Paula, I will be hulling these by myself! My sis already told me I have lost my mind.....I think I will start picking tomorrow.
I just have about a 20 foot row of the peas.

Glenda, Last year I had three 40' rows of purplehulls and it seemed like I spent my whole summer hulling peas. I didn't mind it, though, because we love them.

Paula, I agree with your DH that the fresh ones are the best. I bought a 1-lb. bag of already-hulled peas at Central Market a couple of weeks ago to see how they compared to home-grown and there was no comparison, even though those peas were locally grown in Texas and were really fresh.

This year, I ran out of garden space so saved the peas for fall, and I've been planting them in odd spots here and there whenever a crop finishes up and I remove the plants. I am looking forward to lots of peas and lots of hulling in the fall.

Don't forget, y'all, that you can save those puplehulls and make jelly!

I've linked my favorite purplehull site and it has the recipe for purplehull pea jelly.

Dawn

Here is a link that might be useful: Purplehull Pea recipes

Dawn - So NOW you tell me!!!! I've thrown about 6 gallon zip-lock bags full of hulls on the compost pile!!!! =)

How many would I need to make jelly? What's the flavor like? I've got about a gallon bag full to shell and I think my peas are about kaput. Is it too late to put in another planting of them? I still have some seed.

I've been cooking Chickasaw plums down for jelly juices. I'd like a variety for the freezer.

Paula

The last time I checked my Pink Eyes were white seeded, not green? Curious. I thought they would be green like the picture in the recipe link.

Just picked about 1/3 of the pole beans and processed 6 quarts. I need to finish them before I start the peas. I am using the Food Saver vacuum sealer.......there must be a learning curve....didn't work until I stuffed a paper towel into the top of the bag as per one of their tips. I plan to reread the entire booklet again before I use it.

ok, Glenda - you made me go check my seed stash and my original garden notes so I could see what the difference might be. I planted from a package I rec'd in last years Fall Swap and was clearly marked "Purple Hull Peas"...but I have a packet of the Pink-eye also that I was saving. My guess is that they are basicly the same plant (seriously, how many different kinds of tomatoes do we grow? lol!) and the color difference (and maybe taste?) is what sets them apart from the green colored peas harvested from my pods.

How fun! We each planted a different type so we'll have to compare notes!

Thanks for the tip on that Food Saver. Ilene & I both signed up on their website for special offers but so far, none (at least for me) have been tempting. Besides, my mother bought one on sale at Kohl's....so I'm gonna be a brat child and just use hers! (Yes, I'm 53 and still "borrowing" from Mom! She doesn't mind. I keep her supplied in fresh veggies!)

Paula

I have picked mine in both the 50% purple and fully purple.

I didn't know about the jelly, what does that taste like? I have some hulls and could give it a go.

Paula,

Hey, you never asked me! If you'd posted a question like "Hey, Dawn, can I make jelly from the hulls of these pinkeye purple hull peas?", then I would have said "Hey, Paula, you sure can. I'll post the recipe." lol I have posted it before, but maybe you didn't see it.

I don't know that I've ever seen an amount of pea hulls specified in a recipe. Just use the amount of pea hulls you'd have left over after shelling a good-sized mess of peas....maybe a gallon or two of hulls. Wash them REALLY well...washing and rinsing several times because you don't want any gritty sand or straw mulch slipping into your jelly (although, since you strain the juice through cheesecloth or a jelly bag, that likely wouldn't happen).

The jelly will have a fruity taste. Some people think it tastes like slightly watered-down grape juice or grape jelly. I don't know...to me, it is fruit-flavored but not necessarily grape-flavored. On the other hand, I don't think my 51-year-old taste buds taste all the fine nuances of flavors like they did when they were younger, so to someone with more sensitive taste buds or younger taste buds, there might be a grape flavor to it. It is good though, leading me to believe you could make jelly out of just about ANYTHING as long as you have pectin and sugar.

By the way, some people make jelly out of the hulls of other types of southern peas like lady peas or blackeyed peas and claim each one has its own sort of fruity flavor. Since I usually only grow Purplehull Pinkeyes, I haven't tried the others. The next time I grow Mandy (aka Big Red Ripper), I think I might try making a batch from those hulls.

As long as you plant in the next couple of weeks, you still have time to get a fall crop of southern peas, so go for it!

And I agree with Ken....nothing matches the flavor of fresh-from-the-garden purplehull peas. I purchased some at Central Market a couple of weeks ago. They were already hulled, were in a one-pound bag and were very good, but not as good as fresh home-grown ones, even though they were grown locally....just a 3 or 4 hour drive from the D-FW metro area, but even locally grown ones aren't as fresh as your own are.

