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back from the ashes and kicking ass
Oh hello deserted little blog.
Christmas is coming and this year I am a broke ass bum. It's not because I'm actually a bum, (I actually work two jobs) it's because we just bought a house, and I'm still adjusting to having slightly less disposable income. I'm having a difficult time not being all "scroogie" about Christmas, seeing as though I can barely afford to buy presents for my enormous and growing family. My answer to these woes however, is a good ol' fashioned DIY moment. It's not that I haven't made Christmas presents before, but this is the first year I have ever attempted to make preserves - canned goods.
I recently bought myself a canner in order to capture some jelly goodness from the crab apples growing in my new front yard. Over Thanksgiving, my mother refreshed my memory of how to make the sweet spread, and I made my very own batch a few weeks later. My jelly was a total success, and was joyfully consumed by my family, particularly my husband and my father-in-law.
I was esspecially pleased that my father-in-law enjoyed the jelly so much that he ate it as a daily snack. He is suffering with kidney failure as a result of cancer, and is on dialysis. He has very limited diet as a result. Now, my father-in-law has a profound appreciation for food, and was always the family chef. He used to make the most amazing three course family dinners every single Sunday. His roast beef ruined me for all restaurants and the man made a slaw that changed my whole perspective on cabbage. Now he's not even allowed to have salt! No sodium, no potassium, and not too much water is just the start of it.
In considering recipes for Christmas canning, I was of course keeping this in mind. Canning can be tricky because often it requires salt - but then I happened upon a magazine that had a recipe for MUSTARD and I had a eureka moment. MUSTARD! He loves mustard! I'll make mustard and pretzels! I found another recipe for pretzels where all of the dry ingredients can be mixed together in a jar, and the only wet ingredients are beer! So, there we have it, Local Ale Mustard with Beer Bottle Pretzels. I'm going to make some pickles too - as long as I can find the right kind of cucumbers during this season. Beer hall picnic. Clever? I hope so. I also hope my family appreciates my time and effort instead of spend baubles this year.
Of course I'm also making super adorable pinterest labels. Here's my first sample lable and recipes.
I realize that this blog post is neither art, architecture, design or fashion - I'm a rebel, and Imma post whatever I want.
Cheers!
So, these picked are going to be super salty, so I'm going to make bread and butter pickles for my papa. But here's the recipe I intend to use for everyone else. Courtesy of the Ball website:http://www.freshpreserving.com/recipes/sliced-dill-pickle-recipe
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SLICED DILL PICKLE RECIPE
PRINTMakes about 5 (16 oz) pints
No hamburger is complete without the tangy zest of a dill pickle. Because these pickles have already been cut into slices, they are easy to use.
PREPARE boiling water canner. Heat jars in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Wash lids in warm soapy water and set bands aside.
TIE pickling spice in a square of cheesecloth, creating a spice bag.
COMBINE vinegar, water, sugar, pickling salt and spice bag in a large stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar and salt. Reduce heat and boil gently for 15 minutes, until spices have infused the liquid.
PLACE 1 bay leaf, 1 garlic clove, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds and 1 head of dill into each jar. Pack cucumber slices into hot jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Ladle hot pickling liquid into jar to cover cucumbers leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and re-measure headspace. If needed, add more pickling liquid to meet recommended headspace. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band and adjust until fit is fingertip tight.
PROCESS filled jars in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.
I'm going to make sure to include a bottle of beer in my German themed basket. I got this easy beer pretzel jar recipe from: http://www.mixesinajar.com/mixes/snacks/beerbottlepretzelmix.shtml
3 1/3 cup whole wheat flour 1 tbs. sugar 1 package active dry yeast 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. dried oregano 1/2 tsp. dried basil 1/4 tsp. garlic powder 1 tbs. dried minced onion 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Stir together flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in a bowl. Stir together oregano, basil, garlic, onion, and cheese in another. Divide ingredients equally among two 16 ounce beer bottles or jars, layering if bottles are clear.
Beer Bottle Pretzels
Empty jar into a medium mixing bowl. Add 1/2 of a 12 oz can or bottle of beer (3/4 cup). Stir to combine. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth. Cover and let rest in a warm area until doubled. (About 45 min.)Roll out on lightly floured surface into a 10'x6' rectangle and cut lengthwise into 6 strips. (Shape if desired or leave as is.) Cover and let rise again until nearly doubled; about 30 min.
Bake on the top rack of a 400 degrees F oven for about 8 minutes or until lightly golden. Transfer to wire rack to cool.
I got this one from the Ball website. I trust them:http://www.freshpreserving.com/recipes/oktoberfest-beer-mustard
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OKTOBERFEST BEER MUSTARD
PRINTMakes about 5 (4 oz) jars
Pair this tangy-sweet mustard with smoked meats, salami or well-marinated grilled meats. And, of course, bratwurst.
COMBINE beer and brown mustard seeds in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cover and let stand at room temperature until seeds have absorbed most of the moisture, about 2 hours.
PREPARE boiling water canner. Heat jars in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Wash lids in warm soapy water and set bands aside.
PLACE mustard seeds and remaining liquid in a food processor or blender. Process until chopped and slightly grainy.
TRANSFER mixture to a large saucepan. Whisk in water, vinegar, brown sugar, dry mustard and onion powder. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until volume is reduced by a third, about 15 minutes.
LADLE hot mustard into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim. Center hot lid on jar. Apply band and adjust until fit is fingertip tight.
PROCESS in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.
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