Homemade lime sherbet ready to go into the freezer where it will harden.
Learn how easy it is to make homemade lime sherbet.
Filed under Easy Homemade Desserts, Frozen Desserts, Sherbet by on Nov 20th, 2011. Comment. 
Lindera benzoin bush ready for fall planting.
Spicebush, botanically known as Lindera benzoin, is a deciduous shrub that is native to many parts of the United States and is a wonderful spice to add to ice cream recipes. It is often grown in home gardens for the aromatic yellow-green flowers that bloom in early spring or the berries that are attractive to birds. The Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly feeds on the aromatic leaves of this shrub.
The dried berries are often substituted for allspice. In order to get berries, you will need both a male and female plant. Once you get berries, you may wonder, other than using them as an allspice substitute, what you can do with them. Here is a recipe for ice cream.
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup honey
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon ground spicebush berries
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
In a stainless steel saucepan, over medium-low heat, bring one cup of cream, honey and salt to a simmer. Stir constantly until the honey and salt melt. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the mixture into a bowl.
Whisk in the remaining ingredients. Pour the mixture into a covered bowl. Refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours.
When you are ready to proceed, pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and follow manufacturer’s instructions. Be sure to store your finished ice cream in a covered dish in the freezer.
Filed under Frozen Desserts, Ice Creams by on Oct 26th, 2011. 2 Comments.
Apples and the crisp fall days of October seem to go hand-in-hand and that is no surprise since this is the month that apples are harvested. Drive by an apple orchard and you can smell the tangy, sweet odor of apples in the air. Often the smell is so strong you can literally taste the apples without taking a bite. These are the apples you want to use in fresh apple recipes, to preserve and the ones that have the most health benefits.
Apples are high in antixodents, phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals. The fresher they are, the better they are for you because as apples age their nutrient value decreases just like other fresh fruits and vegetables. This is why growing your own or driving to a pick-your-own apple orchard is better than buying apples that are already picked.
The ways to use fresh apples are endless. Make homemade apple pie or apple crisp. Fry apples or bake them. Make applesauce, apple cider or simply eat them fresh. Don’t forget to put some up for winter use. Apples keep well in a root cellar, but if you don’t have one, can them, dehydrate them or freeze them. Whatever you do, don’t miss out on your chance to stock up on plenty of fresh apples.
Here are some great recipes to use fresh apples in. Below the recipes you will find instructions on how to preserve apples for winter use.
Apple Pie
Everyone loves apple pie – and the best apple pie is made from scratch with fresh apples, high quality cane sugar and lots of nutmeg and cinnamon. Sometimes I make my crust from scratch and sometimes I buy a pre-made crust, it really just depends on the mood I am in. Here is my favorite apple pie recipe. If you have an abundance of apples, you can make extra filling and can it. This is a real time saver during the holidays or when unexpected company arrives.
6 cups apples – use a variety of apples
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon – I use the liquid cinnamon I make myself
Dash freshly grated nutmeg
Dash ground sea salt
2 tablespoons real butter
Peel the apples if you wish.
Slice the apples into quarters and remove the core.
Place the apple slices and the sugar into a stainless steel pan.
Cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. This usually takes between 5 and 10 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat.
Add in the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir well.
Pour the apple mixture into the pie crust making sure to throughly scrape the sides of the pan.
Dot the top of the apples with butter and sprinkle a dusting of powdered cinnamon on top.
Cover the outer edges of the pie with aluminum foil or a pan designed to keep pie crust from burning.
Set the pie on a cookie sheet, then place it in the oven.
Bake in a 400 degree oven for 55 to 60 minutes.
Apple Crisp
To make an apple crisp, follow the instructions above for the pie, but top it with this crumb topping before baking it.
1/2 cup maple sugar – or brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon ground sea salt
4 tablespoons real butter
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Combine the sugar, flour and sea salt in a large bowl.
Cut in the butter with a fork or pastry cutter. (For those who do not know, cutting in simply means pressing the butter into the dry mixture until it is the size of small peas. It just breaks the butter up into tiny pieces and coats it with the mixture.)
Once the butter and flour mixture is the size of small peas, add the chopped nuts and mix well.
Using your hands, spread this mixture over the top of the apple pie.
Fried Apples
These fried apples are an ideal side dish for pork recipes. You can use an alternative sweetener and light butter if you prefer.
1 tablespoon real butter – I make my own butter using cream from our goats
9 apples, peeled, cored and sliced into wedges – again, using a variety of apples gives this a different taste.
1/2 teaspoon powdered cinnamon – I add more to suit my tastes
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Melt butter and brown sugar in a skillet.
