I am done canning. But I did dig up most of my ginger root this past week. I put some in pots as it will continue to grow all winter. I shared a lot with friends. The fresh root is quite different from the cured ginger root you find in the produce section at your grocery store. It is not nearly as tough - has the texture of a fresh water chestnut or jicama.

I have a huge bowl of the roots and I am going to try to make candied ginger for a friend who loves it.

Who knew you could grow ginger root in Minnesota???

I have lots of tomatoes but I am roasting not canning. I'm in love with candied jalapenos and I have a nice crop this year. I'll save some to make battered and fried jalapeno coins in an attempt to replicate the fabulous ones I had at HBurger in Boulder, CO in July.

Candied Jalapenos
Makes about two pints

1 pound fresh jalapeno peppers
2 cups white vinegar (use less for thicker syrup)
3 cups sugar
ý teaspoon salt

Instructions

Be sure to wear kitchen gloves while working with hot peppers and don't touch your eyes until the gloves are off.

Wash peppers thoroughly and remove stems; discard peppers with soft spots or damage.
Remove seeds, if you prefer seed-free peppers. (I left seeds in.)
Slice into rounds about ü-inch thick.
Combine vinegar, sugar and salt in a saucepan; bring to a boil and reduce heat.
Simmer mixture for about 6 minutes or until syrup starts to thicken; stir occasionally.
Raise temperature to medium, add pepper slices and cook, stirring, for an additional 5 minutes.
Remove mixture from heat and cool.
Spoon peppers into jars, top with syrup and fasten lids tightly.

Keep jars refrigerated. Peppers will keep in the fridge almost indefinitely, but they're so tasty they won't last long in my house.

yes, I'm still canning. I have kale in the garage that needs to be canned, and I have carrots still in the garden. I'm also getting ready for this year's beef and pork and I have those 50 chickens I bought when I lost my mind for just a couple of days there, so I have to make beef bones into stock and make some freezer room.

I don't suppose anyone has any suggestions about what to do with 18 pounds of last year's beef liver? Cooper doesn't care for it, the food banks won't take it because no one will take it, the animal shelter only feeds commercial food. The church food pantry doesn't have a freezer. Sigh.

Annie

Canned salsa last week. Still had more tomatoes ripen this week after picking and put into the cool garage. Not enough to can, but did make a soup similar to the recipe Annie has posted, Roasted Tomato Garlic. Only used a small amount of the soup for our meal tonight.
May try and freeze the rest. Would of liked to can the soup but only have a water bath kettle.
Don't know why I waited all these years to make the soup, as we loved the flavor. Sure wish the tomatoes vines hadnt frozen.

--------------------------------
Roasted Tomato Garlic Soup

Recipe By :Katie
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
12 tomatoes -- *see Note
2 carrots -- cut in 2" pieces
1 large onion -- quartered
2 whole heads garlic -- peeled (or more, to taste)
olive oil
2 cups chicken broth -- (or 3)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil -- (or 1 Tbsp. dried)

Core tomatoes and cut in half. Place, cut side up, on foil covered cookie sheet with carrots, onion and garlic. Brush with olive oil. Bake at 400F for about an hour, or until vegies are roasted and a little blackened.

Place in a large saucepan with the chicken broth and basil and simmer for about 10 minutes. Blend with a stick blender (or in small batches in a blender) until almost smooth.

To can: Ladle into clean hot jars and leave a one-inch headspace. Process pints 60 minutes and quarts 70 minutes. For dial gauge canners use 11 lbs. pressure at 0-2000 ft., 12 lbs. at 2001-4000 ft., 13 lbs. at 4001- 6000 ft., and 14 lbs. over 6000 ft. For weighted gauge canners use 10 lbs. pressure at 0-1000 ft. and 15 lbs. over 1000 ft.

To serve: Add cream to taste when heating if desired.

*Note: These measurements are approximate...I use whatever it takes to cover the cookie sheet. This makes 1 1/2 to 2 quarts of soup.

Annie, do you know anyone with a cat (preferably a tiger or a panther, since you have 18 pounds)? A different dog might like it, too.

