My favourite one is Corn Salsa – and I do love the mixture of spices that is available pre-packaged from Bernardin and the recipe I use comes from this wonderful company as well. Check out their site - they are the people who really know how to make everything you want to preserve for later use.

Corn Salsa Recipe: 

Ingredients:

• 12 cups of coarsely chopped tomatoes
• 8 cups of whole kernel corn
• 1 package of Bernardin Salsa Mix
• 1-3/4 cups of cider vinegar

Directions:

1. Place 6 clean 500 ml mason jars on a rack in a boiling water canner, cover jars with water and heat to simmer. Set screw bands aside.
2. Heat Snap lid sealing discs in hot water – not boiling. Keep jars and sealing discs hot until ready to use.
3. Wash, seed and coarsely chop tomatoes, drain off the excess liquid.
4. Measure 12 cups
5. If using fresh corn, blanch ears in boiling water about 1 minute before cutting kernels off.
6. Measure out 8 cups
7. In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine bernardin Salsa mix adn cider vinegar.
8. Add tomatoes and corn, mix well.
9. Over medium heat, bring mixture to boil, stirring frequently.
10. Reduce heat and simmer stirring constantly, just until the mixture is heated through.
11. Laddle hot salsa into a hot 500 ml mason jars to within 1/2 inch of top of the jar (headspace). Using non-metallic utensil, remove air bubbles and adjust headspace – if required, adding more salsa.
12. Wipe jar rim, removing any food residue.
13. Centre hot sealing discs on clean jar rim.
14. Screw the band down until resistance is met, then increase to finger tight.
15. Return filled jar to rack in a canner,
16. Repeat for remaining salsa.
17. Then follow steps listed on the package of Bernardin Salsa mix.
18. This will make about 6 x 500 ml jars.

Hope you have enjoyed this recipe and instructions – please send in your comments, suggestions and experiences, your input is always welcomed and very much appreciated!

Even if you never made jams or jellies, there is no need to be afraid of trying it. Here are a few simple directions and tips for you, plus my favourite strawberry jam recipe:

• Always wash your fruit and discard all bruised and spoiled portions
• Remove hulls, caps, stems, pits or seeds and leave fruit whole or cut it up depending on what the recipe calls for\
• Measure fruits after cleaning it up and preparing it
• If recipe calls for juice, prepare it first
• Measure sugar accurately and if you are not using pectin, usually 3/4 cup of sugar to cup of juice is added
• If you are using juice that is not tart enough, it means it doesn’t have enough acid and needs lemon juice added – about 1 tablespoon er cup of juice
• Cook your jams or jellies in smaller batches – do not double recipes
• If youa re using pectin, follow manufacturer’s instructions exactly
• if you are not using pectin, stir sugar until it dissolves and then boil the mixture without stirring it until it reaches jellying point
• When finished boiling, quickly skim the mixtre to remove foam, spoon boiling hot into prepared (sterilized) jars and let jars stand to cool
• You can also wipe the jar clean as soon as you pour the hot jam in it, put the lids on and close it tight. You will hear the lid pop in a little while – that means it is sealed. This is the method I use and it never failed me.
• For jellies, you might want to use the parafin was method – leave about 1/4″ headspace and then cover immediately with hot parafin wax. rick any air bubbles that form and let jars stand undisturbed overnight or until cool. Then cover with paper or metal lids.

How to Check Jellying Point:

With a Thermometer: Check boiling point of water with candy thermometer. Boil your jams or jellies until the temperature reaches 8F above the boiling point of water.

Spoon Test : Dip a cool metal spoon into boiling syrup, raise and tilt spoon until syrup runs from the side. When jellying point is reached, liquid will not flow in a stream, but will divide into distinct drops which run together and fall off the spoon as one sheet.

My Strawberry Jam Recipe:

I use small jam jars, fill them to about 1/4 inch from the top with boiling jam syrup, clean the jar off and put the metal lid on right away. Once the lid is secured it will start sealing and you will hear a pop after a short while - that means the lid is sealed and your jam is safely stored.

Ingredients:

• 9 cups of crushed strawberries
• 6 cups of granulated sugar

Directions:

1. Combine crushed strawberries and sugar
2. Bring slowly to boil, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves
3. Cookj rapidly to almost a jellying point – depending on whether you prefer soft or firm jam.
4. Pour boiling hot into sterilized jars and seal

5. 

