Pickling green beans is a snap, and one great way to preserve the bean harvest. I pick a double handful of green beans every morning from my small garden patch. The abundance of beans provide enough to can and eat fresh.
Green beans are one of my favorite veggies to grow. They hide so well– camouflaged with the leafy branches of green– that they provide a delightful game of “find me if you can.” Wax beans have a harder time of undercover work as their pale yellow sunshine is much easier to spot than their green counterpart. I grow both to star in my Four Bean Salad.
The Secret Recipe
Fermented foods are great probiotics.
My friend Lea brought green bean pickles to our church “pot bless” dinner. One bite and I knew that I had a new favorite canning recipe for green beans. When I asked for her recipe, she let me in on her secret. She bought Mrs. Wages Quick Process Kosher Dill Pickle Canning Mix on the canning aisle at King Soopers and simply added the vinegar and water to it. The recipe made more than a half gallon of pickling juice.
The remaining brine for pickling green beans can be kept in the refrigerator in a glass jar or other non-reactive container for the next small batch. Brass, copper, iron and galvanized kettles should not be used when making pickles as these metals are likely to cause undesirable color changes or react with the acid or salt to produce unwholesome substances.
The Process
I started with just three pints of whole green beans placed in sterilized jars. After pouring boiling pickling juice over the beans and capping them with a canning lid, I put them in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Leave ½ inch of head space in each jar before capping. Quarts should be processed for 15 minutes. The mix made enough brine for 7 quarts of pickles. Even though green beans are a low acidic food, when pickling green beans, the vinegar adds the necessary acid, and they are not susceptible to salmonella and do not need to be pressure canned. The hot water bath process will destroy bacteria, yeast and mold that could affect the pickles.
After 10 minutes I removed the jars from the hot water bath and let them sit on the counter to cool for 24 hours at which point they were ready to eat. I heard the lids seal with a pop as they cooled. Make sure to hot water bath according to the directions. Check that the seal is good, and the center of the lid is down and not up. If a jar does not seal, store it in the refrigerator and use it first. Our daughter and son-in-law visited, and I brought out a pint of green bean pickles, cooled in the refrigerator. They were an instant hit.
More Recipes
These green bean pickles are as easy as my recipe for Easy Peasy Sweet and Sour Dills made with cucumbers found in my cookbook Eat What You Grow: Easy Garden Recipes for the Backyard Homestead. I might have to increase my bean patch next year.
Click to order from Amazon.
Thank you for providing recipes that are simple to prepare yet are still delicious. As a new gardener, I appreciate these recipes and look forward to trying them all!
Add a sunny windowsill and water to grow basil all winter long.
Basil is so easy to propagate and grow on your kitchen windowsill for inclusion in everyday cooking. Side branches cut from a mature plant will root easily in water or when sown directly into potting soil and kept moist. It grows so quickly requiring only water and sunshine to thrive. Fresh basil is ever present on my kitchen windowsill to add to pasta, salad and soups all winter long.
Cloning Basil
To clone basil from an existing plant merely cut a side
branch that is 3-5 inches long with a sharp razor, knife or scissors. The cutting can be placed in water until
roots form and then transplanted into a small to medium size pot. Basil is shallow rooted and does not need a
large pot. I usually skip rooting the basil
in water and plant it directly into potting soil and keep moistened until
well-established.
Basil cuttings in water to root
To promote leaf growth and bushiness, top basil plant when it reaches 8-10 inches. Also snip off any flower blossoms as flowering will cause the plant to stop producing leaves. Enjoy fresh basil all winter long with a pot of basil on your kitchen windowsill. Basil is so easy to propagate that I start extra plants to use as housewarming or hostess gifts.
Healthy Benefits
Basil is a storehouse of healthy vitamins. It is an excellent source of vitamin K and
manganese; a very good source of copper, vitamin A (in the form of carotenoids
such as beta-carotene), and vitamin C; and a good source of calcium, iron,
folate, magnesium and omega-3 fatty acids.
