Homemade Pear Butter

Tags

butter, canning, dessert, fruit, gluten free, home grown, pear, Southern

Everyone loves fruit butter. It is rich and full of cinnamon-y deliciousness. This pear butter was a great way for me to use up a couple of the bags of fresh pears I got from home last time I was there for a visit. I don’t know what variety they are but they have a clean, crisp flavor and good texture. I saved seeds this year hoping for a sprout of a tree come spring. If you have any suggestions for growing a tree from seed, please be sure to comment.

Homemade Pear Butter (a variation of this recipe by One Hundred Dollars a Month)

• 8 lbs of pears, cored
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp cloves

In a large, heavy bottomed stockpot, combine the ingredients. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the pears are tender, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the pears are soft, spoon them into a food mill and smoosh them through. When all the pears have been seperated from the peels, add the pulp to a crock pot. Cook on low for 6 hours, stirring occasionally. Once the pear butter has thickened and turned a nice dark brown, it is time to can the goodies.

Bring a boiling water canner to a simmer. Wash the jars and bands in hot soapy water. Pour boiling water over the flat lids in a saucepan to sterilize. Ladle the pear butter into the prepared into the prepared jars, filling to 1/4 inch of the top.  Wipe each jar rim with a wet cloth to remove any butter that might have escaped the jar. Cover with the lid, screw on the band an dplace in the canner. Cover with water and bring to a gentle boil. Process for 10 minutes. Remove jars from the canner and place on the countertop to cool. After they are completely cool, check to be sure each are sealed. If they are not, refridgerate until ready to use. Makes 8 half pint jars.

Pear Chutney with Dried Cherries and Ginger

Tags

canning, cherry, chutney, ginger, gluten free, home grown, pear, preserving

I love chutney. It has so many possibilities with it’s tangy sweetness. I serve it with pork, on little cheese toasts like those pictured below, and occasionally just eat it plain. This chutney is canned in a hot water bath. The idea is that I will give jars away as Christmas gifts, assuming they make it that long.

Pear Chutney with Dried Cherries and Ginger (from Food in Jars)

• 3/4 cup dried cherries, chopped roughly
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 3 tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 1 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
• 1/8 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 3 tbsp brandy
• 4 cups roughly chopped pears (4-5 medium pears)
• 2/3 cup sugar

Place dried cherries in a heat-proof bowl or measuring cup and pour boiling water over top. Set aside.

Heat a large, non-reactive pot or skillet over medium heat. Add oil and heat until it shimmers. Add onion and sea salt and cook until the onion softened and develops a bit of color. Add ginger, mustard seeds and cardamom and cook until spices are fragrant and the mustard seeds begin to pop. Add vinegar and brand to pan and use a wooden spoon to work up any bits of fond on the bottom of the pan. Add dried cherries and their liquid. Add chopped pears and sugar and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low, put a lid on the pan and let pears simmer gently for 30-35 minutes so that they soften.

When the pears can be crushed with the back of a wooden spoon, remove the lid from the pot. Increase the heat to high and cook quickly, stirring regularly, to help reduce any remaining liquid. When chutney is no longer at all watery and looks deeply colored, take a taste. Makes adjustments as needed.

When chutney is fully cooked down and tastes good to you, ladle it into three prepared half pint jars. Wipe rims, apply lids and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. When time is up, remove jars from canning pot and let them cool on a folded kitchen towel. Any unsealed jars should be refrigerated and eaten within a week. Sealed jars can be kept in the pantry for up to one year. Makes 3 half pints.

One Jar Refrigerator Dill Pickles

Tags

dill, gardening, gluten free, home grown, pickles, preserving, refigerator, small batch, vegetarian

I have three rapidly producing cucumber plants. I have enough to enjoy but not enough to can jar after jar of pickles. Maybe one day. But today I just want to make one jar. The rest I will make into Cucumber Onion Salad.

One Jar Refrigerator Dill Pickles (from The Kitchn)

• 2 or 3 decent sized pickling cucumbers
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 tbsp pickling salt
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 tsp dill seed
• 1/2 tsp black peppercorns

Wash and slice the cucumbers. In a saucepot, combine vinegar, water and salt. Bring to a simmer. Place the spices into the jar. Be sure the jar, lid and ring is very clean. Pack the cucumber slices firmly into the jar. Pour the brine into the jar, leaving approximately ½ inch headspace. Tap jar gently on countertop to dislodge any trapped air bubbles. Apply lid and let jars cool. When they’ve returned to room temperature, place jar in refrigerator. Let it sit for at least 48 hours before eating. Make 1 pint.

Look What Grew in My Garden!

Tags

fresh, garden, home grown, Kentucky Proud, produce, summer, vegetables

This is my second year growing my own garden. I have had success and failure both years. I am not nearly as good at this as my grandparents. I don’t know very many tricks of the trade. But I am learning new things each year.

You can use a 1:1 parts Epsom salt and water mixture to spray your bell pepper plants that bloom and bloom without every bearing fruit. Apparently this malady is caused by a lack of magnesium. Who knew?!

Cucumbers vines trellis really well but you have to look for new cucumbers nearly every day, otherwise they turn into orange or yellow monstrosities that are disgusting! I knew this already but I always had my mom reminding me to go look at them.

Place tomatoes on your counter stem side down. This slows the rotting process.

What great garden or vegetable tips do you have?