Well, I never! I'll have to try this. Doesn't sound like something you would make jelly out of!

Caramel Apple Jam

6 cups peeled and diced Granny Smith or Gala apples
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon butter
1 package powdered fruit pectin
3 cups granulated sugar
2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Mix apples, water and butter. Cook over low heat, stirring, until
apples are soft (but not mushy).

Stir in pectin. Bring to a full boil, stirring constantly.

Add sugars, cinnamon and nutmeg. Return to rolling boil and continue
to boil, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Remove from heat; skim
foam.

Pour into hot jars leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Process in boiling
water bath for 10 minutes.

Yields 7 1/2 pints

Green Tomato Relish

 Here is a great recipe for using up the green tomatoes that you have left on the vines.

Ingredients

• 2 gallons (or) 16 cups green tomatoes, cut in pieces
• 1 qt. (or) 4 cups Onions, peeled and chopped
• 2 cups jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 gallon (or) 4 cups white vinegar
• 6 cups sugar
• 1 cup salt

Directions

Mix all together. Bring to a boil in a large pot. Fill canning jars, seal. Put into a water bath. Do not overcook.

HOW TO CAN FIGS

QUANTITY:
An average of 16 pounds is needed per canner load of 7 quarts; an average of 11 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints--an average of 2 1/2 pounds yields 1 quart.

QUALITY:
Select firm, ripe, uncracked figs. The mature color depends on the variety. Avoid overripe figs with very soft flesh.
PROCEDURE:
Wash figs thoroughly in clean water. Drain. Do not peel or remove stems.

Cover figs with water and boil 2 minutes. Drain.

Gently boil figs in light syrup (5-3/4 cups water to 1-1/2 cups sugar for a load of 9 pints or 4 quarts, 9 cups water to 2-1/4 cups sugar for a load of 7 quarts) for 5 minutes.

Add 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice per quart or 1 tablespoon per pint to the jars; or add 1/2 teaspoon citric acid per quart or 1/4 teaspoon per pint to the jars. Fill hot jars with hot figs and cooking syrup, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process.
 
RECOMMENDED PROCESS TIMES FOR FIGS
IN A BOILING-WATER CANNER
Pints 45 min, quarts 50 min.
 
 
Preserved Figs with Star Anise and Bay
 
Recipe By : Deborah Madison - The Savory Way
Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Pickles & Preserves

Amount Measure Ingredient -----------------------
3 lbs Figs
1 Lemon
2 1/2 cups Sugar
6 Whole Star Anise
1 Bay Leaf


Cut off the tough stems of the figs, then halve them and put them in a non-corroding bowl. Remove several wide strips of lemon zest and slice into thin slivers.

Bring sugar & water to a boil with lemon zest, anise and bay - boil slowly for 5 mins., stirring at first to dissolve sugar. Pour syrup over figs, add the juice of the lemon and leave overnight, covered in a cool place.

Next day, transfer figs to wide saucepan. Gently bring them to a boil and simmer slowly for the better part of 2 hours. Occasionally check and stir carefully making sure all are submerged. Prepare canning jars, ladle in the figs and their juices. Process according to your usual methods.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
 
NOTES : These make a fabulous dessert served with ice cream and/or pound cake and they look lovely in their jars with loose seeds falling free around the packed figs.
  
PRESERVED FIGS EDEN

4 pounds sugar
1 1/2 cups water
16 very large fresh figs
1 lemon, thinly sliced and seeded
1 orange, thinly sliced and seeded
6 cinnamon sticks
30 whole cloves
6 whole cardamoms

Bring sugar and water to a boil in a large pot. Turn heat very low and add figs and lemon and orange. Tie the spices in
a cheesecloth bag, add to the pot and simmer slowly for about 1 hour or until the figs look glazed and the juice is
syrupy and golden. Discard the spice bag and very carefully spoon the figs, lemon and orange slices and syrup into
hot, sterilized preserving jars. Cover and seal.
 
Makes about 3 pints.
 
 Candied Figs

5 pounds fresh figs, small variety
1 1/2 pounds sugar
1/2 cup water

Wash figs, combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil. Place figs in
boiling syrup and simmer one hour, uncovered. cool. Repeat the
second day. Third day boil slowly one hour, uncovered. Drain. Place
on paper towel and dry in sun for three days. May be frozen.
 
