Chunky Mustard Pickles
1 medium cauliflower
1 qt. large cucumbers
3 sweet red peppers
3 green peppers
1 qt. small cucumbers
1 qt. onions, chopped
1 qt. pickling onions
1 cup pickling salt
3 qts. water
5 cups sugar
½ cup water
4½ cups vinegar
¼ oz. celery seed
¼ oz. mustard seed
¼ cup dry mustard
¾ cup flour
1 Tbsp. turmeric
Chop cauliflower, large cucumbers and peppers into chunks. Add small cucumbers, onions and pickling onions. Cover with a brine made of the pickling salt and 3 quarts water and leave overnight. In the morning, rinse and drain well.
Combine with sugar, ½ cup water, vinegar, celery seed and mustard seed and bring to a boil. When boiling, take some of the liquid and mix to a smooth paste with dry mustard, flour and turmeric. Stir back into pickles and cook for 5 minutes. Bottle and seal.
Makes 6 to 8 quarts.
—Beth Hopkins
Dilled Green Tomatoes
15 medium-sized green tomatoes
Fresh dill
5 cloves garlic
5 whole cloves
2½ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 qt. vinegar
1 qt. water
1⁄3 cup pickling salt
Wash tomatoes and slice if necessary. Pack into 5 quart jars. Add 3 heads dill, 1 clove garlic, 1 whole clove and ½ tsp. cayenne to each jar.
Boil vinegar, water and salt for 5 minutes. Pour over tomatoes and process for 20 minutes in a boiling water bath.
Makes 5 quarts.
—E. V. Estey
Dilled Bean Pickles
3 lbs. fresh green beans
½ cup chopped fresh dill
2 cloves garlic, peeled & halved
2 cups water
4 Tbsp. salt
2 cups white vinegar
4 tsp. sugar
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
Parboil beans in unsalted water until tender — 5 to 10 minutes. Pack upright in sterile jars and add dill and garlic.
Heat water, salt, vinegar, sugar and cayenne to a boil. Pour over beans. Seal jars and let stand for 6 weeks.
Makes 4 to 5 pints.
—E. Evans
Dill Pickles
4 lbs. small cucumbers
Fresh dill
8 cloves garlic
3 cups water
3 cups white vinegar
5 Tbsp. pickling salt
Scrub cucumbers and soak overnight in ice water. Drain and pack into 4 hot, sterilized quart jars. Place sprays of dill and garlic cloves on top of cucumbers.
Combine remaining Ingredients and bring to a boil. Pour over cucumbers and seal jars. Store for 1 month before eating.
Makes 4 quarts.
—Sheila Couture
Dilled Zucchini
6 lbs. zucchini, trimmed & thinly sliced
2 cups thinly sliced celery
2 large onions, chopped
1⁄3 cup salt
Ice cubes
2 cups sugar
2 Tbsp. dill seeds
2 cups white vinegar
6 cloves garlic, halved
Combine zucchini, celery, onions and salt in large bowl, place a layer of ice on top, cover and let stand for 3 hours. Drain well.
Combine sugar, dill seeds and vinegar in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Stir in vegetables, and heat, stirring several times, just to a full boil. Ladle into hot, sterilized jars, place 1 to 2 pieces of garlic in each and seal.
Makes 8 to 10 pints.
—Laura Poitras
Swiss Chard Pickles
4 qts. Swiss chard, cut into 1-inch pieces
8 medium onions, sliced
Pickling salt
White vinegar
4 cups white sugar
2 Tbsp. celery seed
3 Tbsp. mustard seed
½ cup cornstarch
2 Tbsp. dry mustard
1 Tbsp. curry powder
2 tsp. turmeric
Layer Swiss chard and onions in large pickling kettle and sprinkle with salt. Let stand for 1 hour. Drain and add vinegar to cover.
Stir in sugar, celery seed and mustard seed and cook until tender. Add cornstarch, mustard, curry powder and turmeric.
Seal in sterilized jars.
Makes 12 pints.
— Dorothy Hall
Dilled Carrots
6 cups cold water
2 cups white vinegar
½ cup pickling salt
¼ tsp. cream of tartar
6 lbs. baby carrots
6–7 cloves garlic, slivered
6–7 large sprigs fresh dill
Combine water, vinegar, salt and cream of tartar, stirring until salt is dissolved. Scrape and trim carrots. Put a slivered clove of garlic in each of 6 or 7 pint jars. Add a dill sprig to each, then pack in carrots upright. Pour vinegar mixture over carrots to fill jars.
Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath and store in a cool place for 3 weeks.
Makes 6 to 7 pints.
—Kathee Roy
Pickled Carrots Rosemary
2 hot peppers
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp. rosemary
2 lbs. carrots, peeled & cut into 4-inch long strips
2 cups water
2 cups white vinegar
3 Tbsp. pickling salt
3 Tbsp. sugar
Cut peppers into quarters lengthwise. Place 2 strips pepper and 1 clove garlic into each of 4 pint jars. Add ¼ tsp. rosemary to each jar. Pack tightly with carrot sticks.
Bring water, vinegar, salt and sugar to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Pour over carrots, seal and process for 10 minutes in boiling water bath.
Let pickles age for 1 month before eating.
Makes 4 pints.
—Lynn Hill
Sweet Pickles
6 qts. cucumbers
¾ cup pickling salt
Boiling water
1 plum
3 pints white vinegar
4 Tbsp. white sugar
4 Tbsp. pickling salt
4 Tbsp. mustard seed &
½ cup mixed pickling
spice tied in a bag
11–12 cups white sugar
Cut cucumbers into chunks and place in a large crock with ¾ cup pickling salt. Cover with boiling water and let sit overnight. In the morning, drain and wipe each piece dry. Return to crock with plum.
Heat vinegar, 4 Tbsp. sugar, 4 Tbsp. pickling salt, mustard seed and pickling spice together and add to cucumber. Cover with a plate.
Add 1 cup sugar each day for 11 to 12 days. Mix with a wooden spoon.
After 12 days, drain cucumbers and heat syrup. Place cucumbers in jars, pour syrup over and seal.
Makes 6 quarts.
—Hilda Jackson
Pickled Mushrooms
This traditional Russian recipe can be used with both domestic and wild mushrooms and is especially suited to shaggy manes and the honey mushroom.
1 cup red wine vinegar
2 whole cloves
½ cup cold water
5 whole peppercorns
1 bay leaf
2 tsp. salt
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 lb. mushrooms
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
Combine vinegar, cloves, water, peppercorns, bay leaf, salt and garlic in a 2-quart enameled saucepan. Bring to a boil, add mushrooms and reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Cool to room temperature. Pour into 1-quart jar and slowly pour oil on top. Secure top with plastic wrap, cover tightly and let sit for at least 1 week.
Makes 1 quart.
—Sandra Kapral
Piccalilli
6 green peppers
6 red peppers
8 cucumbers
8 cups chopped green tomatoes
6 large onions
1 cup pickling salt
5 cups vinegar
2 lbs. brown sugar
2 tsp. dry mustard
2 Tbsp. mixed pickling spice, tied in cheese cloth
Wash peppers, cut in half and remove seeds. Peel cucumbers, cut stem ends from tomatoes and peel onions.
Put peppers, onions and cucumbers through coarse setting of meat grinder. Score tomatoes and cut into small cubes.
Measure 8 cups of tomatoes into bowl. Put ground and chopped vegetables in layers in large pot, sprinkling each layer with salt, using 1 cup salt in all. Let stand overnight.
Strain vegetables through fine-holed colander. Remove as much liquid as possible and replace vegetables in pot. Add vinegar, brown sugar, mustard and pickling spice. Cook until sauce becomes clear — about 35 minutes — stirring occasionally.
Remove pickling spice and place piccalilli in hot, sterilized jars and seal.
Makes 8 to 10 pints.
—Mrs. W. Atkins
Peter Piper’s Pickled Peppers
10 lbs. sweet green peppers
Pickling salt
24 ice cubes
3 cloves garlic, sliced
3 cups vinegar
5 cups sugar
½ tsp. celery seed
½ tsp. turmeric
2 Tbsp. mustard seed
Slice peppers and sprinkle lightly with pickling salt. Mix in ice cubes and garlic and chill for 3 hours.
Remove garlic and drain peppers. Combine remaining Ingredients in a heavy saucepan and add peppers. Bring to a boil, then place in hot jars and seal.
Makes 6 to 8 quarts.
—Dee Lowe
Honey Pickled Beets
2 qts. beets
1½ cups white vinegar
1 cup honey
1 cup water
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. allspice
2 cups onion rings
2 tsp. each whole cloves, mustard seed & 2 cinnamon sticks placed in a spice bag
Cook the beets and slip off the skins. Combine the vinegar, honey and water in a large saucepan and add to this the salt and allspice. Drop the spice bag in and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add the beets and onion rings and simmer gently for 20 minutes.
