Relish day!

Ok, so I am not the most consistent in writing down and sharing recipes. Usually by the time I am done doing a canning marathon with my friend, I am too pooped to even think about blogging.

Yesterday was one of those days. We had oodles of fresh zucchini to process into goodies, and I had hot peppers, tomatoes and other goodies. So we primarily did relishes and a couple tomato jellies! That was all yesterday, my canning began the evening before by doing a bunch of bread and butter and cajun dill pickles for a friend.

It was a LOT of pickles, and the cukes she was gifted were huge!


I also had some beet juice from par-boiling beets to make into this gorgeous and yummy jelly with Thyme. Sadly the pics do not do the color of the jelly justice.....

Yes, I am always about waste not, want not.... your beet water makes so many delish things.... Even wine!

Yesterday's adventures were mostly relishes, but we did do two tomato jellies too, one with basil, and the other called for crushed pineapple and green chili in the recipe. Those can be for another post.

Today's brief efforts were Strawberry Garlic Serrano Jelly and Sweet Pickle relish.

Again, all yum!

Ok, on to pics from yesterday and a couple recipes!

First up as it was requested is Jalapeno Relish. Though a word to the wise, please make sure you process the jalapenos in a well ventilated room, and if you are sensitive to chilies, wear gloves while handling and processing them.

Jalapeno Relish
makes 5 half pints

30-40 small to medium jalapenos
1 large slicing tomato
1 large yellow onion
6-8 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2/3 cup chopped fresh or 1/3 cup dry cilantro
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tsp kosher or canning salt
2 tsp sugar

Remove stems from peppers and finely mince in your food processor, do the same for the tomato, garlic and onion. Mix the minced vegetables with the remaining ingredients and taste to see if you desire more salt.

Have hot sterile jars ready, fill the jars with mix leaving 1/4 inch headspace, wipe the rims and seal with hot lids. Process the relish in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Let the jars cool fully, remove the bands and store. Reprocess any jars that did not seal.

Zucchini Relish
makes approx. 10 half pints

(adapted from Ball Recipes)

12 cups either finely chopped or grated zucchini
4 cups of minced or grated onion (we used a sweet onion)
2 large red bell peppers, seeded and minced or grated
1 large orange bell pepper, seeded and minced or grated
1/3 cup kosher salt
2 1/2 cups of sugar
2 1/2 cups white vinegar
1 Tbl ground nutmeg
1 Tbl ground turmeric
2-4 Tbl prepared horseradish
3-4 serrano peppers, finely minced

Combine the zucchini, onions and peppers in a large stainless mixing bowl and mix with salt. Cover and let stand for a couple hours in a cool place.

Drain and press out extra moisture.

Combine the zucchini, sugar, vinegar, horseradish, turmeric, nutmeg and serranos in a large stockpot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium and boil gently, stirring frequently until liquid is reduced and the mixture is thickened. Approximately 45 minutes.

Ladle into hot sterile jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe rims, seal with hot lids, and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Remove jars and cool on a towel.



And last but not least...

Tomato Basil Jelly
makes 5, half pints

2 1/2 lbs of tomatoes pureed in a food processor
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 Tbl of snipped fresh basil
3 cups sugar
3 Tbl powdered pectin

Place puree, lemon juice basil and pectin in a large stockpot and bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring constantly. Add the sugar and keep stirring and bring to a full rolling boil, boil one minute and remove from heat. Skim off any foam (tip: use 1/4 tsp butter to reduce or avoid foam).
Ladle into hot sterile jars, wipe rims, seal with hot lids and process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes. Remove jars and cool on a towel. Check seals and remove bands after 24 hours.

Remember to have fun with your canning! It shouldn't be a chore! And it's always more fun with a friend or two or even three!

Gluten-free, Corn-free Peach Pie Filling

Yup, I am in full swing picking and canning.... Though being Gluten-free and Corn-free can have it's difficulties and like me, those of us with food intolerances or allergies can have a rough time finding good things to can easily. Many pectins aren't GF or Corn-free. And thickeners that are approved are refined corn starch.

And sadly to say, while other thickeners have been used through the years, they haven't been thoroughly tested and approved as safe. However, They can be just as safe and GF, CF pectins can be found.

Case in point today is for Peach Pie filling. This recipe is also diabetic friendly, and it will can up just fine, and makes a nice thick pie filling.

First, pick your peaches, and yes, I picked a lot of them this year. Just as they are starting to ripen is when you want to make your filling. The peaches we picked this year are amazingly sweet and extremely juicy, so slightly firm is best for this filling.

If the peaches aren't cling free, save the pits for making jelly later. They freeze fine, as do the mushy parts. :)

Wash and slice your peaches, yes, leave the skins on! Yum.....

Ingredients:
12 cups of sliced peaches
1/2 cup plain orange juice (from concentrate is fine, just make sure no added sugar!)
1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup quick tapioca
8 Tbl fresh lime juice
1/3 to 1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom

Have your jars ready and sanitized.
Place peaches, water, and orange juice in the stock pot and bring to a boil. Mix the remaining ingredients together in a bowl  let sit no longer than 5 minutes and add to the boiling peaches. Simmer for about 3 minutes as it will thicken quickly. Remove from heat.

Ladle into 3 hot sterilized quart jars, or 6 pint jars

Wipe rims and seal with hot lids. Process in a boiling water bath, 20 mins for quarts and 15 for pints. Carefully remove jars and allow them to cool on a towel or rack. Remember, any jars that don't seal, should be refrigerated.

Viola! pie filling! and uber yummy!

The Wild Berries in Your Backyard!

Here in the Pacific Northwest we really do have a bounty of wild foods in our backyards. Some of them even may be growing in your yard!

Sadly, many folks aren't aware that so many of the berries that grow in the wild are edible and even delicious!

Case in point today, Oregon Grape Holly, Mahonia Aquifolium. People here in Oregon use them in their landscaping as the flowers in spring are beautiful and fragrant.

The holly shaped leaves turn red around fall time. Though the plant is an evergreen and the leaves are rather prickly, the beautiful blue berries are edible. They also grow in the wild out here.

These little fruits generally hang at the end of branches, and can look much like a cluster of grapes. They pick easily like blueberries. And it doesn't take much to harvest enough for a batch of jam.

I will say though that the juice will stain your fingers, so if you don't want purple fingers for a couple days, pick with latex gloves. And you want to select nice plump tender berries.

Harvesting them is easy. Hold a bucket or bowl under the bunch and gently rake them off with your fingers. When you get them inside, you can pick out the bigger pieces of debris, and put them in a colander. As you rinse them off, shake the colander side to side which will actually help remove any attached tiny stems that may have stayed with the berries and the water will wash them through the colander. Don't worry, they don't bruise or break that easily.  Pick out any unsuitable berries and throw them away. Do small batches at a time, like a cup or so at a time. It goes relatively quickly.

Now onwards.... To the jam making! These tart little berries make a very yummy and silky jam. (sorry, didn't take a pick of the jam, my bad!)

