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Recipes Archives

Healthy Home-made Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes – Couldn’t be easier

Sunday, February 5th, 2012 at 5:45 pm  
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Baked-bread

We both recently started making our own bread. One reason for this is that we are eating more and more organic foods and growing our own veges so making our own bread was just one more step towards knowing what we are eating. Commercial bread is full of additives and preservatives.  We know exactly what goes into our bread.

The bread recipe we use is from the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking recipe book by Jeff Hertzber and Zoe Francois, which is available in both hard copy and kindle.  We have both, but I like to work from the Kindle app on the iPad.

Now what is so great about this bread recipe?

Well it takes only 5 minutes to make, there is NO kneading required and the mixture keeps in the fridge for around 14 days so you can just pull off a lump of dough to make a fresh loaf when you need it.

The book has around 100 recipes so that you can make different kinds of bread but we generally make the basic dough mix which makes enough for four 1 pound loaves.  Although you can double or halve the recipe to suit your family’s requirements, we find that the standard recipe works well for two to four people.

Master Recipe for 5 Minute Artisan Bread:

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups lukewarm water
  • 1½ tablespoons granulated yeast (equivalent to 2 packets). I no longer use packet yeast but loose yeast granuals
  • 1½ tablespoons Kosher salt or other coarse salt
  • 6½ cups flour, unsifted, unbleached, all-purpose (not strong)
bread-making-ingredients

bread-making-ingredients

Method:

Preparing Dough for Storage:

1.. Warm the water slightly. It should feel just a little warmer than body temperature. Warm water will rise the dough to the right point for storage in about 2 hours. With cold water it will need 3-4 hours.

2. Add the yeast to the water in a 5 quart bowl or, preferably, in a resealable, lidded (not airtight) plastic food container or food-grade bucket.  I use a large Tupperware rectangular modular mate container.

Don’t worry about getting it all to dissolve.

adding-the-yeast

Adding the Yeast

yeast-added-to-warm-water

Yeast Added to the Warm Water

3. Mix in the flour and salt – kneading is unnecessary. Add all of the flour at once, measuring it in with dry-ingredient measuring cups, by gently scooping up the flour, then sweeping the top level with a knife or spatula. Don’t press down into the flour as you scoop or you’ll throw off the measurement.

Use-scoop-and-sweep-method

Use Scoop & Sweep Method

Mix with a wooden spoon, a high-capacity food processor (14 cups or larger) fitted with the dough attachment, or a heavy duty stand mixer fitted with the dough hook until the mixture is uniform. I have just started using my Cuisinart hand mixer which also did an admirable job.

If you’re hand mixing and it becomes too difficult to incorporate all the flour with the spoon, you can reach into your mixing vessel with very wet hands and press the mixture together. Don’t knead, it isn’t necessary.You know the dough is ready when everything is uniformly moist, without any dry patches. It takes a few minutes, and will yield a dough that is wet and loose enough to conform to the shape of its container.

stir-in-the-flour-into-the-yeast-mixture
Stir the flour into the yeast mixture
mixing-bread-dough

Mixing the bread dough

4. Put the dough aside to allow it to rise. Cover with lid (I just sit the lid on top of the container and don’t seal it otherwise it could explode from the trapped gases). Allow the mixture to rise at room temperature until it begins to collapse (or at least flattens on the top), approx 2 hours, depending on room temperature, and initial water temperature. It doesn’t really matter how long it takes as longer rising times, up to 5 hours, won’t harm the result.

bread-dough-rising

Bread dough rising

 

5. You can use a portion of the dough any time after this period. Fully refrigerated dough is less sticky and easier to work with than dough at room temperature.

On Baking Day:

1. You can bake this bread in a prepared loaf tim, tray, or whatever you’ choose to bake it in or on. I simply use a Pizza Stone. Sprinkle the surface of your refrigerated dough with four. Pull up and cut of a grapefruit-size piece of dough (approximately 1 lb), using a serrated knife.

