Small Batch Preserving

 

I arrived home from our family reunion to find that the produce in my fridge needed some attention. We all have times when what we purchased at the grocery store begins to languish and the plan for it being eaten has changed.  This week we are unexpectedly down a few family members to help eat the fresh produce, so rather than have it spoil, I spent a few minutes to process it.

It really was a few minutes.  I had a head of cauliflower, a 1/2 pound of bacon, a bunch of asparagus and a red pepper to process. With just a little effort, all of those things are in my freezer, saved for another day's use. We always think of canning, drying or freezing when the harvest is on and the abundance flows in, but this can be done throughout the year. If you try it, you will be surprised at how easy it is.

To freeze the cauliflower and the asparagus (and most other vegetables), you need to blanch it.  Set a pot of water boiling while you wash and  cut your veggies, then pop them into the boiling water for a minute or two. You are not cooking it, you blanch to kill bacteria that deteriorate your produce while in the freezer. After the couple of minutes are up, you plunge the veggies into a cold water bath to stop the cooking process. Drain well, pack into freezer bags, label and freeze. I used my saucepan for this, since it was such a small batch. (When I have large batches--although it sounds kooky--my favorite tool for blanching is my wok; with the large surface area you can get a lot of peaches or tomatoes done quickly.) Different vegetables are blanched for different amounts of time. There are online tables for blanching times, or you can refer to a Ball Blue Book.

To freeze the bacon, Brown and drain on a paper towel, let it cool, then crumble and put it into a freezer bag. Squeeze out all the air. It is super handy having cooked bacon in the freezer! This same method is used for most meats. You can read more on this here.

To freeze the pepper: Wash, slice, put them in a freezer bag and place in the freezer. Peppers and onions don't need blanching before freezing. I slice mine for ease of use. It allows me to take out the amount I want, and further dicing is really easy when they are frozen, you can even break them into cubes for cooking. Use these from a frozen state.

General guidelines: berries can be frozen like the pepper, wash and freeze. Here is a how-to for freezing zucchini and one for winter squash. There are a some other small batch preservation recipes on the blog, here are a few: 

Refrigerator Pickles, Freezing Tomato Paste, Family Spaghetti

Once you start thinking this way, you could even have a double-preserve situation, like stashing a bag of cranberries in the freezer, and later using them to make Cranberry Orange Butter! So smart and yummy!

Jenny

Orange Chocolate Chip Scones

 

Growing up in the west, scones were a fried bread affair, but as an adult, I've found several English type scones that I love as well. These are a scrumptious way to start any day! Orange and chocolate are a yummy pairing, but you could also substitute dried cranberries for the chocolate chips to enjoy a different experience. 

Orange Chocolate Chip Scones

3 c. flour (you can use part white, part wheat)

3/4 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

2 tsp. orange zest

1/2 c. cold butter or margarine, cut into pieces

3/4 c. chocolate chips

3/4 c. buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix first 6 ingredients in a bowl.  Add pieces of butter and cut in with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Stir in chocolate chips, add buttermilk; stir until evenly moistened.  Turn dough onto lightly floured board and knead about 10 turns. Divide in 1/2, and form 2 6-inch rounds, placing them on a greased baking sheet. Using a knife, cut through the dough forming 6 wedges. Do not separate them. Bake in preheated oven for 20 min. until golden brown. Remove from oven and glaze while warm. Dust with additional powdered sugar if desired.

Glaze:

1 c. powdered sugar

2-3 Tbsp. orange juice

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Mix together until smooth, adding orange juice to desired consistency. Drizzle over scones.

Notes: These puff up quite a bit, so make sure they have space to do that on your baking sheet. 

Some of my favorite fried scone recipes are also on this blog, you can find them at these links: Ever-ready Scones; Quick Scones and Sour Dough Quick Scones.

Jenny

Rocky Mountain Apple Bread

Happily apples store well and this quick bread can be made even in the spring. I love the flavor of this with the loaded goodness of the walnuts and raisins. The recipe is from an old Sunset Breads cookbook.

Rocky Mountain Apple Bread

4 eggs

2 c. sugar

1/2 c. buttermilk

1/2 c. mayonnaise

1 tsp. vanilla

3 1/2 c. flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 medium apples, peeled, cored and chopped; use tart apples

1 c. raisins (I use 1/2 c. each raisins and dried cranberries)

1 c. walnuts, chopped

Beat eggs, sugar, buttermilk, mayonnaise, and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth.  Add flour, salt, soda, baking powder and cinnamon and stir until just mixed. Add apples, raisins and walnuts and stir to combine. Spread batter into 2 greased 9x5 loaf pans. Bake in a 375 degree oven until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 min. Let cool in pans for 10 min., then turn out to finish cooling on a rack. Makes 2 loaves.

