoons of fresh orange zest, peeled and seeded orange, and ginger. If you want to add dried apricots or a slice of fresh pineapple as I did this year, go ahead. Grind all to a pea to bb sized mix. Remove to bowl and rest overnight in refrigerator to blend flavors. Taste test for sugar next day. Add sugar if necessary (I never do as I like it tart) and add toasted chopped nuts and pomagrante ariols (if you have them). If you don't have the ariols, don't worry as it will still be delicious. Remember, you have to make it the day before to let flavors blend. Don't know how long it keeps as it is always gone in less than a week. Try on pancakes, toast, chicken, turkey, pork, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, in pie filling with apples, let your mind wander.
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Here's one that is a favorite around our house and is a good way to get some use out of those big baseball bat size zuc's and yellow squash.

Doesn't have a name, that I know of, but maybe someone already knows this recipe and can help me out with the name.

1- baseball bat zuc/squash; peel, seed and dice into smaller chunks
1- large white/yellow onion; diced
2-3 ripe tomatoes; blanch, peel and cut into 1/2" slices
Prego
1 package Mozaerella cheese

In 11x13(??, a bigger baking dish) baking dish mix together zuc and onion to form bottom layer. Add fresh tomato slices on top and stick into a 350 deg oven for 15-20 minutes. Once zuc is semi fork soft, take out of oven and drain excess water that has come from the veggies. Place a thin layer of Prego over the dish and then a package of cheese to coat everything. Back in the oven until cheese it melted and your done.

A fan favorite around here at get togethers and such. My mom makes batches of this and freezes them, of just the base three ingredients, for the winter time and they are extremely tasty when it's -10F out.
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Dilly Beans (from USDA, original poster Linda Lou)

4 lbs fresh tender green or yellow beans (5 to 6 inches long)
8 to 16 heads fresh dill
8 cloves garlic (optional)
1/2 cup canning or pickling salt
4 cups white vinegar (5 percent)
4 cups water
1 tsp hot red pepper flakes (optional)
Yield: About 8 pints

Procedure: Wash and trim ends from beans and cut to 4-inch lengths. In each sterile pint jar, place 1 to 2 dill heads and, if desired, 1 clove of garlic. Place whole beans upright in jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Trim beans to ensure proper fit, if necessary. Combine salt, vinegar water, and pepper flakes (if desired). Bring to a boil. Add hot solution to beans, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.

Adjust lids and process 5 min.
If you want to skip the boiling of the jars first, then process in the BWB for 10 min. I do it, and they are good and crisp still. You can also use Pickle Crisp if you want pickled things really crunchy. Cider vinegar will seem less tart, but it will make the brine darker. Adding a pinch of sugar is a good idea, too.
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PEAR MINCEMEAT:

7 lbs. pears, peeled, cored & cut into eighths
2 lemons, unpeeled & cut into eighths
2 oranges, unpeeled & cut into eighths
2 c. raisins
6 c. sugar
1 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp. ground allspice
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
1 tbsp. ground nutmeg
1 tbsp. ground cloves
1/2 c. vinegar

Position knife blade in food processor bowl. Add about 1 cup pears; process until finely chopped. Repeat with remaining pears, lemons, oranges and raisins.
Combine chopped fruit and remaining ingredients in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes.

Pour hot mixture into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Cover at once with metal lids and screw bands tight. Process in boiling water bath for 25 minutes. Serve alone as a relish or use to make Pear Mincemeat Pie and Pear Mincemeat Cookies.

Makes 7 1/2 pints.
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ZUCCHINI BREAD

*from _A Century of Canadian Home Cooking_, Carol Ferguson & Margaret Fraser, Prentice Hall Canada, 1990

3 eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups packed finely shredded zucchini
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped nuts

In a bowl, beat eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla. Stir in zucchini.

Stir together flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon. Stir in raisins and nuts.

Stir dry ingredients into zucchini mixture.

Pour into two greased 8- x 4-inch loaf pans.

Bake in 350 degree F oven for 50 to 60 minutes or until tester comes out clean.

Makes 2 loaves.
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How is chocolate-raspberry jam missing from this thread? This is from Mes Confitures by Christine Ferber.

