Printable Canning Jar Labels

Hi guys! Today I'm here to share a fun project that I worked on with me sweet cousin, Joy!

About a month ago Joy asked if I would be interested in working on some canning labels with her. If you check out her website, Imagine Joy, you can see why I was so thrilled with the idea! Joy does the most amazing calligraphy, and is one of the most lovely and talented people I know, so I jumped at the chance to work with her. I was happy to come along for the ride and provide my feedback, as well as to work with her to turn her beautiful artwork into a free printable document, but Joy was really the mastermind behind this project.

These canning labels will definitely help turn your homemade goods into super cute gifts! All you have to do is print them, cut them out, and label them with the contents of the jar. Then, just lay the label on top of the flat lid of your jar, and screw the ring band on to hold it in place!

You can print them on plain printer paper, or if you want to get fancy, buy some pretty card stock and make them even cuter. I think they look amazing on kraft colored card stock, but the possibilities are pretty much endless.

So, help yourself to these super cute canning labels, and label away!

Printable Regular Mouth Canning Labels

Printable Wide Mouth Canning Labels

And, be sure to check out more of Joy's beautiful work over at Imagine Joy!

Til next time!

-Becca

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Salsa Verde

Well, guys, apparently I've been in the mood for Mexican food lately! No shock there, as I'm almost always in the mood for Mexican food. I'm also in total canning mode, so I'm jarring up all the produce I can get my hands on. With those two things combined, I just had to make some Salsa Verde this week!

This stuff is so good. It's nice and tangy, a little bit spicy, and completely delicious. I only made one batch this time around, but I love this Salsa Verde so much, that I won't be the least bit surprised if I decide to make another batch next weekend.

Now, if you're not into canning, you should still definitely check out this recipe! You can do all the steps up to the actual canning process, and then call it a day. If you're doing that, you may also want to quarter the recipe as this makes enough for 4 pint jars. 1 pint jar is just about perfect to simmer some chicken in, make enchiladas with, or just devour with some tortilla chips!

Before I jump into the recipe, I want to thank you guys for always having such nice things to say about my food photography and recipe posts! I love writing about all sorts of things, but blogging has really shown me that I LOVE food photography. So, thanks for drooling over the photos right along with me!

Anyway! Recipe time!

Salsa Verde- Makes 4 pint jars
from Canning for a New Generation

Ingredients:
- 3 1/2 pounds tomatillos, papery husks and stems removed, rinsed
- 1 medium white onion (4 ounces), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 5 large serrano chiles (2 ounces)
- 5 large cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 firmly packed cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
- 2/3 cup fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon pure kosher salt, or to taste

Preheat the oven to 500°F.

Prepare for water-bath canning:

Sterilize the jars and keep them hot in the canning pot, and put the flat lids in a heatproof bowl.

Put all the vegetables in a single layer in baking dishes, or on rimmed baking sheets, and roast for 20-35 minutes, turning occasionally, until blackened in spots and the tomatillos are soft, collapsed, and leaking. Working in batches, puree the vegetables and their juices, along with the cilantro, in a blender, covering the lid with a towel to prevent the hot liquid from erupting. (You can also use a stick blender to do this right in the pan you'll use next. It saves me from many burns!) Put the puree in a wide, 6- to 8-quart preserving pan or other nonreactive pot and stir in the lime juice and salt. Bring to a boil.

Ladle boiling water from the canning pot into the bowl with the lids. Using a jar lifter, remove the sterilized jars from the canning pot, carefully pouring the water from each one back into the pot, and place them upright on a folded towel. Drain the water off the jar lids.

Ladle the hot salsa into the jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace at the top. Use a damp paper towel to wipe the rims of the jars, then put a flat lid and ring on each jar, adjusting the ring so that it's just finger-tight. Return the jars to the water in the canning pot, making sure the water covers the jars by at least 1 inch. Bring to a boil, and boil for 5 minutes to process. Remove the jars to a folded towel and do not disturb for 12 hours. After 1 hour, check that the lids have sealed by pressing down on the center of each; if it can be pushed down, it hasn't sealed, and the jar should be refrigerated immediately. Label the sealed jars and store.

Well, that's it for canning for the day! I'm off to celebrate my birthday with my family at the Evergreen State Fair!

I hope you enjoyed checking out this recipe!

Til next time!

-Becca

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Creole-Spiced Pickled Okra

Alright, buddies. Today we're talking Pickled Okra. Creole-Spiced Pickled Okra to be exact. 

