There are a lot of things we eat in excess in my house. Topping the list: tomato sauce, spinach, frozen mango cubes, and salsa. I think BL single handily takes down a jar of salsa every week. Besides his chips and salsa obsession, salsa goes on most of his meal foods like salad, eggs, burritos, and more.

I have this very annoying compulsion to make most of my food from scratch. I’m sure I don’t have to dig too deep into my type-A personality to figure out where that need comes from, especially because I indulge it on almost a daily basis. Maybe it’s because most of the ingredients in packaged food disgust and/or scare me or that I like proving just how granola/do-it-yourself-y I really am. Whatever the reason, I also know that I get tired of buying endless amounts of salsa to feed BLs need, so I jarred my own. (P.S. Costco’s Kirkland Brand Organic salsa might be the best jarred salsa anywhere)

Thanks to my mother #2, BL’s Mom of Walnut Burger fame, I was gifted this recipe just in time for summer tomatoes. The other advantage of doing most things from scratch? You save a ton of dough. I bought lbs. of slightly-blemished organic tomatoes from the Farmer’s Market for just $0.75 a lb. Show me any market that you can get tomatoes for that price!

So, try it out! As far as canning recipes go, this one is pretty simple and only takes a few hours from start to finish.

Have you tried canning yet? It is easier than you think and totally worth it. Especially for those foods you find yourself consuming in excessive qualities

I am eagerly awaiting fall to try my hand at pumpkin and/or apple butter!

Not sure where the month of December went, as I planned on having this post up before the holidays! What food gifts did you get/give over the holidays? I’ve really gotten into canning this past year and decided to make an assortment of goodies to hand out. The peppers and the mustard were tied as favorites, so here are the recipes for both.

Hot Pepper Mustard

Ingredients:
35-50 hot peppers, depending on size. (I used mostly banana peppers but added a few jalapenos and habaneros from the garden for extra kick.)
4 cups yellow mustard
4 cups Apple-Cider Vinegar
5 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. salt

Combine the water and flour together in a separate bowl. Seed (optional) peppers and using a food processor or blender, chop them very,very fine. In a large stock pot combine the peppers, mustard, vinegar, salt, sugar, and flour mixture. Stir to combine and bring to a boil for 5-10 minutes until mustard thickens. Ladle into hot jars and can using a water bath method for 10 minutes.

Hungarian Peppers

I love really hearty sandwiches and I think these are the perfect condiment. They ARE packed in oil, so just drain as much oil off as you want before using them. Sometimes I take day old french bread then pile on the vegetables and these peppers. The oil  helps to soften the bread without making it soggy and act as a vinaigrette dressing for the sandwich.

40-50 Hungarian wax peppers
White Vinegar
Minced garlic
Dried oregano
Canola Oil

If you have access to a food processor with a slicing blade you are going to want to use it. I can’t imagine how sore my hands would be after slicing 50 hot peppers!

Seed (optional) and very thinly sliced the peppers using a mandolin or food processor. In a large bucket/pot add the peppers and enough white vinegar to cover. Cover the bucket/pot and let sit overnight.

To make the peppers: Drain off most of the vinegar. In hot jars, add 2 heaping tbsp. of oregano and 2-4 tbsp. of minced garlic. Add the peppers so they are lightly packed. Pour enough oil into the jars to leave 1/4″ head space. Can using a water-bath method. These taste best if they are able to sit for a few weeks before using, so plan accordingly!