Pickles, Preserves, and Large Batch Canning

Pear Relish

• 8 quarts fresh pears; peeled, cored, and diced
• 5 large onions, diced
• 6 red bell peppers, diced
• 6 green bell peppers, diced
• 3 or more hot peppers to taste
• 2 lb sugar
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
• 4 cups white vinegar

Combine all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Place in hot sterilized jars and seal. Makes 8 quarts.

Pepper Relish

• 4 cups minced onions
• 4 cups shredded cabbage
• 4 cups red bell pepper, diced
• 4 cups green bell pepper, diced
• 6-8 cups peppers of choice (home grown is best; salsa or jalapeno)
• 1 cup salt
• 4 cups sugar
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups white vinegar
• 1 tbsp celery seed
• 2 tbsp mustard seed
• 1 1/2 tbsp turmeric

Stir together in a large vessel the onions, cabbage, peppers, and salt; let stand overnight, and drain well. In a separate larger pot, combine sugar, water, vinegar, celery seed, mustard seed, and turmeric until well mixed. Add the salted vegetables into the large pot and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Ladle into canning jars with 1/2 inch of headspace, seal, and sterilize.

Corn Cob Jelly

• 1 dozen medium-size corn cobs
• 2 quarts water
• 12 oz package of pectin*
• 3 cups sugar*

Wash cobs and cut them into 4-inch lengths, and place them in a pot with the 2 quarts of water. Boil for 35 to 40 minutes, and strain out the cobs. For every 3 cups of juice, add 12 oz of pectin and bring to a boil; add the same multiplier of sugar and bring back to a boil for 5 minutes. Skim, and pour into jars; seal, and sterilize.

Apple Relish

• 7 lb apples, cored and peeled
• 3 oranges, seeded and smashed to pulp
• 2 lb raisins, ground in the food processor
• 3 1/2 lb sugar
• 1 pint apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp cloves
• 1 tbsp cinnamon

Simmer all ingredients together until apples are tender. Pack into jars, sterilize, and seal.

Squash Relish

• 10 cups yellow squash
• 4 cups finely diced onions
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 red bell pepper
• 2 1/2 cups white vinegar
• 5 cups sugar
• 4 tbsp flour
• 5 tbsp salt
• 2 1/2 tbsp turmeric
• 2 tsp prepared mustard
• 2 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 2 tsp celery seed
• 1 tsp black pepper

Cut tops off squash and peppers; remove seeds from peppers. Run through the food processor until ground. Place ground vegetables with all other ingredients in a large pot, heat to boiling, and simmer for 35 minutes. Process into jars, seal, and sterilize; makes 6 to 7 pints.

Green Tomato Pickles

• 7 lb green tomatoes, sliced
• 2 gallons of water
• 3 cups of lime

Soak tomatoes in lime and water for 24 hours. Rinse until all the lime is removed, and soak in ice water for an additional 3 hours.

• 2 quarts vinegar
• 4 lb sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick (crush with hammer)
• 1 tbsp pickling spices
• 1 tbsp whole cloves
• 1 tbsp salt

Mix vinegar, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and spices together, and heat until sugar is melted. Soak tomatoes in the solution overnight or for 12 hours. Boil the mixture again for 35 minutes. Process into jars, seal, and sterilize.

Pear Relish (alternate)

• 1 pint pears
• 8 large onions
• 4 red bell peppers
• 4 green bell peppers
• 1 hot pepper of choice
• 5 cups sugar
• 5 cups vinegar
• 1 tbsp ground cloves
• 1 tbsp salt

Peel and core the pears. Remove stems and seeds from peppers. Grind peppers and onions in a food processor; drain well. Grind pears the same way, but do not drain. Place all ground produce and all other ingredients in a large pot; boil, and simmer for 25 minutes. Process into jars, seal, and sterilize.

Pepper Relish (simplified)

• 12 green bell peppers
• 12 red bell peppers
• 6 white onions
• 4 hot peppers (or less)
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 cups white vinegar
• 2 tbsp salt

Peel onions, de-seed peppers, and run both through a food processor. Combine vinegar, sugar, and salt, and heat until the sugar melts. Add the pepper mixture, bring back to a boil, and simmer for 5 minutes. Process into jars, seal, and sterilize.

"Chow-Chow"

• 8 ripe tomatoes
• 6 onions
• 3 green bell peppers
• 3 red bell peppers
• 8 apples
• 1 cup celery
• 1 pint white vinegar
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 3 tsp salt

Process, core, seed, peel, and dice vegetables into an edible state. Boil all ingredients together for 5 minutes. Pack, seal, and sterilize in jars.