Oh okra, you're so misunderstood! People just don't seem to give you much of a chance. But why? You have so much to offer! Sure you're a touch slimy, but you taste SO good and pickle SO well. In fact, I would go so far as to say that Creole-Spiced Pickled Okra is my favorite kind of pickle. It beats out Bread and Butter Pickles, Pickled Green Beans, and even Pickled Asparagus. 

Yep. This is one of those pickles you eat a whole jar of in one sitting. Crunchy, spicy, and incredibly satisfying.

This is another recipe from my favorite canning book, Canning for a New Generation, by Liana Krissoff. Liana has been sweet enough to allow me to share a few recipes from her amazing book on my blog, so check it out! Ya know, and then go buy her awesome book!

Creole-Spiced Pickled Okra- Makes about 5 pint jars

Recipe from Canning for a New Generation by Liana Krissoff

Ingredients:

- 4 cups apple cider vinegar (5% acidity)

- 2 tablespoons pure kosher salt

- 2 pounds okra, stems trimmed

- 5 teaspoons Creole Spice Blend (1/4 cup ground cayenne, 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 tablespoon ground coriander, 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper, 2 teaspoons ground cloves, 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon dried thyme)

- 2 1/2 teaspoons dried onion flakes

Prepare for water-bath canning: Wash the jars and keep them hot in the canning pot, and put the flat lids in a heatproof bowl.

In a non-reactive pot, combine the vinegar, 4 cups water, and the salt. Bring to just a boil.

Ladle boiling water from the canning pot into the bowl with the lids. Using a jar lifter, remove the hot jars from the canning pot, carefully pouring the water from each one back into the pot, and place them upright on a folded towel. Drain the water off the jar lids.

Working quickly, pack the okra into the jars, and put 1 teaspoon spice blend and 1/2 teaspoon onion flakes in each jar. Ladle the hot vinegar mixture into the jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace at the top. Use a chopstick to remove air bubbles around the inside of each jar. Use a damp paper towel to wipe the rims of the jars, then put a flat lid and a ring on each jar, adjusting the ring so it's just finger-tight. Return the jars to the water in the canning pot, making sure the water covers the jars by at least 1 inch. Bring to a boil, and boil for 15 minutes to process. Remove the jars to a folded towel and do not disturb for 12 hours. After 1 hour, check that the lids have sealed by pressing down on the center of each; if it can be pushed down, it hasn't sealed, and the jar should be refrigerated immediately. Label the sealed jars and store.

So, guys, if you can get your hands on some okra, you gotta try this out! Not only is this a great pickle to eat straight out of a jar, but you can use Creole-Spiced Pickled Okra in gumbo, or you could add it to a Bloody Mary as a garnish along with all of your other favorite pickles (uh, Pickled Asparagus, anyone?).

I hope you enjoyed checking out this recipe!

Til next time!

-Becca

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Apricot Preserves

If you follow me on Instagram, you may know that I declared Sunday, July 14th the best day of the year. Why? Because it was apricot preserves day! On Apricot Preserves day, I wake up early, drag myself to the farmers market to buy a 20 lb box of apricots, lug it home on the bus, and then spend all day sweating in the kitchen making preserves. 

I realize that description doesn't make it sound that fun, but trust me, it's great! The whole house smells amazing, I blast music, usually Neko Case, sing at the top of my lungs, and totally get into this awesome relaxed groove while I can and can and can. By then end of the day, I'm obviously exhausted, but I have about 30 jars of the most delicious preserves and know that me and my preserves-loving-friends will have something delicious and homemade in the cupboard to last us until next summer (ya know, if we pace ourselves)!

The recipe I use is from what's basically my canning bible, Canning for a New Generation by Liana Krissoff. Her recipes are amazing. I particularly love that they're low sugar recipes that generally rely on the pectin already present in the fruit you're using. This helps the preserves really hold the true flavor of the fruit you're working with!

Liana was sweet enough to give me permission to post a few of the recipes from Canning for a New Generation on my blog, but I highly recommend you go out and buy her book to see all the amazing recipes and tips she has to offer!

Apricot and Vanilla-Bean Preserves (Recipe from Canning for a New Generation)- Makes about 5 half-pint jars
(* = notes from Becca at Ladyface Blog!)