Yep, I'm still canning too. Made Green tomato relish last week. Still have more to do. Picked all the Jalapenos and green peppers a few days ago before the frost hit. Wayne will be making hot sauce with those. Cabbage and brussel sprouts are still in the garden. Had to go out and get more canning jars! NancyLouise

Jessica, I keep trying. No one even wants to cook the stuff. I've found that there's a whole generation of people out there that won't even cut up a raw chicken or eat anything with bones in it, let alone cook liver for the pets. "It's just too disgusting to touch" and "It smells too bad" are among the things I've been told. I even put up a flier at the grocery store, with not one call.

I'm pretty much astounded, we hear about all this hunger but people would do without before they'd cook free liver.

Annie

Cathy, or anyone else: About the candied jalapenos.

Mine are mostly red now, would that make a difference? Think Christmas candied jalapenos!!! I have moaned and groaned about how many I had and have just left them on the plants because I didn't have a use for anymore of them...but that was then. I did make the green dragon sauce, tripled the recipe, but at least half of the peppers were red. I'm sure the color is different but it tastes alright...which is HOT!

Trudy, regarding the roasted tomato garlic soup...when I copied my recipe a few years ago, someone had noted that it might be better frozen which translated, much easier and much less time so that's what I do with mine...in ziplock bags. I've made it for at least 3 years.

jude

Thanks jude, great to know the soup freezes Ok in Ziplocs. Much easier than canning anyway!

trudy, you probably already do this but I didn't until a few years ago. So if you do, maybe someone else will pick up on it. Lay your bags flat on a cookie sheet etc. and freeze them, then you can easily stack them or if you have baskets in your freezer you can stand them up like a file. That way you don't have to plow through the chicken soup and the vegetable soup to find the roasted tomato that's on the bottom. I'm crganizationally challenged so I need all the help I can get.

I made my candied jalapenos and they are hot, hot, hot! When DH asked what you eat them with I was stumped for an answer. You sure can't eat them like popcorn. I'm hoping someone has suggestions. I had a pint of the syrup left so I'm going to refrigerate it hoping I'll get inspiration of something to do with it. Obviously, it's as hot as the peppers are.

Cathy, if you're checking in,I'm sure you are full of suggestions.

jude

Hey Jude (yeah I did that on purpose), I didn't have any left over to figure out what to do with the because I eat them straight out of the jar! I was looking for ways to serve them after I make my batches so I googled; spoon over cream cheese to serve with crackers and others were putting them in paninis. But again, spoon to mouth like popcorn, well more like pudding, worked for me.

So, I thought...well, I'm a tough old bird, I'm as tough as Cathy, so I stuck my fingers in the jar, pulled out a couple of really little slices......Oh, my Lord!!!!! I was afraid to whistle afraid I'd start a fire. So I drank a little glass of milk, and another and another, tried to stick my lips down in the glass of milk....ha ha ha... finally it quit burning.

I had googled also and someone put them on a burger. I would try that, and the cream cheese, but you can bet your sweet bippie I won't fish one out of the jar again.

Thanks Cathy, .....I think.

jude

Jude, you're a stronger woman than I am, I tasted one tiny bite of one out of the jar last year and haven't sampled one since!

Annie

Old and tough beats young and tender....sometimes.

jude

Is that sort of like "old age and treachery beats youth and skill"? (grin)

Annie

You're on to me ain'tcha, Annie!

jude

I bought a case of grapes and a smaller amount of pluots for jam but became suddenly busy with new projects so I prepped the fruit and froze it all for later. I'm not sure when "later" will arrive. The definition of eternity: destemming a case of grapes by hand. I wanted the skins. Also, I didn't buy a food mill. The plastic ones had some really iffy reviews so I will hold out for a Squeezo. A splurge for next year.

I recently canned one last batch of garlic-free salsa for my creative director. He can't eat garlic without suffering. But onions are okay.

When the Fuyu persimmons are ready I want to make chutney. That will be another month or so. When oranges are ready I will probably make marmalade.

Annie, that's a lot of beef liver. What about making some pate and canning it?

Cathy, my kids would probably love those candied jalapenos. Next year.

