Where Does The Time Go? + Onions, Bananas, & Soup

I cannot believe that it has been well over a month since I last blogged.  The time has just flown by. You know "LIFE" it sometimes has a way of throwing us a few curve balls along with the normal everyday workings.

We are preparing for our daughters Senior Prom and Graduation. It is so hard to believe that my baby girl is graduating high school. She has surely grown up to be a beautiful young lady. I am so proud of here.

On another note....Spring is right around the corner...One of my favorite seasons of the year. With the coming Spring time comes the flowers in bloom. We have daffodils already in bursting forth and showing they beauty. Soon the Iris, Daylilies and Dogwood will be bursting forth.

Veggie Soup

Then comes the garden...fresh fruit and veggies. Woo who...I can't wait. Even though I can all year round, I just love the burst of adrenaline that comes with a garden for the " stocking of the larder" as the veggies and fruit ripen.

Speaking of canning, this afternoon I made a huge pot of veggie soup consisting of: spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, cabbage, onions, homemade chicken broth, and spices. I cooked it until it was about 3/4 of the way done, then ladled it up into hot sterile quart jars and pressured canned. Now I have lots of wonderful home canned soup ready to 'heat -n- serve'.

Onions in Freezer

I also had a whole lot of bananas, so I made 16 dozen Banana Oatmeal Cookies. I would have made more but ran out of oatmeal. Will have to get more from the store tomorrow. Of course, we ate some, then we froze some for later. I still had bananas that needed processing, so I made up a batch of 'Banana Nut Bread Jam'.  But, still had bananas....I guess more jam and cookies are in my future for tomorrow. (Jam Recipe Below)

I also chopped up about 10 pounds of onions. Sorted into freezer bags and placed in the freezer. I haven't found a good way to can them, except to caramelize them. Caramelizing them takes a lot of time, butter, and onions. The end product is excellent, but reduces to about 1/8 of what you started with. So, I just peel, chop, and freeze.

Banana Nut Bread Jam

Banana Nut Bread Jam

3 Cup of pureed bananas (I like mine a little chunky)
2 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 cups walnuts, minced (some like the nuts toasted)
1 package powered pectin
1 Teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon nutmeg
4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar

Mix bananas, nuts, lemon juice, spices and powered pectin in large heavy bottomed pot. Stir constantly while bringing to a full boil. (Watch carefully as mixture is thick and will scorch on bottom if not stirring) Add sugars all at once. Stirring continuously. Heat until brought back to a full boil. boil hard for 1 minute. Ladle jam into jars leaving a 1/4 inch headspace. Process in a BWB for 10 minutes. Adjusting time for altitude. Makes 6 half pints or 3 pints.

So what have you all been doing lately in the kitchen? Canning, Baking, Freezing?
In the craft room? Sewing, quilting, crocheting, etc.?
In the garden? Prepping, pruning, or planting?

Canning Inexpensively

I home can foods a lot. There is no denying it. If you were to see my pantry, it is mostly jars of food not cans of food. I enjoy canning and have been doing it for quite a few years now. But what if you want to learn or start canning more often, how do you get started?

I would recommend that you start s-l-o-w-l-y and do only one simple item/recipe at a time. Start with canning tomatoes or jam. These are easy, meaning; they don't require a lot of equipment or processing, the jars can be sealed using "Boil Bath Method", and you will have successful products. Which is important, because you want to like what you preserve and have gratification and satisfaction in an accomplishment well done.

Now canning is not as expensive as it might seem, if you plan, watch, be organized, and follow a few simple things.

1. If you start with canning "high acid" items that can be sealed using the Boil bath Method, then you can use a deep stock pot that you already have. As long as, there is at least 2 to 3 inches of room above the jars to the rim of the rim of the pot. This is so that you will have enough room for at least 1 inch of water above the jars and space for the water to boil without spilling over.

