Apple Butter and apple maple jam

You've made it through the canning blitz week! There were dilly beans and applesauce and piccalilli. And now there are more apples!

What's a gal to do with a bushel of apples besides make applesauce? Resort to other means and methods of course (err... recipes!). After making two batches of applesauce I set off to make something else with the rest of my apples. I did quite a bit of back and forth through some recipe books and I decided to make apple butter and an apple-maple jam. I made two batches of apple butter because it was pretty simple even if it was time consuming. It became an all day affair, really. The apple-maple jam was a bit more advanced because I had to get it to a gelling point which was not only time consuming but required a bit of judgment.

I think I preferred making the apple butter because I figured out I could let it simmer in a crockpot all day - I would make the apple puree in the morning, let it simmer in the crockpot until after dinner, and then can it before bed. Like I said, all day affair!

Apple butter from the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving (2012)
yield 3 pints
Ingredients
4 pounds apples (about 16 medium)
4 cups sugar
2 tsp cinnamon I substituted an apple pie spice blend for the cinnamon and cloves
1/4 tsp cloves
Directions
   To prepare pulp: Wash apples. Core, peel and quarter apples. Combine apples and 2 cups water in a large saucepot. Simmer until apples are soft. Puree using a food processor or food mill, being careful not to liquefy. Measure 2 quarts apple pulp.
   To make butter: Combine apple pulp, sugar and spices in a large saucepot. Cook slowly until thick enough to round up on a spoon. As mixture thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking. Ladle hot butter into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 10 minutes in boiling water canner.
   Note: If butter becomes too thick, add water or apple juice for desired consistency.

Two for one day! Here's the apple-maple jam recipe too.

Apple maple jam from the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving (2012)
yield about 8 half pints
Ingredients
3 quarts chopped, peeled, cored apples (about 6 pounds)
6 cups sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1 cup maple syrup

Directions
   Combine all ingredients in a large saucepot. Bring slowly to a boil. Cook rapidly to gelling point. As mixture thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking. Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary. Ladle hot jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 10 minutes in a boiling water canner.

And with that the canning blitz week concludes.

Applesauce

Welcome to Day 2 of the canning blitz! Did you read about dilly beans yesterday??

Today is all about apples! I decided to buy a bushel of apples. Do you know how much a bushel of apples is? It's forty pounds. Forty pounds of apples. When Patrick came home and saw forty pounds of apples acquired by his wife he slowly backed away from the kitchen and turned to run in the opposite direction! No worries; I enjoyed making my way through a bushel of apples!

I canned two batches of applesauce, two batches of apple butter, and tried my hand at an apple-maple jam. There was also an apple crisp! Today we're sharing the applesauce recipe on the blog. The apple butter and apple-maple jam will make an appearance at the end of the week. Keep in mind that these canning recipes are developed for canning and preservation but there's no rule that they have to be canned. You can make the recipes and keep them in your refrigerator and use immediately.

Applesauce from the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving (2012)

Ingredients
2 1/2 to 3 1/2 pounds apples per quart
water
sugar (optional)

Directions
Wash apples; drain. Core, peel, and quarter apples.

Cook apples until soft in a large covered saucepot with just enough water to prevent sticking.

Puree using a food processor or food mill. Return apple pulp to saucepot. Add 1/4 cup sugar per pound of apples or to taste, if desired. Bring applesauce to a boil, stirring to prevent sticking. Maintain temperature at a boil while filling jars. Ladle hot sauce into hot jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust two-piece caps. Process pints and quarts 20 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

Variation: Spiced applesauce can be made by adding ground spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, or allspice, to the sauce during the last 5 minutes of cooking. I also cooked the apples with two cinnamon sticks and removed before pureeing. 
   For a chunky sauce, coarsely crush half of the cooked apples; process remaining apples through a food processor or food mill. Combine crushed and sauced apple mixtures; continue as directed above. I made two batches. The first was chunkier and I did not use the food processor. For the second batch I used the food processor and greatly preferred this consistency for the applesauce. 

Peach Rum Sauce

Here today with another canning recipe! While I was browsing the Ball Fresh Preserving website for recipes this Peach Rum Sauce immediately caught my eye. I don't think I even read through the recipe before deciding to make it. Who wouldn't want a Peach Rum Sauce?! The recipe calls for the sauce to be processed in half pint jars which I think is the perfect amount. We were able to use it up in about three desserts - one with ice cream, another with pound cake, and then finally a mini cheesecake [pictured below]. The sauce is definitely sweet so it's a good thing to splurge on.

