Wine Jelly - Challenge 2013 Recipe #2

Wine Jelly....probably not my first choice from the jelly shelf in our fridge - but neither is pepper jelly and you know what - it should be! I LOVE that stuff...I just didn't grow up with it and it doesn't tug at my heart strings like the jam/jelly from my childhood.  This wine jelly is going to be added to the "Why don't I eat this more often?!" list.

It's beautiful, it's sweet, but it's also so grown up.  I'm going to be 31 on Saturday...does that make me a grown up yet?  Most of the time I don't think so...but I still like to put on my mom's heels and pretend. :)

America's Test Kitchen's Wine Jelly

I again, followed the recipe exactly, except that I think I may have reduced the wine down to a little less than 1/3 c - oops!  But, it set beautifully and tastes fantastic - and that's what matters! :)

Lemon Marmalade

You know those Meyer Lemons you are seeing everywhere right now?  Well, next time you're out, grab a bag or two!  

Then make this amazing marmalade!  I am a lemon junky, but this stuff is fantastic!  So....I've got the marmalade, who's bringing the blueberry scones? :)

Lemon Marmalade

What's In It*:
Meyer Lemons
Water
Sugar
1/2 t vanilla
1/2 t salt

What To Do With It:
Wash the lemons and cut the ends off. 
Quarter the lemons and remove the seeds.
Place the lemons into a food processor and pulse until desired consistency.  Transfer to a non-reactive pot (I used enameled cast iron).  As your transfer, measure the amount of fruit and for each cup of fruit, add 2 cups of water.  
Bring to a boil and boil vigorously for 20 minutes.  
Let sit, covered, in a cool place for 24 hours.
Again measure the amount of fruit mixture that you have, add 1 cup of sugar for each cup of fruit mixture.  Add vanilla and salt.
Bring to a boil, stirring almost constantly.  Using a candy thermometer, boil until temp reaches 220 degrees F.  
While still hot, ladle into canning jars.  
This can be canned in a water bath for long term storage if desired.  

*This recipe is adaptable to whatever amount of lemons you have.

Orange Marmalade - Challenge 2013 Recipe #1

I don't know if you know this about me, but I'm not very techno-savvy.  I do not own an i-pod, I don't know how to use i-tunes, and I don't even have a single song on my phone....but days like marmalade making day last week.... I sure wish I did.  I wanted so badly to be blasting Lady Marmalade, twirling around my kitchen, singing into a spoon....all while I was cooking away in the kitchen! :)

I was a little nervous about making my first recipe from my challenge, but I decided to just jump on in and my my my....the water is fine and delicious to boot! 

DIY Test Kitchen Seville Orange Marmalade

I followed the recipe exactly (that's part of the Challenge 2013 right?) and this stuff is seriously good!  The first and last time I had orange marmalade I was 18 and it was in one of those tiny little jars at a restaurant....it was terrible.  I can honestly say that if not for this challenge, I would not have even thought of trying it again.  I can't believe I've been missing out on this my whole life! 

I hope the rest of the recipes come out this great because this was a heck of a way to start off the Challenge! :) 

Who Needs Sonic with Chili Dogs like these?

Chili Dogs were on the menu Friday and WOW were they amazing!

We had left over Venison Chili from the night before and Super Parents gave us some hot dogs from a meat market in IL and it was Kismet!  But wait....I didn't have any hot dog buns.  Wouldn't it be easier to run to the store to get some buns?  Sure it would, but wouldn't they taste like card board and fall apart in your hands? Sure they would.  How could I subject such delicious chili and hot dogs to such a dismal fate?  I could not. 

These phenomenal dogs were topped with chili, onions, smoked cheddar, mustard, and this surprisingly fantastic zucchini relish from One Hundred Dollars a Month.  

I yet again proved, in my procrastination and subsequent haste to quickly make a recipe, my reading skills are sub-par.  Here is the recipe that I found: Homemade Hot Dog Buns.  You should definitely go check it out for the pictures.  I have included the actual recipe below and then my notes about the changes I made - some purposefully and some accidentally. Ha Ha

What's In It:

1 1/4 c lukewarm milk (1 1/2 c lukewarm buttermilk)

1 lrg egg, beaten

6 T softened butter (more like 4T because that's all that was in my butter dish)

3 T sugar

4 c bread flour (I had All Purpose Flour and to compensate for the extra liquid I added, I used 5 c)

3 T intant potato flakes*

1 T vital wheat gluten (I didn't use this becuase I didn't have any, though I might get some to keep on hand)

2 t kosher salt (I used morton's regular salt)

2 t instant yeast

1/2 c buttermilk for brushing buns.  

