*BLUEBERRY JAM*

Summer doesn’t feel complete without at least one blueberry picking trip and a batch of homemade blueberry jam cooling on the kitchen counter. :))

-6 cups smashed blueberries (you’ll need 8-10 cups of unsquashed berries to equal this amount)
-6 cups sugar
-1 lemon, zested and juiced
-2 tsp. cinnamon
-1/2 tsp. grated nutmeg
-two packets liquid pectin

Fill your canning pot with water and begin to bring it to temperature.
Sanitize your jars, lids and rings.
Add smashed blueberries and sugar to a large pot.
Bring to a boil and add cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon zest and juice and let jam continue to cook for about fifteen minutes.
Add pectin and bring to a rolling boil for a full five minutes.
Turn off the heat and fill jars.
Wipe rims and put lids on. Screw on the bands and lower into the water.
Process in the hot water bath 10 minutes.
When time is up, remove from water and cool on the counter.
When the jars are cooled, check the seal by pressing on the top of the jar. If there’s no movement, the jar has sealed.
Store up to one year in a cool, dark place.

*FRUIT KETCHUP*

(recipe from my mom)
This is a French recipe from Quebec... love this stuff... it's so good.

8 tomatoes
4 peaches
4 pears
3 onions
3 celery ribs
2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups vinegar
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. pickling spices (held together with cheesecloth)

Blanch tomatoes and peaches to remove skin.
Peel other fruits.
Cut into cubes and place in large pot.
Add brown sugar, vinegar, salt and marinating spices.
Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 hour.
Remove spices and allow to cool.
Pour into sterilized jars.

*CHILI SAUCE*

(recipe from my friend Rolly S.)
This is an old recipe from my mother-in-law who’s an amazing cook. Her Chili Sauce was always a favorite... and here it is.

1 1/2 tsp. ground all spice
1 to 2 tbsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. clove
1 gallon (16 cups) chopped peeled tomatoes, diced
1 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cups chopped green peppers
1 1/2 cups chopped sweet red peppers
1 cup vinegar
1 cup sugar
3 tbsp. salt

Combine the first 7 ingredients. Bring to a boil until mixture is reduced to half of its original volume for about 1 1/2 hour. Stir well while cooking to prevent scorching. Add vinegar, sugar and salt. Boil rapidly 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour immediately into sterile jars and seal jars immediately. Makes 2 1/4 quart.

CABERNET FRANC WINE JELLY

(RECIPE POSTED BY ANGELA BEADLE CORCORAN)

Fresh Thyme accentuates the herbaceous notes of Cabernet Franc. This gift makes a wonderful accompaniment to a cheese platter.

1 cup Cabernet Franc or Merlot wine
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 lg. sprigs fresh thyme
3 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 pouch pectin

In a lg. saucepan, bring wine, vinegar and thyme to boil over high heat.
Remove from heat: cover and let stand for 20 min.
Strain throught cheese cloth lined sieve into clean saucepan.
Stir in sugar; bring to full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 min., stirring. Remove from heat. Stir in pectin; stir for 1 min. , skimming off any foam.
Pour into hot 1/2 cup canning jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rim.
Cover with prepared lids. Screw on bands until resistance is met; increase to fingertip tight.
Boil in boiling water canner for 10 min..
Store in cool dark place for up to 1 yr..
Makes about 4 cups.,,,, that is about 7 christmas gifts to stroke off your lists!!...LOL...

PEPPER JELLY

(RECIPE POSTED BY CAROLE WESTLAKE)

3 green peppers
2-31/2 oz cans Jalapeno peppers
11/2 cup white vinegar
61/2 cups sugar
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 6 oz bottle liquid certo
4-6 drops food coloring (green or red)
2 tsp lemon juice

Blend peppers in food processor.
Combine vinegar, sugar and peppers to boil.
Add certo and boil 5 mins.  Stir constantly and add food coloring.
Remove from heat, skim off foam and pour into sterized jars.
Makes 8 - 8oz. jars.
Great served as appetizer with crackers. Great for gift giving as well.

BEAN PICKLES

(Recipe from my friend Barb K.)

4 qts. beans (lima, kidney,green, black, white, pinto) your choice of 4-5

Boil beans in salt water for 30 minutes or until tender

Brind:
6 cups of vinegar
2 tbsp. dry mustard
1/2 cup flour
2 tbsp. celery seed
2 tbsp. turmeric
6 cups white or brown sugar

Boil brind till thick about 8 minutes.
Put beans in sterilized jars, pour brind over the beans. Seal. Enjoy!!!

HOT BEAN PICKLES

(recipe from my friend Vicky C.)

Wax or green beans
1 tbsp. dill seed
1 clove of garlic
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Brine:
4 cups white vinegar
5 cups water
1/4 cup pickling salt

Sterilize jars by laying them down on rack in over. Put in oven at 250'F for half hour.
Boil beans for 3 minutes, drain and cool. Put dill seed in each bottom of jars, plus 1 clove of garlic and cayenne pepper.

Brine: bring to a boil vinegar, water and salt. Pack jars with beans and fill jars with hot brine and seal right away. Turn upside down overnight. Let stand 3 to 6 months before eating.

CANNING SALMON

(recipe from an old friend Carol L.)
NOTE: I have used lake trout in this recipe instead of the salmon with amazing result. :))

Brind for each jars:

1 tbsp. vinegar
1 tsp. pickling salt
1 tbsp. ketchup
1 tbsp. mustard

Sterilize jars in microwave on high for 1 minutes.
Cut fish into pieces. Pack jars with fish and brine, leaving no air space. Tighten the lid not to allow air or water to get in. Shake jars to allowed brine to mix with fish. Put in canner in cold water. Keep lid under water at all time.

