Cooking with real pumpkin

October 17, 2011 by 6 Comments

How to make fresh Pumpkin Puree

During colder months one of the main activities that people participate in is baking.  Baking anything and everything.  If it isn’t nailed down it typically ends up in a brownie mix and you like it, odd how that works isn’t it.

One main ingredient that I have being using A LOT of this season is pumpkin.  I am using pumpkin puree for dinner, desert, and occasionally breakfast.  As I was making dinner last night, with pumpkin puree, I took note of the fact that I only ever use fresh puree and I decided to tell you why.

Whether you want to read it or not.

Fresh Pumpkin puree is probably one of the easiest fresh ingredient to incorporate into your cooking.  The flavor is not overwhelming and it is crammed with vitamins. Vitamin A, C, K, E, Z,G, Magnesium, Potassium,  Fiber (I added some of my own vitamins letters to shake it up)

You can eat healthy without noticing. This is a big win for me.  I enjoy feeling like I am getting away with something.

Would you like to know how?

Get a pie pumpkin and slice it in two. Lay it meat side down and bake it at 350 for an hour to an hour and a half. When it is done, scoop it out and throw it into a food processor until it is smooth.

Voila – Fresh Pumpkin puree that is not canned from a factory.  If you want to save it then put it in a storage container and place in the freezer.

Super simple and you can feel like you are getting away with something just like me.

Filed Under: baking, canning, Cooking Tagged With: , , ,

Homemade Apple Butter

September 15, 2011 by 3 Comments

The first things first, this is NOT butter.  I always believed that when a recipe had butter in the title than there must be something in it that is dairy.

It’s a lie.

The butter in Apple BUTTER is a lie.

Liar or not, the stuff is good and incredibly easy to make.  I found the recipe on Pick Your Own.org, a great resource.
How to make Homemade Apple Butter The ingredients that you need for Homemade Apple Butter:

Applesauce – fresh or Canned

Cinnamon

Ground Cloves

Sugar

Crock-pot

I am going to give you a brief How To make the Apple Butter because I made a few mistakes in the recipe provided on Pick Your Own.

Homemade Apple Butter with Applesauce1. They recommend 9 quarts of applesauce.  My crockpot is not big enough to handle 9 quarts or 288 ounces of Applesauce so I cut it in half.  I used 3 quarts of Applesauce. I also chose to use jarred Unsweetened Applesauce. I did not have the time, patience, or cash to purchase that many apples to make my homemade applesauce. I’m lazy so sue me.

2. Pour 3 quarts (96 ounces) of Applesauce into the crock-pot.                                        Add 1 tablespoon of Cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cloves, 1/4 teaspoon of Allspice (Remember I halved the recipe) I did NOT remember to halve the sugar. They recommended adding half of the sugar now and the rest later. Nope, I added FOUR cups of sugar.  Maybe I added the sugar unintentionally because I was not paying attention or I subconsciously decided that four cups of sugar was exactly what it needed.  We may never know but whatever the reasoning we will have to live with the results.

3. Stir together and set on low and walk away.  I recommend starting in the evening and leaving it on all night into the next day.  The last hour I turned it up on high. It should look very dark by the end.

Homemade Apple Butter after cooking

4. I was a little worried that the “butter” was not thick enough.  However, it coated the back of my spatula and was slow to drip off.

Now to start canning

Canning supplies for Homemade Apple ButterYou will need a basket to place the jars in a pot of boiling water

Jar graber (technical name – If you are purchasing one be sure to ask for the Jar Graber)

Funnel

Lids that are sterilized and jars that are sterilized.

Check out Pick your own for the exact details.

Ta-Da! Finished product! (ignore the spices)
How to make Homemade Apple Butter

After 15 minutes in the boiling water I had some of the best Homemade Apple butter! I could not honestly believe how easy it was to make and the taste was astonishingly great! It is probably the sugar but who cares, I love it!

Filed Under: canning, recipes Tagged With: , ,

How to make Peach Jam

July 10, 2011 by Leave a Comment
How to make Peach Jam
This weekend my friend and I conquered the world of Jam.  I actually learned several tips that I know will help me in the future and I wish I knew when I first attempted Jam a few weeks ago. Armed with my phone camera I captured a few moments and I am now going to walk you through How To Make Peach Jam for newbies.
Peach Jam -
5 cups finely chopped, peeled,pitted peaches
1 cup unsweetened white grape juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 package – no sugar needed powdered pectin
Makes approximately 6 half-pints
1. Blanch whole peaches.  If you don’t know how, don’t feel bad, I didn’t either.  Have a large pot of water boiling and place the peaches in the hot water for a few minutes.  You will know the peach is finished when the skin is flimsy and is easily removed.  Place the peaches in ice cold water immedately.  The ice cold water stops the peach from cooking. Remove the peach from the ice water and remove the skin.
Blanching Peaches requires a boiling pot of water and a bowl of ice cold water. Blanching helps prepare the peaches for peach jam.

