Jenna's Peach Jam

The easiest way to process fruit is by making jam. The first few steps are the same as if you were to bottle the fruit. But the rest is easier in my book. And you don't have to put the jars through the hot water boiling bath (in the canner) at the end. You can flip the jars over and they'll seal!

Equipment and supplies - large stock pot, 6-8 c large Tupperware for cold bath, blender, cutting board, sharp knife (I like steak knives for this job), dishcloth, ladle, 1 c measuring cup, 4 c pyrex, 1-2 c pyrex, small bowl or Tupperware, wooden spoon, small pan with lid.

opt: specialized canning supplies: magnet jar lifter, home canning funnel.  If you don't have these, you can make due with two spoons and your 4 c pyrex.

9 - 8 oz jars (or 4 qt jars), 9 rings and 9 new unused seals.

Jenna's Peach Jam 

makes 8 cups jam (abt. 9 - 8 oz jars

4 c ground peaches

5 c white granulated sugar

1 orange - juice and peel

Opt: 1/2 c cut up maraschino cherries or dried cranberries

1 - 3 oz pkg cherry (or orange) jello

Note: 4-5 peaches (depending on the size of the peach) will make the 4 c ground peaches needed. 

Prep - Wash jars and rings in warm soapy water; rinse with warm water. Or if they're new jars, run in a rinse cycle of the dishwasher and keep there until needed. Put a small pan on the opposite back burner and fill with 1/3 water. Do nothing else for now with that pot of water. 

Prepare a cold water bath (6-8 c. container 1/3rd water, plus ice so it's filled no more than 1/2).

Instructions for Jam:

• Get a large pot on a front burner of the stove filled half full with water.  Turn stove on to high and get it to boiling.
  
  
  
• Slice orange up and blend the whole thing in the blender (making sure there are no seeds in the blender) or carefully squeeze the juice out and dice the peel in very small pieces.  Keep in a small pyrex (the spout is helpful for pouring later).
  
  
  
• Opt: Chop (into fine dice) sweetened cranberries or maraschino cherries.  Keep in small bowl for later.
• Wash the peaches in cold water.
• Place washed fruit into boiling water for 45 seconds (8-10 at a time).  You should be able to easily pull skins off once they've cooled in next step.
• Place par boiled fruit in cold water bath.
• Peel and quarter fruit, taking pits out.  
  
  
  

At this point, there is no difference in the instructions for bottled fruit and jam.  This is where things get different...

• Place fruit into blender and blend well. 
  
  
  
• Empty and rinse the pan you used to par boil the peaches. 
• Pour the 4 c. of ground peaches into that pan.
• If you are using the whole orange, pour a little of the ground peaches into the blender to grind up all of the pulp better.
• Add the 5 c. sugar and stir well in the pan.
• Add the orange peel and juice.
• Place on stove and turn on to 6-7.
• Using a wooden spoon, stir every 1.5-2 min making sure nothing sticks to the bottom.
  
  
  
• Once it's boiling, drop heat down to 4 and boil for 15 minutes. Keep stirring.
• Optional - add maraschino cherries or sweetened cranberries.
• Boil an additional 5 minutes, whether or not you add the cherries or cranberries.
• Turn on the dishwasher with your jars and rings - on quick rinse.  You're getting them up to the boiling temperature of the jam so they don't crack.
  
  
  
• Add the jello - mixing with a whisk to blend.  
• Time to get the water in that small pan up to boiling. This is to soften the sealing lids. Turn on the back burner to high. Bring to a boil.  You'll need to boil the lids face down for 7 min.
  
  
  
• Bring the jam back up to a boil.
• Get the jars ready on a dishcloth.  Rings should be nearby and upside down - ready for  softened tops.
  
  
  
• Ladle jam immediately into the prepared jars, filling to within 1/8-inch from the tops. 
• Wipe jar rims and threads with a wet paper towel.  Use a clean section for each jar.  Any sticky residue will keep the jars from sealing. 
• Place each softened lids on individual rings.
  
  
  
• Cover with lids and rings; screw bands tightly.
• Turn upside down and don't touch for 2-3 hours.
• Then and only then check the cooled jars.  If they've sealed, they can sit on your shelf.  If not, refrigerate.
  
  
  

Almond Butter Oat Balls

 Okay - here's a new recipe...

Almond Butter Oat Balls (makes 24)

Do NOT turn on the oven. It's too hot for that. 😊

I blended my Almond Butter in the food processor, so decided to find something I could make to snack on without turning on the oven.  I had made some cranberry bars and carrot cake bars and oat bars 2 months ago and froze a bunch to last me awhile. Now that they're almost gone, I went searching for a no bake alternative.  I thought I'd add hemp hearts since I have them.  Why not? I think they turned out well. Maybe next time I'll just use 1 T of stevia blend and no salt, though.

