Relish the Idea of Relish Again.

After I finished my blog on relish, "I relish the time making Relish" I look back and I saw that I had not even covered half of my favorite relishes. Earlier I talked about Pepper Relishes, both Sweet and Hot. I think it is now time to cover some fruit relishes. And maybe a couple that are not fruit. 

While you are at the top of the page, PLEASE do my question box on the right. It is just for fun, I will let you know the results in a upcoming blog.

Now on to relishes!

 How about starting off with Pear Relish. I am not sure what parts of the country have the "Old Fashioned" hard Pears, but here in Georgia it is a fruit used for many purposes. The most famous use of the hard pear is Pear Preserves. I will cover that in a soon to be blog about Grandmothers and their Preserves. What I am going to use the hard pear for is relish.

Hard Pears

 Hard Pears are called that because well, they are hard. Seems to easy,  but they are rock hard and if you get hit by one either by accident or someone throws one at you. You will know what I mean when I say hard. The peel is usually a dirty brown color. The pears you see in the grocery, the Bartlett probably being the most popular, are generally soft pears. They are very, very juicy and easy you eat. Hard pears are much harder than a Granny Smith Apple. I have heard of people who have lost teeth trying to eat a hard pear. Well enough talking and photos, on to Pear Relish.

To make Pear Relish start with 14 cups pears, peeled, cored and chopped small, 3 cups green bell peppers and 3 cups red bell peppers seeded, and chopped small, 4 cups sugar, 1 tablespoon pickling spice, 1 tablespoon salt (Kosher, Sea or canning), 5 cups cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon turmeric. Combine all ingredients in large cooking pot. Heat to a boil while mixing very well. Cook for 30 minutes. Hot Pack into prepared 8 ounce canning jars to within 1/4 inch of jar top. Prepared canning jars are jars that have been washed and dried. Hot Pack means to load the jars with hot product. The domes and rings that come with the jars need prep also. The domes should be placed in boiling water before putting on jars. Rings need to be rinsed off. Before putting on domes, clean the rims of the jar with a damp paper towel. Do not over tighten the rings or tighten just a little. If you over tighten air will not be able to escape, under and water leaks in. So "Finger Tighten". Process in a boiling water bath with at least two inches of water over the tops of the jars for 20 minutes. Let set undisturbed over night. In the morning check for unsealed jars, they have to be reprocessed with new domes. let set in a cool dry place for at least a week to cure.

To make Hot Pear Relish just substitute 1 cup green Jalapeno' Peppers and 1 cup red Jalapeno' Peppers and just use 2 cups each red & green bell peppers. If you want more heat make it 2 cups each Jalapeno' and 1 cup each bell peppers. I have never made it with just Jalapeno or anything hotter. Pear Relish is supposed to be a sweet relish. There are plenty of burn-you-out relishes out there. I love Hot Pear Relish on Brats from the grill, that and brown mustard. A beer would not be bad, but iced tea will also do, whatever is your pleasure. Also on burgers with sliced tomato. I have to stop this, I am getting hungry.

Next is a major favorite. This is our most used relish in our house. Mary Lynn makes all sorts of things with this relish. my favorite is tartar sauce for fish. She uses this in place of sweet pickle relish.

The relish I am talking about is Green Tomato Relish.

You start with 4 quarts peeled, cored and chopped green tomatoes, 2 quarts chopped cabbage, 2 cups chopped green bell peppers, 1 finely chopped onion, 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, 1/2 cup Kosher or canning salt, 2 tablespoons mustard seeds, 1 tablespoon celery seeds, 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish, 4 1/2 cups cider vinegar. Sprinkle salt over vegetables and mix thoroughly; let stand covered 3 to 4 hours. Drain the liquid thoroughly, press to make sure all liquid is out. Add sugar, spices and horseradish to vinegar, simmer for 15 minutes. Add vegetables and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and hot pack into prepared 8 ounce canning jars. Place domes and rings. Process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let set overnight. In the morning check for unsealed jars. Let cure for about 1 week, but longer is better. Two weeks should be long enough.

Hot Green Tomato Relish use half Jalapeno and bell. You could just use all Jalapeno. Again this is not a "Hot" relish.

Next will be  Red Tomato Relish. This relish is completely different from green tomato relish, not just because it is red.....duh! It is different in the way you use it. Growing up my grandmother would make this (minus the bell peppers, they didn't agree with her) and heat it. We would eat it on all sorts of things light cooked cabbage or dried beans, or just all kinds of things that people down on farms ate. Come to think of it, my grandmother never had ketchup on the table, we used this relish in its place. Well let's not make me go down memory lane, let get cooking.