What To Do With It:

Put all ingredients except the buttermilk into a mixer  Mix on low speed with a dough hook, for 10 minutes, or until a smooth, elastic dough is formed. (I only needed to mix for about 5 minutes) 

Allow to rest in the mixer bowl, covered with a tea towel, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 1-2 hours.  (I was rushed for time and I only let it rise for an hour, next time I will plan ahead, and let it rise for 2). 

Lightly grease a large baking sheet or line with a silpat or parchment paper. (I needed 2 baking sheets)
Divide dough into 3 equally sized pieces and form into logs.
Divide each log into 5 equal pieces for standard sized rolls or 4 equal pieces for larger Italian sausage or hoagie rolls.
Working with one piece at a time, pat and stretch each piece out into an oval.
Press an indentation down the length of the center of the oval.
Roll the dough up around the indentation.
Pinch the seam together lightly.
Roll the pieces gently seam side down until about 6-inches in length.
Transfer to the lined baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch between the pieces, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until puffy, about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Brush the puffy dough generously with buttermilk.
Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until deep golden brown.
Cool the rolls on a rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

These were so good!!!  I think because of my recipe alterations, they turned out a little skinnier than the ones on the original sight, but that didn't stop us from downing them and using them to mop up any chili that jumped ship from the dog.  

Saturday, we used the left over hot dog buns as bread sticks with our spaghetti.  We brushed them with garlic butter and warmed them in the oven - why did dinner take so long to get here?!

They were delicious!  I'll be posting about them early this week. :)

*This was the first time in my life that I ever used instant potato flakes.  I bought them about 6 months ago for a camping trip and was too grossed out to even open the package.  I had to run out the camper to get them - and now I don't know what I'm going to do with a whole box of potato flakes...guess we'll be eating a TON of hot dog buns! Man life is HARD! :)

Sour Cream to the Rescue!

How did it come to this!?

I'll tell you how...Super Dad has struck again!

While in the Smokies this past weekend, the Super Parents were true to form and sent us home with 5 grocery sacks full of peppers picked from their garden.  Bell, serrano, habanero, jalapeno, and garden salsa.  What a score!!!  So today, I set out to preserve them in a few different ways.

The bell peppers were sliced into rings and frozen in a single layer on a cookie sheet.  They were then sealed into freezer bags and I can use them whenever I need.  I got 2 gallon freezer bags, plus what I used to make venison chili for dinner, and 2 entire peppers that the Te-Man devoured - ate them like they were apples!

The Serrano peppers are currently nestled into my dehydrator and will be used to spice up everything from pizza to general Tso's chicken. The habaneros will be finding their way into the dehydrator soon.

I see lots of Nachos in my future! I took 7lb of jalapenos, and turned them into 12 (ok...really 11 1/2) pints of pickled jalapeno slices. 

Pickled Jalapenos

What's In It:
7lb Jalapenos
10 c White Vinegar
10 c Water
10 T Pickling Salt

What To Do With It:
Mix water, vinegar, and salt in a large pot.  Boil.
Prepare canning pot, jars, and lids.
De-stem and slice the jalapenos.  If you are looking for them to be a little less spicy, remove the seeds.
Pack tightly into prepared canning jars.
Cover with brine mixture.
Wipe rims, place lids, and bands on jars.  Process in a boiling water bath for at least 10minutes.
Wait 2 weeks to allow time to cure and the flavors to develop.

YUM!