Notes: Only use real mayonnaise, not salad dressing for this, also low fat mayo breaks down in the oven and shouldn't be used. You can use this trick for getting quick breads out of the pan nicely. 

Jenny

 

Plum Kuchen

 

This is a fall treat with fresh plums. A little cross between a cake and a shortbread texture, this will be very best with juicy plums.

Plum Kuchen
1/2 c. soft butter or margarine
1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
3/4 tsp. almond extract
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
20 plum halves (this varies according to the size of your plums.)

Topping
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9 inch round pan. Cream butter and 1/2 c. sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time; add flavorings, beat well. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Pour batter into pan. Arrange plum halves in batter, cut side down.

Mix topping ingredients and sprinkle over plums and batter. Bake for 30 min. Serve warm or cold with whipped cream if desired.

Notes: When it is warm and fresh, I like it with whipped cream or ice cream, but if there is any leftover, I love a scoop of this in a bowl with cold milk over it for breakfast. Yum!

Jenny

Sharing my End-of-Summer Watermelon

I went to the store today for a gallon of milk and some lettuce. As I walked through the produce section, there were the most immense watermelons I have maybe ever seen! I had not come for a melon, but I reached in to thump one, like my grandpa always did, and it sounded perfect. "Hmmm. Wonder how much one of those behemoths cost?" I wrestled it out of the box, boosted it into my cart and wheeled it off to gather my other groceries.  When I got to the checkout, and they put it on the scale, it wouldn't register...because the scale only goes to thirty pounds!!! So, however much my watermelon really weighs, I only paid for 30 pounds of it, because that is how they deal with such a thing. (Wish I could get on a scale that only weighed up to about 130 lbs, and just have them credit me with only weighing that much.) At any rate, it was a perfect melon, crispy and sweet, and we couldn't quite eat the whole thing that night, but by the next morning, we had bested it.

This has been a weird summer for me. For most of the summer, my two oldest daughters were living away from home and my two middle children were working all week at a scout camp, where they lived in tents and only came home on weekends, so during the week, we would sit down to dinner with just my husband, myself and my two youngest children. The big table seemed lonely, and the chickens had lots of extra scraps, because I have trouble remembering to down-size my recipes.  But, two weeks or so ago, my house filled back up again, and I have been ecstatic to have all my kids around. We have even had my married son and his little family for Sunday dinner and ALL the chairs were filled, and my heart. So, at this moment, we are equal to a big melon. I am savoring it all here at the end of summer, before some of them leave again.  I am glad to see them grow, and be so independent, but my favorite is when they are all together, teasing and laughing and sharing joy.

The blog has been broken for quite some time. Last October, Blogger made some changes that affected my template and it has taken my tech-challenged brain a long time to figure it all out, but we seem to be mostly functional again, and I am not discouraged when I log on now, so hopefully some new recipes will show up. Thanks for stopping by to catch up with me and my family! Labor Day is coming, you might check out this post to find menu suggestions for the holiday. Enjoy all of your last lovely summer experiences!

Jenny

Cranberry Cream Cheese Muffins

These are deluxe yummy perfection! The cake is tender and rich and the tart cranberries make a nice contrast. I think the batter would lend itself to some experimenting with other berries, especially tart ones like raspberries or black berries.

Cranberry Cream Cheese Muffins
1 c. butter, softened
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
2 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 c. chopped pecans

Cream butter, cream cheese, sugar and vanilla.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in dry ingredients until just moistened. Fold in cranberries and pecans. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 min. Cool 5 minutes in pan before removing to wire rack. Yield 2 dozen muffins.

Notes: Frozen cranberries go into the batter straight from the freezer, don't thaw them, just stir them in. Also, to freeze cranberries when they are in season, just take the bag of cranberries out of your grocery bag and place it right in the freezer. Use within a year. This recipe is from Taste of Home 2008.
Jenny

Pears and Cream Pie

Another pie for your summer fruit! This one has a buttery topping and creamy filling.