Basil also reveals anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.
Lab studies show the effectiveness of basil in restricting growth of numerous
bacteria. It has been shown to provide
protection against unwanted bacterial growth. These anti-bacterial properties
of basil are not associated with its unique flavonoids, but instead with its
volatile oils.
The eugenol component of basil’s volatile oils has been the
subject of extensive study. The enzyme-inhibiting effect of the eugenol in
basil qualifies basil as an “anti-inflammatory” food that can provide
important healing benefits along with symptomatic relief for individuals with
inflammatory health problems like rheumatoid arthritis or inflammatory bowel
conditions.
The plant produces steviol glycoside which makes it sweet.
Grow stevia plants in your garden to produce a natural sweetener with no calories. To get more bang for my buck from my garden, I plant varieties that are expensive to buy at the supermarket. Stevia qualifies as a contender for garden space using that criteria. With no calories and no reported side effects stevia is an important herb for every home gardener because of the natural, calorie-free sweetness found in its leaves.
Stevia is a tender perennial that loves the warm sun and dies back in a freeze. In my Rocky Mountain climate I start seeds inside 7-9 weeks before I transplant outside. Germination takes 10-20 days at 68-70 degrees. The seeds should be sprinkled on the soil surface and lightly covered with a planting soil without fertilizer.
Germinating Seeds
Stevia seeds are extremely fine and difficult to
sprout. This year I got five plants to
sprout out of 10 seeds. I started the
seeds under grow lights in a flat made from a deli tray that had a clear
plastic domed cover in order to keep the seedlings hydrated and protected from
temperature fluctuations.
After all danger of frost has passed and the ground has warmed up, I transplant outside. It’s June 6 and my stevia seedlings are still hardening off on the front porch as we had snowfall on May 21st this year. I moved them to a plant stand in the shelter of the east-facing front porch the end of May to acclimate to outside temperature fluctuations. We have very cool nights this close to the mountains.
Cultivation Tips
Stevia likes full sun and well-drained soil. It does not tolerate extreme climate changes. Plant your stevia so that it has about 18 inches of room to call its own. It prefers loose, loamy, well-drained soil. It will grow 1 to 3 feet in height, depending on the length of your growing season. In warmer climes stevia can grow into a two-foot shrub. Mulch to prevent the plant from drying out on hot summer days.
Stevia doesn’t like soggy soil, so make sure that it has
good drainage, or the roots could rot. A sure sign of rot is wilting from which
the plant doesn’t recover after watering. Fortunately, few insects bother
stevia plants. Use a low nitrogen fertilizer when feeding
stevia. Tip-prune to encourage
bushiness. Harvest before flowering occurs in late summer and dry upside down
in bunches. Cool temperatures intensify
the plant’s sweetness, so harvest late in the season but before frost. Plants mature in 55 days.
Cloning Stevia Plants
In order to capitalize on plants that sprout, I take cuttings from the growing plants. To make a cutting, choose a branch with at least two leaf nodes and cut the branch from plant with a sharp knife or single edge razor. Strip the branch of all but the top four leaves and place stem in a small planting container firming the growing medium around the cutting. Space the cuttings about two inches apart in the container. Moisten the soil and put the container in a gallon zip lock bag. If the bag has too much condensation while the plants are rooting, just open the zip lock and let the moisture evaporate before resealing. By using cuttings, you can overwinter stevia and multiply your stevia planting with these clones from your seedling plants. In cold areas, bring plants in and place under 14 hours of fluorescent lighting hung three inches above the plants.
How to Process Stevia Plants
Use the fresh leaves during the growing season to sweeten
tea. The sweetness in the leaves is approximately one-fourth as concentrated as
the white, powdered stevia sold at the store. Leaves are 30 times sweeter than
sugar. A single plant yields up to a 1/2 lb. of dried leaf. All parts of the
plant are sweet, but pick the herb’s short-stemmed leaves for fresh use. Leaves
can be sun-dried, powdered and stored in an airtight container for future use.
