Not everything goes with Peanut Butter

Peanut Butter

You read right, I said not every jelly goes with peanut butter. Hard to believe that a jelly really doesn't taste that good with peanut butter, but there are some that don't. I am sure that you could come up with Pepper Jelly, but there are many more. I will try to give you a few recipes for things to use at your next party or your stay at home late night snack raid. I hope this does not upset your ideas about jellies or jams in some cases, but I think after you read this blog you will agree that the name above is true. Another thought, being from Georgia, I take my peanut butter seriously. To many in our state it is a way of life. I would not be surprised if the Governor of our state doesn't have a pack of Georgia Peanuts in his pocket, if he needs them.

Delicious pepper jelly with cram cheese and a cracker!

 

I think that any party without Pepper Jelly is something to avoid. Mixed with the cream cheese and a good cracker it is food for the Gods. Red, green either color was delicious. Hot or not hot both are tasty.
I have a blog telling you how to make this great item: http://canucanit.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=44&action=edit

This is the info about pepper jelly. This blog has just the recipes: http://canucanit.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=71&action=edit.

Go back and read them then come back for more things to serve at your parties, or just snack on. But after you read them come back here for more great things to serve your family and friends at your next party.

Just a note before I start. When I say use apple juice in my recipes, I mean apple juice that is not made from concentrate. You might have to look in the refrigerated section of your grocery. Juice from concentrate is made from a mixture of water and juice that has been cooked down. Using this adds more water than you want and also dilutes the flavor. If you want, you can use cider, but filter it thru coffee filters before. Someone suggested cheese cloth as a filter, but I haven't had much luck with that. I tend to make a mess. One more note before we start. These jellies in this blog do not set up hard like you are used to, they tend to be on the soft side. So if yours is that way, so is ours. One more suggestion, or recommendation if you like. The following jellies go great with milder cheese such as Brie or cream cheese.They also go best with mild crackers, such as Wheat Thins or Pita Chips. Try these combinations and I think you might have new favorites for your next party.

Horseradish

 

Now that we have gotten all that behind us, let's get started. How about a spicy one, Horseradish jelly. You  heard me right, I said Horseradish. This root is great when made into a sauce on roast beef or prime rib.  To make jelly you need to either buy the shredded in a jar or the way that I like to do, buy the root section, peel and grate to make your own. I use  a vegetable/cheese grater. I am sure you know what I mean. The kind that you always scrapped your knuckles on, your grandmother had hanging on the wall of her kitchen. I am sure that most of you have used this type of grater to make all sorts of things to eat.

Grater

 

Here is my recipe: 2 cups white vinegar, 1/4 cup prepared horseradish, 2 cups apple juice, 5 cups sugar, 1 package fruit pectin, 1/8 teaspoon salt (canning, Kosher or sea). Blend Horseradish with vinegar in a blender (not food chopper). Mix blended vinegar horseradish, with apple juice, fruit pectin, and salt together, bring to a boil. Add sugar and bring back to a boil.  Check to make sure it is setting up (using a wooden spoon stir the boiling mixture; remove the spoon and watch the liquid drip from the spoon. The jelly is setting up if you get sticky drops. That means drops that want to stay together, this is called sheeting. Don't use a metal spoon, you won't get the same effect.) If your jelly is not sheeting, add more sugar, mix and bring back to a boil. Check again with a wooden spoon. If it is setting up remove from heat and put into canning jars as soon as possible. Be careful as the hot liquid will burn you.
If you wait too long to put into canning jars you will find your jelly setting up in the pot. Use clean canning jars for any canning. Jelly jars or other jars might crack from the heat of the hot jelly. Use a damp paper towel and clean the rim of the jar. Place a sterile dome (a dome that has been rinsed in boiling water. place the ring on the top and finger tighten the ring (this means tighten , but not real tight. If you over tighten the air will not escape during processing and your jar will not seal. Under tighten and the water in the a boiling bath will fill your jars and destroy your hard work).
Using a rack or some such item carefully place your jars into a boiling water bath 15 minutes with at least 2 inches of water over the top of the jars. Start you timer when the water comes back to a rolling boil. Remove and set on a cooling rack or towel. Check the jars after they have cooled. If a jar does not seal, it has to be re- processed with a new dome. Remove the bad and clean the rim again before putting on new dome. After all have cooled and set, put on a label because many of the spicy jellies look-alike and you don't want to mix them up. Make sure that you put ingredients on the label. Someone that you give a jar to my have food allergies. Serve with cream cheese and crackers just like pepper jelly. Your guest will be surprised at the great taste and flavor of your new jelly

Garlic

The next jelly is a favorite for many of my local friends. Garlic Jelly. So many of my friends have told me that this is favorite spicy jelly. I love garlic in so many things that I eat. From sauces to breads to roasted chicken, I don't think your can get too much garlic. The recipe is very similar to other spicy jellies. 