Eileen

Eileen, I baked 4 pounds today on a baking sheet and cubed it up. Amanda's dog will eat it, reluctantly, and only if mixed in with her regular food. The problem is that I have three beef ready for slaughter and that means three more livers.

I don't think I could successfully can pate, there's a density issue...

I really like my Squeezo, it'll be worth waiting for. I freeze fruit regularly for making jam during the winter, and I've destemmed a lot of grapes, also elderberries which are about the size of a pencil eraser. Both are tedious tasks but the end result is so worth it. Good luck!

Annie

These were small red seedless grapes. But very tasty. I did the destemming in batches because it was soooo tedious. If I had gotten wine grapes as I originally planned I would have broken down and gotten the Squeezo because of the seeds but I wasn't able to find anyone to sell me wine grapes. Go figure. I could have gotten some from the winery, I imagine, but I'd have to find someone to drive me up there and back and I've been very busy with work the past month or two.

I've eyeballed Squeezos both on ebay and Amazon. Maybe I'll find a bargain with canning season just about over.

There must be someone out there who likes beef liver - a lot. You need a friend with a couple of Labs, they are the most grateful eaters. :) Is it that disagreeable to smell while cooking? I've never been able to cook beef liver that was edible. I will eat it if someone else does a good job of it but I don't go looking for it.

Eileen

annie, our dogs, and every other dog I have seen LOVE dehydrated liver treats. They are very expensive, well they are lightweight. As the site I have linked suggests, you can train a dog to do anything for these things. I suspect that the commercial treats are freeze dried, but the link's method might work. Perhaps one of the other folks here who dehydrate stuff would have a better method. I grabbed the first link I saw (I'm not the one with the 36# of liver). Perhaps one of the others would be more useful. I was just checking to see if it was possible.

Here is a link that might be useful: dried liver treats

My Lab won't eat raw liver but he'll eat it cooked...reluctantly.

Have you tried posting about the liver at a senior citizen center?

Know anyone who fishes for bullheads or catfish? Chicken livers are good bait for them & I would think that beef liver could be used to make stink bait.

Wonder if any trappers might be able to use it?

I would probably end up burying it in my compost pile...not that I couldn't eat it...just that I'd rather my calories came in the form of something better tasting.

I still have lots of chilies on my plants, and I preserve them when I get around to it. Right now I have a lot more put up than I can use for a while, and the chili plants will produce for several more months. I like having fresh ones in my yard, and I used quite a few last week-end. Most of mine are not that hot - even the habaneros, but at least they have a good chili flavor. I like the poblanos and guajillos the most and sometimes let them dry on the vine.

I grow a lot more fruit than vegetables, and we have not yet harvested out apples this year. I don't know what is taking them so long, but we aren't getting as many as we did last year.

Lars

ci-lantro, I called the Senior Center which is only a block from my house and offered it. I got a voice mail asking that they post a notice or that I would dro pit there and they could offer it to the seniors. I was told that since it was not "commercially packaged" they could not use it or ask their clients if they wanted it. I put up a notice at the grocery store and the laundromat instead!

Amanda's dog, Sadie, is a black lab and St. Bernard. She'll eat it, but she doesn't love it.

I don't think liver is at all disagreeable, I love it with bacon and onions but it's very bad for me with my high cholesterol so I don't eat it often.

Annie

If you have an animal rescue group near you, they may welcome the donation. They may be less fussy about the smell from cooking the liver for their rescues.

E

Annie, you're probably not a member of Freecycle, but people here often post freezer-burnt food for pet food, and it's gone in a hurry. A number of people feed their pets whole foods. You can join just to try getting rid of it.

I thought I would share another recipe for Candied Jalapenos that I used. It is really good. This recipes has a few more ingredients than Cathy's but the instructions are the same.

3 pounds fresh, firm, jalapeno peppers, washed
2 cups cider vinegar
6 cups white granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. celery seed
2 tsp. granulated garlic
1 tespoon ground cayenne pepper.

For the life of me, I don't understand why you would want to add the cayenne pepper!!!

My recipes says that if you have leftover syrup it is wonderful brushed on meat on the grill.

Karen

Thanks for sharing Karen. I thought the same thing...why cayenne?? I am going to leave it out.

