The BEST Pasta Sauce Ever!

Do you make your own tomato/pasta sauce? If you have never tried, you really should. It tastes SO much better than anything you can purchase from the store! I love to make pasta sauce. While it is time consuming, it isn't hard.

Here is my recipe:
20 - 24 lbs. tomatoes
1 cup Italian seasoning (I grow and make my own, see recipe below.)
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup minced onions (I grow and dry my own.)
1/4 cup garlic powder (I grow, dry and powder my own.)
2 TBS olive oil 

Italian seasoning recipe
2 parts basil
2 parts oregano
2 parts thyme
2 parts marjoram (I don't like marjoram. I usually double up the oregano.)
1 part rosemary
1 part sage

The hardest part of making any sauce is to turn the tomatoes into tomato pulp. I use a Victorio Strainer. It is quick and easy. It cleanly separates the skin and seeds from the pulp.

However, if you don't have one you can plunge tomatoes into boiling water for 1 minute and then plunge them into ice water. That will remove the skins. To remove the seeds, you can use a food mill (I used to use a food mill - it is a bit more work than the Victorio Strainer). I have also read recipe instructions that tell you to puree the pulp and seeds together - if you would prefer to do that.

From this point, add all the ingredients into a large pot and simmer for 2 to 3 hours. That's it! Now, how long you simmer depends on you and the flavor you are looking for. I usually simmer until the sauce is about half of what I started with. While I won't leave the house with the stove on and a pot simmering on the stove, it is not necessary to 'babysit' the sauce either. You can go about your household chores and check the sauce every once in a while - I usually stir it then too.

When the sauce has been reduced by about 1/3 to 1/2 of the original, go ahead and taste it. It is fabulous and full of flavor! You can then can the sauce or freeze it. Sometimes, I will freeze it for a few days until I have time to can it. (If you plan to can your sauce, please follow The Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving. Those recipes are safe to can using the instructions included in the book.)

I can't wait to eat some this fall!

A Tour of This Year's Garden, Part II

I started a tour of this year's garden a week and a half ago, so I thought I would show you the rest today.

The cotton is doing beautifully.  The only problem is I didn't plant enough.  I think next year I will not put in peanuts and plant that area in cotton as well.

Here is a closer look at some of the bolls.

The peanuts are right next to the cotton.  I expect a bumper crop this year.

Here is a look at my apple trees.  The baby tree in front is a Gala (my favorite!) My husband is training it to be in an open 'V' shape. The tree way in the back is a red delicious.  Those apples are not ripe yet, all the rest have been picked. Most will be made into apple juice because that is what I am short of in the pantry.  The rest will be made into applesauce. (I tried a few times to get Molly to move out of the way - and she did because she is a good girl! - but kept going back to this spot to lie down. So, she is is the picture too.)

Even with the heat, I am still getting strawberries (although they are small). 

When the fall comes these ever-bearing plants will pick up the production and make some BIG berries!

I picked most of the purple grapes, although there are still a few more on the vine that need to ripen. I expect to make two gallons of juice from them when everything is done. Tomatoes are also starting to turn red so I expect to be making and canning tomato sauce before the month is over as well!

The only other veggie growing in my garden this year is chili peppers. These are grown for insecticide - we don't eat them. I used so much chili pepper powder on the peanuts and corn while they were germinating that I am quite low on my stash. So, this year I planted twice as many plants (6 total). There isn't anything to see on those yet, none of them are ripe. I will take a picture when I pick some.

Boy, I wish my yard was bigger!  I would definitely grow more.  It is a good feeling to grow and can your own food!  And in my opinion, it is frugal living at its best!

Making and Canning Grape Juice

The grapes are finally ripe and I started picking them to make juice. I  have been looking forward to this grape juice all year! It tastes nothing like store bought! I picked all the white grapes and will get started on the purple ones soon.

Last year I bought a NORPRO Juicer/Steamer. This is so much easier then using a jelly bag to strain the juice! Just wash the grapes and add to the steamer, 1 hour later you have juice.

I also purchased a gas cooker because I wanted to do the majority of the food processing this year outside (without electricity). However, this summer we have had too many days with 100 degree heat index. I decided to process and can the grapes inside.