I've linked a blog that has a more detailed Purplehull Pea Jelly Recipe.

Glenda, To get them green, pick right when they are at about half-purple. One of my friends likes them green, and only green, so he picks a bit earlier than I do, but if you pick them before they have a good bit of purple, they are hard to shell. At about or just slightly less than half-purple, they shell fine and usually are green. It can be hard to catch them at the exact right moment because they can go from half-purple to all purple almost overnight.

When I pick them, I usually end up with a mixture of colors from all green to greenish-white to mostly white, and the ones I bought at Central Market a couple of weeks ago were the same kind of mix.

I got a Foodsaver for Christmas, but haven't even used it because I had a huge supply of freezer ziplocks we bought in bulk at Sam's or CostCo last year and I wanted to use them up before I got out the new gadget and started experimenting with it.

Dawn

Here is a link that might be useful: Purplehull Pea Jelly

Glenda - don't throw away any of those hulls! From what I read, you can even freeze them until you've got enuf to boil down for juice!!! I just wish I hadn't already thrown out so many, because NOW I have to plant a fall crop! (like I need more to do!)

Dawn - I've said it before and I'll say it again (and probably many more times in the coming years!)...You are just a WEALTH of information! Now...any idea what I can do with leftover Edemame pods? Just kiddin'.....

Paula

I made purple hull jelly last week! Well... kinda. I read that the hulls are supposed to taste like grape jelly. However i didnt have any sure-jell so mine turned out more like a grape syrup. But it actually turned out really good on pancakes! hehehehe i love when my lazyness pays off. I will have to get some sure-jell and make another batch with my fall purple hulls for toast. Anyways... i just wanted to add that you can make a pretty good grape syrup too. The recipe calls for a gallon on hulls, but i just had a large basket full..... i am assuming close to a gallon.

~Danni Girl

Paula,

As far as I know, there is no use for Edamame pods after you've removed the beans. However, you never know! Somebody, somewhere might be making jelly out of them too.

Danni Girl,

I have enough boxes of pectin for you and me both. Back when it became apparent the fruit tree harvest would be amazing, I started looking for pectin but had a hard time finding any here because everybody else's fruit trees were going nuts too. So, I ordered about 20 boxes of pectin (regular Ball, freezer Ball, Sure Jell, and Pomona) from Canning Pantry. Of course, when my order came, the 12 boxes of regular Ball pectin were back ordered, so I still didn't have the pectin I needed when I needed it.

Eventually, by making repeated trips to every Wal-Mart, grocery store and Tractor Supply Store within 60 miles of our house, I was able to round up enough pectin to can over 200 jars of jelly. Then, two days ago, my back-ordered Ball Pectin arrived. I now have boxes of pectin piled up all over the house. That's OK, though. At least if the stores here run out again, it won't affect me.

Sadly, the big round of canning now is Habanero Gold jelly, and for it, I need liquid pectin, but I've been stocking up on that all along, picking up a box or two every week. The stores here usually run out of it in July or August when the big pepper harvest hits. It is amazing how the stores are running out of pectin and jars almost weekly. It seems to me that many more people are canning this year than last year. Now, when I see jars in the store, I automatically pick up a case, knowing I'll use them for something. I long ago used all the empty jars I had sitting around.

The only syrup I've deliberately made this year so far was Blueberry syrup. I meant to make strawberry syrup but got distracted by peppers, so I still have Strawberry Syrup and Pecan Praline syrup on my To Do list.

Dawn

I bought pectin in bulk at Seymour at Byler's (Ammish store)at a fraction of what the box of pectin costs. I haven't used any yet but intend to try the hull jelly.

I have had some interference and delays in picking them....farm life is always interesting. First while I was picking the first of the hoop house pole beans yesterday morning, I noticed the JB's were heavy on several things so I quit and mixed up 7 gallons of Sevin (all I had) and sprayed. Had to wait until it dried before starting on the beans again. I had picked about 1/3 of them. I processed 6 quarts and planned to go out early this morning and finish. DH was supposed to be busy unloading another load of hay....hay man called and postponed. That left DH free in the cool morning time so I decided we should just drive over to the neighbors and look at the llamas. We had been waiting on them to call us but decided we had a misunderstanding about that. I was right. They were waiting on us! We selected a 5-year old female who seemed a little aggressive or independent. He didn't have any males available. He will get her up in the corral this evening when they come in for water. I will try to talk him into delivering her; our trailer is loaded with 20 cattle panels.

