I love to bite down on a crisp apple during the dead of winter.  By the time the snow flies, the apples you purchase from the store just don’t measure up to your own apples that have been stored properly.

What Type Of Apple Is Best For Food Storage?

Tart, thick skinned apples, such as Jonathans and Macintosh store best for long term food storage.  Sweet, thin skinned apples, such as Golden Delicious and Red Delicious don’t store well for the long haul.  They do well for short term storage.

Your apple producer can tell you more about the best apples to store so you can make an informed decision before you purchase apples for your food storage.

Storing Apples For Short Term Storage

1.  Don’t wash your apples in advance of storing them… even for short term storage.   For some reason, washing them off before storing, promotes their early demise.

2.  Remove any apples that have soft spots or signs of bruising.  Enzymes emitting from the breakdown will affect the other apples and cause them all to spoil.  (You know the saying:  “One bad apple spoils the whole lot.”)

3.  Store them in a cool place.  Apples for short term storage are best if they’re kept in your fridge crisper.   It’s one of the coldest place in the fridge.

4.  Place your apples in a plastic bag.  This not only prevents early demise, it prevents your apples from picking up flavors from other food stored in your fridge or crisper.

5.  For short term storage, apples prepared in this manner will last from a month to six weeks without becoming soft.  (That is… if they weren’t soft to begin with.)

Storing Apples For Long Term Food Storage

1.  Don’t wash your apples before you store them… especially for long term food storage.

2.  Remove any apples with imperfections.  It will only speed up spoilage.   Even small bruises will make a difference.  Carefully sort your apples and determine which ones will be keepers for long term storage.

3.  Wrap each apple individually.  This will keep the apples separated and absorb moisture  in case you have let a bruised apple slip by you in the sorting process.

4. You can use regular newspaper.  I like to use “newsprint paper”  It’s paper the news is printed on and it comes in a large roll.  You can usually go to your local new paper and purchase “roll ends” very economically.   However… printed newspaper works just fine if you don’t want to make a purchase.  Avoid using any colored pages because the ink is toxic to food.

5.  Open the newspaper and cut it into 4 pieces.  Each piece should be large enough to cover the apple abundantly.

6.  Place the apple in the center of the paper… draw up the corners and give them a tight twist so the paper will stay closed and not open when they are placed in a box.   It’s not necessary to remove the air.

7.  Find a cardboard box that will stop any excess of air flow.  It doesn’t have to be air tight.. but sturdy.  Place a large plastic bag into the box.

8.  Place the wrapped apples into the bag, filling the box.  Push as much air out of the bag as possible before closing.  Tie off the top of the bag close to the apples.

9.  Place the box in a cool place off the floor.  Make sure the apples are put in an area that will not freeze.  If your apples freeze, they will turn soft immediately upon thawing.  Best temp is 35 to 40 degrees.  (I have a nice cool basement storage room that is not heated.  My storage room remains around 50 degrees and I’ve had good luck.)

My father-in-law had an old fridge in his basement that he kept his apples in.  It was ideal.

10.  If properly prepared, your apples should remain crisp and firm for your long term food storage.

11.  Don’t ask my why… but I’ve heard that you’re not suppose to store apples next to potatoes.  Could be an old wives tale… but I wouldn’t do it… just to make sure.

My momma didn’t store apples in the suggested manner.  The apples simply sat out on the back porch in a basket… and those that weren’t eaten up quickly were often tossed out into the back field for the birds.   Mom simply didn’t have the storage space… so most of the apples she purchased were put into awesome apple sauce.  Grandma Ella… on the other hand, stored her apples in a “root cellar.”  It was a “Spooky Place!”

Tip: Get your apples from a local farmer rather than a store.  Purchased apples do not store well because they have already been in cold storage… perhaps for several months.  They deteriorate quickly.

Happy Canning and Preserving!

