End of Garden Pepper Relish

So I had about 3 gallons (probably 2 & 1/2 after picking through them) of mixed peppers left on the plants when I pulled them up and I decided to do a pepper relish with them.  I tried out a new recipe for mexican corn relish this year and liked the flavor combinations so I was inspired to change up the pepper relish a bit.  Here's the way it goes...



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Mexican Pepper Relish

Makes about 5 pint jars & one ¼ pint jar

WEAR GLOVES WHEN CHOPPING HOT PEPPERS!

2 & 1/2 - 3 gallons green/red - bell, jalapeno, & hot chili peppers (seeded & diced)

1 & 1/2 onions (diced)

3 garlic cloves (minced or pressed)

2 TBSP canning/pickling salt

1 TBSP mustard seeds

1 TBSP cumin seeds

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

(scant) 1 cup of sugar

3 cups white distilled vinegar

1/4 cup lime juice(fresh is best + grated peel, but I had to use bottled)

(((throw in a few TBSPs chopped fresh cilantro if you have it and like it)))

Directions:

Combine chopped peppers, onions and salt in a large bowl. Let stand two hours. Drain and press out all excess liquids through fine mesh seive.  Combine sugar, vinegar, juice, garlic and seeds/spices in a large saucepot. Bring to boil.

Reduce heat and add pepper & onions, simmering 10 minutes. Pack hot relish into clean jars, leaving 1/2-inch head space. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

Let "ripen" for 3-4 weeks for best flavor!  Enjoy! :)

The End of the Season

With Fall being just around the corner it's about time to say our goodbyes to the season. 

Labor Day weekend was thoroughly enjoyed.  My dear cousin planned a big get-together for my mom's side of the family.  There was a big crowd and tons of good food, lots of laughter and great catching-up time.  It was wonderful getting to see everyone after such a long time and a big heart-felt thanks to her for planning and hosting at her lovely house, the rain didn't put a damper on anything, in my opinion.

Next up was a canning party at my lil' sis' house.  What an adventure that was!  Our first try at canning meat and also 4 lbs. of beans.  I'm sure glad we had my bro-in-law there to keep an eye on the 3 and 4 year olds while we were busy in the kitchen.  Although the canned meat didn't work out as well as we expected we still had a good turn out and best of all, it seemed like less work and lots of fun when you're canning with someone you love and enjoy being around!

I am a bit sad, Saturday and last evening my hubby and I did our garden and yard clean-up.  Everything in the gardens was pulled or chopped and burned.  It was getting more than just ragged looking and most everything was finished producing and since we decided to not do a Fall garden it was time for it to go.  I ended up with at least three gallons of mixed hot and sweet peppers so I guess I'll be doing pepper relish either today or tomorrow.

I noticed the past two evenings while we were out burning brush, the moon has just been extremely gorgeous.  I just read this morning that it's called the "Harvest Moon", time for harvesting of the crops before the change of seasons.  I'm very thankful for our harvest and looking forward to the Fall season, my most favorite time of the year! ;)

Have a great week y'all!

My Gardening and Preserving Adventures

So, it's been quite a while since the last post.  I've been pretty busy during this gardening and canning season.  What I thought might not be such a great year for our garden, turned out to be one of the most productive ever!   We've had rain at almost perfect timing all summer long so we haven't had to water at all.  It's kind of bitter-sweet seeing it start to wind down.  I haven't had a whole lot of waste and the things I did have to toss won't be wasted, it's going into my new compost bin!! ;)

My lil' buddy was such a big helper with everything from harvest, to prep, to just being satisfied playing on his own while I worked.  He absolutely loved picking berries, beans, cukes, corn, and peppers.  He even made his own "iceberry" jelly as I was doing the blackberry. ;)  I hope he is always as excited and curious about growing and preserving his own foods!

This year I tried so many new recipes and have yet to be disappointed by one!!  It helps when you can get opinions from others who have tried the recipes before.  I'm part of a wonderful canning group, you can get help from 'seasoned' canners almost immediately and it's a great place to share recipes and experiences.  It's also nice to know that I'm not the only one "addicted" to canning!

Here are a few pictures of my canned goods...

 Thai Sweet-HOT chili dipping sauce

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some dill pickles

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green beans

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Zucchini Relish

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Stewed Tomatoes...funny how when I do pints I don't lose liquid but with quarts I do!

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Tangy Dill Relish (a new fave!)

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Mexican Corn Relish

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diced, red-ripened green bell peppers

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Sweet-n-Sour Beans

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pickled hot green chili pepper rings (I actually ate a whole pint myself in 2 days!!)

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pickled red hot chili pepper rings

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seedless blackberry jam

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& Candied Jalapenos (like "Cowboy Candy") 

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and I did a few pints of picante sauce for the hubs but haven't got a pic of those to share.

So, that's the most of it for now.  I'm sure there will be more in the near future!  Maybe I'll get more organized and can share the recipes for these on here someday.  Have a great week y'all! :)