Apple Butter

What can you make with all those apples you picked???  Apple butter always comes to mind.  I haven't made this in a long time. I think it has been about six years since I tackled apple butter.  Honestly I don't know why because the slow cooker does all the work.

Apple butter does take time, so plan ahead.  It doesn't require a lot of work, just time to breakdown and reduce.  I started mine in the evening and by the next morning it was done.  Now if you don't feel comfortable about leaving a slow cooker go all night, then start it in the early morning, and it will be done by evening.  You need about 12 to 14 hours for the butter to be complete.

I also decided to can my apple butter, which will be holiday gifts this season.  Now you don't have to can it, just simply store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator and it will last several weeks.

recipe

4 to5 lbs of apples; peeled, cored and diced
2 3/4 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 tbsp. cinnamon

Place the apples in a slow cooker.  Mix together sugar and spices and sprinkle over apples.  Start the slow cooker on high for three hours.  Stir the apples once an hour.  After three hours, turn the cooker down to low for 10 hours.  Stir every few hours.  Once the apples start to break down, whisk the mixture to break down lumps; do this every few hours.  The apple butter will thicken and become smooth.  For the last hour remove the lid to the cooker, and allow the mositure to evaporate, stirring with the whisk.

At this point you can store in a container in your refrigerator.  I chose to process in a water canner for 15 minutes.  My apples broke down a lot and I got 6 half pint jars.

Enjoy your apple butter on toast or a topping on pancakes.  Heat it up and pour it over ice cream or pound cake for a quick dessert.  You can also mix 1/2 c. apple butter with 8 oz cream cheese, for a dessert dip with fruit or pretzels.

Strawberry Lemon Marmalade

Some people do their canning in the fall, I do mine all year.  Different times of the year, I do different things.  I am trying to figure out my end of the year school gifts, and decided to make some marmalade.  I will pair it with a home made Challah bread, but any bread or pound cake would be delicious with it. 

For Christmas, I received the Ball Canning Book that has over 400 recipes in it.  After thumbing through it, strawberry lemon marmalade jumped out at me.  This recipe is very similar to strawberry jam, but adding the lemon peel makes it a marmalade.  Also this is a "quick" marmalade and does use pectin to guarantee the setting stage.  I canned this for gifts, but you could make a big batch and store it the fridge too for several weeks.  Make sure to include an ingredient tag for the recipient, for any possible food allergies.

Of course I had to test out the batch. I enjoyed it on Challah bread, but it would also be delicious on toast or scones.  Happy marmalading!!!

recipe (yields about 6 half pints)

1/4 c. thinly sliced lemon peel (about 2 large lemons, just the peel not the pith)
4 c. crushed hulled strawberries (about 8 cups whole)
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 package powder fruit pectin (1.75 oz)
6 c. granulated sugar

Prepare canner, jar, lids by sterilizing.  In a sauce pot, boil lemon peels with several cups of water for 5 minutes, drain liquid and set peels aside.  In a large bowl, hull and crush the strawberries (I used a potato masher).  Measure crushed strawberries in a liquid measuring cup to reach 4 cups.  Then combine lemon peel, strawberries, and pectin in a large pot. Stir until pectin is dissolved.  Bring to a boil, and add sugar all at once.  Return to a hard boil (boil that won't stir down) and boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and skim foam.  Ladle hot marmalade into prepared canning jars leaving 1/4" head space, remove air bubbles with non-metal utensil.  Wipe rims, add lid and ring.  Process for 10 minutes.  Allow to cool for 24 hours.

Stir constantly over high heat

Skim Foam

Finished Product

Pineapple Dessert Topping and Praline Syrup (canning recipes)

Back in September I shared a recipe for canning your own blackberry jelly.  Now I am going to share two more canning recipes, that scream holiday gift giving.  Now before you start thinking you don't have time to do this, just listen. 

Both of these recipes are from the Ball Canning Book, Anniversary Edition.  I made them last year and got rave reviews.  So this year I canned them over the summer, and stocked my shelves for gifting.  Now if you don't want to can these recipes, they are perfectly fine prepared, stored in a glass or plastic jar, and kept in the refrigerator.  Some people are intimidated with canning, so go ahead and make them, just tell the recipient to keep it refrigerated.  There are wonderful "heirloom" type jars you can buy with the canning supplies that would be lovely to present these gifts in.

How am I gifting them this year??? I found really cute tall gift boxes, that would fit a wine bottle, and I put one jar in the bottom and baked a mini pound cake to nestle vertically on top.  I also, took one of each topping and placed them in a square gift box.  With both of these ideas, I have included a small printout of the ingredients and ideas on how to use the toppings.  For example, the pineapple topping is delicious over ice cream or pound cake.  The praline syrup is a great accompaniment to waffles, pancakes, or ice cream.

Pineapple Topping

5 Cups crushed pineapple in unsweetened juice
4 Cups of sugar

Boil until sugar is dissolved and sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Ladle into 8 oz canning jars leaving 1/4" headspace and process in boiling water canner for 15 minutes. Yields approx. six 8 oz jars.
***Boil to gelling point if you want to make jam***

Praline Syrup

2 c. corn syrup
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 c. pecan pieces
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Combine syrup and water in saucepan.  Add sugar, stirring until dissolved.  Bring to a boil; boil 1 minute.  Reduce heat and stir in pecans and vanilla, simmer for 5 minutes.  Ladle hot syrup into jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Process for ten minutes in a boiling water canner.  Yields 4 half pint jars.

What is in the box???

A sweet note!

And two sweet ideas!!!

Linking to these parties!

Blackberry Jelly (canning recipe)

I love canning.  I know it sounds weird to say something like that, but I really do. Somehow it seems therapeutic to me. I watched my mom can her own tomato puree and chili sauce over the years, and loved that in the middle of winter we would have fresh spaghetti sauce. So, I always knew the basics of canning and about seven years ago, I started canning my own things.

The first thing I canned was apple butter and peach apricot butter. I gave them out as holiday gifts that year and received great reviews.  Over the last several years, I have canned things like pepper jelly, pineapple topping, praline syrup, jellies, and our secret family recipe for bar-b-q sauce. 

Today I am sharing a canning recipe for blackberry jelly.  About five years ago, I planted blackberry bushes. On the second year, I had so many blackberries I had to come up with ways to use them. I immediately thought of jelly.  I grabbed the insert out of the pectin box and looked up the jelly recipe. It is really quite simple and you don't need a lot of supplies. I happen to have a canning pot, but any large stock pot will do.  Also canning jars can be purchased just about anywhere these days.  Then all you need is pectin, blackberries and some sugar.

Just as a side note, please use tested canning recipes. I have the anniversary book from Ball with tested recipes that have the correct acid levels and canning times.  You must be careful to use proven recipes, otherwise you risk the chance of contaminated food.

recipe

4 cups crushed blackberries (i used fresh, but you can also use frozen thawed)
7 cups sugar
1 pouch Certo (liquid pectin)

crush blackberries and strain through sieve to remove seeds. cook with sugar on medium low heat until sugar is dissolved and the boil can not be stirred down (about 12 to 15 minutes). add one pouch of pectin and stir constantly for two minutes. skim foam from the top and immediately ladle into canning jars, and process in a water bath for 15 minutes. remove from water bath and let stand for 24 hours. 

All the instructions are also on the insert inside the pectin box.  It's a really nice way to have fresh food to serve to your family or give as gifts.  I will be posting more canning recipes throughout the holiday season. Give it a try :o)

Blackberry