Sweeten your morning tea with powdered stevia leaves.
When sweetening with powdered leaves, use about 1/8 teaspoon
of dried stevia to equal the sweetness of 1 teaspoon of sugar. A general rule
of thumb is that 2 tablespoons of stevia powder equals 1 cup of sugar. Remember, while stevia will withstand the
heat of cooking, it will not caramelize like sugar or feed yeast for breads,
For winter use, dry the stevia by cutting the plant,
securing the branches with a rubber band, and hanging them upside down in a
sunny window until dry. Strip the leaves
from the plant and process the dried leaves in a blender or food processor
until powdery.
How to Make Stevia Extract
Start with clean stevia leaves,
either fresh or dried. I rinse off my fresh leaves and give them a spin in the
salad spinner.
Chop the stevia leaves. Place the
chopped leaves in a glass jar, and then pour in enough vodka to cover the
leaves.
Label the jar and put in a cool spot out of direct sunlight for two days, shaking or mixing gently a few times per day.
Don’t let it sit longer to try and
get a stronger flavor. Longer steeping can increase bitterness. Don’t include
stems so you have more material. They don’t contain much steviol glycoside,
which is what makes the stevia sweet.
After two days, strain the leaves
through a coffee filter or other fine material. Take the raw extract and
cook it gently over low heat until it is reduced by half. Do not boil it, or it
will burn and taste nasty. Store in a dropper
bottle, if available, or any small jar for future use.
I planted Avalanche snow peas, or, as they are sometimes called, edible pea pods, as soon as I could work the ground which this year was March 27thjust six days into Spring. It was a beautiful Spring day of 67 degrees on the eastern plains of Colorado with a spectacular Rocky Mountain backdrop. True to their name, the peas have been snowed on three times, so far. The last snow was on May 20, with a 4- inch heavy, wet snowfall after two weeks of 70 degree weather. That’s a Rocky Mountain Spring for you! Undeterred, they sprouted within 10-12 days and flourished in the cool, damp weather of early spring.
From Seeds
Between snows
In the Jung seed catalogue they were described as: sweet. crisp, deep green snow peas. The
semi-leafless (afila-type) is rare in snow peas, but an advantage as these 30
inch plants are self-supporting and pods are easy to see for picking. Double pods are set at every node (The
main difference between node and internode is that the node is the point of
attachment of leaves to the stem whereas the internode is the distance between
two consecutive nodes. Node and internode are two structural parts found in the
stem. The stem is one of the two structural parts of a vascular plant, the
other part being the root).
I am already seeing visions of little pea pods in my stir
fry recipes. One of my favorite early
spring recipes with pea pods is Asparagus Tortellini Salad which I serve as a
side dish or light supper with fresh fruit and cheese. This is a simple recipe that incorporates
those lovely spring veggies.
Recipe
Tortellini Asparagus
Salad with Peas
Ingredients:
Asparagus, medium bunch (12-15 stalks) cut into one inch pieces
1 cup edible pea pods or frozen peas
1 eight ounce package of tortellini cheese-filled pasta
4 oz. goat (feta) cheese
1/3 cup cream, milk or evaporated milk
1 Tablespoon butter
Chopped parsley or chives for garnish (optional)
Directions:
Add tortellini to boiling water in a large saucepan. Cook for recommended time.
Add chopped asparagus and peas to the tortellini the last two minutes of cooking.
Pour the pasta, asparagus and peas into a strainer and plate in a bowl or on a platter.
While the pasta is cooking, make the cream sauce.
In a small saucepan over a low heat crumble the feta (goat) cheese into the butter and milk. Whisk till the cheese dissolves into the creamy mixture.
Pour the cheese sauce over the plated pasta salad.
Garnish with parsley or chives as desired.
