Canning Season 2013

I realize that food can be preserved throughout the year, when it’s in season, but I feel like because of the way I can (I only can things I grow) and the things I like to can, I end up having a “canning season”. It usually runs from late Summer through early Fall. My canning season ends when I run out of things from the garden to can and when I put my canner away, so this year’s canning season has officially ended. Here is my 2013 Canning Season Re-cap!

What I canned in 2013 and where I got the recipe:

Jalapeño Jelly: 7 pints from Ball Blue Book of Preserving. Jalapeños seem to grow well for me and this is a popular jelly when I serve it with some cream cheese and crackers. Plus, this recipe makes a decent amount of jelly, so this has become a tried and true recipe for me.

Tomato Basil Jam: 5 pints This recipe was from Better Homes and Gardens Canning 2013. Best $9 I spent this year. The photos in it are amazing too and inspired the one I took above.

Sauerkraut- 2 pints from Canning and Preserving Your Own Harvest by Carla Emery and Lorene Edwards Forkner. We ate the rest fresh, it’s better that way. I had to can at least a couple pints for my “ultimate hot dog party” that I want to have. Our friend Julian makes sausage and Flower made pickled peppers this year. I figure topped with my sauerkraut, Julian’s sausage will be the ultimate hot dog. Did that sound dirty? If it did, oh well! Anyway, stay tuned for that.

Three Herb Marinara- 3 pints Also from the Better Homes and Gardens Canning Magazine. Seem like a lot of work for only 3 pints? Maybe, but it was my first time canning marinara and I wanted it chunky so I let it cook down a lot. I started with about 9 lbs. of tomatoes, which apparently isn’t a lot, when it comes to making sauce. I liked this recipe because it had brown sugar in it and I like the sweetness sugar adds to marinara.  I cannot wait to eat this. It tasted so good when I was making it. There’s really nothing like homemade tomato sauce.

The other jars in the photo are Dilly Beans from the Ball Blue Book of Preserving and Spicy Pickled Carrots from Put ’em Up! by Sherri Brooks Vinton. Those are from last year. I just added them to the photo to add more jars and color and because it looks cool.

I also froze several 1/2 pints of Basil Pesto (also from Put ’em Up!) and some Swiss Chard Ravioli (my recipe). I know what we’re eating with the marinara!

I guess I should call it my preserving season, but that doesn’t sound as good to me.

What did you guys preserve this year?