Cut two small slits in each pepper. Wear rubber gloves for hot peppers to preven buring hands. Dissolve salt in 4 quarts water. Pour over peppers and let stand 12 to 18 hours in a cool place. Drain; rinse and drain thoroughly. Combine remaining ingredients; simmer 15 minutes. Remove garlic. Pack peppers into hot Ball […]

Caution: Eviscerate fish within 2 hours after they are caught. Keep cleaned fish on ice until ready to can. Note: Glass-like crystals of magnesium ammonium phosphate sometimes form in canned salmon. There is no way for the home canner to prevent these crystals from forming, but they usually dissolve when heated and are safe to […]

Quality: Select young, tender pods. Remove and discard diseased and rust-spotted pods. Procedure: Wash pods and trim ends. Leave whole or cut into 1-inch pieces. Cover with hot water in a saucepan, boil 2 minutes and drain. Fill jars with hot okra and cooking liquid, leaving 1-inch headspace. Add 1 teaspoon of salt per quart […]

Reduced-sodium salts, for example, “Lite Salt” may be used in quick pickle recipes, as indicated in this guide. The pickles may, however, have a slightly different taste than expected. Caution: Use of reduced-sodium salt in fermented pickle recipes is not recommended. === * USDA Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539 (rev. 1994) * format courtesy of

Quality: Select young, tender, well-colored stalks from the spring or late fall crop. Procedure: Trim off leaves. Wash stalks and cut into 1/2-inch to 1-inch pieces. In a large saucepan add 1/2 cup sugar for each quart of fruit. Let stand until juice appears. Heat gently to boiling. Fill jars without delay, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. […]

1. In heavy large nonreactive pot, combine tomatoes, sugar, lemon juice, and 6 lavender sprigs. Mix well. Bring to boiling, stirring to dis- solve sugar. Reduce heat. 2. Boil gently, uncovered, until tomatoes break down and the mixture becomes jelly-like, about 1 to 1 1/4 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir and skim off […]

Quality: Can only freshly harvested greens. Discard any wilted, discolored, diseased, or insect-damaged leaves. Leaves should be tender and attractive in color. Procedure: Wash only small amounts of greens at one time. Drain water and continue rinsing until water is clear and free of grit. Cut out tough stems and midribs. Place 1 pound of […]

Quality: Choose ripe, mature fruit of ideal quality for eating fresh or cooking. Procedure: Dip fruit in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds until skins loosen. Dip quickly in cold water and slip off skins. Cut in half, remove pits and slice if desired. To prevent darkening, keep peeled fruit in ascorbic acid solution. […]

Yield: About 7 to 8 half-pints Procedure: Crush apples and pears in a large saucepan and stir in cinnamon. Thoroughly mix sugar and lemon juice with fruits and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Immediately stir in pectin. Bring to a full rolling boil and boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove […]

Yield: About 9 pints Procedure: Remove blossom petals and wash apples, but leave stems attached. Puncture the skin of each apple four times with an ice pick or toothpick. Mix vinegar, water, and sugar and bring to a boil. Add spices tied in a spice bag or cheesecloth. Using a blancher basket or sieve, immerse […]