Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Canning Jalapeño Peppers

So the weather here in Indy has been hot and dry, and my Jalapeño Pepper plants LOVE it.  I use a lot of them fresh from the garden during summer months, but the majority of them I can.  At the price of almost $4 a jar or more at the grocery, I can get 12 or more pint jars out of 8 plants that cost me less than $3! 

{As I slice the peppers I soak them in a bowl of water with a tablespoon of Alum to keep them a little crisp.  Just drain and rinse before packing.  This is optional.}


This is a simple canning recipe that will give you the delicious tasting jalapeños you'll love on Taco Tuesdays or mix into soups or other recipes throughout the year.  Enjoy!




[Ingredients]

2lbs Jalapeño Peppers sliced or halved
2 cups White Vinegar
2 cups water
1/2 t canning salt per pint jar


[Prepping]

Select the best quality peppers for canning.


{Sterilize jars:}

Wash 1-pint Mason-type jars in hot soapy water and rinse in scalding water.


Put jars, lids and rings in a kettle and cover with hot water.


Bring water to a boil, covered, and boil jars 5 minutes.
Turn off heat and let jars stand in hot water.



{Prepare Jalapeño Peppers:}


Combine the white vinegar and water in a medium saucepan.

Bring it to a boil, lower heat and simmer while preparing the jalapeño peppers.


Wash peppers, drain and slice into ¼ inch rounds, discarding stems.  If you like them HOT, leave the seeds, if you want a milder pepper, then simply remove the seeds.

*NOTE* Wear rubber gloves! If you don’t wear them while you are cutting all those jalapeño peppers, your hands will absorb the juice from the peppers and burn like crazy. Believe me! I've done it and my hands burned all night!


Pack the peppers in the HOT glass jars to within ½ inch of the top and cover with the boiling vinegar-water, leaving ½-inch headspace.


Add salt to jars.


After filling the glass jars, work the blade of a knife down the sides of the jar to remove air bubbles, and add more liquid if needed to cover the peppers.


Wipe the ring and the jar rim clean and screw on the cap.


Adjust the lids and process in boiling water for 10 minutes.


Allow the jalapeño peppers to cure for a few weeks.

That's it!  Beautiful packed peppers to enjoy for a year!  Be sure to share a few with family and friends.  :)

Monday, January 16, 2012

Homemade Play-Doh


My boy was out of school today and I tried really hard for him to do some pics for me, but the answer was "NO". 
So we made some homemade Play-Doh instead. 


 I made a cute little Snail for my barn.


Recipe:

3 cups flour
1.5 cups salt
6 tsp. cream of tarter
3 tbsp. oil
3 cups water

Pour all ingredients into a large pot. Stir constantly over medium heat until a dough ball forms by pulling away from the sides. Knead dough until the texture matches play dough (1-2 minutes). Store in plastic container. Should last for at least 3 months.  You can add a package of unsweetened Kool-aid to add color and scent or just use food coloring. 

Now have some fun!

(sorry about the terrible phone pics)


 
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