Garlic Jelly: 1 cup garlic - minced, 4 cups white vinegar, 3 cups apple juice,1 package fruit pectin, 8 cups sugar, 1 teaspoon citric acid, 1/4 teaspoon salt, kosher or canning. Combine all ingredients except sugar in large pot. Bring to boil for 1 minute, add sugar and bring back to boil for 1 minute. Check for sheeting, if the jelly does not sheet follow the directions in the jelly above. Put hot liquid into canning jars. Follow cleaning and sealing direction above. Process 10 minutes in water bath. Remove then check for unsealed jars. I like to put a photo of the garlic on my jar. You can find a photo of just about anything online. Adding this makes your jar more festive. Serve this jelly as you would other spicy jellies, but also add to sauces for bar-b-ques, just cut back on the sugar in the sauce recipe.

I'll bet you never thought of using things used in this blog to make jelly did you? You can make jelly from just about anything, and yes as I said in the title, Not Everything Goes With Peanut Butter.

Sweet Vidalia Onions

Next on our journey is Onion Jelly.

You heard right, I said onion. When I need onions for a recipe I shred onions first then place in a strainer to drip. You will be surprised how much juice will collect. I put the juice in a small zip lock bag that I keep in my freezer till I have enough to make jelly. I use Vidalia Onions in most cooking recipes so my juice is Vidalia juice. I am sure that if you use other onions, mixing the juices will not be a problem. The recipe is quite simple. 
Onion Jelly: 1 cup white vinegar, 1 1/2  cups onion juice, 1 1/2 cups apple juice, 6 cups sugar, 1 package fruit pectin, 1/8 teaspoon canning salt (or Kosher, or Sea). Bring to a boil. Add sugar and bring back to a boil. Check to see if jelly is sheeting, if not add more sugar. Then follow jarring info in above recipes. This jelly is one of the mildest jellies of all the spicy jellies. It is as mild as traditional pepper jelly, maybe even milder.

Our next jelly is going to be a herb jelly. I love to serve this one to my friends and ask them if they know the herb. You will be surprised how many will get it right. I picked the herb used in most recipes in my house. Sweet Basil is used in so many sauces and great in Pesto.

Basil

Basil Jelly: Make herb infusion using 1 cups dried herb, 4 cups apple juice and 2 cups water. Bring water and juice to boil, then pour over herbs. Let sit overnight. Strain herbs from juice. This is your herb infusion. 2 cups herb infusion, 1/4 cup white vinegar, 4 1/2 cups sugar, 1 package fruit pectin, 2 drops food color if you use green coloring, don't use but a few drops, make the color a pale green. Combine all ingredients in large pot bring to boil for 1 minute. Add sugar, bring back to boil for 1 minute. Check for sheeting. Put in canning jars. Process 10 minutes in water bath. 



Next herb is Rosemary, another widely used herb

Rosemary

.
 
Rosemary Jelly: Make herb infusion using 1 cup dried herb, 2 cups apple juice and 1 cups water. If you use fresh Rosemary, use twice as much. Bring water and juice to boil, then pour over herbs. Let sit overnight. Strain herbs from juice. This is your herb infusion. 2 cups herb infusion, 1/4 cup white vinegar, 4  1/2 cups sugar, 1 package fruit pectin. Combine all ingredients in large pot bring to boil for 1 minute.  Add sugar, bring back to boil for 1 minute. Check for sheeting. Add food color to color you wish. Put in canning jars. Process 10 minutes in water bath.Just a little note. If you haven't tried growing your own herbs, you should give it a shot. Even if you don't have the space for a garden, use pots on your porch. The flavor from something that you pick fresh is so much better than the herbs from your grocery store.

Well back to jelly. I am going to finish with a jelly that is quite unusual.

It is called Rose Petal Jelly. 

Mary Lynn got the idea when reading really old cook books. It looked like something she wanted to try, so the next family wedding she went around and collected roses that were used as decorations at the reception. She followed the directions and made a fragrant, mild  tasting jelly. She gave the jars to the mothers of the bride and groom as well as the happy couple.





Rose Petal Jelly: Pick the petals off the blossom. Only use the outer petals, as the ones closer to the bud are thicker and really don't work as well. make a rose infusion with 2 cups water, 3 cups rose petals. Boil and let cool then strain for use in recipe.
Here is the recipe: 2 cups rose water, 3 cups sugar, 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (the bottled stuff doesn't work as well and may lead to problems), 1 box pectin. Bring to a boil all ingredients except sugar to a boil in a small to medium pot. Add sugar and bring back to a boil. Check for sheeting and process as above. For canning jars I like to use the small 4 oz size. You are not making a large amount of jelly and the smaller jars work best. 