Kathy Griffiths – Insightful Nana

P.S.  Golden Delicious are my favorite apples and I use them for short term storage.  Jonathans are the apples I prefer for long term food storage.   Just my taste preference!

P.P.S.  Remember… when you send your kids to your storage to get apples, remind them to push as much air out of the bag as possible before they seal it back up.

On second thought… perhaps you should take on this job yourself.

Apple Peeling Machine

An apple peeler machine makes peeling an apple a snap.  It not only peels the apple… but it removes the core too.  The machine has a peeling blade that adjusts for different cutting depths.  It also cuts and remove the core of the apple.

To use, you simply attach the apple peeling machine to a hard surface using a clamp or suction base.  Attach the apple by way of the three prong fork then crank the handle for the easy peeling and coring of your apple.

Some brands of peeling machines not only core and peel, but slice the apple into a spiral cut.

The secret is… you must use firm apples.  If your apples are a bit mushy or there are a lot of soft spots…  an apple peeler won’t work well.  You’ll have to go back to peeling your apples the old fashion way… using a good paring knife or potato peeler.

Apple Wedger or Slicer

An apple wedger is an additional piece of canning equipment I use to make the job easier.   An apple wedger simultaneously cores the apple as well cut it into 8 to 10 pieces.  It’s usually made of stainless steel.

After your  apple is peeled,  just place the slicer over the apple and push down firmly.  If you like your apple slices a bit thinner, you’ll have to use a paring knife… but half the battle is won if you use a good apple slicer to begin with.

I keep my apple wedger in my kitchen tool drawer for quick access.  I not only use it during the canning and preserving season but it makes serving apple snacks to my grands a snap.  It don’t bother peeling the apple (good fiber.) I just wash it and place the apple slicer over the center of the apple and push down hard.   I slip the apple slices in a paper cup and hand them out.  Off the grand kids go… Waaa Laaa.  Healthy treats!

Apples wedges, accompanied with a Carmel Dip or Peanut Butter Dip, is  a wonderful indulgence to serve your family or guests in the fall.

Happy Canning and Preserving!

Til Later,

Kathryn Griffiths – Insightful Nana

P.S.  If you get your apples fresh from a farmer,  just after the apples are picked, you should have no trouble using an apple peeler machine and corer.  The apples will be hard and crisp… easy to peel and place into your canning jars.

Momma would set up a table in the carport and hook on the food strainer and sauce maker.  It was a race between my sisters and myself as to who was going to turn the handle.  The reward for turning the handle was that you could be outdoors and not in a hot kitchen.  The war was on!

The great thing about this piece of canning equipment was that you can put raw or blanched food in the top… turn the handle and waaa laaa… the juice or sauce would go out in one direction and all the skins and waste would be deposited in other direction.  Easy as pie!

After I married and began doing my own canning and preserving, I came to appreciate this piece of equipment even more.  I watched, as my friends used other methods of juicing and saucing, and found that I finished my bottling process 75% faster than they did.  Yea!

If you make tomato juice, apricot juice or apple sauce, you would be wise to invest in this wonderful piece of canning equipment.

I just recently heard of running pumpkin through the sauce maker for making your own pumpkin pie filling.  I’ll have to try that one sometime.

Happy Canning and Preserving!

Til Later,

Kathy Griffiths – Insightful Nana

P.S.  I know that there are plenty of brands out there… but our food strainer and sauce maker was called Victorio and it lasted forever.  I’m sure there are many other brands that are just as good.  Just check to see if the brand you purchase also provides replacement parts.

I have many sweet memories of canning and preserving with a phone attached to my ear visiting with my friend… who was also canning and preserving.  (Those were the days when a very very long phone cord was important… for my mental survival.)

This Chili Sauce Recipe came from Virginia’s Grandma Mitchell.  And… heaven knows how many bottles of this Sweet Chili Sauce recipe have been placed on pantry shelves in the last 100 years.