2. Watch for canning jars at thrift stores, yard sales, tag sales, flea markets, craigs list, local newspaper, etc. I am always picking up a jar here and there. Before you know it you will have several dozen. I have target prices that I try to limit myself too for different jar sizes. Quart size .75 cents or less each and pint and half-pint sizes .50 cents or less each. Just make sure and check that there are no nicks on the top of the jar or the lids will not seal.

3. Each year, early Summer and late Fall, the Sunday newspaper will usually have a coupon for $x.xx amount off 2 cases of Ball/Kerr canning jars. This is a great deal, since it brings your cost down to right around my target price for used jars and you get the band and a lid.

4. Check out your local discount stores for jars, lids, and bands. Some stores that I frequent are Fred's, Dollar General, and Wal-Mart. I recently found standard lids at Fred's for $1.00 box/12. Wal-marts price is about $1.50+ a box. So, I brought home 20 boxes, They are an off brand, but I have had no trouble with them not sealing.

5. Plan to continue canning. This is an investment, not just a passing fling. You will get the most for you money if you use and reuse your jars and equipment. One of my pressure canners was my grandmothers. So there was no investment in it by me, except to have pressure gauge checked periodically. I also have jars that are 20+ years old still in use. You have to be careful with how you store them when they are empty, so as not to chip the rim. Other than that, good jars will last a long time.

I do hope this gives you some ways to begin or expand you home canning endeavor. Just remember, start slow and simple, otherwise you might give up to soon. Keep you thoughts to how wonderful home canned food tastes. It is so much tastier than store tinned. And the benefits of having food items without all the added preservatives and chemicals, especially if you use organic fruits and veggies.

Happy Canning!

SERINA

Recipe using HC Item: Peach Raspberry Lavender Jam w/Mock Angel Food Cake

Did you know that you can use Jams for more that just slathering on a hot buttered homemade biscuit or piece of toast?

You can use it for sauces on a variety of meats, baked into cookies or fruit bars, a sauce for ice cream or cakes and so much more.

Saturday's we treat ourselves here at Rose Bud Cottage. We typically don't have sweets during the week, so on Saturday I will make something like cookies, pie, or cake to last the weekend. Today was no different.

I was in the kitchen, my usual hang out place, straightening up and prepping for dinner later. My son comes in and says, "Mom, what you planning on for today?" I tell him that we will be having Venison Roast, beans, potatoes and glazed carrots for dinner. For dessert I was thinking of making a Mock Angel Food Cake with Peach Raspberry Lavender Sauce on the side.

His reply was, "Yum! I love today. It just keeps getting better. Why can't every day be like this?"

Mock Angel Food Cake
Great cake! Moist, easy, and only uses 3 egg whites!

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar or splenda or combo of both
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup milk, heated
3 large eggs, room temp

Measure first 4 ingredients into sifter and sift four times. This lets the flours get lots of air in them for a lighter fluffier cake. In saucepan, heat the milk just to the boiling point then remove from heat. Stir into the flour mixture until smooth. In separate bowl, beat the egg whites until still. Fold, do NOT stir, into the batter until no streaks remain. Turn into a greased and lightly floured angel food pan. Bake 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Invert pan and let cool before removing.

Forgot the black-eyed peas, sorry!

This cake will not rise as high as a standard angel food cake, but it is still light and airy.

The rest of our menu for tonight's dinner consisted of:
Home-canned Glazed Carrots
Home-canned Potatoes
Fresh Black-eyed Peas
Venison Roast

Tuesday Tip: Storing Home Canned Goods

This post is a re-post from June 2009 from a previous blog I had. Hope you find it helpful.

What does one do with all those canned jars now that you have put in all that hard work into preparing them? How does one store them?

Here is what I do. After my processed jars have set for 12 to 24 hours the first thing I do is to check and make sure the jars have all sealed. Then I remove the rings and lift the jar by the lid to verify a good seal. Once the jar has sealed there is no need for the ring. If by chance the food in the jar started to spoil you wouldn't be able to tell until you went to open the jar. But, if you take the rings off and store them without the rings, if the food was beginning to spoil it is possible that the lid would start to bulge or pop and you would be able to tell that it was bad immediately.

