Rabbit Hunter’s Style

1 (2.5-3 lb) rabbit, cut into 8 pieces, rinsed, and patted dry
salt
fresh ground black pepper
4 bacon
4 shallots, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon minced fresh basil
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1/4cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Roast Grouse with Wild Rice

2 (1 1/2 lb) grouse, about
salt
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
1 (10 1/2 ounce) can condensed consomme
1/8 teaspoon crumbled oregano
1 cup wild rice
water
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 apple, peeled and chopped
1 (10 1/2 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup light cream
1/4 cup red wine
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Rub grouse inside and out with salt.
Combine onions, mushrooms, consomme, oregano, and wild rice.
Bring to a boil and simmer until rice is tender, about 40 to 45 minutes, adding water when necessary to keep rice from sticking.
When rice is tender, season to taste with salt.
Stuff grouse with rice.
Place onion, carrots, and apple in a shallow roasting pan and place grouse on top, breast side down.
Roast in a preheated 350 F.
oven for 30 minutes.
Turn grouse breast side up and roast until brown and tender, about 1-1/2 to 2 hours.
Remove grouse to a platter and keep warm.
Strain pan juices into a saucepan.
Stir in soup, cream, and wine.
Simmer, stirring, until sauce bubbles.
Spoon sauce over grouse.
Garnish with additional cooked wild rice.

Squirrel Mulligan

3 squirrels
2 onions, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 medium potatoes, diced
1/4 cup diced celery
4tablespoons chili powder
salt and pepper
1 dash louisiana hot sauce
1 cup cooked rice
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Stew squirrels and reserve broth.
Remove meat from bones and put back into broth.
Bring to a boil and add all ingredients except rice.
Cook about 45 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
Add cooked rice.
Serve hot.

Crock-Pot French Onion Soup for the Lazy!

6 onions (white, Vidallia, your choice)
2 (10 ounce) cans beef consomme
2 (14 ounce) cans beef broth
1 (1 ounce) package of dry french onion dip mix (use 2 if you like it REALLY oniony)
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Slice or chop onions, then mix all of the above in a crockpot and set it for 8 hours.
Eat.
Or if you want to get fancy, serve it this way: add one slice of dry crusty french bread into each bowl and pour soup over the bread into the bowl. Cover with Guyer or Jarlsberg Cheese and put under the broiler for about 2 minutes until cheese bubbles and gets a little brown.

Onion Patties

2 1/2 cups onions, finely diced (I just chop about 3 medium onions for this)
1 green onion, finely chopped (optional)
3/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoning salt (can use regular salt)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
black pepper (optional)
3/4 cup milk
oil (for frying, do not use olive oil)
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Chop the onions finely (I chop them about 1/4-inch) then place into a bowl.
In another large bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, seasoning salt, cayenne, garlic powder (if using) and a small amount of black pepper; mix to combine well.
Add in the milk and whisk until thoroughly combined (the batter will be thick!).
Add in the chopped onions and green onions and mix with a wooden spoon until combined.
In a large non-stick frypan, heat a small amount of oil to medium-hot, adding in more oil as needed as the patties will absorb too much oil if you add in a large amount of oil at one time.
Drop the batter from a tablespoon (no more than about a tablespoon!) into about 1/2-inch of hot oil (I slide the batter off using off another spoon).
Flatten slightly with the spoon or spatula.
Sprinkle with a little salt.
Fry until crispy and brown on both sides.
**NOTE** these tend to hold a bit of oil so drain well on paper towels.

Chip Crumbles

1 cup butter or firm margarine, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

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Crumble butter, brown sugar, vanilla and flour in a bowl.
Stir in walnuts (optional) and chocolate chips.
Press into an ungreased 9x9 pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
Cut while warm. Cool.
Enjoy!

Zucchini Lasagna

2 1/2 cups zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch thick (about 2 medium)
1/2 lb lean beef, ground
1/4 cup onions, chopped
2 small tomatoes, cut up
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 cup water
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 egg
3/4 cup low fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 teaspoon flour

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Cook zucchini until tender, drain and set aside. Fry meat and onions until meat is brown and onions are tender; drain fat. Add next 8 ingredients and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered 10 minutes or until reduced to 2 cups.
In small bowl slightly beat egg.
Add cottage cheese, half of shredded cheese and flour.
In (1 1/2-qt.) baking-roasting pan arrange half of the meat mixture. Top with half of the zucchini and all the cottage cheese mixture. Top with remaining meat and zucchini.
Bake uncovered at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes.
Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 10 minutes longer.
Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Homemade Syrup

4 cups white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups water
2 teaspoons maple extract or flavoring
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Mix the water with the two sugars.
Simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove from heat, and stir in maple flavoring.
This may form crystals but can be reheated.
Does not need to be refrigerated.

