Sweet Corn Relish

     I don't know where I first had this; I don't remember anyone in my family making it. I just know that I was raised in the Wenatchee Valley and ate a lot of fresh-picked sweet corn when I was growing up. Now when my hometown friends visit us here in Seattle in the late summer, they know to bring me plenty of sweet corn. I always set a pot of water to boil right away so I can eat a couple ears with butter, salt & pepper, but I set some ears aside for corn relish too. Putting up corn relish in shelf-stable jars means I can enjoy the sweet sun-kissed crunchy goodness of corn all winter long.

 Makes approximately 6 pint jars 

• 12 ears of fresh sweet corn, husked & washed (about 9 cups of kernels)
• 1/2 head of cabbage, chopped (about 3 cups)
• 1 onion, chopped (1 cup) 
• 1 bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)
• 2 stalks of celery, 1/2'' slices (1/2 cup)
• BRINE
• 1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 TBS sea salt, plus extra if desired
• 1/2 tsp celery seed
• 1/2 tsp yellow mustard seed
• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• Pinch of black pepper, if desired

Note: Prepare canning jars before starting your preserving project.

1.) Cut kernels of corn from ears using a sharp knife. Some people use a Bundt pan for this. (Place one end of ear upright/vertically in the hole in the center of the Bundt pan with one hand, cut kernels off with other. Corn kernels will accumulate in pan.)

2.) Combine ingredients for brine in a large heavy-bottomed pan over medium high heat and bring to a boil, stirring to make sure the sugars have dissolved and aren't sticking to the bottom of the pan.

3.) Add all of the prepared vegetables to the brine, and bring back to a boil, stirring well to combine.

4.) Reduce heat to a strong simmer. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes. Taste and add salt if needed.

5.) If you aren't going to "put up" your corn relish, it is now ready to eat, but most people prefer it chilled overnight first to allow the flavors will blend.  Simply let the corn relish cool then ladle into jars with tight-fitting lids and store in the refrigerator for up to one month.

OR

6.) If you'd like to keep this Sweet Corn Relish in your pantry, keep the mixture warm, then using a wide-mouth canning funnel ladle or spoon corn relish into hot pint-size jars, leaving 1/2" headspace. 

7.) Release any trapped air bubbles by carefully running a chopstick or other non-metallic utensil around the edges.

8.) Wipe rims clean with a damp paper towel.

9.) Set lids atop jars and screw on bands until fingertip-tight.

10.) Place jars on a rack in a canning kettle or large stockpot, making sure jar tops are covered with at least 1" of hot water. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, bring to a boil and process in a Boiling Water Bath for 15* minutes. Turn off heat, remove lid and let jars rest for 5 minutes in the kettle.

11.) Remove jars from kettle using jar-lifter tongs and place on a towel on your kitchen counter, preferably in a draft-free place.

12.) Let rest for 24 hours, then check for proper seal before storing.  If jars lids seal*, store them in a cool, dark place for up to one year.

Note: Check lids for a proper seal by pressing  down on the middle of the lid with a finger or thumb. If the lid stays down, it is sealed and will easily keep for up to one year in a cool dark place. If the lid springs up when you release your finger, the lid is unsealed. Place unsealed jars in your refrigerator and eat within 3 months, or within one month after opening.

*0-1000 ft: process 15 minutes

1,001-6,000 ft: process 20 minutes

Above 6,000 ft: process 25 minutes

Tangy Homemade Tomato Ketchup

     If you've never made ketchup at home, you're in for a treat. Spending the time to create "America's most popular condiment" from scratch is well worth the time & effort. Start with the tastiest tomatoes you can find because their flavor will come shining through in the ketchup, even though the recipe includes a variety of other ingredients. Don't just use this on fries either; try using it as a base for cocktail sauce and BBQ sauce too. 

Makes approximately 6 half-pint (8 oz) jars, though I prefer to package condiments in 4 oz. jars. 

• 8 pounds tomatoes, washed (about 12 cups peeled/seeded/chopped tomatoes)
• 1 TBS ginger, peeled & chopped
• 1 TBS olive oil 
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup orange juice 
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 TBS sea salt, plus extra if desired.

Note: If planning to process in a Boiling Water Bath, prepare canning jars and keep hot until ready to use; prepare lids according to the manufacturer's instructions. 

1.) Blanch tomatoes long enough for skins to crack, about 30-60 seconds. (It sometimes helps to make a small X on the bottom of each tomato with the tip of a paring knife, but it isn't necessary.) Plunge tomatoes into a bowl of cold water, then peel, seed and chop them.

