Gail South

Apple Butter

Blend all ingredients till smooth in blender. Simmer, uncovered, 45 min.

Apples  1 lb, skinned and cored

Cider   0.5 c

Cinnamon   1 tsp

Sugar   1 c

Allspice   0.25 tsp

Nutmeg   0.5 tsp

Cloves   0.25 tsp

Lemon   1 slice


Apple Sections, Spiced

Core apples and slice each into 6 slices. Bring sugar, vinegar, cinnamon and cloves to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 min. Add apples slices and cook 3 min or until tender but not mushy. Remove from heat. Add food coloring and stir. Pour into 4 half pint jars and seal.

Apples   4 large tart red, unpeeled

Sugar    1 c

Vinegar   1 c cider

Cinnamon   1 stick

Cloves   1 tsp whole

Food Coloring   4 drops red


Beet Relish

Roast beets at 350 till done (1.5 hrs). Rub peel off and slice thin. Mix vinegar w sugar and toss w lots of fresh mint. Pour over beets.

Beets

Mint   fresh

Vinegar   3 parts

Brown Sugar   1 part


Bread and Butter Pickles

Combine cucumbers, onions, salt and ice in a large bowl. Mix well. Put a weight on and allow to stand 3 hours. (For a weight, I use a plate with a gallon bottle of vinegar or water on top of it). Rinse and drain thoroughly. Combine remaining ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Add drained cucumbers. Heat through. DO NOT ALLOW TO BOIL. Remove from heat.  Seal in sterilized jars
​36 cups sliced pickling cucumbers
6 onions, thinly sliced
1⁄2 cup coarse salt
4 cups cracked ice
5 cups cider vinegar
5 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon celery seed
2 T mustard seeds
1/2 tsp whole cloves


Carambola Sweet Relish

Wash and thinly slice fruit, taking care to remove seeds. Cover w vinegar and allow to stand overnight. Drain off vinegar. Combine fruit w sugar and salt. Add cloves, Cook gently to the consistency of preserves. Allow to stand overnight. and reheat mix to boiling. Pack into hot pint jars. Makes 5 pts

Carambola (Star Fruit) 8 c thinly sliced

Cloves 1 tsp ground

Nutmeg 0.5 ts

Salt 0.5 tsp

Sugar 4 c

Vinegar 1.5 c


​Chili Crisp

Bring shallots, garlic, oil, cinnamon, and star anise to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, reducing heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer and swirling pot occasionally, until garlic and shallots are browned and crisp, 20–25 minutes. (Take your time—you want to drive all the moisture out before they brown.) Mix ginger, red pepper, soy sauce, and sugar in a medium bowl. Strain shallot mixture through a fine-mesh sieve set over ginger mixture. Let garlic and shallot cool in sieve (this will allow them to crisp further) before stirring back into chile oil. Do Ahead: Crisp can be made 1 month ahead. Cover and chill.

​4 small shallots, thinly sliced
2 heads of garlic, separated into cloves, sliced
1½ cups vegetable oil
2  3" cinnamon sticks
6 star anise pods
1  2" piece ginger, peeled, very finely chopped
¼ cup crushed red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2tsp. sugar 


Corn Relish

Combine sugar, flour, turmeric and salt in kettle; stir in vinegar and vegetables. Heat slowly to boiling; cook, stirring often, 10 min, until mixture thickens. Ladle into hot sterilized jars; seal.

Sugar   1 c

Flour   0.25  c

Turmeric   1.5 tsp

Salt   1 tsp

Vinegar   2 c cider

Corn   2  cans, drained

Cabbage   2c finely shredded

Peppers, Red   2 medium, chopped


Cranberry Orange Relish

Chop cranberries, apples, and walnuts in food processor. Add remaining ingredients to combine. Refrigerate overnight.

Cranberries 4 c fresh

Apples 2 c. pared, cored and quartered

Nuts, Walnuts 1 c

Orange Juice 0.5 c

Lemon Juice, Fresh 2.5 T

Sugar 1 c

Orange 1 c segments


Cranberry Pomegranate Relish

Place cranberries and honey in food processor. Pulse until chopped (but not too finely), then taste and stir in more honey if needed. At this point, the relish can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours before serving. Stir in pistachios and pomegranate seeds and serve.

