Dill Pickles

 Excellent recipe shared by Caroline Langfeld.

12 lb 3-5 inch pickling cucumbers

Salt Water Soak:

2 gallons water

3/4 C pickling salt

Brine:

2 quarts water

7 1/3 C vinegar
3/4 C pickling salt

1/4 C sugar

Per Quart:

3-4 garlic cloves

2-3 dill heads (I also add some of the dill 'stalk')

6-8 black peppercorns

1 small dried Chile pepper - optional - I usually do a few jars with these, but I don't like the extra zip so leave it out of most jars.

4-6 grape leaves - optional - I've never tried these; I'm a creature of the familiar and I like the recipe without, so why mess with something I know I like.

Makes about 8 quarts

  

1. Gently wash the cucumbers, and remove the blossom ends.  Halve or quarter lengthwise, if you choose, or leave them whole.  In a large bowl or crock, dissolve 3/4 C pickling salt in 2 gallons water.  Add the cucumbers.  Let them stand in the brine 8-12 hours. 
2. Bring to a boil the 3/4 C salt, 2 quarts water, the vinegar and sugar, stirring to dissolve.  While the mixture heats, divide the garlic, dill and peppercorns, and the pepper and leaves if you're using them, among 8 quart jars.  Pack a portion of the cucumbers into each jar.
3. Pour the hot liquid over the cucumbers, leaving 1/2 inch head space.  Close the jars with hot two-piece caps.  In a boiling water bath, process pint jars for 10 minutes and quart jars for 15 minutes.
4. Store the cooled jars in a cool, dry dark place for at least 1 month before eating the pickles.

NOTES:

I'm going to make a much small batch this evening.  Notes are coming soon.

Sour Cherry Jam (low sugar)

 

Ingredients

• 5 pounds sour cherries pitted
• 1 pound 3 ounces granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon calcium water
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Pomona's Pectin

Instructions

• Prepare a boiling water bath canner and enough jars to hold 4 pints.
• In a low, wide, non-reactive pot, combine the pitted cherries, 1 pound of sugar, and all the calcium water.
• Set pot over high heat and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook at a vigorous boil for 20 to 25 minutes, until the volume has reduced by at least one-third.
• Stir pectin into the remaining sugar and stream it into the cooking jam, using a whisk to stir to help prevent clumps.
• Return the contents of the pot to an active boil and cook for an additional 2 minutes and then start looking for signs of thickening (it should be pretty clear as Pomona's pectin sets quickly). Once you see some thickening, remove the pot from the heat.
• Funnel the jam into the prepared jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe the rims, apply lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes.
• When the time is up, remove the jars and set them on a folded kitchen towel to cool. When the jars have cooled enough that you can comfortably handle them, check the seals. Sealed jars can be stored at room temperature for up to a year. Any unsealed jars should be refrigerated and used promptly.

NOTES:

• From the Food in Jars site: Now, for the pectin. I like to use less pectin that the Pomona’s packet instructions call for. Typically, I use between 1/2 and 3/4 teaspoon calcium water and pectin for every pound of fruit. Use less for a soft set and a bit more for a firmer set.
• The cherries were easy to pit and that worked better than the food mill.
• I made a half batch from cherries on our backyard tree.

Meyer Lemon Marmalade

I brought some lemons back from CA (and bought more at Costco) with the intention of trying to make lemon marmalade again. Last time was good, but a little overcooked. This time I got lucky and it's pretty close to perfect.

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5 pounds Meyer lemons
• 2.5 cups sugar
• water (3 cups needed for the actual jam recipe, but start with more for boiling)
• Pomona's Pectin (I bought this in CA.  Not sure if it's available locally, but it's really a unique product that allows me to successfully make jam with less sugar.  It's a 2 step process - definitely different than using SureJell, so read the directions carefully.)

PREPARE THE PECTIN 

• Prepare the Calcium Water.  To do this, combine ½ teaspoon calcium powder (in the small packet in your box of Pomona’s pectin) with ½ cup water in a small, clear jar with a lid. Shake well.  Extra calcium water should be stored in the refrigerator for future use.
• For this recipe, mix 4.5 teaspoons of pectin powder with 2.5 cups of sugar. 

SOFTEN THE LEMON PEELS

• 1.5 pounds of washed Meyer lemons (round the weight up if necessary, but don't cut a lemon to keep it at 1.5 pounds. I weighed 1 lb, 12 ounces for this batch.)
• Place in a single layer in a pot, cover with water, bring it to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes. (Cover with a lid to keep your water from evaporating.)
• Cool until you can work with them.
• Save the cooking water.