2.) Heat olive oil in large heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat, and cook chopped ginger for 1 minute. Add chopped tomatoes and remaining ingredients, and bring mixture to a boil, stirring to make sure the sugars have dissolved and aren't sticking to the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to a strong simmer. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for approximately one hour or until mixture begins to thicken. 

3.) When most of the liquid has cooked out of the tomatoes, remove from heat and let cool slightly, then process using a food mill. Transfer puree back into the pan over low heat and stir. Taste the ketchup, adding more salt if desired. At this point you can either:

a.) Let the ketchup cool, then ladle into bottles with tight-fitting lids and store in the refrigerator for up to one month.

OR:

b.) Keep the ketchup warm if you want to process the jars (to be able to store the ketchup at room temperature.) Start by ladling ketchup into half-pint - or smaller - jars. Release any trapped air bubbles by carefully running a chopstick or other non-metallic utensil around the edges. Wipe rims clean. Place lids and bands atop jars, and seal by processing in a Boiling Water Bath for 25 minutes. (You will need to make adjustments to processing times at higher altitudes.)

After removing from boiling water bath, set aside in a draft-free place for 24 hours. Will keep on the shelf in a cool dark place for up to one year.

Classic Cherry Compote

 If you have a perfect batch of sweet cherries, I can't think of a better way to preserve them than to pack them whole (stemless with pits intact) in a simple syrup of sugar & water. Leaving the pits in the cherries will impart a pleasantly bitter note that is so subtle it might even be undetectable to some people. 

   The relatively long processing time -- compared to pickles and jam -- will draw ruby-red juice out of the cherries, creating an elegant light syrup with pure fruit flavor; perfect for sipping on its own or for fancifying plain seltzer water and/or cocktails. Serve the cherries on ice cream, yogurt or just eat them straight from the jar.

     You could use any type of sweet cherries for this, but I usually use Bings. If you use Rainiers, you won't have the ruby-red syrup, but they'll surely look spectacular in the jars with their bright yellow skins, and are bound to taste as good as they look, if not better.

     This recipe was inspired by Linda Ziedrich, who has a recipe for Moldovan Cherry Compot [sic] in her terrific book "The Joy of Jams, Jellies and other Sweet Preserves".

Makes 1 quart (or 2 pints)

• 1 pound Cherries, washed, stems removed, pits intact
  
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup white sugar

1.) Prepare canning jars and keep hot until ready to use; prepare lids according to the manufacturer's instructions. 

2.) Pack cherries firmly into clean jars, considering placement for maximum utilization of space. In other words: put as many cherries into the jar as possible, without smashing.

3.) Make a syrup by boiling the water, then adding the sugar, stirring to dissolve. As soon as the sugar has dissolved completely, carefully ladle the hot syrup over the cherries, filling the jars to within 1/2 inch of the rim. 

4.) Using a chopstick, plastic knife, or "bubble remover", pop any air bubbles which can be seen trapped in the syrup. Be careful not to poke holes in the cherry skins.

5.) Wipe rims clean, place warm seals on top the jars and screw bands onto jars "finger-tight".

6.) Process in a Boiling Water Bath for 45 minutes for quarts, 35 minutes for pints. 

7.) If jars lid seals it will easily keep for one year in a cool, dark place. If jar doesn't seal, place it in your refrigerator and eat within 3 months. Either way, use within 2 weeks of opening. 

Perfection Apricot Jam

    I make a lot of different kinds of preserves, including some very unusual combinations. The one that wins me the most fans is really very basic, and probably the simplest one I make. Besides the endless requests I get for my Blue Ribbon Dill Pickles, the other thing I hear most often is from friends and family is: "You got any more of that apricot jam?"

   I happen to prefer using a type of apricots called "Perfection" for this recipe, but there are many other types that work great, and maybe some that work even better. All I know is, when I use a mixture of ripe and slightly under-ripe Perfection Apricots (along with some sugar, fresh-squeezed lemon juice & lemon zest) I come up with a winning combination that some people say might just make me famous some day. So far I'm satisfied knowing I'm making quite a few people happy.

    I've said it before and I'll say it again: it's amazing to me that with a bit of skill and plenty of heat, 3 common ingredients can be turned into something so lusciously delicious.

Makes ~4 half pints

• 2 pounds fresh apricots; a mixture of ripe & slightly under-ripe fruit works best.
  
