Caramel Apple Butter

My mom brought over a whole crate of apples that we picked last weekend for our fair display.  Today, I used about half of them to make applesauce and decided to try something a little different as well.  I remembered Laura’s post about Caramel Pear Butter, and I thought Caramel Apple Butter sounds really good! I made a few changes, like substituting cinnamon for the nutmeg, and it came out really great. I ended up with 9 pints of applesauce and 2 1/2 pints of caramel apple butter.

• 10 large apples, peeled, cored and chopped
• 6 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt

In a large pot, combine the apples, 4 Tbsp of the lemon juice and water.  Cook over medium heat until soft, like with applesauce.  This will take about 20 minutes.  Push the apples through a seive or use a food mill.  Combine the apples with the remaining ingredients and simmer over low for about an hour until thick.  Ladel into sterilized pint jars and then process in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes.  Makes about 2 1/2 pints.

Canning Applesauce

Unlike the sweet jams and preserves, applesauce is something that I can without using any sugar.  I love that it’s tart, just like the apples.  I add lots of cinnamon, but you could leave it out.  Serve this with pork, roast chicken, by itself, or use it to make applesauce nut bread.

Chunky Cinnamon Applesauce (Unsweetened)

1. Sterilize jars and lids.
2. Make applesauce by peeling and cutting up apples, then cooking with cinnamon and just enough water to keep it from scorching.  I don’t measure when making applesauce, just make what I have.  It’s a little difficult to figure out how many jars to use, but this time I guessed 6 pints and it turned out to be 7, so there was one for the fridge.
3. Ladel into hot jars, screw on lids and process for 15 minutes in a boiling water bath. 

August 18 Challenge Update

Wow did last week fly by!  I know this week, getting ready for school and our party, will go just as fast!  I spent all morning today working on school stuff: syllabi, website, summer reading test, activities.  I still have to finalize and burn CD’s for my AP students (to save paper handouts) and go in to photocopy what I need to have on paper.  I’m taking a little timeout to post a couple of updates on my garden-related challenges.

Plant something.  

• nothing this week

Harvest something. 

• parsley
• chives
• yellow squash
• crookneck squash
• tomatoes
• sugar pumpkins
• butternut squash
• spaghetti squash

Preserve something. 

• Froze: peach pie filling, peach raspberry pie filling, raspberries, peaches, blueberries
• Canned: peach pie filling, peach raspberry preserves

Prep something. 

• cleaned out the pumpkin, squash and cucumber plants that were decimated by bugs, to get ready for a fall planting

Cook something new.  

• peach raspberry crumb pie

Manage your reserves.  

• organized the freezer, again, after I messed it up to make room to freeze berries

Reduce waste.

• continue to recycle, compost, carry reusable bags, and limit packaging

Work on local food systems. 

• groceries from my family’s farm market
• visited the Durham Farmer’s Market

Learn a new skill.

• How to freeze pie filling in a pie pan

Yesterday afternoon, Ed and I got to work doing what we’ve been talking about for a couple of weeks now, ripping out one whole side of our garden.  We harvest everything we could before we removed the bug-ravaged vines.  We got 7 sugar pumpkins, all in the process of turning orange, 4 spaghetti squash, and 2 small butternut squash, which are sitting on our deck right now in the sun, ripening up.  As we were picking the pumpkins, it seemed like time goes so fast, and we just couldn’t believe these grew so quickly.  It feels like we just planted the seeds.  Ed’s going to bring home his dad’s small rototiller today, and this week I’ll get to work planting spinach, broccoli, turnips, and more lettuce.  Anybody have any advice on what will grow well in fall/winter in New England? We’re talking about building a cold frame eventually, and the thought of having our own lettuce all winter is just great!  Our tomatoes continue to ripen little by little, and there are still very many green ones, so we’ll hopefully have them well into September, barring an unusual frost.  I have to say that even with the trials and tribulations and droughts and bugs, I’m so happy that we put in our veggie garden.  The sunflowers are so beautiful and healthy, towering over the little garden, and they make me smile every time I look at them.