COMBINE INGREDIENTS 

• Cut each lemon in half and remove the seeds.  The lemon is pretty broken down after all that simmering, so use a cutting surface that will hold the juice that tries to escape.
• Peels and all, put them in the blender with 3 cups of the cooking water. (I divided the lemons and water in half to do this in 2 steps.  Not sure my blender would have held it all and I didn't want to overprocess it.)  
• I processed it on my slow pulse setting so it would roughly chop but not puree.
• Pour it into a pot and bring the water and chopped lemons to a boil.
• add 3 teaspoons of prepared Calcium Water (1 part of the Pomona's process)
• Add pectin-sugar mixture, stirring vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes to dissolve the pectin while the marmalade comes back up to a boil.  Once the marmalade returns to a full boil, remove it from the heat.

PROCESS THE JARS

• Fill hot jars to ¼” of top. Wipe rims clean. Screw on 2-piece lids. Put filled jars in boiling water to cover. Boil 10 minutes (add 1 minute more for every 1,000 ft. above sea level). Remove from water. Let jars cool. Check seals; lids should be sucked down. Eat within 1 year. Lasts 3 weeks once opened.

NOTES (as if I needed more):

Food in Jars has a more traditional marmalade recipe but it's lemon ginger.  That sounds pretty great so I might use my extra lemons along with a tube of Aldi Ginger Paste to try this all over again.

I used bits and pieces of all these recipes.  Take a look if you want to refer to someone who knows what they're talking about.

• https://pomonapectin.com/orange-marmalade/
• https://foodinjars.com/recipe/meyer-lemon-ginger-marmalade/
• https://foodinjars.com/recipe/honey-sweetened-meyer-lemon-jam/

I'm pretty sure this is all firmly in the ranks of rambling, poorly written recipes, but since there are basically 5 readers, I'm not too concerned.  LMK if something is unclear and I'll update.

Refrigerator Dill Pickles

 

Ingredients

• 3 pickling cucumbers 4-4 1/2" long, but no longer
• 1/4 oz fresh dill a few sprigs per jar
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cloves garlic crushed with the side of a knife
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp whole mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp whole black peppercorns

Instructions

• Wash cucumbers and cut into spears or slices. Pack into a wide-mouth pint-sized canning jar, or any clean glass jar. Since these are refrigerator pickles a canning jar is not necessary. Tuck several sprigs of dill in between the cucumbers.
• In a non-reactive saucepan (see note), combine the vinegar, water, garlic cloves, salt, sugar, mustard seeds, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil and stir until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
• Pour liquid over cucumbers in the jar. Make sure to include all the mustard seeds, peppercorns, and garlic. (If making multiple jars, include two cloves of garlic per jar and divide the mustard seeds and peppercorns approximately evenly between jars.) If you are using a slightly larger jar and the liquid doesn't fully cover the pickles, fill the rest of the jar up with water.
• Close the jar and refrigerate for a minimum of 24 hours but preferably 48 hours. Enjoy
  Note: I also added the recommended amount of pickle crisp. I think it was 1/8 tsp.

Chokecherry jelly

 

Ingredients

• 4 cups chokecherry juice (See chokecherry syrup recipe for method to get juice.)
• ¼ cup lemon juice bottled
• 4 teaspoons calcium water see step #1
• 1.75 cups sugar (original recipe offers a range)
• 4 teaspoons Pomona’s Pectin powder mixed with sweetener

Instructions

• Before you begin, prepare calcium water. 

  To do this, combine ½ teaspoon calcium powder (in the small packet in your box of Pomona’s pectin) with ½ cup water in a small, clear jar with a lid. Shake well.

  Extra calcium water should be stored in the refrigerator for future use.
• Wash jars, lids, and bands. Place jars in canner, fill canner 2/3 full with water, bring to a boil. Turn off heat, cover, and keep jars in hot canner water until ready to use. Place lids in water in a small saucepan; cover and heat to a low boil. Turn off heat and keep lids in hot water until ready to use.
• Prepare chokecherry juice.
• Measure juice into saucepan.
• Add calcium water and lemon juice and mix well.
• Measure sugar or room temperature honey into a bowl. Thoroughly mix pectin powder into sweetener. Set aside.
• Bring fruit mixture to a full boil. Add pectin-sweetener mixture, stirring vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes to dissolve the pectin while the jam comes back up to a boil. Once the jam returns to a full boil, remove it from the heat.
• Fill hot jars to ¼” of top. Wipe rims clean. Screw on 2-piece lids. Put filled jars in boiling water to cover. Boil 10 minutes (add 1 minute more for every 1,000 ft. above sea level). Remove from water. Let jars cool. Check seals; lids should be sucked down. Eat within 1 year. Lasts 3 weeks once opened.
  
