Canned Pumpkin

Pumpkin season is right around the corner, and these easily canned jars are the perfect go to for delicious breads, waffles, cookies, cakes, pies, or whatever else you love pumpkin for.

Due to their acidity levels, pumpkins (and all vegetables), require the use of a pressure canner.  The internal temperature of puree'd pumpkin is questionable for home canning safety, so please don't try that at home.  Stick with this cubed method and strain the water when ready to use, if necessary.  This same method can be used for canning any winter squash.

Canned Pumpkin

Recipe from Presto

fresh pumpkin
mason jars

Wash and remove seeds from pumpkin.
Remove peel from flesh and cut into 1" cubes.
Drop cubes into boiling water and boil for 2 minutes.
Pack hot squash cubes loosely into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1" headspace.  Do not mash or puree cubes.
Cover with liquid that squash was boiled in, leaving 1 " headspace.
Remove air bubbles by running a plastic knife around the edges of the jar.
Wipe rim clean with a wet paper towel.
Place hot, sterilized lids on jars, and screw on bands.

Process at 11 pounds pressure, making sure to adjust for altitude (13 pounds if you live in Utah).
55 minutes for pints, or 90 minutes for quarts.

Apple Cider {Bottled}

Apple season is in full swing and thanks to wonderful farmers and a generous neighbor, I had a plethora of them last week.  I was stocked with dehydrated apples, applesauce and canned apple pie filling already, so I branched out to try something new: apple cider.  The results were fantastic.

You really can use whatever apples you have on hand; I had a mix of granny smith and red delicious; with a few fuji's and golden delicious in the mix.  The type of apples used will contribute to the sweetness factor, so you may need to adjust the honey or sugar to your liking.

If you are making a large batch you can definitely can this for future use (instructions follow), but if canning intimidates you then by all means just leave that part out.  This should store just fine in the fridge for up to 1 week.  If you are doing multiple batches, I would reuse the cinnamon/clove spice bag - you could definitely get more than one use out of it.

Also, DON'T THROW OUT THE APPLE PIECES AND PULP AT THE END!  This can be sent through a Victorio Strainer and made into delicious applesauce, which you can either eat plain or bottle (instructions here).  Or you could use it to make apple butter.  I sifted through mine for core-less pieces and pureed them in my blender to make apple cider fruit leather, so you've got a lot of options!

Apple Cider

Recipe modified from BLDG 25
25 apples of choice

water to cover apples (should be at least 4 quarts)

1 c. honey (or sweetener of choice)

10 cinnamon sticks

15 whole cloves

Chop apples into 4-6 pieces (do not skin or remove cores - just throw it all in)

Add apples to a large pot and cover with water.

Add sweetener of choice to the pot.

Take cinnamon sticks and cloves and wrap in a spice bag or cheesecloth; toss into the pot.

Bring to a boil, and boil uncovered on high for 1 hour.

Turn the heat to low, and simmer for 2-4 hours longer.

Once cooking is over, remove cheesecloth or spice bag.

Use a potato masher to mash the apples into a pulp (as much as possible).

Using a fine mesh strainer, remove as much of the pulp as possible.

Pour the remaining cider and pulp through a mesh strainer to catch all of the big pieces (you can also pour it into a large cheesecloth bag and squeee out all of the liquid).

Season to taste, and adjust sweetener if needed.

Makes 4 quarts.

If canning: put strained cider into a large pot and bring to a gentle simmer.

Pour hot cider into hot, sterilized jars.

Wipe rims clean, and top with a hot, sterilized lid.

Screw band on as tightly as possible.

Let stand on a towel or hot pad until you hear the "pop", and the cider has cooled completely.

Store in a cool, dark place.

Zucchini Casserole

As the weather cools, casserole season is quickly approaching again.  This is the perfect way to continue to use up the wonderful zucchini from the garden before it's gone for the winter.

Zucchini Casserole

Recipe from Six Sister's Stuff

6 oz. package boxed Stove Top stuffing mix

1/2 c. melted butter

4 c. zucchini, diced

2 c. cooked chicken, cubed

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 c. sour cream

In a large bowl, combine the stuffing mix and melted butter.

Set aside 1/2 c. of the stuffing mixture for the topping.

To the large bowl, add the zucchini, chicken soup, onion and sour cream, stirring to combine.

Pour mixture into a greased 9x13" baking dish and spread out evenly.

Top with remaining 1/2 c. stuffing mixture.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes, or until golden brown.

Dry Vegetable Cheese Chowder Mix {Meal in a Jar}

One of my all time favorite soups is now available as a shelf stable dry mix.  Aside from the convenience of having these lining your pantry shelves for a quick and delicious dinner any time, recipes like these also make for the perfect gift.  Not to mention the convenience factor for camping / backpacking / hunting / 72 hour kit food options.  No refrigeration, light weight, nutritious and great tasting.  Just switch out the glass jar for a ziplock bag if you plan to hit the hills.

To make this even more backpacker friendly, you can buy resealable mylar bags, add the jar contents along with boiling water to the bag, seal it up, and let it cook on its own.  This takes about twice as long as boiling on the stovetop, but it is another option.

Shelf life on these jars are 1 year.  If you have a food saver with the ability to seal a mason jar lid on dry goods, it will last much longer (upwards of 15 years if kept in a cool, dry place).