 
Red Tomato Relish starts with 12 cups large ripe tomatoes that need to be chopped large, 3 cups fine chopped celery, 8 cups finely chopped sweet onions (Vidalia's are the best), 6 tablespoons kosher or canning salt, 4 cups small chopped bell peppers (optional if they don't agree with you) 1 1/2 cups sugar. In a large cooking pot combine everything except the sugar, bring to a boil and simmer 2 hours. Add sugar, boil for 2 minutes.Hot pack into prepared 8 ounce canning jars. Process 30 minutes in a boiling water bath. If you have a pressure cooker, process jars 10 minutes in a pressure cooker. If you use the pressure cooker let cool completely before removing jars. Don't try to speed up the process, this will only lead to disaster.

Hot Red Tomato Relish is made the same way, just substitute Jalapeno' peppers for bell. Try this relish is you don't try anything else. it is just fantastic.

I think I like our products a little too much. Well I wouldn't have made them if I didn't like them. That is something that surprised people at every show we did. They would ask for something we did not make. I would say that I did not like that, so we didn't make it. They would always say that people would buy things even if I didn't like them. I would always come back with "I don't make it because I don't like it. If you ask me how was XYZ I would have to tell you I didn't like it" Now haw many people would buy it then. I never lied to my customers. If they ask about something, I would tell them about it and how i used it and how my families have used it in the past. I also told them that if they didn't like what they bought to bring it back and I would trade for something else or refund their money. In all the years we did our business I never gave a refund or traded. So I guess that means being honest with your customers is the best way. They could also look at me and tell I had eaten plenty of something.

Something else I would tell people, Never buy food from a skinny chef. Two possibilities; #1. They did not eat their products, and #2 they did. I always said that number 2 was the worst answer if they didn't get it. IF you don't get it, they were skinny because they made BAD food. Well enough of my story, on to the last recipe, just about everybody's favorite no matter where you grew up.

Our next project is Corn Relish.  

We use 3 pounds thawed corn from the grocery (usually 2 large packages), 3 cups chopped finely red & green bell peppers, 1 teaspoon chopped parsley, 7 cups chopped onions (milder variety), 2 cups brown sugar, 2 cups corn syrup, 2 tablespoons kosher or canning salt, 7 cups cider vinegar, 1 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1 tablespoon mustard seeds, 1 tablespoon celery seeds, 1/2 cup chopped celery, 1 tablespoon citric acid. Mix all ingredients completely in a large cooking pot, bring to boil. Cook covered for 15 minutes. Hot pack into 8 ounce prepared canning jars. Process 15 minutes in a boiling water bath. Let set for 1 week, relish should be ready to enjoy

Sweet Pickle Relish,    1 quart chopped cucumbers (towards the small size), 2 finely chopped sweet onions, 1 cup chopped green  and 1 cup red bell peppers, 1 tablespoon Kosher or canning salt, 3 1/2 cups sugar, 2 cups cider vinegar, 1 tablespoons celery seeds, 1 tablespoon mustard seeds. Combine cucumbers, onions and peppers in large bowl; sprinkle with salt and cover in cold water. Let stand 2 hours then drain, press to make sure all liquid is out. Combine sugar, vinegar and spices in large pot, bring to boil. While boiling add vegetables and simmer for 10 minutes. Hot Pack in 8 ounce canning jars. Process 15 minutes in boiling water bath. Let sit for 1 week before opening.

If you want Hot Pickle Relish just add some Jalapeno' Pepper with the seeds left in. Put raw slices on the bottom of you pickles uncooked. While the pickle are sitting for at least a week, go over and mix the jars unopened.Just shake them around a little bit so the flavor of the peppers will go all threw the jar. You will be surprised how much the pickles will change. From a sweet pickle taste to a sweet hot taste.

When you are measuring spices to use, be careful. To much can change the taste. To much celery seed will bland down whatever you are cooking so much that you might as well throw it away and start over.

I still have a few relishes that I wanted to cover. But I guess my talking got away from me again. Seems like that happens all the time. We all enjoy talking about things we love and canning and the jelly business was something I loved more than just about everything (people not included). When we did shows I would talk so much that we would have a crowd around the front of our booth. People saw the crowd and wondered what was gong on. They stopped and before they realized, they were part of my crowd. I had favorite jokes and stories to tell all the time. Our good friend Mark Thomas, wild life photographer, had a booth next to us at the Yellow Daisy Festival in Stone Mountain, Ga. After the first year he said that he could almost tell my stories and jokes by heart. He said that some of them never change and some just get better. That was just about the nicest thing he could have said.

It is that time again. You know that part about sending me suggestions for future blogs and stuff like that. Well here goes....

Please let me know what you would like to make or any ideas you have for the next blog. Just drop me a note at jellymanga@gmail.com

Also don't forget that our web page is up and running! It is www.austinhouse.biz Don't be shy, order something and try it. Make something and order ours and compare. Send a gift to anyone! The ideas and ways to use our site is limitless! Don't be the last to try us, what we don't have is operators standing by, but we do have a website standing by......

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

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

Say Yes I Can, Can It!

I Relish the Time Making Relish

One of my favorite uses of relish

Before we start, I want to say that relish is one of my very favorite groups of products.

