Category Archives: Cooking

Strawberry Salsa Recipe – Refreshing Sweet Heat Taste To Spice Up Spring!

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Strawberry Salsa - The perfect sweet heat recipe for spring!

Strawberry Salsa – The perfect sweet heat recipe for spring!

Its perfect over grilled chicken!

Served over grilled chicken!

Fresh chopped strawberries

Fresh chopped strawberries – the star of the recipe!

Mix ingredients thoroughly and enjoy!

Mix ingredients thoroughly and enjoy!

Here is a great little spring-time twist on traditional salsa!

Since strawberry season is right around the corner here, and our local market is already filled with fresh berries from the south – we decided to mix up our traditional salsa recipe using strawberries and avocados.

The taste is a perfect blend of sweet and savory flavors – with a nice finish of warm heat!

Better yet – with the weather finally warming up enough to get some ‘serious’ work done outside – this is a quick and easy recipe  to whip up – taking just a few minutes  from start to finish.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup finely chopped strawberries
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped peeled avocado
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/2 teaspoon lime zest
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 2 teaspoons finely chopped jalapeño pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon Agave Nectar, honey or white sugar

Instructions:

Gently mix all ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Serve immediately.  You can make this a couple of hours before serving, but if you let sit too long, it will develop a liquid base.

Serve with cinnamon tortilla chips, or over top of grilled chicken, pork, or fish for a sweet and savory addition to your meal.

Enjoy!

Mary and Jim

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The “Oh So Good” – “You Could Sell These” – Homemade Granola Bar Recipe

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Home Made Granola Bars -All Natural!

Home Made Granola Bars -All Natural!

The true test of a successful recipe in our house is when the kids eat it, ask for more, and there are no leftovers. It is our goal to make sure that those recipes are made from natural ingredients, contain no preservatives and are easily accessible.  We have an easy time making healthy dinners, but after school snacks can sometimes be a challenge.  Of course we fill our house with fresh fruits and vegetables but let’s be realistic, sometimes you need that snack when you are ‘on the go’.  What better way to get that little boost of energy than from a granola bar. But don’t grab one of those boxes off the shelf at your favorite grocery store — have you ever looked at what those are made of????  Corn Syrup solids, High Fructose Corn Syrup, and BHT — where in the world do you buy that??

We have spent weeks trying to make the perfect ‘natural’ granola bar — and FINALLY have done it!!!  In fact, when I get a text that I should be selling these, I consider that a success! And when I got home…yes, they were all gone!  So no more, 100 calorie granola bars from a box — it is time this family makes their own Homemade Granola Bars for good!

Homemade Granola Bars

Ingredients:

Mixing the dry ingredients

Mixing the dry ingredients

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup puffed or crispy rice cereal
1/2 cup chopped or slivered nuts (I used almond slivers)
3/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup honey  (or brown rice syrup to make it vegan friendly)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons peanut butter (or any nut butter freshly ground)

Instructions

Line an 8x8 dish with parchment paper and press mixture down until firm

Line an 8×8 dish with parchment paper and press mixture down until firm

1.  Heat the oven to 325°F.  Line the baking pan with parchment, leaving extra parchment to hang over 2 of the sides. Lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Mix the oats, cereal, nuts, and raisins together in a mixing bowl.

3.  In a small bowl, mix the honey, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, and peanut butter.

Cut Granola Bars with a very sharp knife into 8 pieces

Cut Granola Bars with a very sharp knife into 8 pieces

4.  Pour the honey mixture over the dry ingredients. Stir until the ingredients are completely coated and start to stick together in clumps.

5.  Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Use an extra piece of parchment paper to firmly press the mixture into the pan.

Granola Bars wrapped in plastic baggies and ready to be eaten on the go -- but why - they didn't even make it out of the house!

Granola Bars wrapped in plastic baggies and ready to be eaten on the go — but why – they didn’t even make it out of the house!

6.  Bake for 20-25 minutes for chewy granola bars or 25-30 minutes for crunchy bars. As soon as you remove the bars from the oven, press them again with the back of a lightly oiled spatula for well compacted granola bars.

Of course you can customize this recipe to make to your own specifications — add cranraisins, or almond butter. Whatever you choose to do, experiment and I am sure you and your family will love the results!!

Enjoy!

