Yes, I can can!

So I may have mentioned in my last post that I bought some veggies and that I was going to can cukes, and maters, and corn....Well, I think I may have had a slight miscalculation in just how much I would end up with........Take a look....

Here is what I did:  dill pickle slices, sweet pickle slices, bread and butter pickles, sweet relish, dill relish, dill spears, sweet spears, ground tomatoes, salsa, rhubarb, pickled beets, corn relish, and one small jar of jalapenos.  I had to freeze 4 small containers of tomatoes since I ran out of jars.  (Even after buying two more cases yesterday!)  I really enjoy doing this, but in smaller batches next time.  I worked all day on Saturday and over half of today.  I am worn out but feel such a sense of accoumplishment.  Over 100 jars! 


Though I am no pro by any means, I have a couple of suggestions for anyone who is doing significant food processing.  First, use a turkey cooker to heat your canner.  It puts the mess and heat outside.  It is great if you are like me and too short to see into a canner on the stove.  Secondly, when sterilizing jars and lids, put them on a cookie sheet and place in your oven at a low temp (I used 200 degrees)  The jars are hot and dry and ready for filling.  And my last tip for anyone cutting corn off the cob:  Use a bundt pan!  The cob fits snugly into the center of the pan and you can run your knife down the side of the ear, and the corn falls into the pan, not all over the place. 


Here is my mom's recipe for corn relish.  It is my first time to try it, but I loved it when she made it: 
3 Pints of corn
1 Pint of finely chopped celery
1 cup of finely chopped onion
1 each finely chopped red and green bell peppers
1 1/2 Cup Sugar
2 Tablespoon Salt
2 Tablespoon Celery Seed
1 Cup Vinegar
Mix all ingredients together and bring to a boil, simmering at low heat for about 20 minutes.  Fill into sterilized, hot jars and adjust 2 pc lids.  Process in a hot water canner for approx 15 min.


(I made a few changes to the recipe:  I added an orange bell pepper and processed for a longer time since we live at 9000 ft. Check with your recipe book or local extension office for processing times at your elevation.) 


Yummy!


Have a great week, everyone!