Sweet Chili Sauce

1/2 bushel of Tomatoes
5 1/2 Cups Sugar
1/3 Cup Salt
3 Cups White Vinegar
3 Large Onions (minced)
4 Chopped Green Peppers

Spices are placed in a bag.   I cut a bit of nylon hosiery (4X4) and place all of my spices into  the middle and tie it up so it forms a loose spice ball. (Yes… I wash my my nylon first.)

1 Teaspoon ground cloves
1 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 Teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 Teaspoon ground nutmeg

1.  Prepare the tomatoes using tomatoes canning basics and then squish them up with your hands until they are in small pieces.

2.  Cook the tomatoes down 1/4th.  You really have to watch the tomatoes and stir them often so they won’t scorch.  Once brought to a boil… turn heat way down.

3.  Add all of the rest of the ingredients and cook your chili sauce down until you have the desired consistency.  You have to keep the heat very low and stir often.  Since you have added sugar, it will scorch easily.  (This process could take a better part of a day… but it’s worth it.)

4. Tip.  I let my sauce stand uncovered over night because a lot of the excess liquid will evaporate out.  The result is… nice thick chili sauce.

5.  Place sauce into pints with canning lids and canning rings. Place in a waterbath canner or steam canner for 20 min.  I don’t go longer than that because the sauce has been cooked to death and it has plenty of sugar and vinegar.  It won’t kill you.. I promise.

It makes about 16 pints.

The aroma of this recipe can be enjoyed from the driveway of my house.  My girls say… “When Mom preserves Chili Sauce… we come running.  We can smell it cooking from a mile away.”

Happy Canning and Preserving!

Til Later,

Kathy Griffiths – Insightful Nana

P.S.  My sweet friend, Virginia, passed away last month from diabetes complications.  This recipe takes on a new meaning for me.  I will never think of  this Chili Sauce recipe in the same way.  Thanks Virgina for sharing with all of us.

I remember the first year I preserved this Pickle Relish recipe.  It was late in the season and I was soooo tired of canning.  I had picked up a half bushel of cucumbers for Dill Pickles when I noticed the farmer had a few over grown cucumbers for sale.  I ask him what they used such large cucumbers for.  His dear wife piped up and said, “For the best Sweet Pickle Relish this side of Kansas.”  (I never could figure out what Kansas had to do with it.  Oh, well!)

She plopped the cucumbers into a bag… and gave them to me free.  She jotted down the recipe on a piece of paper and stuck it into the bag with the cucumbers.  Now… what was I to do… let them got to waste?

Oh my… what a blessing in disguise.  I’ve not missed very many years that I did not bottle this wonderful Pickle Relish recipe.    Try it… you’ll love it.

Sweet Pickle Relish

15 to 20 large over grown cucumbers
4 Large Green Peppers
3 Large Red Peppers
5 Large Onions

Grind all together and boil 10 minutes in 3 quarts of water… then drain well.

Add 4 Teaspoons of Mustard Seed
1 full Teaspoon of Tumeric
3/4 Teaspoon of Ground Cloves
3/4 Teaspoon Celery Seed
4 Cups Sugar
2 Tablespoons Salt (I use canning salt or uniodized salt… so it won’t turn milky looking.)
5 Cups of White Vinegar.

Bring all the ingredients to a boil, turn heat way down, and cook for 10 more minutes.

Fill pint canning jars and place on canning lids and rings.  Process in a waterbath canner or steam canner for 15 minutes.  I don’t process it longer than that because of all the sugar and vinegar in the recipe… and it was also pre-cooked.   I promise… you won’t get a bug and die.

TIP: My grinder is long gone.  I use a faster method and it works great.  I cut all of my veggies up in chunks.  I place them in a blender and fill it with water.  I have a pulse button on my blender and I pulse it 5 or 6 times and waa laa…. chopped veggies.  Pour everything into a strainer to remove all the water. You may have about 5 or 6 blender loads… but it’s still faster than the old grinder.

