Monthly Archives: August 2009

Finding Different Canning Recipes for Cucumbers

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I’ve cucumbers coming out of my ears…guess that is what happens when I put four plants into the ground!

This time, besides more Speedy Dill Pickles I found a couple of recipes that I wanted to try and sort of merged them into one, with a few additions of my own. And I came up with:

CHUNKY MONKEY MUSTARD PICKLED VEGGIES

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You can find the originals I worked with at: Self-reliance: Recession-proof Your Pantry, pg 87 – Aunt Merna’s Chunky Mustard Pickles and Canning & Preserving for Dummies, pg 104 – Pickled Veggies.

All veggies, sans the cauliflower, came from my garden…I’ll try to give you the precise amounts of each one, but sometimes I just had a “handful”, so bare with me.

CHUNKY MUSTARD PICKLED VEGGIES

2 quarts pickle cucumbers, cut into large chunks 1″-2″ skin left on
1 head cauliflower, cut into small flowerets
3 large carrots, cut into 1-1/2″ pieces then halved
3 Sweet Italian peppers, stemmed and cut into 2″ pieces seeds included
4 Jalapenos, stemmed and seeded cut into 1/2″ pieces
2 Bell peppers (I used red & yellow), stemmed, seeded and cut into large pieces
4 2″-3″ onions – peeled and cut into rings
6 Tomatillos – husked and quartered (that was all that I had ripe after making salsa)
Green beans – handful, I found a plant underneath the tomatillos!
6 yellow pickle peppers

Get your water bath canner ready and jars hot (I had ready 6 quart jars and a couple of pint jars as I wasn’t sure how much my recipe would make. )

Cut all the veggies and put in a large stainless steel pot, glass bowl, or crock. Sprinkle 1 cup kosher salt over veggies and then cover with 4 quarts of water or enough to cover veggies. Let soak for 6 hours or more. Drain and rinse with cold water.

Bring to boil 4 cups of vinegar, 2 cups of water and 6 cups of sugar in large stainless steel pot.

Mix 1 cup of cleargel (or flour) with 2 cups of water, 1 TBS celery seed, 4 TBS of mustard powder, 2 TBS Tumeric and 1 TBS mustard seed. Blend well and then add to vinegar mixture. Let thicken then add veggies and bring to a rolling boil.

Ladle into your hot prepared jars and leave 1/4″ head space…wipe rims clean and put on lids and rings.

Process for 20 minutes after boiling starts. Higher elevations add 10 minutes. I’m in Northern Nevada so I processed for 30 minutes total. Hook canning rack over the pots rim and let sit for 5 minutes before pulling jars out for cooling.

August 2009 Garden Update ~ Sparks, Nevada

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Well…it’s almost the end of August and here is what is left of my garden. I don’t think it produced as well as last year, but I tried different plants than last.

Cucumbers…I’ve oodles of cucumbers. The best producing ones have been the Lemon and the Homemade Pickles. Both I bought as seedlings from the UNCE Plant Sale, and that particular Master Gardener got her seeds from Botanical Interests in Colorado.

Cucumber ~ Homemade Pickles Seeds

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They have made many many many pints and quarts of pickles (picture shows lemon and homemade cucs):

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Lemon Cucumber Seeds ~ These are tasty little cucumbers!

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Spacemaster Cucumbers round out my cucumber plants. It’s not producing as many as the other two…but supplies us with great cucs to slice into salads and add with red onions and vinegar.

Squash…I’ve diddly-squat in the squash department. Squash bugs ate my whole crop. I couldn’t smoosh them fast enough.

I do have a mystery volunteer that is coming up in the decomposed granite in between two of my boxed tomato plants. I’m thinking it’s a winter squash of some sort…or a mutant. Anyone have any ideas?

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Tomatillos…I’ve tomatillos coming out of my ears. 🙂 They grow well here in Northern Nevada, that’s for sure. I think I may decrease to 2 plants next year. I’ll be making more salsa soon. I’ll add a bunch into pesole that I plan on canning (going to break out that pressure canner that I got for my birthday soon).

Peppers…peppers ALWAYS do well here! I’ve been picking bell peppers, hungarian stuffing peppers, yellow pickle peppers, jalapeno, cayenne, and sweet italian. I’ve borrowed my sister’s dehydrator and plan on using it and the pressure canner to put up my peppers after roasting them. I read that you can dehydrate peppers even after roasting them. Will be making sauces up and canning them too.

Sweet Italian peppers starting to ripen

Sweet Italian peppers starting to ripen

The corn did ok, not as well as last year. I planted it in a different spot, guess it didn’t like it much.

The heirloom Brandywine tomatoes did not do well at all. The plant looks ok, it blooms, but then they drop. The heirloom Siberian tomatoes are producing very well.