The way people use relishes vary from coast to coast. Some use relish as a condiment: some use it as an ingredient for making something else. A couple of my favorite ways to use various relishes is as a topping for burgers and hot dogs. I also like the way Mary Lynn makes homemade tartar sauce for fish using relish. My outer family (the ones that don’t live in my house) use some as a topping for meats and vegetables at the dinner table. So you see just in my family group, we have many different ways of using a relish. Even in the title I used relish to describe my joy in making relish. The blog that I did early in my blog career about Pepper Relish is the most popular by far of all the blogs I have written. If you have missed it here is a link to go back to it http://canucanit.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=234&action=edit. If you use this link, you have to promise to return and try some of the new relishes listed below.

I think that more relish is made in the late summer and early fall. I think that is because more summer veggies have their final harvest and some of the fall plants are starting to show early rewards. Well, enough of my going on, let’s get busy making some relish! I will give you the recipe and let you make your own shopping list. Also these recipes make a large amount. If you cut the size be sure and cut everything the same way. If you don’t I am not sure what the end results will be. When Mary Lynn was reading this, she burst out laughing because she has done that. All Relishes after processing need to sit at least a week to taste best. They should be kept in a dry area away from direct sunlight.

A huge seller in our business was Black Bean Relish. It uses a fair amount of time and ingredients, but well worth the effort. A hint about this relish, it is one that is better the longer you let it set, allow at least a month. You can enjoy the taste when you are making it, but that is nothing like the taste after a month has passed.

Black Bean Relish

5 cups cooked and rinsed black beans (you can use canned beans, but fresh cooked is best by far), 4 cups frozen cut or niblets corn, 3 cups chopped small red & green bell peppers, 1 cup chopped small sweet banana peppers, 4 cups white vinegar, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 cup chopped celery, 1 cup water, 3 tablespoons mustard seeds, 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onions, 1 teaspoon dried mustard, 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice, 1 tablespoon salt (Kosher, Sea or Canning).Combine all ingredients in a large cooking pot. Mix completely. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat off. Put into canning jars that have been washed and dried. Leave 1/2 inch space at the top of the jar, this is very important becuase the beans expand. Using a damp paper towel, clean the rims of the jars. Place sterile domes (boiled in water) and rings on jars. Finger tighten the rings (also very important. Too loose and water will leak in, too tight and air will not escape from the jars and they will not seal). Process in a boiling water bath (with at least 2 inches of water above the top of the jars) 20 minutes, start time after the water comes back to a boil. Make sure that the jars do not touch the bottom of the water bath, they will burst. Use a rack, preferably a canning pot to boil with. Carefully remove the jars and let sit over night to completely seal. In the morning check for jars that have not sealed. They have to have new domes and be reprocessed.

Canning Pot with Jar Rack

This is a canning pot. Notice the rack for setting jars
into a boiling bath and for safely removing them.
Cost is $20.00 or less in some places. It is worth the
cost if you are going to do more than one project.
With the dangers of jars busting, it is almost worth
it for one project. The right equipment really does make a difference!


Looks like a big job. After you have made a relish or two, it will not look so bad. Don’t be afraid to tackle it. The taste rewards are worth the effort. making relish is not as bad as making some jellies. At least you can buy what you need from the grocers. You don’t have to climb a tree to get what you need.

Next up Chow Chow. I did not studder, the name really is Chow Chow. How it got this name and what it means, I haven’t a clue. I have asked many people who I thought might be able to help me, they all said that was the name they have always known. According to Wikipedia, it is a Nova Scotian and American pickle relish made from a combination of vegetables. They still don’t say why the name. They do say that the word chow refers to a French word Chou which means cabbage. They also say that is refers to a Chinese word and a reference to an Indianan word chayote. That is India not American Indian, but maybe both. Like I said no single thing can describe the name of the next relish.

Chow Chow. 10 quarts chopped green tomatoes, 5 quarts finely chopped cabbage, 8 cups chopped onions, 8 cups chopped green bell pepper, 4 cups chopped red bell pepper, 1 gallon white vinegar, 8 cups sugar, 4 tablespoons pickling spice (we used 1/2 Sauer’s and 1/2 Kroger Brand), 1 teaspoon celery seeds or more to taste, 1 teaspoon mustard seed, 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric.

Chow Chow

Combine cabbage, tomatoes, onion and peppers in a large non-metal container. Cover with 1 quart water and 1/2 cup salt (Kosher, Sea or Canning). Cover mixture and refrigerate over night. Next day, drain and rinse a couple of times, draining very well the last time. Mix vinegar, sugar, celery seed, ground mustard and turmeric. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Carefully add your drained vegetables and bring back to a boil, mixing as well as possible. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and hot pack 8 ounce canning jars. Use the same precautions and instructions as above. Process the jars in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Remove and let sit over night. Check for unsealed jars that need reprocessing.

