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Saturday, September 12, 2015 An Advertising Feature of The Topeka Capital-Journal

Jamie Hancock Garden Column – Preserving Apples – Service Directory – Open House Directory –

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Harvest time Is it done yet? Can I eat it yet? What should it look like when it’s done? Knowing when to harvest your garden is as important as knowing when to plant your garden. Each vegetable has its own time frame for harvesting. The seed packet can give you an approximate window but, great flavor isn’t simply a matter of size, color, or time.

The right combination of temperature, soil, water, and sunlight will ultimately determine “when it’s done.” This can also vary from year to year.

Jamie Hancock

The best way to determine when a vegetable is ready to harvest, according to Cornell Cooperative Extension, is from the characteristics of the jamiehan@ksu.edu plant itself. These signs can often be subtle and it takes practice to familiarize you with them.

NOTE: Freezing temperatures in fall can be the de A frost can occur anywhere from 36 F to 32 termining factor in harvesting. Some vegetables F. A light freeze refers to temperatures between need to be harvested before frost occurs, while 28 F and 31 F, a moderate freeze between 24 F and others need a frost or two to improve their flavor.

HANCOCK continues on 9A

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Preserving Apples bacteria and enzymes that cause food spoilage. How to do this depends on the acidity level of the food. High-acid foods, Summer’s harvest also signals the start like apples, need to reach a target temp of of canning season. A pantry full of color- 212 degrees. This can be done using a simful jars filled with homemade jams, jellies, ple boiling-water canner, which is a large pickles, and vegetables provides a taste of enameled pot fitted with a rack which the season all year long. While berries, cu- holds the filled jars.

What variety of apple you choose decumbers, tomatoes, and green beans are some of the more popular produce choices pends on the recipe. For both of these recifor canning, apples are also a tasty option. pes, I wanted the apples to keep their shape, The key to canning is to bring the inter- so I went with Granny Smiths and Galas, nal temperature inside the jar high enough which are baking apples that won’t turn to to prohibit the growth of molds, yeasts, mush. Other good selections include Gold-

By Linda A. Ditch

Special to The Capital-Journal

en Delicious, Cortland and Jonathan.

When making the apple-maple jam, be sure to use pure, real maple syrup and not an imitation. The resulting jam tastes wonderful on bread, toast, and biscuits with an additional smear of butter. It also makes a great ice cream topping.

I like the ease that comes with using a jar of apple pie filling. This recipe makes creating pies and turnovers a snap, without all of the chemicals found in commercial pie fillings. Plus, you can adjust the spices to fit your favorite pie recipe.

The pie filling recipe calls for Clear

Jel, a modified corn starch that works as a thickener but is made to withstand the heat of canning. I couldn’t find it in a local store, so I ordered it on Amazon. Be sure to get the regular variety, not instant. I’ve heard you can use equal amounts of flour as a thickener, but supposedly it creates a cloudy filling.

Both recipes would make unique and tasty Christmas gifts. However, if you’re like me, you may have a difficult time parting with these jars of deliciousness once you taste them.

APPLE PRESERVES continues on 10A

Apple-Maple Jam

Recipe adapted from Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving Makes 8 half-pint jars

Approximately 6 pounds baking apples (Granny Smith, Gala, Jonathan, or Golden Delicious) Lemon juice to prevent browning 6 cups sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Linda A Ditch/Special to The Capital-Journal

Prepare jars: Wash jars, lids, and rings. Place empty jars without lids into boiling-water canner filled with simmering water. Keep the jars in the hot water until ready to use.

To make the jam: Peel, core and dice the apples into cold water with lemon juice to prevent the apples from turning brown. You will need 12 cups of diced apples.

Place a small plate into the freezer. Drain the apples and place them into a large pot. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often to prevent sticking. Keep stirring and boil for 20 minutes.

Take the plate out of the freezer and drop a small amount

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup pure maple syrup of the jam on top. Use your finger to test how well it gels.

If it has gelled enough, turn off the burner. If not, keep boiling and test every 5 minutes until ready, up to 30 minutes.

When ready, turn off the heat. Take a jar out of the water and drain. Ladle in the hot jam (a funnel helps) to about 1/4-inch from the top. Wipe the rim of the jar with a damp paper towel to clean off any drips. Place a flat lid on top and screw on a ring. Repeat until all of the jars are filled.

Place the jars into the canner. Make sure the water covers the jars by at least 1 to 2 inches. Place the lid on the

canner, bring back to a boil, and process for 10 minutes.

Then turn off the heat, remove the lid, and allow the jars to stand in the hot water for 5 additional minutes.

Remove the jars from the canner and place on a towel to cool completely. You will hear the lids start to pop almost immediately as they cool and seal. After 12 to 24 hours, check the seal on the cooled jars by pressing on the lid. If it springs back, the jar is not sealed. Or remove the ring and make sure the flat lid is stuck tight to the jar.

If the jar is not sealed, the jam is still good. Just store the unsealed jar in the refrigerator. Also refrigerate any jar after opening.

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Service Directory

Service Directory

Boost your brand, product or service with an ad in the service directory! At Home Living is read by home owners, buyers and sellers across the Topeka and surrounding area. To place your ad contact your MultiMedia Sales Consultant or 785.295.1125.

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Hancock: When to harvest produce Continued from 2A 28 F, and severe freeze below 24 F.  Many root crops can be left in the ground through the winter if mulched heavily. Cover root crops before the ground freezes with 1 to 2 feet of mulch such as hay, leaves, and straw.  Some vegetables need to be cured after harvest. This involves exposing the produce to warm dry air so that the outer skin hardens and protects the succulent core from rotting.

