Back to school! Almost...
Posted by Amateur Teacher on Thursday, July 26, 2012
Under: canning
Our carpets at school have been cleaned which means we have the green light to get back to work. Every year I always say how much I don't want to go back to school... until I see my schoolroom. In the moment I see it, I want to jump in the air, click my heels, and squeal with delight. I love teaching. There's no way around it. It is what I was born to do and no matter how wonderful a summer may be, or how terrible a school year could be, I can't wait to get back to work! My teacher friend met me at school this evening and we had a fun time straightening our things back out to get ready for the new year. Before the end of school last year I got rid of A LOT of stuff. And this will be year two WITHOUT A DESK! I survived last year without it and didn't miss it one bit! I'll show you later what my "area" looks like... when I get past all the junk piles!
So, until school is in full swing... how about another zucchini post? HAHA! I saw you roll your eyes! But I know you know you really want another idea of what to do with all the zucchini in your vegetable basket, too! HA! Today's canning adventure included squash (it's sooooo pretty when you can it!) and zucchini tomato salsa.
Squash is just about the easiest thing you can can. Squash was the second thing I canned when I started this whole summer of canning. So, if I can do it, you can! Why can squash? Why not just freeze it? Well, for one, if you don't have the freezer space (like me) your best choice is to can it. And, two, as I said, it's so pretty in a mason jar!
How do you can squash? Slice it. Pack it. Can it. Seriously. 10 pounds pressure. 25 minutes for pints. Boom. You got squash. How about some pictures? I like to add onion to mine. Seriously, though, you raw pack it into jars and cover with almost boiling or boiling water. I left a 1/2 inch headspace in mine. But that's pretty much it!
And now, the moment you've all been waiting for, the zucchini tomato salsa! I ended up combining two different recipes to get the result I wanted. So here is my makeshift recipe...
8 cups shredded zucchini
2 onions, chopped
1 cup cayenne peppers, chopped
4 banana peppers, chopped (I also had one lonely pablano, so I threw that in too)
2 tablespoons dry mustard
1 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon cumin (I looooove cumin and always add a dash or two)
1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pepper
5 cups chopped tomatoes (peel them first - I found it's easiest to run them through the food processor after peeling)
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/3 cup minced cilantro
Combine all ingredients in a laaaaarge pot. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 to 15 minutes. Ladle your simmering salsa into hot jars, leaving about 1/2 headspace. Tighten your lids and process for 15 minutes in a boiling water bath. There, it's that easy! Actually, I'll confess something to you... I hate peeling and coring tomatoes. Hate. I had tomato juices squirting everywhere. It makes a seemingly easy recipe turn into squishy grossness. Ugh. But, I'm happy with the end result and Mister even ate some when he got home from work last night. If Mister likes it, then it's good.
What do you think? Does zucchini in your salsa sound a little weird? What kind of crazy zucchini recipes have you tried in your kitchen? What's your favorite? Comments are more than welcome!
So, until school is in full swing... how about another zucchini post? HAHA! I saw you roll your eyes! But I know you know you really want another idea of what to do with all the zucchini in your vegetable basket, too! HA! Today's canning adventure included squash (it's sooooo pretty when you can it!) and zucchini tomato salsa.
Squash is just about the easiest thing you can can. Squash was the second thing I canned when I started this whole summer of canning. So, if I can do it, you can! Why can squash? Why not just freeze it? Well, for one, if you don't have the freezer space (like me) your best choice is to can it. And, two, as I said, it's so pretty in a mason jar!
How do you can squash? Slice it. Pack it. Can it. Seriously. 10 pounds pressure. 25 minutes for pints. Boom. You got squash. How about some pictures? I like to add onion to mine. Seriously, though, you raw pack it into jars and cover with almost boiling or boiling water. I left a 1/2 inch headspace in mine. But that's pretty much it!
And now, the moment you've all been waiting for, the zucchini tomato salsa! I ended up combining two different recipes to get the result I wanted. So here is my makeshift recipe...
8 cups shredded zucchini
2 onions, chopped
1 cup cayenne peppers, chopped
4 banana peppers, chopped (I also had one lonely pablano, so I threw that in too)
2 tablespoons dry mustard
1 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon cumin (I looooove cumin and always add a dash or two)
1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pepper
5 cups chopped tomatoes (peel them first - I found it's easiest to run them through the food processor after peeling)
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/3 cup minced cilantro
Combine all ingredients in a laaaaarge pot. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 to 15 minutes. Ladle your simmering salsa into hot jars, leaving about 1/2 headspace. Tighten your lids and process for 15 minutes in a boiling water bath. There, it's that easy! Actually, I'll confess something to you... I hate peeling and coring tomatoes. Hate. I had tomato juices squirting everywhere. It makes a seemingly easy recipe turn into squishy grossness. Ugh. But, I'm happy with the end result and Mister even ate some when he got home from work last night. If Mister likes it, then it's good.
What do you think? Does zucchini in your salsa sound a little weird? What kind of crazy zucchini recipes have you tried in your kitchen? What's your favorite? Comments are more than welcome!
In : canning