2. Hold the dough in your hands and add a little more flour as needed so it doesn’t stick to your hands. Gently stretch the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all 4 sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. Most of the dusting flour will fall off – that’s fine, it isn’t meant to be incorporated. The bottom of the loaf may appear to be a collection of bunched ends, but it will sort itself out during resting and baking.

stretching-the-bread-dough

Stretch the bread dough

3. The correctly shaped final product will be smooth and cohesive. The entire process should take no more than 30 – 60 seconds.

bread-formed-and-ready-to-rise

Bread formed into roll

4. Rest the loaf and let it rise in the form, on the tray/pizza peel, for about 40 minutes. I use a small round board sprinkled with Polenta, which I find helps stops the dough sticking and helps it to easily come free when transferring it to the pizza plate.
Depending on the age of the dough, you may not see much rise during this period. That’s fine, more rising will occur during baking.

5. Twenty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 450°F Place an empty broiler tray for holding water on any other shelf that won’t interfere with the rising bread.

6. Dust and Slash. Dust the top of the loaf liberally with flour, which will allow the slashing knife to pass without sticking. Slash a quarter inch deep cross, diagonal lines, or tic-tac-toe pattern on top using a serrated knife.

bread-floured-and-sliced

Bread dough floured and slashed

7. After a 20 min preheat you’re ready to bake, even though the oven thermometer won’t be at full temperature yet. Put your loaf in the oven. Pour about 1 cup of hot water (from the tap) into the broiler tray and close the oven to trap the steam.

8. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the crust is nicely browned and firm to the touch.

9. Eat with your favorite topping – yummo

baked-bread

Baked bread with a golden crust

Sliced-bread-enjoy

Sliced bread ready to enjoy

9. Store the rest of the dough in the fridge in your lidded (not airtight) container and use it over the next 14 days. The flavour and texture improves, becoming like sourdough. Even 24 hours of storage improves the flavour.

This is the standard bread. There are loads of variations – both savory and sweet – in the book. I also have the Kindle version of their Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day: 100 New Recipes Featuring Whole Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, and Gluten-Free Ingredients.

Making bread has never been easier. Forget all the fuss and bother of kneading and resting the dough for hours on end, which is how my mother used to make her homemade bread. She would have loved this recipe.

 

Choc-Honeycomb Ice Cream Pudding – Delicious for Celebrations or Anytime

Tuesday, January 17th, 2012 at 3:01 am  
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Paula and I decided to cook dinner for her brother Wal for his birthday. For the menu we cooked wild Alaskan Salmon, a favorite of ours,  with new potatoes in parsley butter, carrots and beans from  Paula’s garden, and dessert was a delicious choc honeycomb ice cream pudding.  This dessert was taken from the Super Food Ideas magazine and believe me it is delicious.

choc-honeycomb-ice-cream-puddingChoc-honeycomb ice-cream pudding.

Ingredients:-

  • 1½ x 300g packets of chocolate sponge roles. (we used a chocolate cream filled sponge roll from Coles)
  • 2 liters hokey pokey ice cream – softened
  • 2 x 55g Violet Crumble bars, roughly chopped
  • 1/3 cup of dry-roasted hazelnuts, chopped

Topping:-

  • 180g block white chocolate, chopped (we used Cadbury’s Dream White Chocolate)
  • 1/3 cup thickened cream
  • strawberries – halved,
  • white chocolate curls ( I made the chocolate curls using a potato peeler)
  • silver cachous, to decorate (optional)

Method:-

Line an 8 cup capacity pudding basin with plastic wrap. (Good luck doing that, I found it to be a bit fiddly).

Cut the chocolate rolls into 1 cm thick slices. Reserve 4 slices. Line the base and side of the prepared pan with remaining cake slices, trimming to fit.

Place the softened ice cream in a bowl. Fold in the roughly chopped Violet Crumble and the chopped hazelnuts.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan, Level the top with a spatula and arrange the reserved cake slices over the top of the ice cream, pressing slightly to secure.

Cover with plastic wrap, then foil and freeze overnight.

Topping:-

Place white chocolate and cream in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on medium (50%) for 2 to 3 minutes or until smooth, stirring with a metal spoon every 30 seconds. Set aside for 15 minutes to cool slightly.

Decorating:-

Turn the pudding onto a plate. Remove the plastic wrap.

Spoon 1/3 of the chocolate sauce over the pudding. Stand for 5 minutes.

Decorate with strawberries, chocolate curls and cachous. Serve with the remaining chocolate sauce.

I didn’t read the last part of the recipe and so added all the topping instead of just 1/3 , but it turned out fine and it tasted fantastic.  The topping is not too sweet and the hidden bits of violet crumble and hazelnuts certainly add a touch of pizazz to the delicious hokey pokey ice cream. We also served it with extra strawberries and cream.