Oregon Grape Jam

4 Cups of fresh picked berries, rinsed.
2 Cups of water
2 oz. of pectin
3 cups of sugar

8, 4 oz. or 4, 8 oz. jars

Boil the berries in the water for about 10 minutes. Using a chinois or food mill with the finer screen, process the cooked berries in batches to remove the seeds but pureeing the pulp, yes, you want the pulp. Discard the seeds.
Return the juice and pulp to the pot and bring to a boil Stir in the pectin and return to a boil. Add the sugar stirring constantly, return to a boil and boil for about 4 minutes, until the mixture thickens.

Ladle the jam into hot sterile jars, wipe the rims, seal with hot lids and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Cool the jars on a towel or rack on the counter.

Even this jam is able to be made your own, you can add things like vanilla, cinnamon, hot pepper flakes, how ever you'd like to try it. But I do promise, this is a very, very tasty little berry when canned.

I consider myself lucky, I have two bushes in my yard, And I can never use all the berries on the bushes. Maybe this year I will try making wine with some, like they do in Spain. I always love to try new things, and learn about all the bounty the land gives us for free!

Asian Cherry Sauce, A Take on traditional plum sauce

This growing season is a fast and furious one for us out here in the Pacific Northwest. Be careful, if you blink and think that fruits and produce will be ready a week later, you just might find yourself out of luck. So pick while you can, be sure to take note of fruit trees in your parks, where you walk when you are out exploring, neighbors who might have fruit trees that they don't want the fruit off of, etc. It's a great way to get summer's bounty to enjoy through the year.

Like for me, finding a wild Montmorency Cherry tree growing when we go walk the dogs. I got very excited! The same type of cherry I had growing in Santa Fe! OH Baby!

Yes these are smaller cherries, but they are some of the juiciest, and you can make so much with them!  And they aren't overly tart or sweet, just perfect little morsels! They grow wild all over out here. And you need to watch them, and pick them as you can because the birds love them and will beat you to them! But they are worth the effort.

They make excellent Jam, Jelly or sauces. And I found they make the best Cherry Bounce! I would venture to say they are probably the juiciest variety out there. I love them.

I will suggest though, that you take the time to find an old style cherry pitter. Like this one:

They will make your work so much easier and faster. You can find a newer one still made through Lehman's online. The bigger cherries will get halved, but because these little guys are so juicy, they won't halve as cleanly. But this tool makes short work of pitting!

Yesterday was the second time I went out to my discovered tree to pick more. They were even more juicy, I thought OH BOY! YUM!

As my friends will tell you, I love to do out of the ordinary for my jams, jellies and sauces. Hey, I can't help it, my creative mind refuses to color inside the lines!

So, with that being said, I sat down to try to find unusual or yummy recipes using cherries. Suffice it to say, there are few out there! So as I was going along trying to figure out what I wanted to make with these yummy morsels, and as I had also picked red plums with the intention of making Asian Plum Sauce, I thought, hell, why not make the sauce using the cherries instead of plums? Yup, that's what I did and now it's history.... mmmmmm, very fragrant and even tastier!

So here is a new twist on another recipe! It's the perfect balance of sweet and tart and nice warmth, which is what we love in traditional plum sauce.

Asian Cherry Sauce

4 cups pitted Montmorency cherries, be sure to strain the pits for that extra juice!
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup finely minced onion, sweet onion is perfect
1+ TBL of dried either crushed or rings of thai chilies
4 cloves of garlic minced fine
1 TBL grated fresh ginger
2 TBL of gluten free soy sauce
1 TBL dried basil

Get your jars ready and the boiling water bath going while you prep the ingredients. Sterilize the jars while you make the sauce.

Add all your ingredients to a stockpot and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Continue to boil until the mix is thick and syrupy.
Ladle into hot sterile half pint jars leaving 1/2 inch head space. Wipe the rims and threads and ensure the air bubbles are removed. Seal with hot lids and rings.
Process in a boiling water bath 15 minutes. And cool the jars on a folded towel on the counter.
Enjoy that lovely pinging sound of jars sealing!

This makes about 4, 8oz. jars of sauce.

If you try this recipe, I would love to hear how it goes and what you think!

Rhubarb and Strawberries! Oh My!

Yup, the season for picking fresh wonderful things and preserving them has begun! Right now we have rhubarb, strawberries, carrots, snow peas, beets and greens all ready for harvesting.

This means for me and many of my friends that our weekends will rarely be spent to ourselves. Started this weekend off with rhubarb and picking strawberries. YUM.

If you go out to do u-pick berries, get to know the farm, check out the fields and see how the berries look and taste before picking! While a field with lots of weeds in it is ok, it is more like a treasure hunt to find the berries hiding. If the field is getting enough water, you'll find nice juicy berries of good size. Of course a more tended to field makes picking a lot easier, but either way, as long as you go picking with a friend or friends, you'll have fun. And it is easy to pick way more than you think.

I thought I wanted about 10-15 lbs of berries, yeah, I got carried away, picked almost 20 lbs. Still good though! They freeze very well and then you have them for all sorts of other recipes as you go through the season!

Today I spent making goodies outside of plain jam or jelly. I'll share the recipes here. :)

First up..... a different jam.... heavenly!

Strawberry Roasted NM Green Chili Jam (adapted from NM State Agriculture dept)
(makes 10, 1/2 pints)

4 to 5 cups of fresh strawberries
2-3 cups roasted and peeled Green anaheim chilies, chopped
6 Tbl powdered pectin (1.75 oz)
1 cup of water
1 Tbl lemon juice, or lime
6 cups sugar
2 Tbl red chili powder

Put berries in a large stockpot and mash, add green chili, pectin, water and lemon juice. Bring to a boil  over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. When boiling, add the sugar all at once and return to a hard boil and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Ladle into hot sterile jars, leaving a 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rims and seal with hot lids. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Allow the jars to cool for 24 hours and check the seals.

And now for something else different! Did you ever consider roasting your strawberries? If not, I'd highly recommend it! Yummmmm....... And I bet this recipe would be good with grilled peaches in place of the strawberries.....

Roasted Strawberry Barbecue Sauce
(makes 3 and 1/2 pints)

5 Cups strawberries, hulled and if large, cut in half
1 small can of tomato paste
1, 4oz can tomato sauce
3 Tbl maple syrup
1 cup sugar
2 Tbl of strawberry (or other berry) jam or preserves
2 Tbl balsamic vinegar
2 Tbl gluten-free soy sauce
5-6 chipotles en adobo with 1 Tbl of sauce (chop the chilies)
1 Tbl garlic powder
1 Tbl ginger powder
2 Tbl Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbl dijon mustard
1 Tbl dried cilantro
3 -5 Tbl red chili powder (depending on your liking for heat)
1 Tbl mesquite seasoning (from Costco)
Juice of 1 lime
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Place the strawberries on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil (you want all the  juices) and roast at 425 degrees F for 20-25 minutes.

Add all remaining ingredients to a large stockpot and bring to a simmer. Add the roasted strawberries and puree using an immersion blender. Simmer for 15 minutes stirring constantly. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Ladle into hot sterile jars, wipe rims and seal. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Remove and let jars cool for 24 hours, then check the seals. 

If you don't want to can the half pint, just let it cool and use for your barbecue! YUM.

Have fun! And I'll try to  keep up with all the things I make this year..... Well I did say try!

Yup, It's Spring and we are all gearing up for the season!