Pack into hot sterile jars, cover with liquid and seal.
Makes 4 pints.
—Ruth E. Geddes
Curry Pickle
Zucchini & onions to fill 4 or 5 quart jars,
thinly sliced
Salt brine to cover zucchini & onion
6 cups vinegar
6 cups sugar
2 Tbsp. celery seed
2 Tbsp. dry mustard
4 Tbsp. hot curry powder
2 Tbsp. turmeric
6 whole cloves
8–10 slices ginger root
1 tsp. Tabasco sauce
Soak zucchini and onion slices in salt brine overnight. Drain and pack in jars.
Combine remaining Ingredients, bring to a boil and pour over vegetables. Seal jars and let stand a few weeks before eating.
Makes 4 to 5 quarts.
—Brigitte Wolf
Horseradish
2 cups grated horseradish
1 cup white vinegar
½ tsp. salt
Place horseradish in sterilized 1-quart jar. Combine vinegar and salt and pour over horseradish. Seal jar and store in a cool place.
Makes 1 quart.
—Shirley Morrish
Sauerkraut
2 lbs. cabbage
4 tsp. pickling salt
Remove loose outer leaves of cabbage. Wash and drain inner head, cut into quarters and remove core. Shred or cut into ⅛-inch strips. Mix thoroughly with 3 tsp. salt by hand.
Tightly pack cabbage into clean, hot jars. Press down with fingers and cover with a piece of clean cheesecloth. Cross 2 wooden sticks on top of the cheesecloth below the neck of the jar, place lid on loosely and set in a shallow pan to catch any overflow of brine.
Store for 2 to 3 weeks at 70°F. When fermentation has stopped, wipe jars clean and remove sticks and cheesecloth. Press cabbage down firmly to release the last of the air bubbles. Combine 1 quart water with remaining 1 tsp. salt and pour over cabbage. Place lid on jar and process for 10 minutes in boiling water bath.
Makes 1 quart.
—Mary Dzielak
Chili Sauce
30 ripe tomatoes, peeled & diced
8 onions, diced
3 sweet red peppers, diced
3 green peppers, diced
2 cups diced celery
2½ cups brown sugar
3 cups vinegar
3 Tbsp. pickling salt
Combine allIngredients in a large pot and mix well. Simmer, uncovered, until thick — 4½ hours. Seal into jars while hot.
Makes 5 pints.
—Karen Herder
Watermelon Pickle
4 qts. watermelon rind
4 Tbsp. salt
3 Tbsp. alum
11 cups sugar
2 cups white vinegar
1½ tsp. whole cloves
3 sticks cinnamon
Cut rind into 1-inch cubes, place in pot and add salt. Cover with water and add alum. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Drain and rinse.
Simmer in 4 more quarts of water (or enough to cover) until tender. Add sugar and cook until transparent. Add vinegar and cook another 25 minutes. Toss in cloves and cinnamon and cook 5 minutes. Pack in 6 jars, with syrup and spices. Seal. Let sit for 2 weeks before eating.
Makes 6 pints.
—Cary Elizabeth Marshall
Hot Tamale Sauce
This sauce is delicious with Mexican cooking and almost any bean or meat dish.
15 large ripe tomatoes
4 large peaches
3 large tart apples
4 pears
6 medium onions
3 cups diced celery
3 Tbsp. mixed pickling spice
4 tsp. salt
1½ cups cider vinegar
1 cup honey
12 small chili peppers
Blanch, peel and slice tomatoes and peaches. Core and slice apples and pears. Peel and thinly slice onions. Cut celery into small pieces. Tie pickling spice in a cheesecloth bag.
Combine all Ingredients in a large pot and cook slowly until honey is dissolved and fruit is well mixed. Boil steadily, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened — about 40 minutes.
Turn into hot, sterile jars and seal.
Makes 3 to 4 quarts.
—Betty Ternier Daniels
Ketchup
1½ tsp. whole cloves
1 stick cinnamon
1 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. allspice
1 cup white vinegar
8 lbs. ripe tomatoes
2 medium onions, chopped
¼ tsp. red pepper
6 apples, cut in eighths (optional)
1 cup sugar
4 tsp. salt
Add spices to vinegar and bring to a boil. Cover, turn off heat and let stand.
