Autumn Glory Compote Recipe - safe way to water bath pumpkin or winter squash

Autumn Glory Compote

Makes four pints (500 ml) jars

This recipe must be followed exactly because it has been made to make it okay to water bath pumpkin.  The book I got this from Bernardin  Complete book of home preserving made note that it must be followed exactly to make it save to water bath pumpkin instead of pressure canning. 

2 cinnamon sticks (each about 4 inches/10 cm) broken into pieces

5 cups cubed seeded peeled pie pumpkin (or winter squash)

5 cups cubed cored peeled fresh pineapple (3/4 inch/2 cm cubes)

Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons

1 cup coarsely chopped dried apricots

1 cup golden raisins

2 ½ cups granulated sugar

½ cup water

Prepare canner, jars, and lids

Tie cinnamon stick pieces in a square of cheesecloth, creating a spice bag.

In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine pumpkin and pineapple.  Add lemon zest and juice, apricots, raisins, sugar, water and spice bag.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring constantly, until heated through, about 5 minutes.  Discard spice bag.

Using a slotted spoon, pack hot pumpkin mixture into hot jars to within a generous ½ inch (1 cm) of top of jar.  Ladle hot syrup into jar to cover pumpkin mixture, leaving ½ inch (1 cm) headspace.  Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot syrup.  Wipe rim.  Center lid on jar.  Screw band down until resistance is met, than increase to fingertip-tight.

Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water.  Bring to a boil and process for 25 minutes.  Remove canner lid.  Wait 5 minutes, remove jars without tilting.  Cool upright, undisturbed 24 hrs; do not re-tighten screw bands.  After cooling check jar seals.  Sealed lids curve downward.  Remove screw bands; wipe and dry bands and jars.  Store screw bands separately or replace loosely on jars, as desired.  Label and store jars in a cool, dark place.

Carnival Caramel Apple Butter Recipe

Carnival Caramel Apple Butter

This recipe can make between 6 and 9 ½ pints 250 ml jars depending on how thick you cook it down

Hot pack, use water bath canner.  

8 lbs apples (boil in water if fresh, boil in apple cider if older)

2 ¼ cup brown sugar

2 ¼ cup white sugar

Half the sugar goes into the apple mix and half will be caramelized and then added into the apple mix.

2 tbsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp ground cinnamon

½ tbsp all spice

½ tbsp nutmeg (optional)

2 tbsp grated or minced fresh ginger-root – peeled

Remove core and seeds of apples.  You can peel or leave apple skin on as per taste (we left it on).

Cut up apples – the finer you chop them the less time it takes to break them down, so small pieces means less cooking time.

Place diced apples into large saucepan.  Add water or apple cider.  Bring to boil and cook until apples are soft.  (You can add 1 to 2 tsp cider vinegar if you are not adding lemon juice).  Continue cooking for 15 to 20 minutes.

Drain water/apple cider

Mash apples, use food mill if you have one.  Pulp apples as smooth as possible.  There should be about 12 cups of apple pulp.

In a separate saucepan heat 2 to 2 ¼ cups sugar (mix white and brown) over medium heat until sugar melts and turns golden brown.  This happens very quickly once it starts, be ready to quickly add the caramelized sugar to the apple pulp.  The caramel will harden and then melt in when apple mix is cooking down.

Add remaining sugar, gingerroot, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg (if using).

Cook down on low (simmer) until apple mix is thick and brown.  Stir often.  (I have been known to cook it all day)

Once apple mix has cooked down and you are about to put into jars add the lemon juice (and stir) then add to jars.  Use nonmetallic utensil to remove air bubbles.  

Leave ¼ inch headspace.  Clean jar rim, put lid on.  Apply screw band securely and firmly until resistance is met, fingertip tight.  do not overtighten.  Place jar in canner; repeat for remaining.  Make sure the jars are completely covered with water.  

Cover canner; bring water to a boil.  At altitudes up to 1,000 ft (305 m), process (boiling filled jars) for  ½ pints or pints water bath for 5 min.  For quarts water bath for 10 min.  Once time is up, turn off the heat, let jars sit in the water for about 5 min.  

Remove jars without tilting.  Cool upright, undisturbed 24 hrs; do not re-tighten screw bands.  After cooling check jar seals.  Sealed lids curve downward.  Remove screw bands; wipe and dry bands and jars.  Store screw bands separately or replace loosely on jars, as desired.  Label and store jars in a cool, dark place.

Thai hot and sweet dipping sauce.

 We tried this recipe a few weeks ago and wow. However please note you need to let it sit a few days or weeks to get a nice blend of flavors. The vinegar was quite strong the first day, but by the time Christmas (a few days later) came around it was much nicer. The vinegar has mellowed out nicely and the hot peppers have not become too strong. We will see how strong they get in the next few months. If they get to strong the next batch will have less peppers, but we love it the way it is now and so does everyone I have given a jar to.

Thai Hot and Sweet Dipping Sauce

Water Bath Canning

Yields about 9 250 ml jars

½ cup (125 ml) chopped garlic (finely chopped)

1 tbsp (15 ml) pickling salt

6 cups (1500 ml) cider vinegar

6 cups (1500 ml) granulated sugar

½ cup (125 ml) dried chili flakes – this can be adjusted to taste. 

In a small bowl, mix garlic and salt; let stand 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large, stainless steel saucepan, bring cider vinegar to a boil, over high heat.  Add sugar, cook and stir until dissolved.  Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes.  Stir in garlic-salt mixture and chili flakes.  Remove from heat. 

Ladle hot condiment into a hot jar to within ½ inch (1 cm) of top rim (headspace).  Using non-metallic utensil, remove air bubbles.  Wipe jar rim removing any stickiness.  Center SNAP lid on jar; apply screw band securely and firmly until resistance is met – fingertip tight.  Do not over tighten.  Place jar in canner; repeat for remaining jars. Make sure the jars are completely covered with water..  

Cover canner; bring water to a boil.  At altitudes up to 1,000 ft (305 m), process (boil filled jars) for 15 minutes.  Wait 5 minutes then remove jars without tilting.  Cool upright, undisturbed 24 hrs; do not re-tighten screw bands.  After cooling check jar seals.  Sealed lids curve downward.  Remove screw bands; wipe and dry bands and jars.  Label and store jars in a cool, dark place.