It's spring here in Oregon. And I am loving it! Seeds coming up, gardening fever, things blooming..... And those of us who grow our own food, can and preserve foods are anxious for the season to start. I know I can't wait.  And every day that I see new seedlings poking up I get more excited.

Not all of you know that I'm part of a pretty tight knit group of friends, we love to harvest, put up that harvest and try all these wonderful new foods. Yeah, I am a canning addict and last year was just the beginning! This year I hope to put away almost twice as much as I did last year and I have a couple favorites to share here.

Salsas, what can I say, everyone loves a great salsa. They are a great ice breaker at a party, or potluck, an easy appetizer dish to bring, but did you know that they are good with so many other foods, not just for dipping with chips, but they're great on meats, fish, and even toppings for nachos?

Most people when they hear salsa, they think of a traditional tomato based salsa that is pretty much pureed, like they get out of a jar of Pace or at a restaurant. But they're so much more than that.

Enter the good fresh made chunky salsas....

And yes, you can can them to enjoy all year around! Or you can make them fresh, or even fermented. YUM!

Though I usually make my green chili salsa to take to potlucks as it is very popular and never lasts long. And the longer it sits the warmer or hotter it can get. So be careful of the heat level of your peppers.

Roasted Green chilies are the best and while they're roasting, the aroma is incredible. These were anaheims and poblanos and a few serranos I got this last summer, ready to go on the grill to roast. You can also roast them on a dry skillet on the stove or under your broiler. You want to char the skins, blister them, then let them rest for a bit under a damp kitchen towel for a bit. It makes peeling off the skin easier. And please be sure to use gloves when handling hot peppers! The capsicum can irritate your skin if you have sensitive skin.

When making salsas, the freshest you can get the ingredients, the better your salsa.

Then when you think you've had enough of prepping all your ingredients, And you swear you will never chop another tomato, you will rethink your current thoughts. Because you will be so thrilled with the outcome and you may have found that you have a new food love. So much better than anything you can get at the store. I promise!

Ok, so with all that said, I'll share my green chili salsa and fresh peach salsa with you....

Green Chili Salsa

About 20 lbs ripe tomatoes, Chopped fairly fine
3 large onions, chopped fine
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup each chopped parsley and cilantro (if you don't have fresh, a Tbl of each dry is fine)
2 Tbl sea salt
1 Tbl black pepper
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup lime juice
1 Tbl oregano
10-15 roasted green chilies, anaheims or poblanos are fine, stemmed, and chopped. If you want milder, remove the seeds
5 Serrano peppers, minced. (These don't have to be roasted)
1/4 cup plain red chili powder
1 Tbl ground cumin

Mix all ingredients together. Taste and adjust salt if needed. Have your water bath canner going and ready. Sterilize your jars in boiling water for 10 minutes, and your lids.
Fill your jars with the fresh salsa leaving 1 inch headspace. Wipe rims and seal with hot lids. Process jars in the boiling water bath for 15 minutes for pints, 20 minutes for quarts.
Allow jars to cool on towels on the counter. Check your seals when cool and reprocess any that did not seal or put them in the fridge and enjoy. Try to let them rest for at least a week for all the amazing flavors to meld together. 


Now onto the Peach Salsa! I promise it is amazing, and will quickly become a favorite.

Of course sun ripened fresh picked peaches are a must!

Ready??? Ok, here goes...

Sunny Peach Salsa

6 cups of firm but ripe peaches, diced
1 cup of sugar (I only did a half cup)
1 cup chopped roasted green chilies
2 minced serranos or jalapeno peppers (fresh)
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 tsp sea salt
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/8 cup red chili powder
1  Tbl dried oregano
1 tsp cumin

Mix all together and let sit for a few while you sterilize and prepare your jars and lids.
Fill your hot sterile jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace, wipe rims and seal with hot lids.
Process pints 10 minutes and quarts 15 minutes in a boiling water bath. When time is up, turn off the heat and let the jars sit in the bath an additional 5 minutes. Remove jars and allow them to cool 24 hours on a towel on the counter. Test and check to ensure the jars sealed. Reprocess any that did not or put into the refrigerator.

Let them sit at least a week to let the flavors develop.  I did double the recipe and got around 6 pints of salsa.

Both of these salsas can store at least a year in a cool dark storage place. Refrigerate any jar after opening.

Enjoy them! If you make them this summer, let me know how you liked them. I am looking forward to also making mango salsa and a strawberry salsa. Well there might be a rhubarb salsa in there too!

What is your favorite way to enjoy salsa? I'd love to hear!

Time For a Review and a Giveaway!

First, I apologize for being late in getting around to doing this! No excuses, I've been distracted lately.

OK.... Last post I wrote about Love With Food, a company with great healthy snacks and gluten-free goodies in their snack boxes, who also do great things to help end childhood hunger and food insecurity here in the states.

When my sample box arrived I was amazed at all the goodies in the box! And that it had a theme, this one was for Mardi Gras. Oh my! And there is a lot of stuff in this box! Not just good snacks to enjoy, but also a Pancake and Waffle mix by Cup 4 Cup, chocolates (my favorite treat), Key Lime White Chocolate cookies by Wow Baking Company (and I can attest that they are heavenly nibblers), and other great well made foods. Their tagline is "Share your Love With Food", Artisan Snacks Without Artificial Junk.

I am very impressed at the quality of the items in the box, that everything tastes good and that they also included several coupons in the box for several of these tasty treats. 

Yeah, I am loving them. And I especially love what they're about, which is donating over 400,000 meals to kids that need better food security. 

 Ok, While I could prattle on and on about the tastes of everything, I will get down to the Giveaway...... Love with Food will give two readers a box to try. And if you use their link HERE, you can get 50% off of your first order! Prices are very reasonable for the quality and quantity you'll be getting.

Ok, easy entry, just use the rafflecopter for entries! Contest ends Tuesday, March 10th! Good Luck! And please help support a good company!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

New things coming along with reviews

Well folks, it's a gorgeous spring day in Oregon in February of all things!

Just a quick post here about a new email subscription service for folks with food allergies and intolerances, especially for those who need to be Gluten Free. Yummy snack boxes that help feed kids in need! And, pretty soon we will be doing a few reviews for Love With Food Snack Boxes. They have also generously offered to sponsor some giveaways that we will post when we review the goodies. This gives you all a chance to try out new goodies too!

To be honest, this is a relatively new thing to me, and after some email correspondence from them and reading up on it a bit more, I truly think they have a wonderful thing to help feed hungry kids in the US by donating to help feed kids one meal at a time with each box ordered. This is what they have to say about their program:

What is Love With Food?

Love With Food helps you discover new organic or all-natural snacks delivered to your door every month. Our subscription membership starts as low as $10/month. Every month, Love With Food members will receive a curated box of unique, hard-to-find tasty snacks which varies based on seasonal themes.
For every box sold, we donate a meal to several food banks such as the Feeding America Network and Share Our Strength - No Kid Hungry. Join us to help end child hunger one meal at a time!
Say goodbye to boring grocery selections and start discovering your Love With Food experience!

These are organic and natural snacks and goodies that are Gluten-Free. Which is a good thing for kiddos that may be gluten-free in your family. Or even for yourself if you're out hiking, picking fresh things, or need a quick wholesome snack on the run. Although of course we would encourage you to actually take the time to not eat on the run literally, but take  time to slow down and enjoy what you're nourishing your body with. ;)


And, for those of you who do read this blog, they will offer 50% off of your first box order. Just follow this LINK.  This will take you to their page to start subscribing or ordering your first snack box.

