Its okay to throw out apple peels

Every year when I put up apples I try to find something to do with the peels besides compost or at least before composting them.  Last year I made several gallons of apple cider vinegar.  This year I decided to make apple scrap jelly, which is super good by the way.  I'll give the recipe later.

Anyway, I have been making jelly using all the scraps and am getting tired of making jelly but I don't need any more vinegar either.  Suddenly the thought came to me.  ITS OKAY TO THROW SOME OUT.  Wait, what?  Huh.  So I decided to count to see just how many jars of apple jelly I have made in the last two weeks and oh my.  I've made 65 jars and have enough juice in the fridge for 3 or 4 more batches.  I will be giving jelly to everyone, my friends, my family. my hairdresser, lol.

I made the realization that I can just bury the apple peels and cores in the garden without making something out of them first, I really can.  I think.  I'm going to try to do that anyway.  It goes against my frugal nature. But I'm going to try.

Here is how I make my spiced apple jelly.
As I use my apple peeler, corer, slicer I toss the peels and cores into my crockpot that I already have put a dozen or so whole cloves and a quart or so of water.  When the crockpot is full I arrange my apple slices on my dehydrator trays and hold the tray over the crockpot as I sprinkle cinnamon on.  I move the tray around as I sprinkle each part of it to try to get as much of the extra cinnamon as possible into the crockpot.  Then I add more water until its almost full, turn it on high put the lid on and let it cook for several hours.  When the cores are soft I drain the resulting juice into a large pitcher.  This juice is what I use to make my jelly.  I don't add any spices because it cooked with clove and cinnamon.

Jelly recipe
5 cups juice
1 to 1-1/2 packages of pectin ( I buy in bulk and use 1/2 c.)
7 cups sugar

Pour the juice into a large pan and set the stove to high.  Then take a large bowl and measure the sugar into it and add the pectin to the sugar.  I take a spoon and mix the pectin into the sugar.

Make sure you have your water bath canner or steam canner ready to go as well as clean jars and lids.  I put the lids (flats) into a little bit of water and warm them on the stove.

Once the juice starts to boil, stir in the sugar/pectin mixture and continue to stir.  Add a pat of butter at this time to help reduce the foam that builds up naturally.  It wont eliminate it but it sure cuts down on it.

Continue to stir occasionally and heat on high until the mixture comes to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. This mean that when you stir it continues to boil really hard.  I stir and wait a little bit to make sure it really is boiling good.

Then I set my timer for 2 minutes.  I continue to cook and stir until the two minutes are up.  Then I turn off the stove and skim off the foam.  Its important to do this step because it helps your jelly look nice.  I save the foam in a bowl and eat it.  Its a sort of quality control, it also lets me know that this batch is going to set up good.

Next I take my canning funnel and fill the jars, one at a time.  I wipe the rims with a paper towel, put a flat and screw band on and place in my canner.  I use a steam canner.  I continue until all of the juice/jelly is in jars.  I leave about 1/4 inch head space.  Once your canner is boiling or in my case the steam is coming out at least 8 inches I begin to time.  The recipe says to process 10 minutes but I always process for 12 minutes for good measure.  When the time is up carefully remove the jars and place on a folded towel.  Do not touch or move them for 24 hours.  After 24 hours take the rings or screw bands off and wash in soapy water.  If the jar didn't seal place it in the fridge and eat soon.  Of the 65 jars I have made so far every one has sealed.  I had dabs left over on a few batches which I poured into jars and put into the fridge so they wouldn't go to waste.  I would just take the jar out of the fridge and add to it at the end of each batch.  Usually there would be a couple of tablespoons of jelly left in the pot.  These added up to 3 pints.  Waste not want not.

Once your jars are clean label them and put them in the pantry or give them to friends.

When I was canning peaches I made peach peel and pit jelly and it was very good too.  Next time I can pineapple I will make pineapple scrap jelly.  There is no sense in buying a new jug of juice and making jelly when you can make jelly with scraps.

Todays perserving

Today was busy in the apple preserving department.  I put up two gallon jars of dried cinnamon apple slices and refilled the dehydrators.  Then I put the peels and cores on to cook in the crock pots.  Today I also made 4 batches of spiced apple scrap jelly.  I will have enough juice to make several more batches of jelly before this is all said and done.  I'm almost ready to start my third and last box of apples.

This year I am only making dried cinnamon apples and jelly because I still have plenty of applesauce and apple pie filling in the pantry.  Next year I will see how those are still holding out and adjust my apple buying then.