Mary and Jim

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Tomato and Basil Chicken Pasta Recipe

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Tomato and Basil Chicken Pasta Recipe

This week’s recipe was born out of necessity.  We have had a busy week between work, school, football games, and “farm” work.  We’ve all been there…you come home from work – you need to make dinner – and you take that long look in the fridge and pantry and think…what can I make?  With plenty of tomatoes and fresh basil sitting on the counter – and a pantry with a box or two of penne pasta – this one turned out to be a winner.  It’s a great feeling when  a ‘throw together’ meal turns out as a family favorite!

Fresh Tomato and Basil from the garden being washed before prepared

Ingredients

4 skin-less and boneless chicken breasts
4-6 tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup fresh basil, loosely packed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, ground
1/4 teaspoon pepper flakes, optional

Ingredients mixed in the food processor

Preparation:

Combine garlic, tomatoes, vinegar, oil, basil, black pepper, and salt in a food processor. Reserve a small amount of tomatoes (chopped) and basil (chopped) for garnish.

Begin to boil water for pasta of your choice

In a large skillet add 1 tablespoon of

Sauce and chicken simmering in the skillet.

olive oil and heat to medium-high.  Once hot, add chicken breasts.  Brown on both sides.  Once browned, remove and cut into bite size pieces.  Return to skillet.  Add sauce mixture.   Heat on medium heat – simmer for 10 minutes.  While simmering, boil pasta for required time.

Drain pasta and add to chicken and sauce mixture – and enjoy!

-Mary

Shared on Little House In The Suburbs, Funky Junk SNS, Six Sisters, Gnowfglins Simple Lives Thursday Too Many Jars in My Kitchen

Garden Chili Recipe – Using Those Late Season Peppers and Tomatoes for Great Winter Meals

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Late summer garden tomatoes, peppers and onions make a great base for a great chili

Labor Day Monday was Garden Chili Monday for us.  The tomatoes, peppers and in fact, the entire summer garden are all starting to slowly fade.  So what to do with all of those late season garden vegetables? How about make, enjoy and freeze the best garden chili you have ever had.  Late season tomatoes and peppers may not be the prettiest of your summer’s crop – but the thick-walled late summer fruits are packed full of flavor for making an incredible chili.

We put a big batch together early in the morning, and by noon we had a great meal, and enough left over to freeze 8 blocks of  4 serving meals.  In the ingredients below, you can easily exchange an extra green and red pepper in place of the Mariachi, Cajun Belle and Italian Raster peppers we used.  This chili batch was all about using what was in the garden to add as much flavor as we could.  As for heat – this can best be described as a good, medium warming chili.  Not overly hot or spicy, but full of flavor with a touch of heat.  If you prefer it more mild or hotter – simply adjust your hot pepper ingredients to accommodate.

So they may not be the prettiest of the seasons tomatoes – but late summer tomatoes are thick-walled and packed with flavor – perfect for chili!

INGREDIENTS:

40 tomatoes – peeled and chopped – we used a mix of roma, big boy and celebrity
3 lbs of ground chuck  (80/20 works best – you need a little fat for flavor)
1 whole stock of Celery – chopped  fine
2 Large Red Bell Peppers – chopped fine
3 Large Green Peppers – chopped fine
2 Cajun Belle Peppers – chopped fine
2 Mariachi Bell Peppers – chopped fine
1 Italian Roaster Pepper – chopped fine
4 Medium Onions – chopped fine
8 cloves of garlic – minced
(3) 12 oz. beers – use full flavor beers – light beers give less flavor
2 quarts of tomato juice
12 oz can of hot and spicy chili beans
2 12 oz. can of regular chili beans

The same goes for late season green peppers full of summer flavor

1.5  tablespoon of chili powder
1 tablespoon of salt
1 teaspoon of garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon of onion powder
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon of black pepper

HOW WE MADE IT:

Pour tomato juice , beer and the two cans of beans into a very large stockpot (minimum 12 qt), and place on medium heat.  While that begins to heat, brown your hamburger in a separate pan, drain and add to the pot.  Next –  chop all of the remaining vegetables and add to the pot – bringing to a slow simmer.  Add your spices and let simmer for at least two hours.

When we go to freeze our chili – we freeze them in one quart flat Tupperware freezer bowls – once they are frozen into blocks – we pop them out of the Tupperware and use our foodsaver to vacuum seal the blocks.  You can certainly leave them in the Tupperware freezer containers – but for us it’s just an easier way to conserve room in the freezer.  No matter how you freeze them – they make incredible meals in late fall or in the middle of winter to take the chill out of the cold day.