Raspberry with Chocolate
2 3/4 lbs (1.2 kg) raspberries, or 2 1/4 lbs (1 kg) net
3 1/2 cups (750g) sugar
Juice of one lemon
9 oz (250g) extra bittersweet chocolate (68% cocoa)

Pick over the raspberries. Omit rinsing them so as to keep their fragrance. Put the raspberries through a food mill (fine disk). In a preserving pan, mix the raspberry pulp with the sugar and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes, stirring gently and skimming carefully. Add the chocolate, grated. Mix and then pour into a ceramic bowl. Cover with a sheet of parchment paper and refrigerate overnight.

Next day return the mixture to a boil. Continue cooking on high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring and skimming if needed. Return to a boil. Check the set. Put the jam into jars immediately and seal.

Notes:

After discussion with Melly, I used 4 oz bittersweet chocolate and 1 oz unsweetened. I used a mix of red and black raspberries but I think you want whatever berries have the richest, deepest flavor.

Also, you should process this in a BWB for 10 minutes (use half-pint jars). Good on ice cream, or swirled through yogurt, or spread on popovers.
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Spiced Red Cabbage

12 pounds red cabbage (about 3 large heads)
1/2 cup canning salt
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup mustard seed
1/4 cup mace
2 quarts red wine vinegar
1/4 cup whole cloves
1/4 cup whole allspice
1/4 cup peppercorns
1/4 cup celery seed
2 sticks cinnamon

Remove outer leaves of cabbage; core and shred. Layer cabbage and salt in a large bowl. Cover; let stand 24 hours. Rinse. Drain thoroughly on paper towel-lined trays, about 6 hours. Combine sugar, mustard seed, mace and vinegar in a large saucepot. Tie whole spices in a spice bag; add spice bag to vinegar. Boil 5 minutes. Remove spice bag. pack cabbage into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 20 minutes in a boiling-water canner.
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Habanero Cranberry Jelly (I call it Turkey’s Revenge).

I created (ok, not wholly created LOL) this variation of Melly’s Cran-Jalapeno Jelly. Using Melly’s as a starting point and tweaking it with the kind assistance and encouragement of Zabby, the end result is a fiery hot cranberry jelly for cold fall and winter nights. Heck, it’s great in the summer too!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup cider vinegar
3/4 cup white vinegar
2 cups 100% unsweetened cranberry juice
1/2 cup finely diced habanero pepper
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
1 3/4 cups fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
1 pkg liquid pectin
5 cups sugar

Procedure:
1. Finely dice peppers and onion and coarsely chop cranberries
2. In a large sauce pan, combine cranberries, pepper, onion, vinegars, and juice
3. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low
4. Simmer 15 – 20 minutes to allow flavors to blend and to soften up cranberries
5. Add sugar and return to a hard boil for 1 minute
6. Remove from heat and stir liquid pectin in well
7. Add jelly to hot sterilized jars
8. Wipe rim of jars with a clean damp towel
9. Position lids as per usual instructions
10. Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes
11. Remove jars and allow them to cool
12. During the cooling, periodically "gently" invert jars to distribute solids.

Yield 7 or 8 - 250ml (1 cup) jars
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Bandy Peppercorn Sauce

For those who like this type of sauce, this one (IMHO) is decadent! A little bit of effort but well worth it. It freezes well.

I don’t recall where I originally found the recipe.

1 cup (250 mL) red wine
1 tsp (15 mL) balsamic vinegar
2 cups (500 mL) beef or veal stock
1/2 cup (125 mL) whipping cream
1 tsp (5 mL) cracked pink peppercorns
1 tsp (15 mL) cracked green peppercorns
1 tsp (5 mL) cracked black peppercorns
2 tbsp (25 mL) brandy

1. Add wine and balsamic vinegar to pot and bring to a boil on high heat. Boil until only 2 tbsp (25 mL) liquid remains, about 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Add stock and bring to boil. Continue to cook about 10 minutes until sauce reduces to 1 cup (250 mL).
3. Add cream and reduce again until sauce is thick and glossy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in peppercorns and brandy and simmer 2 more minutes to amalgamate flavours. Salt to taste.

Makes about 3/4 cup (175 mL)
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Caramelized Leek Soup (Gourmet : January 1998)

Given the simple ingredients, we were amazed at how tasty this soup turned out. It’s a bit time consuming but worth the effort. It can be served as is but we prefer to puree it, turns out like a cream soup but without the cream. The pureed version freezes very well.

