Home Canning Bread and Butter Pickles

Home canning is not hard and it's really not labor intensive.  I'm sorry I didn't start canning YEARS ago.  The key is having all the tools, pots, jars and lids ready and understanding the flow of the recipe.  Home can one time and you'll have it down to preserve ANY food you like.  The steps are pretty much the same.  The only differences between recipes are the measurements of the ingredients for the food you want to preserve.

This is my first home canning experience.  I chose to put-up Bread & Butter Pickles because they're the Pre-K of home canning.  Super, super simple, it didn't feel like I really canned at all.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

• 7 lb pickling cucumbers (about 28 small to medium)
• 5 cups white vinegar
• 5 cups sugar
• 1 3.5-oz pkg Ball® Simple Creations® Bread & Butter Pickle Mix
• 4 (32 oz) quart or 8 (16 oz) pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands

CUT cucumbers into 1/2-inch thick slices, discarding ends.

SOAK cut cucumbers in ice water for 4 hours before preparing recipe.  Then drain.

PREPARE boiling water canner. Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set bands aside.

COMBINE vinegar, sugar and contents of package in a medium saucepan. Heat to a boil.

PACK drained cucumber slices into hot jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Ladle hot pickling liquid over cucumbers leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim. Center hot lid on jar. Apply band and adjust until it 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.

For added flavor, allow pickles to stand for 4 to 6 weeks.

Fresh Blueberry Spread Recipe

This fruit spread recipe is a sister to the Homemade Blueberry Syrup recipe.  I took notice that the syrup recipe did not spell out to discard the fruit after it was drained.  I tasted the berries and thought they just needed a little extra sugar and they could easily to be converted to a spread.  I couldn't bare to throw them out, it didn't seem fittin'.

HERE'S WHAT I DID

• 8 cups cooked & drained blueberries from the Homemade Blueberry Syrup recipe
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

In a small saucepan on medium heat, combine all the ingredients, except lemon juice and cook until the blueberries are cooked down and thickened, 10 minutes.  Stir occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.

Ladle fruit spread into a sterile glass 1 pint jar and cover with lid and band.  Process in water canner for 10 minutes if you want to store in pantry and eat later.  Or store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.  It will go fast.  Trust me.

Homemade Blueberry Syrup

Think of a blueberry syrup that you would use to make fresh fruit sodas or stir into a milkshake, yogurt or ice cream.  This recipe makes a thin, flavor packed syrup, not a thick pancake syrup.  Now with that being said, let me just say this stuff is GRRRRR-EAT!  The kiddos and I have been enjoying blueberry sodas made with 1 part blueberry syrup and 2 parts club soda on ice.  They LOVE mixing up their own drinks and away they go.  I feel good knowing they're drinking a carbonated soda free of high-fructose corn syrup and unnecessary ingredients.  We're back to the basics, blueberries, water, sugar, carbonated soda.  Everyone is happy!

Before I start explaining the steps to canning the syrup, I just realized we could easily store the cooled syrup in freezer containers and freeze it.  Just divide up the syrup in portions that can be consumed in 2 weeks time.  Store thawed or unused syrup in refrigerator.

Now if you've never tried home canning, this is a super simple recipe to begin with.  Don't be scared.  It's too easy. And so long as you follow the instructions, you can't go wrong and make anyone ill.  Let's just have fun with the whole experience.

TOOLS & JARS

• wide mouth funnel
• magnetic lid lifter
• vinyl coated jar lifter
• vinyl coated tongs
  All easily obtained from an inexpensive canning kit. I paid $10 for mine.

TOOLS continued

• tall, large stockpot with lid and cooking rack
  I happen to have a 30 quart stockpot with a strainer basket. Works great.
• 4 pint (16 ounce) glass preserving jars
• 4 lids and bands
• cooking thermometer that registers over 230ºF
• large saucepan
• small saucepan
• tea towel or jelly bag, dampened
• wire mesh strainer
• large bowl
• stirring spoon
• clean towel

INGREDIENTS

• 8 cups blueberries (about 3 1/2 pounds)
• 6 cups water, divided
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest

• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

HERE'S WHAT TO DO

Combine blueberries, 2 cups of water and lemon zest in a large stainless steel saucepan.  Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat and boil gently for 5 minutes.

Transfer to a dampened tea towel or a strainer lined with several layers of cheesecloth set over a deep bowl.  Let drip, undisturbed for at least 2 hours.  Save the drained blueberries to make a delicious blueberry spread.

Prepare boiling water canner.  Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use.  Do not boil.  Set bands aside.

Combine sugar and remaining 4 cups of water in a clean large stainless steel saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar, and cook until temperature reaches 230ºF, adjusting for altitude.  Add blueberry juice.  Increase heat to high, bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from the heat and stir in lemon juice.

Ladle hot syrup into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace.  Wipe rim.  Center lid on jar.  Apply band until fit is fingertip tight.

Process jars 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.

While you have everything out and the water canner is still hot, you may as well use those leftover blueberries to make a fruit spread for your morning toast or over your yogurt.  You know what Memaw used to say, "Waste not, want not."

Blueberry Spread Recipe

If you would like to watch a veteran home-canner in the kitchen, then watch my mentor Linda Tanton in this video.  In the video she's cooking up a Cucumber Relish to be canned.  The tools and steps for canning are the virtually the same.  She shows us just how simple it is.