Pears and Cream Pie
3 c. chopped pears
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 c. cream
1 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
1 unbaked pie shell

Combine pears, sugar, egg, cream, flour, vanilla and salt in a bowl; mix well. Pour into pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. While baking, make topping:

Topping:
2/3 c. flour
1/3 c. sugar
1/4 c. butter

Combine ingredients in a bowl and mix until crumbly.  Sprinkle over pie. Bake for 30 minutes longer or until browned.

Jenny

Blackberry Sour Cream Pie

I found some fresh blackberries last week at the store, and felt like pie would be in order. (I always do think pie is in order.) This beautiful pie is a berries-and-cream kind of experience, rich and delicious-but easy to assemble. The recipe comes from a booklet of pies and pastries compiled by home economics teachers.

Blackberry Sour Cream Pie
1 unbaked 9 inch pie shell (or click here for a pastry recipe)
4 c. fresh blackberries
1 1/4 c. sugar
1 c. sifted flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. sour cream
2 Tbsp. sugar

Place cleaned blackberries in pie shell. Sift sugar, flour and salt into a bowl, stir in sour cream to combine; mix well. Pour cream mixture over berries, sprinkle top with 2 Tbsp. sugar.  Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees, bake for 30 minutes longer.  Cool on wire rack.

Jenny

Cranberry Walnut White Fudge

Try this to sweeten up your Valentine this year! The fudge is creamy and cheerful with the red peeking out of the pieces. We loved this!

Cranberry Walnut White Fudge
1/2 c. butter (no substitutes)
2 c. sugar
3/4 c. sour cream
1 c. vanilla or white chocolate chips
1 jar (7oz.) marshmallow creme
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. coarsely chopped walnuts
1 c. dried cranberries, coarsely chopped

Line an 8 or 9 inch square pan with foil or plastic wrap, and butter or spray with pan spray. Set aside. In a heavy saucepan, bring sugar, sour cream and butter to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir until a candy thermometer reads 234 degrees (sea level) or soft ball stage. Remove from heat. Stir in chips, marshmallow creme and vanilla until smooth. Food in walnuts and cranberries. Pour into prepared pan. Let cool at room temperature. When cool, remove foil and cut into pieces. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Yield: 3 pounds.

Notes: adjust the temperature for your altitude.

Jenny

Raisin Nut Bars

My mother loves raisins and nuts in everything, so in some sympathetic eating, I decided to try these. They are good, I might be my mother's daughter! The recipe comes from a little pamphlet called Bar Cookie Bonanza.

Raisin Nut Bars
1 c. raisins
1 1/2 c. water
1/2 c. butter or margarine
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. baking soda
2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 c. chopped nuts

In a microwave safe mixing bowl, place raisins and water.  Microwave on high for 1-2 min, until fruit is warm and plump.  Add butter, egg and baking soda to raisins and water, stir together.  Add flour, sugar and spices and blend in nuts.  Mixture should be the consistency of cake batter.  Spread into bar pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 min.  Cool.  Glaze.

Glaze:
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. butter, melted
1-2 Tbsp. milk
Combine sugar and butter, add enough milk to make a very thin glaze.  Drizzle over cooled bars.  Let glaze set before cutting.

Jenny

Carrot Bars

I took the photo without the frosting so you can see how packed with delicious goodness these bars are. You can add coconut to them too if you like.

Carrot Bars
4 eggs
2 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. oil
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 c. chopped walnuts
1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple, well drained
2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
3 c. grated carrots

Beat eggs until light. Gradually beat in sugar.  Add oil, then dry ingredients and mix well. Fold in carrots, pineapple and nuts.  Spread into 2 greased 9x13 pans.  Bake at 350 for 25-30 min.  Cool and top with cream cheese frosting.

Notes: I made this in my really big sheet pan and the recipe fit perfectly.  I also sprinkled cinnamon-sugar over the frosting to make a sugar crust--excessive and wonderful! If you are serving a smaller group, divide this is half and bake it in just one 9x13 pan.

Jenny

Irish Soda Bread-Sweet

This is a fun treat to serve along side a meal.  The recipe comes from Sunset Breads cookbook.  It is like eating a biscuit, only a bit sweet.  I am posting a savory version soon.

Irish Soda Bread-Sweet
3 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 c. raisins (or dried currants)
1 3/4 c. buttermilk
2 large eggs
3 Tbsp. melted butter or margarine (divided)
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Mix dry ingredients with raisins in a bowl.  Combine buttermilk, eggs, 2 Tbsp. butter and vanilla and beat until blended. Add egg mixture to dry ingredients and stir until evenly moistened.

