Wednesday 26 June 2013

Homemade Pizza Sauce

This may seem an odd time to post a canning recipe but I actually made Pizza Sauce quite recently. I will share a trick for  making the BEST pizza sauce; regardless of which recipe you follow.
 Here it is: I usually freeze my chopped tomato`s in large freezer bags(equivalent to an ice cream pail) before I make my pizza sauce. Here is why: When you thaw the tomato`s there will be a clear liquid that separates from the tomatoes. Discard most of this liquid and then proceed with your pizza sauce as usual. This results in a nice thick sauce without having to simmer it for hours. Plus this way you can save your pizza sauce making for a time when you don`t have all the other canning or garden work to do.
 

Susie`s Pizza Sauce:

2 gallons chopped tomatoes
4 onions,peeled and cut up
2 green peppers, cut up with seeds removed
1 jalapeno pepper, cut up with seeds removed
2-3 garlic cloves minced OR 2 tsp minced garlic in oil
2/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp salt
3-4 cans(369 ml) tomato paste-depending on how thick your sauce is
2 tbsp parsley
2 tbsp chili powder
4 tbsp clubhouse Italiano (as pictured above)
2 tbsp clubhouse Roasted Red Pepper & Garlic
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
 
Bring to boil the first 5 ingredients in a large pot and simmer for about an hour. At this point you can do 1 of 2 things. 1) Blend and return to pot. OR  2) put through a sieve (like the one pictured above) squeezing out all the liquid, and return the liquid to the pot. Blending it works and is easier but using the above sieve will eliminate the tomato seeds as well as skin. Add remaining ingredients(except Parmesan cheese) and simmer for another hour or until desired thickness . Add Parmesan cheese. Put into sterilised jars and seal.
 
 
 
 

Sunday 23 June 2013

Strawberry Rhubarb Slush





Strawberry Rhubarb Slush:

20 cups chopped rhubarb
32 oz package strawberries (about 4 cups)
4 cups sugar
1 cup Lemonade powder (I used Country Time) OR 1 can frozen pink lemonade 
16 cups water
1 small package strawberry jello
1/2 -1 cup lemon juice
In a large pot, bring the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, lemonade powder and the water to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 1/2 -1 hour or until rhubarb in very tender. This smells so good as it is cooking! Press through a sieve; discard pulp. Stir in  lemon juice and jello until dissolved.Transfer into 2 ice cream pails and freeze, stirring occasionally until firm.
To serve combine equal amounts of frozen rhubarb mixture and ginger ale or sprite. Optional: Desired amount of vodka may also be added.


Tuesday 11 June 2013

Molasses Crinkles

Molasses Crinkles

1 1/2 cups margarine
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup molasses
4 tsp baking soda
4 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ginger
sugar(for dipping cookie dough)
 
Cream together margarine and sugar. Add eggs, salt, molasses and baking soda. Then add sifted dry ingredients. Dough may be chilled or used right away-I prefer to chill first,this makes the rolling part much easier! Generously grease your hands and roll cookie dough into 1 inch balls. Roll in sugar. place on cookie sheet and flatten lightly with a fork. Bake @ 350 F for 8-10 minutes( Just until set).
 
This will make a huge batch so what I like to do is bake 1 or 2 dozen for fresh eating and wrap the remaining dough in wax paper to store in the freezer; as you can see in the photo above. The cookie dough can be stored for up to 3 months this way. This also makes a nice gift for teachers or new mom's. Just attach a note with instructions for baking. When using frozen cookie dough I like to thaw it first and then proceed as usual.