How to make homemade grape jelly

How to make homemade grape jelly

This is kind of a cheater’s version, because it doesn’t involve squeezing the juice out of real grapes. While that sort of method might produce some very tasty jelly, it’s not at all cost-efficient unless you grow your own grapes or have access to free ones somehow.

How cheap your jelly is depends on the price you pay for your ingredients. If you buy grape juice and sugar on sale and you have a coupon for pectin, it will be really, really cheap. Plus, your homemade jelly will have no high fructose corn syrup in it(this is actually the reason I first looked into making my own).

Homemade Grape Jelly

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 3 cups grape juice (either in a bottle or prepared from concentrate)
• 1 package powdered pectin
• 4 cups sugar
• glass jars that will hold 1.5 quarts of jelly

(they don’t need to be canning jars…glass jars that used to hold fruit or applesauce, or jelly will work fine)

Combine grape juice and pectin in a saucepan(I stir it with a whisk to get rid of the lumps) and bring to a boil. As an aside, do NOT add the sugar before you bring the pectin to a boil. I’ve done this waaaay too many times, and it causes the jelly to not, well, gel.

After the pectin/juice mixture has come to a boil, stir in the sugar. Bring it back up to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, and boil for a full minute.

Remove from the heat.  During cooking, some foam may have appeared on the top of your jelly. I like to spoon this off.

It’s harmless, but it’ll make the top of your jelly look cloudy if you leave it there.

Ladle the jelly into your clean jars, screw on the lids, and let the jelly cool to room temperature before storing in the fridge.

If you want the jelly to be shelf-stable, you can process the jars in a large pot of boiling water for 10 minutes. I don’t mess with that usually…I store mine in the fridge, and they keep just fine.

The color of your jelly could vary depending on the grape juice you use.  In my experience, the bottled grape juice makes a more purple jelly than reconstituted grape juice does.  The jars above are made from bottled juice, and the jars below are from a concentrate.

They’ll both taste good, though, so use whatever sort of grape juice you like.

Sometimes, my jelly gels right away, but sometimes it takes a while(like 6-8 hours). So, don’t become distressed if at first it seems that all you have produced is some very sweet grape juice. Be patient, and as long as you’ve followed the recipe properly, your grape juice will have turned into jelly.

Different sprays

craftycountrymomma

is where i got this she has great ideas

Bug Spray Concentrate

•3 unpeeled garlic heads (yes, that’s heads not cloves)

•3 oz liquid paraffin found in craft and/or hardware stores

•1 tablespoon grated oil based soap (Ivory Snow ® is good)

•2 cups hot water

Crush the garlic heads and add to the paraffin in a small bowl and let stand for 24 hours. Melt the soap in hot water (do this in a pan or bowl that you will never use for cooking as the residue will stay with the pan and make everything taste like soap). Allow this mixture to cool and add to the garlic mixture. Mix well and strain into a glass jar. Store this mixture in the refrigerator. When ready to use dilute 4 tablespoons of the concentrate in 4 pints of water. Spray every two weeks or after a heavy rain. The concentrate will last in the refrigerator about 4 to 5 weeks.



The next spray will deter and kill whiteflies, mites, aphids and scale.



Murphy's Spray

•¼ c Murphy’s Oil Soap ®

•1 gallon water

Combine in a large container and transfer into a spray bottle to spray both the top and bottom of leaves and stems, but make sure you do this when the sun is not shining brightly or the leaves will burn (the soap attracts the sun’s rays). A good time to do this is on an overcast day or during dusk. Apply weekly or after a heavy rain while the infestation continues. You can store what you don’t use in a dark, dry area.



The following will get rid of slugs and snails in your garden.



Slug and Snail Remedy

Place crushed egg shells or construction sand around the base of plants that are being nibbled on by slugs or snails. They don’t like the abrasiveness of these materials and won’t go near the plants. Remember to replace the sand after a heavy rain.



This spray will control fungal diseases:



Homemade Fungicide

•2 tablespoons baking soda

•1 quart of water

Combine and pour into a spray container. Spray affected areas every few days until the problem is gone.