Spread batter into a greased 10 inch oven-proof frying pan or cheesecake pan with removable bottom.  Drizzle with remaining 1 Tbsp. melted butter. Bake at 350 degrees until bread is browned and pulls away from sides of pan, about 45 min. Serve warm or room temperature.  Makes 1 loaf, about 10 servings.

Notes: to "oven-proof" your skillet (unless it is cast iron, like mine) usually just takes wrapping the handle in aluminum foil. The leftovers were yummy with cocoa for breakfast

Pineapple Coconut Meringue Cake

Remember the Cherry Meringue Cake? Well, this is a similar recipe, but made in two layer cakes and stacked with a filling of whipped cream.  The original came from the 1929 Better Homes and Gardens cake contest. I have made the coconut changes. Try this, you will love it!

Pineapple Coconut Meringue Cake
1/4 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. sugar
2 egg yolks (save the whites for the topping)
1/2 tsp. coconut flavoring
1 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. shredded coconut
With a hand mixer cream butter and sugar together until fluffy.  Add the egg yolks and flavoring, mix well. Combine dry ingredients and add them alternately with the milk to the creamed mixture. (Cake Method) Fold in coconut. Divide batter into two greased and floured 8 inch cake pans.

Topping:
2 egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. coconut flavoring
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. shredded coconut
Using clean beaters, beat the egg whites and flavorings until soft peaks form (tips just curl over).  Gradually add sugar.  Beat until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight).  Add coconut and just beat to mix. Drop spoonfuls of topping onto unbaked batter in pans, then carefully spread to cover.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 min. Cool in pans 10 min. Carefully remove from pans and turn meringue side up to cool. Place on rack, cool completely.

Filling:
1 c. whipping cream
2 Tbsp. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. coconut flavoring
1 c. crushed pineapple, drained really well
(Make filling about 2 hours before you want to serve the cake.) Combine whipping cream, powdered sugar and flavoring.  Beat until soft peaks form.  Fold in pineapple.  Place one cake, meringue side up on plate.  Spread filling over top.  Place second layer, meringue side up on filling.  Chill in refrigerator for at least one hour, but not more than 2 hours.  10 servings.

Notes: to just make a pineapple meringue cake, eliminate coconut and coconut flavoring, replacing flavoring with vanilla in the topping and cake.  You can press chopped pecans gently into the topping before baking for a pretty presentation if desired.

Jenny

Peaches and Cream Pie

This pie tastes so summery, even in the dead of winter.  Canned peaches to the rescue!  We doubled this to make two.

Peaches and Cream Pie
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
3/4 c. powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. almond extract
3/4 c. whipping cream, whipped
1 (16 oz.) can sliced peaches,  well drained
1 (9 inch) graham cracker crust
Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth.  Beat in sugar and extract.  Fold in whipped cream and peaches. Spoon into crust. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. 8 Servings

Notes: I diced the peaches.

Jenny

Coconut Cherry Meringue Cake

This pretty little cake is so festive and special, without being hard to make. This recipe is one of Alison Holst's and I have been making it since my college days.

Coconut Cherry Meringue Cake
1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. sugar
2 egg yolks
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. coconut
1/4 c. maraschino cherries, halved
1/4 c. milk

Meringue:
2 egg whites
5 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 c. coconut
1/4-1/2 c. maraschino cherries, halved

For Cake: With a hand mixer, cream butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until light.  Add egg yolks and flavorings and beat again.  In a separate bowl combine dry ingredients with coconut and cherries and toss to coat with flour.  Tip dry ingredients and milk onto creamed mixture and fold until mixed.  Spread this mixture into a ring pan that has been lined with parchment paper. (I use a 2-part angel food pan with an outer ring and removable insert bottom. Trace around the bottom onto parchment paper, cutting paper to fit inside the ring.)
For Meringue: beat the egg whites until foamy.  Add the sugar and beat into stiff peaks.  Add the flavoring, cornstarch and coconut and beat briefly or fold in to mix. Spread meringue over uncooked cake and decorate with remaining cherries.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 min. until the top is a light golden brown and the sides start to shrink from the pan.  Cool for 10 min. Run a knife around the outside edges of the cake and lift out the center insert. Run a knife around hole in the center of the cake, then using a wide spatula and your hands, lift the cake from under the parchment paper, removing paper and cake to a plate. Cool completely before serving.  Slice with a serrated knife.  If the knife sticks to the meringue, dip in hot water first.

