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Habanero Gold Jelly from Annie

1/3 cup finely sliced dried apricots
3/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
1/4 cup finely diced sweet red pepper
1/4 cup finely diced habanero peppers, including seeds OR 1/4 cup diced, combined jalapeno and Scotch Bonnet peppers
3 cups granulated sugar
1 pouch Bernardin liquid pectin or Certo

Cut apricots into 1/8 inch slices. Measure into a large deep stainless steel saucepan with vinegar; let stand 4 hours. Individually, cut onion and seeded peppers into 1/8 inch slices; cut slices into 1/4 inch dice. Measure each ingredient; add to apricots. Stir in sugar.

Over high heat, bring to a full roiling boil. Stirring constantly, boil hard
1 minute. Remove from heat. Immediately stir in pectin, mixing well.

Pour jelly into hot jar, dividing solids equally among jars and filling each jar to within 1/4 inch of top rim. Wipe rims. Apply lids.

Process 10 minutes in BWB. Cool upright, until lids pop down, about 30 minutes. When lids are concave but the jelly is still hot, carefully grasp jar without disturbing lid and invert, twist, or rotate each jar to distribute solids throughout jelly. The jar can be inverted temporarily but do not allow it to stand upside-down for prolonged periods.

Repeat as necessary during the cooling/setting time, until solids remain suspended in the jelly.

ANNIEÂS SALSA
8 cups tomatoes, peeled, chopped and drained
2 ½ cups chopped onion
1 ½ cups chopped green pepper
3 seeded chopped jalapenos
6 cloves minced garlic
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp pepper
1/8 cup canning salt
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup vinegar-Use 1 cup if you use hot water bath
16 oz. tomato sauce
16 oz tomato paste

Mix all ingredients, bring to a boil, boil 10 minutes. Pour into hot jars, process at 10 lbs of pressure for 30 minutes for pints.
Makes 6 pints

Thank you, Cathy, I just found this and Now I don't have to go hunt for those recipes to post!

Welcome, loves2cook, the only thing I can add is that the salsa can be canned in a hot water bath if you increase the vinegar to 1 cup and process pints or half pints in a boiling water bath for 20 minutes.

Annie

Those two (which are awesome) and lots more canning recipes are posted on this Harvest Forum thread.

Here is a link that might be useful: Harvest Forum - Greatest Hits Thread

JUST WOW!!

Thanks for all the recipes and that link was amazing - I just spent an hour copying like crazy.

I can cook so well, now I only wish I could present it all beautifully in a gift basket - that's just not my talent :(

If you're a newbie, you're considered a virgin until you've made Sol's Molten Lava cakes. Single-gal me who doesn't get to entertain much and isn't a huge chocolate fan is still a virgin, but I'm sure some of the sinful folks on this forum will supply you with the recipe. I have the ramekins, I'm just waiting for that special night. . .

loves2cook4six - Nice to see your familiar name on this forum. I remember you from Kitchens when we were building and I spent a lot of time there. I am a relative newbie here, myself.

This is a wonderful forum with lots of generous and talented people who will help you make good use of your new kitchen. Welcome!

I've said it before but I will say it again --- I've GOT to try this stuff. This has to be the most requested recipes I have ever seen on this board. What a compliment to you Annie and obviously very deserving!:) I just need Annie to come to VA to help me can!!!

Dixie, I'd love to come, I've never been to Virginia. LOL

However, canning is pretty easy, I've taught a couple of people via email and telephone, if you have any questions, I'd be happy to help.

Annie

Annie, what a SUPER generous offer and I just might take you up on it. I haven't canned in quite some time so I know things are different now.

As far as coming to VA, well now you know someone here and it would be another place to mark off your list to visit and I would love to host you and show you around. Fall is leaving fast here and it is really cold. Per the Farmers Almanac we are suppossed to get hit by cold and snow this year! Although, I'm sure your used to that. I don't know if you saw in a post sometime back that my SIL and family lived in Saline for many, many years.

So what's a BWB? That's some sort of bath isn't it? I bet that's the part I am afraid of doing in canning.

How do you do it?

BWB is Boiling Water Bath. You basically get a large pot of water boiling and put your jelly jars in it for 10 minutes.

The link below is to the National Center for Home Food Preservation - a great resource for canning info and recipes.

Here is a link that might be useful: NCHFP-General Canning Information

Hah! Rob, that's the part that kept me away from canning. And it was Annie's awesome Habanero Gold Jelly that force me to take the plunge. I have no regrets (nor Ka-booms).

