RECIPE: Home Canned Bone Broth (AKA Stock)

Coincidentally, I started on this large batch of broth on the eve of Earth Day, a time when there is quite a lot of discussion about food waste and sustainable agriculture. Here's a great way to cut down on waste, and get delicious soup stock in the process!

Let me start by saying there are exact recipes to follow out there on the internet for bone broth. This is not one of those! Over the winter, I collected up scraps from roasted birds and chopped veggies in gallon freezer bags and threw them in the chest freezer until I got enough to fill a 23 qt pot...

There is quite a bit of information out there online concerning the health benefits of bone broth. It makes an excellent medicinal base for soups during cold and flu season, and it's delicious! Making your own is definitely worth the effort!

Ingredients

3 gallon freezer bags of misc. poultry or beef bones
1 gallon freezer bag carrot, celery and onion scraps *

8 cloves Garlic

1 tsp. Thyme

1 tsp. Rosemary

1 tsp. Basil

1/8 tsp. Cayenne

Salt and Pepper to taste

* I used carrot peelings and tops, celery leaves and root ends, onion tops and bottoms. Onion portion should be equal to no more than one medium onion.

Put bones, veggies and garlic in a large stock pot. Pour enough water into the stock pot to just cover the bones and vegetable scraps. Bring bones to a boil. Turn heat down til the pot is just at a simmer, and continue to simmer for 12 hours. Add herbs and spices and simmer for an additional 30 minutes.

Let the broth cool til able to be safely handled and strain broth using a fine mesh strainer or colander to remove bones and vegetable scraps. Some tiny bits of meat and herbs may not be strained out, that's fine. You may want to let it cool enough to remove solidified fats from the surface if you are using beef bones.

Reheat the broth just to a boil, and fill sterilized canning jars leaving 1" head space. Process the jars of broth at 11 pounds of pressure for 20 minutes for pints, and 25 minutes for quarts. A 3/4 full 23 qt stock pot of bones and veggie scraps made 9 quarts of broth.

RECIPE: Mushroom Spaghetti Sauce

Continuing with our tomato theme this week, we'd need to make something from all that tomato puree we've made with our food mill, right? Naturally, homegrown tomatoes make for some excellent pasta sauce!

INGREDIENTS:

1 Yellow Onion, chopped
6 Cloves Garlic, minced
3 lbs. Mushrooms, sliced
1 Green Pepper, diced
18 c. Tomato Puree
3 Tbsp. Beef Bouillon
3 Tbsp. Italian Seasoning
1 Tbsp. Oregano
1 Tbsp. Basil
1 tsp. Cayenne
1 Bay Leaf
1 tsp. Sugar
Salt and Pepper to taste

PREPARATION:

Combine ingredients in a large stock pot, simmer uncovered for 90 minutes, or until thickened to desired consistency. Fill sterile pint jars with hot sauce. Process in a pressure cooker for 20 mins at 11 lbs. pressure.

Makes about 6 pints of home canned sauce.

RECIPE: Zesty Salsa

This salsa was a big hit at holiday parties this past year. Just the right amount of tang vs. zing! 

I originally found this recipe in the instruction booklet that came with my Presto Pressure Canner. I tweeked it by specifying jalapeno peppers, and adding Tabasco for an extra kick.

INGREDIENTS:

10 c. Tomatoes, peeled/cored/seeded/chopped (about 6 lbs.)

5 c. Green Peppers, chopped/seeded (2 lbs.)

5 c. Onion, chopped (1.5 lbs.)

2 1/2 c. Jalapeno Peppers, chopped/seeded (1 lb.)

1 1/4 c. Apple Cider Vinegar

3 Cloves Garlic, minced

2 Tbsp. Cilantro, minced

1 Tbsp. Salt

1 tsp. Tabasco

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepot. Bring salsa to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Ladle hot salsa into jars leaving 1/4" headspace. Process in a hot bath canner for 15 minutes. Yields 6 pints.

*For larger batches, we use a Norpro Sauce Master with a Salsa Screen attachment to process the tomatoes. Simply rough chop the tomatoes, throw them in the hopper, turn the crank and DONE!

RECIPE: Pickled Eggs

When you've got 15 laying hens, there are times there is an over-abundance of eggs. This recipe was a hit with the husband. They can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months.

INGREDIENTS:

12 Eggs, boiled/peeled

4 c. Vinegar

1 Small Onion, chopped

2 Cloves Garlic, whole

1/3 c. Sugar

1 Tbsp. Pickling Spices

1/2 tsp. Black Peppercorns

1 tsp. Dill Weed

Fill a sterile quart jar with eggs. Combine all other ingredients in a saucepan and boil for 5 minutes. Pour boiling brine over eggs, secure with a new canning lid, and process in a hot bath canner for 15 minutes. Makes 1 doz eggs.

REVIEW: Presto 23 Quart Pressure Canner

A reliable and cost effective home pressure canner perfect for preserving your homegrown or locally purchased produce, including meats!

Click photo to view on Amazon.com

 I was recently speaking with a friend on mine about beginning canning and some of the equipment she may need. I mentioned purchasing a pressure canner if she desired doing anything outside pickling or fruits. Not everyone has several hundred dollars to go out and buy the top of the line home canner, nor the good luck to find one second hand at a garage sale, so I suggested the canner I use, the Presto 23 Quart Pressure Canner.

The Presto 23 Quart Pressure Canner is made of polished aluminum, and includes 1 canning rack, a 76 page instruction manual/recipe guide, and can process either 24 half pints, 20 pints or 7 quarts per batch using Regular mouth jars or 16 half pints, 16 pints or 7 quarts using Widemouth jars. (In order to double stack half pints and pints, you will need to purchase a second canning rack).