I will certainly make this dessert again.

Many thanks to Super Food Ideas Magazine.

Grasshopper Pie – Courtesy Nigella Lawson – Adults Only – Decadently Delicious.

Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012 at 5:00 pm  
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grasshopper-pie

For this one I used a larger tart pan, if you use a smaller pan the pie is higher and looks much more impressive. This pie has grated chocolate on the top.

I have a few celebrity chefs that I love to watch on tv as they demonstrate their recipes with such ease and aplomb.

So the other night I was watching one of my all time favorites – Nigella Lawson.  I mean to say who doesn’t love watching this amazing woman whip up her delicious, taste tempting recipe – not me for one. I am an absolute convert. I have a range of her cookbooks and DVDs

So here I am tucked up on the lounge when she begins to make a Grasshopper Pie. On hearing the ingredients I’m intrigued, and decide that I have to try this out on the family, which I did over the holiday break.  Everyone loved it and so I think it is only fair that I share Nigella’s delightful recipe with you all. I hope she doesn’t mind.

The Grasshopper Pie recipe is from her book ‘Nigella Kitchen: Recipes from the Heart of the Home, which is absolutely chock full of wonderful, mouth watering recipes.

Grasshopper Pie

Ingredients:-

Base

28 chocolate creme filled sandwich cookies ( I used Oreo’s)

2 ounces good quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped ( I used ¼ cup dark chocolate chips)

3 Tsps soft unsalted butter

Filling

3 cups mini marshmallows
( I had trouble finding packets with just white marshmallows. And unfortunately the pink marshmallows do dilute the color. The second time I made it I just used large marshmallows and it worked just as well)

½ cup whole milk ( I don’t use a lot of milk so I keep long life whole milk in the cupboard for visitors who take milk in their tea, and this is what I used and it works fine)

¼ cup creme de menthe

¼ cup creme de cacao blanc

1½ cups heavy cream

Few drops green coloring (optional) I used a few drops because the pink marshmallows had softened the green color.

Method:

Base

Set aside 1 cookie for later use as decoration. (I forgot the second time I made it so I just grated chocolate over).

Process the remaining cookies and chocolate in a food processor until they form a crumb mixture.

Add the butter and process until the mixture starts to clump together.

Press the mixture into a high-sided fluted tart pan making a smooth base and sides with your hands or the back of a spoon. (Not having a fluted pan I just used a plain spring pan and it looks just as nice when the pie is turned out)

Put into the refrigerator to chill and harden.

Filling

Melt the marshmallows  in a saucepan over a low gentle heat along with the milk.

Once the milk starts to foam (not boil), take the pan off the heat and keep stirring until the marshmallows blend into the milk to make a smooth mixture.

Pour the mixture out of the saucepan into a heatproof bowl, then whisk in the creme de menthe and the creme de cacao. Leave until cool.

(I poured the mixture into a stainless steel bowl which of course was holding the heat so I placed the bowl into some cold water in the sink to quickly cool it down.)

In a medium bowl, whisk the cream until it starts to hold in soft peaks, then still whisking, add the cooled marshmallow mixture.  The filling should be thick but still soft, not stiff or dry, so that eventually, it will drop easily out of the bowl into the chilled pie crust.

When the marshmallow mixture and cream are combined, whisk in a few drops of food coloring, if desired.

Spread the filling into the chilled base, swirling it about with an icing spatula or silicon spatula to fill evenly.  Put the pie in the refrigerator, covered , to chill overnight or for a minimum of 4 hours until firm.

Crush the remaining cookie and sprinkle it over the top of the pie before serving.

MAKE AHEAD NOTE:

This pie can be mad 1 or 2 days ahead. When chilled and fire, tent with aluminum foil ( try not to touch the surface with the foil as it will leave marks) and store in the refrigerator. Decorate just before serving. The pie will keep for around 3 to 4 days.

FREEZER NOTE:

The pie can be frozen for up to 3 months. Open-freeze undecorated pie just until solid, then wrap the pie (still in its tart pan) in a double layer of plastic wrap and a layer of foil.

To Thaw

Unwrap the pie and tent with foil, (try not to touch he surface with the foil as it will leave marks), then  thaw overnight in the refrigerator.  Decorate before serving.