Insects will attack sick plants. Therefore, any plant that is affected with a fungal disease is prime game for insects. This next solution will control fungal diseases and deter insects:



Combination Insect Repellant and Fungicide

•1 Tablespoon cooking oil

•2 Tablespoons baking soda

•2 drops liquid Ivory Soap ®

•1 quart water

Combine and pour into a spray container. Apply every few days until the problem is gone.



Your family might think you’re making a salad but instead you are scaring deer and other animals out of your garden.



Red Pepper Spray

•1 unpeeled onion

•1 unpeeled head of garlic

•1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

•3 pints of water

Chop the onion and garlic and combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Simmer for 20 minutes. This should give your kitchen an eye-watering scent (have tissues ready). Cool and strain into mason jars which can be kept in the refrigerator for about 6 weeks. To use dilute 1 tablespoon of this concentrate with 1 pint of water. You might want to add 1 teaspoon of Ivory Snow and spray every week or after a heavy rain.



Give these natural garden remedies a try before reaching for the chemicals. They just might work and won’t harm birds, bees, and other creatures that live in your yard and garden that you want to have around.



Read more at Suite101: Is Your Garden Really Green?: How to Make Your Own Garden Pest Sprays http://organicgardens.suite101.com/article.cfm/is_your_garden_really_green#ixzz0pC4tpTvs







Make Homemade Organic Garden Pesticide

Brew Natural Pest Control Products for Flower and Vegetable Plants

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Mar 9, 2009 Jamie McIntosh



Natural pesticides are cheap and easy to make for the organic garden. Supplement your gardening supplies with these homemade pest controls.



Since organic gardening has changed from a novelty to a commonplace way to grow ornamental and edible plants, manufacturers have responded to gardeners’ demands for effective but natural pest control products. These organic garden remedies are no longer exclusive to specialty nurseries and mail order catalogs; instead, one can purchase a range of nontoxic garden supplies at neighborhood discount or home improvement stores.



However, some organic lawn and garden treatments come with a premium price tag. Furthermore, the DIY organic gardener appreciates tweaking homemade garden remedies for recalcitrant pests that seem immune to the ready-to-use products sold on shelves. Gardeners can turn to their pantries, gardens, and even the pests themselves to create potent plant remedies and cures for pennies.



Homemade Insect Soap

Insect soaps are available in any organic gardening aisle, but gardeners can make a homemade garden spray that’s just as effective for aphids, caterpillars, and mites. Combine three drops of mild dishwashing liquid in one quart of water. An added tablespoon of cooking oil helps the mixture cling to leaves. Spray plants to the point of drenching, but don’t use on blossoms or when temperatures are over 80 degrees F to prevent scorching the plants.



Homemade Tobacco Bug Spray

Everyone is familiar with the negative health effects of cigarettes, but the nicotine in tobacco is poisonous to all kinds of insects as well. Gather enough cigarette butts to harvest ¼ cup of tobacco leaves. Place these in a sock, and soak them in a quart of water overnight. Avoid using this homemade insect spray on eggplant and tomato plants, as tobacco can harbor the mosaic virus.



Hot Pepper Bug Repellent

Even for gardeners without a penchant for spicy foods, it’s worth adding a row of hot chili pepper plants to the garden for their bug repelling effects. Place a handful of dried hot peppers in the food processor, seeds and all, and grind to dust. Take care not to get the dust on the skin or eyes. Sprinkle around garden plants to repel ants and onion maggots.





Rubbing Alcohol Bug Spray

Rubbing alcohol quickly desiccates the bodies of soft sucking pests like aphids, mealy bugs, and thrips. However, it can also damage plant tissues, so gardeners should use alcohol sparingly in the garden. Dab a cotton swab soaked with rubbing alcohol directly on the pests, taking care to avoid the plant. Plants with waxy leaves may tolerate a dilute alcohol spray of one-cup alcohol mixed with a quart of water.



Bug Juice Spray

Gardeners may be repulsed yet fascinated to learn that one can make a natural bug spray out of the pests themselves. No one is exactly sure why pests are their own worst enemies when applied to plants, but researchers speculate the presence of an anti-cannibalism mechanism or a chemical that inhibits insect feeding. Gather enough of the offending pests to fill at least a teaspoon, and pulverize them with the back of a spoon. Place the mashed bugs in cheesecloth, and soak in two cups of water overnight. For best results, use the bug juice within three days.