Sol

I've never done any canning either - I'd have to go out and buy all kinds of gizmos to do it, wouldnt I? Or could I use anything I have, tongs, big pot.....

I would love to make both the salsa and the jelly.

So you canners - tell us the easiest way to can? I know you have to buy new lids and jars but what else is involved that we have to have to make it turn out right?

shaun - I was hoping someone, besides me, would ask those questions. I will take time to read through detailed instructions when I take the plunge. But no one close to me does any canning or food processing and I would like to know what basics I'd need for the Habenero Gold & Salsa. And the best places to get those items.

shaun, I canned for years with a big stock pot with a dish towel in the bottom and some tongs. I gotta tell you, though, that a jar lifter is way easier!

All you need is a pot big enough to put jars in it and cover them by at least an inch. You need something to keep the jars right off the bottom of the pot. Some people use an old cake rack, some wire those canning rings together, some fold up an old dishtowel (which will float up and you have to set the jars on it, LOL).

Or you can buy a canning kit which will have a big pot with a rack. I have Grandma's old one, so it's at least 40 years old and still works.

To make jam and salsa you don't need a pressure canner, just a big pot of boiling water, some jars and lids, and something to take them out of the water with.

If you're really interested in getting into canning, I'd suggest spending an extra $6 and buying the newest Ball Blue Book, but any information regarding time and procedure is available free at the NCHFP site linked above.

Or send me an email, I'd be happy to help! I'm like a pusher, you know, happy to get other people hooked! LOL

Annie

I'm in the mood to go get what I need and start canning!

Does Target or K-Mart sell the supplies/gadgets you need to can? I'll look for the book too.

Canning salt??

It's in Annie's Salsa and I don't know what that kind of salt is.
Thanks in advance, and also thank you to everyone who's asking these questions so that I don't have to!
Mary

Oops! Another question for Annie--

After reading your famous recipe more carefully, it seems as though the salsa is made in a pressure cooker ("process at 10 lbs. of pressure") made me think a pressure cooker was involved)

Is there another way the salsa can be made w/o one?

Thanks so much.
Mary

It's salt with no iodine or anti-caking ingredients. I use kosher salt (besides, that's all I ever have on hand).

Kosher salt is not as dense as pickling salt - for example, 1 cup + 2 tablespoons of Morton Kosher Salt = 1 cup Morton Canning & Pickling Salt (but it does depend on the brand). I just use 1/8 cup of kosher salt, and after tasting, add another pinch or two if the salsa needs it.

Shaun, Yes they do carry the tools. Surprisingly so does Winn Dixie

Happygram (Mary):

Re: your question:
"After reading your famous recipe more carefully, it seems as though the salsa is made in a pressure cooker ("process at 10 lbs. of pressure") made me think a pressure cooker was involved)

Is there another way the salsa can be made w/o one?"

Two responses: DO NOT confuse a pressure cooker with a pressure canner. Even though some manufacturers certify their brand of pressure cooker is acceptable for use as a pressure canner, most canning experts will tell you not to use a regular pressure cooker for canning purposes. Pressure cookers are NOT recommended for canning because a fully loaded canner takes a longer time for heating and cooling. This time is taken into account when determining processing times in standard canning timetables. The smaller pressure cookers have smaller loads, and this causes them to heat and cool quicker than a pressure canner. This causes problems with accurate timing.

Food processed in a BWB reaches 212°F, but a pressure canner reaches 240°F. So if you BWB Annie's Salsa, you have to add extra acidity to kill the bacteria that can survive at the lower processing temperature.

Yes, you can process Annie's Salsa in a Boiling Water Bath, BUT (and this is a big "BUT") you MUST increase the vinegar from 1/3 cup vinegar to 1 cup. You can use 5% acidity (it's on the label) white vinegar, cider vinegar, or what I do is use 1/3 cup cider vinegar, 1/3 cup bottled lemon juice and 1/3 cup bottled lime juice (bottled, not fresh).

After boiling the salsa for 10 minutes, ladle into pint canning jars, and process jars for 15 minutes in a BWB.

I like it better BWB'd (I love more vinegary-citrusy salsa) and some people like it better pressure canned. Just a personal taste.

Hope this helps :-)

happygram, when I first made that recipe I was unsure of a safe acidity level, and so I canned it using a pressure canner to be certain of the safety. I started that recipe because I wanted a salsa with no vinegar. Funny, but it didn't taste right with no vinegar at all, so I added that 1/3 cup. Then I decided that since I was adding the vinegar, maybe I could add enough to make it safe to can in a boiling water bath. It took a few years but by working with my extension director and MSU, it was determined that if I used a full cup of cider vinegar, the product was of a sufficient acidity to safely water bath can.