When I make Tarter Sauce for fish, I use Miracle Whip and my homemade Sweet Pickle Relish.  I have go a bit heavy on the relish ya know.  Mmmmm good!

Happy Canning and Preserving!

Til Later,

Kathy Griffiths – Insightful Nana

P.S.  You can split the recipe in two just before you bottle it.  Add 1/2 cup of prepared mustard to one half of the recipe for a tasty variation.

Just before dinner was served, the fancy relish dishes made their appearance from the cupboard and were filled with stuffed celery, Dill Pickles (another no no before Thanksgiving,) and of course the best Pickled Beets on the planet.  I really believe it’s Grandma Ella’s recipe for Pickled Beets is the best on the planet.

Pickling is a fun diversion from all the other canning I do.  Pickling adds the spice to the canning and preserving season.

Ella’s Pickled Beets

1 Gallon of cut beets
3 Cups Sugar
5 1/3 C. Cider Vinegar
2 Sticks Of Whole Cinnamon – Crushed Big)
1 1/2 TB. of Allspice Berries (or a small .75 oz. package)
4 1/2 Cups of Beet Juice

1.  Cut off the tops of the beets leaving about 1” of stems.  Do not cut into the beet.

2.  Wash the whole beets well with out piercing the skin.  (If you cut into the skin… the beets will bleed while cooking and lose their color.)

3.  Cover the whole beets with water and cook until tender. (about 15 depending on size)  You should be able to push the beet with your finger and have it be soft yet firm.  Save the beet water and set it aside.

4.  Slip the skins from the beets and cut them into pieces.  (Ella cut them into chunks rather than slices.)

5.  Put the cut beets into a clean container and add the measured amount of  beet water.  (When you put the beet water aside… small sediment settled to the bottom of the pan.  Scoop the beet water from the top… it will be clean and perfect.

6.  Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boiling point.  Pour the beets into pint jars with lids and rings.  Use your waterbath canner or steam canner and process for  for 15 minutes.  (You don’t have to process longer because of all the vinegar in the liquid.  They won’t spoil… I promise.)

The fragrance in the air, when your canning pickled beets,  is heavenly.

Happy Canning and Preserving

Til Later,

Kathy Griffith – Insightful Nana

P.S.  Pickled beets from the store just don’t measure up to Grandma Ella’s recipe for Pickled Beets.

I have two methods I want to share with your for freezing peaches.

Sliced Peaches

1.  Peal your peaches and placed the whole peach in a bowl of cold water.  It will keep them from going brown.

2.  Cover a cookie sheet with waxed paper.  (I find this works better than plastic wrap.)

3.  Remove one peach at a time from the water and dry it with a clean paper towel.

4.  Slice the peaches on top of the waxed paper, keeping the slices separated from each other.

You will have to move quickly with this process because the peaches will have a tendency to turn brown if your diddle daddle around.  (You have about 10 min.)

5.  Place the entire cookie sheet into the freezer.  Allow the peaches to freeze firmly.

6.  Remove the cookie sheet from the freezer and place the loose frozen peaches in containers or in small heavy plastic ziplock bags.

7.  Quickly put them back into the freezer before they have a chance to thaw.

My favorite is to use my vacuum sealer.  The peaches last a long time in the freezer.

I like this method because you can thaw just the exact amount of peaches for your recipe.

Use your frozen peaches for winter time fruit smoothies or top your hot oatmeal with them.  I love to thaw them out just a little bit and eat the with sugar and cream just as I did in the summer months.

Mashed Peaches

If I have only a few peaches on hand that are over ripe and I don’t want to discard them.  I mash them up… plop them in the freezer to be used for smoothies and slushes during the winter months.

1.  Peal and slice the peaches into a large bowl.

2.  Mash peaches with a potato masher.  Or, I give them a quick blend with my hand blender.

3.  Add a bit of lemon juice or citric acid to the mix to keep the peaches from going dark.   Adding a bit of sugar to the mix will help too.