My family, friends an I just love this pie. It’s just for adults and it’s decadently delicious.

For a non-alcoholic version you can replace the cream de menthe and creme de cacao with ½ tsp (2.5mls) of peppermint extract. It isn’t necessary to make up the amount of lost liquid by not adding the alcohol.  It is advisable to use a good quality natural peppermint extract instead of an artificial peppermint flavoring.

As you won’t be getting the green coloring from the creme de menthe you will need to add some green coloring otherwise you won’t get the desired effect as the pie will be white.

 

From Asparagus to Zucchini: Vegetable Canning for Beginners

Monday, December 5th, 2011 at 7:47 pm  
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Bell-peppersWelcome to the world of canning vegetables! Preserving vegetables yourself gives you the freedom to adjust cooking methods, ingredients, and flavor to taste—as well as to guarantee a stash of your seasonal favorites throughout the year, impress friends and family, and even save some cash in the process. Let’s start by looking at some of the vegetable canning basics.

Pressure Canning Vegetables

All vegetables except tomatoes, sauerkraut, and pickles are low enough in acid that they must always be processed in a pressure canner. Other methods are simply not safe. Because it takes only one spoonful from one jar of poisoned food to cause serious illness or death, the canner may be the most important investment you make.

All canners work according to the same principle. The pan has a tight sealing lid with a regulator. When a small amount of water (usually 1 to 3 inches) is heated in the canner, it is converted to steam, which builds up pressure and reaches temperatures substantially higher than boiling. At 10 to 15 pounds of pressure, the temperature is 240° to 250° F. Safety features maintain pressure at reasonable levels and auto-release if the pressure becomes too high.

There are two types of pressure canners—those with a dial gauge that shows the pressure, and those with a weight control that makes a noise when it reaches the required pressure. Before using any pressure canner, check to ensure that parts are in good working order and read the manufacturer’s directions, including recommended temperatures for your altitude.

Our preference for pressure canners is the All American Pressure Canner, we have found it to be the best for performance.

Step By Step

1.  After packing Mason Jars and fitting them with lids and screwbands, put the rack in the canner and add 2 to 3 inches of water.  Then place jars on the rack.  If you like, you may fill the rack before placing it in the canner.  Put the lid on the canner and fasten it securely.

2.  Open the petcock or remove the weight.  Heat on high until steam flows out.

3.  Continue to heat on high for 10 minutes before closing the petcock or placing the weight on the vent port.  During the next 3 to 5 minutes, the pressure will build.

4.  When the dial gauge shows the recommended amount of pressure, or when the petcock begins jiggling or rocking, set the timer for the time specified in your recipe.  At high altitudes, increase the pressure ½ pound for each 1,000 feet above sea level.

5.  Maintain a temperature at or just above the specified gauge pressure.  Weighted gauges will jiggle 2 or 3 times per minute or rock slowly, depending on the brand.  Avoid large variations in temperature, which may cause liquid to be forced from jars, jeopardizing the seal.

6.  When the time is up, turn off the heat, remove canner from burner if possible, and let it depressurize.  Do not use cold water to speed depressurization and avoid opening the vent port.  Let the canner sit 30 minutes if loaded with pints, or 45 minutes with quarts.  Some models cool more quickly and have vent locks that indicate when pressure is normal.

7.  When pressure has returned to normal, remove the weight or open the petcock.  Let canner sit for two minutes before unfastening and removing the lid.  Keep your face away from the canner to avoid escaping steam.

8.  Using a jar lifter, remove the jars and place them on a folded towel, allowing at least 1 inch of air to circulate between them. Let cool, then store in a cool, dry, dark place.