The instruction manual is very detailed, with several diagrams and specific steps a beginner would find extremely informative and useful. There is a distinct emphasis on food safety, which anyone who will later eat your home canned food will appreciate! While it's always helpful to have a friend or family member instruct you the first time, someone new to canning shouldn't have any problems on their own after carefully reviewing the material.

There are many tasty recipes included in the back of the instruction manual. Not only basic canning recipes like dill pickles and canned peaches, or even a little more advanced meat canning, but one pot entree recipes like "Beef Stew" and "Chicken and Dumplings" as well. YES! You can quickly cook delicious meals in this canner, as it doubles as a pressure cooker, too! Last year we used the "Zesty Salsa" recipe contained in the recipes section. It was a huge hit with family at holiday parties and picnics!

We have had absolutely no problems with this canner. It has worked wonderfully every time. We use ours on a 5 burner propane fueled stove and have processed several batches in one day in the past with it. The seal has remained in great shape, as well as the pressure dial.

***While Presto does make a 16 Quart model, I highly recommend spending a little more for the 23 Quart model. It processes half the amount of half pints and pints as the 23 Quart per batch. Canning can be a fairly long process depending on what foods you're using. It is well worth the ability to double stack smaller jars, which are often used for jams, jellies, relishes and other common recipes.

RECIPE: Carrie's Stinky Cauliflower

A spicy and tangy experimental conglomeration of several recipes inspired by Vlasic Hot Cauliflower and Giardiniera. My brother and I referred to these items as "Stinky Cauliflower" as kids!

INGREDIENTS: 

VEGGIES:

Cauliflower

Carrots

Celery

Cucumber

Red Bell Pepper

SEASONINGS:

1 Jar Green Olives with Pimento, drained

6 Tbsp. Minced Onion

12 Cloves Garlic

6 Sprigs Oregano

6 Jalapeno Peppers, Sliced (OR 6 Tbsp. Crushed Red Pepper)

6 Bay Leaves

3 tsp. Black Peppercorn

6 Tbsp. Olive Oil

BRINE:

5 Cups Water

5 Cups White Vinegar

1/2 Cup Pickling Salt

Prepare 6 sterile quart jars with fresh sterile lids and rings.Chop/slice Veggies coarsely, set aside. Divide Seasonings equally among the 6 jars (1/6th jar olives, 1 Tbsp. onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 sprig oregano, 1 jalapeno, 1 bay leaf, 1/2 tsp. peppercorn, 1 Tbsp. olive oil each). Pack Veggies into jars after seasonings, as equally as possible, leaving 1/2" head space.

Begin heating water to appx 140 degrees in your hot bath canner while combining Brine ingredients in a non-reactive pan. Bring Brine to a boil, then pour brine into jars leaving 1/2" head space. Place sterile lids and rings tightened to touch on jars and place them into hot canner using canning tongs. 

Place lid on hot bath canner and bring water to a rolling boil and place lid on canner (see directions to your individual model if using a pressure canner as a hot bath canner. Some parts may need to be removed first!). After the water begins to boil, set a timer for 10 minutes. Continue boiling vigorously.

After 10 minutes, carefully lift the canner lid away from you (to avoid steam burns) and let jars sit in hot canner for 5 minutes. Remove jars from canner with tongs and place jars on a towel where they will not be disturbed for roughly 24 hours. You should hear occasional "pings" as cooling jars seal.

Store for at least 2 weeks before serving. Will last about 1 year under desirable storage conditions. Makes appx. 6 quarts.

RECIPE: Dad's Dilly Beans

A favorite among Carrie's family,  these zesty beans make a delicious addition to a late summer's relish tray.

Dilly Beans- Made with Contender Bush and Yellow Wax.

INGREDIENTS:

Appx. 1/2 Bushel Stringless Beans (Contender Bush or Yellow Wax work nicely)

5 Cups Water

5 Cups White Vinegar

1/2 Cup Pickling Salt

12 Cloves Garlic, Whole

6 Heads Fresh Dill OR 6 tsp. Dill Weed

6 Cayenne Peppers, Whole OR 6 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper

3 tsp. Black Peppercorn

Prepare 6 sterile quart canning jars with rings and fresh lids. (Can be easily done in dishwasher). Into each jar place 2 cloves garlic, 1 head fresh dill, 1 cayenne pepper and 1/2 tsp. black peppercorn. Pack each jar to capacity with beans (it is easier if you use large mouth jars and lay the jars on their side as you pack them!). 

Begin heating water to appx 140 degrees in a hot bath canner. Water should be deep enough to cover jars by 1" (appx. 1/2 full if using a 23 quart pressure canner).

In a non-reactive pan, combine water, vinegar and salt. Bring brine to a boil. Pour boiling brine into each jar, leaving a 1/4" head space. Wipe jar rim and place fresh lid on jar. Screw on rings to touch (not too tightly!). Lower jars into hot canner using canning tongs (available anywhere canning goods are sold). Be sure jars are covered by about 1" of water. If not, add more water to canner and re-heat to boiling.

Place lid on canner  and heat to full rolling boil (see directions for your individual canner before placing the lid. Some will call for removing various parts from the lid for use as a hot bath canner). Once it begins to boil fully, set a timer for 10 minutes. Continue boiling vigorously. After 10 minutes, lift the lid carefully away from you (to avoid steam burns), and let the jars sit for appx. 5 minutes. Use canning tongs to remove jars from hot canner and place on a towel where they won't be disturbed for roughly 24 hours. You should hear "pinging" noises occasionally as the cooling jars seal.

Store at least 2 weeks before serving, preferably a month. Makes appx. 6 quarts.