I was told that the Pennsylvania Dutch make this, but they use purple cabbage and purple onions. Adds color, but tastes just about the same. Don’t know what they call it, maybe Purple Cabbage Chow Chow. The person that relayed the info was just passing on something she had seen at a craft show in Pennsylvania. If anybody has that info, don’t be shy, send it to me in an e-mail. I promise I won’t use your name if you don’t want me to. Seems like Chow Chow in one form or another could almost be called “The All-American Relish”. It has been made in one form or another all over the USA and probably the world.

Wow, all this and only two recipes. Well it looks like I am going to have to do a couple of more blogs on relish to give you just some of our recipes for the favorites. I am not going to do them back to back, I will post them every few blogs Don’t want my jelly people to forget me. Next on the menu is Garlic Relish. Now don’t tune out when you hear the word Garlic. This is a great relish to make dip with for parties. Great rub for roasted chicken. I love it on Brats from the grill. But that is just me. I am a Garlic lover, you can never have too much garlic. Something most don’t realize is that when garlic is pickled, it developes a sweet taste. Not like jelly sweet, but a milder taste that taste sweet. It is hard to describe, so you are just going to have to trust me on this one. Well without any more delay:

Garlic Relsih

Garlic Relish - 1/2 cup white vinegar, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup minced garlic, 1/3 cup finely chopped red & green bell peppers, 1/3 cup finely chopped cubanelle peppers (a medium/mild heat pepper), 1/3 cup finely chopped red onion, 1/3 finely chopped yellow bell peppers, 1/2 teaspoon dried pepper flakes, 1/4 teaspoon salt (Kosher, Sea or Canning).

Bring vinegar and sugar to boil. Add garlic and simmer 25-30 minutes. Add peppers, onion and remaining ingredients and spices. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring completely during this time. Same directions for jarring relish. Process 15 minutes in water bath.

For Hot Garlic Relish add one heaping tablespoon Red Pepper Flakes and 3 tablespoons diced Jalapeno’ Peppers.

To close out this blog I am going to give you a recipe that we made up using whatever we had on hand at the time. It was an experiment that worked out better than we could have ever hoped. So good that we made it all the year-long from that point. Looking for a name to go with this, we came up with Christmas Relish. How original can we be. If you only try one relish on this entire page, please try this one. I think it will become your families favorite.

Christmas Relish – 6 cups chopped red bell peppers, 6 cups chopped green bell peppers, 6 cups chopped Granny Smith apples, 6 cups chopped Rome apples, 2 cups cider vinegar, 3 tablespoons salt (Kosher, Sea or Caning), 3 tablespoons mustard seeds, 2 cups chopped Vidalia (or any Sweet) Onions, 2 cups chopped purple onions.

Christmas Relish

See how pretty all the Red and Green looks.

Combine all ingredients in large pot, heat gently, while mixing completely, simmer for 15 minutes. Using instructions above jar relish. Process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes.
If you did not notice, all the ingredients were sort of Christmas colors. It is a bright and sweet tasting relish to go with almost anything you would use relish or sweet pickle relish for. It is great on just about anything we tried. It seemed that we reached for this relish every time till the jar was empty.
I think this is about as many recipes as I can get in a single blog. If you pay attention to what the people who make the rules say all blogs should be under 1000 words. So far the closest has been around 1300. Just like every thing else in the world. I don’t listen to the rules makers. I just make my own as I go along. Not that I confuse myself with the people who explored and settled our country. But they didn’t listen to rules either. The world was not flat, you get to India by sailing West from Spain. They didn’t listen and I don’t either. I am not sure how good they were at making jellies or relish, but I am not good at discovering new countries.

On this note, I close in my usual way. I ask for you to pass on my blog to friends and neighbors and to subscribe at the bottom of the page. Looks like you are coming back to read, but no body subscribes. That is the way the rules makers come up with how successful a blog is. If you look down you will see 1 person has subscribed. That makes me a not very successful writer. I will keep on writing even if you don’t click. But it would be more fun if you did.

Also don't forget…. Mary Lynn and I are going to start selling some of our most requested items from a website. The site www.austinhouse.biz is not ready yet. I will let you know when we are up. If you like you can purchase something from us and compare it to what you have made. See how things match up against us.

Please let me know what you would like to make or any ideas you have for the next blog. Just drop me a note at jellymanga@gmail.com

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

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

Say Yes I Can, Can It!

Can U Can It: Time to Catch Up with Catsup or is it Ketchup

Can U Can It: Time to Catch Up with Catsup or is it Ketchup: I'll bet that most of you think of catsup or ketchup, according to a site called Differencebetween.net there is no difference. The original ...

Time to Catch Up with Catsup or is it Ketchup

I'll bet that most of you think of catsup or ketchup, according to a site called Differencebetween.net there is no difference. The original according to them was not made with tomatoes or anything like that, "People must be surprised to note that this original ‘kechap’ had no tomatoes ‘“ in fact it was a condiment made of brine fish and other spices. The Malay version of the ‘kechap’ had some sweet soy sauce added to it to make it tangier.

