Canning Crunchy Banana Pepper Rings

After 2 batches, I found the way I prefer to can banana pepper rings so they have a nice crunch to them (the first batch I tried were way too mushy!).  After reading up on what others have done, I decided to try the open kettle food processing method instead of a hot water bath.  I warn you, the open kettle food processing method is not the way the USDA recommends canning.  However, all my jars sealed and I know we will eat these up pretty quickly, but if you are not sure, stick with a hot water bath method of sealing your jars (keep jars in the hot water bath after putting lids on for about 10 minutes).  I also used Ball's Pickle Crisp Granules in each jar, so they stay crunchier after the water bath as well.  And now, for the recipe!

Ingredients:

• 5- 1 pint canning jars, lids, and rings
• 15-20 Banana peppers sliced into rings (I had closer to 20)
• 1 clove garlic for each pint jar
• 1/8 teaspoon Ball's Pickle Crisp Granules per pint jar

For the Brine:

• 5 cups white distilled vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 4 teaspoons canning/pickling salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

Directions:

1. Wash and slice your banana peppers into rings, taking out any seeds during the process.
2. After all the slicing is done, ensure your jars are sterilized.  I stick each jar in hot, boiling water.  Also, keep the lids in hot, right at boiling point water until you are ready to put them on top of the filled, hot jar. 
3. At this point I start working on the brine.  In a pot, bring your brine ingredients to a boil (the vinegar, water, canning/picking salt, sugar, and turmeric).  Once it starts boiling, boil for 5 minutes.
4. While the brine is boiling, get your hot jars ready by putting in a clove of garlic in each jar.  Pack in the banana peppers tightly!  Right before the last little bit of peppers, add the 1/8 teaspoon of pickle crisp granules.
5. When your brine is ready, fill until you have 1/2 inch of head space.  Tap the jar on the counter or use a long handle or spatula to get the bubbles out and re-fill the jar until you are back to 1/2 inch of head space.
6. Quickly wipe the jar rim before placing the lid on it.  After placing the hot lid, put ring on and let it sit upside down.  I let mine stay this way overnight, then checked to see if was sealed the next day (the lid was concave, it did not spring and pop back up when touched or pushed down).

 

I may or may not have learned some of the following dos and don'ts from experience.

• Do wear oven mitts when dealing with any of the hot items, even if you are using another tool to pick the object up!
• Don't think that just because the pepper rings fit in the jar that it is packed, actually pack those rings down!
• Do cut your peppers into rings before boiling the brine.

Remember, the USDA does not recommend this method of canning.  If you are unsure, please go ahead and do a hot water bath. 

Crock Pot Chicken Tikka Masala

I love Chicken Tikka Masala, especially at a particular restaurant close to me.  But with trying to eat out less, I have been trying to perfect some of my favorite dishes at home (and I love my crock pot and try to use it at least one time a week).  Though this is not exactly like my fave dish at my fave Indian restaurant, it is still pretty darn good!

Ingredients:

• 5-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1"-2" cubes
• 1-2 green bell peppers cut into long strips (I had forgotten this so that is why peppers are not in the photos below!)
• 1 large onion diced
• 3-4 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 28 oz. can tomato puree
• 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons ginger
• 2 tablespoons Garam Masala
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1/2 tablespoon salt, or to taste
• 1/2 tablespoon paprika
• 1-2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper (depending on how spicy you would like the dish)
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons corn starch
• Cooked rice

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix together chicken, bell peppers, onion,  garlic, tomato puree, yogurt, olive oil, ginger, Garam Masala, cumin, salt, paprika, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and black pepper.  Make sure there is an even color throughout showing it is all mixed well.
2. Spray your crock pot dish with Pam spray.  Pour mixture into the crock pot and then add your 2 bay leaves .
3. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.  During the last 30 minutes of cooking, follow directions from step 4 below after removing the bay leaves.
4. Blend together the heavy cream and corn starch. Add the mixture to the crock pot, ensuring that it is mixed well and the color in the crock pot is consistent.  Cook for an additional 30 minutes.
5. Serve over cooked rice (I prefer brown rice).

Mixture after pouring into the crock pot, before cooking.

After cooking and adding the heavy cream and cornstarch mixture.

Serve over rice!

