Tomato Jelly.. Red and Green

Things you will need for this one 

2lbs of tomatoes 

1/2 cup of sugar ( brown or white does not matter)

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 

pinch salt 

1 tsp paprika 

When you end up with this many tomatoes at the end of the season and you have sauce, salsa, ketchup,and frozen tomatoes to last your family all winter you get creative 

Today I took some of our green and leftover red tomatoes and brewed them down in my instapot ( pressure cook high 45min and saute for 30 )

add in  the apple cider while cooking it down

when you move to the saute add everything else

when there is no liquid in the bottom of the pan you are done, You can water bath can this or it keeps in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks.

I also make this green and add green apples to it for a chutney same steps just add the apples when you add the cider.

 

Grape Jelly

 

More Jelly and juice 

                As summer peaked the grapes on our wild grapevine went crazy, I was under the weather so I missed a lot of the harvest but we were able to get 5-gallon jars of juice and 2 jars of jelly 


How to make the jelly and juice  

• 4 3/4 cups  Grape juice  ( you can stop here for juice )
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 box  powdered pectin
• 7 cups sugar

• Measure out 7 cups of sugar into a medium bowl and set aside.
• In a large pot combine grape juice, lemon juice, and pectin.
• Bring to a full rolling boil (will not stop bubbling even when stirred).
• Once boiling, add sugar all at once, stirring well to combine.
• Bring back to a full rolling boil and boil rapidly, stirring constantly for 1 minute exactly. Immediately remove from heat, skim off any foam and ladle into hot sterilized jars, filling to 1/8 inch from the top.
• Place sterilized tops and rings on jars and tighten rings firmly, then wait for the pop sound to tell you they are sealed 

  

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

Mulberries for days

 

We have been busy 32 oz of berries picked every day for a week now we have 8 16 oz jars of jelly 32 oz of dried berries and some fruit roll-ups we are making more in the morning. Our berry trees are going crazy this year. 

Clover Jelly

 Eating the bloom jelly is the way we make it through till the berries are ready it is so easy even the girls have gotten it down  

2 cups flower petals 
2 to 3 cups water 
2 cups sugar 
2 tbs lemon juice 
2 tbs pectin 

make the tea brew for 45 mins ( flower and water ) clear the flowers , mix in the rest let cook for 10 mins water bath jar them for 10 mins take them out, and let them zing for 24 hours

this only makes 1 to use, 1 to share, 1 to store in our jelly making we could up the water content and sugar to make bigger batches but this works for us ( this one little E added 3 cups water) 

Wild Violet Jelly

                     Eating our weeds making wonderful things

Today I am going to share a wonderful sweet treat from our backyard.

Wild violet jelly is wonderful on biscuits or even a good pb and j sandwich .

Spring in our house means a small batch canning every chance I get.

We have a lot of fruit to harvest in late summer off our bushes and vines so our weed jelly

keeps us going till then.

3 cups water 

1 cup violets 

2 tsp lemon juice 

½ cup sugar 

1 and ½  tablespoon pectin 

In a small saucepan boil water and violets for 15 mins  until the water is colored Discard boiled violets then add lemon juice and sugar simmer for 10 mins on low  then add pectin and follow the directions on the package to set it ( depending on the kind you use it could be bringing it back to a boil).  While things are boiling and simmering I prepare my jars for canning in boiling water .  Fill the jars leave a bit of head space add back to water bath for 10 to 15 mins when done turn them upside down and let cool for 12 hrs … if the lids pop eat right away if they do not and have a tight seal then they can stay in our root cellar for up to 6 months.  I do have to note violets are a bit of a laxative so do not eat the whole jar in one sitting and it is also why I make small jars of it .

Historically, violet has been used as a respiratory herb and to treat hacking cough ,It’s also used as a lymphatic tonic, to help with lymph edema and breast issues something around here we like and need so we take the laxative with the lymph node help.

                                    this is an amazing tool Daddy O found me