To make something really nice, try this.

Add your jelly to your jar about 1/2 way. Put a rose petal or petals (small look  nicer than just a single petal) on top of your liquid. Then finish filling. Process as above. You will be surprised how it looks. Something else that will surprise you is that it has the aroma of the rose. When you serve this jelly, cream cheese is probably best. If you use any other cheese, make sure that it is very mild. You don't want the flavor to cover the jelly. The same goes for the cracker. Too strong is not as good as something mild, like Wheat Thins, or any other cracker or toast  without a strong taste.


Now you see, what I said in the title, Not Every Jelly Goes With Peanut Butter. That doesn't mean some will try it just to say they did it. But I can think of so many other jellies I want on my crunchy peanut butter sandwich and glass of milk.

If you want a recipe that I have not posted. Send me a e-mail and I will send it to you. There are so many others and I have just a certain amount of space. I would like to ask you for any ideas; things you want to read about. Things you might have tasted and would like to make yourself. Maybe even something you remember from growing up that still holds a special place in your heart. Let me know what it is, I will try to come up with the best way I can find to help you with your wants or needs. I will try to help you along, just tell me what you need.

One more little item before I go, this pertains to my blog. I wish the people, company, or whatever would stop sending me SPAM telling me that I don't get any readers. For the price of $XXX.XX a month they can get me thousands. I would like thousands, anybody would, but not by paying you to trump up my numbers. Please leave me alone.

Sorry for such strong negative words, but I get so very many SPAM comments, over 4,000 in the last year. I am afraid real comments get lost. If you sent me a real comment and don't see it posted, I am sorry. We both can blame the SPAM companies for this.

Don’t forget…. let me know what you would like to make or any ideas you have for the next blog. Also if you have any questions you would like me to try to solve. Just drop me a note at jellymanga@gmail.com.

Don’t keep my blogs a secret, pass the word on to your friends, neighbors and family members. They just might make something and share with you.

Please feel free to share my blog on Facebook or Twitter or even MySpace.com. I want to get as many people exposed to the good things as possible. So share and ask your friends to share, PLEASE.

Don’t forget, if someone asks you can you can it?
 

Say YES I can can it.

Pickles: The Beginning of Canning!

Sorry it has been since my last blog, I was in the hospital. I am home and ready to go. 

So here is Pickles: The Begining of Canning!.

I don't have a way to confirm the idea about pickles being first. But if you think about it everybody has a story about pickle barrels or Crocks. Of all the home-made things people make, I do believe the most popular is Pickles. You can make pickles out of so many different things. Each one with its own special taste or bite. I am going to try to give you some of the best recipes we had for our most popular pickles. When you see them I think you will be surprised.

Some of the recipes are made up by Mary Lynn and myself. Many are old recipes that have been used for years. These old recipes are the way your mothers, grandmothers and family have been  making for years. All with the basic recipe with a little room for that special touch that someone did to make theirs the best or most popular pickle.

The first rule for any type of pickle is FRESH produce to start with. It is impossible to make good pickles with produce that has sat around for a while. We went to our state farmers market and shopped for just the right things. We shopped for no more than 2 kinds of pickles at a time. Any more and the last batch might not be as good as the first. Each day we made up our mind when we started looking at what was available. Some days small cucumbers were in, so we bought and made sweet pickles and little dill pickles. If the larger ones were there we made big dill pickles, pickles and sliced pickles or Bread & Butter Pickles. The name is explained by ANSWER.com: Bread and butter pickles got their name because bread and butter together are sweet.  According to egullet.com, bread and butter pickles are named such because during the Depression, they were as regular a part of a diet as bread and butter. The difference between bread and butter pickles and sweet pickles is just a few ingredients.

I never would have thought of that answer, if you have another, please send it to me. I love things like that. Everybody has a great-aunt  who had this or that explanation for the name of something. Things like this make home canning so much fun.

Enough history, let's get cooking!

We have talked about Bread & Butter Pickles so much, I will start with them. I will give you a great recipe, and I will also give you a recipe that will blow your mind. Got you thinking??? Well here goes. If you think this is too much for your to make, cut all ingredients in half.

14 cups cucumbers, sliced, about 10 pounds. 7 cups onions, sliced, about 5 pounds. 8 cups cider vinegar. 5 cups sugar. 5 tablespoons mustard seeds. 3 tablespoons turmeric.           2 tablespoons celery seeds. 3 tablespoons ground ginger. 4 tablespoons black pepper corns. Place cucumbers & onions in large pan and add 2 cups canning salt and cover with ice water. Let stand 2 - 3 hours, drain and rinse. Drain and rinse again. Add all other ingredients to large pot, bring to boil, add thoroughly drained cucumbers and onions. Bring mixture back to a boil, then turn off heat. Pack cucumbers and onions in 16 ounce jars then cover with liquid. Clean rims with a wet paper towel. Place domes on and then rings. Finger-tighten the rings. Process 15 minutes in water bath. Remove and let set overnight. Next day check to make sure all jars sealed. If not reprocess the jar with a new dome after cleaning the rim. Let the jars set for at least a week for best taste. Chill and eat, or don't chill, just eat. It is up to you.

