Pickled Garlic Scapes

 We have had a lot go on this past week or so. First, we bought a 1979 Honda Odyssey. I have dubbed it The Beast. This thing is so much fun! It really scoots up and down the driveway! We're still in the market for a good used 4-wheel ATV, but this is just a fun toy. Did we need it? No. But you can't put a price tag on having fun.

Now, onto a different topic. Our tomatillos, that we grew out from seed, are producing. Bob said that he picked up most of these from the ground but he did pull a few off of the plants. I'm working on a quart bag. Once I get enough to make a batch of salsa verde, I'll get it canned up and put up.

There weren't a ton of them, but it's a start, for sure.

I need two pounds for a batch of salsa verde.

This is what I had slated to do today. I bought these last week and I wanted to get them pickled up. I read several recipes online and just came up with my own. This recipe makes one full pint. One very full pint. Okay. I crammed them all in there. Don't judge me.

I washed the scapes and cut them into lengths that would fit into my jar.

At first, I wasn't sure if I would have enough to fill up my jar.

As you can see, that didn't become an issue at all.

I added the mustard seeds and peppercorns into the jar.

Then, I made up the pickling brine.

And, after all was said and done, I have one very full pint of pickled garlic scapes.


Pickled Garlic Scapes

*Yield 1 pint

1/4 pound garlic scapes, washed and trimmed and cut into pieces that fit into your jar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns

Wash scapes and trim them. Cut them into pieces that will fit into your jar. Add peppercorns and mustard seeds to the jar after it is filled with the cut garlic scapes.
Put the rest of the ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour over the scapes in the jar. Let set until brine is room temperature. Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for at least 2 weeks before you use them.

Enjoy!

Making Peach Jam #EveryBitCountsChallenge

 It's that time of year that I start preserving different things for wintertime use. This is the first thing I've canned this year. I tend to follow the insert that comes in the box of Sure Jell pectin when it comes to canning. Those recipes are tried, true and they never fail. They are tested for safety. They take the guesswork out of it.

I will tweak things slightly, like seasonings, herbs, etc., but I leave the main components alone.

I digress.

I'm getting in on the Every Bit Counts Challenge. I'm a bit late to the party, but better late than never. This challenge is that every day in August, you make something to put up for the winter. It doesn't matter if it is canned, dehydrated, freeze-dried, frozen or you are simply making seed starter pots out of toilet paper rolls. It all counts. The past few days, I was working my way through 20 pounds of fresh peaches. The majority went into the freezer except the one that I ate and the ones I used to make this batch of jam.

So, without further ado, here's how I make Peach Jam.

I love looking at these golden jars of peach perfection!

This recipe starts out with 4 cups of chopped/smashed peaches. Make sure to measure carefully. 

 
In a separate bowl, measure out 5-1/2 cups of granulated sugar. When I'm canning, I make sure that I buy pure cane sugar. I don't want to use sugar that is made from beets. I'm going to attempt to grow out sugar beets next year and make my own sugar, so stay tuned for that...but for this recipe, it's pure cane sugar all the way!

I had Bob get out my big pot. Unless I'm canning quart jars, I like to use this pot to can in. It's just easier to handle for me.

I mixed the chopped peaches with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and a box of Sure Jell pectin. This is a case where I deviate from the recipe. I don't use fresh lemons. I use bottled lemon juice. Every single time that I've ever bought fresh lemons to use, something has come up and they turn on me. I find that if I just buy bottles of lime and lemon juice, they can last in the fridge almost indefinitely. I may go through a bottle of each per year.

This gets combined in a large pan. I used my enameled cast iron Dutch oven. It is the perfect size to make a batch of jam in.

You cook the peaches, pectin and lemon juice with a scant 1/2 teaspoon of butter until it comes to a full, rolling boil. What that means is when you stir it hard, you can't stir the bubbles down.

After the mixture comes to a full, rolling boil, you add in all the sugar at once. Just dump it in. The sugar actually becomes a liquid. That's why you measure out the sugar before you start and put it in a bowl. That way, it's just ready to go.

You bring that mixture back up to a full, rolling boil and boil it for exactly one minute. I have a clock that has a second hand on it so I can be uber precise with the timing.

Before I got started cooking, I got out what I would need. I put some white vinegar into a dish. I got a couple of paper towels. I use the paper towels dipped into the vinegar to clean the rims of the jars.

I filled the jars leaving 1/4 inch of headspace. You can eyeball it. You don't have to measure. They do sell a gadget that will measure for you, if you're more comfortable doing it that way.

This is the homemade rack that Bob made for me. He used floral wire to connect the lids together. It works perfectly.
If you don't have this stuff, you can put a kitchen towel in the bottom. You just need something to keep the bottoms of the jars off of the bottom of the pan.

I put my lids into a pan of simmering water. Some people don't do this. I do this.
I don't see how it will hurt anything, to be honest.

I put the lids and rings on each jar and screwed them on until they are just finger-tight. You don't want to crank them down super tight. Just barely finger-tight is enough. I put these into the pot so that they weren't touching.

I put the lid on, turned the heat on and brought it up to a boil. Once it came to a full boil, I set a timer for 10 minutes. Once that was done, I turned off the flame and set another timer for 5 minutes. That's when I removed the jars to set on a towel lined baking tray. I put my jars on baking trays because it's easier for us to move them around that way. I covered them with another towel and within 30 minutes, I heard that sound that is music to a canner's ears...the ping of a lid sealing...6 times, one for each jar of peach jam.

I don't really use peach jam on toast or sandwiches. I use peach jam as a base for other things, like BBQ sauce, Asian sauces, etc. I'll make an odd piece of toast here and there, but I made this for other things.

Here you have these peachy jars of perfection!

If you want to view the full recipe, look at the insert that comes in a box of Sure Jell pectin.

#EveryBitCountsChallenge