Hexagon Quilt... the beginning
10 years ago
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
So, my friends Christina and Therese have something of a green thumb and planted a garden this summer. Towards the end of the summer (maybe due to the ridiculous heat wave) their jalapenos decided to go all Christmasy on them and turned a pretty shade of red. I've enjoyed the "donations" of free produce this summer from their harvest so when they told me they had loads of red jalapenos for the taking, I was sure that I could do something with them (though at the time, I didn't know what.)
I took to looking online for various "pickle" recipes because one of the ways I like to enjoy a jalapeno (besides stuffed with cheese, breaded and deep fried in panko) is pickled. I came across this recipe that was intended for green jalapenos but I figured that for fun I'd give the red a shot. Here's the recipe that I used: Jalapeno Bread and Butter Pickles
Now, one of the many things I WISH NOW THAT I HAD LEARNED FROM MY MOM WHEN I LIVED AT HOME (Mom, are you listening?) is canning. My mom was a Master Food Preserver (she had a framed certificate and everything) and I totally could have used her knowledge. Kind of like when she wanted to teach me how to sew and I didn't want to? Yeah, should have taken those little Pearls of Wisdom with me to college...funny that I ended up being a Home Eccy, right? Anyway, I digress...
I don't have the equipment to can and my cabinet space is starting to be become limited (I blame my addiction to cooking utensils, appliances and gear.) I needed to be able to utilize some of what I already had but still learn how to can in the process. I found this nifty little Ball Home Canning Discovery Kit at my local Kroger for $11.00 and some change. (Amazon apparently has it for a higher price.) Its small and came with just enough jars for the project that I had in mind.
It was relatively "space-consuming" to do this (I'm talking counter space) but not a difficult procedure if you can follow directions. Here is the progression of my jalapeno canning fun (sans the picture of me de-seeding and de-veining--didn't want to whip out the 'ol camera during that part due to the transfer of stingability. Yeah. I think its a word. If not, I made it up just now.) Enjoy! I know I did!
The jalapenos and onions after being soaked and salted.
The "syrup" with all the spices in it.
"Cookin" the mixture.
Before the water bath.
The Finished Product! For a Native New Mexican living in Texas, NOTHING is better than when Central Market
has its Hatch Chile Festival! 
I went yesterday with my friend Christina to pick up a bushel
of chile (woo hoo) and I could hardly contain myself. Now, you can get it roasted there, but I chose to do mine myself. I didn't want to share all the yummy smells of roasting chile with a bunch of people so I brought it home. I have many years of fond memories with my parents out on the back porch roasting chile on the barbeque grill, and slicing some off to pair with cheese and saltines (and later, when I was old enough, beer!) Now that I'm pregnant, I can't enjoy the beer part, but the sweet joy I get from eating that gorgeous green chile fills my heart with delight!
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