Easy Crock Pot Jambalaya Recipe

Okay, so it is not authentic Jambalaya, but it still tastes pretty darn good!  I could not help but keep going for seconds!  Be sure to use the sausage of your choice, the good sausage that you can get in Louisiana is not necessarily something you find regularly in Kentucky, but I ended up using turkey sausage since I am trying to watch my waistline.  It was not as great with the turkey sausage, I was craving more taste from the sausage, but something to consider if you are watching calorie intake, or choose the sausage that you love (perhaps andouille sausage if it is something you can find easily?).  I also recommend cooking the rice separately, I can never get the rice correct when making it in the crock pot!  This recipe is not too spicy to me, but it does have a little kick to it.  Adjust the hot sauce and spices to suit your taste!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 28 oz can petite diced tomatoes (drain a little bit of the juice as this recipes becomes very soupy as it cooks in the crock pot)
• 1 large onion chopped
• 1 large green bell pepper chopped
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 14.5 oz chicken broth
• 2-4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce ( I used Tabasco sauce)
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (I used Ragin' Cajun Fixin's All Purpose Cajun Seasoning)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 pound frozen cooked shrimp without tails (I just pulled mine off after defrosting)
• 14 oz turkey kielbasa sausage sliced (or sausage of your choice!)

Directions:

1. Mix the following ingredients in the crock pot: chicken, diced tomatoes, onion, green bell pepper, celery, broth, garlic, hot sauce, oregano, parsley, Cajun seasoning, thyme.  Place in the 2 bay leaves.  IF YOUR SAUSAGE IS NOT PRE-COOKED, ALSO INCLUDE THE SAUSAGE AT THIS TIME!
2. Crock pots differ in time, my low setting cooks quickly.  If you feel yours cooks slow or fast, please adjust.  For the basic recipe, time it to be about 7-8 hours on low or 3 to 4 hours on high (mine actually cooks on low in about 6 hours, so use your gut and just make sure that chicken is cooked!). 
3. During the last 45 minutes of cook time, take out the bay leaves and stir in the shrimp and sausage (if you did not include the sausage at the beginning of the recipe).  Since I used a simple turkey sausage that is pre-cooked, the last 45 minutes is fine. 
4. Cook your rice separately and place the crock pot mix on top of your rice.  Add as much juice from the crock pot as you like (it turns out a little soupy after cooking).

The Cajun seasoning I used.

The mixture in Step 1 before cooking.

After cooking and adding the sausage and shrimp.

Mixture with juice drained sitting on top of rice.

Recipe: Old Fashioned Lollipops

I adore the old fashioned lollipops that I had growing up and knew I had to figure out how to make them for myself (and maybe some for the kids). After 2 failed attempts, third time was a charm, so now I am here to share all the secrets I had to learn along the way (including to not trust a new candy thermometer, the first two batches got burnt!).

Ingredients
2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
3/4 cup water
1 dram (or teaspoon) of flavoring (I used watermelon)
1/4 teaspoon of food coloring
RELIABLE thermometer (I ended up not using it the last time and made my best batch!)
Hard Candy Molds
Lollipop Sticks


1. Make sure you have all your items ready to go before you get started! Read all directions so you know you're ready!
2. Lay out all the molds you are using. Spray them with Pam or grease with vegetable oil. Lay out the lollipop sticks.
3. Mix sugar, corn syrup, and water in a large sauce pan.
4. Stir for about 5 minutes over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
5. Stop stirring and let the mixture boil on medium high heat. Keep boiling until the mixture is an amber color. You can dip a spoon into mixture then into ice water. If the mixture hardens as hard as a lollipop (I never hear anyone say sucker anymore) then it is ready to come off the heat. (My thermometer did not work the first 2 times and did not get past 250 degrees, but other recipes call for the mixture to reach either 290 degree Fahrenheit or 300 degrees Fahrenheit.) Using the ice water worked best for me.
6. As soon as the mixture comes off of the burner, put in your food coloring. When it stops boiling, carefully put in the flavoring and stir (will get steamy when you add these things!).
7. Carefully pour into your greased molds. Let sit for about 30 minutes then take your great lollipops out of the mold and enjoy!
8. For easy clean up of pots and utensils used, let soak in super hot water!