The second thing I do before putting away is to wipe my jars down with a damp cloth. This is to remove any residue on the jars and dry them. Thirdly, I label what it is and year made. Sometimes I just write on the lid or put a piece of tape on the lid and write on it, other times my daughter likes to make up fancy labels (especially if using as gifts). Then I place them on my shelves. They are best kept in a cool dark place, such as a basement, root cellar, or closet. Keep at temperatures between 50 and 70 degrees are best and ideal.

When placing on the shelves REMEMBER to rotate your stock. Move the oldest items to the front and the newest to the back. This insures that a jar doesn't get forgotten about and goes bad before it gets used.

I do hope this gives you an idea as to how to store those jars so that they last until you are ready to open it up and Enjoy!

Serina

Ball Canning Contest on Facebook

Ball Canning & Recipes Contest

Starting today Ball Canning is having a contest on their Facebook page (here) until January 14th at midnight EST. You don't have to be a canner to enter. You can be a crafter too. You just have to up load a photo of how you use Ball jars. It's that easy.

They will then select 10 winners through a random drawing for a Stainless Steel Canner with Canning Rack and Ball® Blue Book. Approximate Retail Price - $85.00.

Detailed contest rules and regulations can be found here.

 

Recipe using Home-Canned Items: Italian Cabbage Soup

Some have asked....What do you make with all those different home-canned (HC) items? "I don't can because I don't think I would every use the stuff."

With those thoughts and questions in mind, I am going to start sharing more of the recipes that use the HC items.

Today's I will be sharing what we call Italian Cabbage Soup. This is just a soup that I have made up that conforms to the diet that My Knight and I are on. We eat a lot of cabbage on this diet and have come up with numerous ideas for soups using it. Why soup? Because it is more filling. Some of the other soups we have came up with are: Chicken Cabbage "Noodle" Soup, Mexican Salsa Cabbage Soup, and Cabbage "Spaghetti"  and Meat Sauce.

Chicken Stock

Stewed Tomatoes

Italian Cabbage Soup - serves 2

1 pint jar of HC broth (chicken or turkey)
1 pint jar of HC stewed tomatoes (tomatoes, peppers, onions)
2 cups cabbage, large shreds
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Pinch of Italian seasoning
8 oz. of ground meat (venison or chuck)
Pinch of Celtic Sea Salt
Pepper to taste


Brown ground beef and drain. In sauce pan, combine all the ingredients and bring to a low simmer. Cover and cook for 20 to 30 minutes. This blends all the flavors.

If you like, you can top with some Parmesan Cheese, and croutons. For a more creamy soup add a few tablespoons of heavy whipping cream.


Enjoy!

The Food Channel Predicts Top 10 Trends for 2011

www.foodchannel.com

Look what just happens to their number one prediction? 
I love it...... Read the full article here.
 

Top 10 Predictions

1. The Canning Comeback – “Putting Up” is gaining popularity for both economy and health.
2. Men in Aprons – Layoffs have led to more men cooking.
3. Local Somewhere – We care about hand-tended no matter where it’s grown.
4. Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell – We’re tired of being told what we can eat.
5. Appetite for Food Apps – Social media is our guide and our coupon source.
6. Small is the New Big Business – Corporations are thinking like small businesses.
7. Fresh Every Day – Rooftop gardens are just part of this trend.
8. Chefs in Schools – Better flavor is possible in an institutional setting.
9. Discomfort Foods – Change makes us comfortable with more change.
10. Eating for Sex and Other Things – We are working longer, and want all the gusto.

Home-Canned Summer Squash Soup

I received about 4 pounds of yellow crookneck squash this past week. Knowing that I would not be able to use that much squash up before it began to go bad, I decided I needed to find a way to preserve it.

I have several quart jars of dehydrated squash already, canned cubed squash gets too mushy, and nobody put me will eat pickled or relished squash, thus I had to find an alternate way to preserve.