Goat's Milk Ice Cream

2 cups goat's milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar

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heat goat milk and vanilla on stovetop until almost boiling; while waiting go to next step.
beat egg yolks and sugar for two minutes; until sugar is almost disolved.
when the milk mixure starts to come to a boil, take it off the stove and mix in with the egg/sugar mixture.
stir well until no sugar crystals remain.
put the ice cream mixture in the refridgerator (about 20-30 minutes) to cool it down.
after it's cooled down a bit, you're ready to make ice cream! put the mixture into an ice cream maker for 20-30 mintues (i use cuisinart).
Enjoy your homemade treat!

Kraft's Thousand Island Dressing

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
1 teaspoon finely minced onions
1/8teaspoon salt
1 dash black pepper

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combine all ingredients in small bowl whisk well.
place dressing in covered container in refridgeratefor several hours before serving.

Rabbit Stifado

1 large rabbit, jointed
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 bay leaves
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar (balsamic also works nicely)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 teaspoon sugar
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 small cinnamon stick (about a 3-inch length)
salt and black pepper
4 whole allspice
1 sprig rosemary
2/3cup red wine
1 1/4 cups hot water
1 1/2 lbs white pearl onions, peeled,left whole
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Rinse the rabbit pieces and place them in a mixing bowl together with the bay leaves and vinegar; mix well and leave to marinate for at least 2 hours, or overnigh; remove the rabbit from the marinade and pat dry with kitchen paper.
Heat half of the olive oil in a large saucepan until hot, add the rabbit and fry the pieces until quite brown on all sides; add the tomato paste, bay leaves, sugar, garlic, spices and the hot water.
Season with salt and pepper.
Bring to the boil mixing well then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a frying pan; add the onions and sauté gently for 15 minutes stirring occasionally, until golden all over; after the rabbit has been cooking for 1 hour, add the onions and oil from the frying pan to the saucepan; combine, then re-cover and simmer for a further 15 minutes; fish out the cinnamon stick, allspice berries and rosemary sprig.
Note: This can be served with pasta, noodles, rice or oven-roasted potatoes, but my personal favourite is homemade french-fries, which taste delicious dunked in the spicy sauce.

Crock Pot Cherry Cobbler

1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling
1cup flour
1/4cup sugar, I use brown sugar but any sugar should be fine
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup milk, low-fat is fine
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-2 teaspoon cherry flavored liqueur (optional)
1 cup slivered almonds, toasted (optional)
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Lightly grease the inside of a 31/2-quart(31/2 litre) crock pot, or spray it with cooking spray.
Place the pie filling into the crock pot.
Beat the remaining ingredients until the consistency of the batter is smooth.
If adding liqueur and/or slivered almonds, add these to the batter now. If the batter is a little too moist after adding the liqueur, adjust the consistency with an extra sprinkling of flour.
Spread the batter over the pie filling.
Cover and cook on high for 11/2 to 2 hours, or until a skewer pierced into the centre of the cobbler comes out clean.
Serve with cream, custard or ice cream.

Crown of Roses

1 ounce Crown Royal whiskey
1/2 ounce Amaretto
1 ounce pineapple juice
1/4 ounce cranberry juice
3 dashes Angostura bitters
1 maraschino cherry (garnish, optional)
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Fill a cocktail shaker two-thirds full of ice and add all of the ingredients.
Shake until well mixed and well chilled.
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and add a cherry to garnish.

Kool-Aid Paint

1 (1/4 ounce) package Kool-Aid (any flavour or colour you want to use)
1/2 tablespoon hot water

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Pour Kool-Aid in a very small container (Glad Mini Round/4oz containers work very well).
Add water.
Stir well until the Kool-Aid is dissolved.
Have fun!