Canning Peaches and Raspberries

Peach Raspberry Jam

• 3 cups peeled crushed peaches
• 1 1/2 cups crushed raspberries
• 1 package pectin
• 6 cups sugar

Sterilize jars and lids.  Combine the peaches, raspberries, and pectin in a large pot and bring to a boil.  Stir in the sugar and return to a boil.  Boil hard for 1 minute.  Ladel into hot jars, screw on caps and process for 10 minutes.

Canned Peach Pie Filling

• 5 cups peeled and sliced peaches
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cup water
• sprinkle cinnamon
• 1/4 cup bottled lemon juice

Sterilize a quart-sized jar and lid.  Combine sugar, water and cinnamon in a large pot.  Bring to a boil, then add the lemon juice and boil for another minute.  Stir in the peaches and bring back to a boil.  Continue to boil for 5 minutes.  Ladel into hot jar, cap, and then process for 30 minutes.  Makes 1 quart, which will make 1 small pie.

Peaches and Raspberries Galore

After picking peaches and raspberries with my mom yesterday, I had a lot of work to do to use up the bountiful fruits.  I’ll be posting the recipes and pictures in the next couple of days, but for now, here’s a list of what I made today.

Baked

• peach raspberry crumb pie (6″ for me and Ed)

Canned

• peach raspberry jam
• peach pie filling

Froze

• raspberries
• peaches
• peach raspberry pie filling

I froze the pie filling using the same method that I used for the peach pie filling a few days ago.  I froze the raspberries and peaches using the same method I have used for strawberries and blueberries.

Preserving Peaches and Blueberries

With the ripe, juicy peaches we’ve got right now, I just had to preserve some.  I had wanted to try making strawberry jam with honey, but the season ended before I had a chance.  So, I decided to try it with peaches.  Add a touch of cinnamon, and I’ve got Honey and Cinnamon Peach Preserves.  I used the three-day method, with steeping and plumping overnight.  I like that method because it takes just a little bit of time over three days.

We’ve also got some great local blueberries, so I mixed some together with the peaches for Blueberry Peach Preserves.  I made quick preserves, skipping the steeping and plumping overnight.  I used sugar in this recipe.

I make preserves because I like the thinner consistency.  It’s still thick enough to put on bread, but thin enough to use as a topping on ice cream.

Honey and Cinnamon Peach Preserves

• 2 pounds ripe peaches
• 1 cup honey
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup bottled lemon juice

Day 1

1. Put a large pot of water on the stove to boil.  Prepare an ice water bath in a large bowl.  When the water reaches a rolling boil, dunk in the peaches.  Let them simmer for about 20 seconds, then place the peaches in an ice water bath.
2. Peel the peaches.  The peels should slide off easily.  Pit and slice the peaches into 1/4 inch slices.
3. Combine sliced peaches, honey and cinnamon in a nonreactive bowl.  Stir to combine, cover and let steep in the refrigerator overnight.

Day 2

1. Place peaches in a large pot.  Stir in lemon juice. 
2. Bring to a rapid boil and stir frequently until it gets thick.  This should take about 15-20 minutes. 
3. Remove from heat and skim off any foam.
4. Allow to cool, then cover and let steep in the refrigerator overnight.

Day 3

1. Sterilize jars and lids and keep them in the hot water until you’re ready for them.
2. Return the preserves to a boil.  Ladle into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.
3. Screw on caps and process for 10 minutes.

Makes about 2 pints.

Blueberry Peach Preserves

• 4 cups blueberries
• 4 cups peaches, peeled and cut into slices
• 1/4 cup bottled lemon juice
• 5 1/2 cups sugar

1. Sterilize jars and lids and keep them in hot water until you’re ready to use them.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large pot.  Bring to a rolling boil, and cook to the gel point.  You can add commercial pectin if you want a thicker jam.
3. Ladel into hot jars, screw on caps and process for 10 minutes.

Makes about 4 pints.