2. Once the you have a bowl of bald peaches you need to remove the pit from the fruit and chop them up.  You need five cups.  Your hands will be extremely slimy.

3. After you have finished chopping the peaches. Combine the peaches, white grape juice, lemon juice and NO sugar needed powdered in a large saucepot. Stir constantly.  Here is a little tip from me to you.  Just because the peaches have begun to boil, it does NOT mean it is finished.  The jam is finished when it coats the back of a spoon and does not slip right off.  This may take a little longer than “bringing it to a boil.” Just keep an eye on it.

Stir the peaches constantly while boiling to dissolve the no sugar added pectin. Do not be worried if you boil a little longer to get the desired consistency for Peach Jam
3. Ladel the hot jam into hot jars leaving 1/4-inch headspace.  Remove air bubbles.  Adjust the two-piece caps.  Once sealed put the jars in to a boiling water canner for 10 minutes.
When the time is finished take the jars out and wait.  Give the tops some time to “pop”.  The top of the cap will be concaved in, just like a store.  The key is patience.  I found that if they weren’t immedately down I was irritated and 10 minutes later after they cooled for a bit the tops went in.
Ball Canning Recipe - Peach Jam. Finished product.
This recipe is from the Ball Canning Book.  I felt that newbies to the hole canning thing needed a little more explanation. I know I would have appreciated it the first time I attempted jam.
Enjoy!
Filed Under: Blanching, canning, How to, Mason Jar, Peach Jam, Peaches Tagged With: , , ,

Canning 101 – Strawberry Jam

June 12, 2011 by 6 Comments

This is not going to be a lesson in canning but rather a brief documentary into my life and my recent attempt to can. 

My first foray into canning was Strawberry Jam. I ordered an obscene amount of strawberries from my local produce co-op with the sole purpose of making homemade jam. I then promptly went to the store to get my supplies.  I am sure that I bought many items that are not needed however I am like a first time mother in this arena so if it looked pretty and the box claimed I needed it, then I bought it.

I am amazed by the amount of stuff out there. I bought four different types of pectin.  Did you know there is liquid pectin?  What is that?  Does it work well?  I may not know exactly what it does for canning but I will tell you that I have a big box of the stuff siting in my pantry.

The beginning of the process: I have all my canning equipment prepared. I am ready to jam and make some strawberry magic.

how to make strawberry jam

Core (take the leaves and stems off) the strawberries and place them one layer at a time in a bowl and smush them with a potato masher.

The process of canning strawberry jam requires smashing the berries

After smashing the strawberries I combined them with 6 cups of sugar.  Yes, 6 cups.  8 cups strawberries and 6 cups sugar. This  is the part that stumped me.  I had two recipes in the Ball Canning book, one required pectin and the other did not. I chose the later because I had no idea what pectin to use!

Strawberries are on the stove top boiling ready to be canned for strawberry jam

There is my operation hub. Strawberries coming to a slow boil and my giant pot of water awaiting filled Ball mason jars to boil.

Strawberries on the stove top making the Ball Canning book Strawberry jam recipe

After the strawberries were thick and had come to a “slow boil”, I finally got to ladle them into their jars. At least they look pretty…

Strawberry jam preserves in the Ball canning for beginners basket

15 minutes later I have a jar of Strawberry something.  The strawberries seemed to have separate and congregate at the top.  Is this normal?! I have no idea! All I know is that I have a solid vacuum seal on this sucker and THAT was my major concern. 

Strawberry jam made with the Ball Canning recipe in a mason jar

So after an afternoon of attempting to make Strawberry magic, I have four jars of this slightly congealed strawberry slime that has a great vacuum seal.

This whole experience was enlightening, unfortunately, I am still left with lingering questions.  Did I do this right? Why do you need pectin if there are recipes that do not call for it? Why is this called canning when I am clearly working with jars?!   I am not sure if I will ever find out the answers to all of these questions but I am determined to die trying.  Alright, maybe that is a bit drastic but it sounded good….

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Filed Under: canning, jam, strawberries
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