I made up a batch of these pickled green tomatoes to use up some of the unripe tomatoes knocked off the vines during our recent hail storm. We picked all the storm damaged fruit, and trimmed off the spoiled bits, saving the undamaged parts for preserving. I found a number of green tomato recipes, but pickled green tomatoes seemed most likely to appeal to my family. (The crew groaned out loud at the green tomato mincemeat recipe.) We like dill pickles, so why not dilly green tomato pickles?
Blueberry Pear Jam – Sweet, Luscious Pears and Ripe, Juicy Blueberries
We were once again blessed with an abundance of pears from the neighbors after helping them harvest their pear tree, so I decided to experiment with another pear jam combination. This time around we made blueberry pear jam, pairing up the sweetness of the pears with berries, lemon and a touch of vanilla. My husband still prefers the cranberry-pear jam, but my sons gave this combo a “thumbs up”.
Cranberry Pear Jam – Traditional and Low Sugar Recipes
I tried plain pear jam several years ago and was underwhelmed. The taste was quite bland. This year I've been blessed with a bounty of pears from the neighbors again, so I went looking for some different recipes. First I took the most overripe pears and made up a batch of pear wine with candied ginger. Next I ran across a recipe for Autumn Cranberry Pear Jam in the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving. (If you enjoy canning, I highly recommend this book. There are tons of great recipes!)
I didn't have a couple of the ingredients (they used liquid pectin and apple juice), so I made some substitutions for the first batch. We loved the flavor profile of the traditional jam, but it was quite sweet. I made batch #2 with Pomona's Pectin and less than half the sugar – much more fruit flavor. I'll share both versions here so you can choose the one that you prefer. [Read more…]
Grandma Catherine’s Old Fashioned Carrot Cake Recipe
Grandma Catherine's carrot cake recipe has been enjoyed by our family for decades. I spent many wonderful hours with grandma while mom was busy on the farm, and will always remember her kind eyes and loving heart. This carrot cake recipe is nice and moist, never dry. The original frosting is on the sweet side for our tastes now, so I'm including a version with less sugar.
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How to Make Apple Jelly With Just Two Ingredients
Learn how to make apple jelly with no added pectin and your choice of sweetener – sugar or honey – to enjoy for fresh eating or canning with this easy recipe. The natural pectin in apples prompted the authors of Stocking Up III to call apple jelly “the simplest of jellies” because it is made with only apples and sweetener. Make a little jelly or a lot – you can use the sweetener guidelines to adjust for the amount of apple juice you have available. You can also make a spiced apple jelly by adding spices during cooking.