I just picked about a pound of jalapenos and hope to make them tomorrow. Babysitting today...yay!

Thanks, Karen, I'll have to try that recipe for Elery. I made Bread and Butter Jalapenos last year and they were very well received!

Tonight I canned 6 quarts of chicken broth, having plucked and cleaned 25 broiler chickens yesterday for the freezer. We ground 6 of them into 10 pounds of ground chicken, and kept the wings and drumsticks as there isn't really enough to both stripping the bones to grind. 23 more to go, next week. We broke that flock into two parts, I can only clean and pluck so many chickens before I need a break!

I still have a bucket of kale in the garage and no takers on the liver.

Jasdip, I'll try Freecycle, although I've tried it before and couldn't manage to give away anything. It's rather disconcerting to learn that no one wants anything you have, LOL.

Annie

Cathy, You'll have to let me know if it tastes much different than your recipe. It is really good. We had some on burgers last night.

Annie, I would love to have some of your chicken. I love homegrown chickens. A great memory from living on the farm. I would watch my mother pluck chickens and think it looked like so much fun. Ha I was really too little to be much help. I can't convince Steve to let me have chicken here on the lake.

Karen

karen, you're close, I'll share. You can jut come right up and visit and I'll let you pluck chickens to your heart's content, LOL.

Annie

I plucked a few chickens long ago. You can both have my share!

Eileen

LOL, Eileen, I just bought a handy dandy chicken plucker, goes on the end of a power drill and has rubber "fingers" which remove the feathers. The reviews say it doesn't remove tail feathers or wing tip feathers, but they can pluck a chicken in 3 minutes with it. Better than my 15 minutes per chicken!

Just on time too, I have 24 more to do next week, right after I get the steers to the processor.

Annie

A chicken plucker! What a hoot! But what about the smell. Does it fix the smell? Aaack.

Eileen

Nope, you still have the wet feathers to enjoy. Ahem.

Anyway, this little gadget is called a "power plucker". LOL We'll see...

Annie

I was at my SIL's family's farm on chicken day and was offered the job of plucking or gutting. I chose plucking. ugh. This is why we don't keep chickens.

We've spent the last three weekends cleaning out the garden. DH put in a trickle tape system and for some idiotic reason decided since it only trickles, he should water every day. I wondered why I was fighting moss...

Anyway, we wound up with giant potatoes and carrots, blown cabbage, huge hot peppers that weren't hot and a bazillion tomatoes. I canned salsa (I had to buy some hot jals), chopped tomatoes with peppers, marinated peppers, and froze roasted tomatoes and peppers for pasta sauce and a huge batch of tomato, pepper and eggplant ragu w/ Italian sausage. We ran a lot of the tomatoes through the Victorio and I cooked some of them down to paste and dehydrated in 1 tbsp. plops. Fortunately, it's been cool enough to keep my "smooth top" range going. I'm down to a half-dozen tomatoes and a batch of seafood cocktail sauce that needs to be processed.

This is from last Sunday: plain sauce, tomatoes and peppers, chipotle ketchup, chili sauce and a batch of marinara. There were a couple of trays of vegies for tomato garlic soup in the oven also. I am sick of tomatoes...

LOL, katie, I love that wood burning "smooth top" stove!

Thanks for the garlic, BTW. If it all grows I'll need ideas for using garlic next year, that's for sure.

I had tomatoes like crazy this year too, like you I was so tired of tomatoes I couldn't think about them any more.

So I can't count on you for plucking, huh?

Annie

Talk about being an underachiever...I just finished canning 3 jars of candied jalapenos.

Annie, I would help you pluck if I was up there only to have something else to put on my resume.

LOL, Cathy, the next time you come here, I'll make sure I have a chicken available for you. (grin)

So, Marilyn, did you ever get those shellie beans finished? If you're shelling by hand, it takes a LONG time. Well, it does for me, at least.

I was going to can some more of the kale, but I made pesto with it instead.

Annie

I never plucked a chicken myself, but I remember my mother scalding the chicken, plucking the feathers and singeing (sp) the pinfeathers. Smelled horrible!