Timetable for Pressure Canning Vegetables

Vegetable

Method

Inches of Headroom

Minutes to Precook

Minutes to Process a Pint

Minutes to Process a Quart

Asparagus

Raw pack

½

–

30

40

Beans, fresh lima

Hot pack

1

Bring to a boil

40

50

Beans, snap

Raw pack

½

–

20

25

Beets

Hot pack

½

15

30

35

Broccoli

Hot pack

1

3

30

35

Brussels sprouts

Hot pack

1

3

30

35

Cabbage

Hot pack

1

3

45

55

Carrots

Raw pack

1

–

25

30

Cauliflower

Hot pack

1

3

30

35

Celery

Hot pack

1

3

30

35

Cream style corn

Hot pack

1

Bring to a boil

85

Pints only

Whole kernel corn

Raw pack

1

–

55

Pints only

Whole kernel corn

Hot pack

1

Bring to a boil

55

Pints only

Eggplant

Hot  pack

1

5

30

40

Mushrooms

Hot pack

½

Boil 5 minutes

45

–

Okra

Hot pack

½

1

25

40

Parsnips

Hot pack

1

3

30

35

Peas

Raw pack

1

–

40

40

Peas

Hot pack

1

Bring to a boil

40

40

Peppers

Hot pack

1

3

35

Pints only

Whole potatoes

Hot pack

½

10

35

40

Cubed potatoes

Hot pack

½

2

35

40

Soybeans

Hot pack

1

Bring to a boil

55

65

Spinach and other greens

Hot pack

½

Steam 10 minutes

70

90

Summer squash (such as
zucchini)

Hot pack

½

Bring to a boil

30

40

Sweet potatoes

Dry pack

1

20-30

65

90

Sweet potatoes

Hot pack

1

20

65

90

Boiling Water Processing Vegetables

Even if you don’t have a pressure canner, you can make your own pickles and canned tomatoes by processing in boiling water. Use the same instructions as for pressure canning, using sanitized jars and lids, except in a boiling water bath with water that covers the lid by at least 2 inches. Follow the recommendations in the table below to guarantee safe and delicious tomato products!

Timetable for Boiling Water Processing Tomatoes

Produce

Pack

Pint Processing Time

Quart Processing Time

Headroom(in inches)

Tomato juice

Hot

35

40

½

Tomato juice and flesh

Hot

35

40

½

 

Crushed tomatoes

Hot

35

45

½

Tomato sauce

Hot

35

40

¼

Whole or halved tomatoes in
juice

Raw or hot

85

85

½

Whole or halved tomatoes,
no liquid

Raw

85

85

½

 

Recipes

The following recipes include the most popular vegetable dishes for canning. Feel free to adjust spices and flavors (but not acidity or processing times) to taste. Enjoy your vegetable canning adventures!

Basic Canned Tomatoes

Ingredients

  • 8 quarts peeled and chopped tomatoes
  • ½ cup lemon juice
  •  1 tablespoon salt

Directions

Gently toss tomatoes with lemon juice and salt, then fill jars to 1/4-inch of tops.
Run a slim, non-metal tool down along the insides of jars to release any air bubbles.
Add additional paste, if necessary, to within 1/4-inch of tops.
Wipe tops and threads of jars with damp clean cloth.
Put on lids and screw bands as manufacturer directs.
Process in a boiling water bath for 45 minutes.

Variations
Cook tomatoes over medium-low heat until completely broken down to make tomato sauce, then can as for Basic Canned Tomatoes. Up to 25% of the contents of the sauce may contain herbs or other cooked vegetables, such as roasted peppers, sautéed minced onions, or garlic.
To make a tomato paste, cook tomatoes over medium-low heat until broken down and the volume is reduced by half. Strain through cheesecloth, then can as for Basic Canned Tomatoes.

Classic Dill Pickles

Ingredients

  • 25 pickling cucumbers, 2-3 inches long
  • 4 cups cider vinegar
  • 1 ½ cups sugar
  • 2 tablespoons mustard seeds
  • 2 tablespoons celery or fennel seeds
  • 4 sprigs fresh dill
  • 1 cup pickling salt, dissolved in 8 cups water

Directions
Wash cucumbers thoroughly. Soak 24 hours in brine. Drain and pat dry.
Bring vinegar, sugar, and spices to a boil.
Add cucumbers and cook 5 minutes over medium heat.
Pack cucumbers and spices in hot, sterilized jars.
Cover with cooking liquid and seal. Wait a month before opening. Makes 8 cups.