You can also follow them on Facebook at G-Free Foodie
And on YouTube at G-Free Foodie

I will say I do love that some of the major chefs I really admire are helping support this effort to end hunger. And I'm sure you've seen the ads on the Food Network for No Kid Hungry. And for me personally, I am extremely happy to see that some attention is at long last being given to the kids in need in our own towns, cities and country.

So yeah, I'm pretty jazzed to share this with you and help the kids who need help too!

See you all soon!  Lisa

Yummy things even in Winter!

Last weekend I went shopping at some of the Asian markets in Portland. I've had a hankering for mangoes, one of my favorite fruits from childhood. I absolutely love them. Such a versatile fruit.

I grew up mostly with the Haden types, and they grew large in Florida. And so juicy! I've tried the Ataulfo or champagne and found them not as sweet or large.

So when I found them reasonably priced I had to have a flat!

As the week progressed and I awaited them to ripen, I decided to try making my version of cowboy candy using my own bread and butter pickling brine that I use to pickle summer squash in.

Anyone who doesn't know what cowboy candy is, it's basically bread and butter pickled jalapenos. And yes, it's addicting on sandwiches, crackers, snacking.

So, today I set out to make my yummy things.

And today I'll share my cowboy candy recipe with you.

Cowboy Candy

4 lbs of a mix of green jalapenos, and if desired red fresno peppers, washed, stem ends cut off and sliced in 1/4 inch rings
For the brine:
In a large stock pot add
2/3 cup kosher salt
5 cups sugar
2 Tbl mustard seeds
2 Tbl turmeric
2 tsp celery seeds
2 tsp fennel seeds
4 cloves
3 cups apple cider vinegar
2 cups white vinegar

Bring the brine to a rapid simmer over medium heat stirring occasionally.

Ready your jars and lids and have your boiling water bath canner ready.
Pack the raw jalapeno slices into the hot sterile jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Ladle the hot brine over the jalapenos just covering them. Wipe your jar rims and threads with a damp paper towel. Seal the jars with hot lids. Process in your boiling water bath for 10 minutes, (adjusting time for altitude). Carefully lift the jars  out and let them cool on a folded towel for 24 hours. Yes the peppers will float as they were raw packed, but they will meld with the brine and get plump over the course of a week. Let the flavors meld and serve chilled. YUM!!!
This will make 9 pints of candy!

Mango Thai Pepper Jelly

4 Cups of finely chopped mangoes, about 4 large mangoes
1 cup dried thai chili rings
2 Tbl lime juice
5 3/4 cups sugar
2 finely minced garlic cloves
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 pouches of certo liquid pectin

Puree the mango, chili rings, and garlic and add to a large stock pot. Add the vinegar, lime juice, and sugar and bring to a full rolling boil and then boil for 2 minutes stirring constantly. Add the pectin and cook 1 minute more then remove from heat and skim any foam off.

Ladle into hot sterile jars, wipe the rims with a damp paper towel and seal with hot lids. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes, adjusting time for altitude. Remove the jars and let them cool on a towel for 24 hours.

Makes 8, 1/2 pints.

Please note that for those of us who are celiac, after checking the ingredients of Certo's liquid pectin, it appears that it may be safe for us to use. Although as this summer season comes into swing, I'll be figuring out how to make my own liquid pectin from fruits. :)

Enjoy! Please let us know if you try them and if you liked them!

Some things I've figured out and tips to be aware of....

Well, as some of you may have noticed over the past year, I have become quite the canning and food preservation addict. I've had so much fun exploring new flavors, trying and picking new to me fruits and vegetables and putting them up to enjoy through the winter until the next season starts. And I will sadly admit that I probably forgot one of the basic cardinal rules of having food intolerances and celiac. That rule is; ALWAYS READ the labels, EVERY Label!

Read the labels of every ingredient you use to help make that jelly or pickles, etc. DUH! I wasn't as diligent as I should have been, much to my body's distress.

My error and glossing over that simple rule is most likely part of the reason I've dealt with gastric issues all winter. Insert embarrassed facepalm here.

I never even thought to check labels on the pectins used to make my jams and jellies. I just figured that pectin = fruit, right? Well I was wrong. Many commercial companies are sneaky, they love adding unnecessary things to products to extend shelf life and cut down costs and amounts of prime ingredients. Blech....

This is one of the main things I discovered.... Many pectins are processed in facilities that also process wheat and soy, many also contain ingredients from corn, like maltodextrin, dextrose, and usually require lots of sugar to make your jams and jellies. And all that sugar isn't good for those that can't be having sugar either.

So I began to research and really start reading labels of commercial pectins. Sadly most all have that little disclaimer that they're made in facilities that also process wheat, most all contain derivatives of corn in the form of maltodextrin or dextrose. Clear jel/gel and Perma Flo are modified corn starches, and they aren't certified GF either or GMO free.

Well, what is someone like me to use to make goodies that call for pectin or clear jel? I can't use corn products or possible products that may have wheat contamination?

A couple options, I can make my own liquid pectin from citrus rind, apples or other high pectin fruits, or find a certified GF pectin commercially. The only one to date that I have found that is simple citrus pectin, gluten free and corn free is Pomona's Pectin.  They also will work without sugar or very low sugar. I am hoping to try it out this coming season early until apples and such come into season so I can make some of my own.

For me on the clear jel issue and pie fillings or those recipes calling for clear jel, (it's a ultra fine modified corn starch), I've had to be resourceful on my own and experiment on starches I know are safe for me. And while this isn't officially approved with the national canning associations yet, I've been using Arrowroot starch successfully which takes less than the modified corn starches that are clear jel, perma flo, etc. I found I did not get any separation of the finished product months later, things thickened nicely and quickly and several months in from canning them, still look and taste just fine. Though I will note if you haven't used arrowroot starch in cooking or aren't familiar with it, there are tips and tricks to successfully using it so it doesn't clump and fall to the bottom.

Please understand that I am not recommending you use this starch alternative, I want you to be safe, and follow safe canning practices,  I am only stating what I have tried and found successful for my dietary restrictions. And if I find ways to make and thicken things without clear jel, I will certainly share them with you!

I am recommending that if you have intolerances or allergies to foods and such, please, read the labels carefully for all ingredients, unlike myself! Do a little research and source your ingredients from places that can ensure there is no cross contamination, or ingredients that may trigger distress for you. Make your own mixes for pickling, they're simple really, use whole ingredients, fresh things, and be safe as you go along. And I promise that as I go through this coming season, I will certainly be sharing recipes for yummy things to put up to enjoy through the year. And I hope to do so much more than I did this past season.

Loving foods - Tinga de Pollo recipe

It's no secret, I love good foods, foods that have depth of flavors, easy to make and that feeling of contentment when others enjoy the fruits of your labor. I also love surprising friends and family with new dishes and flavors.

Such is this recipe. I have loved traditional Mexican dishes for many years now. I probably love them more than most New Mexican dishes, and I certainly prefer them over Tex-Mex style foods. The traditional dishes are so full of flavor, a nice warmth from the peppers and spices, and they are comfort foods.