Serve immediately. If there are any leftovers, place in refrigerator. This salad is also good cold or reheated in microwave.
Fresh asparagus from the garden is one of the first crops of Spring.
One year when I was homeschooling my granddaughter in the 9th grade, we planted asparagus from seed in January to see if we could get asparagus more economically than paying for asparagus roots. The kitchen windowsill was crowded with 25 seedling starts. We decided to order 25 Jersey Giant roots as we wanted to see which might perform the best over the years, our seedlings or the nursery roots.
One of the few perennial vegetable crops, asparagus comes back year after year, producing pounds of succulent spears for 15 to 20 years or more. In fact, when it comes to productivity, asparagus is difficult to top. A modest planting of 25 all-male crowns (dormant roots) will yield up to 20 pounds of edible spears per year. We were aiming for 50 plants as it was recommended that 25 plants would provide a year’s supply of asparagus for one person, and we were a two-person household that enjoy asparagus.
Asparagus plants (Asparagus officinalis) are unusual because they’re dioecious, which means some plants are male while others are female. Although both male and female asparagus plants can produce flowers, only the female plant produces fruit, which are small red berries that you’ll see clinging to asparagus ferns in the summer. Potentially you’ll harvest up to three times as many asparagus spears from male plants compared to females, an advantage that becomes especially apparent after the second or third year the plants are in your garden.
Choosing Crowns
In addition to our homegrown seedlings, we ordered 25 one-year-old, healthy, dormant plants, called crowns, available from reputable growers. The 25 Jersey Giant plants we grew from seed is a cultivars that produces only male plants. Since these all male cultivars were developed by Rutgers University in New Jersey, “Jersey” is usually part of the variety’s name.
These hybrids also tend to be more tolerant of warmer regions than older varieties, which usually grow in U.S. Department hardiness zones 4 through 8. For example, the cultivar “Jersey Giant” grows in USDA zones 3 through 10, while “Jersey Supreme” grows in USDA zones 2 through 9. The cultivar “Jersey Knight” is a vigorous cultivar that’s a good choice for humid areas, because it’s resistant to fungal disorders. It also does well in heavy, clay soils and grows in USDA zones 4 through 8.
Other Benefits
Male asparagus plants also tend to start producing spears earlier in spring than female plants, another benefit of an all-male plot. Asparagus plants are perennials that usually live about 20 years, but male plants tend to live longer that female plants, probably because they expend less energy and use less stored nutrients during their life span.
Because male plants don’t produce fruits, an all-male plot won’t become filled with “volunteer” seedlings from dropped fruits. These seedlings tend to be inferior to carefully bred cultivars and also compete with adult plants for nutrients.
Creating a Bed
Chives, iris, tarragon and Egyptian onions surround the asparagus bed in a living moat.
My granddaughter and I used a cinder block edging to enclose our asparagus bed which over the years has been a wonderful container planter garden surrounding the asparagus bed. Over the years I’ve plantedmint, tarragon, basil, peppers, roma tomatoes, Aunt Molly’s ground cherries, petunias, nasturtiums, four o’clocks, iris, lavender, violas and other small plant varieties in the two wells created by the cinder block when turned on its side and filled with soil. The cinder blocks keep the other plants from invading the asparagus bed and create a living moat to complement the asparagus ferns after the spring harvest.
DIG YOUR BED
We dug down into the bed about 8 inches and covered the area with a mat of newspapers before planting the crowns. The newspapers create a weed barrier to discourage invasion of noxious weeds and will decompose over time.
Asparagus likes to be well fed so add compost or your chosen fertilizer to the prepared bed and work it into the trench-like rows where you will be placing and planting your crowns.
Place the crowns 6 to 8 inches deep. The actual “crown” – the knotty mass where all the roots join together – is planted face up. This is where the asparagus spears will emerge from, pushing their way up through the ground for harvest. To plant the crowns, spread the roots of the crowns out on the bottom of the trench. Space plants about 12 to 15 inches apart, so they will have room to grow. Then fill the trenches with the soil dug out of the new bed.