For pint jars - boil for 2 to 2 1/2 hours on medium heat
For quart jars - boil for 4 hours on medium heat.

When cooked, let cool. Store in cool dark area. Storage life is up to one year.
Pressure cook for 40 minutes.

RHUBARB JAM

(recipe from mom)

5 cups rhubarb, finely cut
5 cups sugar
1 can crushed pineapple
2 pkgs strawberry jelly powder
Pinch of salt

Cook first 3 ingredients together until tender.
Add jelly powder; cook until dissolve, stirring constantly. Add salt.
Makes 4 pints.

BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES

(those r so good....  :))

16 cups sliced cucumbers with peel, 1/8 inch thick
6 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 large red pepper, seeded and slivered
1 large green pepper, seeded and slivered
1/2 cup coarse (pickling) salt
5 cups sugar
2 tbsp. mustard seed
1 tsp. turmeric
1 1/2 tsp. celery seed
3 cups white vinegar

Place cucumber into large bowl.
Add onion, red pepper, green pepper and salt.
Cover and let stand on counter 3 hours. Drain well.
Combine last 5 ingredients in large pot.
Heat on medium-high, stirring occasionally, until mixture boils.
Add vegetables. Heat until it just reaches a boil.
Using slotted spoon or sieve, fill hot sterilized jars with vegetables to within 1 inch of top.
Pour hot syrup over vegetables to within ¼ inch of top. Seal.
Makes 6 to 7 pints.

HOT DOG RELISH

(recipe from Rolly S.)

8 lbs. (16 cups) cucumbers
1 1/2 dozen green tomatoes
1 small cabbage
6 onions
1 cup salt

Peel vegetables and put through food chopper. Place in large pot, add salt and let stand overnight. Drain well. Add celery and red peppers.

1 bunch celery, finely chopped
2 red peppers, finely chopped

Cover with vinegar, add:

4 cups white sugar
1 tsp. Tumeric
2 tbsp. Mustard seeds
1/2 cup flour

Boil 20 minutes. Put in jars.

APPLE PIE FILLING

(apple pie in a jar – easy and you can have apple pie anytime u want)

5 cups apples, cored, peeled and cut-up
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp. minute tapioca
Pinch of ground cinnamon
1 tsp. lemon juice, fresh or bottled (opt.)

Combine apples and sugar in large pot. Stir.
Let stand until juice starts to be released. Stir as you bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.
Boil hard for 1 minute.
Mix in tapioca, cinnamon and lemon juice.
Boil hard for 1 minute more.
Pack into hot sterilized quart jars to within ½ inch of top. Secure lids.
Process in hot water bath for 20 minutes. Repeat for as many jars as you like.
Makes 1 quart, enough for one 9 inch pie. :))

PICKLE EGGS

Tied in double layer of cheesecloth.
2 whole garlic cloves
1/2 tsp. celery seeds

1 1/2 cup vinegar
3/4 cup water
Salt
12 hard-boiled eggs, shelled

Simmer vinegar, water and salt with cheesecloth spices for 10 minutes.
Place eggs in sterilized jar.
Pour brine over eggs to fill jar.
Let stand 1 to 2 weeks in fridge before serving. :))

CRANBERRY BUTTER

(RECIPE POSTED BY ROBIN HENRY)

2 (12 oz.) pkgs. cranberries
1 c. apple juice
1 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. cloves

Cook cranberries in apple juice 5 to 8 minutes or until skins burst and cranberries are tender.
Press through sieve or mill.
Cook over low heat 20 minutes stirring frequently to prevent sticking.
Add sugar, cinnamon and cloves. Stir until well blended.
Pour into hot sterile jars.
Refrigerate 3 weeks or process ?? minutes.
Good to use as relish or heated over for toast or pancakes.
Makes 1 1/2 pints, 3 cups.

DILLED PICKLED CARROTS

(RECIPE POSTED BY MARY MALIGEC TAYLOR)

5 pint-sized jars, or a combination of pint and cup-sized jars
4 pounds of carrots, cut into even-sized sticks (the amount needed will vary depending on the size of jars used and how tightly packed)
1 tsp dill seeds/weed per jar
1 garlic clove per jar (you can 2 if you like it garlicky)
6 cups water
2 1/2 cups vinegar (5% acidity)
1/4 cup pickling salt

Preheat oven at 225 F. Bring your water-filled canner (or large, deep pot) to a simmer. Place your empty jars without lids in hot water.
In separate, medium-sized pot, place the lids in hot, but not boiling water. To make the brine, combine the water, vinegar and pickling salt in another pot and bring to a boil. Keep hot until needed.
Remove the jars from the canner (you can use new plastic rubber gloves or jar lifter), and place into the preheated oven to be filled one by one. Bring the water in canner to a boil.
One at a time, take a jar from the oven and place 1 tsp of dill and 1-2 garlic clove(s) in it. Fill tightly with carrot sticks.
Using the funnel, cover with hot brine leaving 1/2 inch of head space. Repeat with all jars.
Place lids on jars. Screw bands onto jars, but only fingertip tight. Place all jars back in the pot of boiling water for 10 minutes. You should be able to see the air bubbles come out of the jars.
After 10 minutes, remove the jars from the canner and let stand. You should hear the lids "pop" as they seal. Double check the lids after 24 hours and refrigerate any that has not sealed properly, to be eaten first.
Wait a couple of weeks for the flavours to develop, et voilà! Enjoy within a year.