Mexican-Style Pickled Carrots

So here's the story: I had about 1.5-2 cups of shredded carrots left after making coleslaw for a BBQ. They were about to go bad. When things are about to go bad, my mind goes in one direction, normally. And that is, "Can it!!" And, so it was...the carrots got canned...in pickling liquid and married with jalapenos. A perfect wedding in my book. The end.



Notice my new Weck canning jars and tea towel from Aunt Dana! Cute!

For those interested, the recipe is as follows, from food.com:
1/2 lb sliced carrots (I had shredded carrots, so I used those!)
1/2 yellow onions, peeled and sliced (I didn't have any onions, so I skipped them)
1/2 quart warm water
1 3/4 ounces of canned jalapeno peppers, with liquid
1/4 T dried oregano
1 1/2 whole garlic cloves
1/2 cider vinegar
1/16 cup vegetable oil (weird measurement, right? I think I just used a couple of tablespoons)
1/2 bay leaf (I just used a whole one)
1/4 teaspoon salt
*I also added a tablespoon of whole peppercorns, as I read in another online recipe.

Put carrots in a large pot. Add warm water and bring to a boil over high heat.
Boil for 5 minutes and remove from heat.

To the pot, add all remaining ingredients.

Let cool for 2-3 hours. Put in jars and refrigerate. They will keep for one week. Or if you process the jars in boiling water, they will keep for months until you open them!

Makes 8-9 cups. I obviously didn't have 1/2 pound of carrots, so I adjusted the measurements the best I could and ended up with two cups.

I've enjoyed these with quesadillas, but they would be tasty with tacos or accompanying any Mexican favorite! Just like the taco truck, but homemade. Happy cookin'!

Pickled Beets!

If you can't tell, I'm really getting into this canning thing. I've been wanting to try pickling all summer. I know fall officially arrived a couple of weeks ago, and the rain showed up today in Southern California to say bye-bye to summer, but it's not too late...today I pickled some beets. I got a few in my CSA box last week and it was time to use them up. The farm also sent a recipe for pickled beets, so it was perfect.

First, you cook the beets by boiling them in water or roasting them in the oven.

Ingredient list: white vinegar, sugar, salt, water, cumin seed, and whole cloves...

...and BEETS! Aren't these pretty?

Here's the recipe:
Pickled Beets with Cumin and Cloves (from Sherri Brooks Vinton)
2lbs beets
1 c. distilled white vinegar
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 T salt
1 T cumin seed
1/4 tsp whole cloves

1. Prep the beets by boiling or roasting until nearly tender. Cut them in half and then into 1/4 inch slices.
2. Combine the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a medium nonreactive saucepan, and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve the sugar and salt, and then remove from the heat.
3. Pack the beets into 3 clean, hot pint jars, arranging them snugly but with enough room for brine to circulate. Divide the cumin seed and cloves among the jars. Pour the hot brine over the beets to cover by 1/2 inch. Leave 1/2 inch of headspace between the top of the liquid and the lid.
4. Cool, cover, and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Makes 3 pints.

I only had 3 beets, so I only did one jar. I just cut the recipe by 2/3.
I'll see how they taste tomorrow!

I love how they glisten in the liquid like jewels of sour and sweet goodness. This was so easy!

When Life Gives You Peaches...

...cook 'em and can 'em!

Here's a step-by-step to making peach jam (this time I made Lady Grey tea-infused jam, recipe from Bon Appetit):

Boil the peaches whole for 1 minute to loosen the skins

Take them out and put then in a cold water bath for another few minutes

Take off the skin with a paring knife, and also cut off any imperfections or bruised parts

They should look nice and shiny afterward!

Take out the pits and cut the peaches. The left ones are cut into inch-sized chunks for peach butter, the right ones are cut much smaller for jam.

I made about 8 cups (4 pints) of peach butter with 14 peaches, and 6 cups (3 pints) of jam with 8 peaches. My how-to on peach butter can be found {here}.

Add 2T of lemon juice, 21/2 cups of sugar, a pkg of fruit pectin, 1T butter, (and 4 Lady Grey or Earl Grey teabags, for a little extra flavor). Bring it to a rolling boil and cook until it sets up - about 30 minutes.

I use Ball Fruit Pectin. Check out their site for canning at this {link}.

Ladle the cooked jam into hot jars (I stick mine in the dishwasher on sanitize).

Top with self-sealing lids that have been kept hot in simmering water. Then process the filled jars in boiling water for 5-10 minutes. Remove with tongs because the hot jars will burn you!

Let rest on dry tea towels until cooled.

These will be perfect gifts for the holidays. I love getting things done early. For a procrastinator like me, this was quite an accomplishment. And so much fun too!

Summer Jamming

During the last week in June, the cherry farms closest to Los Angeles, up in Leona Valley, sent notices that the fruit was ready to harvest and it would probably be the last week to pick-your-own. I had gone last year with friends and had learned how to make jam for the first time. I was determined to make even more this year for holiday gifts. Oh, how I love to think about Christmas in July!

Because I work from home and can flex my hours, I went on a Tuesday morning...all by myself. I think I looked a little funny going cherry-picking alone. Most people bring kids or parents or someone with them as a fun outing. I, however, was there on a mission.

An hour and fifteen pounds of cherries later, my mission was half accomplished. I drove home (1.5 hrs), gathered up jars and pectin during the week, and anticipated the arrival of my helper - my mother-in-law!

Mom arrived on Friday night and we spent all of Saturday morning de-stemming, pitting, and chopping cherries.

 It's the pits! And the cherry-pitter on the left.

Yummy!

We kept about 10 lbs for jam and it yielded 22-8oz jars. 18 were made with regular sugar, 4 were made with Splenda sugar blend. The Splenda jam set really well compared to the sugar-filled jam, but it all still tasted good.

Lemon zest and juice to add to the cherries, sugar and pectin.

Two batches: one with sugar, the other with Splenda Sugar Blend

Boiling the filled jars to seal the lids.

Keeping the lids and seals in hot water.

Waiting for the jars to cool and seal.

Mission accomplished! Rhett approves. :o)

Canning is such a simple, fun way to make seasonal fruits and veggies last all year. And, they make excellent homemade gifts. And,...it's a great activity to enjoy with friends, kids, or mothers-in law! Thanks, Mom!