Fig and Pear

1 3/4 pounds fresh figs
2 pound Bartlett pears, ripe
            but still firm
4 2/3 cups granulated sugar
juice of 1 small lemon
 
Select small white figs. Rinse them in cold water and dry them with a towel. Remove the stems. Cut the fruit into slices.
Peel the pears, core them and cut them in dice.
In a ceramic bowl, combine the figs, diced pears, sugar and lemon juice. Cover with a sheet of parchment paper and allow to sit for an hour.
Pour the mixture into a preserving pan. Bring to a simmer. Then pour the mixture back into a bowl. Cover with a sheet of parchment paper and refrigerate overnight.
Next day, bring the mixture to a boil in a preserving pan. Skim and continue cooking on high heat for 5 to 10 minutes, mixing gently. Check the set.

Put the jam into jars immediately and seal.
Source: Mes Confitures: The Jams and Jellies of Christine Ferber

Fresh Fig and Strawberry Jam
 
This jam is so good it disappears from the shelf. The fresh figs lend an amazing texture and taste to the strawberries. Be sure to make as much of it as jar and cupboard space allows whenever you can get your hands on fresh figs. Otherwise, you may be like Margaret---she raved about it and then gave away so many jars she didn’t have any left for herself!!

4 cups jam, about
1 pound fresh green figs,
            stemmed and cut into
            small pieces
2 cups quartered strawberries
2 cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice


Place figs, strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in a medium stainless steel or enamel saucepan. Cover and let stand for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium and boil rapidly, uncovered, until mixture will form a gel, about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.

Ladle into sterilized jars and process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.


Fresh figs have a longer season than we realized. California figs are ready in May and are available from Greece and Italy in late summer and early fall. If you missed them, occasionally you can find figs from South America in the late fall and early winter. Remember that fresh figs are extremely perishable and should be used as soon as possible after purchase. They may be stored in a refrigerator for up to 3 days.
 
Source: The Complete Book of Year-Around Small Batch Preserving
            by Ellie Topp & Margaret Howard

__._,_.___

Zesty Red Onion Jelly

Click Here: Your gonna love this one!

Canning Jar Labels: Free Printables

Here is another HOT jam recipe. I love to make jam with jalapenos in it.

Hot Rhubarb Jam

 4 1/2 c thinly sliced rhubarb

1 c orange juice (fresh or frozen)

1 tsp Orange zest, minced

4 Jalapenos, stemmed and seeded (or any - (4 to 6) other red chilies)

1/4 tsp salt

6 1/2 c sugar

1 box pectin 

 Cook fruit, salt and orange juice in 4 to 6 quart pan, stirring as it gets to the boiling point. Boil 1 minute. 

 Add pectin and stir until it reaches a fast boil. Add sugar, stirring well. Bring to a fast boil. Boil 1 minute. 

 Remove from heat; skim off foam. Ladle into prepared jars leaving a 1/4” headspace. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Adjust time according to altitude.

,___

This is really handy. It converts almost any thing from cups to acres. Check it out at Metric-U.S. Conversions. Pretty handy.

It's canning season. Don't let any of your fresh homegrown fruits or veggies go to waste.

CANNING PEPPERS, HOT OR SWEET (including chiles, jalapeno and pimiento)
Quantity: An average of 9 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints. A
bushel weighs 25 pounds and yields 20 to 30 pints - an average of 1 pound
per pint.

Quality: Select firm yellow, green or red peppers. Do not use soft or
diseased peppers.

Procedure: Select your favorite pepper(s). CAUTION: If you choose hot
peppers, wear plastic gloves while handling them or wash hands thoroughly
with soap and water before touching your face. Small peppers may be left
whole. Large peppers may be quartered. Remove cores and seeds. Slash two or
four slits in each pepper, and either blanch in boiling water or blister
using one of the following methods:

Oven or Broiler Method : Place peppers in a hot oven (400 °F) or broiler
for 6 to 8 minutes until skins blister.

Range-Top Method: Cover hot burner, either gas or electric, with heavy
wire mesh. Place peppers on burner for several minutes until skins blister.
Allow peppers to cool. Place in a pan and cover with a damp cloth. This will
make peeling the peppers easier. After several minutes, peel each pepper.

Flatten whole peppers. Add ½ teaspoon of salt to each pint jar, if desired.
Fill jars loosely with peppers and add fresh boiled water, leaving 1-inch
headspace. Wipe jar rims.

Adjust lids and process pints in a weighted gauge canner at 10 pounds
pressure or in a dial gauge canner at 11 pounds pressure for 35 minutes.

http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC3300.htm

http://web1.msue.msu.edu/imp/mod01/01600704.html

I have said this before. OrganicGardeningHomestead group on Yahoo is wonderful!!

Dried Tomatoes in Oil

Making Dried Tomatoes in Oil-"WORTH REPEATING"

Making your own dried tomatoes is a great idea, but there are some
precautions. Follow the recipe exactly and do NOT add fresh garlic,
chili peppers, rosemary, basil or other fresh ingredients to the
tomatoes and oil. If you do, the tomatoes must be refrigerated and
used within three weeks.