For maximum flavor and the best texture many vegetables are harvested just before maturity. Here is a short list of characteristics for harvesting some vegetables.

Beans: Taste one and decide. Harvest snap or string beans when they are about the diameter of a chopstick. Standard varieties are ready to pick when they are about as thick as a pencil and before seeds swell and become visible through the pod. Lima beans are ready when the pods are

green and feel full. Pick when slightly immature for more tender beans. Dispose of beans that have turned white.

Broccoli: Harvest when the buds (treetops) are dark green and tightly closed. If the underside of the top turns yellow, you’ve waited too long.

Don’t expect you heads to be as large as those in the stores.

Chives: Cut before the purple flowers form and keep them cut back for the sweetest flavor.

Cabbage: Harvest when the heads are solid.

Corn: Look for a tight husk and the silk to be dry and brown. Kernels can be check by stabbing them with your fingernail. If the kernel contains milk it is ripe. If it contains water it is not ripe yet.

If it is tough and dry it is over ripe.

Cucumbers: Cucumbers are best when slightly immature, just as the spines soften. Most varieties will be 1 ½” to 2 ½” in diameter and 5”-8” long.

Over ripe cucumbers can be bitter or pithy, even before they start to turn yellow.

Okra: Pick pods when they are 2”-3” long and snap easily. Over ripe pots become tough and woody.

Onions, Green: Harvest when they reach sufficient size.

Onions, Dry: Harvest at ¼”-1” for fresh table use. 1”-1 ½” for boiling and pickling, and when tops have fallen over and the necks have shriveled for storage and general cooking. Cure onions by placing in a single layer or mesh bag in a dry, well-ventilated area out of direct sunlight for 3-4 weeks. Remove tops when fully dry.

Peppers, Hot: Harvest as needed. Young, green peppers are hotter than mature, colored ones. For long-term storage, pull plants late in season and hang to dry in a warm, well-ventilated place.

Peppers, Sweet: Harvest peppers when firm and full size. Leave peppers on plants until red color develops if desired.

Potato: Harvest new potatoes 2 weeks after blooming. Harvest main crop after tops have

died down and when ground is dry. Dig carefully to avoid bruising and allow surface to dry. Cure 10-14 days in a dark, well-ventilated location at 45 F to 60 F. Pumpkins and Winter Squash: Maturity can be roughly determined by pressure from the thumbnail on the fruit skin. Mature fruit will be hard and impervious to scratching. Harvest squash before the first hard frost with a sharp knife, leaving at least 1” of stem attached. Fruit picked without the stem will soon decay around the stem scar.

Cure in a dry, well-ventilated area for 10 days at 75 F to 85 F. Sweet Potato: Harvest in fall before frosts and freezing temperatures. Handle carefully in digging as bruised tubers will rot. Cure for 1 week at 80 F to 85 F. Happy harvest time!

Jamie Hancock is a horticulturist with Kansas State Research and Extension in Shawnee County.

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Apple preserves: Apple Pie Filling

Continued from 5A

Home-canned Apple Pie Filling

Makes 7 pints This recipe calls for Clear Jel, a modified corn starch that works as a thickener but is made to withstand the heat of canning. Be sure to use the regular variety, not instant. I could not find it in local grocery stores, so I ordered it from Amazon.

12 cups peeled and sliced baking apples (Granny Smith, Gala, Jonathan, or Golden Delicious) Lemon juice to prevent browning 1 1/4 cup water 2 1/2 cups apple cider 2 3/4 cup sugar Prepare jars: Wash jars, lids, and rings. Place empty jars without lids into boiling-water canner filled with simmering water. Keep the jars in the hot water until ready to use.

To make the jam: Peel, core and slice the apples into cold water with lemon juice to prevent the apples from turning brown. You will need 12 cups of apples.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drain the apple slices and blanch them in the boiling water for 1 minute.

Remove from the water with a slotted spoon. Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.

In a large pot, add the apple cider and water. Whisk in the sugar, Clear Jel, spices and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring

3/4 cup Clear Jel 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup lemon juice constantly with a wooden spoon. The mixture will thicken almost immediately. Mix in the lemon juice. Remove from the heat and stir in the apple slices.

Take a jar out of the water and drain. Ladle in the pie filling (a funnel helps) to about 1 1/4-inch from the top.

Remove air bubbles with a wooden skewer or plastic knife. Wipe the rim of the jar with a damp paper towel to clean off any drips. Place a flat lid on top and screw on a ring. Repeat until all of the jars are filled.

Place the jars into the canner. Make sure the water covers the jars by at least 1 to 2 inches. Place the lid on the canner, bring back to a boil, and process for 25 minutes.

Turn off the heat, remove the lid, and allow the jars to

stand in the water an additional 10 minutes.

Remove the jars from the canner and place on a towel to cool completely. You will hear the lids start to pop as they cool and seal. After 12 to 24 hours, check the seal on the cooled jars by pressing on the lid. If it springs back, the jar is not sealed. Or remove the ring and make sure the flat lid is stuck tight to the jar. If the jar is not sealed, the filling is still good. Just store the unsealed jar in the refrigerator. Also refrigerate any jar after opening.

For a 9-inch pie, you will need to use 3 pints of pie filling.

Linda A Ditch/Special to The Capital-Journal

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