Week 7: Condiments Are Our Friends
Welcome to Week 7 Moutoux crew! As summer marches on, this is a great time to try your hand at preserving the harvest. Preserving really gives you the most bang for your buck and provides seasonal eating all year long. Condiments are a great place to start, they are simple and typically small batches. If you are new to canning, make sure to check out reputable blogs, recipes, and tutorials and give it a shot! You can pickup canning kits just about anywhere these days including Target and Bed Bath & Beyond. These are a few top notch resources to start your canning journey:
Reminders:
Everyone has been doing a great job returning their clean yogurt glassware! Thank you, keep it up!
ZUCCHINI AND PEPPER RELISH
6 cups chopped green bell pepper (~8 whole peppers)
6 cups grated zucchini (~3 pounds zucchini)
2 1/2 cups grated onion (~2 large onions)
4 cups apple cider vinegar, divided
2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons sea salt
2 tablespoons mustard seed
1 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Prep for water bath and pint jars for canning.
Combine the chopped bell pepper, zucchini and onion in a large, nonreactive pot. Stir in 2 cups apple cider vinegar and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until the vegetables have cooked down, about 30 minutes.
Drain the vegetables and return to the pot. Add the remaining apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard seed, celery seed, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
Ladle the relish into the prepared jars, leaving 1/2 inch of head space. Gently remove air bubbles, wipe rims, apply lids/rings, and process in water bath for 10 minutes.
Notes: Makes 5 pint jars. This recipe is for water bath canning method but can also be stored in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.
TANGY EGGPLANT AND TOMATO SPREAD
1 large eggplant
1 pound tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups red wine vinegar (make sure it's 5% acidity)
3 garlic cloves, peeled and pressed or minced
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper
1/2 teaspoon citric acid
Prepare a boiling water bath canner and four half pint jars.
Peel the eggplant and dice it into small cubes.
Peel the tomatoes and dice them into bits that are similarly sized to the eggplant.
Heat the olive oil in a low, wide, non-reactive pan and add the eggplant and tomatoes. Cook for 2-3 minutes and then add the red wine vinegar, garlic, sugar, salt, and black pepper.
Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring often, for 20-25 minutes, until the liquid reduces and the the vegetables soften. If the eggplant isn't breaking down, use a potato masher to help the cubes meld into the spread.
Taste and adjust the salt and pepper levels, as necessary.
Remove the pot from the heat. Divide the citric acid between the four half pint jars and ladle the spread in on top. Use a chopstick or plastic bubbling tool to remove any trapped air bubbles and to work the citric acid into the spread.
Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath canner for 20 minutes.
When time is up, remove the jars from the canner and set them on a folded kitchen towel to cool.
When the jars are cool enough to handle, check the seals. Sealed jars are shelf stable for up a year. Any unsealed jars should be refrigerated and used promptly.
Notes: Makes four 1/2-pint jars. This recipe is for water bath canning method but can also be stored in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.
PICKLED FENNEL
2 medium bulbs fennel, trimmed
1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 orange
1 lemon
1 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed
Cut fennel bulbs in two vertically. Slice out and discard solid core and slice each piece very thinly, horizontally. Place fennel in colander in sink or large bowl, and sprinkle with salt; toss to mix. Let rest for 1 hour.
Using a zester that removes in strips, remove half the zest from orange and lemon. Juice orange and lemon, set juices aside, and sterilize a 1-quart canning jar and its lid in boiling water for several minutes.
Combine salted fennel and orange and lemon strips, and toss well to mix. Pack mixture into jar and set aside.
In a small saucepan, combine orange juice, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar and crushed peppercorns. Bring just to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Pour mixture into jar of fennel, using a skewer to remove air bubbles and allow all liquid to fit in. Seal jar with lid and allow to cool. Marinate at room temperature for two days; may be stored at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
HOME CANNED PEACHES IN APPLE JUICE
4 pounds yellow peaches
48 ounces 100% apple juice (from concentrate is fine)
Cut peaches into quarters and remove pits. Place in a large, heatproof baking dish. Bring a kettle of water to a boil as you prep the peaches.
Once all the peaches are cut, place the pan in the sink, and pour the boiling water over them. Set a timer for three minutes.
While the peaches resting in the water so that their skins loosen, pour the juice into a four quart saucepan and bring to a simmer.
When the time is up, tip the hot water out of pan and run cold tap water over the peaches to make them cool enough to handle.
Remove the peels from the peach segments. If you start at the stem end, they should come free fairly easily. Use a paring knife on any tough bits.
As you work, slip each peeled peach bit into the simmering juice.
Using a slotted spoon, divide the peach segments between the jars. Top with the hot juice, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Use a chopstick to wiggle out any trapped air bubbles and add more juice, if necessary.
Notes - For more exotic peaches, tuck a section of vanilla bean, a cinnamon stick or a bit of star anise into each jar. For something boozy, you can add a dash of bourbon or whiskey to each jar. Recipe courtesy of Food in Jars. https://foodinjars.com/recipe/home-canned-peaches-in-fruit-juice-mightynest-giveaway/
EXTRA CREDIT
Beet Raisins. https://foodinjars.com/recipe/how-to-make-beet-raisins/
Dehydrated Sun Gold Tomatoes. https://www.jessfuel.com/2014/07/11/homemade-sun-dried-cherry-tomatoes/