Cranberries     12 oz
Honey     1/3 c
Pistachios     3/4 c chopped
Pomegranate Seeds     3/4 c


Cucumber Pickles--Quick

Cut cucumber crosswise into 1/8" thick slices, then toss w salt and let stand 15 min. Rinse, drain, and pat dry. Whisk together remaining ingredients until sugar is dissolved. Stir in cucumber and let stand at least 15 min. 

Cucumber 2 English

Salt 2 tsp Kosher

Vinegar 0.5 c cider

Mustard 1 T dry

Dill 1 T chopped fresh

Brown Sugar 0.33 c


Cucumber Sandwich Pickles

Sprinkle salt over cucumbers; add 2 qts water and let stand 2-3 hours. Drain thoroughly. Combine 3 c vinegar and 3 c water; bring to boiling. Add cucumbers; simmer about 8 min. (Cucumbers should not become soft) Drain well, discarding liquid. Combine 2 c vinegar and 1 c water w remaining ingredients; simmer 10 min. remove from heat; add drained cucumbers. Cover and let stand 2 days in a cool place. Bring to boil and pack, boiling hot, into sterilized jars, leaving 1/8" head space. Adjust caps and process.

Salt 0.5 c

Cucumber 6 c medium, sliced long way

Water 2 qt

Vinegar 3 c

Water 3 c

Vinegar 2 c

Water 1 c

Sugar 1 c

Brown Sugar 1 c light, packed

Mustard Seeds 0.5 tsp

Celery Seeds 0.5 tsp

Turmeric 0.5 tsp


Dill Pickles, Kosher

Combine sugar, salt, vinegar and water. Tie spices in cheesecloth bag; add to vinegar mix; simmer 15 min. Pack cucumbers into hot jars, leaving 1/4" space; put a sprig of dill and 1 garlic clove, 1 bay leaf, 1/2 tsp mustard seed, and 1 piece hot red pepper in each pint. Heat brine to boiling. Pour boiling hot mix over cucumbers. Adjust caps. Process.

Sugar 0.75 c

Salt 0.5 c

Vinegar 1 qt

Water 1 qt

Pickling Spices 3 T

Cucumber 30 -40

Dill


Dill Slices, Refrigerated  makes 5 pints

Place cucumber slices in large glass or stainless steel bowl. Set aside. Put vinegar, water, pickling spice, salt and sugar in stainless steel saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve salt and sugar. Reduce heat, cover and boil 10 min. Pour pickling liquid over cucumber slices. Cover w waxed paper and let cool to room temp. Place 1.5 tsp dill seeds, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1/4 tsp peppercorns and 2 garlic clove halves in each of 5 pint jars. Fill w cucumber slices, leaving 1/2-inch headspace in jar. Ladle pickling liquid into jar to cover cucumbers. Apply lids. Let cucumbers marinate in refrigerator for at least 2 weeks and use within 3 months.

Cucumber   8.25c sliced and trimmed

Vinegar   2c white

Water   2c

Salt   6T Kosher

Sugar   0.25c

Pickling Spices   2T

Dill   7.5tsp seeds

Mustard Seeds   5tsp

Pepper   1.25tsp whole corns

Garlic   5 cloves, halved


Dilly Beans

Blanch beans 1 min; plunge into ice water. Pack into jars. Bring remaining ingredients to boil. Pour over beans. Refrigerate 2 weeks to develop flavor. 