• 1 fresh lemon, zested and juiced
• 4 cups white sugar

Note: Prepare canning jars and keep hot until ready to use; prepare lids according to the manufacturer's instructions. (If macerating the fruit & sugar mixture overnight, you will want to wait until the next day to prepare the jars.)

1.) Cut apricots in half. Remove the pit. Chop apricots into chunks. (Bigger if you like your jam chunky, smaller if you like it smoother.) You should have approximately 6 cups of fruit.

2.) Combine chopped apricots, lemon zest, lemon juice and sugar in a large bowl, stir well to combine and cover. Let it sit on the counter at least one hour, but preferably 8 hours, or even overnight. The longer it sits, the more juices will be pulled from the fruit, forming a wonderful syrup in the bowl. 

3.) After letting the apricot mixture sit the desired time, stir mixture together well, scraping any sugar that might have collected on the bottom of the bowl.

4.) Place apricot mixture in a heavy-bottomed non-reactive pan (don't use aluminum or cast iron). Bring to a boil over medium high heat and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the fruit from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Stir the fruit gently while cooking to reduce foaming.

5.) After about 10 minutes the fruit should be softening and you can periodically mash the chunks with a potato masher if you want smaller pieces.

6.) Boil for 5-15 more minutes, stirring, until the jam either thickens to your liking or until it reaches 220 degrees on a candy thermometer.

7.) Ladle jam into clean hot jars to within 1/4" of the top, wipe rims spotlessly clean and place a lid on top of jar. Next, screw a band onto the jar until it's "finger-tight".

8.) Process for 10 minutes in a Boiling Water Bath.

9.) Turn kettle off and let jars rest in kettle for 5 more minutes.

10.) Remove jars from kettle using jar-lifter tongs, and gently set aside to cool on the counter, on a kitchen towel, in a draft-free place. 

11.) Let rest for 24 hours, then check jars for a proper seal* before storing.  

12.) If jars lid seals it will easily keep for one year in a cool, dark place. If jar doesn't seal, place it in your refrigerator and eat within 3 months, and within one month after opening. 

*Check lids for a proper seal by pressing  down on the middle of the lid with a finger or thumb. If the lid stays down, it is sealed and will easily keep for up to one year in a cool dark place. If the lid springs up when you release your finger, the lid is not properly sealed. 

Watermelon Rind Pickles

I adore this old-fashioned recipe for zingy pickled watermelon rinds for so many reasons, but here are just a few of them:

It makes use of something that might normally be tossed in the compost bin.

The pickles aren't just tasty; they're quite pretty too.

When I give jars of Watermelon Rind Pickles to people, they're often taken aback to see something they haven't seen since childhood - since their Grandma used to show them off on her holiday relish tray.

They're unique!

Makes approximately 3 pints 

First, the watermelon rind:

8 cups prepared* watermelon rind cubes (from a 5 lb. watermelon)

Brine:
1/2 cup pickling salt
2 quarts water

Syrup:
3 cups white or brown sugar (or combination to equal 3 cups)
3 cups white vinegar
1 lemon, thinly sliced
2 cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon allspice berries
1 teaspoon whole cloves 

*Remove the green skin and pink flesh from the white rind.

Note: Prepare canning jars and keep hot until ready to use; prepare lids according to the manufacturer's instructions.

1.) Cut the rind into 1 inch cubes/chunks. Soak the chunks overnight in a brine made by mixing the salt and water together.

2.) The next day, drain the watermelon rind chunks, put them into a large pot, and cover with fresh water. Bring to boil, lower the heat to a simmer, and then simmer until tender. Drain again.

3.) While rind is simmering, make a syrup with the sugar(s), vinegar, lemon slices and spices (in a saucepan large enough to hold the chunks). Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the rinds and cook until the are clear.

4.) Pack the rind mixture into hot, sterilized pint jars and fill with syrup, leaving about 1/2" headspace. 

5.) Using a chopstick or plastic knife, pop any air bubbles you might see in the syrup.

6.)Wipe rims spotlessly clean and place a sealing lid on top the jar. Next, screw a band onto the jar until it's "finger-tight".

7.) Process jars in a Boiling Water Bath for 10 minutes (half pints) and 15 minutes (pints).

8.) Remove from the Boiling Water Bath using jar-lifter tongs and place on a towel, preferably in a draft-free place, for 24 hours.

9.) Test lids for a proper seal: press down on the center of the lid. If it stays down, it is sealed. If it flexes up & down, it is not sealed.

> If jars lids are properly sealed the contents will keep for one year in a cool, dark place. If jar lid failed to seal during processing, place it in your refrigerator and eat within 3 months, or within one month of opening.