freezerrecipes

Can also be used for lasagna and casseroles, with meat or meatless.

• 4-6 lbs. ground beef (optional)
• 8 c. tomato juice OR 9 c. cooked or canned tomatoes with juice
• 2 green peppers, chopped
• 2 c. onions
• 4  6 oz. cans of tomato paste
• ¼ c. brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. each of garlic, basil, oregano, and parsley
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 2 tsp. salt
• 3 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

METHOD:

Brown beef and drain off fat. Add onions and green peppers. Mix the remaining ingredients together and stir into the juice. Pour juice mixture into the beef mixture and stir. Bring just to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes. TASTE!!! And adjust ingredients if needed. Simmer until it reaches desired thickness. Serve with choice of pasta! OR Can with pressure cooker.

Canning: Pour hot mixture into hot jars, leaving one-inch headspace. Tighten rings/caps on jars and process in pressure cooker. Process pints for 1 hr. and quarts for 1 hr. 15 min. at 10 lbs. pressure.

• ½ lb - 4-inch pickling cucumbers
• 4 heads fresh dill or 2 tbsp. dill seed
• 1 clove garlic
• Small piece of dried hot pepper
• 2 ¼ c. water
• ¾  c. vinegar
• 1 tbsp. pickling salt

METHOD:

Pack cucumbers in hot, clean jars. Leave ½ inch head space. Add dill, garlic, and red pepper. Make brine and pour over contents in jars.

Tip: Try cutting your cucumbers in different ways. Slices are great for sandwiches, wedges are great as a side dish or snack, and whole pickles work great too!

• Honeycrisp Apples - as many as desired
• Water
• Sugar, if desired

METHOD:

Wash, don’t peel, quarter, and remove seeds from Honeycrisp Apples. Add to pan with a little water and cook on low heat until soft and mushy.  Put through strainer and add a little sugar, to taste. Put applesauce in freezer-safe containers and put in freezer.

Tip: If you love cinnamon applesauce, try adding a dash of cinnamon - as much as you desire. But remember, a little goes a long way! A dash of brown sugar is a sweet addition also!

Note: For a brighter, more yellow applesauce, peel your apples before cooking. Leaving the skins on your apples while cooking will add a slight pink tint to your applesauce.

• 8 c. tomatoes, chopped, peeled & cored 
• 4 c. potatoes, cubed & peeled 
• 5 c. carrots, 3/4-inch sliced 
• 4 c. lima beans, cooked 
• 3 c. uncooked corn kernels
• 2 c. green peas, cooked 
• 2 c. onions, chopped
• 1-2 tsp. minced garlic 
• 6 c. chicken broth or stalk
• 1 tsp. canning salt
• 1-2 tsp. ground pepper
• 2-3 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped 
• 1-2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1-2 tsp. dried parsley
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste concentrate
• 2 tbsp. bottled or fresh lemon juice, for flavor only
• 6 quart or 12 pints glass preserving jars with lids and bands

METHOD:

Prepare pressure canner. Heat jars in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Wash lids in warm soapy water and set bands aside.

Combine all vegetables in a very large stainless steel stock pot. Add broth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Season with spices, salt, and pepper, and let simmer 5 mins more - taste for any spice adjustments.

Using a slotted large spoon, ladle hot vegetable solids into hot jars (to half full) with a non-slotted spoon, ladle liquid into each jar over solids, leaving 1-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim. Center hot lid on jar. Apply band and adjust until fit is fingertip tight.

Process filled jars in a weighted Pressure Canner (vented for 10 mins) at 10 pounds pressure 60 minutes for pints and 85 minutes for quarts, adjusting for altitude and canner type. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed. Remove bands, wash jars, label and store in a cool/dry place. 

• 6 c. bell peppers
• 4 c. banana peppers, opt.
• 4 c. onions
• 9 jalapeno peppers
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 18 lbs tomatoes
• 3 pkg. Mrs. Wages salsa seasoning

METHOD:

Blanche tomatoes 3 minutes in boiling water, then put them in cold water to easily remove skins. Put onions, jalapeno peppers, cilantro, and a few tomatoes in blender.  Dice other peppers and tomatoes. Add Mrs. Wages seasoning. Cold pack 25 minutes. Put jars in canner and add water until the top of the jars. Bring water to a boil, leave for 25 minutes.

Tip: For a sweeter salsa, try adding a dash of sugar, or a fruit ingredient, such as peaches! Simply fine-dice your peaches and add them to your salsa mix - no need to peel!

• Green beans - as many as desired
• Salt - 1 tsp. per jar
• Water
• 1 tbsp. vinegar

METHOD:

Cut up green beans. Put in jar with 1 tsp salt. Fill with water. Process 3 hours for water bath. (Start timing when water boils.) Pressure can 25 minutes for quart-sized jars, 20 minutes for pint-sized jars at 10lbs pressure. Start timing after control jiggles. Put 2 quarts water and 1 tablespoon vinegar in a 12-quart pressure cooker.  Keep control jiggling at least 3-4 times per minute. When you’ve processed it 25 minutes, take off heat and let set until pressure drops.

How to blanch for freezing: Prep green beans. Boil water in large pot. Place green beans in boiling water for 3 minutes. Start timing as soon as you put them in. Keep water level ¾ full for all batches. After 3 minutes, pour green beans into cold sink of water to cool. Put in freezer bags to freeze.

• 2 c. white vinegar
• 3 c. sugar
• 1 tbsp. salt
• 2 c. water
• 1 tsp. pickling spice per quart

METHOD:

Use vinegar, sugar, salt, and water to make brine. Cook and peel beets and put into jars. Add pickling spice to each jar and cover with boiling hot brine. Bring to a boil to cold pack; turn off heat and let set 10 minutes.

• 2 cans crushed pineapple
• 1 lemonade concentrate, frozen
• 1 can pineapple juice
• 1 orange juice concentrate, frozen
• At least 1 pack tropical punch kool-aid
• Sugar, to taste
• Grapes or blueberries, as desired
• 1-2 bananas
• 20-30 c. peaches

METHOD:

Mix all ingredients and freeze.