Weekend Canning Festival

This weekend the Still House was filled all kinds of music, fun, and CANNING! We put up a varieties of neat new things plus some old favorites. The veggie auction on Thursday night had a bounty of asparagus, apples, grapefruits, oranges, onions, cabbages, and lemons. We were so glad it was a three day weekend, and we had wonderful company to share in the 1st spring canning festival.

Day 1

We started off with 55 pounds of asparagus on Friday night I started processing at 6:00 with reinforcements coming over around 8. My good friend Denise came over to help put up the mounds of asparagus and rock out in the kitchen.

(I had two packed like this)

(36 Quarts)

In the mist of cleaning hundreds of steams and packing 36 quarts we all so braked to make some homemade cranberry chocolate chip brownies using my new cranberry preserves.

:)

We also cut and squeezed 20 grapefruits for grapefruit juice. 20 grapefruits made about 9 cups of pure juice.

Denise hung in until about midnight and Cheri came in from NYC around 1 A.M.. Kathryn and I worked on it until about 3 A.M. then I carried on finally finishing at 5 A.M.

Day 2

Slept in late woke up about noon made coffee and brunch. After brunch we took a look at what we had left. We started processing spiced red cabbage then put on apples to cook down.

(The Kitchen Cheerleader)

About midday we had 24 Quart Jars of cabbage, 3 quarts of grapefruit juice, 3 quarts jars cranberry juice, 4 quarts spiced apple juice, and 1 jar vanilla pear juice. Once the juices came out of the water bath we started the 2 divine batches of pears, and put the apple butter on to cook down.

Now the Pears!!

First batch of Bosc pears we cleaned cut in half pitted then cold packed the halves in wide mouth quarts. Then in a large wet measuring cup we add 1 ½ cups of Berentzen Pear Schnapps, 2 cups white sugar, 6 cups water, and 5 drops of blue coloring. Filled the jars with the syrupy dropped in raisins, and put lids on. Water-bathed for 20 minutes and ended up with 5 quart jars.

Second batch of Bosc pears cut, cleaned, and packed halves in quarts. Then in a large wet measuring cup we add 1 ½ cups of Ginger Spiced Brandy, 2 shots worth of Buttershots, 2 cups white sugar, 6 cups water, 2 table spoons fresh grated ginger, and 5 drops of red coloring. Filled the jars with the syrupy dropped in raisins, and put lids on. Water-bathed for 20 minutes and ended up with 5 quart jars.

Day 3

Started the morning off finishing the apple butter starting a second batch of apples to make apple sauce, and juice. While drinking the morning coffee debating brunch we processed 8 pints of apples butter, 7 quarts apple sauce, 4 jars spiced apple juice. Put on the last batch of apples to cook and then went to Baughers to have brunch and run earns in town. When we got back we made 7 more quarts apple sauce and saved back the unsweetened apple juice for my onion marmalade. Once the applesauce and juice was out of the way we started the last batch of spiced red cabbage, and made homemade house cocktails before starting the last and best of the night. Set up the second half of the slivered onions in salt and cold water to sit for 12 hours to make pickles out of them on day 4. Below are the recipes for the onion marmalade and Still House cocktail ENJOY! :)

Onion Marmalade!
10 Cups slivered sweet onions
2 Cups apple cider vinegar
1 ¼ Cups lights brown sugar
1 Bag cranberries
8 Cups water
6 Cups white sugar
2 Tablespoons fresh grated Orange peel

1. Brown in lager pot or cast iron onions, cranberries, cider, and brown sugar cook until onions are translucent
2. Add Sugar, and water
3. Bring to boil over medium heat, add orange zest
4. Boil for about an hour and a half until at gel point
5. Jar and lid
6. Process in waterbath for 15 minutes (Makes 6 pint jars)

Still House Cranberry Cocktail
1. Pick a glass of your choice size half fresh cranberry juice, half ginger ale
2. Add 1 shot your choice tequila we use Patron Sliver
3. 1 Table spoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
4. Stir and enjoy!