Read more: Difference Between Ketchup and Catsup | Difference Between | Ketchup vs Catsup http://www.differencebetween.net/object/difference-between-ketchup-and-catsup/#ixzz1Vz0Gzjzs . So today when you use the red stuff in the squeeze packet at the drive-thru remember it could really taste different, it could be made of fish. The next french fries I dunk will make me give thanks to the people who started using tomatoes.

Bet you didn't think we were going to teach something other than jam & jelly did you?

We are going to visit a whole different world of the popular condiment than you might have expected. I know I usually just talk about making fruit this and that. I am not going to change, I will cover Fruit

Catsup and Tomato Ketchup mild and spicy.
You never heard of fruit catsup, well neither have I.  Mary Lynn surprised me with some recipes using some of the most popular fruits and peppers. So let's get started, enough of the history for now.
We are going to start this off with a catsup made with blackberries. This time of year most people think of blackberries because they are ripe and ready for the picking. Also the are sweet, juicy and ready for eating. Don't think that this is something you would ever use except for the novelty of it. Got to looking and found several recipes for ribs and roast as well as chops that all called for blackberry catsup. So let's get cooking! I have a order of Fries ready!!!!

Blackberry Catsup
2 pounds blackberries (4 cups), 2 cups chopped fine sweet onions (here in Georgia no one would use anything other than our very own Vidalia Onions), 2 cups malt vinegar (the stuff you put on fish and chips), 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1 1/3 cups brown sugar (you can use 1 teaspoon molasses and 1 cup of sugar here if you don't have brown sugar).

Freshly picked Blackberries.

Boil the onions in the vinegar, cook for 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and cook for 30 minutes over low heat. Stir occasionally. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Put cooled mixture in a blender, 2 cups at a time, and puree'. Put the mixture thru a sieve to remove the seeds, you want this to be smooth. Pour into your canning jars, clean rims and put on sterile domes and rings. Process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes. This recipe makes 4 8 ounce jars. Use this on pork chops, duck, chicken, turkey or polish sausage.

Like most items home-made and canned, this last for about a year on your shelf. Don't double this recipe, you can make more anytime you need more. Use frozen blackberries from your grocer if fresh are out of season. How was that for something unusual and tasty?

We are going to follow that up with Blueberry Catsup. Not to be outdone by blackberries, blueberries have a fan club of their own. I belong to this fan club. I grew up in Florida and we did not have much of a blackberry season in Daytona Beach. In fact I can't ever remember anyone growing blackberries there. We did have blueberry plants that produce huge amounts of the sweet juicy fruit. We used to go over in the Ocala area just south of Gainesville and pick blueberries. There was several U-Pick-Em farms that had only blueberries. I remember driving home after picking with purple stained hands and mouth. I bet I ate at least a quart of berries while I picked. Unlike strawberries, blueberries grow on bushes the are tall enough sos that you don't even have to bend more than just a little. Well enough about picking, let's get back to cooking. A word of note before we start, do not use an aluminum pot or pan to cook with, the vinegars and other items react with the pots. A medium size teflon pot will do nicely. If you don't have a teflon pot, use something else that is not aluminum.

Blueberry Catsup
5 cups crushed blueberries, 3 cups cane sugar, 2 tablespoons fresh or frozen lemon juice (Do Not Use the plastic squeeze thing), 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves, 1 teaspoon salt (canning, kosher or sea salt), 1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper (put black pepper in a sieve and shake in a bowl, the large pieces will not fall into bowl), and 1 cup blueberry vinegar.
Bring all ingredients to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. let mixture cool and put thru a food mill to make smooth. Use a blender if you don't have a mill. Pour into sterile jars, ad dome and ring. Process in boiling bath for 10 minutes. After they sit over night check for unsealed jars. Reprocess if needed.Just think if your next order of fries looked like this!


Blueberry Vinegar is made by mixing 2 cups white wine vinegar with 2 cups crushed blueberries. Put into a glass container. Let sit in a cool dark spot in your kitchen for 2-3 weeks. Shake the mixture occasionally.Mix the mixture, after the shelf time, strain thru as fine a strainer as you have. In a non aluminum pan add 3 tablespoons sugar, add a long strip of orange peel or lemon peel (no white membrane on the strip, just the very top part of the peel). Bring to a boil and stir until sugar is completely dissolved, usually 3 -5 minutes. Remove the citrus peel and pour into sterile jars or bottles. Seal and store in a cool dry place.This vinegar last about 1 year, like most home-made products. Again don't over make, it is not hard to remake.

You can make Blackberry Vinegar by using blackberries in place of blueberries.

Well how is that, 4 recipes of things you would not have thought of. Let's see what I can come up with next.

How about Sour Apple Catsup (not a Sour Apple Martini).