I combined two recipes I have, did some tweaking and here it is...

Use the remainder of the almond butter in the food processor (about 1/2 c.)

Add 1 1/2 c Old Fashioned Oats (not quick oats)

2 T stevia blend

5 T liquid (I used 2 T water, 3 T almond milk)

1/2 c unsweetened coconut

1/4 c hemp hearts

1/2 c unsalted raw sunflower seeds

1/2 tsp salt (opt)

Blend well; scrape the sides and blend again.

Roll into balls. Keep in fridge or freezer. Enjoy!

Amazing Red Lentil Yam curry - Instant Pot style

Let's get stated! Chopping veggies and grating garlic and ginger ---

When using a frozen onion, it's a lot easier to chop without tearing up. And when the ginger and garlic are also frozen, using the small grater is much easier than chopping. I like the smaller segments. 

Continue following the instructions below.  

I just use water instead of veggie broth. 

The spices are strong enough I don't notice the difference. 

  

If needed - onion substitute: 1/4 c. minced. 

Add 1/4 c of the water for the last minute of sautéing.

And it's done!

So, so good!!

Add some cooked meat or not. 

Great for a summer meal. 

And it freezes well too.

 

When I say Stevia, I mean this Stevia blend

 It has come to my attention that I may have been confusing when I mention Stevia in my recipes.  Many different kinds of Stevia and blends are available.  Although I don't like many of the erythritol blends, I have found that this one is quite good.  It is easier to find and less expensive than the PURE stevia powders out there.  Whatever you use, I'm sure you're used to tweaking things to work.

Just don't be confused about what I use in my recipes.

Thanks!

Coconut Cranberry Chews

November 2024 Update  -

I'm finding ways to simplify when I bake. Six weeks ago, I split the recipe below so I had two half recipes. As I measured, I did so to mix and bake one batch while at the same time, I placed the second half batch into two containers for the next time: wet and dry. 

I placed all of the wet ingredients in a wide mouth canning jar and the dry in a gallon sized ziplock.

Place them in their containers in this order: 

Wet --> 3/4 c Olive Oil, 1 1/2  tsp vanilla, 1 c. whole cranberries (if frozen, thaw for 20 min), 2 T Orange Juice concentrate, 1/4 c unsweetened almond milk, 1/4 c water.   And the optional 1/2 orange peel (diced)

Dry --> 1/2 c each: unsweetened coconut, vanilla protein powder (pea protein) and old fashioned (or gluten free) oats, tapioca starch, rice flour; 1/4 c Pyure Organic Stevia blend.

I placed them on the door of my second fridge so I wouldn't forget them.

It was so easy tonight. I just preheated the oven, mixed the already measured ingredients in the two containers together, greased a cake pan and boom - bars. 

Or drop by Tablespoon on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 F for 11-12 min. Let cool on pan before moving.

350 F for 20-22 min. Cut when cooled. Enjoy!

Note: If they are too crumbly for you. try drizzling 1/2 c. refrigerated coconut milk onto the hot bars when they come out of the oven.

Original Chews --> posted on 27 March 2021

Preheat oven to 350 F

Place in large food processor and mix the following seven ingredients 2 c each: unsweetened coconut, whole cranberries (if frozen, thaw for 20 min), old fashioned oats.

1 c Pyure Organic Stevia blend, 1 1/2 c Olive Oil, 3 tsp vanilla, 1/2 orange peel (diced)

Mix well.  You'll know when you're done because the color will turn pink and cranberries will be in chopped with the largest size being fourths.

Add these to mixture: 1/2 tsp salt, 1 1/3 tsp baking powder, 2 c flour of choice (almond, coconut, brown rice, oat), 1 c tapioca starch.

Blend well.

Opt: add up to 3 T monk fruit liquid sweetener if it's not sweet enough for you.

Drop on greased (use coconut oil spray) jelly roll or cookie sheet by Tablespoon.

Bake at 350 F for 11-12 min.  Take out immediately and let the cookies cool for 10 min in pan.  Move to cooling racks and either pop them in your mouth, serve or let them continue cooling completely before moving into container for storing.

note: they are a little greasy and moist when you place them on the pan, but this is necessary for things to stick together and for the final product to not be crumbly and dry. 

This is the Stevia I use in all of my recipes.

Deanna's Sourdough Bread class

 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bAuR2_p4_kQjwAR_f4P_8EajMXEf83RSjSnSuoA2SIE/edit?usp=drivesdk

Check it out!

Dave's perfect bagel and cream cheese

Put cookie sheet (or correct sized metal pan) in first on top rack and turn broiler on. 

While pan is getting hot, cut open bagel(s) and spread w cream cheese. 

When the cookie sheet is hot (3-5 min), pull out pan and place open faced bagels on pan.

Close oven door for 1st 90 seconds. Then open door slightly. Watch until it gets brown.