So, no beans picked; no peas picked. It stays hot for so long in the evenings, I may just wait until morning now.

Glenda, I wish I had places like that to shop here! I almost bought pectin in bulk online (long before I knew the fruit trees would produce insane amounts of fruit) but didn't know if I'd use it up before its expiration date.

I can't wait to hear more about your new llama. I think they are so gorgeous. Several people here in our county have a guard llama in with their goats or sheep.

It is too hot to do anything outside. My favorite part of the day is from about 7 to 8 a.m., but our humidity is still around 86-88% when I go out at that time, so even it is sticky.

I am going to do the first picking of my pole beans tomorrow....and maybe the last or next-to-the-last picking of the bush beans. I love how it is working out that the bush beans are finishing up even as the pole beans are beginning to produce. That was how it was planned, but you know how seldom 'garden plans' work out the way they were expected to.

What is the plan for all those cattle panels?

Dawn

The panels were my husband's idea for fencing the new orchard/garden area. He said it would be cheaper for us to do it using panels and steel posts (which we already have) than hiring someone to build a traditional fence. I worry about the hot wire being the only thing between the cows and the corn and fruit trees! Right now we have moved the cows out of that field.

We will have to wait for much cooler weather before starting it. I was lucky and caught the panels on sale a couple of dollars cheaper than normal.

I hope he calls about the llama this morning...didn't last night. He is a heart attack survivor like DH and they aren't supposed to do anything stressful in extreme heat or cold. I will post pictures when she gets here.

I will be outside by 6:30 if it is light enough to pick the rest of my pole beans.

Glenda,

I think the panels are a wonderful idea and I wouldn't trust the cattle around unprotected fruit trees either. I thought maybe you bought all those panels to build wonderful new garden trellis's, arbors, etc.

I should be outside in the garden myself but I have no energy. Our 16-year-old Australian Shepherd kept me awake all night. She is in very frail health, having lost her hearing 2 or 3 years ago and her eyesight in the last year. She is, quite literally, on her last legs and can barely walk and her health seems to have drastically deteriorated this week. She had a rough night last night and couldn't sleep (a common issue several nights per week the last couple of months) and kept me awake with her. I have had a total of 8 hours of sleep since Wednesday morning and I have absolutely zero energy. (whine, whine, whine) I suspect she won't last much longer. Since she lost her eyesight after previously losing her hearing, I am her 'security blanket' and she becomes exceedingly anxious if I am not right beside her. After she finally fell asleep in the early morning hours, she slept so soundly that when I woke up this morning and checked on her, I thought she had died.

Unfortunately, once I am awake it is exceptionally hard for me to fall back asleep. Otherwise I'd go back to sleep right this minute.

Dawn

Glenda, Did you find a mark-down at a chain store or something local? Last time I looked Lowes only had a couple left in my town, so I hope they brought in more because I need to buy several more. I had hoped to get them all at once but don't have anything large enough to get them home in, so guess I will start buying a few at a time. Actually, I think they will be great for your fencing. DH wants to do some of our area with them also because they are portable and he can use them as a temporary solution until we are sure where we want a fence to go. They are never wasted because they are great in the garden.

Personally, I wish everything was fenced because I am tired of the neighborhood dogs that run free, but a few of them could probably get through the panels. My garden area has chain link, and the bottom half also has chicken wire, so it is rabbit and dog proof. but I plant containers outside that area. For some reason, we seem to be the local 'potty stop' for the dogs.

Can the purple hull jelly only be made from the green pods, or can you do it with dry ones as well? I let my peas turn entirely purple and pick them when they have a slightly "crisp" feel to the pods when I gently squeeze them. I save mine dry to use in the winter, although I have more plants this year so I may have enough to both save for winter and eat some in the summer, but the jelly sounds interesting if I can use the dry hulls.

Debra

Debra, I have no idea if it would work with really dry hulls, but I think it likely would if they still have purple to them and have not yet turned yellow/tan/white.

Dawn

Debra - I would think that the mature, purple pods would be the ones to use for jelly making. It would seem that adding just enough water to cover them would re-hydrate the pods somewhat. Some of my most recent picks have been a bit dried. I hope to try the jelly recipe this weekend so I'll get back here and let you know how it worked.

I wish to heck I still had all the ones I threw away!! Now I've started another row for a fall crop just so I'll have the pods for jelly! lol!