Clean, peel, quarter and core the apples. Bring to a boil, reduce heat
to simmer and cook till apples are soft. When most of the water has evaporated remove from heat and let cool a little. Force apple pulp thru a sieve or food mil. Put 1 quart pulp in cooking pot, add 1 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon finely ground pepper, 1 teaspoon ground cloves, 1 teaspoon mustard powder, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 tablespoon slat, 2 onions very finely chopped and 2 cups cider vinegar.


Bring back to as boil. Prepare your bottle by pouring in boiling water and let drain. If you are using canning jars, prepare to jars. Pour or ladle in containers. Boil the jars 10 minutes. If you use bottles, seal while bottle is still hot. You now have Apple Catsup.

How about homemade Tomato Catsup to close. This more the type of Catsup we are used to, but the others might work in some recipes. Experiment, maybe you might come up with a award winning recipe that will make you famous using a fruit vs tomato catsup. Well here is tomato:

8 quarts ripe tomatoes, 1/4 cup salt, 2 cups sugar, 1 tablespoon mace, 1 teaspoon celery salt, 2 tablespoons cinnamon, 2 quarts vinegar and 1 tablespoon cayenne powder.

Cut tomatoes into small pieces in a large cooking pot. Add other ingredients. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Cook 2 hours, while stirring. Remove from heat. When cooled somewhat, force thru a sieve or put thru a food mill. If you have a very good quality blender you can puree' small amounts the put thru a sieve to remove any pieces or seeds. Sterilize bottles and drain, if you are going to use canning jars prepared the jars, and domes. Pour or ladle your catsup into their containers. obviously your are not going to use this amount in any big hurry, so I suggest putting most into jars to be poured into bottles in the future. Keep bottles in the refrigerator when not in use. This is more like what we expect when we hear the word ketchup. Our fries look like this

For a couple of variations on the same recipe try: Make Garlic Tomato Catsup adding 6 cloves of peeled and finely minced garlic. Would be great on a burger!

For Hot Catsup add at the start of cooking about 6 Jalapeno' peppers that have been finely chopped with out seeds , stems or membrane. Lots of ideas for this one.

For Killer Hot Catsup add finely chopped Habanero Peppers as well as the Jalapeno. If you want to make all the different types just divide the tomato mixture into smaller batches. Use smaller amounts of peppers and garlic. Make 4 different types of catsup with just one recipe. You have to be a "Hot Head" to love this one. We all know there are thousands of us "Hot Heads".

One last thought about all the different types we have here, make a couple and put them in traditional ketchup containers and serve them.

See what type of reaction you get. Might be fun, might be..... interesting.
I think the list above should keep you busy for at least a few days....... right. Well I hope that you do try some of the recipes, you will be amazed at the taste and the compliments will come your way. Let's face it. You cook like you do to please your family and please yourself. Thank God Mary Lynn and I grew up around people who took the extra steps to make the regular into something special. Think how proud you will be someday when your son or daughter ask for your recipes so they can do the same think in their homes. That is the greatest compliment you can ever get. All the ribbons and medals pale when your family tries to do things the way you have done. Stand up and be PROUD of what you do. They may not say much now, but later you will see what you did was right.

Our web site is now up and ready to take your orders. Please try one of our top sellers from years past. Or try one of your favorites that you made with recipes and ideas from my blogs. Anyway you want to do it, try something. Our original design web site is standing by for you at www.austinhouse.biz

Please let me know what you would like to make or any ideas you
have for the next blog. Just drop me a note at jellymanga@gmail.com

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

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

Say Yes I Can Can It!

Can U Can It: Our Business Is Ready for Your Business!!!!

Can U Can It: Our Business Is Ready for Your Business!!!!: I am proud to say that our web business is open. With a tremendous amount of work from Mary Lynn’s daughter we are now ready for business ...

Our Business Is Ready for Your Business!!!!

I am proud to say that our web business is open. With a tremendous amount of work from Mary Lynn’s daughter we are now ready for business at www.austinhouse.biz .

We are Austin House – Homemade Goodness

Our new label will look like this:

What we are going to be selling will be slightly different than what we sold thru our old business, The Austin House Jams & Jellies. We will no longer have over 700 items to pick from. We had to close the business after many years of success. During that time we made an uncountable amount of friends and customers.

We’rrrrrrrrreee back!

                                         

We traveled from Miami to Washington D.C. and from Jacksonville all the way to New Orléans. We set up at craft shows and events like that. We did outdoor shows and indoor shows. We set up in large fields, surrounded by other tents. We also setup in large arenas like the South Florida Fairgrounds, in West Palm Beach Florida with over 1,000 other vendors.

One of our biggest and best shows was always the Stone Mountain Yellow Daisy Festival, just outside Atlanta, Georgia. It was our Superbowl of shows. At this four-day event we had well over 250,000 people pass by our booth that had a chance to sample our products. I sat out front surrounded by over 100 different varieties of Jams, Jellies, Sauces, Mustards, Salsa, Vinegars and Butters. And we changed many of our samples from day-to-day. Our friends stopped everyday to see just what was out there to try. We had our biggest following from that show because people always showed up to see who and what was displayed. The show was limited to 425 vendors and that made a space valuable. We had to qualify every year to compete for our space.