Dilly Beans

Ingredients

  • 4 pounds high quality whole green beans
  • 2 teaspoons crushed dried hot red pepper
  • 4 teaspoons dried dill seed
  • 7 cloves of peeled fresh garlic
  • 5 cups vinegar
  • 5 cups water
  • ½ cup picking salt

Directions
Wash beans thoroughly, remove stems and tips, and cut them as uniformly as possible to allow them to stand upright in pint canning jars, coming to the shoulder of the jar.
Have jars clean and very hot, and lids and sealers ready in scalding water.
In each jar, place ½ tsp of dill seed, one garlic clove, and ¼ tsp of crushed hot red pepper. Pack beans upright in jars, leaving one inch of headroom.
Heat the water, vinegar, and salt together. When the mixture boils, pour it over the beans, filling each jar to ½ inch from the top.
Run a knife down and around to remove trapped air, adjust lids, and process in a 185°F bath for ten minutes after the water in the canner returns to simmer. Remove jars and complete seals if necessary.
Makes 7 pints.

Note: if you substitute ground cayenne pepper for the crushed hot red pepper, use only 1/8 tsp per jar (or prepare for a fiery treat!) Wait at least two weeks to allow the beans to develop their full flavor.

Peter’s Pickled Peppers

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds hot peppers (such as serrano, habanero, jalapeno, or a blend) cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 6 cups vinegar
  • 2 cups water
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 medium onion, diced

Directions
Combine the hot peppers in a large pot. Add the vinegar, water, garlic, and onion.
Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes.
Ladle cooked peppers into sterile jars and fill to the top with the remaining liquid, leaving ¼ inch headspace, and lid.
Process in a water bath for 10 to 15 minutes.
Refrigerate jars after opening.

Watermelon Pickles
Choose thick sections of rind for this recipe.

Ingredients

  • 8 cups watermelon rind
  • ½ cup pickling salt
  • 4 cups cold water
  • 1 ½ tablespoons whole cloves
  • 4 cups sugar
  • 2 cups white vinegar
  • 2 cups water

Directions
Peel off the skin and trim off any remains of pink flesh. Cut into one inch cubes. Dissolve salt in cold water and pour it over rind cubes to cover (add more water if needed). Let stand 5 to 6 hours. Drain and rinse well.
Cover the rind cubes with fresh water and cook until barely tender, no more than ten minutes, erring on the side of crispness, then drain.
Combine sugar, vinegar, and water; add cloves tied in a cloth bag; bring mixture to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer for five minutes. Pour over rind cubes and let stand overnight. In the morning, bring to boiling and cook until rind is translucent but not at all mushy, about ten minutes.
Remove spice bag and pack cubes in hot, sterilized pint jars. Add boiling syrup, leaving ½ inch of headroom; adjust lids. Process in a 185° F water bath for ten minutes. Remove jars and complete seals if necessary. Makes 4 pints.

Antipasto

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cauliflower chunks
  • 1 cup broccoli chunks
  • 2 zucchini, cut in sticks
  • 2 carrots, cut in sticks
  • 2 celery sticks, roughly sliced
  • 2 medium onions, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup pickling salt
  • 8 cups water
  • 2 cups white vinegar
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 5 garlic cloves
  • 2 hot peppers (such as banana peppers), chopped
  • 2 teaspoons mustard seeds

Directions
In a large bowl, arrange vegetables in layers, sprinkling salt between each layer.
Add 6 cups of water. Cover bowl with plastic film and place a weight on top to prevent the vegetables from floating. Keep the bowl in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, drain and rinse under cold water for 2 minutes and drain again.
Combine 2 cups water with vinegar and sugar.
Dissolve sugar over low heat.
Divide garlic, hot peppers, and mustard seeds among the jars. Pack with vegetables.
Cover with sugared vinegar, leaving 1 ¼ inches head space. Seal and process 20 minutes in boiling water or 5 minutes in a pressure cooker.
Wait three weeks before tasting. Makes 10 cups.

 

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Home Canning!

Wednesday, October 12th, 2011 at 5:47 pm  
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All American Pressure Canner 21 qtI recently purchased an All American Pressure Canner Cooker and all I can say is what a fantastic piece of kitchen equipment it is. It’s not my first pressure canner but it is certainly the best I have ever owned.

So I thought that it might be a nice idea to give you some ideas so that you can see how easy it is to home can and how it will save you money.

Canning is both a treasured American tradition and an excellent way to share your best homemade goodies with family and loved ones. Home canned vegetables are at least as good as store bought ones, and even better when you have grown them yourself or bought them fresh from a local farmer. Canned foods have a substantial advantage over frozen in that they require no expensive equipment to keep them—just a shelf in a cool, dark, dry place.