Jeff asked me to buy another big Excalibur dehydrator and I happily complied.  I currently have a 4 tray and a 9 tray.  When I get the new 9 tray it will certainly speed up my apple drying adventures. 

I am storing the apples in gallon jars and using my pump n seal to seal the air out of them.  I am hoping they store well that way.  The last ones will probably go into gallon zip lock bags because I am getting close to the end of my gallon jars.

Its apple time again.

This is the third year I have bought apples by the box to put up.  I have plenty of apple sauce left and pie filling. Last year we ran out of dried cinnamon slices right away so I am doing a lot of those this year.  Now that I have two dehydrators I can do about three times as many at a time since my new dehydrator is so much larger.

I use my apple peeler, corer, slicer on the apples, then I drop them into a dish pan that has water and lemon juice in it.  I put the peels and cores right into my crock pot with a few whole cloves. When the dish pan is full, I take a few apples at a time out and place them on a tray.  I slice once down through the slices to separate the rings and place them on the drying trays.  I hold the tray over the crockpot and sprinkle cinnamon over them, moving the tray so that the extra cinnamon drops into the crockpot.  Once the dehydrators are full I set them to the correct temperature and add clean water to the peels and turn the crockpot to high. 

Its pretty humid where I live so it takes about 48 hours to dry the slices to my liking.  With the peels and cores in the crockpot set on high it only takes about 6-8 hours for them to become soft.  I turn my crockpot off and let it cool for a while.  Then I put a big strainer or colander over a large bowl and pour or ladle the apple scraps into it.  This sits for thirty minutes or so to drain.  I carefully discard the now used up peels by putting them into a container and placing them into the trash.  I may bury the rest in my garden in unused areas.

Then I use the resulting spiced apple juice to make spices apple jelly.

Last year I made several gallons of apple cider vinegar so I don't need any more right now.

I think I may also make some cinnamon spiced apple rings and can them.  I have been easing up on the quantities of my canning since there are fewer of us at home and I don't like to throw out old and spoiled food.

I hope you are having a productive fall.

Making Jelly

Today my granddaughter Kaitlyn and I will be making jelly.  I hope to make two kinds of jelly, peach pit and watermelon.  Jeff bought two huge watermelons and then left to work out west.  There is no way we can eat that much watermelon so I will make jelly.  He loves his jelly so he will love this.  This is the recipe I will be using.
http://www.pickyourown.org/watermelonjelly.htm
 

A couple of weeks ago I bought two cases of peaches from bountiful baskets.  The peaches looked great but about a third of them were bad.  I canned up as much as I could and saved the peels and pits from them to make jelly.  I saved two gallon zip lock bags of peels and pits.  I did not save anything from the peaches that were bad.  I just threw them away.
This is the recipe I will be using for the peach pit jelly.
http://raisinghomemakers.com/2011/peach-jelly-the-easy-way/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+RaisingHomemakers+(Raising+Homemakers)&utm_content=Google+Reader
 
I will try to remember to post pictures once we get the jelly made.  I wanted to save these recipes so I can easily find them after bit.

Canned Lemon Curd

Canned Lemon Curd

• 2½ cups superfine sugar*
• ½ cup lemon zest (freshly zested), optional
• 1 cup bottled lemon juice**
• ¾ cup unsalted butter, chilled, cut into approximately ¾" pieces
• 7 large egg yolks
• 4 large whole eggs

Special Equipment Needed: lemon zester, balloon whisk, 1½ quart double boiler*** (the top double boiler pan should be at least 1½-quart volume), strainer, kitchen thermometer measuring at least up to 180°F, glass or stainless steel medium mixing bowl, silicone spatula or cooking spoon, and equipment for boiling water canning.
Yield: About 3 to 4 half-pint jars Please read Using Boiling Water Canners before beginning. If this is your first time canning, it is recommended that you read Principles of Home Canning.
Procedure:

	1.	Wash 4 half-pint canning jars with warm, soapy water. Rinse well; keep hot until ready to fill. Prepare canning lids according to manufacturer's directions.
	2.	Fill boiling water canner with enough water to cover the filled jars by 1 to 2 inches. Use a thermometer to preheat the water to 180°F by the time filled jars are ready to be added. Caution: Do not heat the water in the canner to more than 180°F before jars are added. If the water in the canner is too hot when jars are added, the process time will not be long enough. The time it takes for the canner to reach boiling after the jars are added is expected to be 25 to 30 minutes for this product. Process time starts after the water in the canner comes to a full boil over the tops of the jars.
	3.	Combine the sugar and lemon zest in a small bowl, stir to mix, and set aside about 30 minutes. Pre-measure the lemon juice and prepare the chilled butter pieces.
	4.	Heat water in the bottom pan of the double boiler until it boils gently. The water should not boil vigorously or touch the bottom of the top double boiler pan or bowl in which the curd is to be cooked. Steam produced will be sufficient for the cooking process to occur.
	5.	In the top of the double boiler, on the counter top or table, whisk the egg yolks and whole eggs together until thoroughly mixed. Slowly whisk in the sugar and zest, blending until well mixed and smooth. Blend in the lemon juice and then add the butter pieces to the mixture.
	6.	Place the top of the double boiler over boiling water in the bottom pan. Stir gently but continuously with a silicone spatula or cooking spoon, to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking until the mixture reaches a temperature of 170°F. Use a food thermometer to monitor the temperature.
	7.	Remove the double boiler pan from the stove and place on a protected surface, such as a dish cloth or towel on the counter top. Continue to stir gently until the curd thickens (about 5 minutes). Strain curd through a mesh strainer into a glass or stainless steel bowl; discard collected zest.
	8.	Fill hot strained curd into the clean, hot half-pint jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened, clean paper towel; apply two-piece metal canning lids.
	9.	Process in the prepared boiling water canner according to the recommendations in Table 1. Let cool, undisturbed, for 12 to 24 hours and check for seals.

Table 1. Recommended process time for Canned Lemon Curd in a boiling-water canner.
		Process Time at Altitudes of
Style of Pack	Jar Size	0 - 1,000 ft	1,001 - 6,000 ft	Above 6,000 ft
Hot	Half-pints	15 min	20	25

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Shelf Life: For best quality, store in a cool, dark place (away from light). Plan to use canned lemon curd within 3 to 4 months. Browning and/or separation may occur with longer storage; discard any time these changes are observed.
Prepared lemon curd can also be frozen instead of canned for up to 1 year without quality changes when thawed. Package in freezer containers after straining and cooling to room temperature. To thaw, place container in a refrigerator at 40°F or lower for 24 hours before intended use. After thawing, consume within 4 weeks. (See Freezer Lemon Curd, http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/nchfp/factsheets/freezer_lemoncurd.pdf)
Preparation Notes:
* If superfine sugar is not available, run granulated sugar through a grinder or food processor for 1 minute, let settle, and use in place of superfine sugar. Do not use powdered sugar.
** Bottled lemon juice is used to standardize acidity. Fresh lemon juice can vary in acidity and is not recommended.
*** If a double boiler is not available, a substitute can be made with a large bowl or saucepan that can fit partway down into a saucepan of a smaller diameter. If the bottom pan has a larger diameter, the top bowl or pan should have a handle(s) that can rest on the rim of the lower pan.
For more detailed information on boiling water canning, see "Using Boiling Water Canners" at http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/uga/using_bw_canners.html
Variation:
For Lime Curd, use the same recipe but substitute 1 cup bottled lime juice and ¼ cup fresh lime zest for the lemon juice and zest.
Other citrus or fruit curds are not recommended for canning at this time.

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Pressure Canning Black Bean and Corn Salsa

Pressure Canning Black Bean and Corn Salsa

Ingredients from my own kitchen makes approximately 12 pints jars

1 pound dried black beans
8 cups corn
2 cups tomatoes, chopped (I used a combination of red, yellow, and orange tomatoes)
2 onions
6 bell peppers, chopped and seeds removed
3 hot peppers, chopped seeds removed
2 tbsp red pepper flakes
1 cup cilantro chopped
1 tbsp cumin
¼ cup lime juice

Directions

1. Soak the beans overnight in warm water. On the next day drain and sort the beans.

2. Add the beans to a large stockpot. Fill the pot with water to cover the beans by two inches of water. Boil the beans 30 minutes while stirring frequently.

3. Drain the beans again. Place the beans back in the stock pot along with the corn, tomatoes, onions, peppers, red pepper flakes, cilantro, cumin, and lime juice. Fill the pot with water until the water level is one inch above the vegetable level. Bring the vegetables to a boil while stirring frequently. Boil for 10 minutes or until the onions turn translucent.

4. Ladle the hot vegetables and beans into pint jars. Add brine to the jar to completely cover the vegetables. Leave a 1” headspace. Add the lids and adjust the two piece caps.

5. Process the jars in a pressure canner at 10 pounds of pressure for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Apple update

Here are some of the items I've been making with the apples.

 I use the peels and cores to make apple cider vinegar.  Some I freeze to make apple scrap jelly later.

 Apple pie filling.

 This is the second box of apples.  One more to go.

 On the left is dried cinnamon apple slices.  On the right is dried peels that I will grind into powder later to use to add flavorings to smoothies, breads and the like.

