INGREDIENTS

15 cups sliced pickling cucumbers

3 onions, thinly sliced

1⁄4 cup coarse salt

4 cups cracked ice

2 1⁄2 cups cider vinegar

2 1⁄2 cups sugar

3⁄4 teaspoon turmeric

1⁄2 teaspoon celery seed

1 tablespoon mustard seeds

 

DIRECTIONS

Combine cucumbers, onions, salt and ice in a large bowl.
Mix well.
Put a weight on and allow to stand 3 hours. (For a weight, I use a plate with a gallon bottle of vinegar or water on top of it).
Rinse and drain thoroughly.
Combine vinegar, sugar, turmeric, celery seed and mustard seed in a large pot.
Add drained cucumbers.
Place pot on medium low heat.
Bring almost to a boil, but DO NOT ALLOW TO BOIL.
Remove from heat.
Seal in sterilized jars, 10 minutes in a hot water bath.
Easy way to sterilize jars: Wash them well in hot soapy water.
Dry them off.
Put on a cookie sheet, right side up, at 225°F for 15 minutes.
Turn off oven and leave them in there until you need them.

INGREDIENTS

25 pounds tomatoes (about 80 medium)

4 large green peppers, seeded

4 large onions, cut into wedges

2 cans (12 ounces each) tomato paste

1/4 cup canola oil

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup salt

8 garlic cloves, minced

4 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes

2 teaspoons dried basil

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 bay leaves

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice

 

DIRECTIONS

In a Dutch oven, bring 2 quarts water to a boil. Using a slotted spoon, place tomatoes, 1 at a time, in boiling water for 30-60 seconds. Remove each tomato and immediately plunge into ice water. Peel and quarter tomatoes; place in a stockpot.

Pulse green peppers and onions in batches in a food processor until finely chopped; transfer to stockpot. Stir in next 11 ingredients. Add water to cover; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 4-5 hours, stirring occasionally.

Discard bay leaves. Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice to each of 9 hot 1-qt. jars. Ladle hot mixture into jars, leaving 1/2-in. headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding or removing hot mixture. Wipe rims. Center lids on jars; screw on bands until fingertip tight.

Place jars into canner with simmering water, ensuring that they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil; process for 40 minutes. Remove jars and cool.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb cooking apple, peeled and diced

1⁄2 cup water

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 lb blackberry

1 1⁄3 lbs sugar (21oz)

3 tablespoons blackberry liqueur (optional)

1⁄2 tablespoon butter

DIRECTIONS

In a heavy based saucepan or preserving pan bring the apples and water to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes until soft.
Add the lemon juice and blackberries and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Add the sugar, stirring until it’s disolved. Then add the butter and bring to a rolling boil. Continue to boil rapidly for 15 minutes.
Test if the jam has reached the setting point by droping a little onto a chilled saucer and briefly leaving it to cool. If the surface starts to wrinkle when you push your finger into it from the side it has reached the setting point.
If not boil a little longer and test again.
If it doesn’t seem to reach its setting point add 1tbsp of lemon juice and boil for another 3-5 minutes.
Add the liqueur if using and remove the scum that has collected on top with a slotted spoon.
Leave to cool for 15 mins, to avoid all the fruit collecting at the top, then fill into sterilised jars and seal.