Pickled Jalapenos

I planted one, just one jalapeno plant in my garden and it has been exploding with peppers. I never really had a plan, on what to do with so many peppers, but pickling them versus freezing them, was the best option for me. I can't wait to use these on sandwiches, nachos, eggs, etc. 

This recipe is from "Canning for a New Generation."

Makes about 4 pint jars

Ingredients:

2 1/2 jalapeno chilies

4 cups cider vinegar (5% acidity)

2 tablespoons honey

1 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt

4 cloves peeled garlic

1. Clean jars and keep hot in boiling water till ready to use. Place lids and rings in a small sauce pan and bring to a light simmer.

2. Cut jalapenos into 1/8 inch rings and rinse to get rid of loose seeds. Place vinegar, 1 cup water, honey and salt in a pot and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve salt and honey.

3. Place one garlic in the bottom of each jar. Pack in the jalapeno slices and leave 1 inch headspace. Next pour in the vinegar mixture into the jars and leave 1/2 inch headspace. Tap jar on a lined towel to remove air bubbles. Wipe rims clean and add lids and rings.

4. Place the jars in the boiling water and make sure there is at least 1-2 inches of water covering the jars. Boil for 10 minutes and remove from the canning pot. Place on a towel and let rest for 12 hours. After an hour make sure the lids are sealed. If they didn't, place in refrigerator. 

Wash and cut jalapenos.

Peel the garlic.

In the back pot I have the lids and rings simmering. In the front large pot, I bring the vinegar, water, honey and salt to a boil.

Place garlic in each jar.

Pack in those jalapenos.

Next add the vinegar mixture and tap to remove bubbles.

Boil for 10 minutes and let rest on a towel for 12 hours.

Label and store!

Pickled Beets

This summer has been abnormally hot here in Washington. My garden has been struggling, but my beets seem to be doing very well. I used some beets from my garden and some organic beets I got at the farmers market.

Pickling beets takes a little more time than pickles, so make sure you give yourself the time or at least cook the beets the night before and pickle them in the morning.

I halved the original recipe from the book: "Canning for a New Generation."


Makes 2 pint jars

Ingredients:

1 - 1 1/2 pounds beets, tops removed, scrubbed
2 cups cider vinegar (5% acidity)
4 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon pure kosher salt
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon whole allspice
1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

1. Cook the beets in boiling water to cover until tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl of ice water to cool. Rub the skins off, trim, quarter, and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices. Set aside.

2. Wash the jars and keep them hot in the canning pot, and put the lids in a heatproof bowl.

3. In a wide preserving pan, combine the vinegar, 3/4 cups water, the honey, salt cinnamon, allspice and peppercorns. Bring to a boil over high heat, then immediately add the beets; bring just to a simmer.

4. Ladle boiling water from the canning pot into the bowl with the lids. Using a jar lifter, remove the hot jars from the canning pot, carefully pouring the water from each one back into the pot, and place them upright on a folded towel. Drain the water from the lids.

5. Working quickly, using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the hot beets (and some of the spices) to the hot jars. Ladle in the hot vinegar mixture , leaving 1/2 inch head space from the top. Lightly tap the jar on the counter to remove air bubbles. Use a chopstick to remove air bubbles. Wipe the rim with a clean paper towel and place a lid and ring on each jar.

6. Return the jars to the canning pot, using a jar holder. You don't want the jars to be touching the bottom or sides of the pot. Make sure there is at least an inch of water over the jars. Bring to a boil, and boil for 30 minutes to process. Remove the jars and place on a folded towel and do not disturb for 12 hours. If after an hour the lid doesn't stay pushed down, immediately place in the fridge. Label the jars and store.

Boil the beets for 20 to 30 minutes.

Remove the beets and place them in an ice bath.

Let them cool down.

Start the vinegar, honey, water and spice mixture. Bring to a boil. 

Remove the skins from the beets and cut. Add to the vinegar mixture.

Ladle the beets into the jars.

Add the vinegar mixture to cover the beets. Leave a 1/2 inch headspace.

Add lids and rings.

Place back in canning pot and process for 30 minutes.

Remove from canning pot and let rest for 12 hours on a folded towel.

Homemade Dill Pickles

Now, those of you who know me well, know that I don't really have a lover affair with pickles. However, my husband and sisters LOVE them, so I decided to give them a try. Making your own pickles is super easy and cost effective. There is an amazing produce stand near my house, which sells local pickling cucumbers for $0.99 a pound, so about 3 pounds produces about 5 pint jars of pickles.

I got this recipe out of "Canning for a New Generation," by Liana Krissoff.



Ingredients:

3 pounds pickling cucumbers
2 cups cider vinegar (5% acidity)
2 tablespoons pure kosher salt
Ball pickling spice
Fresh Dill
4-5 cloves of garlic
Red chili flakes (optional)

1. Wash the jars and keep them hot in the canning bath and put the lids in a small bowl.

2. Cut off the ends of each cucumber and cut into spears.

3. In a small pot, combine the vinegar, 2 cups of water and kosher salt. Bring to a full boil.

4. Ladle boiling water from the canning pot into the bowl with the lids. Using a jar lifter, remove the hot jars from the canning pot, carefully pouring out the water back into the pot. Place the hot jars onto a towel. Drain the water off the jar lids.

5. Working quickly, place about a teaspoon or so, of pickling spice, a dill spring, whole garlic clove and  1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (if you want them spicy) into each jar. Then pack the cucumbers tightly into each jar. Trim off the tops of the cucumbers if you need too. You want them to be submerged with the brine.

6. Next pour the hot brine into each jar and leave 1/2 inch of headspace from the top. Gently tap the jars on the counter to remove any air bubbles. Remove any of the air bubbles with a chopstick. Clean the rims with a clean paper towel. Place a lid on each jar and a ring and tighten to just finger tight. Place the jars in a canning rack and place in the boiling water. Make sure there is at least an inch or two of water over the jars and process for 10 minutes. Then remove from the canning bath and place on a clean folded towel and do not disturb for 12 hours. After an hour, check to see if the lids have sealed by pressing down on the center of each lid. If it hasn't sealed, then refrigerate immediately. Label the jars and store. Most canned goods stay good for up to a year.

Wash the pickles

Cut in half

Cut in half again

Looking good!

Place the vinegar, water and salt in a pot and bring to a boil.

Place the garlic, pickling season and dill in the bottom of each jar.

Tightly pack each jar with the cut cucumbers.

We did a double batch in a quart jar.

Fill with the brine and place lids and rings on each jar.

Process in the water bath for 10 minutes.

Place on a towel and let rest for 12 hours. Enjoy with a nice deli sandwich!