Paula

Thanks, Dawn and Paula! I look forward to your report on jelly-making next week, Paula. I have picked maybe a dozen or so pods so far but haven't gotten around to the shelling yet so no pods have been discarded. I also have dozens more not yet ready for picking. The hulls are all still solidly dark purple, no lightening to yellow/tan/white on them.

I wasn't aware these things would stop producing. As I recall, my three little plants last year continued to make pods until the first frost. I planted seven this year, and they've been doing everything they possibly can to take over the whole garden. I've had to unravel vines from the okra plants, remove them from the cucumber trellis, and once even had to corral one that was on its way into the tomato cages! Best of all, if I've had any cowpea aphids this year they've been so sparse I haven't once had to wash them off the plants.

Debra

Reporting back in:

All set to get in the garden to pick beans early and DH decided it would be a good time to get rid of a dead arborvitae (bag worms) and I jumped on it. I do the chainsawing (little afraid for him to do it) and decided to get the one by the bathroom window since it was hanging full of bag worms too. I intend to slowly eliminate those kinds of things. He picks up and hauls off.

That finished I headed to the garden. Remember I am picking those beans underneath a very shady breezy hoop house of cattle panels. I picked a little over a half bushel (guessing here); then saw some little pink tomatoes in the volunteer patch...got those. Noticed the second and last cuc is dying! I decided to pick some of the PEPH peas while out there. I got maybe 4 feet done, just picking pods all purple of mostly purple. Picked more cherry tomatoes and found a pepper, not sure the variety.

Pulled off a few peaches that are still too green but will ripen inside.

The peas translated one hour later to 22.50 oz hulled peas.
I now have waiting the juice and will make jelly in the cool of the morning. It has a slightly brown cast that I am hoping the sugar will change to more blue pink. They did not get tender which was the term used in the recipe link. I don't think they would if I had cooked them all day.

I also decided the tomatoes should be canned since some were very ripe. All were very small....got l quart and 2 pints.

This is how the cute little packages of peas looked like from the Food Saver. I used a towel in one but not the other they were dry enough without it.

Mine were various colors too. I may let some dry (maybe all the rest if I get too busy). Dawn, if I had to hull as many as you did last time, I would run screaming down the road never to be heard from again!

I made the jelly this morning. Pleasantly surprised by the color and the taste. I had just exactly 4 cups from my 22.5 oz. of hulled peas.

Glenda,

The color is beautiful. Did it taste fruity or grapey or would you describe it some other way?

About hulling the peas....of course I hate almost every single minute of it, but pinkeye purplehulls are one of my favorite veggies from the garden. I can make a whole meal out of a bowl of peas cooked with a little bacon and a chopped up jalapeno pepper. Give me a bowl of that and a nice hunk of cornbread, and I am a happy camper. In other words, I am a purplehull pinkeye hog. If you want to be a purplehull pinkeye hog, you have to be willing to shell those peas!

When I lived in Texas, you could take your own southern peas to the Farmer's Market in Weatherford, TX, one hour west of Fort Worth and get one of the pea sellers there to run them through his big pea sheller for a very small fee. I wish there was someone here who did that.

Dawn

Maybe just a hint grapey with a bit of a tartness. The jury is out on my bulk pectin. I used a rounded 1/3 cup like the package suggested but the jelly is not really firm at all. Thicker than thick syrup but wouldn't mound up on a spoon. Maybe after a few days ......

I need to try it on some real fruit and see how it does.

Glenda,

Thanks for the report on the flavor.

I hope you'll keep us posted on the bulk pectin too. When I run out of the pectin I have now (about 30 or 35 boxes, so I may not run out this year), I am planning to buy bulk pectin online. That is, unless you think it isn't working well.

Dawn

Thanks Glenda! We had peas for tonite's supper and the gallon bag of hulls is simmering in the crock-pot overnite. I found that I could cut time this year using the crockpot for cooking the fruit when my wild plums were/are so plentiful. Also, I don't have to mash up all the fruit before getting some good juice, which I still run thru a jelly bag. After all the good juice is drained, then I mash the fruit to get the last little bit of good stuff out of it.

I picked up a few hints this year on jelly/jam making when I wanted to use the sand-cherries that we got this year. I almost had enough for a batch, so I supplemented with a few store-bought ones. I'm also trying to make reduced sugar recipe's since DH is diabetic. I found this site linked below really helpful. I don't have bulk pectin, but bought the "no-sugar added" packages of pectin. WM has them for like $1.60. I followed her recommendation of using 1/4 cup sugar mixed with the pectin for starters. I also used 1 box plus 2 T. of another mixed with the sugar. The rest of the sweetener I used that "spendid" stuff (ha!) only about half what the recipe called for in sugar. It set up great and has just the right "tartness"!! I'll report back on the results for the purple hull jelly, which I hope to get made tomorrow. (I'm taking a day off from the $ job to catch up on harvest around here!)