  
  Credit: https://pomonapectin.com/chokecherry-jelly-2/

Chokecherry Syrup

 For the first year ever, we have a ton of chokecherries and beat the backyard creatures to them.

Ingredients

• 8 cups chokecherry juice (extracted from about 1 1/2 gallons of chokecherries)*
• 1 package pectin
• 10 cups sugar

Equipment:

• 7 pint jars
• 7 rings
• 7 lids
• canning equipment (funnel, pot, rack, jar grabber)

Instructions

1. To extract the juice, place the cleaned chokecherries in a large pot and add enough water to just barely cover them. Put them on the stove and allow to come to a boil, then reduce to simmer.  After about 30 minutes, the berries will have released their juice. The liquid in the pot will be opaque and a dark mauve color.

2. After the chokecherries are finished cooking, strain them and the juice through a fine mesh sieve over a large bowl. Gently press on the chokecherries in the sieve to get out any of the liquid, but be careful not to mash it too much. Give your pot a rinse and a quick scrub to remove any bits left. Measure the juice after it has been strained; you should have about eight cups. If you have less, you can half this recipe or you can cook more chokecherries to get the right amount of juice.

3. Sterilize 7 pint jars.

4. Place the juice back into the stockpot. It should still be a little warm. If, for some reason it’s not, warm it up, but don’t let it boil. Gently sprinkle the pectin into the juice while stirring, then allow to boil.  Add the sugar while you stir to help it dissolve. Keep stirring and allow the mixture to come to a boil again. Stir constantly and let it boil for one minute, then remove from heat and let it settle a bit. Skim off any foam and discard.

5. Pour the syrup into the pint jars, giving about an inch of headspace. Wipe the lip of the jars with a clean, damp towel (this removes any syrup that was spilled in the process) and place a lid on top. Seal it with the ring.

6. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

NOTES:

• Instead of a sieve or cheesecloth, I mashed the juice out using the food mill and medium disc.  
• Maybe because of this method, I ended up with 12 cups of juice instead of 8.  The rest is in a quart jar, maybe to be turned into jelly.
• I added about 2 tablespoons of lemon juice per another recipe.  (It actually called for lemon and orange juice to be added, but I didn't have any orange.)
• I also added about 1 tsp. of almond extract to this 8 cup recipe.  (I don't think Dad would add almond extract to his, but I thought I'd try it.)

 

Corn Salsa

(Found in my search for a Trader Joe's copycat recipe)

4 ears of sweet corn (kernels removed and reserved, husks discarded)
1 red pepper, finely chopped
1 cup distilled white vinegar
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup water
1 and ½ tsp mustard seeds
¼ tsp. cumin seeds
1 red onion, minced
1 and ½ tsp. ground red pepper (add an extra tsp. ground red pepper if you like your salsa more spicy)

1. Toss the sweet corn kernels and chopped red pepper together in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, water, mustard seeds, and cumin seeds. Pace the pan over medium-high heat until it begins to boil. Reduce the liquid to a simmer. Add the chopped onion and ground red pepper. Simmer until the onion becomes translucent, about 10 minutes. To the simmering liquid, add the sweet corn and chopped red pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the corn salsa to a non-reactive container, pressing down lightly to pack the corn. Gently pour the remaining cooking liquid from the saucepan over the packed salsa just until it is covered. Refrigerate for a day before serving (to allow the flavors to develop).
4. Serve with chips for dipping.

Crockpot Meatloaf

6oz garlic-flavored croutons
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
3 whole cloves of garlic
1/2 red bell pepper
36 oz ground meat(see note)
1-1/2 tsp salt
1 egg

Glaze
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tsp cumin
Dash of Worcestershire Sauce
Dash of Tabasco
1 tbsp honey


Combine croutons and spices in the bowl of a food processor, pulse until you have fine crumbs, place mixture in a large bowl.  Combine onion, carrot, garlic, and bell pepper in the food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Combine the veggies with the crumbs, meat, salt, and egg; mix until just combined.

Stir together glaze ingredients.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, form the meat mixture into a loaf shape.  At this point you can either bake it or freeze it for later.

Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes, brush on the glaze then return to the oven and continue baking until it reaches an internal temperature of 155 degrees.