You can use any brand of freeze dried or dehydrated food here, but I've included links to the products that I use personally.  Click here to find out more about how you can earn these products for free or half off.

Dry Vegetable Cheese Chowder Mix

Menu Managed Original

1/4 c. mashed potato flakes
1/3 c. cheese blend powder
1/4 c. powdered milk
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. chicken bouillon
1/2 c. dehydrated potato chunks
1/2 c. dehydrated carrot dices
1/2. c. freeze dried onions
3/4 c. freeze dried broccoli
3/4 c. freeze dried cauliflower
3/4 c. freeze dried celery

Add all contents to a wide mouth quart jar, in the order listed above.  You will have to push down on the celery to get it all to fit.

To make the soup:
Add 7 cups of water to a pot and turn heat to high.
Dump contents of jar into water and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes, until potatoes are fully cooked, stirring occasionally.
Soup will thicken up quiet a bit near the end of cooking time, so don't worry if it looks too thin.
Add up to 1 more cup of water if soup seems too thick for your liking.
Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if desired.

Pineapple Zucchini

As weird as this name may sound, this is no joke!  Cubed and skinned zucchini is soaked in pineapple juice, absorbing all of the flavor to make perfectly pineapple look and taste alikes.  I opted for tidbits, since that is what we use most, but you can also grate or shred your zucchini if you are going for more of a crushed pineapple texture.  This is an excellent recipe for those big or over ripe zucchini from the garden.

Now, as far as taste is concerned, these really do taste just like pineapple.  You will notice the difference in the way they look, and the texture, but I have had success in several dishes using these in replace of the real thing; fruit salads, jello's, etc.  If you want to see a picture of them on an actual dish, check out this Hawaiian Haystacks photo/recipe.

A second note on terms of canning.  Most vegetables need to be canned in a pressure canner (as opposed to a water bath) because of their non or low-acidity levels.  Soaking the zucchini in pineapple and lemon juice, as well as the sugar, makes these suitable for water bath canning.  However, it is recommended that you do not process in jars larger than pints (no quarts).

Pineapple Zucchini

Recipe from Cottage in the Making

16 c. zucchini, cubed in the size you want, or shredded

46 oz. canned unsweetened pineapple juice

1 1/2 c. bottled lemon juice

3 c. sugar

Prepare your zucchini by first cutting it in half lengthwise and removing all of the seeds.  

Use a knife or a vegetable peeler to remove all of the skin.

You should be left with just the "meaty" portion of the zucchini.

Chop zucchini into chunks or tidbits, or grate if you want crushed pineapple.

In a large pot, combine pineapple juice, lemon juice and sugar.  

Stir to dissolve sugar and then add the zucchini.

Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Fill hot, sterilized pint or half-pint size jars, leaving 1/2" headspace.

Remove air bubbles, wipe rims and place sterilized lids on each jar.

Secure with a band and fingertip tighten.

Process in a water bath canner for 15 minutes, being sure to adjust for altitude (25 minutes Utah time).

Makes 8-10 pints.

Lemon Custard Cake

Another great option for summertime treats, this lemon custard cake it great alone, with just a sprinkling of powdered sugar, or topped with juicy berries (my personal preference).

Do not be alarmed by the runny consistency of the batter - that is exactly how it is supposed to be.   The cake firms up quite a bit once cooked and cooled.

Lemon Custard Cake

Recipe from Give Recipe

4 eggs, room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. butter (1 cube)

3/4 c. flour

2 c. milk, lukewarm

2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest (1 Tbsp. lemonaide powder)

Separate egg whites and egg yolks.

Beat whites in a bowl until stiff and put aside.

Whisk egg yolks, vanilla and sugar until creamy.

Add melted butter and mix for half a minute.

Add the flour and mix with a spatula until well incorporated.

Continue beating as you add the milk gradually.

Gently fold in the egg white, one third at a time.

Fold in the grated lemon zest.

Pour very runny batter into a greased 8x11" baking dish.

Bake at 320 degrees for 60 minutes.

Let cool.

Dust with powdered sugar or top with fresh fruit.  I ended up putting mine face down on a platter first, but you can't really go wrong here.

Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

Cobbler meets granola bar in this fantastic oatmeal breakfast alternative.
I altered the sugar content significantly to make this a bit more morning friendly rather than "treat worthy", and we don't miss it at all!  The berries are plenty sweet and this satisfies even my pickiest oat eaters.
You can dive in fresh out of the oven, and your bowl of breakfast will literally look like berry cobbler, or you can wait for them to cool and cut into bars; perfect for snacks or breakfast on the go.  We love these.

The original recipe calls for frozen berries, coating them in cornstarch to keep the juices down.

However, it is significantly better using fresh, so that is what the recipe below indicates.  If all you have is frozen, simply add 1 Tbsp. cornstarch to the frozen berry mixture before adding to the pan.

Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

Recipe modified from Delightful E Made

2 1/4 c. Quick Oats

2 1/4 c. flour (we use whole wheat)

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 c. butter, melted

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

4 c. mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc.)

Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt, mixing until combined.

Melt butter and pour over ingredients, stirring until combined and crumbly.

Pour 2/3 of the oatmeal mixture into a greased 9x13" baking pan, pressing down to form a crust.

Arrange berries over crust.

Evenly sprinkle remaining oatmeal mixture over berries, breaking up with fingers as you do.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve immediately for cobbler style, or let cool before cutting into long bars.

Refrigerate leftovers.