Canning juice is quite simple too! Start by heating clean jars.

Then, heat the juice.

When the juice reaches 190 degrees (87 C), hold that temperature for five minutes. Then, ladle the hot juice into the hot jars.

Add a lid. (The lids should be heated too.)

Add a band to finger tip tight.

Process according to your geographic location.  (Process times are longer for higher elevations.) 

If you are new to canning, I recommend the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving. It will give you all the information you need about how to process foods in both hot water bath canning and pressure canning. You can also see more information here in another post I wrote Canning the Summer Harvest.

The white grapes gave me five gallons of juice! God has certainly blessed me with a bountiful harvest!

Busy Week!

Boy, I had a super busy week with a "To Do" list as long as my arm! Still, late today I managed to can some apple sauce.

The applesauce was made from Gala apples (my favorite!). They are super sweet this year. I have 2 bushels sitting in my kitchen right now. When the Winesap apples come in next month I will get one or two more bushels!

Honestly, for about an hour of work, you can't beat homemade apple sauce. (It takes slightly longer than that if you are canning it.) We never purchase store bought applesauce anymore, it is bland and dull. Frankly it is tasteless! The recipe that I use came from page 182 of the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving. In my opinion, it is the only canning book you should ever need.

Home canning is so rewarding! It is a comfort to me to know that I can grow and preserve my own food! AND make it taste good!  I hope I am making my great-grandmothers proud!

Avoiding Common Canning Errors

One of the blogs I follow is Jackie Clay's Homesteading blog on the Backwoods Home Magazine website. She is a true guru on home canning (among other things) and has even written books on how to do it! 

She has written an excellent article on things you can do to avoid common canning errors. Anyone interested in learning how to can should read this article  If you have experienced any kind of problem while canning, or know of someone else who has, this article has advice for you! If you want to learn how to can, but haven't tried your hand at it yet, read this article to learn how to avoid potential problems.

I think canning is fun! Made with fresh ingredients and free of artificial preservatives, food you can yourself tastes better and is better for you than anything canned commercially!   Take it from me, it is very rewarding to put up your own food for the winter. 

I hope you enjoy this article!

Avoiding Common Canning Errors

Pressure Canning the Summer Harvest

Whether you grow your own summer harvest, or just take advantage of the lower prices on fruit and vegetables in season, it makes sense this time of year to bring home fresh produce.

While you can eat some of it fresh, what are you going to do with the rest of it? Freezing comes to mind for most of us. But unless you have an extra large stand alone freezer, there is only so much that will fit in your refrigerator's freezer. I have heard people in the grocery store say, " I would get more if my freezer was bigger."  I just shake my head when I hear such things because, you can keep that produce (and buy a little extra) when you think outside the box and look to canning as as a solution to your food storage problem!

Last summer I wrote a post that provided an overview of water bath canning. This method of canning is used for high acid foods like fruits. You can see that post here. The method of canning needed for low acid foods like green beans, carrots, peas, or any kind of meat, is pressure canning.

Low acid foods require canning at a higher temperature than high acid foods. This is because bacteria is not destroyed at the temperature water boils (which is the temperature using in water bath canning). The bacteria clostridium botulinum lives in moist environments in the absence of air. This bacteria produces a spore that makes a poisonous toxin which causes botulism. You will need to heat the contents of a jar to 240 degrees to kill this bacteria. This can only be accomplished with a pressure canner.

So, If you have never pressure canned anything before, this post will provide an overview to give you an idea of how it is done. Please realize that what I am doing is providing an overview of pressure canning. I cannot possibly provide every detail you will need to do it correctly.  If, after reading this post, you decide that you are interested in trying it yourself, I recommend you get The Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving. It will walk you through each step necessary to correctly and safely pressure can foods for your family. My goal is to show you there isn't anything scary or magical about it. For this post, I will be canning green beans in a dial gauge pressure canner.

Green beans can be packed into jars raw or hot. I use the hot pack method because I believe you can get more into the jar. Let's start by preparing the beans. This year I grew Italian green beans. They are a flat bean that has a slightly sweeter flavor to them. Once picked and washed, I cut the ends off. Here is a picture.