Since that testing was done, new guidelines have been adopted saying that salsa shouldn't be canned in quarts because of the density issues, so I still only give directions for pints.

So, you can use the 1/3 cup of viengar and pressure can the stuff, or up the vinegar to 1 cup and do it in a water bath canner. You can use white vinegar instead of cider, or you can use lemon or lime juice if you prefer. You can leave out the sugar or the salt entirely, it's simply for flavor. You can also leave out the tomato sauce and paste, that was simply for texture. You have to keep the acidity level up, though, and don't ADD any amount of low acid ingredients, although you can reduce them.

Happy canning!

Annie

Thank you so so much Annie and Malna. I really appreciate your help and the time you took to explain the answers.

I'm going to hunt for the right kind of peppers (I've never "done" peppers before) and will try the jelly.

My family and friends will be SO impressed...and so will I!

happygram, I like habaneros for that jelly because I like the "fruity" flavor. However, you can use other types of hot peppers if you can't find habaneros. I use a mix of colors, red, yellow, orange, it makes pretty jelly with the red onion and the apricot pieces.

Annie

Oh, and happygram, be sure to wear rubber/latex gloves when you chop those peppers. The residue is panifully fiery if you get some on your fingers then touch your mouth, your eyes, scratch your nose, or use the bathroom!

Annie

Annie,
Thanks so much for the pepper warning. I'll be reeeeeeally careful.

Calling all experts....does anyone have a tip on how to turn down the heat from the Hab peppers. Last night I made the big batch but it is way tooooo hot for us. I have not added the certo yet. Thought I would ask for help or do I just need to throw it away?

Thanks

Sue

Sue, all I could suggest would be to make another batch that size with no hot peppers at all, then mix the two. However, you'll have to cook, add certo and process as two batches or you could have a problem with the stuff setting up.

Anything with habaneros demands respect, that's for sure!

Annie

I've been wanting to get into canning too. And Annie's Habanero Gold will be my first try. Is it true that canning jellies and jams is less dangerous than other stuff? I'm so nervous about it!

Annie or Malna, have you ever tried making your own pectin? I've been doing a little research about it. I know the pioneers didn't have pectin, did they? Here's a fun read about it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Making your own Pectin from Apples

Heat? I like hot, the first batch I made I was cocky and had a lot of habs. I asked DH to taste it and I almost killed him! He grabbed his throat and went to his knees. About a half hour later--when he could speak again--he said "I should have known when you asked me to taste this". I got out the kitchen tweezers and plucked out seeds for 30 minutes.

Hey folks, in 2006 we had a Cooking Forum Canning Camp (2007 was Bread Camp with TeresaNC as instructor). KatieC and Annie were the very knowledgeable instructors. Looks like we might need another one.

Sue,

We love, love, love the Habanero Gold! Even though it's hot now, I think you'll find that if you put it on something with a dairy product (crackers and cream cheese for example), it won't be nearly as hot as it is straight. I guess I would say, can it as is, try it, and then make the next batch less hot if you need to.

Ann

Oh, and I want to go to Canning Camp and Bread Camp both! And what about Dessert Camp and Grilling Camp?

trsinc, I've never tried making my own pectin, but I started making jam with no added pectin, just all fruit spread or some artificial sweetener if my fruit wasn't quite sweet enough. Apples have a lot of pectin, and I often add the rinds and seeds of my lemons after adding the lemon juice to the jam. Thanks to a tip from readinglady, I wrap the "stuff" up in cheesecloth and add it to the jam pot while my fruit macerates, and remove it before it jells. It adds a lot of natural pectin.

Dad was diabetic, Amanda and Elery are both hypoglycemic, Elery's Dad, BIL and stepmom are all diabetic, so I've been working on spreads with less sugar. The only way to do that, besides Pomona's Pectin, is no commercial pectin. I've found that if I do the long cooked jam I can cut the sugar down to half and still get a decent jell, but it has to be watched closely.

and yes, jams and jellies are safer products to can at home than things like green beans, because the acidity level prevents them from harboring the deadly botulism spores. Things like pickles, jam, jelly, relishes, canned fruit, all those can be done in a boiling water bath and cannot harbor botulism. They're very safe. If they get moldy, they could make someone sick, but you can't kill someone with them if cooked and processed according to directions.

Canning is easy, economical, and I think it's fun. Go for it.

Ann, I'm sure we'll have another "camp" of sometype soon...

Annie