So began the search through my numerous cookbooks and on the internet for soup recipes whose main ingredient was squash. Most recipes that I found contained flour and dairy products.  Therefore, I modified a recipe that I found to fit the criteria for canning and here is the result.

A beautiful golden summer squash soup that is full of flavor and will make a wonderful quick meal. Convenient - Easy - Quick. My kind of meal planning.

Home-Canned Summer Squash Soup

3 onions, chopped
5 cup chicken broth (you could use vegetable broth)
5 cups water
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 medium carrots, sliced
4 pounds yellow squash (you could use zucchini  or combo of both) about 16 cups
salt and pepper to taste

Saute' the onions with some of the water until translucent. Add remaining water, broth, potatoes, and carrots. Bring to a boil, then cover. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Add squash, salt and pepper. Simmer covered for another 10 to 15 minutes, until all vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and let cool until able to handle. Puree small batches in either food processor or blender until smooth. Fill hot sterile jars with soup, leaving 1 inch head space. Process in pressure canner at 11 pounds pressure for 35 minutes (pints) and 40 minutes (quarts), adjusting time and pressure for altitude. Makes approximately 4 quarts.

Serving:
Bring to a boil. Heating through well before serving. May want to add a little liquid: water, broth, milk or cream, depending on preference and thickness of soup. Also, you can add fresh parsley or basil for more intense herb flavor. Or possibly add a dollop of sour cream. Use your imagination and flavor preferences.

Happy Canning!

After Christmas Deals

Today I was surfing Amazon.com to see what kind of deals I could find. I received a gift card for Christmas and was just checking our my options when I came across this:

Steam Juicer
Reg. Price $189.99  I got it for $24.86 + shipping

Can you believe it! This is such an Awesome Deal!

These are so neat. They allow you to just put in whole fruits. You don't have to cut, core, or peel. Just wash and add to the basket. Then allow the steam to extract the juice of the fruits to make a clear juice for canning; juice, jellies, marinara sauces, etc. Plus, you can use to steam veggies or as a standard stock pot. Multiple uses from one item. That is what I like; items that I can use in many different functions.

I can't wait to get this here, so that I can CAN up lots of wonderful things.

I then was looking at other the canning supplies and considered getting bulk pectin, clear jel, jar flats, or several different books (I love books), but then I came across this:

Steam Canner

Price: $39.98 + FREE shipping

This is something that I have wanted for some time now.  Since, I do so much canning all year round these use only a 1/4 to a 1/3 of the water that doing a Boil Water Bath does. The steam reaches a temperature of greater that 212 degrees, which is what boiling water is, in only a couple of minutes. Versus using more water and more time and longer processing; which is what I am doing now. This is going to be such a time and energy saver.

Hurry up and get here! I can't wait to use you!

So there you have it. I spent my gift card and got two wonderful new items that I hope to get years and years of enjoyment, functionality and use out of.  Have you found any deals? Did you get anything for Christmas that you are totally excited about? Or that you have had on your wish list? Share, please!

If I can CAN then you can CAN!
 

Holiday Countdown & Home-canned Ketchup with Odd Ingredient

Well there are only 3 days until Christmas and I am sure everyone is busy either finishing up shopping, wrapping, baking, cleaning, cooking or all of the above in various combination's. I know that I am trying to get this list under control. I have had the shopping done for a while, but need to wrap. The Baking ~ Done. The Cleaning ~ Never done. The Cooking, well that's today's story.

Yesterday evening, while I was away on business, my family was gifted with 2 large boxes of food. When I got home at around midnight I found 15 lb tomatoes, 12 bunches of bananas, 10 bell peppers, 8 lbs fingerling potatoes, 6 lbs mushrooms, 5 bunches green onions, 4 bags spinach, 3 heads of lettuce, 2 winter squash, 1 bunch asparagus,  and a pomegranate (Nope, NO Partridge in a Pear Tree) on my kitchen counter. Thank you, Lord for this Abundant Blessing.....