The asparagus seedlings were easier to plant as we just transplanted them in their grow pots into the bed. Over the years mulch, compost, fertilizer, leaves, and straw will add to the depth of the asparagus bed and be contained by the cinder blocks.
Water
The most necessary step for nearly all gardening projects: watering! When first planting your asparagus crowns, give them a good, deep watering immediately after planting, and water more sporadically throughout the first season as needed (especially during dry periods and in hot, arid regions). Keep the water up to your bed during the growing season and pick daily as asparagus becomes fibrous if left to grow bigger.
Harvest
Stalks look good? Then it’s time to pick them – an easy task. I use a sharp kitchen knife and cut the spear at ground level. The best time to pick asparagus is during the morning and first half of the day. On warmer days, you’ll see stalks getting taller and taller by the hour – so you’ll want to get them while they’re the optimum length, with bud tips still closed!
The next day and throughout the rest of the season (ideally spring until mid-June, or summer solstice at the latest), keep an eye on your bed every morning for stalks.
I store the asparagus like I would flowers. After cutting I put them in a vase, glass or pitcher with a little water in the bottom for the asparagus to slurp and put them in the refrigerator until I cook them.
Mulch
After watering, it’s a wise choice to mulch over your patch or row with a thick layer of organic matter – straw works best here. This adds a little extra nutrition, protection through cold weather, moisture retention, and reduction of weeds for less competition (and bigger spears). I mulch with lawn clippings when I mow. Keep watering your bed during the growing season and pick daily as it becomes fibrous if left to grow bigger.
Soil Amending
When fronds have not gotten too tall or crowded yet in their site, side dressing plants with compost or natural fertilizer will ensure that your plants get the adequate energy they’ll need to produce more delicious stalks next year – maybe even bigger ones!
Winter is Coming
Asparagus gone to fern and beginning to turn yellow in Autumn.
When the ferns start to die off and turn yellow in autumn, cut them back to just above ground level. Cutting back green foliage can damage and shock the plant, rendering it less productive. Cover the plants with a good layer of compost for the winter. I used vermipost (worm poo) to feed my asparagus bed, The autumn leaves make a great mulch for the asparagus’ winter quilt,
The asparagus wasn’t ready to eat the year that we planted it, but the next year we had several asparagus dishes. Ten years later we are enjoying an abundance of asparagus. For our taste we have a sufficient supply for the year. It is easy to freeze. Just wash, cut into 2-3 inch pieces, fill a sandwich bag, and put in the freezer.
My husband’s family homesteaded in eastern Colorado. No one has lived on the homestead since the 1960’s, but we still find asparagus ferns from Grandma’s kitchen garden when we visit the farm. I look forward to asparagus harvests for years to come.
This book has come just in time for me. As a long time gardener, I have an established rhubarb patch along with an asparagus bed. Come spring I’m swamped with these vegetables. This book has some interesting recipes for both of these veggies and I’ll be trying them very soon.
Pests and Diseases
While a hardy, hassle-free perennial, asparagus does suffer from some pests and diseases. While some of these only cause minor damage and not too much stress, it’s important all the same to check up on any potential issues from time to time.
A decimated asparagus patch will take a lot more time, work, and patience to restore to its former glory (sometimes even requiring fresh crown plantings) compared to the efforts required to ensure good pest management!
Pests
Asparagus Beetle
These are usually orange or orange-red and black, sometimes spotted, and they consume asparagus tips and ferns while laying eggs as well.
They can be removed with sprays (preferably organic), or introduction of a high population of natural predators (like some wasp species and lady beetles).
Asparagus Miner
A small black fly that damages stems especially, giving them red, unappetizing markings.
