We are hoping to share our experiences and challenges with the World Wide Web as we explore the art of adding value to raw materials. We will be canning, basket weaving, paper making, distilling oils and much more!
comments, recommendations and shared experiences are welcome!
In our first class we learned the art of canning, and produced and canned a fair amount of Rhubarb Chutney. The advantage of a chutney is that the recipe itself is very acidic and therefore will keep for long on its own, so pressure canning is not necessary. After cooking the chutney we placed it in sterilized mason jars with the lids only just on, placed the jars in water and brought to a boil for ten minutes. When the jars are extracted the steam is let out and they make a little 'pop' and seal up! The chutney came out great and we are all looking forward to testing our own family recipes and canning on our own! (leftovers were placed in the student snack area for all who desire)
Here is the recipe and some pictures of the process:
Ingredients:
• 4 lb rhubarb
• 2 lb red onions
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup molasses
• 2 cups cider vinegar
• 2 tbs cinnamon
• 1/2 tbsp cloves
• 2 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp ginger
• chop rhubarb
• mince onion
• add cinnamon, sugar, vinegar, salt & ginger
• stir and boil till thick. Pack in mason jars.
This rhubarb chutney tastes soo good. However, because we were pressed for time it was a little runnier and took up more canning space then it might otherwise have. Jody described the desired consistency saying "when you can just see the bottom of the pot as your string it." Still, I’d call the outcome a seeping success. Delicious!
ReplyDeleteHere's a recipe from my Dad that dates back to my Great Grandmother in the early 20th century.
ReplyDeleteJACK'S GREEN TOMATO PICCALILLI
Ingedients
4 Qts (7 LBS) green tomatos
6 medium white onions
2 green peppers
1/2 cup salt
3 cups sugar
3 large cukes skinned
1 red pepper
1 quart vinegar
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
2 Tbps celery seed
2 Tbps mustard seed
2 Tbsp peppercorns
2 sticks cinnamon
10 half-pint jars
Directions
Wash tomatos, cut out stem ends, slice, sprinkle with salt and let stand overnight. Drain and rinse tomatos thoroughly with water. Chop into 1/2" pieces. Wash and peel onions, slice thin and chop into 2" pieces. Wash peppers, remove stem, core and seeds, chop fine. Place spices (except sugar) in spice bag or tied muslin. Allow for swelling. Place sugar, vinegar $ spice bag in 6 Qt pot over medium high heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add vegetables, simmer for an hour or more. Pack in hot sterilized jars, apply lids and tighten bands finger tight. Boil jars 10 minutes and remove. Makes about 5 pints of relish. Eat remainder and store jars for holidays, gifts, and/or the apocolypse.
Any means of preserving the bounty of deliciousness that we enjoy here in Vermont is a wonderful thing! I spent lots of time last fall on long walks picking wild apples along the road. The treat at the end was canning them all up into yummy applesauce. The only ingredient I used was apples; no sugar necessary. I also froze the applesauce instead of canning it which saved time and still kept the sauce preserved. I'm glad to have a new rhubarb recipe for preserving this great ingredient that will soon go by.
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