Peach & Nectarine Jam

Peach and Nectarine Jam

11 peaches or nectarines(or mix)

1/4 c lemon juice

1/2 cup water

4 1/2 c sugars

6 tbsp of Pectin

1 canner

1 cup of ice water

1 kitchen spoon (silverware)

1 jar funnel

1 pair of tongs

2 large pots

1 ladle or spoon

1 spatula

5 12oz canning jars

5 rings

5 lids

1 magnetic lid lifter

1 jar grabber

Rinse fruit.

Fill canner with water and set aside.

In a large pot bring water to a boil.

Carefully add peaches and nectarines into boiling water don't crowd the pot.

Remove them from boiling water into a bowl of ice water after 1 minute.(If peaches or nectarines aren't ripe leave them in boiling water for an additional minute or until skin will easily peel.)

Once all fruit is cool in ice water begin peeling the skin from the fruit make sure to remove all skin from fruit.
In another large bowl filled with water (enough water to cover the fruit) mix in lemon juice then add peeled fruit into the bowl.

Lightly stir fruit to make sure lemon juice water coats all fruits surfaces.

Wash your jars, lids and rings in hot soapy water then place them into the canner.

Bring canner to a boil on high heat, then turn off heat and leave on burner.

Cut out any brown spots on fruit and remove all pits.

On a cutting board cut fruit into medium size chunks.

Using a potato masher or a amerce mush or crush fruit until liquidly but with fruit chunks predominantly.

In cup or bowl mix the pectin with 1/4 cup of the sugar then set aside.

In a large pot on medium high heat add the fruit, mix in the pectin mixture then add the 1/2 cup of water.

Continuously stirring bring fruit mixture to a hard boil.

Once fruit mixture comes to a complete boil add remaining sugar. (Keep stirring.)

Bring fruit mixture back to a hard boil for 1 minute.

Place the spoon in the ice water and set aside.

Test the thickness of the jam by dipping the chilled spoon in jam and letting the spoon set at room temperature.

If the jam thickness isn't to your liking add another 1 to 3 tablespoons of pectin to jam and bring back to a hard boil for 1 minute.

Using the jar tongs carefully remove a jar from the canner and place on a clean surface.(Clean cutting board, or towel)

Wipe any excess water from the top of the jar (clean cloth) then using the funnel fill jar with jam to1/4 inch from the top of the jar.

Wipe away any jam that might be on the rim of the jar.

Use the magnetic wand and remove a lid from the canner and place lid onto top of the jar, then use the wand and remove a ring from the canner and carefully place onto jar and hand tighten.(Use only your hand no tools.)

Repeat canning steps for remaining jars.

Once all jars are fill will with jam add back into the canner carefully using tongs.

The water in the canner should be 2 inches above the jars.

Bring canner back to a roiling boil then let boil for 7 minutes.

After 7 minutes carefully remove the jars from the canner and let them cool in a draft free zone.

Listen for a popping sound that alerts you that the jars are sealed.

***If you push down on the center of a jars lid and it moves up and down making a popping noise then the jar isn't sealed.***

Store in dry, dark place.

They will hold up to a one year.

Recipe courtesy of PickYourOwn.org

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheese Cake

1 can sweetened condensed milk

4 large eggs

1 sleeve of graham crackers

2 tbsp of flour

1 tsp of vanilla

4 cream cheese blocks

1 bag of white chocolate chips

1 8oz Jar of raspberry preserves, to taste

1 stick of butter, melted

½ cup of heavy whipping cream

1 tbsp water

1 chopstick

Heavy Duty Aluminum foil

All ingredients must be at room temperature; including eggs (don’t crack until ready to use.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Using a food processor grind the graham crackers until they are crumbled, then set aside in a bowl.

Add butter to graham crackers then mix until graham cracker and butter clump together.

Heavily spray spring form pan (cheese cake pan) then press graham cracker mix into and along the sides pan forming the crust.

Once you have formed the crust place crust into oven and bake for 9 minutes.

