Read The Amish Canning Cookbook Online
Authors: Georgia Varozza
The Amish Canning Cookbook (14 page)
Cold pack:
Fill jars with acidifier of choice, salt (if using), and peeled raw tomatoes. Cover with boiling water, leaving ½ inch headspace.
Hot pack:
Put peeled tomatoes in a large pan and add enough water to cover the tomatoes. Simmer gently for 5 minutes. Fill jars with hot tomatoes and ladle the hot cooking liquid over them, leaving ½-inch headspace.
Follow the instructions for water-bath canning (chapter 3) or pressure canning (chapter 4). Process for the correct amount of time as follows:
Water-Bath Canner
Pressure Canner
Process quarts and pints for 10 minutes as follows:
Weighted gauge canner:
Process at 10 pounds pressure from sea level to 1,000 feet in altitude; at 15 pounds pressure above 1,000 feet.
Dial gauge canner:
Process at 11 pounds pressure from sea level to 2,000 feet in altitude; at 12 pounds pressure from 2,001 to 4,000 feet; at 13 pounds pressure from 4,001 to 6,000 feet; at 14 pounds pressure from 6,001 to 8,000 feet.
Whole or Halved Tomatoes with No Added Liquid—Cold Pack
Wash tomatoes and slip off skins (see “Preparing Tomatoes” above).
Fill jars with acidifier of choice and salt (if using). Pack jars with raw tomatoes, pressing on them to fill the spaces. Leave ½-inch headspace.
Follow the instructions for water-bath canning (chapter 3) or pressure canning (chapter 4).
Process for the correct amount of time as follows:
Water-Bath Canner
Pressure Canner
Process quarts and pints for 25 minutes as follows:
Weighted gauge canner:
Process at 10 pounds pressure from sea level to 1,000 feet in altitude; at 15 pounds pressure above 1,000 feet.
Dial gauge canner:
Process at 11 pounds pressure from sea level to 2,000 feet in altitude; at 12 pounds pressure from 2,001 to 4,000 feet; at 13 pounds pressure from 4,001 to 6,000 feet; at 14 pounds pressure from 6,001 to 8,000 feet.
24 lbs. tomatoes
2 lbs. onions
1 lb. red bell peppers
1 lb. green bell peppers
9 cups 5% vinegar
9 cups sugar
½ cup salt
3 T. dry mustard
1½ T. ground red pepper
1½ tsp. whole allspice
1½ T. whole cloves
3 sticks cinnamon
Combine allspice, cloves, and cinnamon in a spice bag, tie shut, and set aside for now.
Wash tomatoes and then skin them by plunging them into boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds or until skins begin to split. Dip them in cold water and then slip off the skins. Core and quarter the skinned tomatoes. Remove seeds from the peppers and slice into strips. Peel and quarter onions.
Working in batches, blend tomatoes, peppers, and onions at high speed for about 5 seconds in electric blender. Pour the sauce into a large stockpot and boil gently for an hour, stirring frequently so it doesn’t scorch.
Add vinegar, sugar, salt, dry mustard, ground red pepper, and the filled spice bag. Continue boiling and stirring until the sauce is very thick and has been reduced by about half. Remove spice bag.
Fill pint jars with the hot catsup, leaving ⅛-inch headspace. Process pints in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes at 0 to 1,000 feet, 20 minutes at 1,001 to 6,000 feet, or 25 minutes at 6,001 to 8,000 feet.
24 lbs. tomatoes
3 cups onions, chopped
¾ tsp. ground hot red pepper (such as cayenne)
3 cups 5% cider vinegar
4 tsp. whole cloves
3 sticks cinnamon, broken
1½ tsp. whole allspice
3 T. celery seeds
1½ cups sugar
¼ cup salt
Wash and skin tomatoes by dropping them into a pot of boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds or until skins begin to split. Plunge into cold water and slip off the skins. Remove cores. Quarter tomatoes and place in a large stockpot. Add onions and red pepper. Bring to a boil and then simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring frequently.
Combine cloves, cinnamon, allspice, and celery seeds in a spice bag—you can make one using several layers of cheesecloth tied shut so the spices don’t escape. In a small pot, add the filled spice bag along with the cider vinegar and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and let the vinegar mixture sit on the hot burner while the tomatoes are simmering for 20 minutes.
Next, remove the spice bag from the vinegar and mix together the vinegar and tomatoes. Boil for 30 minutes, stirring frequently.