Beans, Green 2 lb trimmed

Cayenne Pepper 1 tsp

Dill 4 heads

Garlic 4 cloves

Vinegar 2.5 c 


Eggplant, Fairy Tale Pickles

This pickle does have a few steps, but isn’t actually particularly complicated. You start by trimming away the stem end off a quart of fairy tale eggplant and slicing each fingerling into four or six wedges (use your judgement; more strips for larger eggplants, fewer for smaller ones). Place them in a bowl and toss them with two tablespoons kosher salt and the juice of one lemon (the salt draws out the liquid in the eggplant and the lemon prevents them strips from browning). 
Once the eggplant slivers have sat for an hour or two, you dump them into a colander and give them a quick rinse. Then, using your hands, gently press out as much liquid as you can without entirely smashing the eggplant. While you are rinsing and draining, pour three cups of red wine vinegar into a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Put all the eggplant into the boiling vinegar. Once the vinegar returns to a boil, let the eggplant cook for just 2 minutes.
When the cooking time is up, remove the eggplant from the saucepan with a slotted spoon and place it into a bowl (keep the vinegar hot). Add 1/4 cup torn basil leaves, 1 minced garlic clove (I like to use a garlic press for applications like this one), and 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper and stir to combine. Funnel the dressed eggplant into two prepared pint jars (half pints are fine as well). Top with the blanching vinegar, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Using a chopstick, remove air bubbles and add more vinegar if the headspace levels have dropped.
Wipe the rims of the jars with a damp paper towel (this removes any particulars that could interfere with a good seal). Apply heated lids and rings. Lower the jars into a small boiling water bath canner and process for 10 minutes (starting your timer when the pot returns to a boil). When the time is up, carefully remove jars from the canning pot and place them on a folded kitchen towel to cool. When they are cool enough to handle, remove the rings, check seals and (if seals are good), wash jars to remove any remnants of spilled brine.
These pickles need a little curing time for optimum deliciousness. Give them at least a week (if not more).


Eggplant, Italian Marinated

Toss eggplant w salt and drain in colander set over a bowl, covered, at room temp 4 hours. Discard liquid. Gently squeeze handsfuls of eggplant to remove excess liquid. Bring vinegar and water to boil in 3- to 4- qt nonreactive pan. Add eggplant and boil, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 min. Take out w slotted spoon and simmer beans in liquid 5 min. Drain in colander. Set over bowl and continue to drain, covered and chilled, 2 hours more. Discard liquid. Squeeze, then pat dry w paper towels. Stir w remaining ingredients. Transfer to jar and top w enough oil to cover. Marinate at least 4 hours.                

 Water   2c

Eggplant   1   1/5 lb. peeled and cut tp 3"x .25

Salt   1.5T

Vinegar   2c

Garlic   2 cloves, chopped

Oregano   2tsp fresh

Olive Oil   1.5c

Pepper   0.5tsp

Beans, White   24oz can


Eggplant Relish--Pot Le Jaune

Roast eggplant and peppers in 475 degree oven for 30-40 min or until skins turn dark and eggplant is quite soft. Cool and peel. Remove core and seeds from peppers. Finely chop peppers and eggplant. In bowl, combine vegetables and remaining ingredients.

Eggplant   1

Pepper, Green   2

Olive Oil   2T

Lemon Juice, Fresh   2T

Onion   3T, finely chopped

Garlic   3 cloves, finely chopped

Sugar   pinch

Salt/Pepper

Hot Sauce   1tsp


Fresh Fig Preserves

Wash and peel figs. Combine sugar and lemon juice in large non-reactive saucepan. Add enough water to dissolve sugar. Add figs and lemon slices. Cook about 45 min (cinnamon or ginger may be tied in cheesecloth bag and cooked with figs for added flavor). Stir frequently to prevent sticking. Pack into clean hot jars and seal immediately.

