I have tried Pickled green tomatos, does anyone have a recipe??? They are wonderful!!!
I'm not sure which kind you like, but here is one.
Green Tomato Pickles
2 qts. sliced green toms 3TB salt
2 C. vinegar 2/3 C. dark brown sugar
1C. white sugar 3TB. mustard seeds
1/2 tsp. celery seeds 1tsp.tumeric
3C. sliced onions 2 large red or green sweet peppers, chopped
1 hot pepper,chopped (optional)
Mix toms and salt, let stand about 12 hours and drain. Heat vinegar, sugars and spices to a boil, add sliced onions and boil gently 5 min. Add the drained toms and peppers, return to a boil, stirring occasionally with a wooded spoon. Pack into hot jars,being sure the syrup covers the veggies. Seal and process in boiling water bath 10 min. Makes about 9 half pints.
I also have a recipe for dill green tomato pickles, if that's what you had in mind
I love pickled green tomatoes. I used to be able to buy them in the store now they are impossible to find here. Diane if you get a chance could you post the dill version for me.
Thanks,
David
Dilled Green Tomatoes
5 pounds small firm green toms 3 1/2 C. vinegar
3 1/2 C. water 1/4 C. salt
6 garlic cloves heads of dill, or dill seed 6 bay leaves
Wash and core the toms. Cut into halves or quarters
Combine vinegar, water and salt in sauce pan. Bring to boil.
Pack the toms into clean hot jars, leaving about 1/4 inch head space.
Add one nice fat garlic clove, 1 bay leaf, and 1 head of dill (or 2tsp.dill seeds) to each jar.
Pour the hot liquid over the toms, leaving 1/4 inch head space.
Seal and process in a boiling water bath for 15 min. Makes about 6 pints Store for at least 5 weeks before opening to let the flavors work into the toms.
Thank you Diane.
David
Ok, Diane. I have never canned before. Is it hard? I know that is a stupid question, but I used to watch my grandma do it years ago!! I loved to watch her cook. I want to make some for my husband to try. The first recipe, are they kinda spicy? I was just wondering. Thanks for the recipe. I am going to try to make these!!!
Angie, the Cat Fish House at Mammoth Springs AR has the best green tomato pickles you'll ever eat. Maybe you could jaunt down there and buy a jar and then check out the ingredients.
Boiling water bath canning is not hard. I can teach you easily. Or you can get a Ball canning "Blue Book", or a freezing and canning cookbook. (I didn't know you were a canning newbie.) I grew up helping to jar toms, peaches, apricots and applesauce. You'll need canning jars. I use more pints than quarts. They can be used many times, as long as the top rims don't have any chips and are smooth. You need a big flat bottomed kettle and rack to keep the jars off the bottom while you are processing them in the boiling water. Most are blue enamel or aluminum. You'll need lid centers to fit the jars (one use only) and rings to hold the jars lids in place. The rings can be used more than once, but not if they get badly rusty. New canners usually buy a box or more of jar centers with the rings included. Other nice things to have: a wide mouth canning funnel, tongs, a medium sauce pan for boiling the tops ( that sterilizes them and softens the gasket to help it seal ), Large ladles and spoons,a damp cloth or towels to wipe the rims after you've filled the hot jars with hot food or hot liquid. I like my "jar lifter" tongs too that help me lift the necks of the hot jars after they are done processing. Wash the jars with hot soapy water (some people sterilize them in boiling water) and keep them in a warm place, or at least not in a cold draft. Put a lot of water in your processing kettle .The idea is to have the jars totally submerged, with at least an inch or two of water over the jar tops while they boil, but not overflow the kettle. I usually put about half in, add the jars and then put more water in from a hot tea kettle I also have at a gentle simmer. Sometimes I misjudge and have to ladle some water out!
Now, if you haven't already done it, fix your recipe and make the hot parts hot. Put your lid centers in boiling water, spread them out, one up, one down, one up, one down or they will stick together. Keep them at at a simmer. Don't let them boil dry. Now pack your jars, but not more at a time than will fill your canning kettle. Follow the recipe. If you see big air bubbles, slide a clean knife in to get rid of them. Be sure there is plenty of liquid covering the veggies, but leave a little head space too. Then gently wipe the jar rim very clean. I SAID WIPE THE JAR RIM VERY CLEAN! Any little bits of food will keep the jars from sealing.