Put the tomato and vinegar mixture through a food mill or sieve and return the sauce to the large pot. Add the sugar and salt and then boil gently, stirring frequently so as not to burn the sauce. Simmer this mixture until it becomes very thick and the volume has been reduced by about half.
Fill pint jars with the hot catsup, leaving ⅛-inch headspace. Process pints in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes at 0 to 1000 feet, 20 minutes at 1,001 to 6,000 feet, or 25 minutes at 6,001 to 8,000 feet. Makes about 7 pints.
3 quarts tomato juice
1 pint 5% cider vinegar
4 to 5 cups sugar (to taste)
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
3 drops clove oil (optional: 4 tsp. whole cloves)
5 drops cinnamon oil (optional: 3 sticks cinnamon, broken into pieces)
4 T. dry mustard
If using whole spices, place them into a spice bag (you can use several layers of cheesecloth with the top tied shut).
In a large pot, mix together all ingredients—if using the spice bag, add that into the pot as well. Boil gently, stirring frequently so the mixture doesn’t scorch, for about 2 to 2½ hours until very thick. Remove spice bag.
Fill pint jars with the hot catsup, leaving ⅛-inch headspace. Process pints in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes at 0 to1,000 feet, 20 minutes at 1,001 to 6,000 feet, or 25 minutes at 6,001 to 8,000 feet. Makes about 4 to 5 pints.
3 quarts tomatoes, skinned, cored, and chopped
2 quarts chili peppers, chopped*
2½ cups onions, peeled and chopped
1 cup vinegar (5% strength)
3 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
*Use a combination of peppers depending on the amount of heat you want: bell and Anaheim peppers are milder, while jalapeno and Serrano peppers are hotter.
Combine all ingredients in a large pot, heat to boiling, and then simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently so it doesn’t scorch.
Fill pint jars with the hot salsa, leaving ⅛-inch headspace. Process pints in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes at 0 to 1,000 feet, 20 minutes at 1,001 to 6,000 feet, or 25 minutes at 6,001 to 8,000 feet. Makes about 7 pints.
1 gallon tomatoes, peeled and diced
4 to 5 Serrano chili peppers, diced
6 to 7 cups onions, peeled and diced
1 cup green bell pepper, diced
1½ cups 5% vinegar
3 T. salt
1½ T. garlic salt
1½ tsp. minced garlic
If your tomatoes have a lot of seeds, remove some of the seeds before cooking. Be careful with the Serrano peppers—they’re hot! Use gloves when handling and wash your hands thoroughly when done.
Combine all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil; simmer uncovered, stirring frequently to prevent scorching, for about 2 hours.
Fill pint jars with the hot salsa, leaving ⅛-inch headspace. Process pints in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes at 0 to 1,000 feet, 20 minutes at 1,001 to 6,000 feet, or 25 minutes at 6,001 to 8,000 feet. Makes about 8 pints.
30 lbs. tomatoes (about 4½ gallons)
1 cup onions, peeled and chopped (don’t use more!)
1 cup celery or bell pepper, chopped (or use a combination, but no more than 1 cup total)
1 lb. mushrooms, sliced (optional; don’t use more!)
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. vegetable oil
2 T. salt or to taste
2 tsp. black pepper
2 T. oregano
¼ cup parsley, minced
¼ cup brown sugar
Skin tomatoes by plunging them into boiling water for about 30 to 60 seconds or until skins start to split. Remove and dip into cold water; slip off loosened skins. Remove cores and quarter the tomatoes. Place in a large pot and boil uncovered for 20 minutes. Push through a food mill or sieve and return to the large pot.
In a smaller saucepan, sauté onions, celery or bell pepper, mushrooms, and garlic in the vegetable oil until tender.
Combine the sautéed vegetables with the sauced tomatoes in the large pot; add salt, pepper, spices, and sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently so the sauce doesn’t scorch. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until thick and reduced by about a third. Stir frequently to prevent the bottom from scorching.
Fill jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Process pints for 20 minutes and quarts for 25 minutes in a pressure canner as follows:
Weighted gauge canner:
Process at 10 pounds pressure from sea level to 1,000 feet in altitude; at 15 pounds pressure above 1,000 feet.
Dial gauge canner:
Process at 11 pounds pressure from sea level to 2,000 feet in altitude; at 12 pounds pressure from 2,001 to 4,000 feet; at 13 pounds pressure from 4,001 to 6,000 feet; at 14 pounds pressure from 6,001 to 8,000 feet.