 This is a tray of cinnamon apples in the dehydrator.

 The crockpot is full of apples cooking down into applesauce.

Half pints of apple sauce and spiced apple slices.
I try not to waste any part of the apple.

Peach Pit Jelly

Peach Pit Jelly

 

Ingredients

• peach pits, enough to half fill a large kettle
• enough water to cover pits
• 5 cups sugar
• 1 pkg powdered pectin

Instructions

1. Prepare 4 half pint jars and lids by sterilizing them, keeping them hot, and get your hot water bath canner ready.
2. Throw peach pits from cooking, eating or canning project into a large kettle, cover with fresh water (a couple inches over the pits) and just set aside on the counter overnight.
3. Note: You want to end up with at least 4 cups of juice after boiling. The more pits you have in the pot of water, the richer and darker the jelly will be.
4. The next day put the pot on the stove and bring to a boil, cooking for about 30 to 45 minutes at a nice, rolling boil, but not too hard. Stir occasionally. Remember, you want to end up with 4 cups of juice, so add more water if you need to, and continue to boil.
5. Remove from heat and let sit long enough to handle.
6. Set up a 'jelly bag' over a pot, or lay several sheets of cheesecloth in a large colander suspended over a large pot.
7. Pour the mixture into the prepared strainer and allow to strain; do not push or force it.
8. When totally strained, measure 4 cups juice into a large cooking pot, stir in the sugar until it's dissolved, and put back on medium-high heat to return to a boil.
9. When it boils, stir in the pectin, and return to a rapid boil, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
10. Test with your cold metal spoon for doneness by dipping the spoon in the liquid and removing. When jelly no longer drips from the spoon and slides off slowly in a sheet instead, it has jelled properly.
11. Remove the pot from the heat, skim off any foam, and ladle hot mixture into hot, sterilized jars, leaving about ¼ to ½ inch headspace in jar. Apply the lids and process in hot water canner for 10 to 15 minutes (adjusting for altitude.)
12. Remove from heat, let sit for 5 minutes, then remove jars to a towel covered counter, leaving plenty of room in between jars for air circulation.
13. Let sit undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours.
14. Yields 4 half pint jars.

Recipe by Hillbilly Housewife at http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/peach-pit-jelly.htm

Apples, apples everywhere

I bought three cases of apples to put up.  Whew.  Today I canned 21 quarts of apple pie filling.  I bought two kinds of apples.  Two cases of one kind for apple pie filling and a kind for applesauce and apple butter.  Tomorrow I will make some apple butter and apple sauce.  I have at least 27 or more quarts of apple pie filling to do.
I also canned 18 pints of beef today.  I'll be canning apples all this week I imagine.
It smells really good in here.

Canning bean recipes

Did you know:

Two cups of dried beans = one pound

A heaping half-cup of dried beans = one 15-ounce can

One and a half-cups cooked beans, drained = one 15 ounce can

One cup dried beans = 3 cups cooked beans

One pound dried beans = 6 cups cooked beans

-based on information from the U.S. Dry Bean Council

Index:

Ben's Beans

Pork and Beans Ben's Style

Fart Less Pinto Beans

Chili Ready Beans

Red Beans and Rice

Spicy Mixed Beans

Baked Beans - Boston Style

Chickpeas to use for Hummus

Pork & Beans

Baked Beans

BBQ Black Beans

BBQ Beans

Bean and Weinies

Western Beans

Boyd's Beans

Bean Salad

4 Bean Cassarole

Garlic Beans with Bacon and Onion

Better than Bushes Beans

Yellow Lentils (indian Dahl)

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Ben's Beans

Ben Scoles

Pinto or other Dry beans

Use Dry beans,, PINTS,, 1/2 c. (I use 2/3 c beans to a pint so they are thicker), dry beans, add spices you wish,, add a couple Tablespoons of meat if you wish for added flavor,, top with boiling water to 3/4 inch head space,, process for 75 mins in Pressure Canner at 10 lbs or your altitude adjustment,, QUARTS 1 cup dry beans,, 3 or 4 table spoons meat if you wish,, add spices,, boiling water to 3/4 inch head space, procees in pressure canner, for 90 mins, at 10 lbs or adjusted for your altitude,, NOTE,, if they are to thick for your liking,, next time,, omit 1 Tablespoon of beans, do not go overboard with the meat,, it will displace to much water the beans need to process right,

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Pork and Beans Ben's Style

By Diana Nigon

1 gallon water

2 rounded Tbsp dry mustard

2 Tbsp kosher salt

2 tsp ham boullion (I used Better than Boullion,,,which I love. It's world's better than any other (IMO)

1 loosely packed cup of dark brown cane sugar

Stir to mix well, bring to a boil and pour over the 2/3 c dry beans (I used great northern) per pint or 1 cup per quart in the jars. Fill to leave 1" headspace. Remove air bubbles. Add lids and rings and PC 75 minutes for pints and 90 minutes per quart at the pressure for your altitude.