Instead of 'snapping' these into pieces, I like to 'french' them. You should be able to find this tool anywhere. If not, you can buy one from Amazon.

They fit into the french cutter beautifully because they are so flat.

To hot pack them, add water to the pot to cover the beans and boil them for five minutes.

While the beans are heating up and boiling for five minutes, place clean jars into the canner. Add about three or four inches of water to the bottom of the canner, and turn the heat on high to boil. 

At this point, check the canner cover to make sure it is in good working order. I have a Presto Pressure Canner. The instructions state to inspect the sealing ring, vent pipe, overpressure plug, as well as the air vent cover lock seal before each canning session. 

Then attach the dial pressure gauge to the canner cover.

When both the jars and green beans are hot, pack the green beans into the jars leaving one inch headspace.

Then add the water you boiled the green beans in. If you pack raw green beans, you can just add boiling water here. Pack loosely so the interior of the jar can heat to the proper temperature. Run a bubble remover and headspace tool down the sides of the jar to remove any air bubbles.  I forgot to take a picture of this when I was filling the jars so I grabbed a picture from last year when I water bath canned peaches so you can see what I mean.

Once you remove the air bubbles, you are probably going to need to add a bit more water to the jar. Measure headspace accurately, it can ruin the seals if the headspace is less than what is called for. You can always add more headspace but never less. For example, as I mentioned above, green beans require a one inch headspace. That means you need to leave one inch space between the green beans and the top of the jar. In my green bean jars I usually have slightly over one inch headspace. I haven't had a seal failure (yet) in all the years I have been canning! Be sure to wipe the rim of the jar with a clean wet towel before putting the lid on it.

As you fill each jar, place it back in the canner. When all jars are finished, put the cover on the canner and lock it down. The canner needs to vent for 10 minutes before you put the pressure regulator on. This is really important. Not venting the canner can make the water in the jars 'blow out' into the canner. If this happens, you run the risk of the jars not sealing. Now, don't just put the cover on and start the timer. The steam needs to be coming out the vent pipe in a strong and steady force before you start timing. Wave your hand over the vent pipe. If you cannot feel a strong exhaust from the canner, don't start the timing yet. If the water was boiling in the canner before you place the top on, this won't take long. When ready, turn the timer on 10 minutes and let the canner vent. Once the 10 minutes are up, put the pressure regulator on. 

At this point, I highly recommend that you never leave the canner until you have finished processing your jars of food. If you walk away and forget about it, you can cause serious damage to your stove and kitchen if the pressure in the canner get too high. Stay right next to the canner so you can adjust the heat and all will be fine!

Everyone's stove is different so you may have to adjust the heat on your own stove differently than I do. The goal is to raise the heat slowly so the liquid in the jars stays there and doesn't 'blow out' into the canner. Here is how I regulate the heat:

When I put the pressure regulator on - the heat is on its highest setting.
When the pressure starts rising  - I turn the heat down to medium high.
When the pressure gets to 10 lbs - I turn the heat down to medium.
When the pressure reaches 12 lbs  - I turn the heat down to slightly below medium.

Green beans in quart jars should be canned at 11 lbs pressure for 25 minutes where I live. (Depending on your elevation - this could be different.) I can at 12 1/2 lbs pressure for 30 minutes. (I have always believed in slightly over processing.) I find when I regulate the heat as I described above, I don't have to make too many adjustments during the processing time.

However, small adjustments will be necessary to keep the pressure constant. (Just like the small adjustments you make when driving to keep your car on the road, you will need to make small adjustments on the heat to keep the pressure in the canner constant. Quick and extreme moves in the heat will contribute to quick and sudden pressure changes in the canner. This will result in 'blow out'. So, if you are noticing the pressure drop (it should be a small and slow drop), make small adjustments to the heat so it stops. Small adjustments to the heat will result in small adjustments to the pressure gauge as well. This will ensure the liquid in the jars stays there!