Shared on Savvy Southern Style, All Star Block Party, Frugally Sustainable, Shabby Creek Transformation Thursday, Gnowflgins Simple Lives , White Wolf Summit and Little House In The Suburbs

“Canning is Cool” – The Class.

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How do you find the time?
I wouldn’t know where to begin.
I would end up poisoning someone if I tried that.

These are the comments that Jim and I hear from so many people whenever we talk about canning our vegetables from the garden.

The kitchen in “full canning mode” during the last “Canning is Cool” class

Just like any new adventure, canning can be frightening if you have never tried it before. But the best way to try something new is to just do it. Easier said then done, right? Ok, I have to admit, I would rather have someone right there with me when I am trying to learn something new. That is the exact reason that we decided to hold a ‘Canning is Cool’ class series this summer.

Our last canning class of the year occurred this past weekend. I like to keep the classes small so participants can have “hands on” experience, and everyone has the opportunity to practice the skills that we talk about. The participants all had interest in canning, but most had never tried it before or had tried it once and needed a refresher course.

Lots of cutting and chopping…

Two of the individuals I have known and kept in touch with over Facebook for the past three years. The other two, I had met a couple of weeks before the class at a Goodyear Tire store of all places! While in the waiting area to have the dreaded “nail in the tire” fixed – I overheard a conversation next to me about gardening, recipes, and canning. My ears of course perked up! As i joined in the conversation – I ended up meeting two new friends that were delighted to hear about the ‘Canning is Cool’ class.

What do we cover in the class? Well it really depends on the attendees and what is available in the garden. Since this last class was filled with individuals new to canning, we covered the basics.

Jarring up the Salsa before the water bath

We completed two recipes – salsa that can be canned using the water bath method, and spaghetti sauce by pressure canning. Each of them had a cutting board and a knife and all chipped in to make the recipes. We were then ready to give everyone the opportunity to practice the actual canning methods.

There is no charge for the class. In fact, the only “cost” was a band-aid for a tiny cut, and a little milk poured over the hands of someone who touched a few too many hot pepper seeds :) . The best part is getting to spend time with others who enjoy the same things we do, and knowing that we helped someone else learn to preserve the goodness of a summer garden.

Some important tips from the day:
1. You learn best by doing – both successes and failures
2. Wipe the rim of the jars after you fill them
3. You don’t have to have fancy equipment to can
4. You must follow a recipe to know what are safe water bath or pressure canning procedures.
5. You don’t have to have a garden to can – Farmer’s markets are a great resource for fresh vegetables!

Shared on Frugally Sustainable , Transformation Thursdays, Gnowfglins Simple Lives Thursdays, Little House In The Suburbs, Funky Junk Interiors and Six Sisters

“Wow – I Could Have Made My Own V-8!” Can Your Own Hot and Spicy Tomato Juice

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An easy way to make some hot and spicy tomato juice to can!

So as the garden season nears the end – are you are left with still more tomatoes and peppers?  Here is a quick and easy recipe to turn those extras into a great tasting hot and spicy tomato juice.

Although regular canned tomato juice is fantastic to use throughout the year – how about turning a few of those canned jars into a hot and spicy tomato juice drink.  Not only is it a great tasting and refreshing drink – but you can use it to liven up homemade chili, make a spicy spaghetti sauce, or use as a great base for a bloody mary.

Here’s How:

( This recipe will make enough to can about 6 quarts of juice )

Start with the following garden fresh ingredients:

Tomato juice is a great way to use up those ripening tomatoes on the vine

40 to 50 medium tomatoes (Use them all up here – Roma, Celebrity, Big Boy and any others you have)
2 onions (sweet yellow or vidalia work best)
2 red peppers
2 green peppers
4 jalapeno peppers
4 cayenne peppers
2 seranno peppers
4 Cajun Belles (optional)
4 cloves of garlic

If you have a food processor – chop up all the above ingredients (seeds and all) into a liquidy pulp and place on low to medium heat and cook down for an hour or so, stirring often to avoid scorching the bottom of the pan. If you don’t have a food processor – no worries – just chop up into small pieces and throw in a large pot and cook down..it may take a little longer – but it works just as well. The important thing is to get the tomato and vegetable mixture soft and cooked down to run it easily through a strainer or food mill.

When the mixture has heated and cooked down – strain it through a food mill into a clean pot to remove all of the skins and seeds.