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Fart Less Pinto Beans

Kat Moore

Ingredients;

4 regular sized bags Dried Pinto Beans

4 tsp baking Soda

Enough water to cover by 3 inches

Rinse beans and sift thru for the bad ones. Add rinsed beans, baking soda and water into a large pot. Stir together. Set over med-high heat and bring to a boil. Once at a boil, remove from heat and let set, undisturbed, overnight.

In the morning, rinse, rinse, rinse the beans in batches and add to a CLEAN pot. Add enough water to cover by 2 inches.

Next ingredients;

2 meduim onions, (grated, just use a box grater)

lots of minced garlic, (use as much as you like, I use around 4 TB)

1 tsp garlic powder

4 Tbs beef boullion

1 left over ham bone with lots of meat still attached

So, to your soaked beans now in clean water and covered by 2 inches, place over med heat. Add grated onions, minced garlic and garlic powder. Bring to a boil. Test beans in about 1 Hour, we are looking for ALMOST done. Once there, add beef boullion and ham bone. Let it boil until you end up

with water that is cloudy with dissolved beans. Remove ham bone and cut away meat, chop the meat into large pieces, you want to see the ham. Add ham back to the pot and your done!!!

If going to pressure can, when I did it, I ended up 3 quarts and 8 pints, but that was after we had dug into it for dinner. Pressure can according to your pressure canner directions. So simple, so easy and so stinking good. I made these a lot for calf-markings. Enjoy!!! Kat Moore

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Chili Ready Beans

By Betty Rodgers, Darlene Enoch and Edie Dusky

http://www.littlehouseliving.com/canning-dried-soaked-beans.html

I did these Ben's Bean way..

this is for a pt. jar

1/4 C. tomato sauce

1/2 t. dried onion

1 t. chili powder

1 t. jalapenos (optional)

1/2 t. salt (optional)

1/2 t. cumin

1/4 t. black pepper

1/4 t. garlic powder

2/3 C. small red beans

Put beans in sterilized jar and add tomato sauce and spices. Add boiling water to leave an inch head space. Pressure can at 10 lbs. for 75 minutes for pints.

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Red Beans and Rice

By Regina Fischer

1 pound dry kidney beans

2 small ham hocks

Soak Beans overnight in 8 cups water . Drain and add hocksput in large pot with 8 cups water. bring to a boil.

In a skillet heat 2 Tablespoon vegetable oil .

Add 1 tablespoon chopped garlic

2 cups chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped green pepper.

Saute for 3 minutes. Add too beans.

ADD to beans: 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 Bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1 Teaspoon Tabasco sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

salt and black pepper to taste

1 cup chopped tomaotes

Cook over medium heat for 2hours or til beans are tender. The last hour leave uncovered.

ADD 1 pound moked sausage in chunks/slices.

Just before beans are served remove 1 cup and puree then add back to pan.Serve over white rice cooked.

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Spicy Mixed Beans

By Cindy Hopkins DeBerge

I mix 2 parts each of Kidney beans, Pinto beans and white beans (navy or whatever) with one part of black beans. I mix up a large container of these as I make them so often.

1 cup mixed beans in a quart or 1/2 cup for a pint. I rinse the beans before putting them in the jar but no soaking or cooking beforehand. You can go with a little less beans if you want a more soupy result. Don't add the salt if you want your beans a little more mushy.

Then I add to each quart (halve this for pints):

1/4 cup dried minced onions

1 Tbsp of chili powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp garlic granules or powder

1 tsp salt

Fill to one inch headspace with hot water. Place in a pressure canner and process 90 mins for quarts and 75 mins for pints at whatever pounds pressure for your altitude.

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Baked Beans - Boston Style

By Karen S. White and Pat Johnson in Canning

Source: Canning & Preserving for Dummies, Pg. 150

Yield: About 6 pints or 3 quarts

2 pounds dried navy beans

6 quarts water

½ pound bacon

3 large onions, sliced

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

4 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons powdered mustard

2/3 cup molasses

Place the beans in a 6 – 8 quart pot. Add 3 quarts of water to cover the beans; cover the pot and allow them to soak for 12 to 18 hours. Drain the beans, but don’t rinse them.

