Classy and Opinionated Lifestyle Mom Blog
This blackberry apple fruit crisp is easy-to-make and only requires a few basic ingredients. The fresh blackberries add just a little bit of sweetness to it but still allows the “apple taste” to shine through. The fall season is the perfect time to whip up …
This was our first year of growing Butternut Squash in our backyard garden and I’m happy to report that it was a total success! We planted 2 Butternut Squash plants with each one yielding approximately 6 large squashes each! Over the past few weeks I’ve …
Strawberry jam is one of the most popular flavors of fruit jam around the world. It’s sweet but not overly so. It’s delicious used as a spread on toast, bagels, peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, English muffins, etc. It’s equally as good when used in your favorite Thumbprint Cookies Recipe, stirred into vanilla yogurt or used as a topping on ice cream. When I make strawberry jam I preserve it using my water bath canner. Once properly processed, it’s shelf stable for 1 year.
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Homemade Strawberry Jam Canning Recipe
2 quarts whole, fresh, strawberries
6 tablespoons Ball Classic Pectin
1/4 cup bottled or fresh lemon juice
7 cups granulated sugar
Prep: Wash strawberries under cold running water, drain. Remove stems and caps. When I’m working with a large batch of strawberries, I like to use a strawberry huller to prep them. Crush strawberries one layer at a time using a potato masher in a large mixing bowl
Cook: Combine strawberries, pectin, and lemon juice in a large saucepan, stirring to blend in pectin. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the granulated sugar, stirring until sugar dissolves. Bring mixture to a rolling boil that can’t be stirred down. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off foam if necessary.
Fill: Ladle hot jam into a hot jar, leaving 1/4″ headspace. Remove air bubbles. Clean jar rim with a clean, cotton cloth. Center lid on jar and adjust ring (band) to fingertip-tight. Place jar on the rack elevated in simmering water in your water bath canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.
Process: Lower the rack into the simmering water. Water must cover jars by 1″ depth. Adjust heat to medium-high, cover canner and bring water to a rolling boil. Process half-pint jars for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and remove cover. Let jars cool 5 minutes. Remove jars from canner, do not retighten bands if loose. Cool for 12 hours. Check seals. Label and store jars.
Storage Tips: When storing your jars you never want to stack jars one on top of the other. This can damage their seals. Store in a single layer in a cool and dry place…like inside a pantry. Don’t store jars in a hot attic, in direct sunlight or in a damp basement. Room temperature is just fine.
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Mead, often referred to as the “nectar of the gods,” has a rich history that stretches back thousands of years. This ancient beverage, created by fermenting honey with water, sometimes combined with fruits, spices, grains, or hops, holds a special place in the annals of …
This year my one and only zucchini plant in our backyard garden gave us several nice-sized zucchinis. Last week I baked a batch of homemade Zucchini Pineapple Bread in glass mason jars. I love baking in the jars which gives you nice single-serve or 2-people …
This year we’ve tried our hand of growing squash in our garden. We were pleasantly surprised that one plant produced 9 squash over 5 weeks of time. I opted to can 5 quarts of diced squash to use this winter when making casseroles, stews or stir-fry recipes. Last week I made an easy-to-make stove-top side dish with the squash. It was delicious!
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Prepping the Squash
It can be hard to peel. Cut a little bit off each end (stem and flower ends). Wash it under cool running water in your sink to remove any dirt and debris. If it’s a large one…cut it in half to make it easier to work with. Use a sharp vegetable peeler to remove all of the skin. A dull one won’t work, so make sure it’s sharp!!! Slice it into more manageable pieces. Remove the strings and seeds. Chop the remaining flesh into 1/2″ to 3/4″ cubes.
Cooking the Squash
In a deep skillet or wok add olive oil. Heat it up so it’s nice and hot. Stir in the cubed squash along with the following ingredients according to your own taste buds: Salt, Ground Black Pepper, Italian Seasoning Blend. Turn the heat down to medium. Sautee until it’s fork-tender. You’ll need to stir it every 2-3 minutes to keep things from sticking. This process should take less than 10 minutes.
Once it’s fork-tender sprinkle 2-4 tablespoons of dry seasoned bread crumbs over the top. Stir. Simmer on low heat for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. Serve immediately.
Sweet Variation
If you want to sweeten it up you can add 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup, honey or brown sugar during the cooking process. The grand kids will eat it if I sweeten it up for them.
Refrigerator and Freezer Storage
Store all leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can freeze it in a small freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
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This honey barbecue sauce recipe is for those who like their chicken wings more on the sweeter side than the spicy side. Everyone in my family enjoys this recipe including the kids. They won’t touch spicy foods. Once you have the bbq sauce prepared you’ll …
Last week I was responsible for making cupcakes for my daughter’s Girls Scout meeting. Every week parents rotate on bring snacks and drinks for the girls to enjoy. I used a boxed mix of chocolate cake mix to make the cupcakes and then whipped up …