Beets did great. Carrots not so well. Radishes did well. Brussels sprouts not so well…I finally yanked them as they were full of bugs. Cabbage did great. Cantaloupe got eaten by squash bugs. Horseradish is doing great…well, the top part is really big, not sure about the root part yet.

Herbs do great in my yard. You should see my one sun room…loaded with brown lunch bags of herbs drying. Basil, fennel, chamomile, oregano, thyme, parsley, rosemary, and sage.

Salsa & Relish Canning

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Spent part of last Saturday afternoon canning…again. Imagine that! 🙂

I had about 2 more pounds of Tomatillos that I picked from the garden and wanted to make a salsa verde this time with them. I can not for the life of me remember where I got the recipe, will have to look at my paper work at home.

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It has tomatillos, onion, jalapenos, green chiles, garlic, salt, sugar, lime juice, cumin…and I think that is it. Will post a link to the recipe as soon as I figure out where it came from. It did make four pints and one half-pint jars. I opened up the half-pint jar last night and we LOVED it! The flavor was wonderful! But…me thinks I’m going to use some hotter peppers next time to step it up a notch.

OOOOHHH!! I found it! It came from New Mexico State University!

I used lime juice and no oregano…and I kept the seeds in the peppers in.

RECIPES
Tomatillo Green Salsa
Yield: 5 pints

5 cups chopped tomatillos
1 1/2 cups seeded, chopped long green chiles
1/2 cup seeded finely chopped jalapeños
4 cups chopped onions
1 cup bottled lemon juice
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp ground cumin*
3 Tbsp oregano leaves *
1 Tbsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and stir frequently over high heat until mixture begins to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Ladle hot salsa into pint jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process in a boiling water canner 15 minutes at 0-1,000 feet altitude; 20 minutes at 1,001-6,000 feet; 25 minutes above 6,000 feet.

You may use green tomatoes in this recipe instead of tomatillos.

*Optional

Also had lots of Lemon Cucs and a few Spacemaster Cucs so I tried a recipe I found on Sharon’s site for Sweet Pickle Relish, I met Sharon over at Tasty Kitchen. My relish is a bit different looking as I used red bell pepper instead of green.

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For Today ~ 21 August 2009 ~ Simple Woman’s Daybook

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FOR TODAY … 21 August 2009

Outside My Window… TIME LAPSE CAMERA of the buildings going up outside my window

I am thinking… It’s hot…we broke a 90 year old record yesterday! It was 101F and supposed to be 100F today. I WANT OCTOBER WEATHER!

I am thankful for… my job…even though it crazy at the moment.

From the kitchen… nothing…going out tonight! Happy Dancing!

I am wearing… Tan crop pants and a brown t-shirt and dirty white Betulas…me thinks this is their last summer.

I am creating… nothing at the moment.

I am going… to see Lewis Black tonight at the Silver Legacy! Will be cashing in my Sterling Bucks for a free room too.

I am reading… the new Backwoods Home magazine.

I am hoping… My constant wish ~ That everyone that is looking for a job, finds one.

I am hearing… My office mate sighing up a storm.

Around the house… Herbs drying in paper lunch bags…basil, thyme, oregano, parsley, chamomile.

One of my favorite things… Autumn…everything about it. Cooler weather, colors, smells, football, hockey, halloween, thanksgiving, pumpkins, sweaters.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week… Lewis Black show, make tomatillo salsa, sweet pickle relish, maybe head up to Portola.

Here is a picture thought I’d share with you… I want to see this soon…trees changing colors and snow on Mt. Rose & Slide Mountain.

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The Simple Woman is the original home of The Simple Woman's Daybook.

More Canning ~ Carrot Cake Jam

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Made a new jam recipe last night ~ Carrot Cake Jam. Once I have my “testers” try it out, I’ll post the recipe. 🙂

It consists of carrots, pears, pineapple, pecans, ground cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, lemon juice and pectin.

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It made up 8 half-pint and 1 pint jars. Me thinks it will go good with pancakes, french toast, biscuits…even the filling for sweet rolls.

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Canning ~ Dill Pickles and Roasted Chile & Tomatillo Salsa

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Did some canning over the past few days…

3 quarts and 2 pints of Dill Pickles last night ~ had some Spacemaster Cucs, Homemade Pickle Cucs, and Lemon Cucs that were ready to pick. I threw some yellow pickle peppers (??? I swear that is what the container said when I planted them) into the jars too. I think I’ll make relish with the next cucumbers I pick.

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On Sunday I found a salsa recipe that used dried chile pods with fresh tomatillos and tomatoes. I changed it somewhat…see recipe below. It was called Roasted Chipotle Tomatillo Salsa…but I didn’t have smoked-dried jalapenos, so I used Pasilla-Anchos and New Mexico dried Chiles. It’s not hot at all…sorta different tasting type of salsa. My husband enjoyed the flavor, said it would be good on meats as a marinade.

