It is officially autumn, which means crisp cool air, leaves will start changing their colors and of course, garden harvest is coming to an end. To save the very last of your fresh produce, we have shared some more of our favorite recipes below. To learn all you need to know about canning, visit our Canning 101 E-Book!
PICKLED SWEET BELL PEPPERS
Perfect for a salad or even for a snack, use this recipe to make the perfect pickled peppers. These peppers are good for up to a year!
Ingredients:
- 1 Tbs. pickling salt
- 6 cups cider vinegar
- 2 cups white vinegar
- 4 cups water
- 6 cups granulated sugar
- 8-10 cloves garlic (mashed)
- 1 Tbs. whole peppercorns
- 1 Tsp. mustard seed
- 1 Tsp. celery seed
- 5 pounds of bell peppers (whatever colors you want), sliced ¼ – inch
- 1 small onion sliced thinly
Directions:
- Put the salt, vinegars, water, sugar, garlic, and spices into a large pot over the stove. Bring this to a boil over medium to high heat.
- Put the sliced peppers and onions into the jars. You may want to press them down to make sure they are compact in the jars.
- Use a ladle to put your brine into the jars (you may want to use a funnel during this process to limit spilling of the hot brine.) Leave 1/2 – inch of headspace and be sure that there are no air bubbles. Wipe the rim clean with a towel and then screw the lid on very tightly.
- Put the jars into a water bath and leave them for about 15 minutes. Remove from the water and allow them to get back to room temperature on the counter for at least 24 hours. (For the best flavor, let them sit for a month before eating. Once the jar is opened, put in fridge.)
CANNED GREEN BEANS
These green beans are great in a casserole or even as a side dish. Your green beans should be harvested when they are about 4-7” long and as thick as a pencil.
Ingredients:
- Green beans
- Water
- Pint/Quart Jars
- Canning Salt
Preparing:
- Pick your green beans whether it’s from your garden or the store.
- Fill a bowl full of cold water and soak all the beans for 2-3 minutes. Stir them about every 30 seconds to make sure all of the dirt comes off. Place on a plate afterwards.
- Cut the ends off of the beans and cut into desired pieces.
Canning:
- Fill your jars to the top of the rim with your green beans.
- Place your pressure canner on the stove and place the canning base inside. Fill with 2 quarts of water then turn the burner on to medium.
- Place the lids onto a small pot of water and bring it to a boil. Then put ½ teaspoon of canning slat into each jar.
- Fill each jar with boiling water and pour to the neck of the jar. Put a butter knife inside the jar and go around the outside of the jar pressing towards the beans to remove air pockets.
- Make sure there is no moisture on the rims and then place the hot lids onto each jar. (Use tongs). Then screw the lids on very tightly.
- Put the jars in the pressure canner and be sure that none of them are touching. Put the pressure canning lid on and be sure to lock it on. Let it boil until it begins to steam.
- Let it steam for about 10 minutes and then place the canning weight onto the steam spout. When the gage reads 10 pounds, make sure to keep it at 10 pounds for 20 minutes for pint jars and 25 minutes for quart jars.
- Once you have reached your time, turn the burner off and wait until your gage slowly gets back to 0.
- When you reach 0, use hot mitts to remove the weight and the lid. Be sure that do this away from your face.
- Remove the jars carefully and safely with canning tongs. Place them onto a cooling rack so that they get back to room temperature. Each jar and lid should pop so that they seal shut.
BROWN SUGAR GREEN BEANS
These beans can be your new go-to side dish. It’s super easy and delicious, you’d never know it takes only 25 minutes to make.
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds of green beans (ends need to be trimmed)
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1-2 Tbs. of Dijon mustard
- 1 Tbs. garlic (minced)
- Salt (to taste)
- Pepper (to taste)
- 5 pieces of bacon (optional)
Directions:
- Put all the beans into a large pot that has been filled with water and cover the top. Bring to a boil until beans are soft. (Make sure they are not soggy but not too firm.)
- Drain the pot and rinse the beans in cold water. Set them aside for 5-10 minutes.
- If adding bacon, now is the time to place in a skillet over medium to high heat for about 6 minutes.
- Now, add your garlic, Dijon mustard, and brown sugar. Stir everything together. Add your salt and pepper as you would like.
- Ready to serve warm!