This is a tried and true recipe. Now for a idea that comes out of watching Dinners Drive-Ins and Dives for many hours. I saw a sign on the wall of one of the places Guy was doing his thing with. The sign said ask for hot Bread & Butter Pickles. I got to checking and discovered what they were. They were B&B pickles made from Jalapeno peppers and not cucumbers. When Mary Lynn was making B&B pickles I asked her to save me the left over liquid. I took my handy dandy slicer and cut a huge box of peppers. I cut them thick and sort of on the bias. If you don't know what that is, I cut them at a angle to give bigger slices. Then I took the peppers and put them thru the same salting procedure as the cucumbers. This sort of makes the skin tough and keeps the pickle shape. Then I added the liquid to my peppers and cooked the exact same way as the cucumbers. I used pretty much the same recipe for the peppers. I also added more onions, cut in bigger slices. When they were complete they had a great look about them. They were pretty because I used red and green peppers. This gave it a brighter look. These jars are quarts, but I liked to use pints. I let them sit for a few days but that was it. I could not wait any longer. I opened a jar and tasted, then Mary Lynn tasted. We were blown away. They were great! We decided that we would try them at our next show. We had made only 6 cases of pints. Thinking that would last a while. The show was The Blue Crab Festival in Palatka, Florida. If you are not sure where Paltaka is, think of St. Augustine and go West. It is located on the St. Johns River in the center part of the state. Here is a link for the show if you are interested http://bluecrabfestival.com/ . I decided that I would hand out the samples instead of letting people help themselves. I didn't want to get in trouble giving something hot to people that don't like hot. One of the first people to stop the first day was some friends that I had made thru the Gideons. They stopped by to see just what we had. I let them taste the pickles, and could not believe the response. They tasted and tasted again. They called someone on the phone to come to our booth. The person they called owned a restaurant. He loved the pickles and wanted to buy all that we had. A response I never expected. I sold 4 cases, wanting to keep some to have during the show. By the end of the second day they were all sold out. I had orders for 8 more cases. We could not believe what was happening. After that we never went anywhere without at least 10 cases.

When you are cooking pickles you never know what will happen, just who will love them and who doesn't care for pickles. So that brings us to our next pickle

Kosher Dill Pickles and Dill Pickles. Many don't have any idea what the difference is between one and the other. I was one of those people till I read the recipe. Kosher Dills have garlic in the recipe and Dills do not. I was shocked. Such a little difference to make a totally different pickle.

KOSHER-STYLE DILL PICKLES: Small firm cucumbers, about 3 pounds. 3 1/2 cups sugar, 2 cinnamon stick (not ground cinnamon). 28 peeled cloves garlic. 3 tablespoons pickling spice. 1 quart white vinegar. 3 1/2 teaspoons mustard seeds, (add 1/4 teaspoon per jar). 48 sprigs of fresh dill. Prepare cucumbers by added 1 cup canning or kosher salt to 2 quarts water. Pour over cucumbers and let set over night. Rinse with cold water, drain. Repeat the rinse and drain at least 3 times. To cook combine vinegar, sugar, cinnamon sticks and pickling spice. Bring to a boil. Pack 16 ounce canning jars with prepared cucumbers, add 2 cloves garlic and 1/4 teaspoon mustard seed and 2 sprigs fresh dill. Pour hot liquid over cucumbers leaving 1/2 inch space at the top. Use a probe and remove all air bubbles. Clean rims with damp paper towel and place domes. Finger tighten rings. Boil in water bath for 10 minutes. Remove and let set over night. Check to make sure all are sealed. If not replace domes after re cleaning rim. Reprocess. If you notice on the jars, there are no rings on them. After I finish processing and reprocessing if necessary. I remove the rings and wash them in soapy water. After they dry I put them in a plastic bag and keep with my jars of pickles. When I need a jar, I put a ring on it. This is to keep your jars looking best. The vinegar will make the rings rust and make everything look yucky. So this little step keeps everything looking at it's best.

To make Dill Pickles just leave out the garlic. If you like sliced pickles instead of whole pickles, slice at beginning before salting. That is simple enough. It is not a fast process, but these kind of pickles take a long time to do. If you take the time you will enjoy the results of your patience. There are other methods that don't take as long and you keep them in the refrigerator. I have never tried that way, if you want the quickie refridgerator method just send me an e-mail and I will send you the recipe. I know I say that a lot, but there is just so much space and so very many different recipes.

