Soft Molasses Cookie Recipe Recipe
HARVEST FAIR RECIPES
DILL PICKLES
8 lbs 4 – 6 inch cucumbers –
Cut lengthwise
¼ cp sugar
½ salt
1 quart vinegar
1 quart water
3 tblsp Pickling spice
Pickle Crisp
Wash cucumbers, drain. Combine sugar, sale, vinegar and water in a large saucepot. Tie spice in a spice bag. Add spice bag to vinegar mixture. Simmer 15 minutes. Pack cucumbers in hot jars leaving ½ inch headspace; put one head of dill in each jar. Ladle hot liquid over cucumbers leaving ½ inch headspace. Add Pickle Crisp to each jar, if desired. Remove air bubbles. Adjust two-piece caps. Process pints and quarts 15 minutes in a boiling water canner.
CINNAMON CRAB APPLES, Makes 3 quarts
Carefully wash and sort 4# of crabapples
3 1/2 c cider vinegar
3 c water
5 c sugar
2 t cloves
sticks of cinnamon
1 t ground ginger (optional)
Give jars, rings and lids a boiling water bath to sanitize. Prick each apple 3 times with a fork. Combine vinegar, water and sugar. Mix on medium high heat and boil for 5 minutes. Do not allow the apples to get too soft. Take apples out of pan and place them in jars. Remove or keep sticks to use in jars. Strain brine and then pour in jars. Clean rims and finish the canning process.
SAUERKRAUT, Makes about 12 pints or 6 quarts
20 pounds cabbage
¾ cup salt
To Ferment: Remove outer leaves and any undesirable portions from form, mature heads of cabbage; wash and drain. Cut into halves or quarters. Remove core. Use a food process or sharp knife (or kraut cutter) into thin shreds about 1/8 in. thick. Combine 3 tblsp. salt and 5 pounds of shredded cabbage in a large bowl mixing thoroughly. Let salted cabbage stand for several minutes to wilt slightly. This allows packing without excessive breaking or bruising of the shreds. Pack salted cabbage firmly and evenly into a large, clean pickling container. Use a wooden spoon, tamper or hands to press down firmly until the juice comes to the surface. Repeat shredding, salting and packing of cabbage until the container is filled to within 3 – 4 inches from the top. If juice does not cover cabbage, add brine. Make brine using 1 ½ tblsp salt to 1 quart of water. Bring brine to a boil; cool. Coverage cabbage with muslin or cheesecloth and tuck edges down against the inside of the container. Weight cabbage under brine. Formation of gas bubbles indicates fermentation is taking place. Remove and discard scum formation each day. Store container in a cool place. Fermentation is usually complete in 3 – 6 weeks.
To Can – Bring sauerkraut to a simmer in a large saucepot. Do not boil. Pack hot sauerkraut into hot jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Ladle hot liquid over sauerkraut leaving ½ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust two-piece caps. Process pints 15 minutes, Quarters 20 minutes in a boiling-water canner.
ELDERBERRY SYRUP
4 cups water
2 cups fresh or frozen elderberries
2 cups honey
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
Cinnamon, cloves, ginger
Add water and fresh berries to a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 min. Strain liquid through a fine mesh strainer, removing berries and add-ins. Continue simmering until the liquid is reduced by half. Remove from heat and allow liquid to cool to just above room temperature. You want to be able to touch it comfortably with your finger. Add honey, lemon juice and spices. Stir until honey is dissolved. Ladle into hot jars, adjust two-piece caps.
APPLE BUTTER
4 pounds of apples (about 16 medium)
4 cp sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp cloves
Wash apples. Core, peel and quarter apples. Combine apples and 2 cups of water in a large saucepot. Simmer until apples are soft. Puree’ using a food processor or blender being careful not to liquefy. Makes 2 quarters apple pulp.
Combine apple pulp, sugar and spices in a large saucepan. Cook slowly until thick enough to round up on a spoon. As mixture thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking. Ladle hot butter into hot jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner. (NOTE – if butter becomes too thick, add water or apple juice for desired consistency.)
BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES
4 lbs. 4 – 6-inch cucumbers, cut into ¼ inch slices
2 lbs. onions thinly slice (about 8 small)
Red bell pepper cut into small pieces
½ cup sale
2 cups of sugar
2 tbsp. mustard seed
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp celery seed
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp peppercorns
3 cup vinegar
Pickle Crisp (optional)
Combine cucumber and onion slices in a large bowl, layering with salt, cover with ice cubes. Let stand 1 ½ hours. Drain, rise, drain again. Combine remaining ingredients except Pickle Crisp in a large saucepot. Bring to a boil. Add drained cucumbers and onions and return to a boil. Pack hot pickles and liquid into hot jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Add Pickle Crisp to each jar, if desired. Remove air bubbles. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner.
HORSERADISH
¾ lb. horseradish root
1 cup vinegar
½ tsp sale
1 ½ tsp Fruit-Fresh
Wash horseradish root. Drain. Pel and finely grate horseradish root. Combine 2 cups of grated horseradish, vinegar, sale and Fruit-Fresh in a bowl. Ladle pickled horseradish into plastic freezer jars or plastic freezer containers, leaving ½ inch headspace. Seal, label and freeze. (NOTE – the pungency of horseradish fades quickly. Prepare only the amount of pickled horseradish that will be used within three months.