Ingredients:
- 3 lbs ripe apricots, halved and pitted (no need to peel)
- 1/2 cup rose or white wine, or 3 tbs fresh lemon juice 
(*I actually use 3 tbs of lemon juice plus enough wine to equal 1/2 cup!)
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
-2 vanilla beans split lenghtwise 
(*buy vanilla beans in the bulk spice section of your grocery store! They'll be like, 75 cents each instead of $10 for a jar of two.)

Prepare for water-bath canning: Sterilize the jars and keep them hot in the canning pot, put a small plate in the freezer, and put the flat lids in a heat proof bowl. (See page 21 for details. (*If you're a seasoned canner, you'll be in good shape. If you're new to it, pick up the book so you can read more about the process, which is what's on page 21!))

Cut the apricots into 1/4-inch slices. Put the apricots, wine, (*lemon juice), sugar, and vanilla beans in a wide 6- to 8-quart preserving pan. Bring to a simmer stirring frequently, then continue to cook until the juices are just deep enough to cover the apricots, about 5 minutes. Pour into a colander set over a large bowl and stir the apricots gently to drain off the juice. Return the juice to the pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil, stirring occasionally, until the syrup is reduced by about half, 5 to 10 minutes.

Return the apricots and vanilla beans and any accumulated juice to the pan and bring to a simmer. Simmer, stirring frequently, until a small dab of the jam spooned onto the chilled plate and returned to the freezer for a minute becomes somewhat firm (it will not gel), 10-15 minutes. (*This step usually takes 8 minutes for me!) Remove from the heat and stir gently for a few seconds to distribute the fruit in the liquid.

Ladle boiling water from the canning pot into the bowl with the lids. Using a jar lifter, remove the sterilized jars from the canning pot, carefully pouring the water from each one back into the pot, and place them upright on a folded towel. Drain the water off the lids.

Remove the vanilla-bean pods and ladle the hot jam into the jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace at the top. Slide a piece of vanilla-bean pod into each jar so that it's visible from the outside. Use a damp paper towel to wipe the rims of the jars, then put a flat lid and ring on each jar, adjusting the ring so that it's just finger-tight. Return the jars to the water in the canning pot, making sure the water covers the jars by at least 1 inch. Bring to a boil, and boil for 5 minutes to process. Remove the jars to a folded towel and do not disturb for 12 hours. (*This assumes you do not have cats who will jump on the counter while you're asleep and knock them over. Sheesh.) After 1 hour, check that the lids have sealed by pressing down on the center of each; if it can be pushed down, it hasn't sealed, and the jar should be refrigerated immediately. Label the sealed jars and store.

Aren't they the prettiest preserves? They're amazing on toast, in your yogurt, or in your oatmeal, and also make a great cake filling, awesome homemade fruit leather, and are perfect for making this apricot and custard tart!

Do you have a favorite way to use preserves?

Til next time!

-Becca

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Weekend Wardrobe: Sunday Stripes

Cardigan: H&M/Similar; Dress: Anthropologie; Belt: Vintage/Similar; Shoes: Swedish Hasbeens.

Sunday morning I met my friend, Zack, for a delicious breakfast in Ballard. It was a cloudy morning, but the sun started to peek out later in the day. After our awesome breakfast and some good catching up, Zack headed off to a bike race and I headed off to the farmers market. My dad has a habit of buying more fruit than you could possibly eat in a week and I'm starting to suspect that I might be turning into him in that regard. Not only do I have 5 pounds of raspberries in the fridge from my raspberry picking adventure on Friday, but I also bought 2 pounds of apricots and 2 pounds of cherries at the farmers market!

Fortunately, I had planned to spend Sunday working on processing the raspberries, so after my morning of breakfast and the farmers market, I spent the afternoon making fruit leather and raspberry brownies. I should be posting the raspberry brownie recipe in the next couple of days, and the other recipe should follow in the next week or so.

I'm really thrilled that all the summer fruit is rolling in right now and can't wait for the weeks to come making apricot preserves and canning peaches!

Til next time!

-Becca

P.S. Looking for more cute stripey outfits? Check out the Dare to Wear//Stripes Edition Post over at Harley & Jane!

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DIY Tags for Mason Jars!

Alright guys, this post is going to start off with a lot of qualifiers. Here we go!

If you're like me and you like canning, and you like giving your delicious canned goods as gifts, you may find yourself looking for a cute easy way to jazz up your jars! So how about trying these super cute tags for mason jars? It's a fun way to bring a little life to them and make them a little giftier.

And hey, even if you don't can, you can always use this basic concept to make cute tags for any old thing! 

Here's what you'll need to make them:

Supplies:

• Tags appropriately sized for your jars and stamp.
• A jar shaped stamp like this one.
• Stamp ink, which is not pictured because some dummy, I can't even begin to know who *ahem*, forgot to put it in the picture.
• A pen that matches your ink. If you're not into matching, totally feel free to use different colors.
• Washi tape in a pattern and color of your choosing.
• Scissors
• Baker's twine. If you have string already lying around you should totally make your own baker's twine using this tutorial over on Radical Possibility!

Step One! 

Apply your washi tape to the edges of your tag. I recommend doing the long sides first, then the short sides, then the diagonals. Be sure to trim off the excess at the ends every time you apply the tape to one of the sides so you can keep everything nice and neat.

Also, be sure to leave plenty of clearance for your stamp! When I placed my tape I would say I set it up so 1/3 of the width was on the front of the tag and the other 2/3 of the width got folded to the back side of the tag.

Step Two!

Press your stamp into your ink and then press your stamp onto the tag.

To help with placement, I usually put the stamp on its end and try to center the design, then rock it down onto the tag. I'm really not great at telling where the stamp is centered on the block so I find this method incredibly helpful!

Step Three!

Write on your tag! I did my best attempt at fancy lettering and wrote the contents of the jar in the jar stamped on the tag (woah.), which in this case was Sour Cherry Preserves. I also always put the best by date on the bottom of the tag so the recipient knows when to use the contents by.

Step four!

Attach your tags to your jars using the baker's twine, tie a bow and call it a day!

I hope you enjoyed this quick tutorial and hope you will now go forth and make adorable tags for every canning and gifting occasion.

Til next time!

-Becca

P.S. I am clearly a fan of the good old exclamation point. Ya'll would be shocked to see how many are in a post before I edit! Oof.

Easy Cherry Hand Pies

Well guys, as summer fast approaches and I still have a cupboard full of preserves, I'm looking for new ways to use them up. I eat them in yogurt almost every day, I put them on toast, make milkshakes with them, but I'm always looking for more ideas. Last week I made this Apricot Custard Tart, and since I had  leftover dough from that, I decided that this week I would make hand pies using sour cherry preserves!

Now, I'll say this: it was not my most, er, elegant work, but they came out super tasty and with a little more care they will look as good as they taste!

Ingredients:

• Prepared pie dough for a double crust. I used the recipe found over here. If you would like to use that recipe, double it or you'll only end up with 3 hand pies since it's for a single crust! I would also recommend doubling the sugar called for in that recipe for a sweeter crust.
• Two half pint jars of Sour Cherry (or other fruit) preserves
• 1 egg
• Approximately 1/8 cup granulated sugar (fine granules are ok, but coarse would be better if you've got it in your cupboard. I did not.)

1. Preheat your oven to 350°.

2. Roll out your pie dough to 1/8" thick. I like to roll my dough 

   between 2 sheets of greased saran wrap since gluten free dough 

   tends to get quite sticky.

3. Cut your dough into 4" circles. I used a 4" tart pan, but you 

   could use a biscuit cutter, a bowl, etc. To maximize the use  

   of your dough, you may need to re-roll it after you've cut a 
   few out so you can keep cutting more.

4. Place half of your dough rounds on a baking sheet lined with 

   parchment paper, and reserve the other half.

5. Place 2tbs of cherry preserves in the center of each round on 

   your baking sheet. This picture makes me drool. Yum!

6. Top each pie crust round on your baking sheet with one of the 

   ones you reserved. Then, using a fork, pinch together the 

   edges to seal the pie, and poke two sets of holes in the top 

   of the pie using your fork.

7. Got any holes or imperfections on the top crust of your hand pies? Me too! I always use leftover dough scraps to make cute little shapes to cover them up. Easy as, well, pie. Cue sad trombone noise.

8. In a small bowl, beat the egg well. Then using a pastry brush,  

   brush the pies with the beaten egg.

9. Sprinkle sugar over the top of the pies. No exact amount here, 

   just enough to give it that lovely bit of extra crunch and 

   sweetness when they're all baked up.

10. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until golden brown, bubbly, 

    and dreamy looking.

11. Let cool to warm but not hot. Serve with vanilla ice cream, and eat up!

Til next time!

-Becca