Month: March 2024

Image of 3 mason jars filled with a red, clear jelly.

How To Can Red Bud Jelly

Red bud trees are in bloom, and it’s time to make Red Bud Jelly! Red Bud Jelly is a beautiful pink jelly with a sweet, light, almost-grape flavor. The hardest part of making Red Bud Jelly is carefully removing the blossoms from the stems. Once you have removed the blossoms, it’s a super easy, quick canning project! Check out my video below for a visual aid.

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Supplies to Make Red Bud Jelly

If haven’t read my post about my favorite canning supplies, I recommend taking a look for items that will make canning this recipe easier!

I also highly recommend purchasing either a steam canner or the Ball freshTECH Electric Water Bath Canner and Multi-Cooker, if you are interested in another way to save stovetop space or if you have a glass stovetop and don’t want to put a heavy canner on top of it. I use it exclusively for anything I water bath can. The best feature of this canner is that is can easily hold 12-14 half-pint jars!

Recipe Video

How to Make Red Bud Jelly

Recipe adapted from the University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service Dandelion Jelly Recipe.

Instructions

  1. Fill a quart jar with red bud blossoms.
  2. Cover the red bud blossoms with 4 cups of boiling water.
  3. Let cool, then set in the refrigerator overnight to steep.
  4. The next day, strain the red bud “tea” into a large pot or Maslin jam pan.
  5. Bring tea to a boil.
  6. Add 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and 6 tablespoons (or one packet) of pectin to tea.
  7. Bring mixture back up to a boil, then add 4 cups of sugar.
  8. Bring to a boil again, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes.
  9. Store jam in refrigerator or continue with canning instructions.

    10. Canning Instructions

  10. Fill clean, warm jars with jelly, making sure to leave 1/4-inch headspace.
  11. Debubble and double-check headspace. Add more jelly, if needed.
  12. Clean jar rim off to ensure no jelly is on it.
  13. Put a clean lid on and screw on band until fingertip tight.
  14. Put in water bath canner.
  15. Fill remaining jars until mixture is gone. About 4 half-pint jars.
  16. Water bath process for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude.
  17. Remove jars and set on towel or wooden cutting board to cool for 12-24 hours.
  18. Remove bands and check seals. If any jars failed to seal, store in refrigerator and use first.
  19. Wash jars and store without bands on.

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Image of a jar containing fermented cabbage or sauerkraut. An un-pictured individual is holding a fork above the jar with some sauerkraut on it.

Easy Homemade Sauerkraut

It’s almost St. Patrick’s Day and that means cabbage will be going on sale at grocery stores! This is a great opportunity to purchase a couple of extra heads of cabbage and make sauerkraut! Homemade sauerkraut can be canned, but it can also store in your refrigerator for months. I prefer to store mine in the refrigerator if possible to avoid heating and potentially killing the naturally-occurring probiotics.

Why Make Homemade Sauerkraut?

Homemade sauerkraut differs from store-bought in three important ways:

  1. Pasteurization/canning – most store-bought krauts are treated with heat to eliminate bacteria culture before being canned and are heated during the canning process. Both of which compromise the naturally-formed probiotics that make sauerkraut so good for you to begin with!
  2. Preservatives – synthetic preservatives (i.e., chemicals) that are added into foods have been linked to heart issues and other health concerns.
  3. Pickled vs. fermented – another thing to watch out for in store-bought sauerkraut is sauerkraut that isn’t actually fermented but is pickled instead! The ingredients in a fermented sauerkraut should be cabbage, salt, and maybe water, but definitely no vinegar.

Because sauerkraut is so easy to make, you won’t go back to store-bought!

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What Do I Need to Make Sauerkraut?

You will need jars, lids, cabbage, salt, a tool to tamp the kraut down, and a weight that will fit into your jar(s).

  • Stainless Steel Sauerkraut Tamper – I love this tamper! It is stainless steel, so it won’t retain flavors or harmful bacteria and is dishwasher safe! You can also use a wooden spoon to tamp the kraut down, but I really recommend investing in a tamper.
  • Lids for wide-mouth jars – Standard, two-piece mason jar lids will work, but you will need to open your fermenting jars daily to “burp” the jar and allow the fermenting gases to escape. That’s why I like using lids designed for fermenting! I can truly set-and-forget because the lids will allow gases out without allowing contaminants in.
  • Weights for wide-mouth jars and weights for regular-mouth jars – If you’re packing your sauerkraut into a wide-mouth jar, you can use a clean, water-filled, quarter-pint jar to act as a weight. However, if you’re using a regular-mouth jar or if you’re going to be fermenting very often, I really recommend purchasing weights designed for fermenting. They’re so easy to use, easy to clean, and don’t require using a jar that you could be canning in!