Mash tomatoes in a pot, add onion, pepper and apples. Heat to a boil and cook for 15 minutes. Put through a sieve. Add sugar to tomato juice and reheat to a boil. Skim. Cook down to half the original volume.
Strain vinegar mixture and add to juice with salt. Simmer, stirring frequently, for 30 minutes.
Fill hot, sterilized jars and seal.
Makes 4 to 5 pints.
—Kathy MacRow
Pickled Onions
Boiling water
4 lbs. pickling onions
2½ cups pickling salt
3 qts. cold water
3 cups white vinegar
1 cup water
3 cups sugar
2 Tbsp. mixed pickling spice, tied in a bag
Pour boiling water over onions and let stand 5 minutes. Drain and plunge into ice water. Drain and peel off skins.
Dissolve pickling salt in 3 quarts cold water and pour over onions. Let stand overnight. Drain and rinse several times under cold running water.
Bring vinegar, 1 cup water, sugar and spices to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove spices, add onions and bring back to a boil.
Ladle into sterilized jars and fill with vinegar syrup. Seal.
Makes 5 pints.
—Linda Forsyth
Rhubarb Relish
2 qts. rhubarb, chopped into 1-inch lengths
1 qt. onions, thinly sliced
2 cups vinegar
2 cups sugar
1 Tbsp. salt
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. pepper
Place all Ingredients in a large pot and mix well. Cook slowly until rhubarb is soft, then boil for 1 hour.
Seal in sterilized jars.
Makes 4 pints.
—Shirley Gilbert
Zucchini Relish
10 cups zucchini
4 cups onions
5 Tbsp. pickling salt
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
2¼ cups vinegar
3 cups sugar
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. celery seed
½ tsp. pepper
Grind zucchini, onions and salt and let stand overnight. Drain and rinse twice in cold water to remove salt.
Grind red and green peppers together. Add to zucchini with remaining Ingredients. Cook for 30 minutes.
Ladle while hot into sterile jars and seal.
Makes 5 to 6 pints.
—Gail Berg
Tomato Juice
12 very large ripe tomatoes, cut in thin wedges
1 large green pepper, diced
3 medium onions, chopped
1 celery stalk, diced
1⁄3 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. salt
Place all
Ingredients in a large heavy pot. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Put mixture through a food mill, strain, return juice to pot and bring to a boil. Pour into 3 hot sterilized quart jars, leaving ¼-inch head room. Screw lids on, then process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.
Makes 3 quarts.
—Gwen Steinbusch
Corn Relish
6 cups corn
4 onions
½ large cabbage
2½ cups vinegar
1 Tbsp. salt
2½ cups sugar
3 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. mustard
1 Tbsp. celery seed
½ tsp. turmeric
Combine corn, onions, cabbage and vinegar. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Add salt and sugar. Blend together flour, mustard, celery seed and turmeric. Wet, then thin, with vinegar. Add to vegetables. Cook for 15 minutes. Seal in sterilized jars.
Makes 3 to 4 quarts.
—Mrs. Fred Smith
Patty’s Mint Relish
1 cup packed mint leaves
6 medium onions
2 green peppers
2 lbs. apples
3 pears
¾ lb. raisins
1 oz. mustard seed
2 Tbsp. salt
2½ lbs. white sugar
1 qt. cider vinegar
Put mint, onions, green peppers, apples, pears and raisins through a meat chopper, then place in a crock.
Boil together remaining Ingredients and pour over mint mixture. Let stand 1 week, bottle in sterile jars and seal.
Makes about 4 pints.
—Mary Reid
Mom’s Strawberry Jam
4 cups strawberries
1 Tbsp. vinegar
3 cups white sugar
Wash and hull the strawberries. Add vinegar and bring to a boil, cover and boil for 1 minute. Add sugar and boil 20 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally.
Pour into a large bowl and let stand overnight. Pour into sterilized jars, cover with melted paraffin wax, cool and put lids on.
Makes about 1 quart.
—Joan Bridgeman Hoepner
Four Berry Jam
3 cups raspberries
1 cup strawberries
2 cups blueberries
2 cups Saskatoon berries
4 cups honey
2 pkgs. powdered pectin
In a large pot, bring the berries and the honey to a rolling boil and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the 2 packages of pectin, bring back to a rolling boil and boil for 2 minutes.
Pour into hot sterilized jars and seal.