Also, today got 3 10' rows of pink-eyes planted for fall crop. The Farmer's Almanac said this was the last good day to plant for above ground crops, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Paula

Here is a link that might be useful: HInts on Jelly/Jam making

I may have enough fall peaches to make jam, if not, I will thaw a bag of something and test the pectin. I don't think the PEPH was a good test of it, since it obviously doesn't have much pectin naturally.

I had the PEPH jelly on toast this AM and it was firmer, not stiff, but didn't run off the toast before I could eat it. I think it is pretty tasty. I don't know if I will make any more or not, but intend to freeze the hulls in case we should run out of jam this winter.

Well, I'm back to report my results with the PEPH jelly!

I cooked the hulls over nite in the crockpot, got almost 8 cups of juice but I spilled a bit so ended up with about 6 1/2 cups. I went against ALL recommendations and made a batch & a half. (The recipe calls for 4 c. juice). I mixed 1/2 cups sugar with 1 & 1/2 boxes no-sugar-needed pectin. I also reduced the sugar input to 2 cups real sugar and 3 cups splenda since DH is diabetic. I think the splenda is sweeter than sugar. I got 9 half-pint jars out of it! It set-up perfect and really taste like grape jelly with a tartness mixed in! With all the protein in the peas and other vitamins, this has got to be healthier than regular grape jelly. I guestimated the cost to be about $4 for the 9 jars.

I will definitely be making more if my fall crop of peas will produce. I think it'll make a novel Christmas gift for all my city-dwelling co-workers!

Paula

Paula, were any of the hulls you used dried already or were they all soft and fresh? I have a gallon ziplock bag filled with hulls, but they are all dry enough to feel slightly crisp. If it works out to use dry hulls I may try to make some this coming weekend.

Debra

Debra - I'd say at least 25% were dry like that, with maybe another 50% somewhere in the middle of dry vs. fresh. The last time I picked I found quite a few that I'd missed so they were already dried (or close) on the vine. I say try to make the juice with what you've got. If you have a crockpot, use it. I think cooking slow like that gets more out of the hulls. Then see if your juice looks like the picture Glenda posted. Mine looked almost like hers except it was a little lighter in color.

Now it's your turn to let us know how yours turns out!

Paula

Thanks, Paula! I do have a crockpot so I will use that and try this weekend and report back next week.

Debra

My husband likes it well enough that he got out the jar to go with the biscuits this morning!

Glenda - my 9 yr old GD doesn't like jelly usually. She's just started trying a few tastes and prefers grape for her PBJ's. This morning when DD was packing her lunch for the Y, she gave her a choice and this is what she picked! Of course, she doesn't know that it's really not grape...and we may not tell her. hehe!

Couple more things, Debra. Although my original juice was a bit lighter in color than Glenda's - my jelly came out just as dark. Also, when adding water to the crockpot I filled just up to the top of the hulls...maybe about 4 cups of water or so.

Can't wait to hear how yours turns out because we planted 3 more rows for a fall crop.

Paula

Here's my report on the jelly, complete with pictures.

I got the hulls cleaned and in the crockpot to cook around 6:30 pm Saturday evening. I left the pot on high until it got good and hot then turned it down to low and left it on overnight. I put 9 cups of water in the pot. As you can see, I had enough hulls to completely fill my crockpot. With the exception of what might be a handful, all my pods were dry. In fact, some had even started turning white just barely along the edges.

Crockpot filled with hulls and just started cooking:

After cooking:

I didn't think to take a picture of the hulls before they got stuffed in the crockpot, but I did get one of them after I had removed them all from the pot. The first picture is the bowl with the hulls in it; the second is from farther back so you can see the size of the bowl compared to the crockpot.

Juice removed from pot:

Juice strained and in saucepan:

Jelly done and in jars:

I haven't actually tasted it yet because it was late yesterday before the jars cooled. The two half jars are "testers" so I could take small amounts to work and let my co-workers taste it. The package of SureJell said it can take as long as two weeks for jellies to completely set up so I will probably make biscuits to test it on next weekend.