Add cinnamon and apples.
Bring the mixture to a boil while constantly stirring.
Turn the heat down so the mixture continues to simmer.
Put a lid on the skillet.
Allow the apples to cook at a simmer for 30 minutes. Make sure to stir them occasionally.
Storing Apples In A Root Cellar
Storing apples in a root cellar is simple compared to the other methods of storage. The reason for this is because you store them whole, just like you picked them. It is important to check on them periodically, because as they say, one rotten apple spoils the whole barrel.
Pack apples in between layers of straw and store at 31 degrees Fahrenheit. Store them in tight lidded barrels that are mouse-proof. Some people store them in the open in a single layer and others put them inside of plastic bags that they have poked holes in.
Once you find a method that works for you, it is best to stick to it.
How To Can Apples
I prefer to can apples even though it is more work in the beginning. I have canned them with and without peels. Most people peel theirs before canning, but it is really up to you what you do. If you don’t mind the peels, don’t bother removing them.
There are many recipes for canning apples and I think I have tried them all, however, a friend said to me one day that canning apples in a plain syrup was the best way because they can be used for anything. I thought about this and decided she was right. Once you can apples for a specific purpose they may have an ingredient in them that makes them unsuitable for another use, so now I can all my apples using a light syrup. Here is my recipe.
2 1/4 cups cane sugar
5 cups of water
Combine sugar and water in a stainless steel pan.
Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
Once the sugar is dissolved, reduce the heat to low so the syrup remains warm.
Fill clean, sterilized canning jars with apple quarters. Be sure to run your fingers around the tops of the jars before using them to check for tiny nicks. If you find any, those jars are no longer useful for canning.
Cover the apples with the water and sugar syrup you just made. Leave 1/2 inch air space at the top of the jar.
Wipe the top and edges of the jar with a clean, damp cloth.
Put a clean, sterilized, new lid on the jar, add the band and screw it down until it is fingertip tight.
Place the jars in a cold pack canner filled with boiling water.
Process both pints and quarts for 20 minutes.
Turn the heat off under the canning pot once the 20 minutes is up.
Remove the lid, but allow the jars to sit under the water for 5 minutes longer.
Carefully remove the jars. Set them aside and allow them to cool overnight.
Remove the bands and check the seals by gently prying them with your fingertips.
If the jars are sealed, replace the bands, label and store in a cool, dark, dry place.
If the jars are not sealed you can either select a new lid and attempt to seal the jars again or put the food into your refrigerator and use it up.
How To Dehydrate Apples
Dehydrated apples make great snacks. They are good to put in cereal as well. I have not tried to re-hydrate them to use in any recipes, but I do know it is possible. Here is how I dehydrate apple slices.
Wash, peel and core apples.
Slice the apples into 1/4 inch thick slices.
Put the apple slices into an citric acid mixture. This helps prevent discoloring and helps preserve the fruit. Citric acid is available in most grocery stores or places where they sell canning or dehydrating supplies.
Dry at 150 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 to 3 hours. The time varies considerably, so check the apples periodically.
When they easily break in half, they are done. Turn the dehydrator off. Allow the apples to cool. Pack into an airtight container if possible. If not, put them in a canning jar in a cabinet or into a freezer bag and freeze them.
How To Freeze Apples
Freezing is the next best thing to canning when it comes to having something on hand that is fairly quick to use. The bad thing about freezing is you should thaw the food before using it, although sometimes you can bypass that step.
Wash, core and quarter apples.
Soak them in citric acid as you work.
Place the apples in boiling water for 2 minutes.
Remove the apples and place them in ice water. Gently stir the apples to help cool them.
Once the apples are cool, remove them and lay them out on paper towels placed over cloth towels to drain.
Once the apples are dry, put them into freezer bags, seal, label and place in the freezer.
Filed under Fruit Recipes by on Oct 13th, 2011. Comment.
1 Pineapple Supreme Cake Mix
1 1/3 cup pineapple juice or water
3 large brown eggs
1/3 cup oil
20 ounce can pineapple slices
Maraschino cherries
Pecans
5 tablespoons butter
½ cup maple sugar
Combine the maple sugar and the butter in a saucepan. Place the pan on the stove. Turn the dial to medium. Stir continually until the butter and sugar melts. There may be a few small lumps left at this point, but that is ok, just make sure there are no large lumps. Whisk the mixture so it is well combined.
Pour the maple sugar and butter mixture into the bottom of a well greased cake pan.
Drain the pineapple juice off and set it aside. Place pineapple slices on top of the maple sugar and butter mixture. Place maraschino cherries in the pineapple holes. Place pecans in the open areas between the pineapple slices.