Freeze until frozen solidly and then wrap in freezer paper until ready to use.

To cook in the crockpot, slice 1-2 potatoes into 1/2 inch thick slices and place in a single layer on the bottom of your crockpot.  Place a frozen meatloaf on top of them and brush the top with the glaze.  Cook on low for ~6 hours.

Based on Good Eats Meatloaf from Alton Brown

Note: Alton calls for half ground chuck and half ground sirloin.  I prefer the texture of half beef and half turkey or pork.

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam - No Pectin

1-1/2 lbs Fresh Strawberries, chopped

1-1/2 lbs Rhubarb, diced

2 cups sugar(more or less to taste)

2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice

Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive bowl and let sit for 4+ hours.  Pour the contents of the bowl into a saucepan and simmer over medium heat, keeping it just at a slow boil for around 20 minutes or until thickened(somewhat like apple butter).  If you want it smoother, puree with an immersion blender.

Makes 2 pints.

Cherry Jam

After having this unproductive sour cherry tree in our yard for quite a few years, we were pleasantly surprised to see more than a few berries finally this year.  Tony beat the birds to them and I was able to make this recipe.

There was only a pound of usable fruit (pits removed), so I added another 1+ pounds of bing cherries to make the jam-making mess worthwhile.  I may regret that, since I've heard such fantastic things about sour cherry jam, but in the meantime, I'm sure we'll enjoy the few pints of mixed cherry jam I made this afternoon. I'll bookmark the recipe here (and below, in case it drops off the interwebs), just in case next year's yield is closer to the 4 pounds the recipe asks for.

Ingredients

• 4 pounds of pitted and mashed sour cherries, which should yield about six cups of jammable fruit
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 packet liquid pectin (that's half a box)

Instructions

• Put three pint jars or six half pints (or some combination thereof) in your canning pot and bring to a boil.
• Combine fruit and sugar in a heavy, non-reactive pot. Bring to a boil and let bubble for a good twenty minutes, occasionally skimming the foam from the surface of the fruit as it develops. Add the pectin and boil for another five minutes. You want to cook it until it looks like boiling sugar - thick and viscous.
• Kill the heat, fill your jars, wipe rims, apply the lids and rings and process in the hot water bath for 10 minutes. Remove jars from water and let cool on the countertop. When the jars are cool (I typically wait until overnight), remove the rings and test the seal by picking the jar up by the lid. If it stays put, your jars are good to store indefinitely.
• I love the flavor of sour cherries, so I didn't add a drop of extra flavor to this jam. However, you are welcome to spice things up with cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, vanilla or orange (or anything else).

Maker's Mark Mustard

1/4 cup yellow mustard seeds

1/4 cup brown mustard seeds

1/2 cup white wine vinegar

1/4 cup bourbon

2 to 3 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

To prepare mustard seeds: In small bowl, combine yellow mustard seeds, brown mustard seeds, vinegar and bourbon. Cover. Let cure at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.

To make mustard: In blender or food processor, combine mustard-seed mixture, brown sugar and salt. Process to desired consistency.

NOTES:

• Mmmmm!  Sorry we used up your Maker's, Tony, but this is a pretty good use for it.
• Source
• See the recipe source for a news article with some other recipes as well, including a yellow ballpark mustard that looks really good.  Reprinted below just in case the article disappears, but not yet tried.

BALLPARK BEER MUSTARD 

Don't let the bright-yellow color fool you. Thanks to mustard powder and hoppy beer, this condiment packs a spicy punch. Swipe this stuff on your next grilled hot dog and don't look back.

Makes 1 pint.

1/2 cup mustard powder

1 cup hoppy beer (see shopper's note)

1/4 cup water

1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric

1 egg

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons sugar

To prepare mustard powder: In small metal bowl, whisk together mustard powder, beer, water and turmeric until smooth. Cover. Chill overnight.

To make mustard: Bring saucepan with 1 inch of water to a simmer. To mustard-powder mixture, add egg, salt, cornstarch, lemon juice and sugar. Whisk to blend. Place bowl over simmering water. Cook, whisking continuously, for 5 minutes or until mixture starts to thicken. Immediately remove from heat.  I used an India pale ale.

Spicy Honey Mustard

1/4 cup yellow mustard seeds

1/4 cup brown mustard seeds
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

To prepare mustard seeds: In spice blender or mortar and pestle, grind yellow mustard seeds and brown mustard seeds until most are broken. In small bowl, combine seeds, vinegar and water. Cover. Let cure at room temperature for 24 hours.

