Conquer Club

So anyone here can? Or want to discuss shit that doesn't provoke fights??

Canning season....done 30 jars of hot garlic dill pickles and am working on batch 4 of tomato sauce...all veggies from garden....gonna have 50 jars now.....got 2 more batches at least to go. If anyone is really bored, here is my go to recipe:

Ingredients
8 - 14 jars depending on size (half pint - quart) Plus Accompanying Lids And Rings
3 whole Onions
6 Tablespoons Minced Garlic
2 whole Green Bell Peppers
2 whole Red Bell Peppers
8 whole Jalapeno Peppers (or like mix...been using Fireball / habanero combo)
4 whole Large Carrots
1 whole Medium Zucchini
25 whole Medium Tomatoes (5-6 pounds - I use Romas)
3 Tablespoons White Sugar
2 Tablespoons Salt
1 cup Fresh Basil, Chopped
2 cans (12 oz. total) Tomato Paste
Preparation
Prepare canning jars and lids and keep warm.

In a food processor, finely chop all vegetables (I use my vitamix....works awesome)

Add sugar, salt, garlic and tomato paste. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium/low and allow to simmer until thickened, about 45 minutes - 2 hours. Skim foam from top of sauce.

Spoon hot tomato sauce into prepared jars. Add 1 tablespoon lemon / lime juice per PINT jar Process according to canning directions.

Store pasta sauce for use in lasagna and other pasta dishes, chili, soups, or use as a marinara sauce straight from the jar over spaghetti....been modding this recipe for 20+ years...really like this one.

that sounds pretty yummy, except for the carrots.. what's the reason for the carrots?? the sugar?

CAN IT!!!!! HAHAHAHAHH


OHHH you sorry you did not mean that...

no i don't can sorry.

Just extra flavor / texture....can do any veggie combo....

texture makes sense.

have you tried roasting the peppers?

Have used smoked and roasted peppers....doesnt make as much difference in this due to the volume but I sure like em in food prep....borderdawg does the best damn peppers I've had...lol....sent me a bunch of smoked ghost peppers that I made a hot sauce out of....DAMN hot but real good...

nietzsche wrote:that sounds pretty yummy, except for the carrots.. what's the reason for the carrots?? the sugar?

From what an Italian told me, the carrots are added for sweetness and color for the sauce. However, carrot is usually added for Bolognese used for Spaghetti, along with minced beef. The carrot is usually minced finely so that it will dissolve into the sauce.



If you wanted, you could just cook the tomatoes down and put them in cans with nothing, that way when you wanted to cook them, you could cook them the way you like. If you plan on making just a traditional Italian Gravy sauce, then you don't have to use carrots...just lots of meat!

KoolBak wrote:So anyone here can? Or want to discuss shit that doesn't provoke fights??

.

I don't know ... some of the old ladies around here can be pretty competitive over their dilly bean recipes


Seriously, Koolbank.. thanks for that recipe!!! I have been looking for a decent tomato sauce recipe for a while. (My husband is Italian, but sadly his mother was NOT taught to cook)

One question, though... what tomatoes do you use. I understand some of the modern ones have less acid and need a slightly varied canning preparation. Does it matter for your recipe?


I have been using the following, "cheater" recipe which I got from an Italian roommate in college.

I large can tomato sauce (Contadina is among the better available around here)
I large can canned tomatoes
3 tablespoons Basil
2 teaspoons Oregano
2 chopped garlic cloves (note.. "clove" means the individual section for any non-cooks out there.. had a friend once who thought the bulb was a "clove") Note -- Powdered is not the same, but the canned chopped stuff works well.

Simmer for at least 1 1/2 hours. stirring frequently.

Then, gently fry the following in olive oil. (you want them still crisp, but "bright" -- the color brought out. This enhances the falvor.)

1 large carrot or 2 small
optional: 1 small Onion, 2 small Zucchini (make sure they are fresh! else will be bitter!)
1 more clove garlic, chopped finely.

Add vegetables, 1/2 hour before serving

15 minutes before serving, add I can chopped clams, drained.

Serve over spaghetti with parmesan cheese.

NOTE.. in my "poor college days" I would start with this sauce, then increase the carrots and onions, making it very "hearty" (like a very thick stew) , then top with whatever cheese was cheap ( Mozzarella if I could afford it, but cheddar when I could not... cheddar actually works well, though my Italian roommate's grandmother no doubt rolled over in her grave at the thought).

I always use Roma tomatos...meaty, not much juice / seeds. Any other tomato makes it a lot runnier.

That is an excellent easy recipe...I just like having tons of jars to use all year long and give out to friends and family. We always plant enough romas to get like 30 - 50 lbs of product. We make a lot of home made pasta type dishes....I always use this for those..wifey has an old family lasagne recipe thats KILLER and so much better with this than "tomato sauce" from the store..in feeding big groups spaghetti (when I am lazy), I typically take one jar of prepared sauce (classico, etc) and add an equal part this sauce and some seasoning...can't go wrong ;o)

We also typically plant lots of tomatillos to make salsa verde....super easy and great gifts.....pickled beans (bloody marys!) and others...

Re: the acidity, thats why you ALWAYS add a tablespoon of lemon or lime juice to each pint of product when canning....takes care of the possible botchilism (sp??) problems inherent in tomato canning...

My aunt just found my great grandma's Mustard Pickle recipe! All I remember is cucumbers, cauliflower, and green peppers in a yellowish, sweet mustard sauce! SOO GOOD!

