Chicken Stock

My chicken stock won a Blue Ribbon at the 2012 Tillamook County Fair!  The process to make chicken stock is easy.  It requires one or two stockpots and 2-4 whole chickens and various vegetables.

Chicken Stock
You will need:
at least 1 large stockpot
2 whole chickens
3-4 stalks celery, cut in half - leave the leaves on
3-4 carrots, unpeeled cut in half
1 onion - leave skins on, quartered
2 garlic cloves, unpeeled, cut in half
a handful of whole peppercorns

Put all of this in your large stockpot.  Fill with water until your chicken is covered and the pot is almost full.  Bring to a boil and then turn heat down to low. Simmer for several hours.  Take out chicken - it will probably come in pieces.  Which is just fine.  Take out vegetables and throw away.  Remove meat from chicken bones and put bones back in the stock.  Save your meat to use as you see fit.  I sometimes put mine in smaller baggies and freeze it.  Put the stock in the refrigerator overnight - making sure to put a potholder underneath your pot.  It will be hot.

 The next day - skim off any fat that has congealed during the night.  Remove chicken bones.  Bring stock to a boil.  When I fill my jars - I also strain it at the same time.  Fill jars to 1 inch headspace.  Put on lids and bands.  All stocks have to be pressure canned.  Check your local extension office for altitude/times.  I am at sea level so I did mine at 10 lb pressure/25 minutes/quarts OR 10 lb pressure/20 minutes/pints.

I use my chicken stock in recipes that call for chicken stock.  I also use it to make chicken soup and gravies.

Pineapple

My pineapple won a Blue Ribbon at the 2012 Tillamook County Fair!  You are probably wondering why on earth I even did these as I can just buy the cans at the store.  Well...our local grocery store had them on sale at one time for $1 each so I scooped up a bunch and decided to can a jar for the fair.  It's actually a fairly easy process and they are so yummy!

Pineapple
Before you begin - make sure you put lids in a saucepan, add water and turn on low.  You want the lids hot but not boiling.

Peel and core the pineapple removing all the eyes.  Cut into 1/2 inch thick segments.  Simmer 10 minutes in water.  Pack into prepared jars.  Cover with water they were simmered in.  I didn't use a syrup with these as they were already sweet.  Process 20 minutes/quarts and 15 minutes/pints in a water bath - making sure your jars are covered with boiling water.

Applesauce

My applesauce won a Second Place ribbon and the 2012 Tillamook County Fair!

Start by making sure your apples are washed. Yes it is a tedious process but you won't want any dirt on the outside of your apples. Trust me.

Quarter your apples. Seeds and stems do not need to be removed. (This is a plus!)

I use a juicer for this next part. A juicer looks like this:

The bottom portion is filled with water. The top portion is where the quartered apples will go. I fill mine all the way up to the top and put the lid on. The middle portion collects the "juice" that is steamed out of the fruit and comes out the clear tube that you see. I always put a very large stockpot on a stool and place it directly under the clear tube - taking off the metal stopper. This way the juice can come out when it's ready. I will stop the juicer tutorial at this point because this recipe only calls for making apple juice. The soft apples remaining at the top will be used for making applesauce.

Top part of the juicer - the one with all the holes will have your softened apples.  I usually grab the biggest spoon I have and start scooping them into this:

It's sort of old-fashioned.  It's a food strainer.  I start filling it up with the apples - seeds, peels and all.  The wooden paddle smashes the fruit down so only the "sauce" comes out the holes leaving the peels and seeds inside.  This part is the hard part so involve your family.  Especially since they are the ones eating it.  I know there are other food mills out there but this is my preferred method - as old-fashioned as it is.

I have a few really big bowls that I just fill up with my applesauce then proceed to the next step with is heating the sauce back up and adding sugar and cinnamon to taste - if desired.  I don't always add sugar and cinnamon.  I leave some of my sauce unsweetened for baking purposes.  If you feel your sauce is too thick - mix in some of the apple juice you just made from the juicer.

Once your applesauce is heated back up - fill your jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace.  Wipe rims and add hot lids and bands.
Process in a water bath making sure your jars are covered with the hot boiling water.  Process 20 minutes/quarts and 15 minutes/pints.

You will have to make many, many jars to keep your family happy.  I promise. 