3.  Pour the peaches… juice and all… into small plastic containers or into small heavy ziplock bags.  (Before you seal the bag… make sure you remove as much of the air as possible.)

4.  Place the bags on a cookie sheet and place them into the freezer.  (This keeps the bags more uniform during the freezing process.  After they are frozen, remove them from the cookie sheet and stack them back into your freezer.

“Waste not want not”… as my Grandma Ella use to say.

Happy Canning and Preserving

Til Later,

Kathy Griffiths – Insightful Nana

P.S.   Peach Smoothies made from your frozen peaches is so refreshing during those long winter months.   Smoothies are easy quick and easy to make in your blender for your family.  Or, if your have a hand blender…  you can make just one serving for your sweetie.

Now that the kids are up and gone… I use my homemade canned peaches for other things.  The grands love them cold from the fridge.  But, I make sure I save a few bottles for making Georgia Peach muffins.

I want to share with you my canned peaches recipe for Georgia Peach Muffins.  This canned peach muffin recipe is perfect in the dead of winter.  They are so good, you’ll want to make them over and over again.

Georgia Peach Muffins

1 1/2 Cups of Flour1/2 Cup of Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup of White Granulated Sugar
3/4 Teaspoon of salt
1/2 Teaspoon of Baking Soda
1/8 Teaspoon of Cinnamon (I fudge on this a bit and add a little more)
1/8 Teaspoon of Nutmeg
1    Teaspoon of Vanilla
1/2 Vegetable Oil
2    Eggs
1/2 bottle of Peaches drained and chopped into small pieces.

1.  Blend all of the dry ingredients together well.
2.  Add the Eggs and the Vanilla to the oil and mix together.
3.  Pour the Oil mixture on top of the dry ingredients and mix until the dry ingredients are moist.  (Don’t over blend)
4.  Fold in the chopped Peaches.

1.  Use a muffin tin that has twelve wells.  Or… use two muffin tins with 6 wells.
2.  Oil the wells of the tins with a bit of vegetable oil or cooking spray.
3.  Fill each well about 3/4” full.

Sprinkle the top of each muffin with a bit of white granulated sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes… or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Let stand for about 8 to 10 minutes so the muffins will release easily.

A little trick my friend, Virginia, shared with me was to spray cupcake baking liners with a bit of cooking spray and fill them.  That way you don’t have muffin tins to clean.
These muffins are a great gift idea to share with a friend or loved one.  Find a cute basket and put a bright cloth napkin inside.  Fill the basket with warm Georgia Peach Muffins and deliver.  (You can usually find “stray” napkins at your local thrift store.  Keep several on hand for such occasions.)

Grab yourself a muffin and mug.  Fill your mug with your favorite hot drink and enjoy the moment!

Happy Canning and Preserving

Til Later,

Kathy Griffiths – Insightful Nana

P.S.  Women from the state of Georgia are called “Peaches” and the guys are called “Crackers.”  Never could understand why… since Georgia is know for growing pine trees and pecans… and not peaches.

Anybody shed a little light on this?

P.P.S.  If being sweet has anything to do with it… my Grandma Ella could certainly be considered a “Georgia Peach.”

This is a basic tomato salsa recipe.  By that I mean… if you want more onions… by all means, add them.  If you want more peppers… toss them in. If you like more garlic… throw more into the mix.  We added more hot peppers than the recipe called for… because we “like it hot.”

Ingredients:

2 Gallons of  Squished tomatoes.   Prepare the tomatoes for canning as suggested in the basic tomato canning instructions.
8 to 10 Med to large Onions chopped fine.  (The larger the better for me)
1 Quart chopped peppers various kinds (Anaheim, Yellow Wax, Sweet Green and Red… remove seeds)
8 Small very hot peppers. (remove seeds)
10 to 12  Jalapeno Peppers (remove seeds)   Jalapeno peppers sliced as well as chopped.)
22 Cloves of Garlic.   (I make sure my cloves are large)
3 TB Salt
4 teaspoons Cumin
3 TB of Dried Oregano
3 Teaspoons Pepper

Here’s a little chopping trick I use.