MISSISSIPPI MUD CAKE:

Melt 1 cup butter, add 1/2 cup cocoa. Stir . Pour mixture in bowl. Add: 2 cups sugar, 4 eggs. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix in 1 1/2 cups flour, dash salt. Stir in 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans Pour in greased 13× 9 pan . Bake 350° 35 minutes. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with 4 cups mini marshmallows. When cake is cool ice with : 1 1/2 sticks melted butter, 1 box powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 cup chopped pecans, 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup evaporated milk.

26 Canning Tips – Timeless Wisdom Collection / and more

26 Canning Tips – Timeless Wisdom Collection

These tips have been collected from the 1940s and 1950s, most are quite practical but one is truly a piece of old-timer wisdom that I couldn’t resist including (you’ll know which one when you see it!). I’ve also included a section “Canning Arithmetic” from that time period, it provides a guideline for what quantities to expect from several different types of fruits.

1. When canning catsup, pour off the watery liquid on top of tomatoes after running through sieve. Your catsup will have a bright red appearance and cooking time will be cut in half.
2. If your water bath canner does not have a rack, stretch an old rubber ring round the middle of each jar. This prevents the jars from bumping together and breaking while they are being processed.
3. If you don’t have a rack, set extra jar rings on the bottom of the pot to keep your jars off the bottom.
4. For foods which have been blanched for freezing, add ice cubes to the water in which they are to be chilled to hasten the chilling and retain the full flavor.
5. To label jars of food, write on the jar while it is still hot with a bright colored crayon.
6. Flaps cut from old unsealed envelopes can be used to label jars of fruit or preserves.
7. When canning, select only the perfect and fresh products. Imperfect and irregular shaped fruits and vegetables may be used in jams and preserves.
8. One tablespoon vinegar to each quart beets will help retain their color.
9. Use soft water for blanching and precooking peas; it helps to prevent cloudiness.
10. Make sauerkraut when the moon is new until the first quarter, and the juice will stay on until it is used.
11. That teaspoon off your metal measuring spoons makes a handy gadget for coring fresh pears for canning, salads or desserts. Cut pears in half and then run metal teaspoon around the core. Presto, out it comes in a jiffy!
12. When canning corn, place cob in angel food tube and cut off the corn. The corn will fall into pan.
13. To keep pickles from shriveling, add one heaping tablespoon of alum to first salt water. (you’ll find  it below)
14. Use only sack salt for pickles and kraut because other salt has been treated, thus will soften, discolor, and give unpleasant taste.
15. When canning tomatoes, put onions and peppers in with them, this is grand with rice or macaroni and it is all ready to use.
16. When canning pears, add a few drops of food coloring to a jar or two. The colored pears will provide that extra touch in holiday desserts or salads.
17. To clean lids, put them in a pan. Cover with sweet milk, let stand till clabbered, then take out and wash. They are like new.
18. Soak jars overnight in a solution of 1 cup vinegar to 1 gallon of water, this will remove scale and hard water film.
19. A little lime kept on shelves where jellies or preserves are stored, will usually prevent formation of mold.
20. A little borax sprinkled in empty jars will keep them sweet and fresh until needed again.
21. Red fruit fades if cooked too rapidly at the start. It should be heated slowly until hot clear through, then finished quickly.
22. Cook red fruits in aluminum or enamel to avoid their getting a bluish color. Do not use a chipped enamel kettle.
23. After plums are washed for canning, pierce each one to prevent the skin from bursting.
24. When using glass jars, remove only one at a time from the boiling water bath.
25. If you’re canning more than one lot a day, mark the lot number on each label for quality control.
26. Protect packed glass jars from the light to help protect the food from fading in color.