Makes 6 pints.
—Cary Elizabeth Marshall
Black Currant Jam
4 cups black currants
2 cups boiling water
6 cups granulated sugar
Butter
Wash and drain the currants. Add boiling water, bring to a boil and cook for 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, warm sugar slowly in a large pan in the oven. Add to currants, mix thoroughly and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Boil hard for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and add small piece of butter. Skim jam and pour into sterilized jars. Seal with melted paraffin wax.
Makes 8 jelly glasses.
—Kathy Turner
Red Plum Jam
2 lbs. red plums
1 cup water
6 cups sugar
1 Tbsp. butter
Pit and cut up the plums. Cook, covered with water, until soft. Remove from heat, mash, and add sugar, stirring until it is completely dissolved. Cook over medium heat stirring to prevent sticking.
Boil the mixture until candy thermometer registers 220°F. Remove from heat, skim the froth and stir in the butter.
Place in jars and cap.
Makes 9 jelly jars.
—Mary Dzielak
Blackberry & Apple Jam
3 lbs. green apples
2 cups water
2½ lbs. blackberries
9 cups sugar
½ cup lemon juice
1 Tbsp. butter
Peel, core and slice the apples. Place in a pot with water and cook until soft — about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and mash. Add the blackberries, mix thoroughly, then add the sugar and lemon juice and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Boil the mixture until the candy thermometer registers 220°F.
Remove from heat and skim the froth off the top of the jam with a large metal spoon. Stir in the butter. Pour into hot, sterilized jars and cap immediately.
Makes 10 jelly jars.
—Mary Dzielak
Yellow Tomato Marmalade
3¼ cups peeled & chopped yellow tomatoes
Rind of 1 large lemon, grated
¼ cup lemon juice
6 cups sugar
1 bottle Certo
Cook tomatoes, covered, for 10 minutes without any water. Add lemon rind, lemon juice and sugar. Bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring constantly, and boil hard for 1 minute. Turn off heat. Add Certo and stir vigorously for 5 minutes. Bottle in sterile jars.
Makes 1½ pints.
—Mary Reid
Paradise Jelly
6 cups washed & cubed quince
6 cups quartered crabapples
3 cups cranberries
Granulated sugar
Rose geranium leaves
Boil quince in just enough water to cover. When it begins to soften, add apples and then cranberries. When all are soft, place in a jelly bag and drain into a bowl. Add a scant cup of sugar to each cup of fruit juice. Boil for about 20 minutes or until mixture gels when dropped onto a plate.
Pour into glasses, put a rose geranium leaf in each glass, and seal with paraffin.
Makes 6 pints.
—Cary Elizabeth Marshall
Wild Rose Jelly
2 cups apple juice
3 cups tightly-packed fresh wild rose petals
3 cups white sugar
½ bottle Certo
Heat apple juice to the boiling point. Place washed and drained rose petals in large saucepan and pour apple juice over them. Bring to a boil and boil for 20 minutes. Strain juice into another large saucepan. Add sugar, stir, bring to a boil and stir in Certo. Boil for 1 minute. Pour into sterile jelly glasses and seal with wax.
Makes 6 jelly glasses.
—Shirley Morrish
Peachstone Jelly
Skins, peach stones & overripe peaches
1¼ cups strained lemon juice
7¼ cups sugar
1 bottle Certo
Place peaches, stones and skins in a large pot and barely cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Place in a strainer and squeeze out juice to make 3½ cups.
Add the lemon juice and sugar and mix well. Place over high heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Stir in Certo, bring to a full rolling boil and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat, skim off foam and pour into jars. Cover with hot paraffin.
Makes 5 to 6 pints.
—Ruth Anne Laverty
Blueberry Jam
2 cups blueberries
1 cup sugar
In a 2-quart saucepan, combine blueberries and 3 Tbsp. water. Bring to a boil and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add sugar and boil, uncovered, to jam stage — about 10 minutes. Carefully pour the jam into jars.
Makes 1½ cups.
—Glenna Keating
Apricot Jam Amandine
1 lb. dried apricots
6 cups water
1⁄3 cup lemon juice
8 cups sugar
1 Tbsp. butter
2 oz. slivered almonds
Cut up the apricots and soak in water overnight. Cook gently, covered, until tender — about 20 minutes. Remove from heat, mash and stir in lemon juice and sugar until completely dissolved.