Return the beans to the pot; add the remaining 3 quarts of water (to cover the beans); bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat; cover and simmer until the bean skins begin to split. Drain the beans, reserving the liquid.

Transfer the beans to a 4 quart or larger covered baking dish. Add the bacon and onions. Combine the brown sugar, salt, mustard and molasses in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the reserved bean liquid (if needed, add water to make 4 cups). Pour the sauce mixture over the beans. Don’t stir.

Cover the beans; bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 3 to 3 ½ hours. The consistency should be like a thick soup. Add more liquid if the beans become too dry.

While the beans are baking, prepare your canning jars and two piece caps (lids and screw bands) according to manufacturer’s instructions. Keep the jars and lids hot.

Ladle the hot beans into your prepared jars, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Release any air bubbles with a nonreactive tool, adding more beans to maintain a headspace of 1 inch. Wipe the jar rims; seal the jars with the two piece caps, hand tightening the bands. Process your filled jars in a pressure canner at 10 pounds for 1 hours and 20 minutes (pints). 1 hours and 35 minutes (quarts).

After the pressure in the canner has returned to 0, open the canner and remove the hot jars with a jar lifter. Place them on a clean kitchen towel or paper towels away from drafts. After the jars cool completely, test the seals. (If you find jars that haven’t sealed, immediately refrigerate them and use them within one week.) Boil the contents of each jar for 10 minutes before tasting or eating.

Notes: I tweaked the base recipe above and increased the yield to fill the canner. I used:

5 pounds dried navy beans

15 quarts of water (+/- as needed)

2 one pound packages of bacon

1 four ounce container of dried minced onion

2 large onions, sliced thin

1 pound bag (16 oz.) dark brown sugar

1 can (29 oz.) tomato sauce

1 bottle (12 oz.) molasses

3 tablespoons canning salt

2 tablespoons dry powdered mustard

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

I baked it all in my large 18 quart tabletop roaster. Just remember that the mixture must be ‘soupy’ for an acceptable canning product. If necessary have some extra water or sauce on hand to make headspace.

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Chickpeas to use for Hummus

By Melissa Stephens Blair

Add 1/2 cup chick peas per pint, 2 peeled garlic cloves, and 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt. Fill with water leaving 1 inch headspace and pressure can for 75 minutes.

To make hummus: Drain the can of chickpeas, reserving the liquid. Add the drained chickpeas, 2 TBSP tahini, 1 TBSP lemon juice, and 1/4 tsp cumin to a blender. Blend until smooth. Add reserved liquid a tablespoon at a time if you need to for the right consistency. Salt to taste. Will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days

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Pork & Beans

1 quart dried navy beans ( about 2 pounds )

1/4 pound salt pork, cut into pieces

1 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium) I use sweet onion

3 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons salt

...

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1 quart tomato juice

Put beans in a large sauce pot; add water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil; boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let beans soak 1 hour. Drain. Cover beans with boiling water by 2 inches in a large sauce pot. Boil 3 minutes.Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes; drain. Combine onion, sugar, salt, spices and tomato juice; heat to boiling. Pack 1 cup beans into hot jars; top with a piece of salt pork; fill jar 3/4 full with beans. Ladle hot tomato sauce over beans, leaving 1 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust two-piece caps. Process pints 1 hour and 5 minutes, quarts 1 hour and 15 minutes, @ 10 pounds pressure in a steam-pressure canner.

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Baked Beans

makes about 6 pints or 3 quarts

-------------------------------------------------

1kg dried navy beans

250 grms diced bacon

1 medium onion

2.5 cups home made tomato sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

...

1 cup maple syrup

1/2 tsp pepper

2 tsp mustard

Soak beans in lots of water overnight in large heavy saucepan. Drain next morning.Cover with water again. Bring to a boil, stirring on medium heat.

Cover and cook about 1 hour until tender too soft. Bite into a bean to check if cooked. Stir often while cooking.

Add remaining ingredients. Stir. Return to a boil.

Pour into a large casserole dish and cover then put into a moderate oven and bake for 2 hours or so. At least twice during this time you will need to add a little more water or 1/2 water and 1/2 sauce to your beans.

The sauce will thicken as it cooks.

Pour into prepared canning jars to 1 inch (2.5cm) of the top. Secure lids. Process in pressure canner 10 pounds pressure for 80 minutes 500ml , 100 minutes per litre . Makes 10 pints or or 5 quarts.

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BBQ Black Beans

1 lb black beans soaked over night

2 smallish onions chopped

1 tbsp minced garlic

2 cups bottled bbq sauce (whatever you like)

...

