Here at Garden Wise Living Canning and Preserving has been a way of life since I could stand on a stool and watch Granny make grape jelly. The smell of tomatoes stewing on the stove, or colorful jars of pickles and peppers lined up on the counter. These are very familiar and welcome smells and sights, that take me back to my child hood.   I am so very pleased to see this exploded interest in Home Canning and Preserving and I am sure this isn’t a Passing Fad at all ,but a reunion of sorts to a wonderful way of life… Happy Canning and Green Blessings  Arlena

	I used a Jack-O Lantern Pumpkin, but you can use any Pumpkin Variety you wish ,as well as Winter Squash. Cut and Clean your Pumpkin, saving the seeds for Roasting. I do not remove the skin , it grinds right up in to the puree.
	Place the Pumpkin into a large kettle and cover the pieces with water. Cook the pumpkin until it is very well done.
	Drain off the water and allow the pumpkin to cool . I used my hand held Braun Mixer to make the Puree, but a Food Processor or Blender would  also work.  I let my pumpkin puree sit a while in a Colander over another pot to get as much water out as possible.
	Put 8 Cups of Pumpkin Puree into Crock Pot and add  2 Cups White Sugar 2 Cups Dark Brown sugar. 1 Tsp Cinnamon 1 Teaspoon Ground Cloves 1 Teaspoon Fresh grated Nutmeg. 1/2 Tsp Ground Ginger . Juice of 4 fresh Lemons. Pumpkin Pie Spice can also be used.
	Cook on Low heat over night or all day untill the mixture gets golden brown.
	Crock Pot Pumpkin Butter is delicious and easy to make. Freezing Pumpkin Butter is recommended over canning . If you do can it please be sure to use it within 6 months. Ours never lasts that long. Pumpkins will keep in a cool dry place if the stem is left i ntact and they are not cut in any way. make some for the Holidays !!          YUM and Please Enjoy!

Spice it up with        Pickled Jalapenos!

Pickled Jalapenos (Escabeche) Recipe Arlena and Steve Ingredients     * 1 lb jalapeño  peppers     * 1/3 cup olive oil     * 2-3 medium white or yellow onions, thickly sliced     * 2-3 medium carrots, peeled and thickly sliced     * 1 head garlic, cloves separated     * 4 cups apple cider vinegar     * 2 Tbsp Kosher salt or sea salt     * 2 bay leaves     * 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano     * 4 sprigs of fresh marjoram or 1/4 teaspoon dried     * 4 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried     * 1 Tbsp sugar Method 1 Wash the chiles, leaving the stems intact. Cut a cross in the tip end of each chile so that the vinegar will be able to penetrate the chile. 2 Heat oil in a large, deep skillet. Add the chiles, onions, carrots, cauliflower if using, and garlic. Fry over medium heat for about 10 minutes, turning them over occasionally. 3 Add the vinegar, salt, herbs, and sugar and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes for serranos or 10 minutes for jalapeños. Make sure the chiles are entirely cooked through before canning. 4 Pack 4 pint-sized sterilized jars with the chiles and vegetables. Top with the vinegar and seal.

Pickled Green Beans are one of my families favorites and so simple to make. Start out by blanching your beans just until tender. While your beans are blanching add a few peeled and smashed cloves of garlic along with several heads of Dill to your jars.   Layer your beans vertically in the jar and top with a few more heads of Dill.   Add hot brine made from 6 cups of Vinegar, 3 cups of pickling salt and 2 cups of water. Pickling Spice can be added if you choose.   Fill to the top and seal with hot lids. Process in a hot water bath for 20 minutes.   Enjoy!

	Dehydrated Tomatoes Dehydrating tomatoes is easy and delicious. When I am asked “what they taste like” I reply “it is like taking a bushel of fresh tomatoes and compacting it in to a smaller package because the flavor is so intense!    www.excaliburdehydrator.com