Tag Archives: apple

and finally… apple jelly

09 Tuesday Oct 2012

Posted by in cook, preserve

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At last, here is the crabapple jelly recipe I’ve been using for over a decade. It’s from Jean Pare’s Company’s Coming series on Preserves. I’ve tried adding a single bird’s eye chili on each jar for color and a bit of heat but usually I stick to the classic recipe. Crabapple jelly is my absolute favorite along with raspberry jam.

 Crabapple Jelly

4 ½ lbs. crabapples, or tart apples, such as Granny Smith

7 cups water

5 cups of the prepared juice

3 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh or bottled

3 ¾ cups sugar

Remove stems and blossom ends from apples. Coarsely chop apples with peel and core included. Turn into large pot. Add water. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Cook for about 50 minutes until mushy-soft. Drain several hours or overnight in a jelly bag.

Combine prepared juice and lemon juice in a large pot. Add sugar. Stir on medium-high heat until it comes to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for about 40 minutes, stirring once or twice, testing for jelly stage near the end. Skim off foam if necessary. Pour into hot sterilized jars to within ¼ inch of top. Seal. Makes 3 half-pints.

Resource:

Pare, J. (1994). Company’s Coming: Preserves.  Edmonton, AB: Company’s Coming Publishing Limited.

carrot cake (or apple cake)

04 Wednesday Apr 2012

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I had a craving for carrot cake the other day and wanted to share the recipe with you. I usually don’t frost the cake (if it’s just for me) and this time around I added a handful of raisons and then poured the batter into stoneware muffin pans for individual little cakes. This recipe can easily be turned into an Apple Cake simply by substituting apples for the carrots. I included two optional frosting recipes below.

Carrot Cake

1-½ cups organic sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

1-½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

3 cups shredded carrots (about 5 medium)

1 cup nuts, coarsely chopped

Heat oven to 350 degrees (F). Grease and flour rectangular pan, 13x9x2 inches. Mix sugar, oil and eggs in large bowl until blended. Stir in remaining ingredients except carrots and nuts. Stir in carrots and nuts. Pour into pan.

Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting if desired.

Apple Cake

Substitute 3 cups chopped apple (about 3 medium) for the carrots). Frost with Caramel Frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 cups powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese, milk and vanilla in medium bowl on low speed until smooth. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until smooth and of spreading consistency. Frosts a 13×9-inch cake or fills and frosts two 8- or 9-inch cake layers.

Caramel Frosting

½ cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

¼ cup milk

2 cups brown sugar

Heat butter over medium heat  in a small saucepan until melted. Stir in brown sugar. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low. Boil and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling then remove from heat. Cool to lukewarm.

Gradually stir in powdered sugar. Place saucepan of frosting in a bowl of cold water. Beat until smooth and of spreading consistency. If frosting becomes too stiff, stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time. Frosts a 13×9-innch cake or fills and frosts two 8- or 9-inch cake layers.

Resource:

Zeman, A. (1991). Betty Crocker’s 40th Anniversary Edition Cookbook. New York: Prentice Hall

juicing for health and healing

07 Wednesday Mar 2012

Posted by in juice

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I have been juicing for quite a few years now. I have a Breville Juice Fountain Elite, which I bought at Home Outfitters. I paid more money and bought the stainless steel variety as my dad had a plastic one that kept breaking every few months. Even though it takes up quite a bit of space, I keep mine out where I can access it easily. That way I use it more regularly.

I make different juices, depending on the season and what is fresh and available. I have a few juicing cookbooks that have great suggestions for different mixtures. There are recipes for cleansing, vitality, immune-boosting, aphrodisiac and ‘booze juices’ for the most amazing cocktails you will ever taste!

Today I made my favorite: carrot-apple-beet-ginger juice.

Your juices will boost your body’s energy, vitality and natural immunity. Use them as pick-me-ups when you’re low, mixed modestly with alcohol at parties, or made into shakes, smoothies or crushes. You can even use them to cleanse and detox your system, giving your body a spring clean.~Van Straten

Juicing is the  fool-proof way of adding wonderful, life-giving and life-protecting vitamins, minerals and natural food chemicals to your diet…  There is no comparison between fresh and commercial juices; even the ‘freshly squeezed’ ones have been in the bottle for several days, losing vitamins. Processed varieties are reconstituted concentrates that are vitamin-deficient. Fruit “drinks” are often 90 percent water, ten percent juice, sugars, sweeteners and a host of chemicals.~Van Straten

Juicers can be expensive but I feel that mine has been well worth the investment in my health and healing over the years. It has paid for itself in a short time considering how expensive store-bought juices are. The juices take only minutes to make (and cleaning the juicer immediately after takes only a few more minutes). Fresh juices are so flavorful and delicious that it is very difficult to drink any other store-bought juices after switching! Cheers, everyone!

Resource:

Van Straten, M. (1999). Super Juice: Juicing for Health and Healing. Vancouver, BC: Octopus Publishing.

potted apple strudel

14 Saturday Jan 2012

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Another fun use for those tiny terra cotta pots! Click here for directions on seasoning the pots.

Potted Apple Strudel

4 apples

1 tablespoon lemon juice, bottled or fresh

2 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

phyllo pastry (about 4 sheets)

1/2 cup butter, melted

icing sugar, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degree (F).

Season your terra cotta pots. (Click here for directions) Butter the inside of the seasoned pots.

Add about 2 cups water and the lemon juice to a small saucepan. Peel apples and cut into small pieces and add to the water. Bring water to a boil and cook for about 2 minutes; then strain. Add brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and walnuts to the apples and mix well.

Unfold phyllo pastry and cover with a damp tea towel to prevent dough from drying out. Lay one sheet on a flat surface and cut into three equal pieces (I use a round pizza cutter). Brush the phyllo with melted butter and line each pot with 2 small pieces of the pastry.

Fill each pastry-lined pot with about 1/4 cup of the apple mixture. Top with a small piece of buttered phyllo, crumpled up.

Place in preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Brush the tops with more butter and allow to bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool. Sprinkle with icing sugar, if desired. Yield: 6 small terra cotta potted strudel.