I removed the hulls around 8-8:30 Sunday morning so they cooked for around 13-14 hours. I had enough to make two recipes but only one package of SureJell. I have four more cups of juice strained and in the refrigerator. I will make that up as soon as I make a run to the store for more pectin. The pan I boiled the jelly in was a tad small for the job. It kept trying to boil over so I had to stay with it and stir it a bit each time it started to overflow. I think I'll use my big stock pan for the next batch.

Debra

YEA DEBRA!!!! I'm so glad you went ahead and tried with those dried hulls. Obviously, they still had it! Hope you like the taste! My grand-daughter has already gone thru one jar...and she normally doesn't like jelly of any kind.

I think this jelly and my Black Cherry tomatoes are the next best things that have happened to me out of this garden season, second only to the Spring Fling!

Paula

Debra,

It is great to know that the dried hulls still work. Purplehull pinkeye jelly has made me wonder what else we could make jelly from, if only we knew that we could do it.

Paula,

Don't you love how each new season brings wonderful surprises? That's one of the great things about gardening....you just never know what may happen at any given time.

Dawn

OK, question. Have any of you made cherry tomato preserves?
I want to do some small batches this year. I will have way too many cherry tomatoes to eat and no dehydrator........yet.

I am seeing recipes using sliced lemon, some with spices, none with a hot pepper.

Dawn - ABSOLUTELY!!!! Without a doubt! Amen, Sister!

Glenda - you soooo fit in with this group of enablers!!! I'll go in search of...becuz I too have way too many cherry's and I sooo don't want to waste a good harvest.

Onward thru the fog! LOL!

Paula

Glenda,

I made Yellow Pear tomato preserves a long time ago. There are a lot more interesting recipes out there nowadays.

Let me see what kinds of recipes I can find in my canning books......

Here's a few ideas:

TOMATO-BASIL JAM (not specifically for cherry-sized tomatoes, but I'm sure they would work)

YIELD: 2.5 to 3 cups

3 lbs. ripe tomatoes
2 lemons
24 fresh basil leaves
1 cup sugar

Dip the tomatoes in simmering water for 30 seconds. Cool them in an iced water bath. When cool enough to handle, peel, core, quarter and squeeze seeds out through a sieve to retain juices. Coarsely chop the tomatoes. Pieces and reserved juice will measure a generous 4 cups.

Place tomatoes in a deep, non-reactive 4-quart pan. Cover and bring to a boil. Uncover and simmer for 30 minutes or until the jam is reduced to 2.5 to 3 cups and free of excess moisture.

While the tomatoes simmer, remove the yellow zest from two lemons with a zester. Squeeze the juice from both lemons. Puree 12 basil leaves with 1/2 of the lemon juice.

Off heat, stir the zest and the lemon juice without the basil into the tomatoes. Return the tomato mixture to a simmer, and begin adding the sugar 1/2 cup at a time, allowing the mixture to return to a boil before adding more. Cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes, until the jam thickens again. The temperature reading should be 210 degrees Fahrenheit.

Off heat, stir in the remaining lemon-basil juice. Cool a tablespoon of jam briefly. When cooled to room temperature, taste for a balance of sweet and sour.

Add more lemon juice by the tablespoon as needed. Cut the remaining basil leaves into thin strips. Fold them into the jam.

Fill hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Wipe rims clean, attach lids and process in a BWB for 10 minutes.

TOMATO ORANGE JAM

Yield: Almost 3 cups

3 lbs. ripe tomatoes
2 navel oranges
Bouquet garni: 3 cloves, 3 allspice berries, 1 slice fresh ginger in a spice bag
1 cup sugar
2 T. unsweetened orange juice concentrate (optional)
tomato paste (optional)

Subnerge tomatoes in boiling water, etc. to remove skins as directed in above recipe. When cool enough to handle, peel, core, quarter, sieve and chop coarsely. When chopped, the tomato pieces and strained juices will equal about 4 cups.

Remove the zest from both oranges with a zester. Cut away and discard inner white peel. Halve the oranges, remove seeds, and thinly slice.

Combine tomatoes with juices, orange zest, orange slices and the bouquet garni in a deep, non-reactive 4-quart saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Uncover and simmer for 25 minutes until the mixture has reduced to three cups.

Stir in sugar 1/2 cup at a time, allowing the jam to return to a simmer between additions. Cook at a simmer another 10 minutes until reduced again to about 3 cups. Temperature will reach 210 degrees Fahrenheit.

Off heat, remove bouquet garni. Cool a tablespoon of jam in the freezer and taste for an even blend of tomato and orange flavors. Add orange juice concentrate or a little tomato paste as needed for a balanced flavor.