I feel that I should remind you that you won't be able to constantly monitor the pressure gauge if you walk away from it. Let's say for example, your pressure hits 11 lbs and you turn the timer on to process for 25 minutes. Now, if you walk away from the canner, and the pressure drops to below 11 lbs (even for just a few minutes), you can't continue to process the food for the time remaining even if you turn the heat up to get the pressure back to 11 lbs. Instead, you will need to bring the pressure back up to 11 lbs first, and then start the timer over at 25 minutes. So, I am serious when I say don't leave the canner. I get a chair and sit right next to the canner so I can watch it. I may bring a book with me, or work on the computer while I can. However, I usually look up at the pressure gauge two to three times a minute. 

Once the 25 minutes (30 minutes for me) are up, turn the heat off. Now, you can walk away from the canner if you want to. It will need to cool on its own until the pressure in the canner is back to zero lbs. Don't try to cool the canner quickly, it will result in a 'blow out' (or worse - damage to the canner and/or your kitchen)! Let the canner cool on it's own. Mine takes about 45 minutes.

When the pressure shows at zero and the air vent cover lock drops, take the pressure regulator off. Set the timer for 10 minutes, once you take the pressure regulator off. The air in the canner needs to adjust to the temperature in your kitchen before you take the cover off. After 10 minutes, you can take the cover off and remove the jars. Place them on a towel. This is to keep them off of the counters. Place them somewhere where there isn't a draft as well. The reason both of these are important is because you don't want the jars to crack or burst while cooling. Coming right out of the canner, the jars are still extremely hot. And as everyone knows, very hot glass put in contact with a cool surface, will break.

When the jars have cooled,  wipe them down to remove any residue and label for storage.

 There you have it! Produce canned safely at home!

I also would like to mention here, that I am not happy with my canning process because to can in my kitchen requires the use of electricity. It also heats up my house. I don't want all that heat in my kitchen in the summer, so I have been researching how to take the canning process out to the back yard. After much research, I have purchased this.

It mentions right on the package that it is recommended for home canning. It has great reviews and I know someone who cans on one. However, my canner specifically states in the owners manual NOT to can outside on a propane stove. So, I have been hesitant to try it. Apple season is here, so I think I will try water bath canning apples first. I also am going to research other canners to see if they can be used on a propane stove. Although I do like my Presto Pressure Canner, because of this issue, I cannot recommend this item for purchase. I also won't recommend the Camp Chef Pro 90 until I try it myself! Look for a review on how it went with the apple canning soon.

However, I do recommend The Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving and The Ball Blue Book, Guide to Preserving. I own both and love them. I have used recipes out of each of them. Both cover the canning process in detail and tell you everything you need to know to both water bath can and pressure can. If you decide to purchase either of these books, or anything else I recommend, I ask that you use my links to do so. It doesn't cost you anything to do so and I get a few pennies to help support the blog.

Canning Chicken Stock

I have been swamped with work all this week so I didn't have time to write up this week's post for the countdown of the top 10 things you need to know how to do before you lose electricity. So, we will take a break from the countdown for a week and I will post #7 next Friday.

Today, I am going to reference a post that I saw over at The Rural Revolution. I have talked about how easy it is to make chicken stock before (you can see my post on making chicken stock here.) Patrice added an extra dimension to it when she left it on the stove for almost 30 hours! I bet it tasted delicious! She didn't leave it there on purpose. She had an extremely busy day and just didn't get to it. It is good to know that even with a busy schedule, you really can find time to make chicken stock!

It is also very easy to can and Patrice shows how to do it in this post. I strongly encourage you to try making your own chicken stock! It is better tasting and better for you than what you can get at the store!

Whether you freeze it or can it, homemade chicken stock rocks!

Canning the Summer Harvest

This is the time of year that God gives us a bountiful harvest. A wise and frugal person would take full advantage of the season's lower prices on fresh produce at the grocery store.  Or, even better, take advantage of the wonderful summer weather and grow some produce yourself. 

When the bounty comes in, what are you going to do with it all?  You can blanch and freeze excess vegetables and fruits. However, unless you have a extra large freezer you will soon realize that this is not the best solution.

One idea you might consider is canning your extra produce. Once you get the hang of it, it really is quite easy to do.  The key is to watch the temperature and timing.  I can a lot of different things: green beans, applesauce, apple juice, apple pie filling, cranberry sauce, tomato sauce, pizza sauce, blueberry pie filling, orange marmalade, mustard, ketchup, and peaches in light syrup. 

