The last couple of weeks have been Suuuuuuuper busy for me and mine! School has started, work has been a little more demanding, and my lil' canning biz has taken off! I couldn't be more humbled by the response and the demand! So before I say anything else, I want to send an especially BIG thank you to all of you who have been so supportive of my little/big endeavor, and have come back for more :)
Now, what have I been up to? Well, in canning news…. I had a 2nd canning class where we (some lovely ladies and I) canned a couple of Salsa recipes!
We tried our collective hands at a Sweet and Spicy Summer Salsa and a more traditional veggie salsa. Even though it was well over 90+ degrees outside, and we were canning in the middle of the day, everyone excelled at Salsa making that day (and may or may not have lost 5 pounds to the heat during the process). I think my favorite Salsa will always be the sweet and spicy, since it includes pears and peaches amongst the ingredients. Nothing beats a sweet salsa!
(The chopped and ready to cook ingredients!)
(Me, filling the Salsa Jars)
If you would like to try your own hand at the Sweet n' Spicy (or as I like to call it…The Sweet n' Sassy!) Salsa, here is the recipe taken from the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving (The Bible of home canning, IMHO!) :
Sweet N' Sassy Salsa
(Makes approx. 5-6 8oz Jars)
Ingredients:
4 cups chopped cored peeled tomatoes (peeling is optional here, I prefer non-peeled because it gives a richer tomato taste)
2 cups chopped pitted peeled peaches
2 cups chopped cored peeled pears
1 Red Bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup chopped red onion (optional!)
3 to 4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
½ cup loosely packed chopped cilantro
½ cup liquid honey
Grated Zest and juice of 1 lemon
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tblsp. Finely chopped fresh mint
Directions:
Prepare your canning pot, jars, and lids. (Prepare by washing and drying them, and placing them in either a dish washer to be heated and sterilized, or placed in a pot of boiling water for approximately 10 minutes. You want to make absolutely certain that you have sterile jars to place your food in! Once sterilized, keep warm until you are ready to fill and cap your jars. This will reduce the stress on the jars, and minimize the risk of cracking them)
In a large stainless steel pot, combine tomatoes, peaches, pears, red bell pepper, onion, and jalapeno peppers. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Add cilantro, honey, lemon zest and juice, vinegar, and mint. Reduce heat to medium and boil gently, stirring frequently, until thickened. (approx 5-10 minutes).
Ladle hot Salsa into the warm and ready jars, leaving a ½ inch space between the salsa and the top of the jar. Place lids on jars and screw on tightly.
Place jars in canning pot and process for 15 minutes. (Process by water bath canning simply means placing them in a pot of boiling water for 15 minutes to ensure that the food is heated through and all organisms that could potentially harm you, are killed) DO NOT SKIP this step, unless you plan on eating the salsa within a week and plan on keeping the finished product in the fridge!
Until next time!
Canning Italy, Out!
