Almina’s Antipasto
After a career in hospitality management, Paula attended and graduated from Chez Boucher Culinary Center. She now serves as a state representative in New Hampshire, United States.
- Servings Makes 18-20 473 ml (1 pint) jars
Ingredients
Equipment
- 8-20 473 ml (1 pint) canning jars with lids and seals
- Cheesecloth
- Large stock pot
- String
- Water bath canner with rack
- 114 grams (4 ounces) canned anchovies in oil
- 473 ml (1 pint) cider vinegar
- 29 ml (2 tbsp) whole allspice
- 236 ml (1 cup) olive oil
- 6 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2.5 cm (1 inch) pieces
- 1.3 kg (3 pounds) small fresh white onions, peeled, or three 473 ml (1 pint) jars boiled onions
- 1 large cauliflower, broken into small florets
- 1 large bunch celery, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 5 bell peppers, mix of red, yellow, and green, cut into 2.5 to 5 cm (1 to 2 inch) squares or 1.9 cm (3/4 inch) strips
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) sugar
- 15 ml (1 tablespoon) salt
- 4 (414 ml/14 ounce) bottles ketchup
- 473 ml (1 pint) pimento-stuffed Spanish olives, drained
- 473 ml (1 pint) pitted black olives, drained
- 1.4 liters (3 pints) small sweet gherkins, halved if large
- Six (142-170 grams /5-6 ounce) cans Italian tuna fish packed in oil, drained
- 454 grams (1 pound) white button mushrooms, stems trimmed, cut in half or quarters if large
Preparation
1. Sterilize jars, lids, and seals in boiling water or run through the dish washer.
2. Place anchovies and vinegar in a medium sauce pan over medium heat, and simmer until anchovies dissolve. Remove from heat and strain, reserving the liquid; discard bits of anchovy that remain. Set anchovy-flavored vinegar aside.
3. Place allspice into a cheesecloth bag, tie with string.
4. Place olive oil, 236 ml (1 cup) water, cheesecloth bag of allspice, and carrots over medium high heat in a large stock pot; bring to a simmer, cover pot and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add fresh peeled onions (if using), replace lid and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cauliflower; replace lid, simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add celery; simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add peppers; simmer 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add anchovy-flavored vinegar, sugar, salt, ketchup, 1.6 liters (7 cups) water, Spanish olives, black olives, gherkins, tuna, mushrooms, and jarred onions if using in place of fresh onions. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
Caution:avoid letting the vegetables get too soft; you want them to have some crunch when you eat the antipasto; adjust simmering time accordingly. Cover the pot with the lid while simmering after each addition. Add water from time to time if you feel the liquid is evaporating too much.
5. Remove the allspice and ladle the vegetable mixture into hot sterilized jars using a sterilized wide-mouth funnel. Leave 1.3 cm (1/2 inch) headspace. Wipe rims with a clean, damp tea towel or paper towels. Place seals and rings on jars; tighten finger tight. Process on a rack in a canner filled with enough hot water to cover jars by 5 cm (2 inches) for 10 minutes. Remove jars, tighten lids and cool.
Paula Francese
Paula Francese married into an Italian family more than 50 years ago and fell in love with Italian food and culture. She has a PhD from Cornell University and taught hospitality management at the University of New Hampshire and Boston University. After retiring, she graduated from Chez Boucher Culinary Center in Hampton, New Hampshire, United States. She currently serves in the New Hampshire legislature as a state representative. Her youngest granddaughter was named after her Italian great-grandmother, Almina Francese.
Courtesy photo
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