I am going to bring my first blog on Pickles to a close with a favorite thing on salad bars Pickled Beets. I don't know of many families that don't love cold pickled beets. They add more than color to your plates; they add a great taste. I am sorry to say that many salad bars have beets, but they are not pickled. They are just out of a can. What I am giving you is a recipe that has been tested many times and never fails.

Pickled Beets: 3 cups Vidalia onions, sliced. 4 quarts beets, peeled, cooked, sliced or 2 No. 10 cans (my choice). 2 cups beet juice, saved from No. 10 cans. 7 cups white vinegar. 4 cinnamon sticks. 1 tablespoon whole cloves. 1 tablespoon whole allspice. 1 tablespoon pickling spice. 1 tablespoon salt (kosher or canning). 1 tablespoon peppercorns. Combine vinegar, beet juice (if using cooked beets use 2 cups water from cooked beets), sugar, cinnamon sticks and spices in a spice bag and salt in large sauce pot. Simmer 15 minutes. Remove spice bag and cinnamon sticks. Pack beets and onion slices into 16 ounce canning jars. Pour hot liquid over beets. Be sure to leave 1/2 inch air space on top. Remove air bubbles with probe. Process in boiling water bath for 30 minutes. Check after cooling for unprocessed jars and repeat. These are another thing that I remove the rings. I love to put the jar in the fridge and get it cooled and eat with potato salad, fried chicken and corn bread. But they go with just about everything. They are so good and good for you. They have all kinds of vitamins (I won't go into those, look them up if interested).

All these pickles take time and a lot of work, but they taste so very good. I hope you will give one a try. Who knows you may start a family tradition.

It is that time again, I have run out of space for this edition of CanUCanIt. I would like to ask for ideas; things you want to read about. Things you might have tasted and would like to make yourself. Maybe even something you remember from growing up that still holds a special place in your heart. Let me know what it is, I will try to come up with the best way I can find to help you with your wants or needs. I will try to help you along, just tell me what you need.

This is my first post for my new araingement of blog sites, this site is now www.canucanit.net. In the past it has been a dot com address. I hope this is not going to confuse anybody, if it does, I am sorry. Just been getting too many questions about both sites.

Don’t forget…. let me know what you would like to make or any ideas you have for the next blog. Also if you have any questions you would like me to try to solve. Just drop me a note at jellymanga@gmail.com.

Don’t keep my blogs a secret, pass the word on to your friends, neighbors and family members. They just might make something and share with you.

Please feel free to share my blog on Facebook or Twitter or even MySpace.com. I want to get as many people exposed to the good things as possible. So share and ask your friends to share, PLEASE.

Don’t forget, if someone asks you can you can it?  Say YES I can can it.

Marmalade has a big "apeel"!

I know it has been a long time since my last blog, but health things took up my time. So lets get back to blogging.

Have you ever wondered why there is no Orange Jelly, Lemon Jelly or any other citrus fruit made into a jelly? It is not a mistake. They don't make jellies or jams from these delicious fruits. They do make something else.... they make Marmalade. I think everyone has seen Orange Marmalade. It is pretty much the same everywhere you go. If you have a chance to visit England, and so many did for the Olympics, they found marmalade a main condiment on British tables. They enjoy marmalade on croissants and toast points. Very rarely did you see jellies or jams. You had to ask for something other than marmalade with your meal.

According to Wikipedia Marmalade is a fruits preserve made from the juice and peel of citrus fruits, boiled with sugar and water. In languages other than English, "marmalade" can mean preserves made with fruit other than citrus. For example, in Spanish the term usually refers to what in English is called jam (and jalea is similar to the American English jelly). In Portuguese marmelada applies chiefly to quince jam (from "marmelo", the Portuguese for quince). In Italian too, marmellata means every jam and marmalade, as it does Mermelada in Italian-influenced Rioplatense Spanish. Also in Germany, where marmalade is much less popular than jam anyway, Marmalade is the traditional designation for any kind of jam and marmalade (especially smooth jam without visible pieces of fruit) regardless of fruit base, and remains so in everyday language.

I know that was confusing and a lot to swallow, so I will make the rest of this blog in simple terms (something I know best).

Easy to see the difference

For me the difference was in the way they looked. Jelly was clear because it was made from just the fruit juice. Jam was not clear at all because it was made from the crushed fruit. Marmalade was sort of a mixture. It used the juice but also used the fruit and peel. I hope this photo makes it a little easier to see the difference.

We tried to make Orange Jelly but it came out as a spread not a jelly. It never "firmed up" or looked like jelly. Mary Lynn said she thought that there was too much acid in the fruit to make real jelly. A small amount of acidity works with the pectin to make a firm, spreadable jelly, so that it is probably the reason citrus fruit is not used to make jelly. I hope that you will try one of these recipes. If nothing else try Orange Marmalade at home or your favorite breakfast place.