Notes:  It can be tricky to get this beauty out of her pan.  I found a recipe recently where they bake a meringue cake like this in a 8 inch circle pan lined with parchment.  I'm guessing it would work that way too if you like to try.  Also this cake is small enough that my mother would only call it a sniff for my crew of 9, so next time I make it, I'm going to try making it bigger.  Wish me luck, or let me know how it goes if you try it!

Jenny

Mock Strawberry Shortcake

I remember when this recipe became popular in my small hometown.  It seems like someone decided it would be the dessert for the annual sheep sale which was a huge event at the time, and then it was so popular we had it at every swanky function ever after.  Nobody was sad to see it come out of the kitchen.  It looks elegant and tastes lovely and fresh with spring strawberries and you can make it in bulk on large cookie sheets, so it was handy for a crowd.  Recently my mother made it for my children, and now we will be eating a lot of it this spring, because it is all the rage again. :-)  Try it for Mother's Day tomorrow! I think it would make a great 4th of July dessert as well!

Mock Strawberry Shortcake
1 white or yellow cake mix and ingredients to make cake
White layer:
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 c. powdered sugar
1 (8 oz.) container Cool Whip
Red Layer:
1 pkg. Danish Dessert (located by the Jello usually) or use this homemade version
2 c. sliced strawberries

Mix cake mix according to package directions.  Bake and cool completely.  Blend together cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth.  Blend in Cool Whip.

Spread white layer on cooled cake.  To make strawberry layer: make Danish Dessert according to package directions or use this homemade version.

Add sliced strawberries and cool completely.  Then spread over cake and refrigerate for at least 2 hours until top layer is set. (you can serve it before, but it might run down the sides of the slices)  You can also make this ahead and refrigerate, covered loosely with plastic wrap overnight.

To make this for a crowd:  Spread cake mix into a large, heavy duty cookie sheet.  Bake until golden (probably about 20 min).  Cool.  Double ingredients for white and red layers.  Proceed as directed.

Notes: I recently made this with this cake recipe: Yellow Cake (3 Egg Cake).

Jenny

Brown Sugar Fruit Dip

 This fruit dip is fast and easy to make, and especially nice with tart apples, but good on any fresh fruit.  The recipe comes from an old Taste of Home cookbook.  We recently made it to go with this Kermit the Frog fruit plate for our Muppet themed Founder's Day party. (This Kermit isn't as professional as his online inspiration, but he gave us a giggle anyway.)

Brown Sugar Fruit Dip

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

3/4 c. packed brown sugar

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

Beat ingredients together until well blended.  Serve with fruit for dipping.  Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Can be made a few days ahead.

Jenny

Caramel Pear Pudding

I visited with a friend yesterday who told me she doesn't like pie!  I don't think I've ever met anyone who didn't like one kind of pie or another, but she doesn't like the crust, so anything you put on it is basically insulted by the proximity of the crust.  Well, Jen, this kind of dessert is for you.  All the lovely fruity splendor of pie, no crust to worry about!  And for me, this is just what fall is about, those gorgeous fall fruits made into comforting warm food--best served with ice cream.  This one comes from Taste of Home in 1999.

Caramel Pear Pudding
1 c. flour
2/3 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
pinch of ground cloves
1/2 c. milk
Combine the above ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat until smooth
Stir in:
4 medium pears, peeled and cubed
1/2 c. chopped pecans
Spoon into a greased 2 quart baking dish.
In another bowl, combine the topping ingredients:
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. butter or margarine
3/4 c. boiling water
Pour over batter.  Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 45-50 minutes.  Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream if desired.

Jenny

Apples For My Children

I really do love being a mom!  My children are just my favorite people and I love to be with them.  In the last couple of weeks, we have been enjoying the fresh apple harvest together with some simple recipes and activities.  I posted them all this morning for you to play with too.

Apple Ring Pancakes
Caramel Apples Kids Can Make
Fried Apples

If you want more apple recipes to browse through, try this link:
Recipes For Apple Season

Jenny

Apple Ring Pancakes

These are fun to serve in the fall, with a sprinkle of powdered sugar and a drizzle of syrup.

Apple Ring Pancakes
apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into rings  (We used a slicer that turns the apple and peels at the same time.)
your favorite pancake batter, I use this one

Place apple rings on a hot, greased griddle

Pour pancake batter over and around the rings.  Cook just as you would normal pancakes.

Serve warm with syrup and powdered sugar.

Jenny