NOTES:

• Did not make a pint as it said
• More "spicy" than "honey" but definitely good.
• Source

Whole Grain Mustard

AKA Nick's Craft Mustard

Makes about 2 cups

½ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup yellow mustard seeds
¼ cup brown mustard seeds
¼ cup beer or water
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
¾ teaspoon salt

1. Combine vinegar, mustard seeds, and beer in medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for at least 8 hours and up to 2 days.

2. Process soaked mustard seeds with sugar and salt in food processor until coarsely ground and thickened, about 1 minute, scraping down bowl as necessary.

3. Transfer mustard to container and let stand at room temperature until it achieves desired spiciness, then refrigerate for up to 2 months.

NOTES:

• We were in a bit of a hurry to get this started so just lightly processed the seeds in the little electric coffee grinder first and basically skipped the first step.
• On the "beer or water" option, use beer.
• Very good, would definitely make again!
• Source

Grandpa's Buttery Corn

• 3 c water
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 stick of butter
• 10 cups corn kernels, blanched

Combine all ingredients in a large pot and boil for 3 minutes. Cool and divide into ziplocs before freezing.

FIg Cinnamon Preserves

3 lbs fresh figs, the riper the better
2-1/4 cups sugar
1-1/2 cup water
3 tbsp lemon juice
1-1/2 tsp cinnamon

Stem and quarter the figs.  Combine the water and sugar in a small kettle and heat until the sugar dissolves.  Add the lemon juice, cinnamon and figs; simmer for 45 minutes stirring occasionally and breaking up the figs.  Fill sterilized jars leaving 1/4 inch head space.  Process in boiling water for 10 minutes.

Makes ~3 pints.

Canning Cherries

Cherries are only $1.98/lb this week, so the time is right to try canning some! I've never done it before, but it was very easy. I started with 13 1/2 pounds of these:

Subtracted this:

(And with the help of this, it really didn't take long at all.)

By the end of the afternoon, I ended up with nineteen of these:

I used this recipe with the extra light syrup.

1. Syrup (I needed 2 batches): heat 1 cup sugar with 4 1/2 cups water.
2. Pack cherries into jars.
3. Pour hot syrup over.
4. Seal jars.
5. Process in boiling water bath for 25 minutes.

Ginger Syrup

"Bitingly hot and sweet, this ginger syrup is a snap to make. Drizzle it over gingerbread, biscuits or scones, pancakes, or oatmeal. It's a wonderful addition to tea, too."

4 cups (about 13 ounces) fresh gingerroot, unpeeled, cut into 1/8-1/4" thick slices (a food processor makes short work of this task.)

3 1/2 cups sugar

3 1/2 cups water

In a large, heave saucepan, bring the ginger, sugar, and water to a boil. Boil the mixture for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until it registers 216-220 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. The lower temperature will give you a thinner syrup, one that's easy to stir into drinks; the higher temperature will yield a thicker syrup, more the consistency of corn syrup. (You can't tell how thick the syrup will be while it's still hot; you have to go by its temperature, as it'll thicken as it cools.)

Remove the pan from the burner and carefully strain the syrup into a nonreactive container. Store in the refrigerator.

SOURCE: It's a page copied from some cookbook. I got the recipe from Becky Brounstein and it's pretty fantastic. Her notes say it lasts months in the refrigerator, it's great in seltzer for homemade ginger ale (good for sour stomach), makes a great glaze of fruits and tarts, and really good in tea.

NOTES: I made this to use in and on a gingerbread cake recipe. Yum! Mine never did get up to the higher temperature, in spite of the long cooking time. It tastes fantastic and is really easy to make. (It really didn't even need to be stirred.) The only change I'd make is to possibly peel the ginger root. It was delicious and could possibly be chopped and used in some recipe (maybe even the gingerbread recipe noted above). I highly recommend slicing it in the food processor. It was super-easy.

YIELD: Two pints of syrup and a bunch of delicious (somewhat) candied ginger.

Grandma Rose's Refrigerator Pickles

7 cups sliced cucumbers

1 small onion (optional)

1 tbsp. salt

Mix and let stand 1 hour. Drain.

Brine:

2 cups sugar

1 cup white vinegar

1 tsp. whole celery seed

Boil and cool. Mix with the cucumbers. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Properly stored, these will be good all through the winter.

Grandpa's Frozen Corn

3 cups water

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup butter

10 cups blanched corn kernals (removed from the cobs)

Boil three minutes and cool. Package for freezing.

Yum!