Our booth at Yellow Daisy looked like this with the canopy’s set up to protect us and to offer shade from the heat and sun. The section in the front was covered with samples and people talking and eating. Mary Lynn held down the fort in the back area of the booth, answering questions, talking about recipes, and helping people pick the items that best fit their needs.

Our indoor customers will reccognize our booth looking like this. Indoors we did not have to worry about rain or trees or birds! You can see the samples set up on the tables.

As you can see, we like flags.

We were doing great everywhere we set up.

What happened?

About 7 years ago we ran into some difficulties. Mary Lynn, a breast cancer survivor, developed problems and had to have seven chest surgeries in 8 months. We had to close our business, because she and I were the whole business. We made everything we sold. With one of us down the choice was hard but had to be made. We had a huge going out of business sale that was covered by the local newspapers and even some TV and Radio stations. Ever since we have been asked when we were going to start back. My back took a bad turn almost 4 years ago so writing a blog was the closest I could get to having our store back. I started writing about the things we made and why some of them were made as well as how to make them; even little tips to make things easier.

Now you see why having a web-based business again is so very important to us. It is a chance to meet new friends and hopefully renew old friendships. We are going to be making our products the same way your are, on the kitchen stove. No big commercial stoves or coolers or anything. When you purchase something from us, it will be made the very same way as I have written about in my blogs.

What I hope some of you will do is make something, or a few things, and purchase a jar from us to compare. Maybe yours will be as good, or even better than ours. But if you don’t want to make all the different things I write about, just buy ours. Our product list is a limited menu to pick from. Just the main things we sold over the years. Please go to our site and look around. 

So are you ready to check us out???? How about just hungry for something I wrote about that sounded good.

I am adding something to my blog for this month. I have added a Poll on the upper right side. I am interested in what you think. If you like something not listed just drop me a note at jellymanga@gmail.com . I will post the results in a upcoming blog.

I have to tell some of our older customers that some things will never be available. They took too much time and space and energy to produce; so I hope our list will satisfy your needs. As time goes by, things will be added and somethings removed.

The main reason for dropping something will be availability of fruit. As things come into season we will expand our list. If you don’t see your favorite, please ask for availability.

Here is the list of products available:

Apple Butter, Apple Jelly, Candied Apple Jelly, Blueberry Jelly & Jam, Blackberry Jelly & Jam, Muscadine Jelly, Mixed Fruit Jelly, Peach Preserves, Jelly, Jam & Butter, Pumpkin Butter, Sweet Pepper Relish, Hot Pepper Relish, Raspberry-Habanero Jam & Jelly, Pepper Jelly (Red or Green), Jalapeno Pepper Jelly (Red or Green), Habanero Pepper Jelly. NSA Apple Butter (NSA means no added sugar. It is sweetened with fruit juice and a small amount of Splenda).

Your orders will be shipped as fast as we can, some things will be made specially just for you so those orders might take a week longer.
www.austinhouse.biz

I will have a new blog in a few days, but this could not wait. But don’t forget….Please let me know what you would like to make or any ideas you have for the next blog. Just drop me a note at jellymanga@gmail.com

Don’t keep my blogs a secret, and 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.

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

Say Yes I Can, Can It!

Mixed up World of Mixed Fruit Jelly

Most people have no idea what Mixed Fruit Jelly is made from. All they know is it tastes good.

You have to read the ingredients
to know for sure what kind of jelly you have

You get it at a drive thru or they bring it to you with your meal at the Waffle House. If you don't live in the South, the Waffle House is a place that we all know and visit frequently. They serve mostly breakfast type meals. They also have other things, according to the signs on the wall they a sell more T-Bone steaks than any other restaurant. They are on just about every corner around Atlanta. Not a big place, usually 4 to 6 booths and maybe 8 - 10 seats at the counter. They have some of the best food around. I guess the two biggest things in the South are Waffle Houses and Krispy Kreme doughnuts. That is a slanted opinion.

When I go to the Waffle House and get my eggs, grits and toast they always bring little packages of jelly. I always look for mixed fruit. Away from home it is my favorite. When I visit other places for a biscuit or mcmuffin I also get jelly, usually mixed fruit. I read the ingredients on both packages and they are not the same. One has mixed fruit made from apple and grape juice and the other has apple and plum juice. The only thing they have in common is apple juice (and all the other things they put in it). I have no idea when this started or who started it. I guess someone who makes way too much money said one day to use apple grape and someone else making just as much money decided that it should be apple plum. I often wondered why someone else at another factory didn't decided on plum-grape jelly. It would be mixed fruit. Oh well things like that only happen in my kitchen.