I know, I know, some of you are wondering by now (especially if you have been reading my post for a while)...She is always getting gifted with fresh fruit and veggies. Yes, I do. Almost weekly. It is a wonderful blessing of which I am very thankful for. It really helps with the food bill. The most rewarding part though is that we get to gift it to others as well, either as fresh fruit and veggies that I can't use or preserve before going bad or through home-canned items.

Needless to say though, that this is a lot of food and it needs to be worked up within the next 24 hours. So tonight after work, we got busy. Now my kitchen is thrashed, but we have 5 quarts potatoes canned, 4 pints mushrooms canned, 7 quarts stewed tomatoes canned, and the bell peppers, spinach, and green onions are all blanched, cut and into the dehydrator. That just leaves the bananas, plus the few odd pieces which we will incorporate into our lunch and dinners over the next few days.

Bananas, Bananas, Bananas....I get these gifted a lot. Now I'm not complaining mind you, but I am well stocked in Banana Jams, Butters and Preserves, plus I have given lots of those items away as gifts this year. So I am in need of something new to do with all these bananas.

By the way, I do have a freezer full (for smoothies and banana bread) and a bunch dehydrated (for instant snacks) for those of you who are thinking about those solutions. Thus, I am still in need of a NEW way to preserve them.

 I usually get a pretty good supply every couple of weeks and if they are in decent shape I pass them out to family and neighbors. Because of my knowing this and the fact that I didn't want more sugary items, I had already been doing some research on other ways to use them. Guess what I found?.......Banana Ketchup.  Yes, you read that correctly, Banana Ketchup.

I curled my nose up at it too. Just like you are doing right now as you are reading this. But hey, I am desperate here. Unless I go into business making and selling Banana Jam (that's an idea!) I have to try different things. Right? So I said to myself, "The bananas were free. You have the ingredients. It wouldn't really cost hardly anything but time. Why not give it a shot and see how it turns out." So I did. I was pleasantly surprised and so was My Knight.

I wouldn't tell him what I was concocting until I had a finished product. But you should of seen his reaction when he came into the kitchen and saw mashed bananas and chopped onions in the same pot. He gave me this incredibly strange look and said, "I don't even want to know, do I?" My reply was, "Nope, you don't. Not until it is finished."

After I had a finished product, I asked My Knight to come taste it. Boy, was he shocked.

He has concluded that this would be an excellent sauce for grilled chicken, burgers and steaks. There you have it. It past the test. Whoosh, am I glad. Because the Knight is real finicky, if it passes his taste test, I know it is good and will get used.

His conclusion is that it tastes more like a BBQ Sauce than Ketchup. Okay, I can live with that. So, I guess I have found a NEW way to use up all the bananas now. Guess what everyone on my list will be getting this time next year for gifts????

Banana Ketchup AKA Banana BBQ Sauce basic recipe from food.com

Banana Ketchup aka BBQ Sauce

5 or 6 ripe bananas, mashed equaling 2 cups
2 medium onions, very finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground red cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup distilled white vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon allspice
1 dash ground cloves
water, as needed
1 teaspoon red food coloring, to make it look more like commercial ketchup (opt)

My additions 
In the first batch I added:

2 to 4 tablespoons of Red Hot Buffalo Sandwich Sauce, I just emptied the bottle into it.

In the second batch I added:
2 to 4 tablespoons of commercial ketchup, I didn't measure, just gave it a few good squeezes.

Peel and mash the bananas or you can puree them in the blender. Chop the onions very fine. Place all ingredients into a large heavy-bottomed sauce pan. Cook on med-high until onions are softened, stirring frequently to keep from sticking to bottom. Wait for the mixture to cool off a bit, then run through a food processor or blender to get a more smooth ketchup-like consistency. You will want to do this in small batches to get the onions pureed into a nice smoothness. If it gets too thick, add a little water. If it cools down too much, reheat to the simmering point and pack into sterile jars with 1/2 inch head space. Place on lid and ring. Process in BWB for 5 to 10 minutes.

Happy Holidays!

