Home Maid Simple

Tag: canning

  • Menu Plan 9/17 and Peach Honey

    Menu Plan 9/17 and Peach Honey

    I was sitting here looking at the week, and realized I don’t have to cook much! I’m pretty excited to have a slow week of cooking.

    Monday – Work social. We’re bringing Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies
    Tuesday – Lentil Soup
    Wednesday – Breakfast for Dinner. Eggs, Hashbrowns, Pancakes
    Thursday – Bacon Stuffed Squash
    Friday – Dinner at my parents
    Saturday – Princess V’s birthday dinner at Applebee’s

    A sister from my church stopped by yesterday with a car full of tomatoes and some yellow squash.  I am really excited to try out Diane’s Bacon Stuffed Squash, and can some tomatoes.  We’re going to attempt some spaghetti sauce and salsa! 
    I’ve really gotten into canning this last year, if you haven’t noticed yet.  Having fresh produce al year long is always so nice!  A couple weeks ago I put up some peaches, while learning how to do that I found a recipe to make peach honey from the peels, so I did it!  It is absolutely wonderful, and pretty too.

  • Fresh Produce and Menu Plan

    Fresh Produce and Menu Plan

    Don’t you just love fresh produce?  It is so good, as well as good for you!  We planted a garden this year, but due to unexpected job changes, we moved before we could get a full harvest. I did get a few carrots shortly before moving though. Aren’t they pretty?

     
    Being on a tight budget, fresh produce has been pretty scarce around here. We were extremely blessed one day however. During lunch I thought to myself how I would really love to have something fresh to feed my kids. To my surprise that night a neighbor, unknowing of my earlier wishes, dropped by unannounced with a bag of peaches from her tree. She then offered for us to come pick more. I believe we were being taken care of in a time of need, and I am forever grateful this dear lady listened to the spirit and brought us those peaches. We’ve been eating yummy peaches all week, and yesterday I canned the rest. I saved the peelings to make some peach honey later this week.
    We ended up with a total of 8 bottles! Yay for peaches!!!
     
    On this weeks menu –
     
    Monday – Pork Roast
    Tuesday – Chicken Nuggets and Coleslaw
    Wednesday – Chili in bread bowls
    Thursday – Bacon Mac and Cheese
    Friday – Sloppy joes
    Saturday – leftovers
     
  • Foodie Friday – Cucumber Crisp Sweet Pickles {Guest Recipe}

    Foodie Friday – Cucumber Crisp Sweet Pickles {Guest Recipe}

    Hosted by
    and

    Well, I’m in the process of moving in, and that leaves very little time for cooking or baking of any sorts. It’s all quick and easy meals until I figure out the best place for groceries, and get settled back into a routine with the new house and the kids.
    Unlike last week, I do actually have a recipe to share this week! Jenn from Terri’s Little Haven and Jenn too, has been so kind to share this recipe for Cucumber Crisp Sweet Pickles.  She’s got some great photos too!  So this fall as we are all out harvesting our crops (you did plant a garden right)…or in my case, the new owners of our house are harvesting mine, why don’t you try pickling and canning your cucumbers!




    Cucumber Crisp Sweet Pickles
    7 pounds sliced cucumbers
    2 gallons water
    2 cups pickling lime
    9 cups sugar
    2 quarts vinegar
    3 T pickling spice

    Cucumber Crisp Sweet Pickles Recipe

    Dissolve lime in water and put in cucumbers.
    Let stand in lime 24 hours. Stir occasionally.

    Cucumber Crisp Sweet Pickles Recipe

    Take cucumbers out and soak in clear water for 4 hours, changing water every hour.

    Bring sugar, vinegar and spices to boil. Take cucumbers out of water and pour vinegar, sugar and spice mixture over cucumbers. Let stand overnight.
    *I did not have any cheesecloth to put the spices in.

    Cucumber Crisp Sweet Pickles Recipe

    Next morning let cook 1 hour.

    Cucumber Crisp Sweet Pickles Recipe

    Seal while hot.

    Cucumber Crisp Sweet Pickles Recipe

    Cucumber Crisp Sweet Pickles Recipe

    When I empty the lime water, I start a new batch.

