I had to pull out my garden in the last couple weeks with the cold front that went though. I didn’t realize the extreme amount of food I still had growing out there. I have tomatoes lining all the porch windows. They weren’t ready for the cold quite yet, so they were still green.

But the squash got a little out of control this year.

There was so much squash, and some that I have no idea what kind it was, as I think it cross bred with other things. Nature is crazy sometimes.

None the less, I rolled up my sleeves and decided to give a new canning experiment a try. Something my grandmother used to have at Christmas and Thanksgiving. Spiced apple rings. Except, they weren’t actually apples, they were zucchini. I’m pretty sure there were several holidays where those were the only thing I ate, as I didn’t like Turkey. Or stuffing. Or ham. Or beans. Or anything really. Except for rolls with jelly. Those were Ok.

These are kind of labor intensive. I had to stay home 5 days in a row to get them done, which lately is a big feat for me. The first couple days take the most time, but in the end you will have a nice treat for the holidays, as there is no way I would eat these on a daily basis, they have a lot of sugar in them.

MOCK APPLE RINGS

Peel and remove center of zucchini or yellow squash.
Cut 1/2 inch thick slices until you have two gallons of rings.

Next: Make this solution: 2 cups lime in 8 quarts of water
soak rings for 24 hours.
Drain and wash rings through 2 baths (clean water) This is to make sure all the lime is off of them.
Put all rings in water and cover in ice for three hours.

Drain and simmer in:
1  c. vinegar
1 small bottle of red food coloring
1 tbls alum
and water to cover.
Boil slighty and then simmer for 2-3  hours.

While they are simmering, make this syrup:

3 1/2 cup of water
3 1/2 cup vinegar
10 cups sugar
8 sticks cinnamon
2 14 ounce packages of red hots
Boil syrup and pour over rings.

Let them sit over night. And you are supposed to let them sit in something other than an aluminum pot.

NEXT DAY: Drain syrup, keep it and  boil and pour over again.
repeat this for 3 days.
on the last day, pack in jars and boil for quarts for 20, pints for 15 minutes.