Fig 4 lb. Firm ripe

Sugar 4 lb

Lemon Juice, Fresh 0.25 c

Lemon 2 sliced


Habenero Apricot Jelly

​Using a food processor, finely mince the diced apricots. Place the apricots in a large stainless steel stockpot, add the vinegar and cover. Let the apricots soak in the vinegar for at least 4 hours (can be left to sit overnight if you'd like, but 4 hours will do the trick). Using a food processor, finely mince the red bell pepper and habanero peppers. Place the apricots, vinegar, peppers, and sugar in a large stainless steel stockpot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to make sure all the sugar dissolves. Once the mixture has reached a full rolling boil (a boil you can not stir down), it will double in size. Stirring constantly, keep at a full boil for one minute. Remove from heat and whisk in pectin and continue to stir for 3 minutes - this helps to evenly distribute the apricot and pepper pieces throughout the jelly. Ladle the jelly into sterilized canning jars, leaving 1/4" head space. Wipe the rims of the jars with damp paper towels to remove any jelly which got on the rims or the threads. Place the lids and the bands on the jars, just tightening the bands fingertip tight. Process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes, then remove and let sit, undisturbed, for at least 12 hours before checking seals. It is important to let them sit undisturbed for 12 hours because the sealing compound on the lids is still cooling and hardening, completing the seal. While the jars cool, you will hear a "plink" type sound from each jar - this is the jars completing the vacuum seal as the final air escapes the jar. After 12 hours have passed, remove the bands and check the lids - press down in the center of the lid. If you cannot push the lid down any further, the jar is sealed. If the lid "gives" a bit, and you can push it down, the jar did not seal. You can either put the band back on the jar, and reprocess it for another 5 minutes, or you can just put it in the fridge and use it within 3 months.

​2/3 cup diced dried apricot
1 1/2 cups white vinegar
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
4 habanero peppers, diced
6 cups white sugar
1 (3 ounce) packets Certo liquid pectin


Hot Dog Relish

Combine cucumbers, peppers, and onions; sprinkle w turmeric. Dissolve salt in 2 qts cold water and pour over vegetables; let stand 3-4 hours. Drain; cover vegetables with cold water and let stand 1 hour. Drain thoroughly. Tie spices in cheesecloth bag; add to sugar and vinegar. Heat to boiling and pour over vegetables. Cover and let stand 12-18 hours in a cool place. Bring to boil and pack into jars.

Cucumbers, chopped     2 qts

Red peppers, chopped sweet    2 c

Green peppers, chopped sweet     2 c

Onions          1 c, chopped

Turmeric       1T

Mustard seed   1 T

Salt       ½ c

Cloves, whole      2 tsp

Allspice, whole     2 tsp

Cinnamon sticks         2 sticks

Brown sugar    1 ½ c, packed

Vinegar       1 qt                                       


Ketchup     Makes 2 pints

Cook tomatoes, onions and pepper until soft. Press through food mill or sieve (I use the boat motor--it's faster). Cook rapidly until thick (volume is reduced about one half), about one hour. Tie whole spices in a cheesecloth bag; add with sugar and salt to tomato mix. Cook gently about 25 min., stirring frequently. Add vinegar and paprika; cook until thick. As mix thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking. Pour, boiling hot, into hot jars, leaving 1/8 inch head space. Run through dishwasher to seal. 

Tomato 4 quarts, peeled, cored and chopped

Onion 1 c. chopped

Pepper .5 c. Chopped red

Celery Seeds 1.5 tsp

Mustard Seeds 1 tsp

Allspice 1 tsp whole

Cinnamon 1 stick

Sugar 1 c

Salt 1 T

Vinegar 1.5 c

Paprika 1 T


Mushroom Catsup    Makes 2 c

Put mushrooms w liquid into blender. Add remaining ingredients except paste. Blend until smooth (30 sec). Pour into saucepan and stir in tomato paste. Cover and bring to boil; simmer 10-15 min. Serve w scrambled eggs, cold meat, etc. Refrigerate.

Mushrooms   2   3oz cans

Onion   0.5c chopped

Vinegar   0.25c wine

Brown Sugar   0.5c packed

Salt   0.5tsp

Celery Seeds   0.25tsp

Allspice   0.25tsp

Mustard   0.5tsp dry

Soy Sauce   0.5tsp

Tomato Paste   6oz


Mushrooms, Pickled Salad

Preheat oven to 500. Cut mushrooms into halves or thick slices. Toss w 1/4 c grapeseed oil and salt and roast on sheet pan for 30 min or until the mushrooms are nicely browned. Put coriander seeds, fennel seeds, peppercorns and star anise in small saucepan over low heat. When they are warm and fragrant, crush in a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder until powdery. Transfer to large mixing bowl w garlic, cilantro, dill, celery rib and any leaves, sugar, remaining grapeseed oil and sherry vinegar. Add mushrooms to bowl while they are hot. Pour a splash of water into the hot roasting pan, swirl it around and pour over mushrooms, scraping off any browned bits. Mix well. Adjust seasoning. Allow to sit for at least an hour, or overnight in the fridge. Serve w butter and creme fraiche.