Ingredients
2 pounds leeks (white and pale green parts only; about 2 bunches)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/4 teaspoons sugar
1/4 cup vermouth
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
Garnish: 4 teaspoons finely sliced fresh chives

Preparation
1. Halve leeks lengthwise and thinly slice crosswise. In a large bowl of cold water wash leeks well and lift from water into a large sieve to drain.
2. In a 6-quart heavy kettle cook leeks in butter over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until some begin to turn golden, about 40 minutes.
3. Stir in sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes.
4. Stir in vermouth and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is evaporated and most leeks are golden, 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Deglaze kettle with 1/2 cup broth and cook, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes more, until liquid is evaporated and leeks are deep golden.
6. Add remaining 3 cups broth and bring soup just to a boil.
7. Season soup with salt and pepper.

Makes about 5 cups, serving 4 as a first course.
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Tomato Jam

1 1/2 pounds good ripe tomatoes (Roma are best), cored and coarsely chopped
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon fresh grated or minced ginger
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1 jalapeño or other peppers, stemmed, seeded and minced, or red pepper flakes or cayenne to taste. (I used two Thai bird peppers and included the seeds)
1. Combine all ingredients in a heavy medium saucepan, Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often.
2. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture has consistency of thick jam, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, then cool and refrigerate until ready to use; this will keep at least a week.
Yield: About 1 pint.
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Parmigian Sun-Dried Tomato Bread (Bread Machine)
1 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons oil that tomatoes are in
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons powdered milk
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups white bread flour
6 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 Tblsp Parmigiana cheese

Add Yeast, Water, Salt, Flour, Lemon Juice, Powdered Milk,
Add remaining ingredients last 3minutes of final knead cycle.

I stop the machine after the second kneed cycle. I roll the dough into 2" balls and place them in a Pam sprayed muffin pan. Allow to rise double in size. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. This is a dense bread. They freeze beautifully. I allow them to cool and then place all ina ziplock or vacuum bag. Easy to grab a couple out when you want them.
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Asparagus Pesto

1 bunch asparagus spears (about 1 lb), trimmed of tough ends and halved crosswise
3 handfuls baby spinach leaves
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup olive oil
Juice of 1/2 half lemon
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

Toast pine nuts in a single layer in a large skillet set on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and lightly browned. Remove from pan and set aside.

In a medium pan, bring salted water to a boil and drop in the asparagus. Cook only 2 or 3 minutes until the spears are bright green and barely tender. Drain under cool water to stop the cooking process.

Add the asparagus, spinach, garlic, parmesan, and pine nuts to a food processor. Puree and, with the motor running drizzle in the olive oil until a paste is formed. Add lemon juice and salt. Adjust to taste.

I have used swisschard and it tastes great. Also have skipped the salt at the end and used roasted salted sunflower seeds instead of pine nuts. Yum.

This freezes well if you can keep your spoon out of it long enough to have some left, that is. Tastes even better the next day. We like this better than basil pesto now.
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Spinach con Queso

2 C. Queso (quick melt) cheese, shredded
3 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 C half & half
1/3 C. onion, finely chopped
1 teas.cumin
1 T. roasted red pepper, chopped (this is approx.)I add it for color.
1/2 box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and I chopped it again.

Heat all ingred. in double boiler over low heat, stirring constantly until cheese is melted. Serve warm with tortilla chips. Makes about 2 cups.

Don't let the simplicity of this recipe fool you....it is awesome and you might as well double it to begin with.
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Zucchini-banana-date-spice bread (or muffins)

3 cups zucchini shredded finely
4 bananas, mashed
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup strong hot coffee
1 1/4 cups pitted minced dates
1 tsp salt
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup yellow raisins
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
3 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
3 tsp grated fresh ginger

Pour hot coffee on minced dates and let soak a few minutes. Add
bananas, mash, and add all the sugar and spices, salt. Squeeze juice
from shredded zucchini and set aside (use in a soup or veggie stock or
in mix if too dry). Add drained shredded zucchini to the
banana-coffee-date mix. Add raisins, pecans and sift flour with soda
and baking powder. Add flour mix into zucchini banana mix and stir
lightly. It should not be very wet, use some reserved zucchini juice
if too dry. Pour batter in oiled muffin tins or in oiled bread pan
and bake at 350F oven for 15-20-30-45 minutes (depending on type of
pan, muffins take a lot less, small muffin tins even less, a large
bread pan will be closer to 45 minutes).
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Asian Style Pork Tenderloin

Take a boneless pork tenderloin and sear on all sides in a hot, lightly oiled saute pan.