Return to heat and boil until it reaches 220°F. Remove from heat, skim the froth, and stir in the butter and almonds. Fill and cap jars.
Makes 9 jelly jars.
—Mary Dzielak
Raspberry or Blackberry Jam
6 cups berries
6 cups sugar
Place berries in flat-bottomed pan and mash with potato masher as they heat. Bring to a full boil and boil for 2 minutes. Add sugar and boil for 1 minute.
Remove from heat and beat with electric mixer for 4 minutes. Pour jam into hot, clean jars and pour hot wax over to seal.
Makes about 3 pints.
—Beth Hopkins
Rowanberry Jelly
Rowanberry is known as Mountain Ash in central Canada. The berries should be gathered after frost and should taste tart, but not so bitter that your mouth puckers.
4 qts. ripe rowanberries
1 qt. water
8 cups sugar
1 pkg. pectin
Simmer the berries in water until soft. Mash, then strain the juice through a cloth. Bring juice to a boil and add sugar. Add pectin when sugar is dissolved and boil for 1 or 2 minutes or until it tests done. Seal with ¼ inch paraffin wax.
Makes 2 pints.
—Cary Elizabeth Marshall
Elderberry Jelly
3 cups elderberry juice
½ cup lemon juice
7½ cups sugar
1 bottle Certo
Boil juices and sugar, then add the Certo. Bring to a full rolling boil and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the stove, stir and skim off the foam. Pour into jars and seal.
Makes 4 to 6 jelly glasses.
—Joanne Ramsy
Peach Chutney
6 cups peeled, chopped peaches
4 cups peeled, chopped apples
2 cups raisins
4 cups brown sugar
1½ cups cider or malt vinegar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. allspice
2 tsp. salt
⅛ tsp. black pepper
Combine all
Ingredients and cook slowly, stirring frequently, until thick — about 1 hour. Pour into hot sterilized jars and seal.
Makes 4 to 5 pints.
—Carolyn Hills
Tomato Chutney
4 lbs. tomatoes
1 lb. chopped apples
3 onions, finely chopped
2 cups vinegar
2 Tbsp. salt
½ tsp. allspice
2 cloves garlic
2 cups honey
1 cup raisins
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. cayenne
1 tsp. cloves
Chop tomatoes and add remaining
Ingredients. Cook until thick and clear, stirring occasionally.
Seal in hot sterilized jars.
Makes 5 pints.
—Lisa Brownstone
Apple Jelly
4 lbs. green apples
½ cup lemon juice
3 cups water
Sugar
Wash and cut up apples without peeling or coring. Add lemon juice and water and boil until tender.
Remove from heat, mash and strain through jelly bag. Measure the juice and add 1 cup sugar for each cup of juice. Boil until juice reaches 220°F, remove from heat and skim the froth. Place in jars and cap.
—Mary Dzielak
Mint Jelly
1 cup packed fresh mint leaves
½ cup vinegar
1¼ cups water
1½ lbs. sugar
Wash the mint, chop finely and bring to a boil with water and vinegar. Remove from heat and let stand for a few minutes. Add sugar and bring back to a boil. Boil for 20 minutes or until jelled.
Place in jar.
—C. Majewski
Pineapple Jelly
1 qt. pineapple juice
1 qt. tart apple juice
6 cups sugar
Bring combined juices to a boil, stir in sugar and boil rapidly until syrup sheets. Pour into sterile jars and seal.
Makes 4 to 6 pints.
—Janice Touesnard
Tomato Butter
6-qt. basket ripe tomatoes
1 Tbsp. salt
4 cups white sugar
2 cups white vinegar
2 Tbsp. mixed pickling spice, tied in a bag
Peel and cut up tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and let stand overnight. In the morning, pour off the juice.
Add remaining
Ingredients to tomatoes, place in a large heavy pot and simmer until thick — about 2 hours.
Bottle in sterile jars.
Makes 4 to 6 quarts.
—Alice Wires
Lemon Butter
This preserve is delicious spread on toast for everyday use, or on Christmas pudding for a special treat.
8 eggs, well beaten
4 cups sugar
1 cup butter
¼ cup grated lemon rind
1 cup lemon juice
Combine eggs and sugar in a double boiler. Add butter, lemon rind and lemon juice. Cook over gently boiling water, stirring frequently, until it thickens. Bottle and cool.
Makes eight 8-ounce jelly glasses.
