From: Linda Magee
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking

RICH CORN BREAD

4 12 oz * BALL (tm) WIDE MOUTH QUILTED CRYSTAL JELLY JARS (#14400-81400)
8 NEW LIDS (do not use old ones)
8 RINGS (OK to use old ones)
VEGETABLE SHORTENING (to grease jars)

1 cup YELLOW CORN MEAL
1 cup ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
4 TBS GRANULATED SUGAR
1 tsp BAKING SODA
2 tsp CREAM OF TARTAR
3/4 tsp SALT
1 cup SOUR CREAM
1/4 cup BUTTERMILK
2 large EGGS
4 TBS BUTTER, melted

Sterilize the jars, lids and rings by boiling them for 15 minutes. Keep the lids and rings in the water until you're ready to use them. Make sure there are no nicks or cracks in the lips of the jars.

Remove the jars from the water and place them on a clean dish towel to air-dry (up, not upside down).

Once the jars are cool, using a pastry brush, grease the inside of each jar with shortening (DO NOT use PAM, Baker's Secret, butter or margarine).

Preheat oven to 325-degrees (NO HIGHER!). Place a cookie sheet onto the middle rack of the oven, remove the top rack.

Combine the corn meal, flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt; mix well. Quickly add the sour cream, milk, eggs and butter. Stir JUST until mixed, don't over-mix!

Divide the batter among the 4 canning jars (should be slightly less than 1/2 full). I've never tried this bread in canning jars, so I'm not sure how many you'll need--4 should be enough. Sterilize a few more just in case. Wipe the sides of the jar off in case you slop or it'll burn. Place jars onto the cookie sheet.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until bread tests done with a toothpick or cake tester. It should come out clean, not runny. Test it!

When the bread tests done, using HEAVY-DUTY MITTS (the jars ARE HOT!) remove them from the oven one-by-one and place the lids and rings on them and screw down tightly. Keep the lids in the hot water until you're ready to use them. Place the jars on your counter to cool. Store in the refrigerator or freezer.

Editor's Note:
Please be cautioned that no matter what you may read on the web about storing cakes in jars that the seal does not make them a 'canned' product. Info from the National Food Safety Database:

Canning Breads and Cakes
Angela M. Fraser
Canning breads and cakes is not true canning. It is the process of baking the product in canning jars and capping them as they come out of the oven. Usually, a weak seal will form as the product cools. This is not a shelf-stable product and so must be stored in the refrigerator or freezer to prevent microbial growth.

Title: Jar Cakes
Posted By: Rochelle, CA
Date: July 7th 2001
Board: recipelink.com Canning and Preserving

It is not recommended that jar cakes be kept longer than a couple of weeks and even then they should be refrigerated or frozen. The temperature in the batter doesn't get high enough and it doesn't penetrate the batter sufficiently to prevent bacteria from growing.