Place tenderloin in a baking dish, slather about 1/2 a jar of plum sauce all over the meat, and bake at 350 for about 12-15 minutes.

Remove from oven and let the meat rest, covered with foil, for 10 min.

Heat remaining jar of sauce gently and spoon on the plate, fan out four or five slices of pork over the sauce.

Voila! Fancy-schmancy dinner in less than 30 min.
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I'm sorry, I wish I had noted what the yield was for this, but didn't copy it over. I think it makes 4 half pints.

Roasted Red Pepper Spread

6 lb. large red sweet peppers
1 lb. Roma tomatoes
2 large garlic cloves
1 small white onion
2 Tbsp. minced basil
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. coarse salt
1/2 cup red wine vinegar

Roast peppers under broiler or on a grill at 425 degrees until skin wrinkles and chars in spots. Turn over and roast other side. Remove from heat. Place in a paper bag, secure opening, cool 15 minutes. Roast tomatoes, onion, and garlic under broiler or grill 10 - 15 minutes. Place tomatoes in a paper bag. Peel onion and garlic. Finely mince onion and garlic.
Measure 1/4 cup and set aside. Peel and seed tomatoes and peppers. Puree in food processor or blender. Combine in a large pan. Bring to a boil over med.high heat, stir to prevent sticking. Reduce heat, simmer until spread thickens. Ladle hot spread into hot jars, leave 1/4 inch headspace. Process in water bath canner for 10 minutes.

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We have pear trees everywhere, and this is a huge hit!

Ingredients
1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple with syrup
16 cups (about 6 pounds) peeled, cored, and chopped pears
10 cups sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Special Equipment: 12 to 16 (1/2-pint) canning jars with lids
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Cook until pears are tender and mixture thickens, approximately 30 minutes. Transfer to sterilized jars and seal while still hot*.

*Cook's Note: Follow USDA guidelines for proper sterilization and canning procedures.
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Totally unrelated to home canning and such, but its a favorite of mine since I was a kid and my mom made cakes filled with it for our birthdays. Simple recipe.
Cream filling:

3 tablespoons flour (instant type is best to reduce lumps)
1/2 cup milk
scant 1/2 cup shortening with part butter
1/2 cup sugar (or Splenda for sugar free)
1 tsp. vanilla

Carefully mix milk and flour together to avoid lumps. Cook over low to medium heat until it thickens to a stiff paste. Place shortening and butter mix in a small mixing bowl with the sugar. Mix them at medium and then high speed for about 1-2 minutes. Once the cooked milk and flour paste has cooled to lukewarm (NOT HOT!), add it to the sugar shortening mixture. Mix in the vanilla, and a dash of salt and beat at high speed for about 2-3 minutes. You end up the a nice cream filling better tasting than what you find in Hostess Twinkies. Its spread bewteen cake layers and any left over can go ito the frosting. I make chocolate muffins and use a pastry bag to 'inject' the filling into the muffins, just like a Hostess cupcake. If you like it to be a chocolate flavor, add some unsweetend cocoa, about 2-3 tablespoons when creaming the shortening sugar, and increase the sugar by 1/4 cup. Never add any granulated sugar AFTER the milk flour paste is mixed in, as it will be gritty and wil not dissolve. Its the slight warmth of the paste that mixes with the granulated sugar that mkes it dissolve.
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GRANDMA'S OLD FASHIONED APPLE BUTTER

6 lbs apples, quartered
2 quarts sweet cider
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves

Cook apples in cider until tender and press through sieve or food mill. Measure 3 quarts apple pulp. Cook pulp until thick enough to round up in a spoon. As it thickens stir frequently. Add sugar an spices and cook slowing until thick, stirring frequently, about 1 hour. Por into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Process 10 minutes in BWB.