There are a range of ideas about Marinades, but to me they are limited to Orange, Grapefruit, and sometimes even Tangerine. Grapefruit has several varieties, the three that we used were the Marsh, Pink and Texas Red. They all looked pretty much the same on the outside but the inside was different colors for each type. When you buy in the store you just take for granted that the name is the right one. Each has a little different flavor. The marsh is the most bitter, pink a little less and the Texas was the least bitter-tasting.

Our biggest seller was made from something that a customer gave us in South Florida. They said it was an oriental fruit that tasted like a mix of lemon and lime. We could never find a name for this fruit, we called it Lymon (not very original, we know). They were larger than some of the grapefruit in her yard. They were about six inches in diameter. She also said that we should only use the ones on the tree, the ones on the ground were no good to use. We still picked up a few to try anyhow. We found that she was right, they ones that dropped off the tree seemed to change flavor and became something nasty tasting. This fruit, whatever its name was made into a delicious marmalade. I thought, as well as our customers thought that it was the best tasting of all the fruits used to make marmalade.

In our travels around the country we always had signs that said that we would love to trade you our products for any fruit that you had in your yard. We always had people wanting to trade.

Sometimes it was difficult for us due to the large trailer we used. I remember one show in West Palm Beach. We had a lady that said we could have all the grapefruit in her yard. We got her phone number and a map at the show, and told her it might be a little late when we got to her home. We showed up about 11 o'clock in the evening to do the picking. She had the best outdoor lights I have ever seen. Each tree had lights around it so picking was no problem. We did run into a space situation due to the number of fruit she had. We picked at least eight laundry baskets of grapefruit and three or four baskets of Navel Oranges. She also had Myers Lemons. We only picked two baskets of them because we had run of space to carry anymore. You might ask why laundry baskets: it was the only thing we could think of to hold what we were picking that would let air around the fruit. That and the fact that the only store open on a Sunday night was a store that sold everything for $1.

I had covered the floor of our trailer with baskets, and had even used the back seat of our truck to hold four more baskets. All the way home we were coming up with ideas and plans on how to use our new treasures. It was amazing how your mind just sort of shifts to the recipe mode when you have plenty of things to cook with. Well let's get back to making Marmalade. One more thing before we get cooking. Try to buy organic fruit if possible. If not scrub your fruit very well. The outside of the fruit (used in marmalade's) might have a pesticide on it, organic is free of such things.



Use fresh Oranges for best results

Let's get started cooking with Orange Marmalade: 6 cups Sugar, 1 teaspoon Kosher or Sea Salt, 4 oranges, a lemon (used for it's acidity), 2 cups water. Peel the Oranges, and Lemons and slice the outer peel very thin (tiny thin strips works best). You can also use a zester. You only want the colored part, trim off the white inner membrane. Boil the peel in water for 5 minutes, this makes the peel really soft and pliable. Add orange slices that have also been trimmed of the white membrane. Also remove any seeds. Next add the lemon that has been peeled clean of membrane. Next add the sugar and cook til mixture comes to boil. Lower the heat and cook til thickened (about 45 minutes) stirring to keep from sticking.

Carefully put in 8 ounce canning jars that have been cleaned and sterilized. After the fruit mixture has been added, take a paper towel that has been damped and clean the rim of the jar. Put on a dome then a ring, finger tighten the ring. That means not tight as you can tighten or too loose so the water can get in. Place the jars in a boiling water bath and process 10 minutes. Make sure the level of water is at least 2 inches above the tops. Carefully remove and place on a drying rack or towels to cool. After cooling, check for jars that are not sealed. They have to be reprocessed.

Marsh on left and pink on right

Grapefruit Marmalade is made the same way you do orange. The only difference is the type of grapefruit you use. The types served at most tables is the Marsh Grapefruit. Another type that is becoming popular is the Pink Grapefruit, similar in taste to the Marsh, but just a little bit sweeter in taste. A variety that people are least familiar with in our area is called Texas Red Grapefruit. They look just like other grapefruit, but when you cut it open the look tells you just what kind it is. They have a bit sweeter taste vs. the marsh types.

Grapefruit is a great type of marmalade to add another fruit. The taste is not like anything you would expect.

One of the most popular combinations was Kiwi-Grapefruit Marmalade. The other favorite was Strawberry-Grapefruit Marmalade. We had plenty of Kiwi to work with because Kiwi is really popular for Middle Georgia farmers. They are a favorite due to the low maintenance compared to other fruit. Supply of Strawberries were available most of the year. The recipe for both is the same just substitute Kiwi in place of Strawberry. We also used Blueberries with Orange Marmalade. Again just use blueberries in place of strawberries in the next recipe.