Any how, I made this dish, (one of my favorites) for a friend's Mexican food themed pot luck birthday supper. I believe everyone enjoyed it as I didn't have too much in the way of left overs!

It is probably one of my favorites, and I got hooked on it when a friend of mine in Santa Fe had a restaurant for a brief time and this was on her menu. YUM!

And yes, it is gluten-free, and no, sorry, I forgot to get pictures. But trust me, make it for yourself and fall in love..... :)

Tinga de Pollo

2-3 Boneless chicken Breasts
2 cloves, whole
2 cloves of garlic smashed
Simmer the chicken with the cloves and garlic in water, just enough to cover, until very tender and easily shredded.


4 large cloves of garlic - minced
2 tomatoes, roasted
5 chipotles en adobo
2 Tbl adobo sauce
1 cup chicken stock
2 tsp cumin (I prefer to use one tsp)
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp marjoram
2 Tbl olive oil
1 large onion, peeled, halved and sliced
1 large roasted anaheim green chili, peeled and roughly chopped

Blend together the roasted tomatoes, chipotles, adobo sauce, stock, and spices until smooth.
In a medium stock pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat and saute the minced garlic and onions until soft.
Add the tomato mix and bring to a simmer for one minute.
Add the chicken and the chopped green chili, reduce heat to low and let simmer until sauce is reduced by half. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with rice or tortillas for soft tacos.

Though I do need to warn you, this dish does have some heat, but it's not so hot that you can't taste the flavors. If you want it milder, leave out the green chili.

And I managed to make some nice flexible soft tortillas for myself that are not only gluten-free, but corn-free also. They stayed pretty soft and pliable, tasted very good though I am not sure they're the best for soft tacos. I may have to play with them a bit more to see how to get them to stand up for tacos. But they were good! Despite using a store bought flour mix! No sticky dough and easy to handle.

Soft GF flour tortillas

2 1/2 cups flour blend (I used Mama's Almond flour blend)
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup lard or coconut oil
1 cup hot water

mix the dry together and cut in the lard/coconut oil using a pastry blender or two knives, until the flour looks like very grainy sand. Slowly add the hot water, little by little until the dough comes together and is easily handled and not sticky. You don't want it too dry though!
Knead the dough a bit until smooth and let it rest for about 20-30 minutes covered with a damp towel.
Heat a large skillet or griddle.
Divide the dough into 8-10 balls and using 2 pieces of parchment paper, press flat using either a tortilla press or a large flat bottomed pot. Press as thin as you like.
Peel the top piece of parchment off and using the bottom piece, flip the tortilla into the hot skillet and peel off the bottom piece of parchment. Let the tortilla cook about 2 minutes and carefully flip it over and cook another two or so minutes, then flip it one more time.
Remove the tortilla and let it cool a little on a place. Then place it into a zip lock bag while warm. Repeat until all the tortillas are made.
Tip: putting them into the zip lock bag while warm will ensure they stay moist and pliable if you don't eat them all right then and there!

As I said, I really did like the flavor of these, though I suspect the rice flour in the mix may have been one reason they didn't hold up so well for soft tacos. I think I'll try them again, using a bit more coconut oil and less water, that may help make a bit of a difference or try from scratch making my own flour blend. Either way, when I do make them again, I'll post updates. These still would be fab for wraps or a burrito!

Let me know if you try either recipe and how it came out for you and what you think of the Tinga de Pollo if you make it. It really is good and one of my favorites!

More yummy and fun canning recipes!

Ok, I'll stand up and admit it. I am a canning addict. I LOVE, love, love! making new and tasting things that will help carry over summer through the cold months.

I recently joined a really fun group of fellow canners on Facebook in my area, and I've been so lucky to have met two of them already! I think we all though, might need an intervention. My sister keeps threatening to give me one and warns me to put down the bucket and step away from the fruit and produce. I can't help it, I love harvesting and picking the amazing goodies and turning them into things I will love all winter.

I did three new ones this weekend, one of them I wasn't sure how the flavors would meld, but they are amazing together. I've been wanting to do a fig jam for a while now as I love figs, and I finally found some locally grown and plump and delicious.

Of course coming from New Mexico, I do love things with chilies. But I am not into the thermonuclear heat of some of them, I love the ones that give you that wonderful earthiness and subtle heat. So when I came across a recipe for a sweet chile sauce, I had to modify it for a jelly to enjoy.

The third recipe was another onion jam, a bit different though, but equally as tasty, it's going to be great to serve at parties.

Ok, I'll quit blathering and get to the recipes.

Let's go with the fig jam, very very tasty!

Fig Jam with Rosemary

6 cups of diced fresh mission figs, stem removed. Dice fine
3/4 cup of sugar
zest and juice of one large lemon
2/3 cup of good port or full red wine
1 Tbl dried rosemary, crushed
1/8 tsp of sea salt

Toss diced figs and sugar in your sauce pot and let stand, stirring occasionally to let the fruit macerate and most of the sugar is dissolved.

Get your water bath canner ready and 4 1/2 pint jars ready to sterilize

Add the remaining ingredients to the figs, bring to a boil, let boil one minute, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes until the liquid sheets off your spoon.

Ladle the mixture into your hot sterilized jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace, wipe the rims clean and seal with the hot sterile lids. (yes you might have a little left to put in the fridge and enjoy with breakfast).
Process the jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Remove the jars and let them cool on a towel. Store out of the light in a cool place.

Sweet Chile Jelly

10 good sized red jalapenos, coarsely chopped, with seeds
2 red serranos, chopped with seeds
6 to 8 cloves of garlic, chopped (I used two huge cloves of elephant garlic)
3/4 cup white vinegar
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 to 1 1/4 cup water
6 tsp sea salt
3 Tbl arrowroot starch
6 Tbl water

Puree the jalapenos, garlic, vinegar, sugar and 1 cup water in food processor or blender. You'd like it to be as smooth as possible. Transfer this mixture to a non-reactive stockpot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low boil and let it cook until it thickens a bit.
Combine the arrowroot and 6 Tbl of water and whisk until smooth. Add this to the pepper mixture and simmer until thickened, adding the last 1/4 cup of water if you like. This only takes a couple of minutes. It gets thick pretty fast.

Ladle into sterilized hot jars (3, half pint jars). Wipe the rims, seal with hot lids and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Remove jars and let them cool on a towel on the counter.

This is a sweetish jelly with a nice subtle warmth to it. Very nice.....

Onion and Rosemary Jam (small jar on the right)

3 pounds of sweet onions, like Walla Walla or Vidalia (equals 8 to 10 onions approximately)
1 large shallot
1/4 cup grapeseed oil or olive oil
2 - 3 Tbl dried crushed rosemary
2 Tbl dried thyme
3 bay leaves
1/2 tsp chile flakes
3 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/8 cup good red wine
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup sugar

Peel, halve and slice the onions and shallot fairly thin, about 1/4" thick. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large stockpot. Add the onions and stir to coat them then add the rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, chile flakes, salt and pepper. Stir to mix and cover the pot and let the onions cook down until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stirring occasionally.

When the onions have lost most of their liquid, remove the lid and add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a slow boil then reduce the heat slightly and let it simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally until the liquid is reduced by half. This is about 20 minutes.