   Here is a little tip: save some jam when you are filling your jars - it's great on a piece of fresh bread or toast and you will be able to taste it as soon as it cools down.

Hope you will enjoy making jams and jellies – send me your comments, suggestions experiences and pictures if you can – your input is very welcomed and much appreciated!

Tips for Making Jams:

1. Select firm, ripe but never over-ripe fruit
2. Wash fruit in cold, running water
3. Remove hulls,. cores, pits, seeds or skins; leave whole, slice or chop as directed in the recipe, discarding all spoiled portions
4. Weigh or measure fruit and sugar accurately
5. Cook in small batches and do not double the recipe unless indicated
6. Combine fruit and sugar and cook over low heat until sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally
7. When sugar is dissolved, cook rapidly (boil) and stir frequently to prevent sticking
8. Jams will thicken as they cool
9. Pour hot jam into sterilized jars, leaving 1/2″ head space. Jars should be hot and dry when being filled.
10. Seal all fruit products in air tight home canning jars. If you use ordinary household jars, seal with melted, hot paraffin wax. Use only enough paraffin to make a layer about 1/8″ thick.  Prick any bubbles that form in the paraffin wax.
11. Store in dark, dry and reasonably cool area.

Top Five Jam Recipes:

Spiced Peach Jam

1. Spiced Peach Jam:

2 cups of crushed, peeled peaches

2 tablespoons of water

1-1/2 cups of sugar

1/4 teaspoon of whole cloves

1/4 teaspoon of whole allspice

1/4 cinnamon stick

Combine crushed peaches and water, cook gently for 10 minutes. Add sugar and slowly bring to boiling, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Add whole cloves, all spice and cinnamon stick, tied in a cheesecloth bag to jam during cooking; remove just before pouring jam into jars. Cook rapidly until thick, about 15 minutes; stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Pour hot into hot sterilized jars and seal.

Raspberry Jam

2. Raspberry Jam:

9 cups of crushed raspberries

6 cups of sugar

Combine crushed raspberries and sugar. Bring slowly to boiling, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Cook rapidly to or almost to jellying point, depending on whether a firm or soft jam is desired. Pour boiling hot into hot sterilized jars and seal.

Yellow Plum Jam

3. Yellow Plum Jam:

6 cups of chopped yellow plums

4-1/2 cups of sugar

3 tablespoons of lemon juice

1 cup of water

Combine all ingredients and bring slowly to boiling point, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Cook rapidly almost to jelly8ing point – takes about 20 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent sticking. Pour boiling hot into sterilized jars and seal.

Peach and Cherry Jam

4. Peach and Cherry Jam:

6 lbs. of peaches

3 oranges

5 lbs. of sugar

1/2 cup of lemon juice

1 bottle (6 oz.) of commercial pectin

1 jar of Maraschino cherries

Peel and slice peaches. Slice oranges thinly using skin and pulp. Combine peaches, oranges and sugar. Tie peach stones in a cheesecloth bag and add to peaches with syrup from cherries. Simmer for 3 hours; add lemon juice and simmer about 5 more minutes. Remove peach stones and add chopped cherries and pectin. Stir and let stand for about 5 minutes. Pour into sterilized jars and seal.

Apple Blueberry Jam

5. Apple Blueberry Jam:

3 cups peeled chopped apples

1 1/2 cups  crushed blueberries

1/4 cup lemon juice

5 cups  granulated sugar

2 pouches CERTO Liquid Pectin

Measure prepared fruit into a large saucepan. Add lemon juice and sugar, mix well. Bring to a full rolling boil and boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Immediately stir in liquid pectin. Continue stirring 5 minutes, skimming foam. Pour quickly into warm, sterilized jars filling up to 1/4- inch from rim and seal.

Jellying Point Test:

Thermometer test: Check boiling point of water with candy thermometer. Boil jams until temperature reaches 9 degrees above the boiling point of water.

Spoon test: Dip a cool metal spoon into boiling syrup; raise and tilt spoon until syrup runs from the side. When jellying point is reached, liquid will not flow in a stream but will divide into distinct drops which run together and drop off the spoon as one sheet.

Hope you enjoy these tips and recipes – please let me know how they turned out for you – your comments and suggestions are always very much appreciated.