Cut the onions and peppers into large chunks and toss them into your blender.  Add the garlic cloves too.  Fill the blender container to the top with water. Turn the blender on and off quickly several times till the ingredients are chopped to your liking.  (You will have to do several batches.)

Pour the chopped ingredients into a strainer or colander to drain all of the water off.  So quick and easy.  Add the chopped ingredients to your squished tomatoes.

Cooking Time

Bring all the ingredients together and bring them to a full boil.  Stir frequently.  Turn down the heat and let it all simmer until you have reached a thick rich consistency.  Stir frequently so it won’t scorch!

Fill pint canning jars.  Apply lids and rims.  Place them in a water bath for 20 minutes.  If I use my steam canner… I steam them for 15 min.

Allow your salsa to cool and seal.

A bottle of Mexican Tomato Salsa and a bag of chips make a delightful gift.  Add a colorful salsa bowl for a complete gift package.

It’s time to make salsa again… the tomatoes are ripe and ready.

Happy Canning and Preserving!

Til Later!

Kathy Griffiths – Insightful Nana

P.S.  My grandma Ella and my momma didn’t make salsa.  In fact, I didn’t know salsa even existed until I moved to California to work after my freshman year at college.  Wow!  Once I tasted Mexican food and had a bite of real Mexican salsa… I never looked back.  So…you might say… making salsa started with me and the tradition has now passed to my daughters.

If your going to bottle whole tomatoes, select small ones that will fit easily in the jars.  However, don’t shy away from larger tomatoes… just cut them in half.  (I use the widemouth jars for this process.)

Canning whole tomatoes is the best canning method if you have a garden that produces a few tomatoes at a time.  After you harvest a few of your tomatoes, you can preserve a small number of bottles at a time without much fuss.

Canning Whole Tomatoes

1.  Prepare your tomatoes using the basic instructions for canning tomatoes.

2.  After the skins have been removed, place whole tomatoes into each jar.
If your tomatoes are too large, cut them in half.

Push them down into the jar so they break apart a bit and form their own juice.  If you need more liquid, take a few tomatoes and blend them with a hand blender to form a liquid.  Pour this juice into each jar if you need more liquid.

I never add straight water as additional liquid.

3.  Take a butter knife and run it around the inside of the canning jar.  You want to remove as many air bubbles as you can.  I like to do this several times while I’m filling the canning jar.

4.  Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to each jar.  Add 1 teaspoon of white vinegar to each jar.  The vinegar replaces the acid that the new tomato hybrids are now lacking.

5.  Fill the jar until the liquid reaches 1/4” above the neck of the jar.  This will allow for settling.

6.  Wipe the top edge of the canning jar with a damp cloth so the rim is clean. (It will seal better if you do this step.)  Place your canning lids and rims onto your jar.  Don’t screw on the canning rim too tight….just firm.  This will allow for the air to escape ……..

7.   Bring out your water bath canner or your steam canner and check out these canning instructions for preserving your tomatoes.

7.  If I use my water bath canner, I time them for 45 minutes after the water boils around the canning jars.  If I use my steam canner, I time them for 30 minutes after the steam escapes from the canner.   Note:  If you have a ceramic top stove, it’s best to use a water bath canner.  A ceramic top does not allow the temp. to stay as consistent as it needs to be for steam canner use.

My momma use to serve whole tomatoes cold.  They were often served as a late supper with bread and butter and a slice of cheese.

Happy Canning and Preserving!

Til Later,

Kathy Griffiths – Insightful Nana

P.S.  Preserving tomatoes is a good way to start learning how to bottle produce.  It’s the fastest and easiest veggie to bottle because you don’t have to use a canning pressure cooker.   It’s because tomatoes are really considered a fruit.  Preserving whole tomatoes is the easiest tomato canning method to get started with.