Zucchini and Pepper Relish

I like Zucchini....small! When I received some logs of zucchini recently I wasn't really sure what to do with it. There is only so much zucchini bread I can take! Blech! I love relish, though! So I started searching for a recipe and I found a keeper!

Zucchini and Pepper Relish

Makes 5 pints

 

6 cups chopped green bell pepper-about 8 whole peppers
6 cups grated zucchini-about 3 pound
2 1/2 cups grated onion-about 2 large onions
4 cups apple cider vinegar, divided

2 cups sugar
2 T. sea salt *(I used canning salt)
2 T. mustard seeds
1 t. celery seed
1/2 red pepper flakes

 

Prepare a boiling water bath and 5 regular mouth pint jars. Place the lids in a small saucepan, cover them with water, and simmer over very low heat.

 

Combine the chopped bell pepper, zucchini, and onion in a large, non-reactive pot. Stir in 2 cups of the apple cider vinegar and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until the vegetables have cooked down, about 30 minutes.

 

Drain the vegetables and return to the pot. Add the remaining apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard seed, celery seed, and the red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.

 

Ladle the relish into the prepared jas leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Gently tap the jars on a towel-lined countertop to help loosen any bubbles before using a wooden chopstick to dislodge any remaining bubbles. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling waterbath for 10 minutes.

 

Recipe from Food in Jars-by Marisa McClellan



 

Nectarine Lime Jam

I love summer. Not as much as fall...but a close second.

The best part about summer is all the fruits and vegetables available to put away for the winter.  This year I got a new book that has become a favorite. It is Food in Jars by Marisa McClellan.

I have been following Marisa's blog for a while. When I got the book, I started bending pages in anticipation of summer.

 

 

Nectarine Lime Jam-Food in Jars

5 cups pitted and chopped nectarines (abaout 3 pounds)
3 cups sugar
Zest and juice of 2 limes *** see my note
1 (3-ounce) packet liquid pectin

 

Prepare a boiling water bath and 4 regular-mouth pint jars. Heat the lids and rings in a saucepan over low heat. 

 

Combine the nectarines and sugar in a large pot. Bring to a boil and let jam boil for 15-20 minutes over high heat, until the fruit softens and can be mashed with a wooden spoon. 
If you prefer a smoother textured jam, use an immersion blender ( be careful not to burn yourself) to break down some of the chunks. If you prefer a chunkier jam, just leave it as it is. Add the lime zest and juice and stir well. Add the pectin and bring to a rolling boil for a full 5 minutes, until it looks molten and syrupy.

 

Remove the pot from the heat and ladle jam into the prepared jars. Wipe the rims , apply lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

 

***I used  1/4 c. reconstituted lime juice in place of the fresh lime juice.