Remove the crust and set aside after the 9 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 300 and hold at that temperature.

Using a double boiler (or use a medium pot and a medium bowl that fits inside of the pot) heat pot over medium heat.

Add white chocolate chips, heavy cream, and vanilla into the double boiler then whip until smooth, then set aside. Turn off heat and let mixture stay warm on boiler.

In a large mixer or in a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese until fluffy.

Then gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk.

Stir your white chocolate mixture to make sure it smooth then gradually stir it into the mixing bowl and mix until it well incorporated.

Make sure to use a spatula and scrape the bottom of the mixing bowl to check for lumps.

Add one egg at a time until it that egg if fully incorporated into the batter.

Then mix in the flour well.

***Suggestion: use a water bath***

Before poring the batter into the crust, wrap cheese cake pan snuggly in heavy duty aluminum foil and set inside a large roasting  pan and fill pan with a half inch of water.

Pour half of the batter onto the crust then randomly dollop small amounts of the raspberry preserve in a circle.

Insert a chopstick into the center of the preserves dollops and spread the preserve outward forming loose circles that run throughout the cake. (Use a light touch to perform this.)

Carefully pour the remaining batter into the pan.

In a small bowl add water and 6 ounces of the preserves and mix together making preserves thinner.

Either use a squeeze bottle or spoon and make loose circles around the top of the batter.

Using the chopstick pull the preserves toward the center of the cake at random points on the preserve circle. (This should make a like flower design.)

Then place pan into the oven and let bake at 300 degrees for 1hour and 20minutes.

After cake has finished baking let cool until it reaches room temperature.

Once at room temperature refrigerate for 6 hours, and then cut.

Roasted Potatoes

2 to 3 lbs of Golden New Potatoes and Red Skin New Potatoes

1 tbsp Lawry's seasoning

1 tbsp Minced Onions

1 tbsp Garlic powder

1 tbsp Leaf rosemary (1/4 tsp if ground)

Pepper to taste

1 tbsp of Canola oil

If you are getting your potatoes straight from the garden then pick early in the morning or late evening.

Once dug up let sit for 30 minutes in a bowl to dry.

Rinse potatoes thoroughly then set aside in a bowl.

Quarter potatoes, and then place in a medium bowl.

Add all seasonings and oil onto potatoes.

Mix potatoes, seasoning and oil together evenly coating the potatoes in the seasoning.

On a baking sheet spread the potatoes out and then place into the oven.

Heat oven to 400 degrees and roast potatoes.

Bake until potatoes are tender.

Enjoy!

Grilled Teriyaki chicken 

1 Large Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast

2 tbsp canola oil

1 tbsp Marsala Cooking Wine

1tbs of teriyaki

1 heaping tbsp of Roasted Garlic and Herb seasoning

Asian Ginger Sauce (Any from the international isle in grocer)

In a small bowl add chicken, canola oil, Marsala, teriyaki, and seasoning and mix  ingredients together making sure to evenly coat chicken in seasoning.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

Preheat grill to 400 - 450degrees.

Coat your grill with canola oil (You can use a pair of tongs, a rag and a small bowl of Canola oil. Dip rag in canola oil and coat with oil.)***Helps with food not sticking. ***

Once grill reaches 400 degrees place chicken on grill on the smooth side down.

Let cook. (Carefully rotate chicken a quarter turn to get grill marks.)

Use a thermometer and test on thickest part of chicken for 175degrees. Once it reaches that temperature place on a plate and let it rest. (Chicken will continue to cook and reach the desired temperature of 180 degrees.)

Top with Asian Ginger Sauce.

Serve.

Chocolate Cheese Cake

18 whole chocolate graham cracker sheets

1 stick of butter, melted

4 large eggs or 5 medium eggs

4 cream cheese bars 8oz

2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 can sweetened condensed milk 14oz.