Kid's Sushi

1/4 cup butter
4 cups miniature marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispies
20-25 gummy worms
10-15 rolls fruit leather (preferably green)
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Grease a 12- by 17-inch baking sheet.
Melt butter in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat.
Add the marshmallows and stir until smooth.
Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the Rice Krispies until it's evenly coated.
Turn the baking sheet so that the shorter ends are at the top and bottom.
Press the marshmallow mixture onto the sheet, distributing it evenly.
Starting at one side an inch up from the lower edge, place gummy worms on topof the mixture end to end in a hortizontal line.
Gently roll the lower edge of the marshmallow mixture over the gummy worms.
Then stop and cut the log away from the rest of the mixture.
Use the same method to form 4 more logs.
Slice each log into 1-inch-thick "sushi" rolls and wrap them individually with a strip of fruit leather.

Milk Cake

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 1/4 cups flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups milk
10 teaspoons butter
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Beat eggs on high until thick, (5 minutes).
Gradually add sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
Combine flour and baking powder.
Add to batter and beat on low until smooth.
Add vanilla.
In saucepan, heat milk and butter just until the butter melts.
Add to batter, beat until combined.
Pour into a greased 13x9 pan.
Bake at 350F degrees for 35 minutes.
Test for doneness.

Fire Balls

14 lbs small green cherry tomatoes
4 cloves garlic
4 stalks celery
4 hot red peppers
4 heads dill
1 quart water
1/2 cup pickling salt
2 quarts white vinegar
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Pack 3 1/2 pounds of cherry tomatoes in each of the clean, hot jars.
To each quart jar add a clove of garlic, a celery stalk, a hot red pepper, and a head of dill.
Combine water, pickling salt and vinegar.
Boil.
Fill jars to 1/2 inch head space from top.
Process 10 minutes in boiling water bath.
Makes 4 quarts.

Pickled Apples

21 apples (ripe, hard sweet)
2 quarts vinegar
4 lbs sugar
1/2 ounce mace
1/2 ounce whole cloves
1/2 ounce whole allspice
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
pepper
salt
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Take ripe, hard, sweet apples.
Peel evenly, and if the apples are perfect leave them whole, otherwise cut into quarters.
To a peck of apples take about two quarts of vinegar and four pounds of sugar, half an ounce of mace, half an ounce of cloves and the same amount of allspice, all unground, one teaspoonful of mustard seed, a few pepper grains and a little salt. Heat the vinegar and sugar together until it boils, skim well, put the spices into a thin muslin bag and add to the vinegar, then put in the apples.
Place over the fire, and stew slowly until the apples are soft. Then take out the apples, let the vinegar boil down and pour over the fruit; cover and put away.

Banana Cherry Cake

2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
3mashed ripe bananas
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
2 cups pitted cherries
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In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, suger.
In a smaller bowl, mash the bananas.
To the bananas, add the eggs, vanilla extract, milk and oil and mix. Combine cherries into the mix.
Add the wet mixture to the other dry ingredients in the large bowl and mix.
Spray the baking tin with cooking spray (alternatively, grease tin with butter).
Pour batter into baking tin and cook in a oven pre-heated to 375 degrees for 1 hour 10 minutes.
Remove cake from oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes. Turn cake onto a plate and allow to cool.

Pickled Cherries

2 1/4 lbs cherries
sugar
1/4 liter white wine vinegar
10 black peppercorns
3 cloves
1 bay leaf
salt
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Trim the stalks of the cherries so that there is only 6mm protruding from the fruit.
Wash and dry the cherries thoroughly, put into glass jars and sprinkle lightly with sugar.
Meanwhile, bring 1 litre of the vinegar to the boil with the peppercorns, cloves and bayleaf, add a little salt and boil for a further 5 minutes or so.
Allow to cool.
Pour the liquid over the cherries and leave to marinate for 24 hours.
The next day, strain the marinade from the cherries, reheat it and the remaining unused vinegar and boil for 5 minutes.
Allow to cool, cover the cherries and seal the jars.
Leave for at least one month before eating.

