~*~Country Canning~*~

~*~ It's Canning Time! ~*~

Nothing says 'country lovin' more than a jar of homemade preserves. I almost love nothing more than to boil a huge pot of homegrown tomatoes on the stove to be used for sauces, salsas, stewed or just eaten 'as is' all winter long. In the past I have canned our own peaches (peach pie !!), cherries, apples (chopped for pies or strained for applesauce), pears (hubby loves 'em!), tomatoes, squash and others! I have also enjoyed making various jams from blackberries, strawberries and rhubarb (our personal family favorite!). It is one of the most fulfilling things about country (or city!) life.

One of our apple trees ~ 2001

~*~Rebekah's Canning Recipes~*~
(well~ just a few favorites! If you'd like more, please feel free to email me!)

~Strawberry-Rhubarb Jam~

4 cups crushed strawberries
2 cups chopped rhubarb (about 4 stalks)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 package powdered pectin (Sure-Jel, etc.)
5 1/2 cups sugar

Combine strawberries, rhubarb, lemon juice and pectin in a large saucepot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Return to a rolling boil. Boil hard one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam if neccessary. Ladle hot jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 10 minutes in a boiling water canner.
Yield: about 6 half pints.

~Canning Tomatoes~

Select red-ripe firm tomatoes. Peel and remove cores and any defective spots. (for easy peeling, dip fruit in boiling water 1/2 to 1 minute. Then dunk in cold water. Skins should slip off easily.) Quarter, or cut into desired sizes and pack firmly into jars. Do not add liquid . Press firmly enough into jars so that some juice is extracted from tomatoes. Leave 1 inch headspace. Add 1/2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. sugar per quart. Tighten lids and process 25 minutes in boiling water bath if tomatoes are acid. If they are mild, process 45 minutes. Acid may be added if desired. Add 1/2 tsp. citric acid per quart, or 2 tbsp. white distilled vinegar per quart.
Vinegar may slightly alter flavor; acid won't.

~How to Preserve a Husband~

Be careful in your selection.
Do not choose too young, and take only such varieties as have been reared in a moral atmosphere.
When once decided upon and selected, let that part remain forever settled and give your entire thought to preparation for domestic use.
Some insist on keeping them in a pickle, while others are constantly getting them in hot water.
Even poor varieties may be made sweet, tender and good by garnishing them with patience, well-sweetened with smiles and flavored with kisses.
Then wrap well in a mantle of charity. Keep warm with steady fire of domestic devotion and milk of human kindness.
When thus prepared, they will keep for a lifetime.

(Author, unknown)

*~~Canning Links~~*
~ Grandma Georges' Canning Labels ~	~ Sandy's Recipe File ~ (canning and preserving)	~Canning Facts ~
~ Homecanning.com (a personal favorite!)~	~ Canning Education ~	~ Canning Tips and Recipes (another great site!)~
~Preserving the Harvest~		~Canning Pantry.com (thanks for the link, Scott!)~
*More to come!

~Submit a Canning Link or Recipe!~

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(Just click on it to download it to your own server!)

This "Down Home Cookin'" Webring
site is maintained by Rebekah Castleberry

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