TOMATO PRESERVES

Sarah Beth Monger of Stanley

INGREDIENTS:

	1½ gallons of skinned tomatoes
	5 lbs. sugar
	Cinnamon to taste

DIRECTIONS: To skin tomatoes, drop in boiling water until skins split, then remove and allow to cool before pulling off skin. Put skinned tomatoes with juice in a large kettle and pour sugar over them. Cook over medium heat until thick, stirring often (about 3½ hours). Flavor with cinnamon or cinnamon candy to taste. Pour in pint glass jars and seal in a hot-water bath. 

F.R.O.G. JAM

Sarah Pember of Charlottesville

INGREDIENTS:

	4 large dried Turkish figs
	11⁄3 cups frozen raspberries
	2 cups orange juice
	1 T ginger puree (or finely diced ginger)
	1 T agave nectar (or more, to taste)
	½ t ground ginger (optional)

DIRECTIONS: Finely chop the dried figs. Combine with raspberries, juice and ginger in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring regularly, until thickened. Stir in agave nectar and allow to cool before storing in the fridge. Makes 2 cups and may be processed in glass jars to seal for longer storage.

MAMA’S CHOW CHOW

Mac Cofer of Smithfield

INGREDIENTS:

	1 medium cabbage, chopped
	1 pint small onions, chopped
	2 large green peppers, cored, seeded and chopped
	2 T salt
	1 quart cider vinegar
	½ lb. brown sugar
	1 t celery seed
	¼ cup black mustard seed
	¼ cup white mustard seed            (can substitute ¼ cup yellow mustard seed for either)

DIRECTIONS: Mix chopped vegetables with salt. Let stand for one hour, then set aside in a colander to drain for three hours. Put vinegar, sugar and seeds into large, heavy pot. Bring to a boil and let boil in full roll for one minute. Add vegetables to pot. Return to a boil and let boil for 1 minute. Pack in clean, sterile, hot jars and seal, or store in closely covered earthenware crocks. Serve over cooked cabbage or other greens. Makes about 6 pints.

ZUCCHINI JAM

Carol Boyer of Fort Valley

INGREDIENTS:

	6 cups zucchini, peeled and grated
	6 cups sugar
	20 oz. crushed pineapple, undrained
	2 3-oz. packages of gelatin (peach, apricot or strawberry)

DIRECTIONS: Combine zucchini and sugar and boil for 6 minutes. Add pineapple and boil another 10 minutes, stirring often to keep from sticking. Add two packages of desired flavor of gelatin while still boiling. Pour mixture into sterilized jars. Process in a water bath for 10 minutes to seal.

BRANDIED OR SPICED PEACHES

Debbie Roland of Nokesville

INGREDIENTS:

	1 lb. peaches (or about 3 whole peaches)
	1 cup sugar
	1 cup water
	1 small cinnamon stick
	1 whole clove
	1-2 T brandy or Chambord            liqueur (optional)
	“Fruit Fresh” produce protector (made by Ball Corp.)

DIRECTIONS: Peel peaches, either by dipping them in hot water, then cold water, or by simply peeling them. Quarter and place in a bowl with cold water and Fruit Fresh (to keep the color). Boil sugar and water until it becomes a light syrup. Add clove, cinnamon stick and liqueur to quart jar; pack in peaches and pour hot sugar-water over all. Process in water bath for 10 minutes. Note: can double or triple recipe.

VIRGINIA APPLE BUTTER

Diane Bane of Effinger

INGREDIENTS:

	½ bushel of apples (about 21 lbs., use Yellow Delicious or Rome)
	1 quart water
	5 lbs. sugar (optional)
	5 drops oil of cinnamon
	10 to 12 sterilized 1-pint glass jars

DIRECTIONS: Placed the peeled, cored and sliced apples in a very large pot and add one quart of water and sugar, if you like your apple butter sweet. Cook apples down, as if you were making applesauce. When soft, mash with a fork or hand blender and place in a metal baking pan. If you have too much to fit in one pan, make a few batches separately. Because you want to bake out the moisture to make a thick apple butter, don’t cover the pan. You may want to place a drip pan below, as the cooking process can be messy! Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake each batch of apples for 45 minutes or until bubbly. Lower the temperature to 275 and bake 4-5 hours more, stirring occasionally. Take the apple butter out when it looks dark brown in color. Add 5 drops of cinnamon oil and stir well, then put the apple butter in sterilized jars and process in a water bath. Always refrigerate after opening a jar.