Pickled Peaches

6 lbs firm-ripe peaches, peeled,pitted and halved
6 3/4 cups sugar
3 1/2 cups white vinegar (labeled 5% acidity)
4 (2 1/2 inch) cinnamon sticks
1 tablespoon whole cloves
1 tablespoon ground ginger

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Combine sugar and vinegar in a 6 to 8 quart saucepan.
Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar.
Boil for 5 minutes.
Tie spices in spice bag or cheesecloth.
Add spice bag and peaches to syrup.
Simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes or until peaches are cooked but not too soft, stirring peaches gently to cook all sides.
Cover and let stand in a cool place for 12 to 18 hours, stirring peaches 2 or 3 times.
Bring peaches to a boil.
Remove them from heat and remove spices.
Skim off foam, if necessary.
Immediately fill hot pint or quart jars with mixture, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
Carefully run a nonmetalic utensil down inside of jars to remove trapped air bubbles.
Wipe jar tops and threads clean.
Place hot lids on jars and screw bands on firmly.
Process in boiling Water Canner for 25 minutes for quarts or 20 minutes for pints.
Yield: appproximately 2 quarts or 4 to 5 pints.

Preserved Lemons

2 1/2-3 lbs lemons (10 to 12)
2/3 cup coarse salt
1/4 cup olive oil
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Blanch 6 lemons in boiling water 5 minutes.
When cool enough to handle, cut lemons into 8 wedges each and discard seeds.
Toss with salt in a bowl and pack into jar.
Squeeze enough juice from remaining lemons to measure 1 cup.
Add enough juice to cover lemons and cover jar with lid.
Let stand at room temperature, shaking gently once a day, 5 days.
Add oil and chill.
Preserved lemons keep, chilled, up to 1 year.

Pickled Eggplant

6 eggplants, peeled and cut into thick sticks 2 inches long
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon whole allspice
1/2 teaspoon white peppercorns
1 cinnamon stick (1 inch long)
3 1/2 cups red wine vinegar
1/2 cup honey
1 cup water
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Boil eggplants and onions in water for 5 minutes, drain, plunge into ice water and drain again.
Meanwhile place allspice, peppercorns and cinnamon into a spice bag and cook with vinegar, honey and water to boiling.
Simmer until syrup is thick.
Add eggplants and onions and heat through.
Remove bag and pour mixture into clean hot jars.
Seal and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes at altitudes up to 1000 feet.

Dandelion Jelly

1 quart of tightly packed fresh organic bright dandelion flowers
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 lemon, zest of, thinly chopped
5 1/2 cups sugar
1 (1 3/4 ounce) package dry pectin

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Using stainless steel pan, boil the flowers in 2 quarts of spring water for 10 minutes, cool, and strain, pressing the liquid out of the flowers gently, then restrain through a coffee filter.
Measure 3 cups of the liquid, add the lemon juice, zest and pectin.
Put into a deep jelly kettle and bring to a rolling boil, then add sugar and stir to mix well.
Stir and boil hard for 1 1/2 minutes, or until mixture sheets from a wooden spoon, skim, pour into hot clean half pint jelly jars and seal.

Saskatoon Pie Filling

4 cups water
1/2 cup lemon juice
12 cups fresh saskatoon berries
3 cups sugar
1 cup cornstarch

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Boil together the water and lemon juice.
Add the saskatoons, and bring to a boil again.
Mix the sugar with the cornstarch thoroughly.
Add the sugar/cornstarch mixture to the saskatoons.
Stir and cook until juice is thickened and clear.
Pour in sterilized quart or pint jars.
Seal.
Process in hot water bath for 20 minutes for quarts or 15 minutes for pints.

Cherry Vinegar

8 cups pitted sweet cherries
5 cups white vinegar

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Combine cherries and vinegar in a stainless or enamel pot.
Bring to a boil.
Boil gently for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile sterilize 4 1/2 pint jars.
Pour vinegar mixture thourgh 2-3 layers of wet cheesecloth.
Return vinegar to the pot and boil for 1 minute more.
Ladle into clean hot jars.
Process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes.

Beet Jelly

4 cups of strained beet juice (see below)
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 (1 3/4 ounce) package Sure-Jell
6 cups sugar
1 (3 ounce) package raspberry Jell-O gelatin
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Beet Juice: Scrub fresh beets and cover with boiling water. Boil the beets until tender; remove the beats and use the water they have been boiled.
Mix beet juice, lemon juice, and Sure-Jell in medium saucepan; bring to a full boil. Add the sugar and Jell-O and boil hard for 10 minutes.
Ladel into prepared jelly jars. Wipe the rims and seal.