Now add your spices (add to taste – some like a little more – some a little less)
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon of celery salt
1/2 teaspoon of garlic salt

Heat on a low simmering boil for another 30 to 45 minutes.
Simply can up into quart jars, put on your lids and then water bath for 30 minutes. (You can also pressure can it for 12 minutes instead of the water bath)  You are left with some great tasting hot and spicy tomato juice around to enjoy through the winter months!   – Jim and Mary

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Click here for our Bloody Mary Recipe

Picante Salsa – Fresh Or Canned

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We definitely need more than two rows of picante and salsa in the pantry canning cabinet for this year!

A big bowl of Roma’s waiting to be made into picante salsa

We dice up the roma’s – skins and all into 3/4 in ch to 1 inch pieces and fill the stock pot.

A big bowl of diced tomatoes cooking down

Cooked tomato being strained through a mesh sleeve to remove skins

Minced onion, garlic, peppers chopped up in the food processor

There is nothing better than home made salsa or picante. Each of our kids, family and friends prefer it a different way – some mild, some medium and some hot – so we make and can it all three ways. But one thing is for sure – they all love it and we go through a ton of it throughout the year. I think what I like most about this recipe is that it tastes so fresh coming out of the jar. So many canned salsas we have tried and canned just had a flat, overcooked taste to them. With this – we open up a jar – chop up a little fresh cilantro – and it’s like you’re in the garden again!

So here is a really straightforward and simple way to make some great tasting picante salsa in no time at all. It usually takes us about 2 1/2 to 3 hours of real-time to can a batch – but we are only truly working at it for about 25 to 30 minutes of that time – and are free to do other chores around the house.This recipe will make enough for about 8 to 10 pint jars.

As for mild or medium or hot – that is really to personal preference – but I can tell you that we use no hot peppers for the mild – 1/2 of the amount for medium, and all of the amount for hot.

Here are the ingredients and steps:

MILD INGREDIENTS:
40 to 50 Roma Tomatoes
4 Green Bell Peppers
8 Cloves of Garlic
1/4 cup of chopped cilantro
3 Sweet Red Peppers
4 Medium White or Yellow Onions
2 Tablespoons Garlic Salt
1 Tablespoon of Black Pepper
1 to 2 teaspoons of Salt
2 Limes
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

HOT INGREDIENTS :
NOTE : Use 1/2 for medium heat – ALL for Hot – we use a variety of hot peppers to add more depth of flavor – if you want – you can just use 5 jalapeno’s for medium heat and 10 for hot
4 Jalapeno Peppers – seeds and all
6 Cajun Belle Peppers
3 Tequila Sunrise peppers
2 Serrano Peppers

STEP 1 (10 minutes) We start with about 40 to 50 washed Roma tomatoes – We cut the ends off and dice them up into small 1/2 to 1 inch chunks – skins and all. We will fill a 6 to 8 qt stock pot – add in 1/4 of the cup of apple cider vinegar and put them on low to medium-low heat to cook down.

STEP 2 (10 minutes) While the pot full of tomatoes is heating slowly and cooking down (we will stir it about every 10 minutes or so) – we take all of the other ingredients listed above – in no particular order – and dice into a fine liquidy chop in our food processor. We also add the juice from the two limes and the other 1/4 cup of vinegar to the mix. We place it all in a large Tupperware bowl – put the lid on it and set it to the side.

Step 3 (1 minute) After an hour or so – when the tomatoes first start to break down – we take our immersion blender into the stock pot and blend it all together – it speeds up the cooking down of the tomatoes.

Step 4 (1 minute) After another 20 minutes or so – when the tomatoes are really heated up and breaking down – we take the immersion blender one final time into the stock pot and blend together.

Step 5 (5 minutes) Using a small mesh strainer bowl – we then shake through the contents of the tomato plan into another stock pan – it leaves behind all of the skins and most all of the seeds – and leaves us with some good pulpy tomato stock to start our picante salsa with. You could also use a mill grinder at this point – the strainer bowl has always seemed faster for us.

Picante Salsa!

Step 6 Dump in all of the ingredients you have in the Tupperware bowl and let it all heat through for another 30 or so minutes to a slow boil

Step 7(5 minutes) Ladle into clean pint jars – and pressure cook at 10 lbs. of pressure for 18 minutes. You could also choose to water bath at this point for 45 minutes – we just find that it is so much easier to pressure can.

After that – your all set! When we do open up a jar to use – a lot of times we will chop up a little fresh cilantro and maybe a chopped sweet pepper or onion to add even more freshness to the picante.

Happy Canning!