Remove the bay leaves and discard them. Let the jam simmer a bit longer, about 10 more minutes.

Ladle into sterilized hot half pint jars, (takes 5), wipe the rims and seal with hot lids. Process in a water bath for 15 minutes. Remove jars and allow them to cool on a towel.

That about covers what I've done this weekend, what about you? Maybe next weekend, I'll try my hand at Hawthorne Jelly! Who knows, maybe my friend and I can corroborate on a new type of jellies that can have added health benefits. :)

Enjoy! And if there is a recipe you want to try and I haven't posted it here yet, I will be happy to do so if you let me know what you're looking for!

Being Adventurous and Trying New Things - Golden Beet Butter

I love trying new things and doing new things with some of my favorite foods. One of my favorite foods is beets. Yes I know, not everyone loves them, but then most folks only know of them out of a can. Blech.

Fresh beets are different, very different! There are many varieties and many ways to prepare them. And I love them all. But once upon a time I wasn't a beet lover. My palate changed as I grew older and had a friend have me try his borscht. Well, that little bowl of beautiful red borscht changed my outlook on beets forever. And it seems I can't get enough of them sometimes.

You'd be surprised how many foods you probably eat daily that has beets in them, V8 is one of the ones that comes to mind.

However, aside from my nattering on about beets, I tried something new today. I made a recipe that I found on Pinterest, but changed it a bit for myself and whatever my creative mind decided I wanted it to be.

And yes, you can can it if you'd like or make some for yourself, (yeah after you taste it you may not want to share it) or for a party. I think it'd be fab with goat cheese, or plain on a cracker or piece of crusty french bread, or as the nutella commercial notes, "SPOONS!"

This is before I canned it....

Then I tasted it, and thought I'd found nirvana! I really did moan, it was silky and delicious! I think the color from the gold beets is gorgeous, (imagine using the red or candy cane beets!) and was simple to make! However, I will note, if you make enough to can (3 x the amounts and you'd get 7 half pints and little more), don't forget the maple syrup. Though if I'd thought of it earlier, I would have used the beet syrup I made after boiling the beets from the water in lieu of maple syrup. Maple can be pretty strong flavored, and gold beets have a delicate sweet flavor on their own.

Ok, here goes....

Golden Beet Butter

4 good sized golden beets, scrubbed and trimmed slightly
2 cups lightly roasted macadamia nuts, chopped
4 Tbl grapeseed oil
4 Tbl maple syrup (or use the beet syrup you make with the water)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp sea salt

Boil the beets with just enough water to cover them, until they are fork tender, 30-45 mins approximately. Using a slotted spoon remove them from the pot and put them into cold water. Let them cool until you can easily handle them. While you wait, strain the water and measure the amount and put into another sauce pot. Add about 1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar to the water and bring to a boil then simmer to make a simple syrup.
Peel your beets and chop them.
In your food processor, process the macadamia nuts and grapeseed oil until smooth and buttery. Add the beets and keep processing until smooth scraping down the sides as needed. Add the salt, vanilla and drizzle in the syrup.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge if you're going to serve it right away.

If you plan to can it, fill, hot sterile half pint jars, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Seal with hot lids and process in the pressure canner for 35 minutes. Let the pressure release on it's own, when the pressure has gone down, remove the jars from the canner and let cool on a towel.

Please note again, if you're canning it, you do need to use the syrup, but the syrup can be omitted if you're going to use it at your party or snack on it.

And yes, beet syrup is beautiful, use it in your iced tea, to flavor water or even flavor baked goods too! This is my syrup.... I LOVE the color and it smelled so wonderful!

Waste not, want not. And preserving the summer bounty

As many of you have figured out, I've been very busy during my weekends picking fruit and vegetables and preserving them a lot. I think today is the first day I've sat down to share some recipes with you on canning.

As you can see, I've been busy!

And this picture does not even include the 5 batches of wine or liquor I've done! Nor the 39+ canned items I've shared with family and my elderly neighbors. And those binders have many of my recipes in them.

I've pickled veggies and crabapples, I've made fruit butters, jams, jellies, barbecue sauces, salsa, tomato sauces and crushed tomatoes and even canned tuna (first time ever) and pickled Kelp! And I'm not done yet. Things to do yet for me will be elder berries, quince, and persimmons. I may even can some salmon when I can get some.

It's a lot of work, but also very rewarding and I've been very blessed to have met some wonderful people during all this. And why would you turn down the chance to pick fresh fruit for free and enjoy that taste of summer during the winter months?

I thought I would share a couple recipes, one I have done several times before and is one of my favorites which allows you to use everything in the process, and another new one that I had a request to share. And I'll share another tip or two. ;)

First is the requested recipe I found the original from Rachel Ray, modified a little and canned it instead of refrigerating it. :) And thanks to Ray Cook who is a master canner for telling me how to can it! And yes, that is pickled asparagus behind these lovely little jars.

Caramelized Onion & Thyme Jam

2 Large sweet onions (or like me, 1 HUGE walla walla onion) Chopped into 1 inch chunks
2 Tbl olive oil
1 Tbl of butter
3 Tbl balsamic vinegar
2 Tbl organic cane sugar (I used raw so it had a little of the molasses left in it)
1 Bay leaf
1 Tbl fresh or dry thyme leaves
Sea Salt and Pepper to taste
3 half pint jars with lids and rings

In a large heavy sauce pot, heat the oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onions, vinegar, sugar, bay leaf and thyme. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are becoming tender. Remove the lid, and increase the heat to medium-high and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the onions become caramelized and nice and golden. Season with sea salt and pepper.

While it's cooking, heat your water in your water bath canner and sterilize the jars and lids.

Spoon the mixture into the hot jars and seal. Place into the water bath and process for 10 minutes. Remove jars when done to a towel to cool.

That's it. It smelled heavenly, and yes, I did a taste test.... Oh My Goodness! It's very good! I can see munching on it over all kinds of things.

Now.... I don't have a picture to share of the beets right now, didn't think to get any.... Oh well hey?

Spiced Pickled Beets

4 lbs of beets, scrubbed, greens trimmed leaving a bit of the top, and tap root trimmed but not fully removed
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
2 cups white vinegar
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp or 12 cloves
2 tsp kosher salt

Boil beets with just enough water to cover, cover the pot reduce heat and simmer until very tender, about 25-35 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the beets and put in cold or ice water to stop cooking and be able to remove the skins.

NOTE: Keep the water you boiled the beets in! I'll tell you why at the end!

When the beets are cool, peel and remove the top and slice them. Set them aside

Have your water bath canner  with hot water and Sterilize your jars and lids.

In a separate stock pot, place the sugar, water, and vinegar in. Make a spice bag with cheese cloth and add the spices to it. Place the spice bag in the pot with the vinegar solution and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove and discard the spice bag.

Pack your sliced beets into the hot pint jars leaving about 1/2 inch head space. Ladle in the hot vinegar solution over the beets, remove any bubbles from the sides of the jars with a knife or fork handle and wipe the rims and seal. Process in hot bath for 15 minutes, adjusting time as needed for altitudes. Cool jars on a towel.

NOW, I know you're asking, what about the water we save from boiling the beets in? Well you can do several things with it, but first you need to strain it through several layers of cheesecloth or 2 layers of flour sacking like I have.

