Empowerhouse: Food Canning Fiesta!

Sunday August 30th a group of students got together and canned vegetables grown in the Lederer Youth Garden in Deanwood! We canned beets, cucumbers, peppers, onions, and squash! The colorful jars will decorate the house and the vegetables will be used in the competition dinners!

Here are some Recipes that we used!

Choose firm, rounded beets with smooth skins and no noticeable bruising. Before cooking the beets, trim off the greens, which are delicious steamed or sautéed.

Ingredients:

1 lb. each red and gold beets, peeled
1 white onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, sliced
1 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar, or to taste
1 Tbs. cardamom seeds
1 Tbs. whole cloves
1 Tbs. ground allspice
Pinch of salt

Directions:

Put the red beets and the gold beets in separate saucepans and add water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover partially and simmer until tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain, reserving 2 cups of the cooking liquid from the gold beets. Let cool slightly.

When the beets are cool enough to handle, cut into slices 1/4 inch thick and divide them and the onion and garlic slices evenly between 2 sterilized 1-quart canning jars.

In a saucepan, combine the reserved cooking liquid, the vinegar, sugar, cardamom, cloves, allspice and salt. Place over medium heat and heat, stirring, just long enough to dissolve the sugar, then pour over the beets, immersing them fully and filling the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Using a hot, damp towel, wipe the rims clean. Seal tightly with lids and screw bands. Process the jars in a hot-water bath for 15 minutes. Using tongs, transfer to a wire cooling rack, let cool to room temperature and check for a good seal. Label and store in a cool, dark place for up to 3 months. If the seal is not good, store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Makes 2 quarts.

Zucchini Relish Canning Recipe

provided by http://canning.falbepublishing.com

5 cups finely chopped zucchini

3 cups finely chopped celery

3 cups finely chopped onion

1 finely chopped green or red bell pepper

Add chopped vegetables to:

6 cups water

¼ cup canning/pickling salt

Place a heavy plate on top of vegetables in water to keep them submerged. Allow vegetables to sit overnight (12 to 24 hours) in brine. Then drain vegetables and squeeze excess liquid from them.

In a big pot on the stove, mix:

3 cups white vinegar (5% acidity)

5 cups sugar

2 tablespoons mustard seed

2 tablespoons celery seed

1 tablespoon turmeric

Add the drained vegetables and cook at a nice even boil for 10 minutes.

Add hot mixture to sterilized ½ pint or pint Mason jars. Leave ½ headspace. Process in a water bath for 10 minutes.

Remove jars from water bath and allow to cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours. Then wipe clean jars and lids and store in a cool dark place for up to 12 months. (You will likely hear the jars pop when they seal shortly after removal from water bath. The next day test the seals by pushing on top. There should be no movement of the lid. Also gentle pressure from your fingertips on edges of lid should reveal that it is securely suctioned onto the jar.)

Note: The relish tastes good from the start, but allowing it to set for 6 weeks will deepen the flavor, which is often the case with pickled items.