2-3 drops liquid smoke per pint jar

1 jalapeno minced and divided among 6 pints

Fill beans to the half way point add onions, jalepeno and garlic evenly.

Add 1/3 cup BBQ sauce per jar and then fill with water. The beans soak up the water in a couple of weeks if you let sit after canning. Process 1 hour 5 minutes

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BBQ beans

6 cups small white beans

1/3 lb salt pork or thick cut bacon cut into 1" pieces

1 1/2 tsp salt 1 1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

2/3 cup molasses

1/4 cup light karo syrup

...

1 tsp dry mustard

Sort and rinse beans. Fill jars slightly more than half full. Add Salt pork to each jar.

Combine the rest of the ingredients and bring to a simmer. Evenly distribute the sauce into each jar. Fill the jars with water leaving 1" head space. Remove air bubbles and seal jars.

Process at 11lbs with a dial gauge canner or 10 lbs with a weighted canner. Process pints for 80 mins and Qts for 95. Adjust for elevation if higher than 1,000 ft above sea level.

This recipe is worded a little weird but i typed it exactly as i found it!!!

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Bean and Weinies

8 pounds white beans washed soaked 12 hours or so and cooked till soft

5qts tomato sauce ( I make my own)

4 cups finely chopped onion

1.5 lbs brown sugar

1 cup molasses

...

1 tsp black pepper

8 T salt

1 T ground powdered mustard

1T cinnamon

2 to 3 pounds chopped fried bacon, ham or hot dog slices.

Pressure can 10 pounds pressure for 1.5 hours. Makes about 30 pints

(some one in the group gave this to me for a quick lunch for the grandkiddos. Sorry forget who gave it to me for the credit but if it is you speak up:)

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Western Beans

1 ½ pounds dry beans, I use a 7 bean mix.

Soak the beans all day after cleaning, sorting and prepping them.

I cooked the beans in the crock pot overnight on low in water.

In the morning I mixed up a batch of homemade BBQ sauce consisting of

Ketchup, molasses, cider vinegar, liquid smoke, worstershire, mustard powder, chili powder, powdered ginger, dried onion, minced garlic, coarse black pepper, brown sugar. You’ll have to use your judgment on quantities of each to your tastes. You could use good bottled sauce if you have to. I made about 3 cups of sauce.

I leave a couple of inches of bean juice in the crock pot with the beans and reserve the rest for now.

Mix in the BBQ sauce with the beans and juice and add about a pound of smoked pulled pork (I smoke my own) and a couple of diced jalapeno’s, more if you like it spicier. If you don’t have the pork you can use smoked sausage or cooked bacon. If you don’t have enough juice in the beans, add some of the reserved juice to the beans.

I cooked the beans for several hours on high in the crock pot so I could taste test them before canning them.

I pressured canned the beans for 75 minutes at pressure for my altitude using the currently accepted practices.

This recipe yielded 8 pints for me.

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Boyd's Beans

2 cups pinto beans

2 cups lentil beans

1 package salt pork

1 lb green chili (frozen or fresh roasted and peeled)

3 cloves minced garlic

1 Tbs oregano

Salt to taste

Add cleaned and rinsed beans to your crockpot. Chop the salt pork into small cubes and add to beans. Fill to the brim with water and cook on high for 8 hours or until beans are tender. Add green chili, garlic, oregano and salt to taste. Cook one more hour. Add to prepared hot jars leaving 1 full inch of head space. PC in pints 70 minutes, quarts 1 hour.

*Credit goes to a friend I had many years ago named Sherry Boyd who invented this mix. Hence the name. It's one of our favorites

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Pickled bean salad

4-1/2 cups sliced trimmed green beans (about 1-1/2 lbs)

4-1/2 cups sliced trimmed yellow wax beans (about 1-1/2 lbs)

1 lb lima beans, shelled

2 cups sliced celery (about 4 stalks)

1-2/3 cups sliced onions (about 3 medium)

1 cup diced seeded red bell pepper (about 1 large)

Boiling water

2-1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 Tbsp mustard seeds

1 tsp celery seeds

4 tsp pickling or canning salt

3 cups white vinegar

1-1/4 cups water

5 to 6 (16 oz) pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands

Directions:

1.) PREPARE boiling water canner. Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set bands aside. 2.) COMBINE green and yellow beans, lima beans, celery, onions and red pepper in a large stainless steel saucepan. Add boiling water to cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and boil gently for 5 minutes, until vegetables are heated through. 3.) COMBINE sugar, mustard seeds, celery seeds, salt, vinegar and water in a separate stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat and boil gently for 5 minutes, until spices have infused the liquid. 4.) DRAIN hot vegetables and pack into hot jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Ladle hot pickling liquid into jar to cover vegetables leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot pickling liquid. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight. 5.) PROCESS jars in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.