Removal and suppression are helped by early removal of foliage in winter – as well as burning to reduce any carry-over larval population into next spring. Sprays (preferably organic) are available as well.
Japanese Beetle
Iridescent-green or coppery-brown, these scarab-like beetles destroy above-ground foliage.
These can be kept away from your crops with preferably organic sprays, pheromone traps, or the introduction of natural predators (for example by attracting birds, or letting chickens run through the mature patch).
DISEASES
Fusarium Rot
A fungus that afflicts root, crowns, and lower stems, it creates unattractive, damaging patches of red on stalks, yellows above-ground foliage, and reduces yields.
As this happens to stressed plants, preventive measures are the only key to avoiding the problem: ensuring adequate watering, reducing pests, avoiding crown damage, and avoiding close rotation with previous crowns are all necessary practices.
Purple Spot
Purple spots on stalks and brown damage to ferns are the result of another fungal culprit.
Preferably organic sprays may help with spread. To prevent it, remove died-back foliage as early as possible, especially through burning.
Rust
This effects the foliage only and appears as a change of color to yellow and brown, leading to foliage loss.
Burning and early removal of foliage is a great preventative, as well as ensuring that crowns are planted with ample space for maximum airflow, to reduce the spread of disease after removal of infected plants.
Fusarium Wilt
Fusarium wilt is a common vascular wilt fungal disease. Fusarium wilt affects many plant types, but tomato gardeners know this deadly, soil-borne disease especially well. Also known as stem rot, it moves into plants through their roots. From there, it clogs the plant’s passageways, blocking the flow of water, nutrients and vital juices until a plant wilts and eventually dies.
Its first signs are yellowing and wilting on one side of the plant – a leaf, single shoot, branch, or several branches. Yellowing and wilting move up the plant as the fungus spreads. Interior of main stem (when split) shows discolored streaks from plugged water-conducting tissue. Over time, many plants succumb and die, while others just perform poorly and produce few flowers or fruit.
Because of the contagious and tenacious nature of the fungus, control of fusarium should start with a few evasive procedures. Preventing the fungal wilt is preferable to most fusarium wilt treatments.
Once fusarium wilt infects a plant, there is no effective treatment. Remove and dispose of affected plants immediately; don’t compost this garden refuse. Whenever possible, remove and replace fusarium-infected garden soil. If fusarium wilt hits your garden, don’t plant the same or related plant types in that area for at least four years. Depending on your climate, it may be possible to control fusarium wilt by “solarizing” your soil. This involves covering it with plastic so it reaches very high temperatures over a long period.
My sister had a jade tree that made me envious because of its stately beauty. When I asked her how she grew the plant into such a beautiful succulent, she said she ignored it. She gave me a cutting to root, and years later I have an abundance of jade plants to enjoy and give as presents to friends looking for an easy care, beautiful houseplant.
Minimal Care
In winter my jade plants sit on the south-facing kitchen windowsill. Jades need lots of sunlight and an average temperature of 55-70 degrees which my kitchen supplies. They are succulents and require minimal water or attention. I water mine once a week if the soil is dry. If I forget a week, the jades are fine. The plants will rot if left in a water-logged environment.
Cloning Jade Trees
During the summer I move the plants to the south side of the front porch. I had a catastrophe this summer with my largest jade tree. A summer storm blew the plant from its stand to the patio and broke off several limbs. Crushed, I did a quick rescue and potted the broken limbs in several pots and hoped for the best. The faithful jade rewarded me with healthy clones within the week. I learned to set the top-heavy plant on the porch floor rather than perch it on a stand where the wind could topple it.
Repotting
Jade trees like to be root-bound and only need to be re-potted every two or three years. Pots should have good drainage to keep plants from becoming water-logged, The jade plant’s roots are quite shallow, and full-grown plant limbs put on tiny root shoots along their branches. I guess it’s as a precaution, just in case, to provide emergency supplies in case of a crash landing.
