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Posts Tagged ‘canning’

Gifts From My Kitchen – Smoky Ketchup

Posted in Breakfasts, Canning, Condiments, Gifts, Love, Low Fat, Make Ahead, Savory, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 16, 2013 | 8 Comments »

I bake about 4-5 loafs of bread every week. You are probably thinking, “How does she still fit in those jeans?”  Well, she doesn’t!

The truth of the matter is – my family barely finishes one loaf.  The rest goes to our friends and neighbors. I love offering gifts from my kitchen.

Smoky_Ketchup_WM-4

Today’s gift is a collaboration project with the awesomest neighbor and his lovely wife.  They own a smoker, which is responsible for the exceptional flavor of our ketchup.

 

/The recipe was adopted from one of my absolute favorites, “Gifts Cooks Love” by Diane Morgan/

Smoky Ketchup

From While Chasing Kids | Condiments and Sauces | American

Say goodbye to Heinz! This homemade ketchup is a parade of flavors and is a great present for any kitchen: carnivore or vegetarian.
It could be stored in a fridge for up to 1 month.
Yields: 3 8-oz bottles

01:10
00:10
01:00

Low cal Calories 42kcal

fat Free Total Fat 0g

sat-fat Free Saturated Fat 0g

chol Free Cholesterol 0mg

sodium Sodium 419mg

carbs Total Carbohydrate 11g

Serving size 64g Calories from fat 0kcal Fiber 1g Protein 0g Sugar 9g
16 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 medium yellow onion, smoked
  • 2 x 14.5- oz cans of diced tomatoes
  • 1 tbs capers, drained
  • 5 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • Juice of 1 orange, strained
  • Juice of 1/2 grapefruit, strained
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon, strained
  • 1/4 cup cider vinegar
  • 2 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp ground paprika

Directions

  1. Process tomatoes in a blender on high speed for about 2 minutes or until smooth. Pour processed tomatoes into a dutch oven.
  2. Process onion, garlic and capers in a blender until smooth for about 2 minutes. Add brown sugar, and process to incorporate for about 1 minute. Add the remaining ingredients, and process one more time for about 30 seconds.
  3. Pour the onion blend over the tomatoes and mix with a wooden spoon. Bring the mixture to boil on medium heat. Lower, the heat, and let steam for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until it reaches ketchup consistency; stirring occasionally.
  4. In the meantime, sterilize the bottles or let them go through a full dishwasher cycle.
  5. Using a funnel, ladle the ketchup into the bottles, leaving ½ inch headspace. Wipe the rims and secure the lids. Label, and refrigerate.

Tips

  • Could be refrigerated for up to 2 months.

Analyzed by Kitchenbug

For free canning labels and gift notes go here.

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Spicy Canned Beans

Posted in Canning, Savory, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , on July 10, 2012 | 15 Comments »

I met with an old friend for a drink.  She has a beautiful 5-year old daughter whose head is full of most peculiar notions.  Here is one of the conversations she recently had with her mommy:

Mommy. “Promise you’ll never tell me you are too old for kisses or cuddles.”

Child. “What are you talking about mom, don’t be silly, of course I’ll never be too old. You and dad are old and you give each other kisses and cuddles all the time.”

So cute!  The cutest thing I heard from my 3-year old was “Oh, MAN!” after a potty training accident…

Well, my kid is not much of a talker.  He is also not much of an eater.  He wouldn’t try these canned beans, but oh, they are so worth a try!

Print this recipe

SPICY CANNED BEANS

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
  • 8 cloves garlic
  • 1 tbs mustard seeds
  • 3 jalapeno peppers, sliced
  • assorted peppers, sliced
  • 4 small dried hot red chiles
  • 1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed

DIRECTIONS:

I use this canning kit - it’s cheap and easy to use.

Sterilize the jars: Either put them in hot wash dishwasher cycle so that they are clean and hot by the time you use them, or dunk them in boiling water and keep them hot.

