Can When You Can

We had a really strong wind storm last night. When I went out in the backyard this morning, I noticed that one of the branches of our apple tree had snapped. I was sad. I've had my eye on our apples all week, they've been so close to being ripe. I went over to survey the damage. Bad news: the branch wasn't fixable, I had to cut it off. Good news: many of the apples were ripe. I picked a whole grocery sack full.

I decided to make Crock Pot Apple Butter. It's so easy. And SOOOOO good. And when you're done you can either freeze the apple butter, or can it. With the apples I picked, I got about 11 half-pint jars, so I decided to throw them in the steam canner, since i don't have room for that many jars in my freezer. The apple butter made my house smell like fall. And I was happy all day while it simmered in the crock pot.

I've also collected quite a few jalapeno peppers from the garden the last couple of days. I found a tasty looking recipe on Pinterest for Strawberry Jalapeno Jelly and wanted to try it out. I figured since I was canning today anyway, that now was as good a time as any. And set to work seeding and chopping jalapenos and mashing strawberries.


I'm happy to say that both recipes exceeded my expectations. They were divine. My goal this year, when I planted my pepper plants in my garden, was to grow enough jalapenos to make plenty of half pint jars of jam, that I'd be able to give jam away to my neighbors as Christmas gifts. That way all the work would be done in September or so, and I wouldn't have to stress about what to do for neighbor gifts right after having a new baby. So far my plan has started off splendidly. I did 11 half-pint jars of Apple Butter, and 14 half-pint jars of jelly. With more jalapenos growing every day! (I'm secretly hoping to make enough jam that I won't have to give away any of the apple butter, I've become addicted to it!)

Crock Pot Apple Butter

Approximately 3 lb. apples
3 cups sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. cloves
Dash of salt
3/4 cup water or fresh apple cider

Directions:
Fill Crock-pot 3/4 full with peeled, cored and sliced apples. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until evenly mixed. Cover and cook on low setting overnight or until the butter is of a thick, spreadable consistency.
If apple butter has too much liquid, remove lid and cook on high until thickened. Stir often as butter thickens to prevent scorching.

Store in refrigerator for up to 6 weeks. Freeze for longer storage.

Variation: For a less sweet apple butter, substitute 1 cup honey for the sugar.

To can the apple butter, pack into hot jars leaving 1/4-inch headspace and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.


Strawberry Jalapeno Jelly

4 cups crushed strawberries (discard stems and leaves)
1 cup jalapeno pepper (processed in food processer)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 (1 3/4 ounce) package powdered fruit pectin (Sure-Jell Premium yellow box I prefer using 1 1/2 packages because strawberries are runnier)
7 cups granulated sugar (yes this is the right amount...it's jelly!)

Directions:
1 Sterilize eight half pint canning jars with lids and rings, boiling for at least 5 minutes and kept hot.

2 Place the crushed strawberries (do not chop in a food processer; the texture will be too fine and choppy), processed jalapeno pepper, lemon juice and pectin into a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan; stir in the sugar to dissolve. Rapidly bring to a boil over high heat (long, slow boiling destroys the pectin). Once at a full rolling boil, cook for 1 full minute. One half teaspoon butter may be added to keep down the foam, if desired. Letting this mixture sit for about 5 minutes discourages the fruit from separating.

3 Pack the jam into the hot, sterilized jars, filling the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a knife or a thin spatula around the insides of the jars after they have been filled to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. Top with lids and screw on rings.

4 Process 10 minutes in a boiling water canner. Remove the jars and place onto a cloth-covered or heat-resistance surface. (While cooling, I shake frequently to redistribute content.) Allow to cool overnight. Store in a cool, dark area