Jim and Mary

 **If you would like to receive our Recipe Of The Week each Friday – be sure to sign up to follow the blog via email in the right had column, “like” us on  the Facebook, or follow us on Twitter

Canning Pasta Sauce Fresh From The Garden

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Fresh picked in the morning – a bowl of pasta sauce waiting to be made!

The finished product!

Tomato Season is here! The daily pickings have increased from a bowl full to a bushel full – and that means it’s time to make and can our pasta sauce.  Along with salsa and tomato juice – it is probably the one item on the canning shelf we use the most.

Here is our simple way to make and then can our pasta sauce so you can enjoy throughout the year.

This makes enough to can 6 to 7 quarts of pasta sauce.

We start by filling an 8 quart stock pot to the top with our Roma paste tomatoes (usually about 40 to 50 Roma’s, depending on size). We clean and chop them in to 1/2 to 3/4 inch pieces (skins and all) – and then put the pot on a medium heat setting and cook down for an hour or two. Once the tomatoes have cooked down (the pot will go from full to about 3/4 full during that time) – we run it through a food mill to remove all of the skins and seeds. You are left with about a little over half of a pot of thick tomato stock.

At this point we will add the remaining ingredients to the pot.  To speed up the cook down process – and to keep the sauce thick – we use our food processor to chop each of the garden fresh ingredients into a fine liquidy chop.  Here is what we add to our sauce :

Pasta sauce cooking down…

The jars set inside the pressure canner

2 cups of red wine (we prefer Merlot)
4 large green peppers (chopped in the food processor)
2 large red peppers (chopped in the food processor)
2 medium Cajun belle peppers (chopped in the food processor)
* we use the Cajun belles to give just a touch of heat – you can omit if no heat is desired
3 large sweet onions (Vidalia are best) (chopped in the food processor)
(2) 12 oz. can and (1) 6 oz. can of tomato paste
8 cloves of crushed garlic (chopped in the food processor)
(2) tablespoons of fresh basil (chopped in the food processor)
(2) tablespoons of fresh oregano (chopped in the food processor)
(2) tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley (chopped in food processor)
(1) tablespoon of salt
(1) tablespoon of garlic salt
(1/2) tablespoon of black pepper

Once all the ingredients are in the pot – we just let it simmer for a few hours to cook in all of that great garden flavor. This is a great time to do some taste testing and a little pinch of salt, pepper or other spices if needed. Then – we simply jar up into 6 to 7 quart canning jars and put into the pressure canner for 20 minutes.
When finished – you have 6 to 7 winter time meals waiting at your fingertips! We often will brown up a pound of hamburger, add some freshly grated parmesan / reggiano cheese and a little fresh spices into a pan – let it simmer in a crock pot and serve over our pasta of choice for a quick wintertime meal.

This Post Featured on The Barn Hop and Simple Lives Thursday, Savvy Southern Style
Tip Junkie handmade projects

The ‘Must-Haves’ for Canning!

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It’s Harvest Time!

It’s one of my favorite times of the year – Harvest Time!  We are starting to pick baskets of vegetables out of the garden each day, and we don’t let anything go to waste.  We love to eat fresh veggies from the garden throughout the season.  However, even after giving a lot away to family and friends, we have plenty that need to be preserved for future use.

Whether you plant your own garden, or purchase fresh vegetables at your local Farmer’s Market, you can enjoy the summer time luxuries throughout the entire year.  Canning your own tomatoes, salsa, pickles, etc… will allow you to have peace of mind in the middle of winter, that what you are eating is healthy and not full of artificial preservatives.

The following is a list of the ‘must-haves’ for maximizing the preservation of your garden vegetables:

Make sure to use fresh, firm vegetables when canning.

1. FRESH, FRESH, FRESH (and I do mean FRESH) VEGETABLES:   If your vegetables are becoming soft, then that is how they will turn out when canned. Use softer vegetables in cooked dishes – but don’t use them for preserving.  You want to make sure you have firm vegetables when you are canning.  You can place them in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator for a few days until you have gathered enough crops to make a full batch, but for the best results – can them as soon as they come out of the garden.

The pressure canner full of green beans.

 

2. HOT WATER BATH : a large stock pot will work just fine.  You want to use the largest diameter stock pot you have.  If you are thinking of purchasing a commercial Hot Water Bath product from the store, I would like to suggest something different.  If at all possible, make the jump and purchase a Pressure Canner.  You can use the base as your Hot Water Bath and you are able to can so much more using a Pressure Canner.