Mushrooms     2 lb mixed

Grapeseed Oil 1/2 c

Kosher Salt     2 tsp

coriander Seeds     1 tsp

Fennel Seeds     1 tsp

Black peppercorns     1/2 tsp

Star Anise     1 piece

Garlic     1 clove, peeled and finely grated

Cilantro     1 handful, roughly chopped

Dill     1 handful, chopped

Celery     1 rib, thinly sliced, plus herbs

Sugar     3 T

​Sherry vinegar     1/4 c


Onion Jam, Caramelized w Dark Rum

Follow recipe for caramelized onions in "How-tos", substituting 2T dark rum for water. Off heat, wave lit match over skillet until rum ignites; shake skillet until flames subside. Transfer onions to food processor along with 1 tsp minced fresh thyme and 1 T light brown sugar. Pulse to jam-like consistency, about 5 1-second pulses. Transfer to medium bowl; stir in 1/2 tsp cider vinegar and s&p. Can be refrigerated up to 7 days.

Onion   2lb caramelized

Rum   2T

Sugar   1T light brown

Vinegar   0.5tsp cider


Onion Relish, Snappy

Combine all ingredients except sour cream in medium saucepan over med-hi heat. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to med-lo and cook 15-20 min until most of liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally. Stir in sour cream. Serve with grilled sausage. 

Onion   1.5c diced

Vinaigrette   0.25c balsamic

Water   0.25c

Brown Sugar   2T lite

Sage   0.5tsp

Sour Cream  1T


Onion (Red) Marmalade  

Melt butter in a 2.5 - 3 qt. heavy saucepan over moderate heat, then cook onions, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 min.  Stir in vinegar, honey, salt and pepper and cook, covered, over low heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are meltingly tender, 1.5-2 hours.  Serve at room temp. (Can be frozen up to 1 month--room temp to serve)

Butter   .25c

Onions   1lb red (2 medium), halved lengthwise, very thinly sliced lengthwise

Vinegar   .25c red-wine

Honey   2T mild

Sal   .25 tsp

Pepper   .125 tsp


Pickles, Cucumber

Peel cucs and slice 1/4" thick. Put in large bowl w onions and salt. Cover and let stand overnight; drain. Bring vinegar and sugar to rolling boil in large kettle. Mix remaining ingredients and add enough water to make a smooth paste. Stir into vinegar mix, bring to boil and add vegetables. Bring to full rolling boil, stirring occasionally. Pack in 8 sterilized pint jars to within 1/2" of top and seal.

Cucumber   3  Lb large, pickling

Onion    3c medium, sliced

Salt   0.5c

Vinegar   2 ½c white

Brown Sugar   ½   c packed light

Brown Sugar   ¼c packed dark

Cornstarch   4 tsp

Mustard seed   2T

Turmeric   2 tsp                

Celery Seed      2 tsp                   

Crushed red pepper    2 tsp                   

Coarse black pepper      2  tsp


Pickles: Kosher Double Dill

Toss cucumbers with salt in colander over bowl. Let stand 1 hour. Discard liquid. Tie peppercorns, dill weed, garlic and 1/2 c fresh dill in cheesecloth bag. Bring spice bag and vinegar to boil in medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low and add cucumbers. Cover and cook until cucs turn dull olive, about 5 min. Discard bag. Transfer cucs and liquid to glass bowl; add ice, and stir until melted. Stir in remaining 1T fresh dill. Refrigerate, uncovered, at least 1 hour before serving (Can be kept refrigerated up to 2 weeks) 

Cucumber 1 lb pickling, sliced lengthwise

Dill 0.5 c plus 1T fresh chopped

Dill 1 T dried

Garlic 6 cloves, smashed

Ice 0.33 c chopped

Pepper 1 T black corns

Salt 1 T Kosher

Vinegar 1.5 c white 


Pickles, Mixed Sweet

Break cauliflower in flowerets; cook in small amount of unsalted water 5 min; drain. Combine remaining ingredients and bring to boil. Add cauliflower; simmer 2 min. Pack in 6 hot sterilized pint jars to within 1/2" of top; seal.

