Whoops, I just went back and looked at the two recipes I was planning on canning and they are indeed for a pressure canner. I guess I will have to find others. Like I said, all tips would be helpful.

Pickled beets.. they are pretty and Yummy!

You probably read an old thread. There is a boiling water bath version of Annie's salsa. So the only recipe you mention that can't be made is the roasted tomato soup.

You can do all kinds of pickles and relishes, jams, syrups, tomato products.

Carol

You might take a look at this link.....it's a collection of some of the Forum's most popular recipes.

Here is a link that might be useful: Greatest Hits

Thanks for the Greatest Hits link.

I'm thinking I am going to do the following:

Annie's Salsa
Annie's Onion Relish
Habenero Gold Jelly
Pickled Beets
Dilly Beans
Roasted Red Pepper Spread
Bread and Butter Pickles

That ought to keep me busy for a while don't you think.

Any acidic jams and jellies and also any pickled items using vinegar are OK to boiling water bath can. Be sure the canner water level is 2 inches above the jars and the jars are not resting directly on the bottom of the pot.

Thanks for the replies everybody. I went to the Library last night and picked up 4 books on Canning including the latest Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving. The other three are modern day versions as well but I think aside from the Annie's Salsa, all of my recipes are going to come from the Ball Book.

The final list looks like this:
Annie's Salsa
Habenero Gold
Pickled Beets
Dilly Beans
Pickled 3 Bean Salad
Strawberry Lemonade Concentrate
Jardiere
Roasted Red Pepper Spread
Bread and Butter Pickles

I already made out my grocery list and list of produce to buy from the farmer's market. I didn't realize how much I was going to have to buy. It will be worth it though. I'll gain some experience, get some food for my shelves, and make a great gift for my mother all at the same time. My parents are retired and spend the summer entertaining guests at their cabin in Canada. I figure alot of the stuff will be good served along side fresh fried fish and served as appetizers. What do ya'll think?

I made big batches of the roasted red pepper spread, and used Mesquite wood on the grill, as well as roasted onions and roasted garlic. It looks like tomato sauce, but has not a single tomato in it. Dilly beans are really easy to make, and are great in cold pasta salads like pickled garlic scapes. For pickled beets, I used a sweet mixed pickle brine.

Great list GM! I have canned everything on the list except the lemonade and the bean salad. All are easy, fairly foolproof, (if you follow the directions), and very tasty. You're really going to start enjoying the summer with your new hobby. Plus, later in the year when it's dreary outside, you will still have "Summer in a Jar!"

I use the beans and beets in salads, and the Jardinaire for practically instant pasta salad. All of these things make great gift baskets. Like some fru fru pasta, the Jardinaire and roasted pepper spread, some fru fru olive oil and parm cheese, and some italian bread, with a red checkered liner.

Or a nachos basket of corn chips, bean dip, salsa, habenero gold, and some Mexican beer or tequila, and a few limes!

Thanks to all of the wealth of info on this forum, the gift was a success. I canned everything on the list except for the red pepper spread. Over the course of the week we ate a couple of the things including the jardinere, habenero gold, and the salsa. It was all a hit!

Ken, what recipe do you use that doesn't include tomatoes? In the BBB and the recipe I saved from a few years ago, it calls for a pound of roma tomatoes. I plan to make several batches of it but was curious when you said yours didn't have any tomatoes at all.

I'd like to add a hot pepper or two to give it some heat.

I used the recipe as stated, but felt that tomatoes were not necessary, as I added balsamic vinegar and a little citric acid. You have to realize that I am a fairly knowledgable home canner and have not made anything that was unsafe to can because I always have plenty of added acids of some kinds. I sometimes even use a few commercial preservatives like Poly Sorbate, and sulfites. You can use some hot peppers. I made a batch and added some dried ground Ancho peppers and they gave it a slight heat. Very deep dark red color.

gmreeves, I'm glad your gift was a hit. Home canned stuff just tastes so much better and I'm sure your Mom was tickled pink to get it.

As for that roasted red pepper spread, it was one of the things I canned from the BBB that I didn't really think was worth the effort, but you might think differently. No way to know except try it. (grin)

Annie (the enabler)

What is strawberry lemonade concentrate and how do you make it?

I also wanted to say congrats on your success. I did somethind similar few years ago for a dear strawberry loving friend-- went and picked berries and canned a whole case of jam for her. She still tells me how great it was :)

I don't remember the recipe right off hand but I remember liquifying a couple of quarts of strawberries, adding about 4 cups of lemon juice, sugar, and bringing to a boil and then processing. I checked a ton of books out from the library but only used the Complete Ball book. I had to return the books so I don't have the recipe anymore. I even borrowed the canner and rack from my parents house while they were out of town and returned it so I don't even have the canner anymore. I think I am going to go get it because I am having a lot of requests for stuff and I found it enjoyable.

missemerald, the recipe I use for the strawberry lemonade concentrate came from Shirleyny. It's supposed to be a concentrate but my girls drink it straight, they like it that way best.

Strawberry Lemonade
4 qts strawberries, washed and hulled
4 cups lemon juice (I use bottled)
3 qts water
6 cups sugar

1.Puree strawberries. For a clearer lemonade, extract juice of strawberries with a juicer. (I use a food processer and strain it)
2. Place strawberries in an 8 qt pot. Add lemon juice, water and sugar. Place mixture over medium heat and heat to 165 degrees, stirring occasionally. Do not boil.
3. Remove from heat and skim off foam with a metal spoon.
4. Ladle hot juice into clean, hot jars, leaving 1/2" headspace; seal.
5. Process in boiling-water bath for 15 minutes.
Yield: 6-7 qts.

Happy Canning.

Annie

Thanks Annie, for your input on the red pepper spread. I had not made it before because it did sound like a lot of work. I didn't want to miss out on something so many here enjoy.

Oh my gosh. I love the roasted red pepper spread. We use it on sandwiches, mix it with cream cheese and sour cream to make a dip, toss it into warm pasta... mmmmm.

It may be past your mother's birthday (what wonderful gifts you gave her!), but remember that the winter holidays aren't too far afield. There should be lots of fruit available now so you might want to try your hand at jams. Right now it is peach and blueberry season in NC, just past is strawberry, blackberry, raspberry, and cherry (all in the freezer from my garden and farmer's gardens), but coming up is pear, apple, and late peaches, and the oh so wonderful figs. Your area might even have some of the tropical fruits in season? If you don't want to make jams with as much sugar as the usual, you can use the "low or no sugar" pectin. Easier than the other recipes you successfully made. And, there is nothing in the world to compare to a jar of peach jam in the middle of January that tastes like it was just plucked off the tree. Most people don't know how good jam tastes homemade with sugar instead of corn syrup. My personal favorite is seedless raspberry chocolate jam.

Congratulations on finding out you are addicted like we all are here. We like newbies.

Nancy

Annie, thank you so much for the recipe for Strawberry Lemonade. My family will love it, I'm sure. Is it a concentrate or used straight from the jar?

Nancy, Raspberry Chocolate Jam? I must look for this one-- you have nailed two of my DH's favorites with that combo.

--Marcy

missem, it's SUPPOSED to be a concentrate, but my girls always drank it right out of the jar, over ice. Well, sometimes they mixed it with 7-up or sparkling water to get a fizzy drink, but mostly they drank it straight.

I always added some water to mine.

Annie