I would like to add to that list. If I ever get enough carrots and/or peas at one time I plan to can those as well.  In addition, I have a goal this year of canning some chicken.  It would be really convenient to use canned chicken in a quick meal when I am super busy at work.

To show you how easy it is to can produce yourself, I thought I would give you an overview of the steps involved in canning.  Now, different recipes required different canning times and low acid foods (vegetables and meats) require a pressure canner. The best book I have found on this subject is The Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving. The recipes in this book have been tested for safety.  When you strictly follow the directions in this book you can be assured that the food you can will be safe to eat.

In the south, July is the month for peaches. It is amazing to me that peaches taste so sweet when picked right off the tree. If you have an opportunity to pick your own peaches, do so!  It is a lot of fun and the peaches are the best!  We recently took a day trip to a peach farm and bought a bushel of peaches.  That is about 46 lbs of peaches!  After eating more peaches than I can remember, it was time to do something with the rest.  I put some in the freezer.  These will be used to make peach yogurt and peach ice cream.  The rest were canned in light syrup.  Here is what I did.

I like to can peaches in slices.  I found that more fit in the jar when they are in slices (vs. halved). So the first things that must be done are to peel the peach, remove the pit, slice and treat for browning.  Peaches will brown when exposed to the air (just like apples). To treat the peaches, I dip them in a bowl of water mixed with a few teaspoons of ascorbic acid.

 While doing this, start to prepare the syrup.  Traditionally, fruit has been packed in light, medium or heavy syrup. However, in the Ball Canning Book, there are now recipes to pack fruit in unsweetened apple juice, pineapple juice, white grape juice or even water if you prefer.  I am using a light syrup.

Bring the water to a boil and add the sugar, stirring until it is dissolved. Once the syrup mixture is boiling, turn the heat down to simmer until you are ready to can. When the peaches are ready, add a layer of peaches to the syrup and heat for one minute.  Then, add another layer.  Repeat until all the peaches have been added to the syrup.

There are directions in the Ball Canning Book for hot packing the peaches (heating them first) or raw packing the peaches.  I usually hot pack.  Since I am hot packing, I let the peach sit in the syrup for a few minutes while the jars are heating up.

I would like to stress again that I am not providing complete instructions here, just an overview. Do get the Ball Canning Book and follow the directions provided in the book.

I place clean pint jars (you can use quart jars as well) in the canner and let the water get to just below boiling. 

Also while the jars are heating up, I wash new lids and set them on simmer.

When everything is hot, I pack the peaches in the jars.

When the jar is full, add some syrup to 1/2 inch from the top of the jar.  There is a tool you can use to help you measure.

Also, gently insert the tool down the side of the jar to remove any air bubbles.

Next, place the lid on the jar.  Wipe the rim of the jar with a wet cloth to ensure it is clean. The lid won't make a good seal if the jar isn't clean.

Place the lid on top and screw on the canning ring.  This ring should only be finger tip tight.  It will loosen during the canning process but that is OK. You will need it loose so air can escape. Then place the jar back in the canner.

 When you have filled all the jars, place the lid on the canner. This recipe only requires a water bath canning.  However, different elevations require different processing times. This means when the water is at a complete rolling boil, start the timer and process the peaches for the time indicated at your elevation.   

When the peaches have been processed for the required time, remove the canner from the heat.  Remove the canner lid and wait five minutes for the jars to cool slightly.  After five minutes, remove the jars and let them cool on the kitchen counter.

After the jars are completely cool, check each lid to make sure it is sealed.  The center of the lid should be tight to the jar.  If you hear a popping or feel the center of the lid move up and down, the jar did not seal.  Wipe down the sealed jars and place in storage.  If you have a jar that didn't seal, place it in the refrigerator and use the contents within a few days.

And there you have it!  Food you have canned yourself.  Your great-grandmother used to call it 'putting food up' or 'putting food by'.  Back then, it was critical to can food in the summer to ensure the family survived the winter. It is still important today because it allows you the freedom to control the ingredients you put in the jar rather than just accept what you find in the canning isle of the grocery store.

I encourage you to try your hand at canning - it's fun!