If you are a first-time canner you might feel frustrated while you’re getting the hang of it, but after a little experience you’ll find yourself doing it with confidence and skill. You will find few sights more pleasing than the rows of sauces, jams, vegetables, and other foodstuffs that you’ve produced!

Firstly – A Little History

Early in the Napoleonic Wars at the beginning of the 19th century, the French government offered a large cash prize to anyone who could invent an affordable way to preserve large amounts of food. In 1809, Nicolas Appert rose to the challenge after noticing that food cooking inside a properly sealed jar didn’t spoil. As a professional confectioner and brewer, he devised a way to seal food inside glass jars with near-perfect consistency.

Home canning emerged as an industry with the Mason jar, patented in 1858. Ever since then it’s been an American folkway to home can pickles, preserves, and other delicious foodstuffs for stocking pantries and sharing gardens with friends and neighbors.

Getting Started

Good planning is the secret to satisfying canning. Be prepared with all the utensils, ingredients, and information you’ll need before starting. Begin with more than enough time, so you don’t run the risk of cutting corners on processing times should any step go long.

Norpro Home Canning KitUse the following equipment, making sure that everything is clean:

  • Jars (Most processing times specify using pint or quart jars. Both are available with either a wide or regular mouth. Wide mouths are easier to fill, but cost slightly more than regular jars. Test all jars by running your finger around the lip. If there are any cracks or flaws, the jars are not up to canning standards and will not seal.)
  • Two part jar lids—a screwband and a one-use lid (Screwbands can be stored in a dry place and used again next year. Don’t reuse the domed lids, however, as the rubber inside is only good for one sealing.)
  • An inexpensive jar lifter for removing hot jars from a pressure canner
  • Hot pads
  • Canning funnel
  • Knives
  • Cutting boards
  • Kettle
  • Colander
  • For boiling water bath canning, a deep kettle with a lid and rack
  • A teapot for adding hot water as necessary
  • If pressure canning, a pressure canner and rack

Preparing Food and Jars for Canning

  1. Clean the food. If needed, cut it into uniform pieces. For raw-pack processing, set prepared food aside. For hot-pack processing, place food in a large saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Simmer 2 to 5 minutes.
  2. Sterilize clean jars by filling them with hot (not boiling) water and lowering them onto a rack in a water-filled pot. Make sure there’s at least one inch of water above the rims. Bring water to a boil and keep it there for ten minutes. Keep jars consistently hot throughout the process.
  3. Remove a jar, empty it, and fill it immediately with food. If using raw-pack method, pack it tightly. If using the hot pack method, fill the warm jar loosely.
  4. Add very hot water, syrup, or juice, according to the recipe, until it covers the food. Allow proper headroom.
  5. Remove air bubbles by inserting a non-metallic utensil and firmly pressing the food.
  6. Carefully wipe the jar rim with a clean towel to allow for a good seal.
  7. Apply the lid and secure it with the screw-ring.
  8. Repeat steps 3, 4, and 5 until all jars are filled. Reserve water used to sterilize the jars for the canning process.

Boiling Water Bath Canning

A boiling water bath is the cheapest and easiest method of canning for preserving high-acid foods. These include all fruits, all pickles, and those vegetables to which vinegar has been added, raising the acidity to a sufficient level. Warning: DO NOT use boiling water bath canning for other vegetables—they absolutely must be pressure canned. That said, here’s how to water bath can your high-acid foods:

  1. Lower your packed and prepared jars into simmering water with a jar lifter. The jars should stand on a rack placed at the bottom of the pot. Note that cold jars should be put into water that is warm but not yet hot; they will crack if exposed to a sudden change in temperature.
  2. Add enough water to cover the jars by 2 or 3 inches. Put on the pot lid, bring the water to a roiling boil, and then begin counting the processing time.
  3. When the recommended time is up, remove the pot from the heat and take out the jars with a lifter. Old jars should be treated with extra care, so leave them in the water until the boil has stopped. Be careful not to knock your jars together—they break easily when hot! Don’t cover the cooling jars.
  4. Leave the jars to sit until they have cooled thoroughly, then test the seal. Do this by pressing hard on the center of each lid. If the lid does not move downward or give, your seal is complete. (Any unsealed goods can be refrigerated and eaten within a day or two.)
  5. Store the jars in a cool, dry, dark place for no more than a year.