Peach Rum Sauce from Ball Recipes

Ingredients

6 cups chopped pitted peeled peaches, treated to prevent browning and drained

2 cups lightly packed brown sugar

2 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup rum

1 tsp grated lemon zest

7 half pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands 

Directions

   Prepare boiling water canner. Heat jars in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil.  Wash lids in warm soapy water and set bands aside.

   Combine peaches, brown sugar, granulated sugar, rum and lemon zest in a large stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 20 minutes.

   Ladle hot sauce into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and re-measure headspace. If needed, add more sauce to meet recommended headspace. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band and adjust until fit is fingertip tight.

   Process filled jars in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.

Blueberry Spice Jam

Today I'm sharing my very first experiment for canning in my kitchen! I quickly fell in love with canning and can't wait to try out more recipes. I'm definitely looking forward to some apple picking in the fall.

Despite being from the South I didn't grow up watching my mother or grandmothers can which means I have been blazing my own learn-how-to-can trail over here. My dad's mom was a canner but I imagine had just stopped canning by the time I was old enough to remember things. Fortunately my dad was able to pass along some canning equipment and he gave those to me this spring which jump started my inquiries into learning how to can. Canning isn't something to be taken lightly - if something isn't canned correctly then bacteria could develop in your food and it could be deadly. If you have any interest in learning to can I highly recommend finding a canning class either through your local extension office or some other avenue.

With this mind I knew that I wanted to learn from the pros. So I looked around for some canning classes sponsored through the NC Cooperative Extension program. They have offices in all 100 counties in the state and their mission is to provide educational programming in five key areas: sustaining agriculture and forestry, protecting the environment, maintaining viable communities, developing responsible youth, and developing strong, healthy and safe families. It seems like canning is making a comeback so I was surprised to find only a handful of county extension offices offering canning classes. That didn't stop me from driving out to Lee County for two of their canning classes led by their extension director, Susan Condlin. She was a wealth of information and exactly what I was looking for! I learned quite a bit by attending these classes; learned enough that I felt I could tackle some canning!

For my first canning experiment here I still thought it would be a good idea to call over a good friend who had canning experience. This meant she could call me out if I was overlooking something and look over my shoulder to make sure everything was going just the way it should.

This Blueberry-spice Jam is from the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning. And I've included some of the pictures throughout the canning process below.

A very special thank you to one of my mom's friend who gave me all the blueberries! She has blueberry bushes in her backyard and the most tasty blueberries. We're so thankful when she shares with us. Patrick and I ventured out into the blueberry world and planted 3 bushes in our side yard last spring so hopefully one day we can make this jam from our very own blueberries!

Blood Orange

We tried a blood orange! Patrick wasn't quite sure what to think of this citrus fruit. The blood orange looks quite similar to a regular navel orange. There was some darker markings on the rind though.

But then we sliced it and said "whoa!"

The blood oranges were purchased as a substitute for grapefruits to make Clinton Kelly's "Fantasy Sweet" cocktail for The Bachelor Season Finale. If you're interested in making this Fantasy Sweet cocktail for the upcoming Bachelorette season (premieres Mon May 18), here you go!

THE FANTASY SWEET from ABC's The Chew & Clinton Kelly
1 1/2 ounces vodka
1 grapefruit segment
2 blackberries
1 sprig mint
1/2 ounce simple syrup
ice (to serve)
champagne (to top)

Directions
In the bottom of a rocks glass, add the vodka, grapefruit segment, blackberries and mint. Muddle until incorporated. Add the simple syrup and stir. Fill the glass with ice and top with champagne.

Snacks - How we eat grapes

Today I wanted to share one way Patrick and I have improved our snacking habits. Our food challenge has really made us focus on whole foods and incorporating more fruits and vegetables is one thing we've been doing well. Now I try to always buy more fruit when I'm at the grocery store for us to have on hand for snacks - bananas, pears, and apples work really well for us. I'll also try to snag a few navel oranges to have with breakfast.

One fruit we like but requires a bit of legwork are grapes. Patrick and I both enjoy grapes but if I buy a bag of grapes and stash them in the fridge chances are we may end up with some raisins. womp womp

I really wanted to change that habit! So now when I buy grapes - as soon as I bring them home I wash them and then section them off into 2 cup containers. This is the perfect serving and great for either one of us to grab in the morning!

Grapes for the win!

Do you have any tips or tricks up your sleeve you use to make sure you have healthy snacks available?