Makes about 5 pints

Now, for technique. I don't cook apple butter on the stove, stirring and sticking and dodging those little apple butter volcanos that explode onto your forearms when the butter gets thick. I dump the whole mess into a large enameled roaster and put it in the oven at about 300-350, stirring every hour or so until it's thick enough. The house smells wonderful, I can do other things, and the apple butter gets as thick as you like it, depending on how long you cook it.

I've also done it in the crockpot, but you have to uncover the crockpot for the last couple of hours. I've also used my handy-dandy peeler/slicer and just put apple slices into the crockpot, added some sugar and spices and let it cook with no liquid at all other than a splash of apple juice in the very bottom, 1/2 cup at most. When the apples are soft, I mash 'em with the potato masher and check the thickness, then cook until it reaches a good consistency.

Be sure to use the frozen plate test if you do this, because it's thicker when cool than when it's warm.
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Apple-Apricot Pie

Can be made for fresh eating or frozen in the crust for baking later. Serves 6-8

Pie crust for 1 9" deep dish pie
6 large apples peeled, sliced in thin wedges,cored
1/2 cup dried apricots snipped into bite size pieces
1/2-1 tsp cinnamon (or to taste)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3 T apricot jam (we prefer one of the "only fruit" types)
1/4 cup water or apple juice

Directions:

Saute apple slices, dried apricots in water, jam and spices then cover and cook till soft with lid on. Scoop with a slotted spoon into bottom pie shell. If planning to bake immediately pre-bake the bottom shell just a bit. Pile the apples and apricots higher in the middle of the pie. Dot with pats of margarine and dribble about 1/2 of the sauce remaining in the pan over all.

Apply top crust with vent shape of your choice in the center. Lightly brush crust with water and sprinkle with 1 T. sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for 45-50 mins. until crust is light golden brown.

Serve warm with caramel flavored ice cream. ;)

If planning to freeze, place unbaked pie on a cookie sheet to freeze then vacuum seal or wrap well and place in freezer. Bake frozen, not thawed.
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Plum Pepper Jam
3 1/4 cups finely chopped plums
1 1/2 cups chopped green or red peppers
1/2 cup chopped jalapeno peppers
2 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cups cider vinegar
1 box low sugar pectin

In a 8 quart sauce pot stir in plums, peppers and vinegar.

Measure the sugar into a separate bowl. Mix 1/4 cup sugar and box of low sugar pectin in a small bowl.

Stir pectin-sugar mixture into fruit in sauce pot. Add 1/2 teaspoon butter or margarine to reduce foaming, if desired.

Bring mixture to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly.

Stir in remaining sugar quickly. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam.

Ladle quickly into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Cover, bring water to gentle boil. Process jams 10 minutes. Adjust processing time according to Altitude chart. Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely. After jars seal, check seals by pressing middle of lid with finger. If the lip springs back, lit is not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.

Let stand at room temperature 24 hours. Store unopened jam in cool, dry, dark place up to 1 year.

Thanks for the condensing!

Annie

Totally unrelated to home canning and such, but its a favorite of mine since I was a kid and my mom made cakes filled with it for our birthdays. Simple recipe.
Cream filling:

3 tablespoons flour (instant type is best to reduce lumps)
1/2 cup milk
scant 1/2 cup shortening with part butter
1/2 cup sugar (or Splenda for sugar free)
1 tsp. vanilla

Carefully mix milk and flour together to avoid lumps. Cook over low to medium heat until it thickens to a stiff paste. Place shortening and butter mix in a small mixing bowl with the sugar. Mix them at medium and then high speed for about 1-2 minutes. Once the cooked milk and flour paste has cooled to lukewarm (NOT HOT!), add it to the sugar shortening mixture. Mix in the vanilla, and a dash of salt and beat at high speed for about 2-3 minutes. You end up the a nice cream filling better tasting than what you find in Hostess Twinkies. Its spread bewteen cake layers and any left over can go ito the frosting. I make chocolate muffins and use a pastry bag to 'inject' the filling into the muffins, just like a Hostess cupcake.

Here are a couple of more I found last night on other threads...

