Antipasto

Kansas A's Note:

This has to be one of the best antipasto recipes ever! The original recipe came from one of those cookbooks where everyone submits a recipe but it has been modified. The only reason for this is when my Dad and Sister were making it they weren't sure if you were supposed to drain the olives and pickled onions, ...they didn't and it came out great! The longer you can let it sit the better it taste. It is quite a costly recipe to make so what I do is buy the "sale" items throughout the year and make it up a bit before Christmas, that's why I'm posting it now---watch for sales :)

• Total Time: 1 hrs 30 mins
• Prep Time: 1 hrs
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 28 Pints

• 3 (14 ounce) cans olives , ripe, sliced
• 3 (14 ounce) cans green olives , sliced
• 4 heads cauliflower florets , small
• 3 (12 ounce) jars pickled onions
• ¾ cup olive oil
• 6 (10 ounce) cans sliced mushrooms
• 4 green peppers , chopped
• 5 (14 ounce) cans green beans , chopped
• 8 cups ketchup , Heinz (The large can at Costco is just the right size)
• frozen shrimp or 4 -5 shrimp, rings or 5 (6 ounce) cans shrimp
• 6 (6 ounce) cans tuna in water (I buy one big tuna can at Costco)
• 2 quarts dill pickles , chopped
• ¾ cup white vinegar (see NOTE!!)

Directions:

1. Mix first 5 ingredients in large pot. Boil 5 minutes.
2. Add next 4 ingredients, boil 10 minutes.
3. Add balance of ingredients. Try not to break up shrimp and tuna too much. Bring to just boiling.
4. Process in a hot water bath for 15 minutes.
5. Note: *Drain everything except olives and pickled onion juice. Biffy and Frank's flub (taste great.) Omit vinegar.
6. Optional - small amount of brown sugar, HP sauce, chopped garlic, hot pepper sauce (dried or fresh) WE NEVER USE THESE.
7. Something sure has changed with Recipe Zaar! When trying to put the ingredients in it was a big pain in the butt for the sizes. I've converted the grams to ounces but I didn't have everything in my cupboard to actually look at so I guessed. But most cans come pretty standard, and the "Frozen Shrimp" is a large bag -- it wouldn't let me put just "large.".

Reviews

[Debber]

This. Is. So. Good! I thought to myself, "I'll just TEST this to make sure it tastes good." Bad Idea #1! I couldn't STOP! My other BAD idea was to half the recipe (since it was the first time, I thought "what if I don't like it?"). Bad idea #3, "thinking" too much!!!! Okay, now to serious reviewing. I drained the olives and pickled onions, but USED the onion juice AND I added a very healthy splash of Apple Cider Vinegar! Also, I used home-made dill pickle slices--got a LOT of use out of my ulu knife! Whooheeiee! Also, I added one 15-oz can of pizza sauce, because I thought it looked a bit dry...wow!...great flavor! Taste tested with club, saltine, and ritz-butter crackers....club wins--hands down! Nummmmers! KEEPER!!! *Made for My Three Chefs 2007 ~ Canning Up Summer's Bounty!*