Organizing Larder (Pantry) & Giveaway

Over the course of the last two weeks, I have canned about 50 jars of items which left my long kitchen counter cover with jars and no place to put them. Today I was on a mission to find more space to house the jars. With that in mind, My Knight and I tackled the pantry closet and wall.

We took nearly everything out of the pantry. Made sure all jars had labels (food item & year canned). Moved newer jars to the back and older jars to the front. We organized by type of food (i.e. Vegetables, Fruits, Meat, Soups, Juices, Tomato products, Jelly's and Jam's, etc.).

I usually tackle this kind of project a couple times of year. Even though it starts out like this, with 4 cooks in the house it never stays like this more than four to six months. If I don't do this then I would never know what I had or the older items would not get used timely and possibly ruin.

After organizing the Pantry Closet, we (I) moved over to the Pantry Wall. My Knight puttered out and moved on to other things. I took everything off the shelves and dusty them and the jars. Then as I put back the items I put them together with like items, making sure that all jars were labeled. This can be time consuming, but in the end it looks great. Anybody can find what they need. And I get a feeling of satisfaction of a job well done.

While we were putting items into place in both the Pantry Closet and Wall, I would write down how many quarts, pints, half-pints or quarter-pints I had of each item. From that list I updated a spreadsheet that I have created for each pantry area. Listing all items in each area with the appropriate amounts for each jars by size using a right slash mark. Then as I use an item, I make a left slash mark making an X in the box. There are also extra boxes for me to add items.

This is a very simple type of inventory control, but it works for me. Plus, the kids & my Knight can follow it well. I do print out the inventory sheets and attach them to the fridge for easy access and up keep. By organizing and setting up an inventory sheet, I am able to count how many jars that I still had available for use of any item listed. This makes life so much easier than searching through a ton of jars each time I need to know it I have something left or not.

Here is the Giveaway part. To the person who guesses the "closest" to the number of home canned items I have in my pantry, I will give them a jar of Banana Split Preserves. This stuff is delish!

You have from now until Friday, December 17, 2010 at mid-night to make a guess by leaving your entry in the comments section of this post. Good Luck!

Bountiful Week

It has been one crazy week around here. Besides being very busy with work projects and just the everyday norm, we were blessed on Tuesday evening with a bounty of food which means preserving it all before it spoiled. We were gifted small box full of potatoes, a sack full of carrots, a bag full of limes, some jalapenos and bell peppers. Much more than we could consume in a few days.

Wednesday evening I didn't get home from work until about 7 PM. Due to the lateness, I really wasn't planning on canning. To by surprise, when I walked in the door, My Knight had 7 quart jars washed up and filled with potatoes. They were just waiting for the final touches (salt and water) and to be pressured. Isn't he Mr. Wonderful????? ...well, I think so.

No canning on Thursday, just too busy with work. I took Friday off from work and focused all day long in the kitchen. I got up early started with 7 more quarts of potatoes. Then moved onto carrots. I canned 6 quarts of carrots. Then, 4 quarts of potato/carrot mix. 

My final canning adventure of the day was the limes. I have never canned just straight limes, usually I would make a jelly or dehydrate lime slices. I had plenty of both those, so I opted on canning just the limes by themselves. By noon, I was peeling limes. Boy those little things are hard to peel. I thought i was never going to get them all done. I then pulled them into segments. Jarred them up and added water. BWB for 10 minutes. Done. 5 pints of limes in juice. Awesome! Now we can have lime-aide, lime juice, or key lime pie.

Don't you just love the variety that you can have by canning your own? I do. I can make it to my families specifications and likes. I can mix things up, like canning potatoes and carrots together. The convenience of having the two in one jar makes it nice when it is just My Knight and I for dinner. I can open one jar heat it through and have 2 veggies.

Also, I washed, de-seeded and sliced up the bell peppers and jalapenos and placed them in the dehydrator. Ummmm....I was totally exhausted (mostly feet), but delighted that see all that bounty preserved in those beautiful jars.

We have been so blessed this year with venison, fruits and vegetables that my larder is full and running over. I think I am going to have to turn my upstairs linen closet into a pantry. Hummmm...Honey, I have a new project for you!!!

