Canning & Jamming Gift Ideas
With Christmas right around the corner, it is the perfect time to be thinking about home canned gifts. Home canned gifts are comforting and thoughtful meanwhile, store bought gifts can often seem impersonal and last minute. If you love making your own holiday gifts, or you are really trying to cut down on the cost of your Christmas gifts this year, give these recipes below a try! All of them are easy to make and could be prepared in most of our pressure cookers. For these recipes, we used our 6 Quart Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker. Pressure Cookers are perfect if you are in a hurry and don’t have a lot of time – use one of 12 presets, such as Canning, or set the time manually and adjust the pressure to low, medium, or high.
Whole Grain Mustard Recipe
When you make the whole grain mustard condiment, keep in mind that it needs 4-5 weeks to rest before you can enjoy the grainy mustard paste and consume it with your meal.
The longer you keep the seeds to rest/marinate the more flavorful it will be at the end.
Ingredients
¼ cup yellow mustard seeds
¼ cup brown mustard seeds
½ cup white wine vinegar
1-2 tablespoons water
½ cup lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
pinch black pepper
½ flat teaspoon turmeric powder (optional)
To Store
1 Jar
Instructions
1. Add to a bowl your yellow and brown mustard seeds and cover them with 3/4 cup of the White Vinegar. Let stand for at least 1 hour. You will notice that the vinegar will bubble a bit when it meets the mustard seeds. That’s normal - we want the seeds to get a bit soft.
2. Next, we will pound the seeds and if they have lost a bit of liquid, then add about 1-2 tablespoons water to the mixture. To pound with the pestle, add small batches and smash and twist it until most of the yellow seeds have turned into a mush. The brown seeds don’t crack as easily but keep at it! They will crack and emit the flavors.
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In a bowl with the smashed mustard seeds, add the remaining vinegar, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and Turmeric powder. Mix well and fill a clean jar with the mustard. Add the oil on top and close the lid. - Pour mixture into canning jars leaving 1/4-inch head-space. Cover jars with lids and bands and tighten just until finger tight.
- Place rack into Pressure Cooker with jars spaced evenly, not touching each other.
- Lock lid. Select the Canning preset and adjust time down to 20 minutes. When it beeps, use the quick release to release pressure.
7. You will need to let it stand for a minimum 4-weeks before you can use it. This grainy mustard paste needs to ferment a bit to develop that whole grain mustard flavor. Let it rest and enjoy!
Christmas Jam
Christmas Jam is a simple and delicious treat, it is perfect served over cream cheese on crackers, spread on toast, English muffins or scones.
Ingredients
2 cups sliced strawberries (I used fresh strawberries I previously froze)
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1 tsp. butter (to prevent foaming)
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 box Sure Jell (powdered pectin)
4 cups sugar
Instructions
- Turn stove-top on to high heat. Place a large stock pot on burner and add butter, strawberries, cranberries, spices and Sure Jell.
- Bring mixture to a boil, stirring to prevent sticking.
- Add sugar and return to a rolling boil (one that doesn't stop while stirring), stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute.
- Remove stock pot from heat and ladle jam into canning jars leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Cover jars with lids and bands and tighten just until finger tight.
- Place rack into Pressure Cooker with jars spaced evenly, not touching each other.
- Lock lid. Select the Canning preset and adjust time down to 20 minutes. When it beeps, use the quick release to release pressure.
Let sit for 12 hours, then check the lids for tight seals. Top that pops - do not use. Top that does not pop - good to use. Let sit on your kitchen counter-top undisturbed for 24 hours. Store in pantry.
Olive Tapenade
Olive Tapenade is the combination of a few ingredients; black olives, green olives, garlic, oil, and an acid (lemon juice, vinegar, etc.) Often, you’ll see anchovies, nuts, herbs, and more added in.
Ingredients
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup Kalamata olives
1/2 cup Mezzetta green olives
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar optional
Instructions
1. In food processor or mortar & pestle grind garlic cloves.
2. Add in olives and grind/process until desired consistency.
3. Add olive oil, lemon juice, and vinegar. Stir.
4. Serve immediately or use your pressure cooker to can the mixture.
- If canning, pour mixture into canning jars leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Cover jars with lids and bands and tighten just until finger tight.
- Place rack into Pressure Cooker with jars spaced evenly, not touching each other.
- Lock lid. Select the Canning preset and adjust time down to 20 minutes. When it beeps, use the quick release to release pressure.
Let sit for 12 hours, then check the lids for tight seals. Top that pops - do not use. Top that does not pop - good to use. Let sit on your kitchen counter-top undisturbed for 24 hours. Store in pantry.
Looking for more Christmas inspired recipes? Check out our recent blog: Air Fryer Oven Christmas Cookies.
We appreciate every one of our customers and hope you found this post helpful with getting more familiar with your GoWISE USA Products. And don’t forget to share your experiences and creations with our products using the #GoWISEUSA on all of our social channels or join our GoWISE Creations community on Facebook.
A big thank you to the authors of the recipes we tested out. Check out the links below to take a look at the original recipes.
https://www.masalaherb.com/whole-grain-mustard-recipe/
https://www.cookingwithmaryandfriends.com/2014/11/christmas-jam.html
https://www.nelliebellie.com/basic-olive-tapenade-recipe/