Canning Arithmetic

If the jars and fruit don’t come out even when you are canning, better sit down and do some figuring before you start to can. Here are some tips to help you…

1. Apples: 1 bushel (50 pounds) cans 17 to 20 quarts
2. Apricots: 4 baskets or crates (1 bushel) cans 20 to 25 quarts
3. Berries: 24 quart crate cans 15 to 24 quarts
4. Grapes: 1 bushel (48 pounds) cans 16 to 20 quarts
5. Pears: 1 bushel (58 pounds) cans 20 to 24 quarts
6. Peaches: 1 bushel (50 pounds) cans 18 to 20 quarts
7. Pineapples: 15 pineapples yields 30 pints
8. Plums: 1 bushel (56 pounds) cans 24 to 30 quarts
9. Tomatoes: 1 bushel (56 pounds) cans 15 to 20 quarts

Common Causes Of Poor Quality Pickles: {Tip Sheet}

For Best Results Use Fresh, Good Quality Cucumbers & Ingredients When Pickling

If you plan on doing any cucumber pickling this year, here’s a handy troubleshooting tip sheet listing common problems and why they happen along with some tips I found in an old cookbook.

I’ve also included a homemade spice blend recipe at the bottom.

Too Shriveled

1. Shriveling may result from using too strong a vinegar, sugar, or salt solution at the start of the pickling process. In making the very sweet or very sour pickles, it is best to start with a dilute solution and increase gradually to the desired strength.
2. Overcooking or over processing may also cause shriveling.

Pickles Are Hollow

Hollowness usually results from:

1. Poorly developed cucumbers.
2. Holding cucumbers too long before pickling
3. Too rapid fermentation.
4. Too strong or too weak a brine during fermentation.

Too Soft or Slippery

This generally happens from microbial action which causes spoilage. Once a pickle becomes soft it cannot be made firm. Microbial activity may be cause by:

1. Too little salt or acid.
2. Cucumbers not covered with brine during fermentation period.
3. Scum scattered throughout the brine during fermentation period.
4. Insufficient heat treatment.
5. A seal that is not airtight.
6. Moldy garlic or spices.

Blossoms, if not entirely removed from the cucumbers before fermentation, may contain fungi or yeasts responsible for enzymatic softening of pickles.

Too Dark

Darkness in the finished product may be caused by:

1. Use of ground spices.
2. Too much spice.
3. Iodized salt.
4. Overcooking.
5. Minerals in water, especially iron.
6. Use of iron utensils.

Source: Making Pickles and Relishes At Home, Home and Garden Bulletin No. 92, U.S. Department of Agriculture (1970)

Pickles And Relishes: Points On Pickling

Handy Pickling Tips

1. Use firm, good quality vegetables and fruits when making pickles.
2. Some vegetables such as cucumbers require soaking in brine before covering with vinegar. This soaking helps maintain the firmness and color of the vegetables during the pickling process and also reduces bitterness. Cucumbers for gherkins should be placed in brine as soon after picking as possible. Cucumbers for dills should be placed in cold water. Hollow centers may result if cucumbers are held at room temperature for even a few hours.
3. The proportion of 1 cup fine salt or 1 1/2 cups coarse salt to 2 quarts (10 cups) water makes a good brine. Too weak a brine will cause pickles to become soft, too strong a brine will cause them to shrivel and become tough.
4. Be sure to use a pickling salt. Free-running salt has a chemical added to keep it from caking and is not recommended for pickling and brining.
5. Use good quality vinegar. Both cider and blended vinegar have good flavor, but white vinegar gives better color where light colored foods such as onions and cauliflower are used. Never dilute vinegar unless the recipe calls for it.
6. Use spices with caution. A dark color or bitter flavor may result from using too much spice or from boiling the spice too long with vinegar. Whole spices give better color and flavor than ground spices. Whole spices should be tied loosely in a cheesecloth bag, cooked with vinegar or pickle, then removed.
7. Pickles should be stored in clean glass jars, sealers, or crocks. If kept in crocks, pickles should be well covered with vinegar solution to prevent spoilage. A plate or wooden board cut to fit inside the crock should be placed on top of the pickles and weighted down.
8. Relishes and sauces should be packed in hot, sterilized jars and completely sealed.

Source: Cooking The Co-op Way Cookbook (1960)

Pickling Spice Blend

Combine 2 TBS each:

allspice berries
cardamom seeds
coriander seeds
whole cloves
mustard seeds
peppercorns

Add:

2 bay leaves (crumbled)
2 cinnamon sticks (broken)
2 small pieces dried ginger root (chopped)
2 small dried red chilies (crushed) or 1-2 tsp hot pepper flakes.

1. Store in a tightly sealed container until ready to use.