According to the talk around the city, there appears to be a renewed interest in preserving the harvest of fruits and vegetables through canning the way Grandma used to do it.
Of course some of the equipment is different and so are some of the ingredients but the result will bring summer to mind on the coldest winter day — just by opening a jar of preserved goodness.
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Sweet and Hot Corn Relish
9 cups corn kernels (18-22 ears)
4 cups white vinegar
3 cups finely chopped cabbage
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped red pepper
1 cup water
2 tbsps. dry mustard
1 tbsp. each celery seed, mustard seed, salt and turmeric
1/4-1 tsp. dried red chilli pepper flakes
Boil ears of corn for five minutes. Cut corn from cobs to make 9 cups.
Place corn, vinegar, cabbage, sugar, onion, pepper, water, dry mustard, celery seed, mustard seed, salt, turmeric and chilli flakes in a large stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil gently for 25 minutes until desired consistency is reached.
Sterilize 5 pint mason jars, and lids.
Ladle mixture into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch of head space. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rims and place on sterilized lids.
Place jars in canner, cover and return to a boil. Process for 15-20 minutes. Remove jars and cool for 24 hours. Store in cool, dark place. Note: frozen corn may be used. Defrost corn but do not cook before adding to recipe.
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Vegetable Salsa
8 jalapeno peppers
7 cups ripe tomatoes, prepared
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 cup coarsely chopped green bell pepper
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1-156 ml. can tomato paste
3/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup loosely packed chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
Wear rubber gloves to remove seeds and finely chop the jalapeño peppers.
Blanch, peel and coarsely chop tomatoes to measure 7 cups.
Combine peppers, tomatoes, onions, green pepper, garlic, tomato paste, vinegar, cilantro and cumin in a large stainless steel pot. Bring to a boil and boil gently, about 30 minutes or until salsa reaches desired consistency.
Ladle salsa into sterilized pint jars to within 1/2 inch of top rim. Remove air bubbles. Wipe away any stickiness. Put lids in place.
Place jars in water in a canner, making sure jars are immersed in water. Boil for 20 minutes. Remove from water, wipe clean and cool for 24 hours. Label and store in cool, dark place. Note: if a hotter salsa is desired, add 1 tsp. ground cayenne pepper to the ingredients before cooking. Serve on baked potatoes in place of sour cream.
Joyce Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net