Cauliflower   2qts

Peppers, Red   2 sweet in strips

Pepper, Green   2in strips

Onion   1qt in wedges

Vinegar   1qt white

Sugar   2c

Corn Syrup   0.5c light

Mustard Seeds   1T

Celery Salt   1T

Cloves   1T whole

Turmeric   0.25tsp

Salt   2 T


Pickles, Quickest, Freshest

Steep the pickling spices in a mug with a ½ cup of boiling water, as you would a cup of tea, for 15 minutes or longer. In a separate bowl, stir the sugar into the vinegar and heat in the microwave for about 2-3 minutes until dissolved, stirring occasionally. Now add the salt, pickling spice water and dill to the vinegar mixture and stir again. Put the cucumbers and onions in a nonreactive glass, ceramic or plastic casserole dish, ideally one with a lid. Pour the liquid concoction over cucumbers and onions and cover. It might seem at first as though you don’t have enough liquid, but in several hours the cucumbers will be covered. Keep the pickles in your refrigerator for up to a week but leave them to sit for at least 24 hours before tucking in. They aren’t really “pickled,” so they won’t last as long as canned or processed pickles.

​​1 tablespoon pickling spices
¾ to 1 cup sugar [depending on personal taste]
½ cup cider vinegar
½ tablespoon salt
½ packed tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
4 Kirby cucumbers, skin on, sliced about ¼ inch thick
½ medium red onion, peeled and sliced


Pickle Relish
Toss cucumber and onion w 3/4 tsp salt in a sieve set over a bowl and drain 3 hours. Discard liquid. Wrap veggies in a non-terry kitchen towel and wring out as much liquid as possible. Bring vinegar, sugar and 1/4 tsp salt to boil in small, heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved, then boil until reduce to about 1/2 c, 3-4 min. Add veggies and simmer, stirring, 2 min. Stir cornstarch mix, then stir into relish. Simmer, stirring, 1 min. Transfer to bowl and chill, uncovered about 1 1/2 hours.
Cucumber      2 c finely chopped Kirby (about 3)
Onion      1/2 c finely chopped
Vinegar      1/2 c white
Sugar       1/4 c 
Cornstarch      1 tsp dissolved in 1 tsp water


Refrigerator Jams, Quick 

The secret here is to do small batches. Put small bowl in freezer. In 10-to 12- inch skillet, bring fruit, sugar, and lemon juice to a boil over med-hi heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, and skimming foam as necessary, until mix begins to look syrupy and thickens slightly, about 5 min for strawberries and apricots and 8-9 min for plums, peaches and nectarines. Remove from heat. Spoon 1/2 tsp mix into frozen bowl, allow to set for 30 sec, and tip bowl 45 degrees to one side. If mix is liquid and runs to side of bowl, return mix to skillet and cook 1-2 min longer. Retest til it is a soft gel that moves slightly when tipped. It will keep in frig two or three weeks. Below are examples of sugar quantities for 1 lb fruit. Use 2 T lemon juice. 

Berries, Strawberries   1c sugar

Apricots   1c sugar

Plum   1c + 2T sugar

Peach   1.25c sugar 


Tomato Jam

Toss tomatoes, sugar and salt together in a large, heavy bottomed pot. Let sit at room temp at least 15 min or overnight, tossing to coat periodically to dissolve sugar. Place a small plate in the frig. Bring tomatoes to a strong simmer over medium heat until the skins burst and the juices start to boil, about 10 min. Add in any optional ingredients (I add just a pinch of ground hot pepper). Increase heat to medium-high, and cook the jam. Using a wooden spoon, stir the jam, occasionally at first; more later on. Do this until most of the liquid has evaporated and the tomatoes have begun to break down, and the mixture resembles a very thick, shiny tomato sauce, 35-45 min. This is the stage at which it's most important to stir constantly along the bottom of the pan to prevent scorching and sticking. How much they break down will depend on their type and how ripe they are. To test for thickness, spoon a bit of the jam on the chilled plate, return it to the frig and chill for 2 min. Drag your finger through it: It should hold its shape on either side without appearing watery or runny. If it's not there, continue to cook until it is. Remove from heat, divide into jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space.