Propagation
Jade tree propagation is quite easy. Every individual leaf that falls from the plant has the opportunity to root if the conditions are right. If an occasional small branch breaks off, I put it in a small vase until roots appear before potting. In some cases, like my toppled plant, I just insert the branch or cutting into potting soil and water. Usually it grows.
Fertilization
I have never fertilized my jade trees; however, my plant soil mix has worm castings and compost in it which is probably richer than most jades require. Jades will also benefit from a succulent potting soil that doesn’t get water-logged. Too much water will induce root rot, so go sparingly on water rations. I have some new neighbors and the extra jade propagation plants will make a nice housewarming gift. Happy growing!
This waterproof tape could be the quick, easy fix for the hen house roof. Keep your chickens healthy and dry. Great for quick repair to shed, barn, and chicken house.
WATERPROOF: rubberized tape seals and mends roofs, pipes, pools, boats, , hydroponics and hoses even under water FLEXIBLE: tape curves to bond with pvc, metal, wood, wood and plastic to create a seal impervious to air and moisture STRONG: rubberized construction creates durable, long-term, bond for home and garden DIY projects ENDS: leaks, holes and tears on surfaces needing a flexible bond like roofs, gutters, awnings, RV’s and boats with a flexible seal that can withstand both high and low temperature changes.
The apple tree I planted 40 years ago produces a harvest about every three years when the blossoming tree escapes the late spring snows of the Rocky Mountains. This year produced a bumper crop of lovely Anoka apples. It’s a great variety for canning, cooking and eating right off the tree. Self-pollinating, it does not require another tree to produce a crop. The single dwarf tree fits neatly into a backyard garden leaving space for other fruit trees, or berry patches, or a vegetable garden.
September encourages gardeners to hurry and gather in garden goodies before the winter snows. I filled a laundry basket with the fruit from lower boughs and set up my roaster oven which is the largest cooking container that I have. The roaster not only consolidates the apple saucing process but also furnishes a hot water bath that will accommodate a dozen or more filled canning jars at a time.
Process
Making applesauce is a simple process for beginners or experienced canners. Just follow these easy steps:
1) Wash apples. There is no need to peel the apples.
2) Chunk the apples by cutting the apple flesh from its core. Cut away any imperfections like bruises or wayward insect or bird damage. Reserve cores for apple jelly.
3) Put apples in a roaster oven or large kettle. Add a little water to keep apples from sticking to bottom of pan. Sweetener, cinnamon and spices are optional. I added 1/2 cup sugar to the water since Anokas are on the tart side.
4) Cook at 300 degrees until soft (about 2 hours).
5) Use sieve to sauce the apples and remove the skin and seeds.
6) Fill clean, sterilized canning jars with sauce while hot and seal with sterilized canning lids.
7) Process the jars for 15 minutes in a boiling water bath that comes to the neck of the jars.
8) Use a jar lifter to remove applesauce jars from the hot water bath.
Use the Apple Cores for Jelly
Don’t waste the apple cores. They can make a lovely jelly when boiled to extract the apple juice. I had enough juice to make 10 cups of jelly to give as homemade Christmas gifts for friends and family.
My trusty roaster is a versatile appliance that I have used for processing apples and pumpkins, roasting turkeys, and cooking sloppy joes for crowds of a hundred.
It is a satisfying day’s work to capture summer’s sweetness for winter’s pleasure.
To make apple sugar from the apple crop see my “how to” post https://countryparsonswife.com/apple-sugar/ . For over a hundred recipes from the garden check out my cookbook Eat What Your Grow below.
Welcome to Country Parson's Wife, I'm Dr. Mary Ellen, author, teacher and wife of a country pastor for 50 years. My blog is dedicated to a lifestyle built on faith, family, simplicity and self-sufficiency that enhances the health, peace, beauty and industry of our homes and gardens.
My prayer is that you be encouraged and propelled into the abundant life God has prepared for you.
Recent Comments