Roasted Tomatoes, Peppers, Corn and Capers

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 pounds tomatoes -- peeled if desired
3 1/2 pounds sweet peppers -- (red, orange and yellow), cut into 1-inch chunks - about 12 large
1 1/3 pounds Banana peppers -- (about 5 cut into 1-inch chunks)
2 pounds Sweet Onions -- (Walla Walla - about 3 large)halved and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 2/3 pounds corn kernels -- (about 6 large ears fresh corn)
36 kalamata olives -- pitted and coarsely chopped - (3/4 cup or 4.6 oz.)
1 cup Italian parsley -- chopped (.6 oz.)
3/4 ounce basil leaves -- minced
1 head garlic -- chopped
4 tablespoons capers -- rinsed
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 to 450 degrees (the hotter the oven, the shorter the roasting time).

If using cherry tomatoes, simply remove the stems and halve each one. Halve or quarter other varieties.

Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of the oil in the bottom of a large roasting pan, jellyroll pan or any baking sheet with sides. Add the tomatoes, peppers, onion, corn, olives, parsley, basil, garlic and capers. You can crowd the vegetables together, but don't go beyond a single layer. Drizzle on the rest of the olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Roast until the tomatoes' skins turn golden (if unpeeled). Depending on your oven temperature, this will take anywhere from 20 minutes to about 11/2 hours. When done, the tomatoes and peppers will have collapsed and darkened beautifully. Alternatively, you can roast the vegetables over indirect heat on a medium to medium-hot grill (see note), with the lid on.

Remove the roasting pan from the oven or grill and let the vegetables cool. With a metal spatula or wide, flat-sided wooden spatula, stir and scrape the cooled mixture to dissolve all of the cooked-on bits of food.

To freeze, ladle the sauce into freezer containers, leaving about 1-inch head space. Let cool completely, then attach lids and freeze.

Note: To peel tomatoes (don't peel cherry variety), cut a shallow X in the bottom of each tomato. Plunge them into boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove immediately and plunge into cold water. Skins should slip off easily.

Note: To check grill temperature, count the seconds you can hold your hand, palm side down, 2 to 3 inches above the rack, until it feels uncomfortable: 4 seconds for medium; 3 seconds for medium-hot.

Description:
"-- From Jan Roberts-Dominguez (My Variation)"

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Carrot Cake Jam

1 1/2 cups grated, peeled carrots
1 1/2 cups cored, peeled pears
1 3/4 cups canned pineapple, including juice
3 T lemon juice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsb ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 package of powdered pectin
6 1/2 cups sugar

In a large saucepan, combine carrots, pears, pineapple with juice, lemon juice, and spices. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat, cover and boil gently for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in pectin until dissolved. Bring back to a full boil, add sugar all at once, bring back to another boil and boil hard for 1 minute.

Remove from heat, skim off foam. Ladle into prepared jars with 1/4 inch headspace. Process jars in a BWB for 5 minutes for sterilized jars, or 10 minutes for unsterilized jars.

Makes 6 half pints.

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Ajvar

2 large eggplants, about 3 pounds
6 large red bell peppers
Salt and black pepper
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup good-quality olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley (optional)
Preparation:

Heat oven to 475 degrees. Place washed eggplants and peppers on a baking sheet with a lip to catch any juices, and roast until their skins blister and turn black, about 30 minutes.

Place roasted vegetables in a heatproof bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let them steam for 10 minutes.

Peel off and discard blackened skins, stems and seeds. In a large bowl, mash or chop vegetables, depending on how smooth or chunky you like your ajvar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add garlic and lemon juice, and drizzle in oil, stirring constantly.

Transfer to a glass dish and sprinkle with chopped parsley for garnish, if desired. Store covered and refrigerated for up to 1 week. I've read that this freezes well.

Now we won't have to worry about it falling off for at least another 100+ posts!

Unless, of course, we all keep saying thank you!!

BIG, BIG GRIN :-)

Deanna

Your recipe for cream filling WAS included. It is the fourth from the bottom on my original post.

One or two UNSAFE canning recipes were NOT copied over to the new thread. I didn't have the time to edit them. Sorry.

CAPONATA

"Caponata is a Sicilian dish served as a salad, side dish or relish. We also like it as an appetizer spread on toasted baguette slices."