Raspberry-Blackberry Freezer Jam

My raspberry-blackberry freezer jam won a Blue Ribbon at the 2012 Tillamook County Fair!  Unfortunately - for those wanting to make it - it never turns out the same way twice. :)

Raspberry-Blackberry Freezer Jam

Enough crushed raspberries and blackberries to make 3 1/4 cups crushed berries  (see how scientific I am? lol)
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 box MCP pectin (my favorite)

Measure exact amount of fruit in large bowl.  Add in lemon juice.  Mix well.  Gradually stir in 1 box pectin.  Mix thoroughly.  Set aside 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to dissolve pectin thoroughly.

Pour in 1 cup corn syrup.  Mix well.  This prevents sugar crystallization during freezer storage.  Stir in sugar gradually.  Stir until sugar dissolves completely.  Pour into prepared jars or containers.  I use both.  Leave 1/2 inch headspace for freezer expansion.  Let stand at room temperature 24 hours until set.  Place containers in freezer.

Pumpkin

My pumpkin won a Third Place ribbon at the 2011 and 2012 Tillamook County Fair!  You would also can winter squash the same way.  We've done sweet meat squash and it works well.  To do pumpkin/winter squash - it will require muscles - which I don't possess.  So involve your hubby for the really heavy duty cutting.  You will be glad you did. :)

Pumpkin

Use your hubby for this part.  It's the hardest.  He really wants to be involved - even if he doesn't voice his opinion on the matter.  Trust me. :)
Cut your pumpkin like you would a cantaloupe.  Slice into 2 inch widths.  Pumpkins - especially the pumpkin pie pumpkins have really tough outsides.  They are hard to cut.  Cut away the peel with a sharp knife - careful not to injure your fingers.  Cut away the seeds and stringies.  Cut the pumpkin meat into 1 inch cubes.  I usually cut all the pumpkin and place in large bowls before I move on.  You can choose to do what you want.  It's just easier this way.
Next:  Put lids in saucepan, cover with water and turn on low.  You want your lids hot but not boiling.
Next:  Get a very large saucepot and fill 2/3 with water.  Bring to a boil.  Add plenty of pumpkin cubes.  Boil for 2 minutes.  Pack into prepared jars leaving 1 inch headspace.  You may add 1 tsp salt/quarts OR 1/2 tsp salt/pints.  DO NOT MASH YOUR PUMPKIN.  Fill jars to within 1/2 inch headspace with water you just used for blanching.  Wipe rims and add lids and bands.  Process in pressure canner.  Contact your local extension office for your altitude/time.  I am at sea level so I do mine at 10 lbs pressure.  Pints are 55 minutes.  Quarts are 90 minutes.

I use my canned pumpkin in place of store bought.  I use it in pies, muffins, cookies, breads and cakes.

Cherries...Black or White

My white cherries won a Second Place ribbon at the 2012 Tillamook County Fair and the black cherries won a Blue Ribbon as well!  Cherries are done the same way whether they are black or white.  Pie cherries are a whole different category.

Cherries

Before you begin - prepare your syrup.  I used a light syrup which was 2 cups sugar-4 cups water ratio.  Prepare your lids as well.  Place in saucepan, cover with water and turn on low.  You want them hot - but not boiling.

These cherries you don't pit so canning them is a cinch!
Stem and wash.  Pack into prepared jars leaving 1 inch headspace.  Add hot syrup leaving 1/2 headspace.  Wipe rims.  Add lids and bands.  Process in water bath making sure water covers your jars.  Quarts are 20 minutes while pints are 15 minutes.

Green Beans

My green beans won a Blue Ribbon at the 2012 Tillamook County Fair!  I don't normally do lengths like these when I do my beans.  I did this jar specifically for the fair.  I generally just snap them into smaller pieces.

Green Beans

Before you start, place lids in saucepan.  Cover with water and turn on low.  You want the lids hot but not boiling.  You also need a large pot of water to bring to a boil.

Pick over your beans and rinse well to remove any dirt/debris.  I break the stem end off of mine and then break into smaller pieces.  Pack into prepared jars leaving 1 inch headspace.  Add 1 tsp salt if desired for quarts and 1/2 tsp /pints.  Add boiling water to 1/2 inch headspace.  Process in pressure canner.  Contact your local extension office for times at your altitude.  I am at sea level so I processed mine at 25 minutes/10 lb pressure/quarts OR 20 minutes/10 lb pressure/pints.