Canning – Grit Cooking- A Southern Girls Taste

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Im always asking for request for ideas or open to questions, that if I don’t know the answer I sure and going to find out. Then I test the theory or should I say the recipe. I love to can- I can’t say Im the expert due to me sticking to the items I really like and seem to stick with the same recipes. I find I make a lot of jam and fruit and of course salsa! I really love to can bread and butter pickles as well as my all time favorite ChowChow, just like they do it back home in the Appalachia Hills. But this request for pickled garlic made me ponder and I had to do some research. Here is my final product. Cant taste it for 30 days…its curing and absorbing the flavors. But it came out pretty… so here are the steps I followed.

I started with a mess of fresh garlic heads. Elephant garlic is really large cloves but I found standard with good sized cloves for less shucking. I call it shucking some call it peeling or cleaning the cloves From all skins, roots or blemishes. this takes time… I have seen devises that peel garlic or heard or using two Bowls. Fresh garlic peels easily and I like the busy work, so I did mine by hand. this recipe I used 8 regular heads of garlic and it jared 2 – 1/2 pint jars. Im going to up the recipe for 4 jars but always have an extra on hand just in case…

After cleaning all the cloves and removing all blemishes you want to blanch in rolling boiling water 1 minutes and then strain and drop into an ice bath. Set aside and prepare your jars. Be sure to use distilled water- certain water can cause the garlic to turn blue. Its still safe and tastes good but a bit strange in color,

I used Pickling spices already mixed. Its easy, pretty and did I say easy.

Pickling spices McCormick sells a nice blend.
Bay leaves small
1 Tablespoon Pickling salt
6 cups white vinegar
1/2 cup sugar

Bring vinegar, sugar, salt to an almost boil in a NON-REACTIVE POT and make sure the salt and sugar are Dissolved. Set aside to prepare jars.

Use five clean 1/2 pint jars. I like to heat mine in the oven at 250 degrees. carefully line up jars on a heat safe towel and place 1 tsp spice in each jar with a small bay leaf. The smell is instant holiday spice with the cloves on the hot jar. this also releases the aromatics.

Drain Garlic from Ice bath and arrange in each jar leaving 1/2 Inch from top of jar.

Then pour the hot vinegar sugar mixture into each jar- just to 1/2 Inch of rim covering all garlic. take a chop stick or wooden spoon to release any air tbubbles caught. Seal with clean lid and ring. Water bath jars covered low boil for 15 minutes. These will take up to 24 hours to seal. That wonderful “plink -plink” as they cool.

Don’t eat for 30 days to allow the garlic to fully absorb the flavors. Fantastic with a zesty Bloody Mary or straight out of the jar for a snack. When consumed the brine is fabulous for dressings and cooking. Once jar is opened refrigerate. Shelf life 1 year sealed unsealed refrigerated 2 months.

Enjoy!

Fresh Oregon Strawberries can you smell them? Delicious

Have you noticed the produce and fruit has been sweeter than ever this year? Is it the change in the environment or us all finding more appreciation of the tasty simple things? Well I probably squealed at the produce stand to smell and see such beauties. Quadruple the normal size and so red and sweet. Yes my yearly jam time for holiday gifts. Nothing taste better than Oregon Strawberry jam in the middle of a December snow. A sweet reminder of summer beauty to hug your memory and taste buds. If you ever visit my home in the winter you will always leave with a jar in hand. Making jam/ preserves is easy and so long term rewarding. Enjoy!

Most important is having all the right tools needed for success.

The right tools make Preserve making simple

I found this cool old funnel in an estate sale years ago. I think it gives my jam happy mojo.

You also want to be sure your jars are washed and dried. Have new lids with seals and lid rings. The sealed lids can be bought in small packs to assure you have a clean product.

Heated clean jars make process flawless. Ne sure to use thongs to hold they get hot. 225 degree oven.

I use sur-gel pectin to make the process simple and well sure to set up right. Follow the simple directions in package for what fruit your jarring. for strawberry as Im showing its as follows.

5 cups cleaned sliced smashed berried. (about 7 pints whole)
7 cups sugar
1 pac sur-gel pectin
Tsp lemon
Tsp butter

Stock pot
Canning pot of boiling water
Canning funnel
Canning jar tongs
Ladle
Masher
Jars- lids- rings
High temp spatula
Tongs to grab hot empty jars and lids

Prep wash jars and lids. Place jars on cookie sheet in 225 degree oven to heat. Place seal lids in small pan of water simmering til use. Fill canning pot with water to height will just cover jars. Get water heating to a slow boil.

Prep fruit. Clean and slice strawberries. Mash in bowl to desired consistency. I like big strawberry chunks in my jam.

Measure 5 cups mashed into your stock pot with pectin and butter and heat to a full boil. Butter will keep from foaming.

Add sugar. Bring back to a full rolling boil. Allow to roll boil for one solid minute at this point.

Its jarring time!

I like to work over a kitchen towel on my colder countertops. Take a hot jar from oven with tongs and ladle jame i. Thru funnel just below the rim. You can see the line on the funnel when just at bottom edge. Carefully placed lid on clean jar top and ring seal tight. Jars are hot. Be careful.