The garden salsa peppers are when things get tricky.  Upon receipt of the bounty of peppers I was excited about the possibility of pickling some of them to eat as snacks or with cheese.  I asked Super Dad if any of them were mild enough to just eat on their own.  He assured me that the garden salsa peppers fit that bill.  Me, being the trusting daughter, didn't think twice and took my father's word.  Well then, today I used the left over 6 cups of brine from the jalapenos, added 4 crushed cloves of garlic, and 4 T of sugar.  My plan was to make these tasty little peppers quite the sweet and spicy snack.  I decided to give them a try as I was prepping them.  Just a little taste....HOLY MOLY those bad boys are HOT!  I hadn't even closed my mouth and it was on fire.  My lips were almost numb.  In comes the sour cream - any attempt to pull the capsaicin from my skin.  It worked - a little.  I definitely made for some giggles. :)
Ha Ha, well, I added another 1/2 c of sugar and hoped it tamed the heat enough to make them edible, and canned them anyway.

I guess we'll know in a few weeks. :)

To cap off the Pepperific Day, we had Venison Chili and Homemade Brownies.  I think I earned every bite! :)

Pump Up the Jam!

You know how I love a little jock jams in my day!  So....

Are You Reeeaaadyyyyyy?!  

This past weekend I decided that while my Te-Man and Wolverine were snuggling out their nasty germs on the couch, I would put some of that free produce to work.  I had tons of hot peppers and rhubarb just sitting there begging me to turn them into yummy goodness - and so I, of course, obliged them with a smile on my face. :)

Rhubarb Cinnamon Jam

from Mavis at One Hundred Dollars a Month

What's In It:

4 1/2 c prepared fruit (about 5 large stalks or 6 c chopped raw fruit or 1 lb 8oz if you like crazy exactness)

1 c water

1 box Sure Jell Reduced Sugar 

1/2 t butter (I left this out)

 4 c sugar

1 T lemon juice

1 t cinnamon

What You Do With It: 

Prepare your jars and canning pot.  Be sure to keep your jars hot either in hot water or in the heated dishwasher.

Chop rhubarb in a medium size dice (it really cooks down to mush, so the size isn't crucial).  Place chopped rhubarb into a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 2 min or until rhubarb is soft.  Measure exactly 4 1/2 c prepared rhubarb into a large pot.  

Stir in pectin and lemon juice.  If you are adding butter, do it now (Man, I can be bossy!).  Bring to a full rolling boil (that can't be stirred down) over high heat. Stir in cinnamon and sugar (I had mine measured out in a separate bowl so all I had to do was dump).  Return to rolling boil, stirring constantly.  Boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and skim foam if necessary.  

Immediately fill warm jars to withing 1/8" from tops.  Wipe rims and threads - clean and dry.  Cap, place in canner, ensure jars are covered by 2 inches of water, and process for 10 minutes.  Remove from canner and place on a heat safe surface.  Allow to cool completely.  Test center of lid - if it pops back, the jar is not sealed and needs to be refrigerated.     

I got 7 jelly jars per batch. 

Hot Pepper Jam

from Mavis at One Hundred Dollars a Month

What's In It:
6oz hot peppers, stemmed and seeded
1 c cider vinegar, divided
3 c sugar
1 3oz liquid pectin pouch
Green food coloring (optional)

What You Do With It:

Prepare your jars and canning pot.  Be sure to keep your jars hot either in hot water or in the heated dishwasher.


Remove stems and seeds from peppers - wear gloves for protection if desired...or live on the wild side.  Place peppers and 1/2 c cider vinegar in blender and blend until desired consistency. I like chunks of pepper, hence Hot Pepper Jam.  

Combine pepper puree, 1/2 c cider vinegar, and sugar in a large pot.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Boil 10 minutes stirring frequently.

Add liquid pectin, return to a boil, and boil 1 minute stirring constantly.

Remove from heat, add 3-4 drops food coloring if desired.  Skim foam if necessary.

Immediately fill warm jars to withing 1/8" from tops.  Wipe rims and threads - clean and dry.  .  Cap, place in canner, ensure jars are covered by 2 inches of water, and process for 10 minutes.  Remove from canner and place on a heat safe surface.  Allow to cool completely.  Test center of lid - if it pops back, the jar is not sealed and needs to be refrigerated.     

I got 11 jars out of 3 batches, so just over 3 1/2 jars per batch. 

Enjoy!  Anyone know of a cheap place I can score more canning jars?  My stash is running super low and I know with the big garden next summer plus all this reclaimed food, I'm going to need MORE!