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ROASTED TOMATILLO & PEPPER SALSA

2 lbs 4 oz husked tomatillos
2 lbs roma tomatoes
2 medium onions
1 large head of garlic
4 oz Chile New Mexico (dried pods, with stems broken off)
4 oz Chile Pasilla-Ancho (dried pods, with stems broken off)
1 cup white vinegar
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp kosher salt

(this recipe made 3 pint jars and 6 half-pint jars…or 6 pint jars)

Prepare canning jars as manufacturer directions. Get you canning pot of water boiling!

On a dry flat skillet over medium heat roast chile pods on both sides until they release their aroma and are somewhat pliable. Transfer to a stainless steel or glass bowl and pour 2 cups of hot water over them. I placed them in my SS pot and put a bowl on them to keep them all under water. In about 15-20 minutes puree peppers with the water. Set aside.

Under a broiler roast husked tomatillos, tomatoes, onion and garlic (leave skins on onion and garlic, although break up garlic into cloves) until blackened and blistering. Put tomatoes into a bowl and cover to steam a bit so you take off the skins. Peel onions and garlic. Puree tomatillos, onions, garlic and maters.

Put all of the puree back into large stainless steel pot (don’t forget the chiles) and add vinegar, sugar, and salt. Bring to boil and then simmer for about 1/2 an hour. Ladle salsa into jars with 1/2 inch of head space and put in canner for 15 minutes (25 for Northern Nevada).

I have 3 tomatillo plants that are producing lots of fruit…will be doing a verde salsa next time. 🙂

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Furlough Day spent at Virginia City, Nevada

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Spent my second furlough day up at VC…we went up on Thursday afternoon and stayed the night at the Silver Queen Hotel on C Street.

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My husband received a free night after getting his arm stuck in the wooden floor helping the bartender get her keys that fell down a hole. 🙂 Our room was #14, on the second floor facing C Street. The “front desk” is actually in the bar section of hotel (where the lady with the silver dollar dress is)…then you walk outside take a left and go through the first door.

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Going Down!

Going Down!

Up the stairs take a left and you’ll come to a long corridor…

To the right

To the right

To the left

To the left

That’s our room on the left side. You walk in and I swear the ceilings are at least 18 feet high. There are two windows facing the street.

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Bed on the north side, old wardrobe on the south wall…and on the west wall we have ~

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With this in there too!

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No tv, radio, phone…was really nice. It’s an old place (1800’s) so you can hear quite a bit. In room 14 your bed is over that long stairway coming from the street to the second floor. And someone had a dog barking in their room that was towards B Street side.

We had dinner at the Mandarin Garden on C Street. Pretty good food with a great view of Six Mile Canyon.

The Silver Queen’s bartender told us that we could have a discounted Ghost Tour with Bats in the Belfry ~ part of staying at the hotel. I guess they start the tour in the Silver Queen upstairs in room 11 and end up down at the Washoe Club. About 8:30 pm we heard a group of people coming up the stairs…I wanted to go on the tour, but forgot about, so I tipped-toed over to our door to listen. I accidently put my hand on the door and it creaked pretty loudly…heard a yelp and “DID YOU HEAR THAT?” It was very hard not to laugh. We didn’t hear nor see any ghost activity that night. 😦 I still want to go on the tour one of these nights…maybe drag my sister up with me.

We’ve been to VC many times to know that all you can do up there early in the mornings is to walk around. One bar is open that serves coffee…and at 8:30 am the restaurant that is attached to the Delta Saloon opens up for breakfast. So we walked around waiting for 8:30 am to roll around, ate breakfast and then headed on down the hill.

I’ll share the strolling pictures tomorrow or on Monday. 🙂

Busy Busy Busy…Did I say I was BUSY?! ACK!

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Have been super busy here at work. Haven’t had time to play on the computer…worked through lunches last week and since I have no online access at home it was hard to post anything.

Besides working from 6:30 am to 4:00 pm with no lunches last week here are few things I did at home.

Made pickles…enough of the homemade pickle cucumbers grew at the same time for me to make 3 qts of pickles. I added garlic and dill from the garden too. My husband has been wanting to open them up from the day I canned them. Told him to wait a couple more days, please!

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Had another furlough day on Friday. We had a free stay at the Silver Queen Hotel in Virginia City coming to us so we stayed Thursday night. A front came down from Canada and cooled us down very NICELY…68 high (down from the high 90’s). Was very nice up there. Have a few pictures…will write more about the place later.

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Made some more grocey tote bags yesterday afternoon.

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Spider web in one of our cedar trees ~

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Moon on Tuesday night ~ we’d just gotten back from looking at the Hot August Nights cars at Victoria Square near our house.

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