You can make a syrup with it, freeze it for soups, OR you can make beet root wine with it. Which is what I do, like this....

Beetroot Wine

1 gallon of beet water (from canning recipe above)
4 lbs of sugar
juice of 3 lemons (no seeds please)
8 cloves

Add the sugar and lemon juice to the beet water, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Add the cloves and cover and let ferment and a warm place out of the light for 3 weeks. (I use  simple gallon jars with an airlock in the lid)
After 3 weeks, skim, strain the wine through at least 2 layers of flour sack cloth or get a strainer bag like a jelly bag, and bottle it.

Wine can be that simple. And this is a delicious wine and depending on the type of beets you processed you can have a lovely golden color or a fabulous ruby color wine. And it's ready to enjoy after aging a couple of months in the bottle. Something to enjoy for the holidays. Of course if you want a deeper flavor or color, cook several more pounds of beets in the water and put some of those wonderful veggies in the freezer!

A few other tips to make the most of your summer harvest. If you're putting up tomatoes and you need to skin them, save those skins, dehydrate them and when dried, crush them or pulverize them for tomato flakes or powder for soups and stews. If you want to try pickled kelp, save the fronds and air dry them outside for kelp flakes for soups. I am sure there are many other tips out there, but these were the ones I could think of at the moment.

If there is a recipe you want to know about, be sure to let me know, I'll share what I've got or done.

Yes it's Canning Season, and Yes I cannot say no to the bounty....

I am fortunate in that the place I live grows a huge bounty of wonderful foods. And with all the bounty that is available at the Farmer's markets, farms for u-pick and wonderful people here in the valley that let you come pick their unwanted fruit, well, as my sister keeps saying, maybe I do need an intervention!

I simply cannot help myself! I LOVE all these wonderful amazing things that are growing! And one way to ensure I can enjoy this amazing bounty through the winter into spring is to preserve, pickle, freeze and can delicious foods.

Last weekend it was to pick plums and bosc and bartlett pears. OH MY! I've made chutney, spiced plums in blackberry port that I also made, an asian plum sauce, and this evening spicy plum barbecue sauce. I love barbecue sauces! So versatile!

I know with all the goodies I've put up with tomatoes, okra, pickles, curry pickled veggies and such, I should probably catch up and share most of my recipes!

And if it weren't for a friend who also cans asking for this recipe, I'd probably get distracted and not share this one.

I'm still learning all the types of plums and fruits that grow here. Way too many varieties to remember!

Anyhow, I had just a little more than 3 lbs left of these and they are ripening fast, so I set out this evening to make a spicy plum barbecue sauce. And I will say, it's very tasty!

Yeah, I'll make this one again..... very good, I can see it basting a ham for Thanksgiving supper. OH BOY!

Spicy Plum Barbecue Sauce 



Makes 3 pints



Ingredients:
3 to 3.5 lbs of ripe plums
4 large cloves of garlic roughly chopped
1 Tbl minced ginger
5 thin slices of lemon
1/4 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup raw organic cane sugar (it will have some of the molasses in it, and be gold colored) or use 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbl Corriander seeds
1 tsp cumin
1 Tbl peppercorns
Sage leaves, about 4 of them
1 Tbl Worcestershire Sauce
3 Tbl red chile powder
2 tsp sea salt



Wash, pit and chop plums and add to stockpot with sugar. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and let plums start to cook a bit.



Make a spice bag with cheese cloth containing the lemon slices, pepper corns, ginger, garlic cloves, coriander, cumin, and sage and tie it closed.



Add the chile powder, garlic, vinegar, salt and worcestershire to the plums and add your spice bag. Stir and cook the plums down till extremely tender at a simmer, stirring occasionally. Approximately 30 to 40 minutes. Turn off the heat and carefully remove the spice bag to a bowl. Using a spoon, press all the juices out and return the juices to the pot. Either carefully using your food processor or immersion blender stick, puree the fruit in the pot, or if you used your food processor, return the puree to the pot. Check the taste and adjust any seasoning.



Return the sauce to the heat and simmer another 15 minutes while you prepare your jars and lids. Make sure your water bath pot or steamer is ready.



Ladle the sauce into 3 pint jars leaving about 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe rims and seal. Process in a water bath for 15 minutes and let the jars cool 24 hours on a towel.



If you don't want to can this for use later, you can store it in jars in the refrigerator up to a month.



I promise it's easy to make, no peeling, and it's very yummy! I cannot wait to have some after the flavors have had a chance to meld a bit more.



This weekend I'll be doing MORE tomatoes into sauce; pick, roast and freeze green chilies; process the ripe pears into a couple of tasty things; and find green beans to make dilly beans! Who knows what else I'll run across! And personally, who cares? I'm having fun, I enjoy it and enjoy meeting so many wonderful people. Thank heavens though I have a 3 day weekend this weekend!

Ah summer and gorgeous fruit!

Yes, it's summer here in the pacific northwest. And we are certainly getting above average temperatures for this summer. Which means all the bounty of amazing fruits, berries, produce are ripening early and big and juicy. Which is wonderful, but it's also making me a bit crazy!

All this bounty has me out picking fruit, sharing the harvest with family and making oodles of different wines. My sister thinks I need a fruit intervention! This thought might be in part to the fact that I have stuffed my poor little freezer full of frozen veggies and fruits. Literally, it's stuffed. And I don't have the space built yet to put all the canned goodies. Yeah, I cannot say no to fresh picked fruits and berries, especially at less than a dollar a pound to pick most or free from fab neighbors.

My latest crazy picking spree garnered me just over 24 lbs of fresh peaches. That's a lot of peaches actually! I got home after picking up other fresh goodies, to include being given 4 HUGE crookneck squash. Looked at all the fresh goodies and thought to myself, what the hell am I going to do with 24 lbs of peaches??? I had thought to freeze some, but can't now, freezer is full with all kinds of goodies I've already picked or harvested. Sigh.... Well, this means I need to can them all somehow.

Well, I had about 5 lbs of them ripe this morn, and the puppy made off with one of them, she thinks all the fruit is tasty. Yeah, right, momma's little helper, right? LOL

These are just a few of them. They smell so sweet!

Ok, what to do with them? I plan to make some into a Butter Caramel Peach Butter, but one can only make so much of that!

Well I came across a recipe for a peach bbq sauce in one of my canning cookbooks, and I decided to make some of that! Though I modified it some.

Got all of my canning stuff lined out, the water bath pot heating to sanitize the jars and lids, and got the ingredients lined out. Sorry I didn't take pics as I went along. I wasn't sure how I'd like it first. I can say it's really awesome!

So, here's my awesome sauce!

Peach Chile Barbecue Sauce

5 lb or so ripe peaches, pitted and chopped. skins on are ok
2 Tbl olive oil
1 Medium sweet onion, chopped
1 large shallot, chopped
6 large cloves of fresh garlic minced
1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup of water or bourbon (your choice)
1 cup worcestershire sauce
4 oz tomato paste
2 Tbl peeled and grated fresh ginger root
1-3 Tbl red Chile powder ( I used 3, NM red chile powder)
Salt and pepper to taste

Have your canning equipment set up and 6 pint jars with lids and bands ready.