Happy Canning!

More Peaches.....

 More peaches!!! Yes, more peaches. Within the last two weeks or so we have been gifted with lots (I mean lots) of Tango Peaches. Thus, the dilemma was how to use them and not let them go to waste.

So for the past few post, I have been sharing some of the creative ways I canned up a variety of peach delicacies. Now I am not one to waste anything if I can help it. (I cut the end off the toothpaste tube to get the last little bit out) I know, pretty obsessed with getting the most out of everything.

How does that relate to peaches? If you have read the previous post for this week you have read about how my family spent the day in the kitchen processing meat and canning. That day I peeled and cut up approximately 20 pounds of peaches, which means I had peelings and pits from all those peaches. Waste not, Want not...is the motto.

So I took all those peelings and pits and put them in a large stock pot and added just enough water to cover. Placed on the stove and brought it all to a boil. Covered and allowed it to boil at a steady pace for about 20 minutes. Then I strained all that rich Peach Juice out into another pan. Returned the juice to the stove and added sugar to taste and a touch (1/4 cup) lemon juice. Heated it through until the sugar had dissolved. Then I ladled it into jars and processed in a BWB for 20 minutes for quart jars. This yielded 3 quarts and 1 pint jar of rich pure Peach Juice (no chemicals added).  

Peelings & pits being cooked down to juice.

Happy Canning,

Peach Butter with a Twist

 For the past several years, I have given away half-pint jars of jams, jellies, preserves or butters to family and friends for Christmas gifts or stocking stuffer's (we do stockings @ my parents w/my siblings and their families that's 14 stockings to help fill each year).

Some people prefer "Butters" to the extra sweetness of jams and jellies. I try to make a variety: Apple butter, Banana Butter, Plum Butter, etc. I had given away my last Peach Butter the other day to my Ex (yes, we do get along for the most part-which is wonderful).

So when we were gifted with about 20 pounds of peaches this last week, I needed to make more peach butter. You can find a basic recipe for Peach butter here, but I always tweak my recipes some. I usually never make anything exactly the same way twice. I get close, but not exact since most of the time I am just making up the recipes as I go.

Now I can hear some of you saying, but this is "canning" we are talking about...we are suppose to follow the recipes to the letter... Yes, for most things you need to. I agree. But when it comes to the butters, jams, jellies, and preserves there is usually so much sugar (which is a preservative) it is really hard to go wrong on those. I have never had any problem with any spoilage, but that is me. You can use this recipe (which is mine) but keep in mind it is not a USDA approved recipe and you will be using it at your own risk. I take on no liability for the outcome. Except to say that mine turned out wonderful and delicious.

Peach Butter with a Twist

20 peaches, peeled, pitted, then grind or mash (I used a food processor to grind up)

3 cups sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 to 1 teaspoon of nutmeg

1 cinnamon stick

Combine all ingredients into a large heavy bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil on medium-heat, stirring often. (This mixture is a heavy mixture and will splatter when it boils, unless constant stirring is done. So, be prepared for a mess if you aren't stirring.) Continue to boil for 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours until thickened. A spoonful placed onto a chilled saucer should remain smooth with no watery sign. Remove the cinnamon stick.

Fill hot sterile jars to within 1/3 inch head-space. Process in a BWB for 10 minutes for pints. This recipe yielded  10 half-pint jars.

Peach Almond Jam

 I was looking for new and different recipe to use up some of the peaches that we were gifted with this week. I have in recent days canned a lot of peaches in the form of: peach pie filling and peaches in syrup. I still have plenty of those and wanted something unique to use as stocking stuffer and gifts for Christmas. After some searching, I found this recipe for Peach Almond Jam here except that I modified it some. I added more peaches, cut back on total sugar, then doubled extract and almonds.

This makes an excellent gourmet jam that is GREAT for gift giving. The unique distinction in this jam is the fact that it has almonds within the body of the jam. This add a crunch and extra texture that is usually not found in jams. Nuts are usually added to Conserves, but I really liked this added texture here.

