The end of summer...

 ...which means canning is in full force! I made this fantastic peach jalapeno jam. Sweet and heat. Great on a block of cream cheese to eat with crackers, great on a biscuit with dinner, great as a glaze on pork!
Ready to make your own?
I may have mentioned that I like to halve and pit my peaches before blanching...so much easier. So here goes...

8C peeled diced peaches
4 minced jalapenos, seeds removed
1 1/2C honey
juice of 3 limes
powdered pectin of your choice (I use Ball for lower sugar recipes)
If you've made any jam before then you know the drill, bring first 4 ingredients to a boil in a wide, heavy bottomed pot. Reduce to a low boil and cook, stirring often, until thick and sticky (220F on  candy thermometer). Stir in one packet pectin, return to boil and then fill your prepared jars and process 10 minutes in a water bath canner.

 Easy peasy!

 Banana pepper rings were a new item to can this year. Lots of recipes out there. I chose a cold pack method and a brine that contained turmeric for that classic yellow color. A second batch of these will be happening this week.

A good friend of mine texted me a photo a few weeks back. It was a canning jar, empty of it's pickles, containing only the leftover brine. I could see it had mustard seed but it also contained a cinnamon stick! It was someone's grandma's secret recipe and she wondered if I'd ever heard of such a thing. Cinnamon Brown Sugar Pickles. I searched the interwebs for such a thing...found an old recipe from the early 1900s and tried it out. I'll let you know what the verdict is when these are tasted!

 And Bread and Butter pickles are a family tradition. It's the first thing I remember canning with my mom.

1 peck med cucumbers sliced
3  chopped white onions
3 chopped green bell peppers
sprinkle with 1/2C pickling salt, mix well and let rest for 4 hours
In large pan on stove combine following brine ingredients:
3C white vinegar and 3C cider vinegar
3C sugar
2T mustard seed
2tsp turmeric
1T whole cloves
Bring to a boil making sure sugar is dissolved. Squeeze liquid from vegetables and add to brine pot. Once all cukes are in brine give a good stir to heat through and pack into prepared pint jars.This recipe makes a bout 12-14 pints. Process for 15 minutes in a water bath canner. Try to wait about a month before eating

 these! Patience, Grasshopper!

And, of course, I have to show off my new tattoo.  Last Wednesday I got this great traditional dagger through an anatomical heart. It's hard to get a good picture of this as it's on my inner thigh. I'm working on covering my legs. this is on my left leg. My tattoo artist said 'You have a lot of shitty spots left on this leg'...meaning my knee cap, ankle, knee ditch, etc. Oh well.


Hope you enjoyed this quick update. Time passes so quickly between posts, I'm so sorry!

Happy canning! I <3 you all.