I thought you were gearing up for December and January when NFL head coaches start getting the sack.

my mom puts figs up every year. so good on a buttered biscuit. or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. she used to do pickles, quince, and pears up till about 5 years ago when i guess she got too old to care about doing it anymore.

you know... i found some really sexy/funny CANING videos that i kept trying to post, but youtube videos don't seem to be showing up in the forums for me... i think DaGip posted some tomato canning videos or whatever, but can't see those either... such potential for this thread, ruined by a CC bug.. sigh...-eJn'

p.s.-i'll try again... great cat fight followed by a caning at the 2:00 min mark... maybe it will show one day...

KoolBak wrote:I always use Roma tomatos...meaty, not much juice / seeds. Any other tomato makes it a lot runnier.

That is an excellent easy recipe...I just like having tons of jars to use all year long and give out to friends and family. We always plant enough romas to get like 30 - 50 lbs of product. We make a lot of home made pasta type dishes....I always use this for those..wifey has an old family lasagne recipe thats KILLER and so much better with this than "tomato sauce" from the store..in feeding big groups spaghetti (when I am lazy), I typically take one jar of prepared sauce (classico, etc) and add an equal part this sauce and some seasoning...can't go wrong ;o)

We also typically plant lots of tomatillos to make salsa verde....super easy and great gifts.....pickled beans (bloody marys!) and others...

Re: the acidity, thats why you ALWAYS add a tablespoon of lemon or lime juice to each pint of product when canning....takes care of the possible botchilism (sp??) problems inherent in tomato canning...

Care to share the lasagna recipe?

per the acid.... I am old enough to have grown up when you actually did not need to add any acid to tomatoes (fruits, etc... definitely, but not tomatoes). But, apparently now the acid is less.

Thanks a bunch for sharing! I will definitely use that recipe. Perhaps not this year (my tomatoes were pretty dismal.. thanks to my sons new puppy.. lol)

I remember the acid was never called for as well....an alternative is to pressure cook....but better safe than sorry and the flavor is nice with the hit of lime, so.....yeah.

The lasagne recipe is on my list to type into onenote that I'm transferring all my crap to, so once I do it, I'll hit ya ;o) If you're not adverse to heart stopping meals, got a few other old family farm recipes from Nebraska that will make the health nuts crap a cactus as well

ps-why the hell does this system not recognize the word lasagne?

Lasagne recipe

• two boxes of flat noodles
• two pounds ground beef
• three cans koolbak brand tomato sauce
• small jar pickled jalapeños
• one pound mozzarella
• one pound chedder
• one pound parmagian

Directions,
pan fry beef until brown, boil noodles until pliable,
in a massive roasting pan layer ingredients, bake until delicious!

Makes approx 6 servings.

KoolBak wrote:I remember the acid was never called for as well....an alternative is to pressure cook....but better safe than sorry and the flavor is nice with the hit of lime, so.....yeah.

The lasagne recipe is on my list to type into onenote that I'm transferring all my crap to, so once I do it, I'll hit ya ;o) If you're not adverse to heart stopping meals, got a few other old family farm recipes from Nebraska that will make the health nuts crap a cactus as well

Bring them on!

KoolBak wrote:ps-why the hell does this system not recognize the word lasagne?

uh.. lasagna?

Never seen it spelled like that but apparently the dictionary has both spellings....weird....

ok...researched it (yes I am anal retentive about spelling....lol)....lasagne is correct (italian), however, americans have misspelled it so many times (phonetically) in the last 200 years that it is now accepted / americanized with an "a"....typical

who cans lasagna?!! freaks...-eJn

How do you expect to keep lazohnia in the pantry for winter if you don't preserve it?

WILLIAMS5232 wrote:my mom puts figs up every year. so good on a buttered biscuit. or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. she used to do pickles, quince, and pears up till about 5 years ago when i guess she got too old to care about doing it anymore.

I wish we could grow figs and quince here.

You should ask your mom to show you. Even if its too hard for her to do it herself, I'd bet she could show you. (and do it now!.. you just never know)

PLAYER57832 wrote:

WILLIAMS5232 wrote:my mom puts figs up every year. so good on a buttered biscuit. or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. she used to do pickles, quince, and pears up till about 5 years ago when i guess she got too old to care about doing it anymore.

I wish we could grow figs and quince here.

You should ask your mom to show you. Even if its too hard for her to do it herself, I'd bet she could show you. (and do it now!.. you just never know)

well, last time i came home, i made a subtle request for some quince jelly. (back about 5-6 weeks ago)
when i came home this weekend for the thanksgiving break, we're eating eggplant/tomato biscuits and my dad pulls out a jar of fresh quince preserves.

i forgot how good it was.

targetman377 wrote:CAN IT!!!!! HAHAHAHAHH


OHHH you sorry you did not mean that...

no i don't can sorry.

All I hear from this post is Canned laughter.

All right people.....started yesterday....20 jars in and 1/2 of a bottle of whisky down Have a veritable crapload of peppers this year; sliced anaheims, sliced jalapenos, whole fireball cherry and one batch of that bitchin veggie sauce (1st post)....did 200 jars last year; on the road to 250 this year Found a recipe for those fireballs...pickle em, then when ready, remove guts and stuff with prosciutto (or whatever meat) wrapped provolone and bake quickly....

I prefer caning season.

-TG