—Kathy Turner
Banana Chutney
2 onions, finely chopped
1 lb. very ripe bananas, mashed
1 lb. pitted dates
1 cup cider vinegar
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup molasses
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1-inch slice fresh ginger, crushed
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
½ Tbsp. nutmeg
½ Tbsp. ground cloves
½ Tbsp. ground cardamom
½ Tbsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. fenugreek
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. turmeric
Combine onions, bananas, dates, vinegar, sugar and molasses in a heavy saucepan. Crush all the spices, mix together and stir into banana-date mixture.
Heat quickly to a boil and stir, while boiling, for 5 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Let cool and pour into jars. Seal.
Makes 1 quart.
—Ingrid Birker
Colonel Gray’s Chutney
Chutneys, which originated in India as accompaniments to curried dishes, are now as varied as the different cultures that have adopted them. Spicy, flavorful and exotic, they add a piquant touch to chicken, pork, lamb and curries.
1 qt. vinegar
4 lbs. demerara sugar
5 lbs. Granny Smith apples
4 oz. ginger root
2 cloves garlic
1 oz. red chilies in muslin bag
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. salt
½ lb. seedless raisins
Heat vinegar and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Peel and slice apples. Scrape and grate ginger. Peel and crush garlic.
Combine all
Ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Cook until thick and dark, removing chilies after 5 minutes. Place in jars and seal.
Makes 2 to 3 quarts.
—Eileen Deeley
Brandied Cherries
2 lbs. sweet cherries
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
Brandy
Place unpitted cherries in a large bowl and cover with ice cold water. Let them stand for 30 to 40 minutes. Drain.
Dissolve sugar in 2 cups water, stirring all the time, and bring to a full boil. Boil rapidly for 5 minutes. Add the cherries and bring once more to a rolling boil. Remove from heat, wait until the boiling stops and repeat operation twice more, stirring gently with a wooden spoon.
Fill sterilized jars three-quarters full with fruit and syrup, place covers loosely on jars and let stand until cool, then fill each jar with brandy. Stir with a silver or wooden spoon. Seal. Turn jars upside down overnight, then store in a cool, dark place right side up, for at least 3 months before using.
Makes 4 pints.
—Kathleen Fitzgerald
Winnifred’s Apple Butter
10 lbs. apples, sliced
5 cups water
4 cups sugar
1 cup corn syrup
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. allspice
Place apple slices in Dutch oven and add water. Boil and cook down for 1 hour. Sieve or put through a blender and add sugar and syrup. Return to heat and cook down until desired thickness is reached — 2 to 3 hours. Add spices and pack into jars.
Makes about 4 quarts.
—Debbie Winder
Rhubarb Marmalade
6 large oranges
6 cups finely chopped rhubarb
1 cup water
9 cups sugar
Peel and section 4 oranges. Chop pulp into small pieces, discarding rinds. Wash the other 2 oranges and cut up coarsely. Put through fine blade of food chopper.
Combine rhubarb, orange pieces and ground orange in a kettle. Add water, cover, and bring to a boil. Uncover, add sugar and stir until sugar is dissolved. Boil hard, uncovered, until mixture thickens — 20 to 30 minutes.
Skim and ladle into sterilized jars. Top with thin layer of paraffin.
Makes about ten 8-oz. jars.
—Joanne Kellog
Scotch Orange Marmalade
6 navel oranges
10 cups water
10 cups sugar
1 cup lemon juice
1 Tbsp. butter
½ cup Scotch whiskey
Shred the oranges, discarding the tough center fibre. Put them in a pan with the water and soak overnight. The next day, cook, covered, until tender.
Let cool, then stir in the sugar and lemon juice until dissolved. Boil until mixture reaches 220°F. Remove from heat, skim the froth and stir in the butter and whiskey. Pour into jars and seal.
Makes 12 jelly glasses.
—Mary Dzielak
Peach Marmalade
1 orange
2 lemons
1 cup water
2 lbs. ripe peaches
5 cups sugar
½ bottle liquid pectin
Grind orange and 1 lemon in blender with water. Put into a small pot and add juice from the other lemon. Boil, covered, for 20 minutes.
Peel, pit and chop peaches finely. Put in large pot with citrus mixture and sugar. Boil hard for 2 minutes. Add pectin and boil until jelly thermometer reaches 221°F. Remove from heat and stir and skim foam for about 10 minutes. Pour into sterile jars and seal.
Makes 2 pints.
—Judy Wuest
