Canning Part I

Warning!!!!!! This task is going to seem overwhelming. When I first started canning I would make my husband try everything I made to make sure I was not going to give out botulism bottles disguised as homemade jams and jellies. After a while I got more conformable with my ability and my husband is still alive! Now I see how simple canning really is and how rewording at the same time.

Canning seems to be coming back in full force. I find canning calming. It must be the preparation for dooms day, (putting food in jars). My challenge this week is to acquire the equipment needed to can food items.

List of needed items for canning these items can be found any where now, Walmart! Walmart has a really good selection and it's cheap. I found this great set at Target. (See below).

Other items needed that you might not have on hand:

• Pectin, there all kinds of pectin. It comes in liquid and power form. I personally like Pomona’s Pectin it takes a little more work but is natural and sugar free, you can buy it in bulk from Amazon.
• Sugar
• Vinegar
• Pickling salt, can be found in the same section of the canning supplies.

Once you have all your needed canning equipment and have read the instructions. Make hot pepper relish. This recipe will come next week.

Even You Can Make Southern Fried Chicken

My mother could only cook four things, while she did cook other things these were the only four things she made that anyone else would want to eat. 

Thanksgiving dinner
Indian food, she took a cooking class
Quiche
Southern Fried Chicken

This week I want to remember her Southern Fried Chicken

What you will need
Ingredients
1 pound chicken cutlet
1 qt buttermilk
2 cups flour
4 cups Panko bread crumbs 
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
kosher salt to taste
black pepper to taste
3 eggs
5 cups canola oil

Optional Sauces

Ingredients

Franks Red Hot
Real butter
Stone ground mustard
Honey
Sweet chili sauce





Prep

Pour 2 cups buttermilk into a tupperware container, add 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper, and a pinch for cayenne pepper whisk. Add chicken so that all the cutlets are covered cover let sit in fridge over night

Day of prep
Pour your oil into a large stock pot
Put paper towels on a plate, to put the chicken on to remove grease

Prep for frying
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
Get out two bowls one for wet and one for dry

In your wet bowl mix three eggs with 1/2 cup butter milk and pinch of salt and pepper
In dry bowl mix Panko and flour and pinch of salt and pepper and cayenne

Get your chicken out
Start with your wet mix, dip your chicken through the wet mix  on each side
then dredge your chicken through the dry cover both sides
then back though the wet then back through the dry
lay on a plate

Once all the chicken is covered heat oil, test it with a piece of chicken
if it sizzles right away and turns white it is ready, fry one or two pieces at a time when the sides brown flip over when both sides put on paper towels to drain

Once all your chicken is golden brown on both sides, place in glass dish and place in oven for 20 minutes or until internal temp is 180

In the meantime make your dipping sauces

Hot sauce
1 tsp franks red hot and 1 tsp melted butter

Sweet Chili
1 tsp sweet chili and 1tsp honey

Honey mustard
1 tsp honey and 1 tsp mustard