Recipe Video

Instructions

  1. Remove outer cabbage leaves, reserving a couple. Wash the reserved leaves and the cabbages well.
  2. Chop 5 pounds of cabbage into chunks that will fit in your food processor chute.
  3. Attached your shredding plate to your food processor and shred all 5 pounds of cabbage.
  4. Add cabbage to large bowl.
  5. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of canning and pickling salt onto cabbage.
    NOTE: You can use any salt you have on hand–just make sure it isn’t iodized and doesn’t contain any anti-caking agents.
  6. Massage the salt into the cabbage until the cabbage begins producing a liquid.
  7. Let sit for 15 minutes.
  8. After 15 minutes, pack cabbage into glass mason jar(s).
  9. Using a pounder or tamper, tamp down the sauerkraut after a few handfuls to ensure it is well-packed and does not contain any air bubbles.
  10. Fold the reserved cabbage leaf to about the size of the largest part of your jar and pack it on top of the shredded cabbage.
  11. Place a weight on top of the cabbage leaf to keep it and the shredded cabbage under the brine. You may use a glass weight, like the one linked above, or fill a clean, quarter-pint jar with water to act as a weight.
  12. Screw on a lid of your choice and let sit on a countertop for 7-10 days.
  13. If you’re using a two-piece lid, unscrew the lid to “burp” your jar every day to ensure gases don’t build up. If you’re using a lid designed for fermenting, you can let your jar sit undisturbed.
  14. After 7 days, remove the lid, weight, and cabbage leaf and taste your sauerkraut.
  15. If the taste is to your liking, can according to the instructions in your canning book or on the National Center for Home Food Preservation website or store in your refrigerator.
  16. If you prefer a more sour kraut, put the cabbage leaf and weight back in, put the lid on, and let sit out on your countertop another 7-10 days, tasting every 3-7 days until desired taste is reached.

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Image of silver, Mylar bags. Labels on bags indicate that they are filled with dehydrated mushrooms, carrots, and green bell peppers.

How To Store Food Long-Term

When it comes storing food long-term, the best course of action is to store them in sealed Mylar bags! Dry goods that contain very little moisture can be successfully stored for up to 25-30 years or longer, including sugar, oats, white rice, dry beans, ground coffee, and wheat berries.

NOTE: If storing sugar, do NOT add an oxygen absorber. It will make the sugar extremely hard.

Long-Term Food Storage Materials

To store food long-term in Mylar bags, you need Mylar bags, oxygen absorbers, and an impulse sealer or another way to seal your Mylar bags. Some people report success using a hair straightener or a clothes iron.

When it comes to Mylar bags, you want quality! You can find cheap Mylar bags, but they are often thin or not durable enough to store food long-term. One of my favorite brands to purchase Mylar bags from is Wallaby. They often have discounts, bundle packs, and even free oxygen absorbers with purchase! I’m not sponsored by them nor do I receive anything in return for promoting the brand. I just love the products!

Help! My Mylar bag is full of air!

If you have a Mylar bag that you filled with dry goods, added an oxygen absorber, sealed, and it is still puffy, have no fear! This is completely normal!

Oxygen absorbers only absorb, you guessed, it, oxygen! And the air we breathe is only about 21% air. So your sealed Mylar bag may be completely free of oxygen but still contain air, and that’s okay. To prevent this, press as much air out as you can before sealing. Some people even go as far as to use a vacuum to suck out excess air!

Is it enough?

If you want to protect your food from pests, such as mice, it is a good idea to go the extra mile and store your sealed Mylar bags in food grade storage containers. Some people have reported mice chewing through even food grade containers, so, if you live in an area where mice are rampant, you may want to opt for a glass or metal option with a locking lid.

How many oxygen absorbers do I need to put in my Mylar bag?

The chart I use to help me determine how many oxygen absorbers are needed for any particular Mylar bag can be found at this link.

However, you can never add too many oxygen absorbers! It is always okay to err on the side of caution and add extra absorbers, as the recommendations on the list are intended for individuals at sea level altitude or lower.

How To Video

Instructions

  1. First, ensure you have Mylar bags, oxygen absorbers, a way to seal your Mylar bag, labels, and the dry goods you’re going to fill your Mylar bags with.
  2. Fill your Mylar bag or bags with your dry goods. It’s a good idea to fill all of the bags you’re going to use in this step, as you’ll need to work quickly once you open your oxygen absorbers.
  3. Write your labels and label your Mylar bags. Make sure to complete this step before sealing!
  4. Working quickly, add suggested amount of oxygen absorbers to your Mylar bag(s). If using sealable Mylar bags, press any excess air out before sealing.
  5. Using your heat-sealing mechanism, seal each Mylar bag.
  6. Gently pull the top apart to ensure a good seal and to check for any gaps indicating that the Mylar bag did not completely seal.
  7. If there is no seal or if you see any gaps, use your heat-sealing mechanism to seal the bag until no gaps remain.
  8. Store sealed Mylar bags in a glass, metal, or food-grade container.

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