2 tbsp heavy whipping cream

2 tbsp of coffee Gevalia kaffe Chocolate Mocha brewed strong

2 tbsp flour

All ingredients must be at room temperature; including eggs (don’t crack until ready to use.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Using a food processor grind the graham crackers until crumbled, then set a side in a bowl.

Mix melted butter into graham cracker.

Heavily spray spring form pan (cheese cake pan) then press graham cracker mix into and along the sides pan forming the crust.

Once you have formed the crust place crust into oven and bake for 9 minutes.

Remove the crust and set aside.

Reduce oven heat oven temperature to 300 and hold at that heat.

Using a double boiler (or use a medium pot and a medium bowl that fits inside of the pot) heat over medium heat.

Add chocolate chips, heavy cream, and coffee to the boiler then whip until smooth, then set aside. Turn off heat and let chocolate stay warm on boiler.

In a large mixer or in a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese until fluffy.

Then gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk.

Stir your chocolate mixture to make sure it smooth then gradually stir chocolate into mixing bowl and mix until it well incorporated.

Make sure to use a spatula and scrape the bottom of the mixing bowl to check for lumps.

Add one egg at a time until that egg if fully incorporated into the batter.

Then mix in the flour well.

***Suggestion: use a water bath***

Before poring the batter onto the crust wrap cheese cake pan snuggly in heavy duty aluminum foil and set inside a large boiler pan and fill the broiler pan with a half inch of water.

Pour batter into the crust.

Then place in oven and let bake at 300 degrees for 1hour and 10minutes.

After cake has finished baking let cool until it reaches room temperature.

Once at room temperature refrigerate for 6 hours, and then cut.

         

   

Canning Pickles

5 LBS. of Fresh Cucumbers (or go by recommended amount on side of Ball’s Mix)

2 CUPS of Distilled White Vinegar

½ CUP of Ball’s Kosher Dill Pickle Mix Net w 13.4 oz

4 CUPS of Water

1 TSP of Mustard Seeds

2 TBSP of Sugar          

4 Canning Jars –with lids and rings

1 Canner (Large canning pot, used for canning)

1 Jar Grabber

1 Magnetic Wand (used for canning)

1 Ladle

 

If you are growing them fresh from the garden cut your selected cucumbers in either early morning or late evening.

Cut close to the cucumber.

Rinse cucumbers off in cold water.

Carefully rub your fingers down the cucumbers to remove the prickles.

Place cucumbers in a large bowl with ice water.

Cut the tips off both ends of the cucumbers to keep from turning into bitter pickles.

Place back into water.

You will need about 4 Canning Jars for about 5 lbs of cucumbers.  You need 4 rings, and 4 lids.

You must wash all jars, lids, and rings.

In a large canning pot filled with water to the 2nd ring on your Canner or until water is above your jars bring to a boil then carefully add your jars with the jar grabber. In a smaller pot add rings and lids then bring to a boil to get rid of any extra bacteria.

In a separate large pot stir in the distilled white vinegar, Ball’s Kosher Dill Pickle Mix, 4 cups of water, mustard seeds, sugar, and bring to a boil and let simmer. (This is your brine).

Carefully using your jar grabber remove a jar from canning pot, tilt to remove excess water. Keep the Canner boiling to process the pickles for later.

Add cucumbers into the jars as snug as you want or like the design in the video. 

Carefully ladle brine into cucumber filled jars to the first ring or leave about ½ inch head-space, make sure you don’t over fill the jars.

Once, cucumbers are in the jar wipe the top of the jar to remove excess liquid.

Add lid then the ring, tighten until snug (hand tighten) use only your hands, don't overly tighten.

Repeat with remaining jars.

Using your jar grabbers carefully add filled jars into the canning pot cover and let them process( let jars set in the boiling water bath). Set a timer for 10 minutes on high heat.

Once 10 minutes have passed carefully remove jars with grabber  and place on a clean surface either a towel or a cutting board and let the jars cool.

Listen for a popping sound that lets you know they are completely sealed.

Once cooled store in a dark, cool place (like a pantry or cabinet) and serve after at least 2 week.