1 small eggplant, cut into 1/4-inch (5 mm) cubes
1 1/2 tbsp pickling salt (20 mL)
2 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 medium sweet red pepper, diced
1 cup diced zucchini (250 mL)
1/2 chopped onion (125 mL)
3 large cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup chopped stuffed olives (50 mL)
1 tbsp capers, rinsed (15 mL)
1 bay leaf
1 tsp fresh thyme (5 mL) or 1/4 tsp (1 mL) dried
1/4 tsp each: salt and freshly ground pepper (1 mL)
1/3 cup red wine vinegar (75 mL)
2 tsp granulated sugar (10 mL)
2 tsp olive oil (10 mL)
2 tbsp tomato paste (25 mL)

(Read Step-by-Step Guide (below) before proceeding with recipe.)

Place eggplant in a non-reactive bowl. Sprinkle with salt and stir well. Let stand for 2 hours. Drain eggp1ant in a sieve and rinse twice. draining thoroughly; press out excess moisture.

Place eggplant, tomatoes, red pepper, zucchini, onion, garlic, olives, capers, bay leaf, thyme, salt and pepper in a large roasting pan.

Heat vinegar, sugar, and oil in a microwavable container until hot, about 1 minute, stir into vegetables.

Bake in a 350 degree F (18OC) oven for about 1 1/2 hours (1 hour for a convection oven), or until vegetables are softened and liquid has evaporated, stirring every 20 minutes. Remove pan from oven, discard bay leaf and stir in tomato paste.

Remove hot jars from canner and spoon relish into jars to within1/2 inch (1 cm) of rim (headspace).

Process 15 minutes for half-pint (250 mL) jars and 20 minutes for pint (500 mL) jars as directed

Makes 5 Cups (1.25 L)

Carol

(i.e. it hasn't been pulled for some reason).

Do you think it should have been pulled? I looked on Amazon and the latest edition was 2007. Do you think the recipe is still safe? I would love to can this if it is but don't want to take any chances.

Sometimes recipes are pulled in later editions when newer research identifies issues the writers were previously unaware of. But since Topp, Howard and their publishers saw no reason to pull that recipe when they planned the revised edition, I assume it's fine.

Looking at the instructions, I notice twice that she mentions getting rid of excess liquid. Once is during the salting (press out excess moisture) and the other is during baking (until . . .liquid has evaporated).

The presence of water is significant in the growth of botulism spores. When water is salted out and evaporated and when vegetables are acidified as these are by being baked with a good amount of vinegar the risk drops radically.

Ellie Topp (she's the scientist in the Topp/Howard team) has excellent credentials. As long as her directions are followed and you don't get creative with her formula (i.e. something like subbing black olives for the stuffed green ones), I don't see any problem at all. I'd can it without worries.

I probably took longer to say that than I needed to, but I wanted to be clear. Happy preserving and let us know how you like it. I haven't tried this one.

Carol

The chopped stuffed olives are green olives, not black ripe ones. Whole world of difference in ph level.
Olives, green, fermented 3.60 - 4.60
Olives, ripe 6.00 -7.50
Black olives would not be safe.

But you are right, it is best not to change recipes. Instead stick with ones that contain ingredients that you don't hate. ;)

Dave

Carol

I just made these. Quite good. I had to bake an extra 5 min.
Another good way to use up zucchini and carrots.
I topped mine with coarse, raw sugar, which is nice.
CARROT AND ZUCCHINI MUFFINS
Ingredients:
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light or dark brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups finely shredded unpeeled zucchini
1/2 cup finely shredded carrot
Preparation:
Grease and flour 12 muffin cups. Heat oven to 375°.
In a mixing bowl, beat the oil with eggs, sugars, and vanilla extract.
Combine the flour, soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; add to the wet ingredients; stirring until blended. Fold in the shredded zucchini and carrots.
Fill muffin cups about 3/4 full; sprinkle with cinnamon sugar or granulated sugar, if desired. Bake for 20 minutes.
Makes 12.

You can use any kind of jam you want. I use sugar free and can't tell it. These freeze so well. I cut and wrap individually.
If you overbake they are not so good. My neighbor did that and they were so dry and crumbly. I am not sure what she did to them, but it wasn't right.

Linda Lou's Cereal Bars
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups quick cooking oatmeal
3/4 cup butter
2 cups apricot jam
Preheat oven to 325*F.
Mix together flour, baking powder, brown sugar, and quick cooking oatmeal in a medium bowl. Cut in 3/4 cup butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Pat two-thirds into a greased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Spread apricot jam evenly on top. Sprinkle the top with the remaining crumb mixture. Bake for 45 minutes, or until crispy brown on top. Cool before cutting into bars.
Makes 12 bars.