Strawberry Grapefruit Marmalade 4 cups strawberries (or kiwis) chopped. 6 cups sugar. 3 cups grapefruit that has been peeled, the membrane removed and deseeded, then chopped. 1 cup membrane free lemons, chopped. 3 cups water. Chop grapefruit, lemons, strawberries (or Kiwi). Cook to boil, then lower the heat and cook til thickened (about 45 minutes). Always stirring to keep from sticking. Put in prepared 8 ounce canning jars (or 16 ounce). Process in boiling water bath 10 minutes, make sure that there is 2 inches of water over the top of the jars. Remove from water and place on a cooling rack or counter top to set at least over night. Check for jars that didn't seal, they have to be reprocessed with new domes. The rings are reusable. This recipe will also work with oranges instead of grapefruit.

Just as I get rolling. I look at the word total at the bottom and it tells me to save what I was going to use for another blog. So check back, or even better subscribe to my blog. If you do, you will get new blogs delivered to you via e-mail. Well there is plenty of room in future blogs.

Don’t forget…. let me know what you would like to make or any ideas you have for the next blog. Also if you have any questions you would like me to try to solve. Just drop me a note at jellymanga@gmail.com.

Don’t keep my blogs a secret, pass the word on to your friends, neighbors and family members. They just might make something and share with you.

Please feel free to share my blog on Facebook or Twitter or even MySpace.com. I want to get as many people exposed to the good things as possible. So share and ask your friends to share, PLEASE.

Don’t forget, if someone asks you can you can it?

Say YES I can can it.

Can U Can It: Wrapping Gifts from Your Heart, no, not that kind ...

Can U Can It: Wrapping Gifts from Your Heart, no, not that kind ...:         I mention in every blog about giving what you make as a gift. I am not sure if any of you have tried that. This time of year ...

Wrapping Gifts from Your Heart, no, not that kind of Rap

        I mention in every blog about giving what you make as a gift. I am not sure if any of you have tried that. This time of year gift giving becomes insanity. Trips to mails and stores scattered everywhere leads to many headaches and foul words. You might be able to save yourself some misery. You can give your homemade items as gifts. Something that you make in your kitchen means a lot more than an item that you picked up at your favorite super store, or outlet store. Just think about the past. They did not have stores like now. They had to give the things that were made over the year. Baskets or packages were given and enjoyed by the lucky person or family.

(Click on photos for a better look)

Think how you would feel if a family member or friend, or neighbor gave you a gift basket of delicious goodies. You would probably use the gift on that special morning when everybody is present. Breakfast or brunch would be heighten by those jams or jellies or butters. Even a relish would liven up a buffet table. Just a little time and a little effort to make a treasure.


Use Raffia or ribbon or yarn to close up your bag or to put around your jar dollie. All simple and easy to do. Raffia is found in craft stores. Use a rubber band to hold on the dollie before you tie a ribbon or raffia around it. This is easier than having four hands.

Let's get started with a simple gift. Giving a single jar is easy; just a little addition of things you probably have around the house. This makes your jar of apple butter a special thing for someone.  It is even better if you give them something that you know is a favorite of that person. If they are a "Hot Head" (someone who loves HOT foods), your gift of something extra spicy would be very much appreciated.

A simple method of dressing up a jar is with an old-fashioned way.  A Jar Dollie is a method our grandparents used to make a jar of something more fancy. My grandmother (yes, the lady that started me with my love of cooking) would never put a simple jar of anything on the table. She would do something to make it look not like a jar of jam but a nice jar of condiment. A jar of pickles would not look like a jar of pickles. The contents of the jars along with a nice label and a jar dollie make a very special gift.


 

Take a little time and do a little extra to make your gift one that stands out from all others. Make a Jar Dollie from most any cloth. Cut it 5 1/2 inches by 5 1/2 inches.

 
Mary Lynn uses pinking shears, the blades of which are saw-toothed instead of straight. They leave a zigzag pattern instead of a straight edge. The sawtooth pattern does not prevent the fraying but limits the length of the frayed thread and thus minimizes damage. Thin cloth works better than thick.

Another way to give single jar for a gift is a clear plastic gift bag. These are found in most craft and dollar stores. Very inexpensive and easy to use, just put you gift in and seal the top.  Most come with a nice twist tie to close the top. You don't have to be a great decorator or artist to make something look nice. Just a little effort making your gift product, and a little time shopping for your gift bag. You will be surprised at how much better your gift looks than just a jar with no added touches.
 