    Cucumber Crisp Sweet Pickles Recipe

    This post was sent to us by Jenn, co-owner of Terri’s Little Haven & jenn too; of course she had no hand in the actual planting of the seeds, harvesting the cucumbers or the slaving over a hot stove to come up with this wonderful recipe, but kudos to her for her emailing skills. For more delicious recipes that have been tried and tested by Terri, from her farm in Georgia, visit both Jenn and Terri at their blog Terri’s Little Haven & jenn too.



    ~Features from Last Week~

    Dark Chocolate and Peanut Butter No Bake Energy Balls
    From Mamacook, Tandoori Chicken
    From Chocolate, Chocolate, and more Frozen Hot Chocolate

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  • Mock Raspberry Jam and Other Ways to Use Green Tomatoes

    Mock Raspberry Jam and Other Ways to Use Green Tomatoes

    The growing season is ending, but you find yourself with an abundance of green tomatoes still! What do you do with them? Make this mock Raspberry Jam of course. This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated when you click on and make a purchase through them.

    One of my first years gardening as a self-sufficient adult left me with an abundance of green tomatoes. I planted late in the season, and in a corner of the yard that did not receive enough sunlight to ripen the tomatoes.  Not one to waste anything, I was determined to find a way to use these fruits, despite their immature growth. 


     
    You may find yourself with green tomatoes at the end of the season, not because of any mistake on your part, but rather because you had a plant that continued to produce right up to the first frost. So whatever reason you find yourself with green tomatoes, I’m pleased to tell you that this recipe for Mock Raspberry Jam is a winner – as long as you can mentally get past the tomatoes. 
     
    I first heard this recipe for Mock Raspberry Jam on a Saturday morning garden radio show. Joy at KNRS made this jam sound so much better than fried green tomatoes – my only other option at the time – so I whipped up a batch. 
    Mock Raspberry Jam
    Yields 9
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    Ingredients
    1. 5 cups green tomatoes
    2. 5 cups sugar
    3. 6oz package raspberry jello
    Instructions
    1. Grind Tomatoes in a blender.
    2. Pour tomatoes into a large sauce pan, and add 5 cups sugar.
    3. Boil until sugar is dissolved.
    4. Turn heat to low and cook for 25 minutes, stirring periodically.
    5. Add 6 oz Raspberry jello, and cook for 1 minute.
    6. Pour into sanitized pint jars.
    7. Wipe rims, and place lids and rings on.
    8. Process in a water bath for 30 minutes.
    Adapted from KNRS Garden Show
    Adapted from KNRS Garden Show
    Home Maid Simple https://www.homemaidsimple.com/

     

     
    They are so delicious! It tastes just like raspberry jam, and the tomato seeds give the same texture as real raspberry jam. Now to get over my mental block of knowing it was made from tomatoes. 

    More Green Tomato Recipes

    Green Tomato Bread from Instructables

    Green Tomato Relish from Homegrown In the Valley

    Oven Fried Green Tomato Caprese Stacks from Southern Plate

    Fried Green Tomato Pickles from The Country Chic Cottage

    How to Ripen Green Tomatoes from Happy Mothering

    How do you use Green Tomatoes?


  • Tomorrow I promise!

    Tomorrow I promise!

    If you follow Home Maid Simple on Facebook, you may have seen me post about teaching you how to make and can grape juice today. I’m sorry, plans didn’t work out like I had hoped.  I will be making the grape juice tonight, taking lots of pictures of every step, and posting about it tomorrow! I have been excited for almost a week for these grapes, so I can’t wait to share with you!!! 
    In the meantime, how about a little contest?  Whoever guesses closely the number of quart jars of grape juice I can get out of these grapes, I will send a set of Sea-Bands and pack of ginger gum. (yes nothing to do with canning, but I recieved an extra and would like to share with you!)  So guess away!!
    The picture doesn’t seem to do it justice. Each bowl holds about 3 quarts liquid 🙂
    Giveaway will be open until tomorrow Tuesday the 4th at Noon!
    (if you have no need of the Sea Bands, think great Christmas Gift, or Baby shower gift for that newly expecting mom)

    I also opened a jar of the pears we canned last week, and they are good!  Mmm, oh so good, I wish I could share them with you 🙂