Fill hot, sterilized jars, leaving a 1/4" headspace. Wipe rims clean, attach lids and process in a BWB for 10 minutes.

GREEN TOMATO JAM

Yield: 3.5 cups

2 lbs. green tomatoes
2 lemons
1 tart apple
1/2 cup water
1 4" cinnamon stick
1 cup sugar

Scrub and rinse all the fruits. Remove the stem end of the tomatoes and dice them hand or chop them, two at a time quartered, in a food processor fitted with a steel blade, using a rapid pulsing action. Remove the zest from the lemons with a zester. Cut off and discard the inner white peel. Halve the lemons and thinly slice, removing seeds. Peel, quarter, core and dice the apple.

Combine the tomatoes, lemon zest, lemon slices and apple pieces with the water and cinnamon stick in a heavy, non-reactive 4-quart pan. Cover the pan and bring to a boil.

Add sugar 1/2 cup at a time, allowing the jam to return to a simmer between additions. Cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. The temperature will rise to 210 degrees Fahrenheit.

Off heat, remove the cinnamon stick. Pour the jam into hot, sterilized jars, leaving a 1/4" head space. Wipe rims, attach lids and process for 10 minutes in a BWB.

TOMATO-PRUNE JAM

(Yield: 4 cups)

12 oz. pitted prunes
2 lbs. ripe tomatoes
Bouquet garni in a spice bag: 1 cinnamon stick, 3 cloves, 3 allspice berries, 2 lemon peel strips
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon (or more to taste) red wine vinegar

Cut prunes into 1/2" piece. Dip tomatoes in simmering water fro 30 seconds, cool in an ice water bath. Once cool to the touch, slip off the skins, core, and quarter the tomatoes. Strain through a sieve to remove seeds, retaining the juices. Coarsely chop the tomato pieces.

Combine prunes, tomatoes, strained juices and bouquet garni in a deep. non-reactive 4-qt. saucepan. Cover and bring to a simmer. Uncover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring regularlyh or until the mixture is thickened and free of standing liquid.

Stir in the lemon juice, then the sugars one at a time. Continue cooking for another 10 minutes until the jam is thick again and a thermometer reaches about 208-210 degrees Fahrenheit.

Off heat, remove the bouquet garni and stir in the vinegar. Quickly cool a tablespoon of jam in the freezer and taste for the slightly tart finish of the vinegar to balance the sweet fruits. Add more vinegar if desired.

Fill hot, sterilized jars, leaving a 1/4" headspace. Wipe rims, attach caps and process in boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes.

TOMATO MARMALADE (Yield: ABout 2.5 pints)

1 medium-sized orange
1 lemon
2 1/2 cups water
2 lbs. ripe tomatoes
1 3" cinnamon stick
1/2 t. whole cloves
2 t. chopped fresh ginger
2 cups sugar

If the orange and lemon were not labeled organic, put them in a colander in the sink and pour boiling water over them to remove any wax. Scrub them well.

Halve the fruit, squeeze out and reserve the juice, and place the seeds and membranes on a square of cheesecloth. Cut the lemon rind halves in half again, and quarter the orange rind halves. Put the rinds into a small saucepan with the water. Simmer the rinds, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, until they are tender.

Remove the rinds with a slotted spoon and set them aside to cool. Reserve the cooking liquid.

Dip the tomatoes in boiling water for 30 to 60 secibdsm until their skins begin to crack. Let them cool briefly, slip off their skins, and squeeze the skins before discarding them. Using a strainer, drain off the tomato juice into a preserving pan. Add the cooking liquid from the citrus rinds and the juice from the orange and lemon. Add the cinnamon, cloves and giner to the cheesecloth square, tie the square into a bundle, and add it to the preserving pan. Bring the mixture to a boil, and boil it until it is reduced by half, about 30 minutes.

Scrape the excess pith from the citrus rinds and cut the rinds into thin, crosswise strips. Chope the tomatoes coarsely. Turn off the heat under the preserving pan and add the tomatoes and citrus rinds. Stir in the sugar. Boil the mixture gently until it looks glossy and a drop of the marmalade mounds in a chilled dish, about 40 minutes. Squeeze the cheesecloth bundle and remove it.

Ladle the marmalade into pint or half-pint mason jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Add lids and rings, and process the jars for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.