Now gently take a hot lid out of the water with your tongs and place it gasket side down on THE CLEAN JAR RIM!!! ;) Next screw on a jar ring snugly, but don't force it or you might break the jar. Carefully place the jar in the water bath. Repeat until you are out of veggies or the canner is full without the jars touching each other. Be sure the water covers the jars completely (Mine holds seven jars) Bring the water up to a nice gentle boil (lid on now) and then time it according to the recipe. If you are making multiple batches, work on that while the canner processes the first batch. When the time is up, gently and carefully remove the hot jars to a place to cool down.I usually set mine out of the way on dish towels to cool. Do not place them on cold or wet surfaces, or they may break. As they cool you will hear the lids gently "pop" as they become concave and seal down. Leave them until TOTALLY cooled. I wait several hours or the next day. When you are sure the jars are cool, take the rings off. Sealed jars will have a slightly depressed tight top. It they didn't seal, the jar center can be pushed up and down and will bobble a little. Do not store those. Refrigerate and eat or reseal with a new center cap. In spite of your best efforts, some little bit may have snuck up on the rim, or the lid gasket was in a bad mood. Sound familiar?
The first recipe is a just a bit "mouth warm" but you can leave the hot pepper out. Any questions? I'm sure if the experienced canners read this they will chime in if I missed anything....after they wake up! ;D
I might add that I wash my jars in the dishwasher, then leave them there until I need them. Sometimes they are still hot when needed. I don't do any of that anymore.
Yes, I've done that too if I've been doing major canning with lots of jars. Thanks! Did I miss anything else?
My mom taught me to sterilize my jars in the oven and to keep them in there until use. The main thing is keep things as sterile as possible. Diane you are a wonderful instructor, you should share your knowledge at every opportunity!
Diane,
Boy, did you bring back the memories. I think my favorite sound of any summer is the "PING" of a
sealed canning jar.
I sure do miss the days when I was healthy and able to handle a garden AND canning.
Was hot and messy and very tiring......but, the pride when all done.
IS and Was precious.
Thanks for the memories.
Just remember that for the different types of veggies, the canning methods differ........get a good canning cook book and just pay attention to details.............
And if a jar doesn't seal...........well just EAT IT!!! Not a mistake just a good reason to pig-out.
Good eating and good memories.
Thanks.
Judy
Thank you both for such nice compliments! I guess being a blabbermouth can be useful sometimes. Good points from you both. I'd never heard of sterilizing jars in the oven before...what temp. and for how long? and Judy you are right, not everything can be safely canned the way I told! It's best for acid foods like red toms and and tom sauce without meat, pickles and relishes and sweet fruits. Some things have to be pressure canned and I've never been brave enough to try it. Also, if you find a jar that has been stored on a shelf for awhile and the seal has broken, toss the contents out....do not taste it or try to save it, it's not worth the risk. I have several good canning books that I've had for more than 40 years and every time I pull them out I find something else I want to try. My old Farm Journal book is still my favorite, but the processing times have lengthened over the years. Every few years I treat myself to a new Ball Blue Book to see what's new.
The green tom w/hot pepper sounds yummy -- I will try that one. THANK YOU, Diane.
I made okra pickles and canned some beets, and Fred asked last evening, "How long do those okra pickles have to set, before we can try them". May just have to do that tomorrow. I am at work right now, so supper will be slim pickin's tonight. I do not like to eat late and when I get off at 8 o after, it is a tad late for me.
Diane, such good instructions. Nothing like looking at those jars of food when you're all done. I do a lot of pressure canning and I have never had a problem. Of course Mirro-matics have a safety valve so it should never blow up on you. Pressuring is so much faster. On my jelly I just turn the jars upside down for about 10 minutes and then back up and they seal just fine.
I used to have a small pressure cooker, and liked it. Maybe some day I will try pressure canning. I've done jelly the same way you do for jelly glasses and I'm old enough to remember using paraffin. If I'm doing pints for gifts I always process it just to be extra safe.
Quote from: Diane Amberg on July 24, 2008, 09:23:34 AM
I used to have a small pressure cooker, and liked it. Maybe some day I will try pressure canning. I've done jelly the same way you do for jelly glasses and I'm old enough to remember using paraffin. If I'm doing pints for gifts I always process it just to be extra safe.
Problem here is green tomatos never make it to the jars. I fry them up before i can get enough to pickle
I love green fries too! If I make pickles from toms, it's from the smaller late season ones. We're having green fries tonight.