Set the pan aside while the cake batter is being prepared.
To prepare the cake batter, combine the pineapple supreme cake mix with the 3 eggs, 1/3 cup of oil and 1 1/3 cup pineapple juice. If there is not enough pineapple juice, add enough water to make 1 1/3 cup of liquid.
Stir by hand or with a mixture until the cake batter is smooth. Then pour the cake batter into the pan on top of the fruit and nuts.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 28 to 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Be sure to read the baking instructions on the back of the cake mix box and to adjust for pan size and altitude.
Filed under Baked Desserts, Cakes, Easy Homemade Desserts by on Jan 25th, 2011. Comment.
Many people think gourmet cooking requires lot of expensive special ingredients. This is a myth that simply must be busted! Gourmet cooking, in my opinion, is all about the presentation of the meal. Add in one or two richly exotic spices, such as nutmeg, cinnamon or cardamom, which you may already have in your cabinets, and you have a meal fit for a king on a homesteader’s budget!
Chances are if you grow your own herbs, you already know how to make a variety of spice mixes. You also know using your own herbs gives you a much better flavor than anything you can buy. Here’s a tip – when drying your herbs, keep them whole. Do not grind them until you are ready to use them. If there are spices you must buy, such as cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, buy them whole too! Most small spices can be ground in a cheap electric coffee grinder, or better yet, a mortar and pestle. For larger seeds such as nutmeg, it is best to invest in a special grinder just for that spice. Once you smell the difference between pre-ground and freshly ground spices, you simply will not go back to re-ground spices. The fragrance of fresh ground herbs and spices permeate the air while adding an unmistakable burst of flavor to the foods you add them to.
Now let me give you an example of gourmet cooking on a budget. The picture at the top was made right here in our kitchen using ingredients I had on hand. It is a Pear Cardamom Sorbet in a delectable dark chocolate dessert dish.
I had the mold for the dessert dish. These clear plastic molds can be found at cooking shops, craft sections of discount merchants and sometimes even at thrift stores or garage sales! Make sure the molds are straight and clean with no holes in them if you choose to purchase used molds.
I found a bag of dark chocolate molding candy at a local discount grocer for $1. I prefer dark chocolate because the taste is smooth, rich and quite chocolaty unlike milk chocolate. I bought it, brought it home and melted it in my double boiler. If you do not have one, a small sauce pan sit inside a larger sauce pan filled with water will work. Bring the water to a boil while constantly stirring the chocolate. Once the chocolate has melted, carefully spoon it into the mold. Dessert molds have two parts, a top and bottom. Fill the bottom mold about 1/3 of the way up, then sit the top mold in place. This will help you determine if you have added enough chocolate. If so, snap the top mold on and sit in the refrigerator. If not, remove it and add more. If you make your chocolate before starting dinner, by the time you are ready for dessert, the chocolate will be molded. It should stay in the mold in the refrigerator until the mold begins to look frosty. As this time, put the mold into the freezer for two minutes. When the two minutes are up, remove the top of the mold and the chocolate dessert cup will slip right out.
The pear cardamom sorbet takes a little longer to make. If you do not have an ice cream maker, you can still make this, however using an electric ice cream maker helps the process speed up just a bit.
Pear Cardamom Sorbet Recipe
4 ripe pears – fresh picked are best
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground cardamom
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons brandy
2 ounces Maraschino cherry juice
Bring sugar and water to a boil in a small saucepan. Once the mixture begins to boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about five minutes or until the mixture begins to reduce and thicken. Remove the pan from the heat source and chill for thirty minutes.
Peel and core the ripe pears. Put them in a blender with the lemon juice, fresh ground cardamom, brandy and maraschino cherry juice.
Whip until you have a mixture that is smooth. Add the cooled water and sugar mixture. Whip again until well mixed.
If you have an ice cream maker, pour the mixture into it and follow the manufacturer’s directions. If not, simply put into a bowl with a lid and freeze.
Serve by dipping out scoops and putting them in the chocolate dessert cups. The maraschino cherry juice will make the sorbet a luscious pink color that will blend perfectly with the smooth dark chocolate dessert shell. Top with a piece of molded chocolate candy, whipped cream or your favorite topping.
You can substitute the ingredients here. For example, try mint or cinnamon instead of cardamom. Gourmet cooking really is simple. Once you learn how to use what is in your cabinets, plus how to add a few extra special touches to make your meals stand out, you will be cooking up gourmet feats that you simply will not be able to buy in any restaurant!
Filed under Easy Homemade Desserts, Frozen Desserts, Sorbets by on Oct 26th, 2009. Comment.