Tomatoes     4 lb red or green, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces (the recipe says not to use heirlooms, but I put about a pound in because they are                            delicious)
Sugar     1 c
Salt     1/2 tsp kosher
​Optional: garlic (4 cloves chopped), chiles, thyme (1 T)



Tomato Relish

Caramelize onion in olive oil. Add remaining ingredients, except thyme, and cook. Remove from heat and stir in thyme. Makes 1 c.

Tomato   4 Roma, seeded & coarsely chopped

Onion   1 medium red

Vinegar   2T

Sugar   1tsp

Salt   0.25tsp

Pepper   0.25tsp

Olive Oil   2T

Thyme   1T fresh 


Tomato Relish--Uncooked

Mix. Cover & refrigerate. Keeps 2-3 weeks.

Tomato   8c chopped, peeled & seeded

Onion   1c chopped

Pepper, Green   1c chopped

Vinegar   1c tarragon

Sugar   3T

Mustard Seeds   1T

Salt   2 tsp

Nutmeg   0.25tsp

Cinnamon   0.25tsp

Cloves   0.25tsp ground 


Violet Jelly

Gently rinse petals in running water. Place in blender w juice and 3/4 c water. Blend to form smooth puree and set aside. In small saucepan, combine sugar, pectin and 3/4 c water. Place over high heat and boil 1 min. Add to violet puree and blend 1 min. Pour into clean, dry jars, cover and store in refrigerator.

Violets   1.5c petals

Lime Juice from 1 lime

Sugar   2.33c

Pectin   1  1.75 oz pkg 


Watermelon Rind Pickles

Trim dark skin and pink flesh from thick rind; cut in 1" pieces. Dissolve lime or salt in 2 qts water and pour over rind. Let stand 2 hours if lime or 6 hours if salt. Drain; rinse and cover w cold water. Cook until just tender; drain. Tie spices in cheesecloth bag. Combine spices w remaining ingredients and simmer 10 min. Add rind and simmer until clear. Add boiling water if syrup becomes too thick before rind is clear. Remove spice bag. Pack, boiling hot, into sterilized jars, leaving 1/2" head space. Adjust caps. Makes about 7 pints.

Melon, Watermelon   4 qts rind

Salt   1c or use 3T slaked lime

Cloves   2T whole

Cinnamon   3 sticks

Ginger   2 pieces root

Lemon   1 thinly sliced

Sugar   8c

Vinegar   1qt white


Zucchini Pickles

Wash and cut unpeeled zucchini and peeled onions in very thin slices into crock. Cover w water and add salt. Let stand 1 hr.; drain. Mix remaining ingredients and bring to boil. Pour over zucchini and onion. Let stand 1 hour. Bring to boil and cook 3 min. Pack in 3 hot sterilized jars to within 1/2" of top and seal.

Zucchini   2 lb small

Onion   3 medium

Salt   0.25c

Vinegar   1 pint white

Sugar   1c

Mustard Seeds   1tsp

Celery Salt   1tsp

Turmeric   1tsp

Mustard   0.5tsp dry


Zucchini Dill Pickles 

In a large bowl, toss zucchini w 2 T salt. Let stand 20 min. Cover w ice and water, weighting down w a plate to keep zucchini submerged. Let sand 1 hour. Drain in colander; rinse to remove excess salt. Pack with dill into quart jar. In medium saucepan, combine remaining ingredients. Bring to boil over med high, stirring until sugar dissolves. Pour into jar with zucchini. 

Zucchini     1 lb baby, halved or quartered lengthwise

Dill     1/2 c lightly packed sprigs

Vinegar     1 c white

Mustard seeds     2 tsp

Cumin seeds     1 tsp

Celery seeds     1/2 tsp

Garlic     3 cloves, peeled and halved

Jalapeno     1 halved lengthwise

Sugar     2 T