Sorry for "uncondensing" the thread, but at least it'll bring it back to the top!

Serve over ice cream, cheesecake or fruit. It makes a sure-to-be-appreciated hostess gift.

Level of Ease:
Easy
Preserving Method:
Waterbath Canning
You Will Need:

1/2 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder
6 Tbsp Ball® RealFruit™ Classic Pectin
4-1/2 cups crushed red raspberries
6-3/4 cups granulated sugar
4 Tbsp. lemon juice
6 (8 oz) half pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands

Directions:

PREPARE boiling water canner. Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set bands aside.
COMBINE cocoa powder and pectin in a medium glass bowl, stirring until evenly blended. Set aside.
COMBINE crushed raspberries and lemon juice in a large stainless steel saucepan. Whisk in pectin mixture until dissolved. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Add sugar all at once and return to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and skim off foam.
LADLE hot raspberry sundae topper into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight.
PROCESS jars 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.

The sauce turned out thick for me. So if you add ~1 teaspoon water for ~1 tablespoon sauce and microwave for 20-30 seconds, stir, you get the perfect consistency.

Annie's Salsa

8 cups tomatoes, peeled, chopped and drained
2 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 1/2 cups chopped green pepper
3 to 5 chopped jalapenos (for milder leave out seeds and ribs)
6 cloves minced garlic
2 tsp cumin (optional)
2 tsp pepper
1/8 cup canning salt
1/4 c fresh cilantro (optional)
1/3 c sugar (optional)
1 cup cider vinegar (see note on subbing lemon or lime juice option)
16 oz canned tomato sauce (to adjust density)
8-16 oz canned tomato paste (to adjust density)

Mix all ingredients, bring to a boil, boil 10 minutes. Pour into hot jars, process pints for 15 minutes in BWB.

Makes 6 pints.

_________

A lot of changes have been made to this recipe over the years. Some people like lemon or lime juice in place of some or all of the vinegar, that's fine. (Note from Sheila - I like half lemon half lime.)

Some people leave out the cilantro, that's fine too. Do not increase!

Some people add more hot peppers or fewer onions, fine as long as you keep the same total measurements. (Note this is what NCHFP does in their new Choice Salsa recipe.)

Some people leave out the sugar, that's fine.

You can scoop out the goo in the middle of the tomatoes with your thumbs when I'm peeling and chopping for a less seedy version, so it's 8 cups of chopped tomatoes without the seeds and goo.

Most who make it regularly as well as Annie recommend using a variety of different slicing tomatoes, not paste types, for best flavor and consistency. (Note: use the tomato sauce and paste to adjust the consistency of the final product to a "sloshy" consistency.)

According to Annie
"My salsa is not as thick as Heinz catsup but it's thicker than taco sauce. If you don't like it quite as thick or sweet, cut down the amount of paste. I would add some, then taste. Reducing that ingredient shouldn't affect the safety of the recipe. I use equal amounts of sauce and paste. You can pull it off the heat at any point and adjust for flavor. Before I cook it I check for salt, sugar, check the consistency. Add more pepper or cumin if I want.

When I first started making this salsa, tomato sauce and paste came in 8 and 16 ounce cans. Like everything else, they've now been downsized, so now I have to use partial cans."

Does anybody have good versions of the other recipes that have weird symbols in them for measurements?

SWEET ROASTED T'MATER PASTA

Tomatoes - A lot of them
Olive Oil
Garlic - just a touch
Sugar
Pasta - Angel hair can be nice choice
Goat cheese

This recipe came from Pittsfield Maine, where my friends' RV broke down some years ago. They made friends with a guy who made this. Oddly enough I am from Maine and had family in Pittsfield, but I learned this recipe from those dear friends in California. Here goes:

Slice the tomatoes and dip them in sugar
Slow roast them in a low bath of oil (maybe halfway up the slice) The slower the better - it should take at least 45 minutes.
Cook your pasta and toss it in a little of the oil run-off.
Gently slide the tomatoes on to the pasta and drop little blobs of goat cheese on to it. Let each person stir it up themselves (or add more cheese if they like.)

It's heaven.