Don't want to use a plastic bag, but still want a fancy gift? How about using your imagination and make a gift tag that looks out of the ordinary.  A little ribbon or a nice gift tag makes a single jar look very fancy. How about cutting up old Christmas cards for your gift tags. Maybe even a fancy label that you make on your computer. Most computers have some sort of label program. You will be amazed at what you can do with just a little effort. You will find that you get more enjoyment in giving these items when you have gone that extra mile.

If you want to give more than one jar or want to use a special basket to hold your products, look around your house. You might have a basket. Take a look at the basket, does it have any special color accent. If so, buy some plastic grass (like the stuff in Easter baskets). It comes in many different colors. Pick a color that will go along with your basket and the color of your products. If you make apple butter you would want something to make the brown color of the jars stand out. If you make pepper jelly, pick a contrasting color so the jars really stand out. Another thing that looks great is look for plastic fruit in the craft stores. Use that to dress up your basket. Spend less on your basket and more on the way to make it fancy. The photo shows a simple market basket that has been dressed up and made to look extra nice. Notice the different types of plastic fruit, and flowers that can make it stand out. You don't have to fuss and sweat, just use your talents that you used to cook. I always say that you can't be a good cook if you don't have a good imagination.

What?? You mean you don't have enough time to do these simple things to dress your gift. You can always buy the plastic wrap at your local craft store and cover the whole basket in plastic. You can also buy a big bow to go on your package. It still works, and without much effort. Yes you have dressed your gift. Still not enough, just add a bow on the top and give with a smile. After all, it is all about the contents of the jar that matters.
 

If you are the type that loves to decorate or make every gift something dazzling, the sky is the limit. There are so many different things that you can do to make everything a work of art. You can make special bags for each jar, and different colored ribbon bows. You will find so many different things to sparkle and accent your gift. 

 

The person that receives your gift will consider themselves lucky to have someone like you. I have seen some things that people make for jars that I would call a special craft in itself. I have seen people crochet jar covers, sort of like a bag to place the jar into. A gift from people like this is truly an event in itself. Jars that have these covers really need a label telling the lucky person receiving the gift what is in the jar.



Make sure to put a label on your jar. Because of the cover, you don't have to make a big deal about the label. Just put the name of your product  and the ingredients. The ingredients need to be complete; use all the things you added. This is important because so many people have food allergies. They might react to something you used. You don't want that to happen.

After you have your gift ready to give, you have to think of the best way to ship it. Mary Lynn decided many years ago to put each jar in zip lock bag. That way if something happened, the contents of the jar would not damage the rest of the package. We used the shipping boxes from the US Post Office for our shipments. She lined the box with packing straw and then placed the jars in the box. Leave room between each jar so more straw will keep the jars from banging. You might even find other things to ship. Add a bag of potpourri or aroma candles that might match your gift. You might also send along something to remind the lucky person of the people giving the gift. Something like a picture of you making the product or your family in front of a fireplace. Don't get carried away with the extras, remember the jar and it's contents is still the main event of the package.

Make sure to double tape the bottom and top. You don't want your jars to fall through. You can even send several jars, but make sure that each is in a baggie. You can use styrofoam worms or even old newspapers. Pack the jars tightly so they don't rattle. You can also use bubble wrap to wrap each jar.  The more time you take in wrapping the jars to keep them from breaking, the more certain you will feel that each of your gifts will arrive just as you wish. You can send 6 - 9 jars in these Post Office boxes.

I guess the point I am trying to make is don't pack and ship in a hurry. You don't cook that way. To get the best results take your time; do the little things that make a difference. Do it right the first time and the gifts will be just as you want them.

I know this blog was about something completely different from any of my others, but I felt that you needed to know what we did and how we sent our gifts. No one wants the gifts opened and find a mess. I am reminded of a phrase that is used in other fields, "garbage in, garbage out". This is not what you want to happen.

It is about that time again, I have run out of space for this edition of CanUCanIt. I would really like to ask for some help in doing my blogs for the next year. I would like to ask for ideas; things you want to read about. Things you might have tasted and would like to make yourself. Maybe even something you remember from growing up that still holds a special place in your heart. Let me know what it is, I will try to come up with the best way I can find to help you with your wants or needs. I am not sure if I will have another blog ready before the end of the year, so let me just say at this time that Mary Lynn and I hope that your holidays will be enjoyable and your New Year be full of cooking all sorts of "old-fashioned" things. I will try to help you along, just tell me what you need.

Don’t forget…. let me know what you would like to make or any ideas you have for the next blog. Also if you have any questions you would like me to try to solve. Just drop me a note at jellymanga@gmail.com.

Don’t keep my blogs a secret, pass the word on to your friends, neighbors and family members. They just might make something and share with you. 

Please feel free to share my blog on Facebook or Twitter or even MySpace.com. I want to get as many people exposed to the good things as possible. So share and ask your friends to share, PLEASE.

Don’t forget, if someone asks you can you can it?




Say YES I can can it.