Peach Almond Jam

5 lbs. peaches, peeled and finely chopped (8 cups)

1 cup almonds - chopped (I used my coffee grinder and did a rough grind)

1/2 cup lemon juice

6 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 pouch liquid pectin

In 6 quart sauce pan, place fruit, lemon juice and almonds. Then stir in sugar. Place over high heat and bring to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and immediately stir in pectin and almond extract. You can skim off the foam with metal spoon if you want to have a "pretty" finished product. I usually do not do this. I just ladle it all into clean hot sterile jars. Fill to 1/4 inch head space. Process in BWB for 5 minutes for half-pints and 10 minutes for pint jars. Yielded 7 half-pint jars.

   

Peach Raspberry Lavender Jam

This is a very tasty gourmet jam. Great for gift giving. It has beautiful color and flavor. The hint of lavender adds a floral note, but you can omit it if you would like.

I like to add it, because it gives the jam an unexpected flavor that just adds to the fruitiness of the taste.

 Peach Raspberry Lavender Jam

4 teaspoons dried lavender buds (natural food market)

3 pound peaches, peeled and finely chopped

1 pint red raspberries, rinsed

2 1/4 cups sugar

6 tablespoons lemon juice

1 pkg pectin

Put lavender buds in a small bowl. Pour 1/2 cup boiling water over the buds and steep for 10 minutes or so. Strain the scented water into a bowl and set aside. Discard the buds.

In a 6 quart sauce pan over medium-heat, combine peaches, raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring often, until liquid has thickened and is like the consistency of maple syrup, about 20 minutes. Stir in the lavender water and pectin. Return to a full rolling boil, stirring often and boil hard for 1 to 2 more minutes.

Remove pan from heat and ladle into sterile jars. Process in a BWB for 10 minutes for pints and half-pint jars. This will make approx. 7 half-pint jars.

Why Do WE have Fans Running in December

Today was "work in the kitchen day" at our home....We had lots that we had to do. We had been graciously given some venison, peaches, tomatoes, key limes, jalapenos, and bell peppers . Plus, we had stock made from our left over turkey that needed to be canned. So, we got up ready to get to work...at least some of us did, while others got into the groove after a few minutes and a cup or two of coffee.

Needless to say, it got really warm in the kitchen really fast with a room full of people, the cook stove running, and the fireplace blazing.

Here is what took place.


The guys were designated the breakfast area as their prep station. Where they washed, trimmed, cut, ground and packaged the venison meat. They did a fantastic job.'

We ended up with 21 quart packages of ground venison, 8 packages of either back-strap or tenderloin, and we have about 8 pounds of meat marinating in the fridge to make Jerky out of.



This is down the main work area of our kitchen. We had a lot of things happening at the same time. Here My Knight is getting venison from a cooler to grind and package. On the stove is jam cooking and broth/stock being processed in the pressure canner. In the large kettle next to the PC, is pints jars of both in a "holding tank of warm water" waiting to be pressured. In the second black kettle is peach peelings, waiting to be cooked down to peach juice. Finally in the sink, are the peaches that are being washed, peeled, and chopped for peach jam and butter.

 Our daughter loves to "can", yet today she had to set out. As she is studying for the ACT test. She only has a few more days to practice and study before taking the test. So, we gave her the day off from canning. Even though she would have loved to be in on the whole process. 

Side Note: She is doing a presentation this week for FCLA competition called "Leukemia - We "CAN" make a difference. More on that after her presentation is judged.

Here are the final "canned" products. Left to right: 3 quarts and 1 pint Peach Juice, 5 pints Tomatoes and Onions, 4 half-pints and 3 pints Peach Butter, 2 half-pints and 3 pints Peach Almond Jam, 5 half-pints and 1 pint Peach Raspberry Lavender Jam, 8 pints and 5 quarts of Broth.

I will share recipes for the Peach Jams and Butter in upcoming posts.

Happy Canning,