Canning Peaches

Posted By Cathy on October 5, 2011

BEAU - T - FUL!

I love fresh peaches!

What a wonderful thing it is to experience the taste of fresh peaches in the middle of a January blizzard.  I’m not talking about that canned crap you get at the grocery store.  I’m talking about the freshly picked off the tree flavour…and you can’t taste that unless you can them yourself!!!
I am so excited to add to my “self sufficiency” portion of my website!  What a wonderful feeling it is to help teach others the joy of preserving food the good old fashion way.  It’s more nutritious, it’s economical (important in these trying times) and well…..it’s down right satisfying!
So to start off I have invited my Mommy along to help show YOU how to preserve these wonderful blessings we call peaches.
First you need to buy FREESTONE peaches (unless you want to swear a lot while you are canning).  Freestone peaches have flesh that comes away easily from the pit making your job a zillion times easier. You want about 1 lb of peaches per 500 ml jar.
Second you want to get your canning pot water boiling and your jars sterilized.
Third you want to have another large pot of water boiling (this will be to blanch the peaches so that the skins will come right off when you peel them….easy peasy)
You will see here…my Mommy…in all of her baseballed hat glory… getting ready (notice her poor little bandaged wrist? :( She fell down the stairs and broke it – she just got the cast off…Mommy what am I to do with you?)
Fourth ..Okay now the jars are nice and sterile (you can boil them in the canner if you wish to do this).
Fifth..In a seperate pot of boiling water add your sealer lids and boil for 5 minutes.  Turn the heat off and let sit in the hot water until ready to use.
Hmmmm…what is Mommy doing?
AH HA!  She is blanching the peaches!!
Sixth …. What you want to do once the water has boiled is put the peaches in for about a minute and them scoop them out like you see here.
Seventh…NOW you want to immediately put them in a sink full of cold water.  This stops them from cooking (you can add ice if you wish)
Eighth…Now you can peel them!  It should be fairly easy!
Ninth..Make sure you have a bowl of water with a couple splashes of lemon juice in it (this prevents browning) and slice the peaches and plop them into the lemon juice solution…
Tenth…On the stove you want to add yet another pot of this solution:
3 1/4 cups – Sugar
5 cups – Water
This will make 7 cups – Don’t worry if you have left overs!  It makes a wonderful simple syrup that you can use to sweeten ice tea!!
Eleventh…Fill each of your 500 ml jars with sliced peaches and then add the boiling hot syrup into the jars to within 3/4 inches to the top.
Twelvth… Wipe the rims and put the sealers and lids on just finger tight.
Thirteenth…Process in a hot water bath for 25 minutes.
Fourteenth…Take out and put on towel.  Leave undisturbed for 24 hours.

TADA!!!!

For more information please visit the Benardin Canning Website (LOVE this site) for more information on canning peaches and other awesome recipes! :)
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Category: Canning, Canning, Funny Farm, Kitchen Tips, Preserving Food, Recipes, Self Sufficient Living, The Experiment | 3 Comments »
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Apple Chutney – I Love You

Posted By Cathy on October 2, 2011

Everything is prettier in a jar

Voted 5/5 Stars on Pioneer Woman’s Tasty Kitchen! (As of October 21, 2011)

Autumn is finally here and that means one thing… Apple Chutney!

I LOVE this recipe.  In fact even my 11 year old son will eat half a jar at one sitting with crackers and cheddar cheese.  This recipe is FANTASTIC and I have won awards for it at our local fall fair. : )

I first made this recipe when it was given to me by a good friend.  Since then I have passed it on because this recipe HAS to be made!  So as the leaves turn colour and the apple farms are filled with families again I shall pass it on to you!

WORLD’S BEST APPLE CHUTNEY

4 – Medium Tomatoes (Leave the skins on)

8 – Medium Cooking Onions

5 –  Medium MacIntosh Apples (Leave the skins on)

2 – Large Green Onion

2 – Large Red Onions

CHOP THESE ALL UP GOOD AND PUT IN A BIG POT!

THEN ADD:

4 Cups – White Vinegar

2 Cups – White Sugar

1 Cup – Brown Sugar

2 Tbsp – Salt

2 Tsp – Cinnamon

2 Tsp – Ground Cloves

2 Tsp – Allspice

BRING EVERYTHING TO A BOIL AND THEN SIMMER FOR 2 HOURS.

WILL MAKE 8 OR 9 (250 ml) JARS.

PROCESS IN HOT WATER BATH FOR 10 MINUTUES

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Category: Canning, Canning, Preserving Food, Recipes | No Comments »
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Elvis Has Left The Building

Posted By Cathy on September 9, 2011

Poor Poor Poor Elvis with his bum leg, wiggly tail and his puffty puff……..

was taken…but not by a coyote… He was taken by a FOX!

First time I ever cried over a bird.

I don't like foxes

We nursed little Elvis since he was a baby.  He was extremely gentle and sweet.

I am so MAD!

My husband sat there, after Elvis was killed, and waited and waited for 2 hours to see if he could get the “coyote” but then he was surprised when  a fox came running out the size of a cat!  GREAT now we have 3 predators!

For 3 years we have had free range chickens and ducks and have NEVER had a problem but this year has been crazy!  I have officially lost count on how many we have lost this year.  I think that we have lost 7 layers and 3 ducks? I know for a fact that they have killed 7 meat birds (I counted again last night)…Each bird is worth between 10 and 15 dollars and the egg layers I have lost is a loss of income for us as well because the income I received from selling those eggs is what I used to pay for the feed.  I have some young layers left but they are not laying yet.

When the birds were taken I was just mad….like…”who do you think you are coming on MY property and taking MY things?!”  BUT I also realized these canines are wild animals  and they are just trying to survive, HOWEVER, when they take my two very favourites that were our PETS….well that just gets personal.

….Now Elvis is with his bestest friend in the world… Bubbles.

I hope in heaven they have ponds galore with tadpoles and lilypads and NO foxes or coywolves….

Damn it ….I’ll miss him.

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Category: Animals, Ducks, Elvis The Lame Duck, Wild Life | 5 Comments »
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I’ll Get You Wile E. Coyote!!!!!

Posted By Cathy on August 28, 2011

ARG!!!

This coyote problem of mine is really starting to get on my LAST NERVE!!

He disappears for a week or two… I start to relax and let my chickens out and BAM he gets them.  Last night he took our all time favourite bird, our speckled sussex and adoptive duckling mother, Chippy Chip Chipster the Chippiest of Chippy Chickens!!

Poor Chippy!

AND

our newest and (so ugly he’s cute)  little itty bitty Timbit!!!

WAH!!!

Now why would he take a litte toothpick of a bird like poor little Timbit?

WHY?!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hope Chippy put a hurt on him!  She’s been known to be a bit agressive when need be

eeeeek....Bitchy Chippy!

Hopefully she pecked his face off!!

Well I guess we shouldn’t have nicknamed him Wile E. Coyote because if memory serves me correctly he never did get the road runner.  Our coyote is so smart he’ll watch and wait for hours and days and weeks on end until the time is right……

OH!  Did I mention he got another meat bird as well?  Besides losing our farm ambiance, our money, in the form of eggs and meat, are rapidly slipping through our fingers.

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Category: Animals, Chickens, Funny Farm, Wild Life | 3 Comments »
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