Home-Canned Artichoke Hearts

Step 1

1 Halve and juice the lemons

Step 2

2 Place the spent lemon halves in a 5-quart nonreactive (not aluminum or copper) pot; fill it with cold water

Step 3

3 Strain and reserve the juice for the marinade

Step 4

4 To trim the artichokes, pull the leaves from each one, snapping them where they naturally break

Step 5

5 Use a sharp knife or vegetable peeler to peel the choke, then make a clean cut across the end of the stem, retaining the tender portion

Step 6

6 Use a grapefruit spoon, melon baller or side of a teaspoon to scrape away the fuzzy choke, revealing the meaty part of it, then quarter the entire choke

Step 7

7 (For baby artichokes, trim only to any inner leaves without a thorn

Step 8

8 ) As each choke is trimmed, drop it into the pot

Step 9

9 Add 1/4 cup of salt

Step 10

10 Bring the pot filled with lemon water and artichokes to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium or medium-low so the water is barely bubbling

Step 11

11 Cook, uncovered, until fork-tender, about 10 minutes

Step 12

12 Meanwhile, make the marinade: Combine the reserved lemon juice, vinegars, oil, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes and garlic cloves in a small saucepan over high heat

Step 13

13 Bring to a boil; cook for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat

Step 14

14 Use a slotted spoon to transfer the artichokes to the sanitized jars, dividing evenly and stacking the small ones and first cutting the medium ones into quarters

Step 15

15 Tuck them in as tightly as possible without breaking or bruising

Step 16

16 Whisk the marinade well and divide among the jars

Step 17

17 If there is not enough marinade to cover, add oil as needed to leave 1/2 inch headspace at the top of each jar

Step 18

18 Make sure 1 garlic clove, 1 strip of lemon zest and 1 teaspoon salt goes into each jar

Step 19

19 Run a chopstick or flat plastic knife along the inside of the jar to remove any air bubbles

Step 20

20 Clean the rim of each jar with distilled white vinegar to cut residual oils, place the warmed lids on and finger-tighten the rings (not too tight)

Step 21

21 Process in the boiling water bath for 15 minutes (see NOTE, below)

Step 22

22 Turn off the heat and let the jars rest in the pot for 10 minutes

Step 23

23 Use tongs to transfer the jars to a clean, folded dish towel to cool over several hours

Step 24

24 Store the water-bath-canned jars in a cool space to cure for 1 month

Step 25

25 NOTE: Water-bath canning safely seals high acid, low pH foods in jars

Step 26

26 The time for processing in the water-bath is calculated based on the size of the jar and the consistency and density of the food

Step 27

27 For safety's sake, do not alter the jar size, ingredients, ratios or processing time in any canning recipes

Step 28

28 If moved to change any of these items, simply put the prepared food in the refrigerator and eat within a week

Step 29

29 Fill a large canning kettle or deep stockpot two-thirds full with water

Step 30

30 To keep the jars from rattling against the pot, place a rack in the pot (a cake rack works well, or a folded dish towel is equally effective)

Step 31

31 Sanitize the jars in a short dishwasher cycle or by boiling them in a canning kettle or pot for 10 minutes

Step 32

32 Fill a small saucepan with water and add the rings

Step 33

33 Bring to a boil over high heat, slip in the lids and turn off the heat

Step 34

34 Use a jar lifter or tongs to lower the filled, sealed jars upright into the boiling water-bath

Step 35

35 When all the jars are in place, the water should be 1 to 2 inches above the top of the jar

Step 36

36 Add water as needed

Step 37

37 Bring the water to a low boil before starting the timer for processing

Step 38

38 At the end of processing, turn off the heat and let the jars sit in the water bath until the boiling has stopped

Step 39

39 This will reduce siphoning -- when the food burbles up under the lid, breaking the seal

Step 40

40 Use the jar lifter or tongs to transfer the jars to a folded towel, placed upright

Step 41

41 Leave the jars until they have completely cooled, at least 12 hours

Step 42

42 Remove the rings and test the seal by lifting the jar by the lid

Step 43

43 The lid should hold fast

Step 44

44 Label and store in a cool, dry, dark space