In a large non-reactive saucepan over medium heat, heat the olive oil and saute the onion and shallots until tender. Add the garlic and cook for about 2 more minutes. Stir in the peaches, sugar, molasses, vinegar and water or bourbon. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, reduce to medium and simmer uncovered, for about 30 minutes until the peaches are very tender. Let cool for a bit.

Either using a stick blender or working in batches, puree the peaches and liquid and return to the pot. Add all remaining ingredients and bring back to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Ladle the sauce into hot jars, leave about 1/4 inch of headspace, remove any bubbles, wipe the rims clean and seal tightly with lids and bands.

Process the jars in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Remove jars and let cool on a towel.

I had enough to fill 6 pint jars and the perfect amount left over to use for my supper tonight on the grill. Of course I had to taste it! Let's just say it was so awesome it was addicting! 

Now if I could just keep the puppy from wanting to sample them all before I can the rest! I figure I'll make the butter, preserve some and maybe make jam if the other two don't use up all the batch. Of course I'm sharing all this bounty with family out here.

Off to pick crabapples tonight, I know I'll be making another batch of wine from them (which will make the 4th batch of wine I will make this summer) and a spiced apple butter with them. I also will have more apples to pick soon, plums and pears to pick from neighbors. And I still want to pick black berries!

Ok, maybe I do need an intervention.... I just hate to see the bounty go to waste!

What to do with your bounty?

A friend recently turned me on to Bountiful Baskets. It's a co-op that doesn't cost to join, but every other week, you log in and contribute to pick up fresh produce and fruit and other asundry goodies on Saturdays usually.  I had been looking for ways to get back into eating more fresh veggies and fruit again, and usually the produce in the grocery stores has kind of left me flat lately. I've been missing the farmer's markets.

Bountiful Baskets is a great way to get fresh foods at much less than you would spend at the market. You can choose conventional or organic, there are add ons for a bit extra money, things like a juicing basket (which I got this week) that would contain veggies and fruit to juice, Italian veggie basket, fresh baked organic breads, coconut oil, olive oil, and the list goes on.

This week in my regular basket I got pear tomatoes, potatoes, artichokes, avocados, oranges, apples, bananas, celery, romaine lettuce, acorn squash and brussel sprouts. In the juicing basket I ordered I got more celery, beets, kale, more celery, apples, ginger, parsley, carrots, and a pineapple. I am sure I am forgetting things as I filled three huge reusable grocery sacks!

Well, in my humble opinion, there is only so much celery a single person can possibly eat! And these were huge bunches of celery! I love celery, but not enough to eat it everyday. So I had to get creative how to enjoy some of this for supper this evening. Aha moment!

And my Braised Plum Tomatoes and Celery was born.

I served it over brown rice that I had soaked all day, it was delightfully delicious, light and filling. And I am grateful for left overs! I also decided to cook my remaining collard greens for the side.

You might be surprised how good it actually is, and I'm willing to bet the kids would love it too!

Braised Plum Tomatoes and Celery

1 head/bunch of celery, trimmed, washed and cut into 1" pieces.
2 cups plum tomatoes, halved
1 cup fresh chopped parsley
1 cup chopped onion
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 Tbl sugar
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 Tbl coconut oil or olive oil

Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic for 30 seconds, add onion and cook till it starts becoming soft. Add tomatoes and parsley and broth. Cook for a couple of minutes then add the remaining ingredients. Cook down until the liquid is halved and tomatoes are soft.
Serve over rice or pasta. and Enjoy!

Now if you want the secret for a perfect pot of brown rice.... I'll share it with you....

1 cup brown rice
1 Tbl whey
water

Put the rice in a container, add the whey and enough water to cover by an inch. Let it soak 8 hours or even more is fine. Drain the rice and rinse.
In a sauce pot, put in 2 cups water, broth or combo of. Add the rice, and 1 Tbl butter or coconut oil. You can also add cilantro or parsley at this point too. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook 20-25 minutes until the water is absorbed.

That's it, that's all there is to it, and you get the best tasting perfectly cooked rice every time. And in half the cooking time!

MMMMMM, PIES!

Ah yes, time for good foods and pies. For some reason, for me anyway, pies seem to suit this time of year. The time of year you celebrate good things, family and tasty foods. We also take the time to remember to be thankful for those in our lives and all the good things in life.

So, as I was busy today making pies for two celebrations this coming week, I had a request to post them. I didn't quite get as many made as I'd have liked and I now have a smaller oven than I used to. No matter I got at least 4 pies total made, which is a start. So I figured would share all three recipes.

This first one is a family favorite and one of my two favorites. It's so good and creamy, never lasts long.

Buttermilk Pie

1 pie crust for 8.5 to 9 inch pie pan
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 T arrowroot starch
3 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F, prebake your crust for 10 minutes until it is just starting to turn golden.

In a sauce pan over medium low heat, melt the butter and stir in the sugar and arrowroot. Cook just until the sugar is melted and it's smooth. Remove from the heat and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs on medium high until fluffy. Whisk in the buttermilk and vanilla and then gradually add the butter and sugar mixture. Whisk until smooth. Pour into the crust. Place pie on a baking sheet and tent it with foil. Bake for 50-55 minutes until the center is set.
Let cool fully then refrigerate. Serve chilled


This one has always been my father's favorite, and one of mine. However, most pecan pies are made with corn syrup, so I learned to make it better and corn free. It's hard to leave it alone. Yum!

Pecan Pie

2 cups whole or pieces of pecans
3/4 cup honey
1 cup packed brown sugar
5 T melted unsalted butter
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp sea salt
3 eggs, room temp, lightly beaten
1, 9 inch pie crust, prebaked.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix the sugar, honey, vanilla and salt. Add the eggs and beat until smooth and a little airy.
Pour the filling into the pie crust and sprinkle the pecans on top. Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake in the center of the oven for 40-45 minutes until the edges are set and the center is a bit loose. Cool fully on a wire rack.


Recently I was the recipient of some fresh quince. I had never worked with quince before and I was looking forward to making good things with them. They are a very hard dry fruit. The texture is like an apple, only much drier and firmer. They look like a cross between an apple and a pear. They are a good fruit, but really must be cooked to be enjoyed. And they're a very fragrant fruit, especially once you start cooking with them. So my first attempt with them was a vanilla quince butter, Oh My Goodness! Such an exquisite fruit butter, I love it better than apple or peach butter!  As I had some fruit left over I decided on a pie based on a tart recipe I found. I didn't have the large quince some of the stores sell, so I had some smallish to medium sized and this is based on that size.

Maple Caramel Quince Pie

6 to 7 quince, washed well, cored and sliced moderately thin
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup maple syrup

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a large stockpot, melt the butter into the syrup over medium to medium low heat. Bring to a simmer and add the fruit. Stir to coat the fruit and simmer until the fruit is quite tender and soft.

Pour into a 8 1/2 inch pie crust that has been prebaked a bit. Spoon in the fruit into the cooled pie shell and pour the maple caramel mixture over. Make your lattice top or place a solid top on with slits in the top.

Place on a baking sheet and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, tenting the top to keep it from getting too brown.

Let cool well before serving.

And yes, my first attempt I got the outer shell too brown, no matter, it is so fragrant and I cannot wait to taste it.