Mountain Dew Jelly

3 1/4 cups Mountain Dew soda
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 1/2 cups sugar
1 package sure jell pectin

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Pour mountian dew and lemon juice into a large pot.
Bring to boil.
Boil 3 minutes.
Cool slightly.
Then follow the sure jell directions.
Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.
you can use more mountain dew and reduce it to 3-1/4 c.
for a more concentrated flavor.

Corn Cob Jelly

12 ears of old fashion field corn
4 cups water
1 box powdered fruit pectin
4 cups sugar
yellow food coloring
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Cut corn kernals from cobs and reserve for another recipe.
In a large pot, place cobs and water, bring to a boil.
Boil for 10 minutes.
Remove and discard cobs; strain liquid through cheesecloth.
Liquid should measure 3 cups.
Add additional water if necessary.
Return to the pot and stir in pectin.
Bring to a full rolling boil.
Add sugar and bring back to a boil and boil for one minute.
Remove from heat and skim foam and add a few drops of food coloring.
Pour into hot jelly jars.
Place canning lids that have been preheated in hot water on jars and tighten rings as tight as possible.
Turn upside down and let stand for 5 minutes.
Turn upright and allow to cool completely before storing.

Currant Catsup

8 cups cleaned red currants
3 cups cider vinegar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
7 cups sugar
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The currants should be washed and picked over.
Boil them with the vinegar until all are 'popped'.
Strain well; discard seeds and stems.
Put the juice in a pot and add the spices mixed to a paste with a little of the currant juice.
Bring to a boil and add the sugar.
Boil hard for about one minute.
Start testing for "gel".
There are several ways to do this, but the easiest is to put a drop on a frozen surface (like an ice cube) and see if it will wrinkle when pushed with your finger.
When this is achieved, ladle into sterlized jars and seal with sterilized lids.
The original recipe did not call for this, but I pop them back in the boiling water bath for 5 minutes just for safety sake.

Tomatillo Salsa

6 cups tomatillos, chopped
3 cups onions, chopped
3 jalapeno peppers, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons cumin
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
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Combine all ingredients in a large pot & stir frequently over high heat untill mixture boils.
Reduce heat.
Simmer 20 minutes.
Ladle into pint jars.
Leave 1/2 inch headspace.
Adjust lids,process in a hot water bath for 20 minutes.
Be sure to wear gloves when chopping Peppers as they will burn fingers.
Also, have good ventilation when cooking, I have found this to be true when cooking ALL Salsa.
I use a food processor for chopping.
If you want it hotter use more Jalapeno's & you can use more or less Cumin, as Cumin makes it hot, BUT, gives a good flavor.

Homemade Hominy

2 quarts dry field corn
8 quarts water
2 ounces lye
salt

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Place corn in an enameled pan; add water and lye.
Boil vigorously for 30 minutes.
Let stand for 20 minutes.
Rinse off lye with several hot water rinses.
Follow with cold water rinses to cool for handling.
Work hominy with hands until dark tips of kernels are removed.
This may take awhile.
Separate the tips from the corn by floating them off.
Add water to cover hominy about 1 inch and boil 5 minutes; change water.
Repeat this step 4 times.
Add water and cook until kernels are soft (30 to 45 minutes) and drain; saving this hot water you drain off.
Pack hominy into sterile jars about 1/2 full.
Add 1 teaspoon salt to each quart jar.
Fill to within 1/2 inch of top of jar with water in which the corn was last cooked in or boiling water.
Put on cap, screw band firmly tight.
Process: using 10 pounds of pressure.
Pints for 60 minutes.
Quarts for 70 minutes.
I used quart jars and only filled them half full with the hominy.
Because during the processing, the hominy will expand.