 The taste out of the little package is just about the same, so I guess that the main juice is apple. The grape or plum are there to give a color and a hint of flavor.

I will give you a recipe so that you can go to the grocers and buy the things you need to make either or both. Might be fun to make both and let your family decide which one they really like best. We are going to use equal parts of the juices so our jellies will taste better than the packages.
Your shopping list should include enough to make what ever combination you like. Maybe buy another juice to really mix things up.
All the juice that we are going to use should be with no added water. That would be the ones that are not made from concentrate. If you look you can find it. Your list should include:

Apple Juice - a couple of quarts will do.

Grape Juice - a quart will work. You can use purple grapes or white grapes. So many things to pick.

Plum Juice - again a quart. This may be a little harder to find. It is usually in the specialty foods section of your grocery store. This will also cost more than apple or grape. Again, buy enough to make one batch or a couple of mixed up batches. You are the boss.

Cane Sugar - maybe two or three 5 pound bags, just in case. I really mean Cane sugar.

Look and make sure. The other sugar will work, but your jelly may not set firm. We call it weepy jelly.

Powdered Pectin - buy 4 or 5 boxes. You never know when you might want to make the next combination. You want to be ready.

Canning jars - maybe a couple of cases. That will give you more jars to work with.

At home remove the jars from the box.Wash & rinse completely. We ran our jars thru the dish washer on a rinse and sanitize cycle. This is what I mean when I say prepared jars. They have been washed, rinsed and dried completely. The domes need to be boiled in water before use. We use a small plastic stick with a magnet on the end to remove the domes for use on jars.

Lemons - While you are at the store look around in the frozen foods section. In most stores you will find packages of frozen Lemon Juice. This is the way we buy it. It is real juice with no additives, just squeezed and frozen.

Once you thaw it, keep it in the refrigerator. If you don't want this then get a bag of lemons. You can squeeze and strain the seeds out. Each batch of jelly will use a couple of teaspoons of lemon juice.
Over in the Specialty Foods section take a look at all the different juices available. The list has grown and grown the more people want something other than orange or apple. Another place to look for fruit juice is the baby food section. They have some of the best pear juice I have ever tested. You might ask how I know, well when we took care of our grandkids we always bought different juices to give them. They all liked the pear juice best, so I tasted (not from the baby bottle, I tasted it from the bottle I bought at the store) and I really liked it.
Now I hope you are ready to cook. You have picked exactly the combination you want first. While we are getting ready, why don't you have the next pick ready. It really doesn't take that much longer to make two batches.

Apple/Plum Mixed Fruit Jelly
3 1/2 cups apple juice
3 1/2 cups plum juice
9 cups sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 box pectin

This is the instructions for cooking all the different type of Mixed Fruit jellies.
Combine all juices with pectin in a cooking pot. Bring to a boil, boil for 1 minute. Add sugar. Continue stirring and bring back to boil. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Let set for a couple of minutes. Skim the foam off the top. Carefully ladle into prepared jars. Clean the rims with a wet paper towel. Place sterile domes then rings on top. Finger tighten (not too tight, but tight enough so they don't leak in the water bath). Put all jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Remove and let sit over night. Next morning check for unsealed jars. They have to be reprocessed with a new dome. The other jars are ready to eat, display or give as gifts.

Use your other juices and make what ever type of mixed fruit jelly you want. The choice is yours. Make White Grape/Apple or Purple Grape/Apple. Why not something else like Peach/Mango Mixed Fruit jelly? Mary Lynn made Strawberry/Apple jelly and it was a huge favorite. Everybody likes Strawberry Jam and who doesn't like Apple Jelly.

To get strawberry juice bring to a boil 2 cups water and 6 cups crushed fruit. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Let cool then strain thru muslin. You now have strawberry juice to make jelly with.
While we have brought up strawberry juice, why not mix strawberry/ mango as a mixed fruit.

You see all the different ways to go. You can do anything you want or your family wants. The first thing I want you to do is taste your jelly and then taste one of the little packages that you got from the Waffle House or the drive thru at your mcfavorite restaurant.
The tastes are nothing alike. That is why you should make the jelly that you and your family want to eat.

There are so many things to pick from to make your favorite.

In response to so many requests, Mary Lynn and I are starting back with our production and sales of a limited number of our most popular items. We are going to be selling thru a website that is in production now. Hopefully we will have everything ready to open for business in a couple of weeks. I will keep you posted on our progress. I already have my site name set and the coding goes on. If you have ever done that, you know how time-consuming it is. I tried and was lost, but thankfully I was saved by a very special person. So I will keep you posted, it should not be long. The name of the web site will be austinhouse.biz .

 

This will give you the chance to compare our products with the things you are making at home. Keep watching and reading.

Please subscribe to my blogs. I enjoy getting ideas for future blogs from you. Also be sure and check out my other blogs, you might have missed one. If you have an idea or a suggestion, contact me 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.

Don’t forget, if someone asks you if you can can it.
Say Yes I Can Can It!