Tomato Spread

                                                                          
Soon our tomatoes will be coming ripe and this seems an easy recipe to make from the excess.


Tomato Spread

6 cups peeled and chunked tomatoes
5 1/2 cups sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 lemon sliced, very thin (use a kitchen mandolin for even slices)

Combine tomatoes and sugar in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, watching constantly. Reduce heat to a simmer and add spices and lemon. Cook 2 hours, watching and stirring frequently. When reduced by half, it is done. Skim foam. Pour into hot sterilized half pint jars, leaving 1/4" head room, cap and turn upside down for 5 minutes, then right side up. Let cool.

Onion Jelly

                                                                  
Onion Jelly


2 pounds sweet onions, chopped fine
2 cups water
3/4 cup white vinegar
1 pkg. powdered pectin (1 3/4 oz)
5 1/2 cups sugar

Chop onions very small (mince). Combine onions and water in large saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove from heat and cool. Pour mixture through a large wire mesh strainer lined with a wet cheesecloth into a 4 cup measure. Discard pulp. Add water to onion juice to equal 3 cups, if necessary. Combine onion juice, vinegar, and pectin in a large saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add sugar and return to a boil, stirring constantly, and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and skim off foam. Quickly pour hot mixture into hot sterilized jelly jars, within 1/4" of top. Wipe off rims, cap and seal. Turn upside down for 5 minutes or process in boiling water bath for 5 minutes. Makes 7 half pints (8 ounces each).

Mulberry Jelly

                                                                                                                                                      
Some of you may have mulberries or access to them and may want to make some jelly from them. The berries are usually free for the picking. Start this recipe the night before.

Mulberry Jelly

1 pound ripe mulberries (make sure they are not buggy!)
1 cooking apple, chopped*  (gala, granny Smith, golden delicious, etc.)
1/2 cup water
Sugar

Mix together the mulberries, apple, and water in a large saucepan. Simmer, covered for about 20 minutes, or until berries are soft. Pour mixture into a jelly bag and leave to drip for 12 hours. Measure juice and pour into clean saucepan. For every 2 1/2 cups juice, use 1 pound sugar. Add sugar to juice and cook, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil and boil rapidly until jelly has reached the setting point, about 10 minutes. Skim jelly and pour into sterilized jars, cap, seal, and turn upside down for 5 minutes, then right side up again. OR process for 5 minutes in a boiling water bath.
*The apple is the pectin used in this recipe.

Corn Cob Jelly

                                                                  
Corn Cob Jelly

Here's an old-fashioned jelly where our ancestors allowed nothing to go to waste. I'm sure a farmer in your area would give you some old corn cobs.

12 dried corn cobs
3 pints water (48 ounces)
1 pkg. powdered pectin
3 cups sugar
1 Tbls. fresh lemon juice

Use 12 ears dried field corn cobs. Take off all kernels. Rinse well to get off all chaff. Break them in half and put into a pan with water. Boil gently for 30 minutes. Strain juice through a wet cloth (must be wet cloth!).Measure juice to get 3 cups juice. If you must, add enough water to make that amount. To juice add pectin. bring to a boil. Add sugar and heat until sugar dissolves. Boil again for 1 minute or until mixture starts to jell when you lift mixture up with a spoon. It might take another minute of cooking. Add lemon juice. Skim off foam, pour into hot sterilized jars and seal. Process 10 minutes in a boiling water bath or turn upside down for 5 minutes then right side up.

Cantaloupe Preserves

                                                             
This is another recipe that needs to be started the night before.

Cantaloupe Preserves

2 pounds firm, ripe fruit
4 cups sugar
Juice of one lemon

Peel cantaloupe and cut into thin slices 1" long. Mix sugar with fruit and lt sit all night in a cool place. Add lemon juice and cook until clear. Pour into hot and sterilized jars. Seal and turn upside down for 5 minutes or process for 5 minutes in boiling water bath. Cool, label, and store.

Sun Preserves

                                                                            
Sun Preserves*

This recipe needs to be started the night before.
Add 1 quart sugar to 1 quart strawberries. Cover and let stand overnight in a cool place. In morning, bring to a boil and cook 8 minutes. Pour into a large platter (use a large meat platter or dish) and cover closely with a piece of glass. Set in sun till juice thickens and gels. Cool completely and seal in jars. Keep in refrigerator.

* I got this recipe out of the Columbus Dispatch Food section around 31-37 years ago and copied it verbatim.
I've not ever made this, mainly because I've never had a piece of glass to try this with. Make sure the glass you use does not have sharp edges. We have a glass company on other side of town and maybe next year I will buy a piece and try this recipe. I've read that these taste even better than conventionally made preserves or jam.

Queen Anne's Lace Jelly

                                                                         
I made this jelly about 15 years ago; some liked it and some did not. It was reminiscent of quince jelly to me, which I don't care for, but if you like quince, this may be for you. I am sure there are some good medicinal qualities to this jelly, but enjoy it for its simplicity and the fact that the flowers are free for the picking. Try to pick your flowers (no matter what kind you use) far from the road.

Queen Anne's Lace Jelly

2 cups very firmly packed Queen Anne's Lace flowers cut from stems (or violet, lilac, rose petal, milkweed, clover, elderberry, dandelion, carnation, peony or any edible sweet smelling flowers)
4 3/4 cups boiling water
3 1/2 cups sugar ( 1 1/2 lbs., divided)
1 pkg. Sure-Jel light pectin (I used regular)
4 1/2 Tbls. freshly strained lemon juice

Slosh flowers through cold water to remove any bugs; let sit about 15 minutes to remove them all. You will find bugs!
Place flowers in a pot and cover with boiling water and allow to steep for 15-20 minutes; strain. (You are basically making tea.)
Measure 4 1/2 cups strained infusion into a large kettle. Mix 1/4 cup sugar with pectin and stir into kettle. Bring to a full rolling boil; immediately stir in remaining sugar and boil 1 minute.Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice. Skim foam from top of jelly with a metal spoon and immediately pour into ho, clean, sterilized jelly jars. Wipe off tops, cover with lids and bands and turn upside down for 5 minutes, then right side up and allow to sit for 24 hours before moving. Makes 6 cups (Makes six 8 ounce jars, also known as half pints.)

The original recipe said to place in jars and seal and when cool to refrigerate, but I treated them like other jellies and jam and sealed them by turning them over for 5 minutes which causes the lids to seal. If you are not comfortable with this, you can place in a boiling water bath for 5-10 minutes to seal.
*Important! Make sure your jars are sterilized before you seal them!!! No one wants to get botulism!