Sterilize the lids: boil the tops in a small pan filled with enough water to cover the lids, keep them hot till needed.

Prepare for canning: bring to boil a large pot of water.  There should be enough water to completely submerge the jars and have about an inch of water on top of them.

Make the marinade: Bring the water, vinegar, salt, and sugar to boil.

Preserve: Distribute the remaining ingredients between the jars. Pour the vinegar mixture over them, leaving about 1/4 inch of space between the top and the marinade.  Secure the lid.

Using the jar lifter, carefully place the lidded jars in the large pot of boiling water, make sure they are completely submerged.  Boil for about 10 minutes.

Remove the hot jars using the jar lifter, and place them on a towel.  Let cool completely before labeling.  Make sure the lid tops are not popping in the center.

These will take 6 or so weeks to process, but the wait is worth it – they are a perfect addition to a salad, pizza, or anything else you like to spice up.

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Russian Friday – Apricot Jam

Posted in Canning, Desserts, Jams, Make Ahead, Side Dishes, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , on June 8, 2012 | 18 Comments »

Growing season in Russia is really short, so when it starts, we get hmm.. enthusiastic about not just consuming as many greens as possible, but also about preserving everything that is extra! I’ve been living in California for years now.  Fresh produce seem never ending here. Yet my natural instincts kick in every time I see those fruits and berries.  I get overly excited with a need to preserve…

This is my family jam-making technique.  Even though apricots were almost impossible to find where I grew up, believe it or not, we sacrifice a few fresh fruits to make this bliss in a jar.  It’s that good!

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APRICOT JAM

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 kg fresh apricots, washed and pitted
  • 1 kg sugar
  • 1 box of powdered pectin
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • 2 sticks of cinnamon
  • 5 cardamom pods
  • 5 whole cloves

Yields about 6 8-oz jars

DIRECTIONS:

I use this canning kit for years now; it’s relatively cheap, and does the job very well.

Sterilize the jars: Either put them in hot wash dishwasher cycle so that they are clean and hot by the time you use them, or dunk them in boiling water and keep them hot.

Sterilize the lids: boil the tops in a small pan filled with enough water to cover the lids, keep them hot till needed.

Prepare for canning: bring to boil a large pot of water.  There should be enough water to completely submerge the jars and have about an inch of water on top of them.

Make the jam: in a large pot (I like to use my Dutch Oven) with a potato masher slightly mash the fruit, so some juices are released, but there are still some chunks of fruit left.  Place the pot on heat, to bring the fruit to boil.

While apricots are warming up, whisk lemon juice and pectin together until pectin is dissolved.  Add the juice mixture to the apricots, mix to incorporate.  When the juices start bubbling, mix in the sugar and steer with a wooden spoon until completely dissolved. Add the cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves.

Bring the jam to complete boil (when it doesn’t stop boiling if you steer it with a spoon).  Lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, taking off the foam if it forms.  Note: to lower the foam you can add a tiny bit of butter to the pot.

Jar the jam:  carefully remove the hot jar and fill it with the jam using a canning funnel, leaving at least a ¼ inch space between the jam and the edge of the jar. With a clean wet towel remove any excess jam from the edge of the jar.  Using a magnetic lid lifter remove the lid from boiling water, and place it on top of the jar. Secure the lid.  Repeat with the remaining jam.

Using the jar lifter, carefully place the lidded jars in the large pot of boiling water, make sure they are completely submerged.  Boil for about 10 minutes.

Remove the hot jars using the jar lifter, and place them on a towel.  Let cool completely before labeling.  Make sure the lid tops are not popping in the center.  If they are, they should be removed and re-sealed (same process – wash and sterilize the jar and a lid, bring the jam to boil, and re-can it. It’s very important that the edge of the jar is clean.

It will take a couple of weeks for the jam to set.  Store it in a dark chilled place, and patiently wait for the winter!

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