YELLOW TOMATO-PINEAPPLE PRESERVES

(Yield: about 3 pints)

2 1/4 lbs. yellow tomatoes
4 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 medium-size pineapple
4 thin slices fresh ginger

Dip the tomatoes into boiling water for 30-60 seconds. Let them cool briefly and slip off their skins. Cut them into wedges about 1 x 1 1/2" and put the wedges into a bowl. Add the sugar and gently mix. Cover the bowl and let it stand for 6-12 hours, gently turning the tomatoes once or twice in the meantime.

Peel and core the pineapple and chop it coarsely, reserving all juice. Weigh the chopped pineapple. You should have 3/4 pund.

Strain the syrup rom the tomatoes into a nonreactive kettle. Add any sugar from the bottom of the bowl and any juice from chopping the pineapple. Put the ginger slices into a spice bag and add it to the kettle. Stir the mixture over medium heat until the sugar has completely dissolved.

Raise the heat to high and boil the syrup until it reaches the thread stage or 230 degrees Fahrenheit.

Add the tomato wedges and chopped pineapple.

Reduce the heat and barely simmer the mixture until the tomato wedges are partially translucent. at least 30 minutes. Skim off any foam. Press the spice bag against the side of the kettle, and remove the bag. Ladle the preserves into pint or half-pint mason jars. Add lids and rings, and process the jars for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.

GREEN TOMATO PRESERVES
(Yield: about 3 pints)

2 lbs. green tomatoes, cut into wedges, about 1 x 1 1/2"
3 tablespoons lime juice
grated zest of two limes
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
3 green jalapeno or Fresno peppers, cut into thin tounds
3 cups sugar

Combine all of the ingredients in a nonreactive kettle. Cover the kettle and let it stand at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours, turning the mixture a few times.

Bring the mixture slowly to a simmer, stirring gently until the sugar is completely dissolved. Simmer the mixture for 1 to 1.5 hours, until the tomatoes are partially translucent. Remove pan from heat. Cover with a cloth and let it stand at room temperature for another 8 to 12 hours.

Strain the mixture through a colander set over a bowl. Return the syrup only to the pan and boil it briefly, until it is noticeably thickened. Return the fruit to the pan and bring the preserves to a boil. Ladle them into pint or half-pint jars. Add lids and rings. Process in a BWB for 15 minutes.

TOMATO-APPLE BUTTER
(Makes 2.5 to 3 pints)

1 quart applesauce
1 quart seeds, skinned, pureed tomatoes
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt

Combine all the above ingredients in a preserving pan. Simmer the mixture, stirring often, for about 40 minutes, until it is thick. If you'll be serving it with meat, you'll probably want the butter a little less thick than apple butter. Ladle the butter into pint or half-pin jars. Add lids and rings. Process the jars in a BWB for 15 minutes.

TOMATO JELLY
(Makes about seven 4-oz. jars)

8 cups sliced tomatoes
1/2 cup water
3 dried hot chili peppers
3/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 pkg. powdered pectin
3 1/4 cups granulated sugar

In a large, stainless steel saucepan, combine the tomatoes, water, chili peppers and basil. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring and crushing tomatoes occasionally, until tomatoes are softened, about 25 minutes.

Transfer tomato mixture to a dampened jelly bag or a strainer lined with several layers of dampened cheesecloth set over a deep bowl. Let drip, undisturbed, for 2 hours. Measure 1 3/4 cups tomato juice. If you do not have the required amount, add 1/2 cup boiling water to the remaining pulp in the jelly bag to extract additional juice. (Or, you can add unsweetened apple or white grape juice to extend the juice to the required measure.)

Meanwhile, prepare canner, jars and lids.

Transfer tomato juice to a large, deep, stainless steel saucepan. Add lemon juice. Whisk in pectin 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, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from heat and quickly skim off foam.

Quickly pour hot jelly into hot jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Wipe rims. Center lids on jars. Screw bands down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight.

Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, remove jars, cool and store.

OPTION:

Gingered Tomato Jelly: Substitute 2 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger for the chili peppers and basil.

Hope these recipes give you a few ideas.

Dawn

Thank you all for the information. I am a canning fanatic for the last 5 or 6 years. I was so excited to find not only that I can now pick these peas and plant more, I can also utilize the beautiful pods for one of my favorite pass times. Plus I have some awesome chocolate cherry tomatoes to try to preserve this year too. Happy Canning and Planting Peeps.

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Fuss

Dawn, thank you! You went above and beyond with all these wonderful recipes. I have saved them all. A couple really caught my eye. I will let you know what I try.

I haven't been to the gardens for a couple of days...a health issue popped up its ugly head and that has kept me inside. I will be checking both today.

Still extremely hot and dry here. We broke records a couple of days.