Gingered Cantaloupe Pickles

3 1/2 lbs cantaloupes, slightly underripe (1 large or two small melons)
pickling salt or kosher salt
5 cups granulated sugar
3 cups white vinegar or cider vinegar (5% acetic acid)
1/3 cup minced crystallized ginger
cinnamon sticks
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Arrange the cantaloupe chunks in a large nonreactive shallow bowl. Cover the surgaces of the fruit completely with ice cubes. Over the ice, sprinkle a thin layer of salt, enough to cover it with the coarse granules. Set the bowl aside at room temperatuer while the ice begins to melt.
When about half of the ice has melted and the remaining ice looks very brittle and crackled, like a shattered windshield, rinse and drain the cantaloupe. (The melting time will vary depending on the heat of the kitchen. Give it about 45 minutes to an hour.).
Return the fruit to the bowl and add the sugar, vinegar and ginger. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Weight the fruit with a plate, cover the bowl with a clean tea towel, and let it stand for at least 12 hours or overnight.
Pour the cantaloupe, syrup, and 1/2 cup of water inot a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid is reduced by half and the cantaloupe becomes transparent, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, wash eight half-pint canning jars that are free of any cracks or knicks and place them in a water-bath canner. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Do this about 25 minutes before the cantaloupe is done simmering. Place a tea kettle or two full of water on the stove and heat to boiling. Just before you are ready to put the cantaloupe in the jars, pour boiling water from the tea kettle over 8 canning lids to sanitize them and soften the rubber seals.
Now ladle the cantaloupe into the prepared jars. Divide the ginger and cinnamon sticks among the jars. Pour syrup to cover the cantaloupe to within 1/2 inch of the rim of the jar (head space). Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the jar and remove any air bubbles that might have accumulated. Clean the jar rims with clean, damp paper towels to remove any syrup or food that would prevent a proper seal. Center canning lids on jars and screw on bands with your finger tips--do not make them too tight!
Place the jars in the canner full of hot water, and make sure the jars are covered by at least 1 1/2 inches of water. You might need to top off the water with some from the heated tea kettles.
Process the jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes, counting from the time that the water returns to a boil.
Store the jars in a cool, dark, dry place for several weeks before opening to improve the flavor. Refrigerate after opening.

Cherry Jelly

3 1/2 cups cherry juice
1 cup water
1 (1 3/4 ounce) package dry pectin
4 1/2 cups sugar
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TO MAKE JUICE:
Select fully ripe cherries.
Softly wash. Remove stems. Do not pit!
In large pot, crush cherries (I use a potato masher.).
Add 1 cup water to crushed cherries.
Bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Strain juice through a jelly bag or cheesecloth. (I use a fine mesh "sifter" lined with a coffee filter.).
Toss pits, pulp, and peels.
TO MAKE JELLY:
Measure 3 1/2 cups juice into large pot.
Add pectin and stir.
Place on high heat and stir constantly.
Bring to a full rolling boil (that can't be stirred down).
Add sugar, continue stirring and bring to a full rolling boil once more.
Boil hard for 1 minute.
Remove from heat.
Skim off foam.
Ladel into hot jelly jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Apply lids and rings.
Process in hot water bath for 5 minutes.
Note: I used 1 gallon of cherries and had a little more than 3 1/2 cups juice. Of course, it also depends on the quality of the fruit.

Another Rhubarb Jam Recipe

12 cups finely chopped rhubarb
6 1/2 cups sugar
1 (19 ounce) can crushed pineapple, including juices
2 (85 g) boxes Jello gelatin (chose from-cranberry or strawberry or raspberry)
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in a saucepan mix together the rhubarb, sugar and can of pineapple.
bring to a boil.
turn down to a gentle boil and cook stirring often for 30 minutes.
remove from the heat and stir in the jello.
mix well.
put in hot sterilized jars.
store in cool place or refrigerator.

Plum Jam

1 cup chopped plums
2 cups sugar

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Wash and pit plums (any kind, red plums, Italian plums, etc).
Put through food chopper.
Add 2 cups sugar to each cup chopped plums.
Boil 5 minutes.
Place in jars.

Cantaloupe Preserves

4 cups cantaloupes, peeled, seeded, and diced
3 cups sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 (1 3/4 ounce) box dry pectin
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Place cantaloupe and sugar in large non-reactive saucepan, stir well, cover, and let set for 6-8 hours.
Add lemon juice and pectin and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, while stirring. Continue to stir while the mixture boils for 5-6 minutes, or until it thickens sufficiently.
Ladle into hot jars and seal according to manufacturer’s instructions.
Makes 4 ½ Cups.
**Note: this is a good way to use up cantaloupe that has a strong flavor, but is not very sweet.