While oil itself is not a good growth medium for bacteria, adding
fresh low-acid foods creates a breeding ground for deadly botulism.
Botulin toxin is produced by a species of bacteria that thrive where
there is moist, low-acid food, a temperature between 40 and 140
degrees, and little or no oxygen. The toxin affects the central
nervous and digestive systems, and victims can suffer double vision,
weakness, headaches, digestive problems and respiratory failure.

Dried herbs may be added and the jars can be stored at room
temperature indefinitely (until the oil turns rancid).
Jan Roberts-Dominguez

Dried Tomatoes
Makes about 1 pint

7 or 8 pounds firm, ripe Roma (Italian) tomatoes
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, or a mixture of dried
basil, oregano and
thyme (optional)
2 teaspoons salt (optional)
White or red wine vinegar (optional)
About 1 1/4 cups olive oil (optional)

Rinse the tomatoes and pat them dry. Cut out the stem and the hard
portion of core lying under it. Halve the tomatoes if they are less
than 2 inches long; quarter them if they are larger. With the tip of
a knife or your index finger, scrape out most of the seeds without
removing the pulp.

Depending on your method of drying (food dehydrator, oven or sun),
arrange the tomatoes, cut surface up, on the dehydrator's drying
trays or on nonstick cookie sheets. Combine the Italian seasoning
with the salt, and sprinkle a small amount over the surface of each
tomato. (The Italian seasoning and salt are not used for food safety
reasons; they are strictly there for flavor, so if you want to
eliminate them or cut back the proportions, do so.)

To dry in dehydrator: Dry the tomatoes according the manufacturer's
instructions, or as directed below for the oven method. For the most
perfect, beautifully shaped tomatoes, turn them every hour or two.
They're done when they're dry but still pliable -- similar to the
texture of a dried apricot.

The tomatoes will not all dry at the same rate. As they reach the
right degree of dryness, remove them from the oven or dehydrator.

Place dried tomatoes in airtight containers and store in the cool,
dark, portion of the pantry, or freeze. To store in olive oil: Dip
tomatoes in a saucer of white or red wine vinegar, shake off the
excess, and pack in the olive oil. Make sure they are completely
immersed. The vinegar dip may sound silly, but I've tried several
methods, and the vinegar treatment makes the difference between a
good dried tomato and a great one. When the jar is full, cap it
tightly and store at cool room temperature for at least a month
before using.

To guard against your oil turning rancid, consider storing your jars
in the refrigerator. The oil will turn cloudy and become thick, but
it will thin out and clear up at room temperature. However, if you
follow the vinegar-dip guidelines, you may not have a problem with
rancidity.
I've stored unopened oil-packed tomatoes in my pantry for up to two
years without a problem. It's your call.

As tomatoes are removed from a jar, add more oil as necessary to keep
the remaining tomatoes covered.

Oven-drying method: Place the tomatoes, cut side up, on jellyroll
pans and bake at 170 degrees for about 3 hours. Leave the oven door
propped open about 3 inches to allow moisture to escape. After 3
hours, turn the tomatoes over, cut side down, and press flat with a
spatula. Continue to dry, turning every few hours and gently pressing
flatter and flatter, until the tomatoes are dried. This procedure may
take about 12 hours, but often takes a significantly shorter time,
depending on the moisture content of the tomatoes.

Avoid over-drying, which causes toughness. If not dried enough,
tomatoes will mold. (If you have any doubts, store them in the
freezer to prevent molding.)

Steps for Successful Boiling-Water Canning

Got this from a great canning group I am on. Sounds delicous.

Spicy Creole Sauce

11-cups prepared tomatoes (about 14 medium or 5 1/2-lbs)
1/2-yellow pepper, coarsely chopped
2-jalapeño peppers, coarsely chopped
1-cup chopped green onion
1/4-cup red wine vinegar
3-garlic cloves, minced
2-tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1-tbsp dried oregano
1-tbsp Tabasco hot sauce
1-tsp black pepper
1/2-tsp salt
1-tsp cayenne

Blanch peel and coarsely chop tomatoes (measure to 11-cups)
Place all ingredients in a large stainless steel saucepan
Bring to a boil; boil gently for 40 minutes
Ladle hot Creole sauce into 9 clean and sterilized
1/2-pint canning jars leaving 1/4” head space
Remove air bubbles with non-metallic spatula and wipe jar rim
Top with hot lid and rings, finger tight
Process in boiling water canner for 20 minutes

Makes 9 half-pint jars