<p>I didn’t grow much produce this summer- especially compared to last year when my tomatoes went crazy- but we have good farmers markets & I really want to put up some sort of preserves/jam /pickles to unearth in the middle of winter.</p>
<p>( I guess I should ask my sister - she followed the LDS instructions so well, she even used to grind her own flour- but she has pretty white bread taste buds- however, she would be pleased to hear that I am finally getting domestic in my :rolleyes: old age)</p>
<p>Any favorite recipes?
Ideas?
Freezer or pressure cooker?</p>
<p>I used to make vast amounts of jams, jellies, preserves, chutneys, and pickles. Not so much now that I can’t eat sugar. :(</p>
<p>I never used freezer recipes or a pressure cooker. I did process everything in a boiling water bath, even though technically you don’t have to.</p>
<p>I almost never make anything that requires pectin, except for hot peppery jelly and wine jellies (Chardonnay Basil, for example). Some favorites of mine are Rhubarb Ginger Jam, Brandied Apricot Jam, Plum Rum Jam, Apple Pear Chutney (uses the same Indian spices as mango chutney but MUCH cheaper), and oniony bread and butter pickles. I also like Dilly Beans. (The closest I come to canning vegetables, except for corn relish, I guess.)</p>
<p>oh god, one year my grandmothers garden produced so much razberries and strawberries we spent… weeeeks canning. I’ve also had the joy of doing it with cucumbers too.</p>
<p>Oh my do we can. Salsa, spaghetti sauce, jams, whole tomatos, tomato juice, pear/apple compote, applesauce, apple butter, pear butter all get canned (we use a pressure canner cause it takes less time). </p>
<p>Corn, raspberries, strawberries, pesto, roasted tomatos get frozen. </p>
<p>I prefer to can or freeze kind of basic things so I can jazz them up all winter in different ways. Spaghetti sauce that is just tomatos, garlic onion and herbs. I can add meat or not, I can use if pizza, pasta, lasagna, etc.</p>
<p>I forgot – we also press and freeze our own cider and this year we are going to try perry.</p>
<p>Likewise needed to figure out title. My mother used to make B&B pickles- I have only frozen green beans and zucchini, and watched end of the season green tomatoes turn red in the garage. Garden hasn’t done well in recent years- more shade? and critter damage.</p>
<p>When my kids were little and I didn’t work outside the home so much, I used to can and freeze all kinds of stuff. The last few years I haven’t done any canning at all. Then, last week, my DD (who stayed at her school doing research this summer but is coming home tonight for a week!) made a comment about how much she used to love “helping” me can stuff and how much she misses it. Of course this gave me the guilts. So, I’m taking monday off work, and we are making my grandmother’s chili sauce and peach jam, and later in the week dilly beans. I’m so excited! My mom and my little 9 year old niece are coming over to help, too. </p>
<p>I’d like to can. I do freeze. I make bags and bags of pesto-ready basil, and containers of sauce ready tomatoes. I’d like to do more, but need more spare time.</p>
<p>I both can and freeze. My mom was a Home Ec teacher. (I also learned to sew, knit, crochet, tailor, cook and bake before I had ever started high school.) DH’s family are farm folk with huge gardens and a whole beef in the freezer. </p>
<p>So we always had a garden (even when we were in our grad student slum apartment) and I’ve always either canned or frozen the bounty of the garden. This year I’ve mostly frozen stuff (sour cherries, apricots, peaches, tomatoes, pesto and green beans) though I’ll be canning sweet pickles if I ever get enough pickling cukes to bother with. </p>
<p>And green pepper jelly–wonderful appetizer. Pour it over a block of cream cheese and serve with dipping veggies and /or crackers.</p>
<p>I’ve done berry jams for years; raspberry and blackberry, occasionally strawberry. The prep is the tedious part (or the picking of the berries, which I will do myself whenever possible). Straight from the vine to the jar within hours if possible.</p>
<p>Served with homemade biscuits, my kids know they are home.</p>