Chili Sauce

12 large tomatoes, peeled
6 large sweet onions
2 green peppers
2 red bell peppers
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 tablspoon black pepper (carefully)
3 tablespoons kosher salt
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Grind the tomatoes, peppers, and onion in a meat grinder.
Put all the ingredients in a large canning pot.
Bring to a boil and boil 20 minutes.
Put in 8-1/2 pint jars and seal.

Persimmon Jam

3 lbs ripe persimmons
7 cups sugar
2 lemons, juice of
1 (6 ounce) bottle liquid pectin

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Wash, peel and seed the persimmons.
Place the persimmon pulp in a preserving kettle, add sugar and lemon juice and mix well.
Bring slowly to a boil over high heat until sugar has dissolved, stirring frequently.
Boil hard for one minute; then remove the kettle from the heat and stir in the liquid pectin.
Skim thoroughly with a metal spoon.
Ladle into 8 half-pint hot sterilized jars and seal.

Tomato Butter

8 lbs tomatoes (try a mixture of Big Boy, Better Boy, and Roma)
1 1/2 lbs cooking apples (about 3 large)
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

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Peel, quarter and seed tomatoes.
You should have about 8 cups.
Quarter and seed apples.
Toss tomatoes and apples into a large kettle and heat until the juice boils.
Reduce to simmer and continue to cook for 40 minutes, stirring frequently.
Reduce heat to low and cook for two hours more, or until mixture is thick and most of the moisture has evaporated.
Add cinnamon and puree in a processor or blender.
To can, pour hot tomato butter (at least 160*F.) into clean half-pint jars.
Process in boiling water for 35 minutes.
Butter can also be frozen.
To serve, defrost in the refrigerator overnight.
Yield: 3 to 6 cups, depending on tomato variety.

Zucchini Marmalade

6 cups shredded zucchini(raw)
4 cups sugar (or less)
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 bottle Certo (1 box)
14 ounces crushed pineapple
1 (3 ounce) box orange Jell-O
1 (3 ounce) box apricot gelatin (or another orange will do)

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Cook zuchini in own juice, 6 minutes.
Add sugar, certo, lemon juice.
Boil 6 minutes more.
Remove from heat.
Add Jello.
Stir for 5 minutes.
Put into jars.

Lavender Jelly With Chamomile

1/4 cup dried lavender blossoms (buds; the flowers before they open)
1 chamomile tea bag (optional)
2 cups boiling water
4 cups sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3-5 drops purple food coloring
3 ounces liquid pectin -----------------------------------------------


Sterilize jars and keep them hot.
Pour boiling water over lavender and let steep for 15 minutes add tea bag for five.
Strain tea into saucepan.
Stir in sugar, lemon juice and coloring.
Heat to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly for 10 minutes.
Pour in pectin and return to a boil.
Boil hard for 1 minute stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and skim off foam.
I add back a couple of lavender buds.
Just so you can see them in the jar.
Pour into hot jars or glasses to 1/2 inch of tops.
Wipe tops with a sterile cloth.
Screw on tops.
and put in a water bath for 10 minutes.

Chokecherry Apple Butter

4 cups cooked apples (pulp)
2 cups cooked chokecherries (pulp)
5 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

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Prepare pulp of both fruits first by putting cooked fruit (unsweetened) through a sieve or food mill into a large saucepan.

Heat to a boil, stirring carefully to prevent scorching.
Add sugar.

Stir constantly until it just begins to thicken. Add extract and blend. Ladle into sterilized hot jars to within 1/4 inch of the top of jar. Wipe rims. Adjust lids.
Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes at 5,000 feet or 15 minutes above 6,000 feet.
Remove from canner and place upside down on cooling rack until cool

Apple Core and Peeling Jelly

15-20 medium tart apples, peelings and cores
6 cups water (for cooking cores and peels)
1 (1 3/4 ounce) box dry pectin
9 cups sugar
1-2 drop red food coloring (or 1 drop each of yellow and blue food coloring) (optional)
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Cook peelings and cores in 6 cups water for 20-30 minutes.
Strain through prepared cheesecloth or jelly bag.
Add water as needed, to strained juice, to obtain 7 cups liquid.
Add pectin (whisk works well) and bring to a rapid boil.
Add sugar, boil hard for 1 minute.

Note: If desired, food coloring can be added to juice for color.
Pour into sterile jars, leaving 1/8" headspace; wipe jar rims, adjust lids and rings; water bath 5 minutes.