Canning Safety

Never taste even a bit of canned food that you suspect may be spoiled. Examine jars carefully to detect signs of spoilage, which may include:

  • Mold on the outside of the jar
  • Food leakage
  • Mold inside the lid
  • Darkly discolored food
  • Food that appears shriveled, spongy, slimy, or cloudy
  • Liquid that seems to bubble
  • An off odor
  • Contents that shoot out of the jar when opened

If you think that any of your unopened food has spoiled, detoxify the food and the jars before disposing of them. Do this by placing the unopened jar in a pot of boiling water for 30 minutes. If the jar has been opened, empty the contents into a saucepan, thin them with water, and boil for 30 minutes. Boil the empty jar in water separately, then recycle—do not reuse!

Finally, remember to wash your hands thoroughly with hot, soapy water immediately after handling any spoiled food or contaminated item.

Additional Tips for Successful Canning

  • Add butter to jelly, jam, and preserves to prevent foam from forming during the cooking process. If you leave the butter out, skim off the foam before ladling the cooked food into jars.
  • Measure all the sugar into a bowl before beginning the recipe. Many canning recipes call for a large volume of sugar to be added when a mixture is already boiling; measuring ahead simplifies this step and prevents mistakes.
  • Use a ruler to measure volume. Some recipes call for a mixture to be reduced by a certain amount. To ascertain this easily, insert a clean, wood ruler into the pan before cooking and measure how far up the mixture comes. Then cook as directed until it has reduced by the percentage specified. For example, if uncooked mixture measures 4 inches in pan and recipe says to reduce by half, cook it down to 2 inches.
  • Do not double the recipes. If you want to make more, cook successive batches.

Recipes

We suggest starting your home canning adventure with some basic fruit preserves—they’re some of the easiest, least technical, and most popular canned goods. Your early success will inspire you to keep learning!

Strawberry Jam

Ingredients

  • 5 cups crushed ripe strawberries
  • 4 cups sugar

Directions

Place strawberries and sugar in a heavy saucepan and slowly bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, until thickened, about 15 minutes. Ladle into hot, sterilized jars and seal. Makes 3 ½ cups.

Options: Add ¼ cup of lemon juice or your favorite liqueur, 2 teaspoons lemon or orange zest, or ¼ cup minced mint or tarragon.

Apple Jelly

Ingredients

  • 2 lemons
  • 3 cups water
  • 3 pounds cooking apples (about 12 medium)
  • 6 cups sugar

Directions

Cut lemons in two and slice thinly, removing pits.

Soak in water overnight.

Cook over moderate heat until peel is tender, about ten minutes. Peel and core apples, then cut into thin slices.

Combine apples, sugar, and lemons with their liquid. Bring to a boil while stirring. Reduce heat and cook until thick, about thirty minutes.

Ladle into hot, sterilized jars and seal. Makes 4 16-ounce jars.

Grape Jelly

Ingredients

  • 4 pounds grapes
  • 7 cups sugar
  • 3 ounces of liquid pectin

Directions

Sort, wash, and stem ripe grapes. Crush them in a pot or kettle, add ½ cup of water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about ten minutes. Turn into a damp jelly bag and drain well; do not squeeze.

Hold the juice overnight in a cool place, then strain through 2 thicknesses of damp cheesecloth to remove the crystals that form.

Measure four cups of juice into a large kettle, add the sugar and mix well.

Bring quickly to a full boil that cannot be stirred down. Add the pouch of pectin, bring again to a full rolling boil and boil hard for one minute.

Remove from heat, quickly skim off the foam, and pour the jelly into hot ½ pint jars, leaving ¼ inch of headroom. Cap with a screwband lid.

Process 5 minutes in a boiling water bath, then cool upright and naturally.

Orange Spice Marmalade

Ingredients

  • 8 oranges
  • 2 lemons
  • Water as needed
  • 9 cups sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions

Cut lemons and oranges in half lengthwise, then into thin slices, removing pits as you go. Measure and add 1 ½ cups water for each cup of fruit. Soak overnight.

In the morning, bring fruit, spices, sugar, and water to a boil and cook for 20 minutes. Ladle marmalade into hot, sterilized jars and seal. Makes about 6 cups.

We invite you to read our review on the All American Pressure Canner/Cooker

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