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4 Bean Casserole

1 pound bags of Great Northern,

Butterbeans

Navy Beans

Light Red Kidney Beans. (washed and sorted.)

Mix these all together in a container (deep 9x13 pan)

10 slices of bacon cut in half

1 pound ground burger, cooked and drained

Sauce:

1.5 C ketsup

2.25 C Brown sugar lightly packed

3 TBLS mustard (I used spicy brown)

3 TBLS Vinegar

4 TBLS Molasses

**A lot of water** You will need to thin the sauce to water like.

For pint jars 1/2 C. dried Bean mix. 1/2 slice bacon, 1TBLS cooked burger. Fill with boiling sauce mix. Remove air bubbles. Clean/wipe rims. Process 75 min at 10#. Please adjust for you area/location. I have not done quarts, but will be following Ben's suggestions. I omitted 1 TBLS of ground beef for this recipe.

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Garlic Beans with Bacon & Onions

By Karen S. White

Garlic Beans with Bacon & Onions

Yield: 14 pints

Karen S. White

2 lbs. Navy or Great Northern Beans

Soaked Overnight or via Quick Method

1 lb. Bacon chopped into 1/2" pieces

3 lg All purpose yellow onions - diced

Ham Base granules *

Dried Minced Garlic *

Fresh Boiling Water

*

I purchased these items in bulk from a local Amish Country Store. I

would imagine that you would be able to find the ham base in a well

stocked grocery store and that you could use fresh or prepared garlic in

place of the dried.

Process:

1. Fry the bacon and

onion in a large frying pan with a bit of salt and pepper until medium

done. 2. Drain in a colander and set aside until ready to use.

3. Drain the pre-soaked beans

4. Line up the sterilized pint jars and to each jar add:

2/3 cup beans

1/8 cup bacon / onion mixture

1 teaspoon garlic (more or less to taste)

1/2 Tablespoon ham base (more or less to taste)

5. Add fresh boiling water to each jar

6. Swirl with a non-metallic utensil to blend ingredients and to remove air bubbles

7. Adjust water level to 1" headspace by adding additional fresh boiling water if needed

8. Clean rim with a paper towel moistened with vinegar to remove all fat residue

9. Adjust two piece lid / ring enclosure

10.Process

in a pressure canner at 10# (weighted) or 11# (dial gauge) or as

needed for your altitude for 75 minutes pints // 90 minutes if using

quarts.

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Better than Bushes Beans

Judy McDowell

2/3 c. Northern or navy beans into each pt jar6

chicken bouillon cubes (or beef). I use better than bouillon paste but

have used both & both work, i just don't want the msg thats in the

bouillon.

2c. brown sugar

3/8c. molasses

3/8c. onions, divided equally into jars.

3/8c. garlic powder

2 teaspoons mustard powder

3Tbs. chili powder

2tsp. salt

2tsp pepper

About 1/4 lb. bacon diced. I just eyeballed the amount I wanted in each jar.7 pts water. The recipe was for a baked version so I put my dry beans, onions &

bacon into each jar. All the remaining ingredients was heated as a broth

just to a boil & top off each jar with broth to 1". I had to guess

on the amount of water & started off with 9 pts & that was to

much, so I estimated it is more like 7 pts. But better to have to much

than not enough. Makes 9 pts. 10lbs pressure for my elevation for 75 minutes.

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Yellow Lentils (Indian Dahl)

Ingredients

- 2 cups lentils (I used yellow, red can also be used)

- water

- 1 large onion, diced

- 1 tablespoon curry powder

- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

- 1 teaspoon ground cumin

- 1 teaspoon chili powder

- 1 teaspoon salt

- 1 teaspoon white sugar

- 1 teaspoon minced garlic (I actually used about 2)

- 1 teaspoon ginger

1.

Wash the lentils in cold water until the water runs clear (this is very

important or the lentils will get "scummy"), put the lentils in a pot

with water to cover and simmer covered until lentils are almost tender

(add more water if necessary).

2. Add garlic, onion and spices. Cook together till lentils are done.

3. Ladel lentils and liquid into hot pint sized jars leaving 1 inch head space. Put lids on and place into canner.

4. Process for 75 minutes at 10 psi (or what ever your altitude is)

*Yields 5 pints

*When you are ready to eat it, pour contents into a sauce pan and heat. As it heats, mash up lentils till thickened.