3. THE INTERNET : Sure, you could go purchase the Ball Canning Guide, but there is a wealth of information at your fingertips with the Internet.  You can find basic tips, recipes, and even videos to take you step-by-step into the canning process. Be smart and do your research   Now you will be able to find out what you may can by using a Hot Water Bath and when you will need a Pressure Canner. The specific instructions are  NOT interchangeable!  As a great resource, you can always use the online Ball Canning Guide too!

3 Must-Have tools for canning: Jar Funnel, Magnetic Lid Lifter, Jar Lifter

4. $6 FOR 3 BASIC TOOLS : These 3 tools are a LIFESAVER when you begin to can.  I am serious – spend the extra $6 dollars to purchase these items – it will save you time, energy and possibly prevent burns to your hands down the road:

Funnel : Do not use the one in the garage!!!  These funnels are designed to fit the rims of canning jars.  They will prevent extra leakage and drips that will save you clean up time.

Jar Lifter : This will allow you to place the jars in and out of the boiling water without splashing and burning your fingertips – Must HAVE!

Lid Lifter : You would be surprised how this magnetic tool will make your life easier when canning.  Typically when you try to get your lids out of the hot water, they end up sticking to one another, and then you waste valuable time trying to separate the lids.  Just place 3 or 4 lids in a small skillet with water covering the bottom of the pan. When you are ready for the lid, use the lid lifter to magnetically attach to it and place it on your jar.  Simple as that!

5. TOWELS and WASHCLOTHS : Sounds simple, but make sure you have 4-5 towels, and 2-3 washcloths handy during the canning process.  You will be surprised on how many you use — and if you are like me, you can’t remember where you put the one you were just using.  Wiping the rims of the jars is a critical process of canning — keeping an extra washcloth close by will come in handy.

Remember, these are just basic tips to save you time when you begin to can. Although the must-have list includes only physical items,  I would have to say the most important tip not listed above is the COURAGE to try.

The finished product!

There are many people that have never been around canning and it is completely new to them. However, more and more people have a desire to live a healthier lifestyle which includes knowing what they are eating, and canning is a great way to have healthy food year around right from the garden.

Go ahead and try to can something –you just might be surprised with yourself!

- Mary

Garlic Dill Pickle Canning Recipe

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Although the leaves look healthy, the lack of rain and high temperatures have taken a toll on the production of cucumbers this year.

After eating cucumbers and onion salad and cucumbers directly off the vine (yes, standing there in the garden), we decided we better preserve some of our crop for later in the year.

One of our favorite canning recipes for cucumbers includes Garlic and Dill Pickles. The key is to use fresh, firm cucumbers. If you use soft cucumbers, your pickles will also be soft – and who wants that? Try this recipe below and you will never buy pickles again!

Garlic Dill Pickles – sliced in chunks

Garlic Dill Pickle Recipe 
Makes approximately 8 pints 

16 (approximate number, depending on the size) of pickling cucumbers, sliced any way you prefer (coin sized, spears, chunks)
2 cups apple cider vinegar
2 cups distilled white vinegar
4 cups water
5 tablespoons pickling salt
16 garlic cloves, peeled (2 per jar)
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper – 1/4 teaspoon per jar
8 teaspoons dill – 1 teaspoon per jar
4 teaspoons black peppercorns -1/2 teaspoon per jar

Optional: If you like your pickles a little more on the spicy side, you can add fresh sliced hot peppers (any variety) to the jar with the cucumbers.

In a large saucepot, combine vinegar, water and salt. Bring to a simmer.

Arrange jars on counter. Evenly divide each of the spices and place them in the bottom of the jars.

Wash and slice the cucumbers. Pack the slices firmly into the jars, leaving as little space in between them as you can. Pour the brine into the jar, leaving ½ inch headspace.

Canning using a Hot Water Bath

Wipe rims, apply warmed lids and rings and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Promptly remove the jars from the pot and allow them to cool on a towel placed on the countertop.  Make sure each lid has sealed (you will hear the popping sound as each jar begins to seal).  After 24 hours, press down on each lid to make sure they do not pop back up.  If they do not, then the process is complete.

Happy Canning!   - Jim and Mary

**If you would like to receive our Recipe Of The Week each Friday – be sure to sign up to follow the blog via email in the right had column, “like” us on  the Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.

After the canned pickles are gone, add fresh cucumber slices/chunks to the brine to make refrigerator pickles.