food storage

Strawberry vanilla preserves are yummy twist on homemade strawberry jam, perfect for showcasing small, sweet berries with a delicate dash of vanilla.

Strawberry Vanilla Preserves

strawberries

water

vanilla bean

calcium water (included in Pomona’s Pectin package)

sugar

Pomona’s Pectin powder

Prepare jars, lids and bands; heat up canner and sterilize jars. If needed, mix up calcium water.

Rinse strawberries and remove stems. Combine strawberries and 1/2 cup water in a large sauce pan.

Use a paring knife to slice the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Add the seeds and pod to the strawberries. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir gently to keep the berries whole.

Add calcium water and mix well. Bring strawberry mixture back to a fill boil over medium high heat. While the mixture is heating, mix pectin and sugar in a separate bowl.

Once the strawberry mixture has reached a full boil, slowly add the pectin-sugar mixture, stirring constantly. Stir vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes to dissolve the pectin while the preserves come back up to a boil.

Once the strawberry vanilla preserves return to a full boil, remove the pan from the heat. Using tongs, carefully remove the vanilla bean from the preserves and discard.

To can the preserves, ladle preserves into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Wipe rims with a damp cloth and screw on lids finger tight.

Lower jars into boiling water canner. Jars should not touch, and should be covered with at least 1-2 inches of water. Place lid on canner and return to rolling boil.

Process jars for 10 minutes (adjust for altitude if necessary). Turn off canner and move jars to towel on counter top. Let jars rest until completely cooled. (I usually let them sit overnight.)

Check seals, remove rings, date and label. Store out of direct sunlight and use within 18 months for best quality.

Follow these steps for freezing Brussel sprouts, so you can enjoy them whenever you want — and none go to waste!

How to Freeze Brussels Sprouts So You Can Savor Them All Year Round

Brussels sprouts

Frozen Brussels sprouts thaw quickly at room temperature so in a few minutes they&#x27;ll be ready to use in recipes. 

The Kitchn

Lauren Salkeld

Step 1

Prep: Cut Brussels sprouts off the stalk if needed. Trim and discard the root ends and remove any wilted or yellow outer leaves.

Step 2

Wash: If bugs are a concern, soak the Brussels sprouts in a salt or vinegar solution (1 to 3 tablespoons of vinegar or salt per gallon of water) for about 30 minutes, then rinse thoroughly. Otherwise, simply wash sprouts under cold running water.

Step 3

Sort and blanch: Sort Brussels sprouts into small, medium, and large. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and fill a large bowl with ice water. Blanch small Brussels sprouts for 3 minutes, medium for 4 minutes, and large for 5 minutes. Plunge the blanched sprouts in the ice water to stop the cooking process then move them to a clean towel and pat dry.

Step 4

Freeze on a baking sheet: Spread the cooled and dried Brussels sprouts on a baking sheet and freeze for about 1 hour.

Step 5

Transfer to resealable plastic freezer bags: Transfer the Brussels sprouts to resealable plastic freezer bags, label and date the bags, and freeze for up to one year.

This is a great meal in a jar option for breakfast or dinner!  What&#x27;s not to love about sausage and cheesy hash brown potatoes?! Quick and easy to whip up any time of the day, or a great option for gift-giving!

Potato Cheese Sausage Casserole Meal in a Jar

sausage sausage

dehydrated hash brown potatoes

cheese powder

sour cream powder

dry minced onion

salt

black pepper

bay leaf

Place all ingredients in order in a wide-mouth quart-size mason jar and shake contents gently to settle.

Place new canning lid on top of jar. Using wide-mouth attachment for a FoodSaver, vacuum seal lid onto jar following instructions from your FoodSaver manual. (You can also insert an oxygen absorber before putting on lid if you'd like.)

Remove vacuum attachment and put ring on. Tighten by hand, but don't over tighten.

Label and date. Store in cool, dry location.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Empty contents of jar (minus oxygen packet if present) into large casserole dish.  Add 5 cups of boiling water.  Cover and let sit for 10 minutes.  Bake, uncovered, for 35 minutes (being sure to stir every 10-13 minutes) until bubbly.  Remove from oven and serve.

To cook:

I love having these on the shelf. I am an experienced cook so I would say that the cook time is until done!! That said, based on the comments, I will cook until the liquid is absorbed or reduced to my satisfaction. I would think that it will depend on the brand of potatoes though as some are cooked then dehydrated/freeze dried and others are raw when dehydrated/freeze dried.

I love these jar recipes and thanks so much for doing these Candi. As another person commented, I too had a casserole of soup for this dish so will decrease the water from 5 cups down to maybe 3 or 4 next time. The flavour was great though. Thanks.

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Top 3 food storage recipes from across the web

The most viewed food storage recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Strawberry Vanilla Preserves

How to Freeze Brussels Sprouts So Y...

Potato Cheese Sausage Casserole Mea...

The most viewed food storage recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine