Canning Pinto Beans With Sausage

No BBQ is complete at our house without some pinto beans. During deer season we brine and smoke the hocks for use in a pot of beans....it's better than salt pork or bacon! I can the seasoned beans with smoked sausage and onion for a quick side dish. To do this you will need:

a pressure canner

7 wide mouth quart jars, with lids & rings

5 pounds of dried pinto beans

2 smoked venison hocks

3 pounds smoked sausage (such as kielbasa)

1 large onion, chopped

1 tsp minced garlic

salt and pepper to taste

Place the hocks in a pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 3-4 hours or until the meat falls off the bone. Remove the bones and bring the water and meat to a full boil. Add the beans, adding more water as needed to cover. Boil hard for 2 minutes, then simmer for 30 minutes. Slice the sausage and add it to the beans, taste for seasoning, and bring to a boil. Ladle into hot jars, topping them with a bit more water if needed. Fill the jars 2/3 with beans then top with water leaving 1" head room. Cap and seal the jars, process in a pressure canner for 90 minutes at the pressure recommended for your elevation. The beans will finish cooking during the canning process.

Chicken Fajita in a Jar

Chicken Fajita in a Jar

5# boneless skinless chicken breasts

4 large bell peppers

6 medium onions

Taco Seasoning

Wash 9 pint jars, then arrange on a roasting pan and place into a 250º oven. Bring a small pan of water to a boil, then remove from heat. Place 9 lids into the pan of water and leave until ready to cap the jars.

While the jars and lids are heating, cut the chicken, peppers, and onions into thin strips. Layer the jars by adding the meat, 1/2 teaspoon of taco seasoning, pepper strips, and onions. Add 2 Tablespoon of water to each jar and cap.

Pressure can for 90 minutes at 10#

To use, simply open the jar and heat contents in a skillet until well heated through. Place in a flour tortilla and top with guacamole, sour cream, or cheese. Each jar makes about 3 fajitas.

Strawberry Pineapple Jam

Strawberry Pineapple Jam

5 cups Strawberries, crushed

7 cups Sugar

1 box Pectin

4 T Lemon Juice

1 large can Crushed Pineapple (20 oz)

2 T Vanilla extract

Place the pineapple (undrained) and strawberries in a heavy bottomed kettle and mash with a potato masher. Add the pectin, lemon juice, and vanilla. Bring to boil stirring constantly. Add sugar all at once and stir. Bring mixture to a hard boil and boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Ladle into hot sterile jars and cap. Process in BWB for 5 minutes.

Makes 5 pints.

Doughnuts

We made these this morning using our fresh milk and eggs. I love having fresh food again! We are all exhausted from all the work involved with this time of year, but this was a nice project for the girls and I to do this morning. This makes enough dough for a lot of nutz!

Doughnuts

4 1/2 tsp yeast

2 cups warm milk

3/4 cup sugar

2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

1/2 cup olive oil

7-8 cups flour

In a large mixing bowl, combine the yeast and milk until the yeast is well dissolved. Add the sugar, salt, oil, and eggs; stir until well combined. Add the flour one cup at a time until a sticky dough is formed. The dough is very sticky and it's easiest to use a big silicone spatula to work with it.

Place the dough into a well greased bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Allow it to rise in a warm place until doubled. Punch down dough and allow to rise again until doubled.

Roll the dough out onto a well floured board. Incorporate just enough flour to the dough to make it manageable. If it gets too elastic, just cover with a damp towel and allow it to rest for 5 mins or so.

Cut with doughnut cutter (I use a reg size mason jar ring and a tiny cookie cutter)....or you can cut it into strips and braid the strips. Place them on a lightly floured baking sheet and allow them to rise for a few minutes (this is the step that makes them light and fluffy).

Deep fry at 375º for about 3 mins per side (until golden brown) then dunk into the glaze before placing them on a parchment paper.

Glaze

1/2 cup boiling water

1 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Add the sugar to the boiling water and stir until combined. Use tongs to roll the doughnuts in the hot glaze, then sit on a sheet of parchment to cool.

Rebekah's Competition Venison Black Bean Chili

Rebekah entered a chili cook off at the church and her chili was a big hit. Here's what she made:

Black Bean Venison Chili

5 pounds venison, cut into 1" cubes

1 onion, diced

olive oil

3 cloves garlic, crushed

3 pints ro-tel tomatoes

1 quart whole tomatoes

2 pints black beans

1/4 cup chili powder

3 jalapeno peppers (she used home canned peppers, so they could just be smooshed into the pot)

Sautee the onions in olive oil just until tender, add garlic and simmer for just a minute. Brown the meat with the onions and garlic. Add the other ingredients and stir well. Simmer for at least 6 hours, until the meat is tender.