Loquat Jam

My family got ahold of some loquats when we lived in Arizona years back and we made some jam with them. I remember them smelling something like Fruit Stripe gum when they were fresh, but the jam had a different taste to it. Most boxes of pectin in the U.S. will probably not include instruction for loquat jam, so here is a recipe to help you make it if you happen to have a source for them. Follow the canning instruction that comes with your pectin. I do not remember where this recipe came from.

Loquat Jam

5 cups loquats
1 box fruit pectin
7 cups sugar

Wash fruit well. Cut off both ends and remove seeds if desired. Place fruit in a saucepan with a small amount of water. Cook slowly and mash with a potato masher occasionally until well done. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

Add the pectin to the fruit and stir well. Let the mixture come to a rolling boil stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Add sugar and boil to a rolling boil for 1 minute.

At this point you will be putting it into jars or containers for storage. If you are canning be sure to have your hot, sterilized jars and lids ready before the jam reaches this stage and then can it according to the usual procedure. 

Crock Pot Apple Butter

As autumn is rapidly approaching in the northern hemisphere, maybe this recipe will be handy to someone. I don't remember where it came from.

Crock Pot Apple Butter 

Peel and core apples, cut in quarters, enough to fill a 4 quart crock pot to about 1 1/2 inches from the top: 

ADD: 

4 tsp. Cinnamon 

1/2 tsp Cloves 

1/2 tsp Salt 

3 Cups Sugar 

Start on high with about 4 TBL. water, till it gets hot, then turn on low and cook all day. When it is done and apples are fully cooked down put small amounts into food processor and zap quickly till smooth. 

For long term storage you will need to freeze or can this.

NOTE: If you are canning this, reheat the apple butter to boiling after it is pureed and it put into hot sterilized jars and seal with hot, sterilized lids. It may need to be put through a period of hot water bath in a canner as well. Look it up to find out. I know some people believe that home canning apple butter is not safe, however, my mom made it for years and we never had an issue. Ours was not super thick.

A Random June List

 

This is a photo my brother took of the bridge over Bear Creek which we cross regularly.  Actually, there was water over the road in both directions on this road for awhile.  This happened in the Memorial Day flooding here in central Texas.  This bridge flooded because on Saturday that weekend the rain had caused a log jam at the bridge and the Monday rains were too much for it.  It was a blessing that it didn’t wash out. 

We were blessed that we had very little damage on our own property.  Besides the flooding, a small tornado probably touched down not far from us on Saturday that weekend causing some mild local damage.  We spent time in our tornado shelter with some of my family on both Saturday and Memorial Day.

Lamentations 3:22-23  It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

Recently I have been…

Making: our guest room pretty and comfortable with the help of family and a friend! (Hopefully more later on that.)
Cooking: Homegrown vegetables – love my dad’s garden and am thankful for all his hard work!
Reading: Marriage and the Family In the Middle Ages (not sure yet if it’s a recommend).
Wanting: to take a down day after a lot of activity around here.
Looking: at the sun shining on the trees and grass in the late afternoon.
Playing: at interior design. :-)
Deciding: what I need to do next.
Wishing: for more contact with some of my family.
Enjoying: a visit with my in-laws.
Working: on catching up.
Liking: seeing things so green here this year.
Wondering: if we’ll have more flooding as the rain in the Gulf of Mexico moves onshore.
Loving: having my husband off work for a few days.
Pondering: many things, including the convolutions of the Duggar debacle.
Remembering: my great-aunt who went to Heaven this month.
Watching: a variety of things, including some old Peanuts cartoons. :-)
Hoping: I can get some more things done that will make a significant difference around here.
Marveling: at the beauty of rain.
Needing: to catch up on some things after my long project.
Smelling: fresh paint, my in-laws’ fabric softener. (It’s funny, but since ours is unscented I really can smell it after they’ve been here. It’s kind a pleasant lingering smell to remind me of their presence.)
Wearing: comfortable stuff.
Noticing: how nice hot running water is, and how breath-taking cold showers can be.
Knowing: that life is never simple, everything seems to have complications at some point.
Thinking: about things to write.
Feeling: tired.  Really?
Admiring: my husband.
Buying: things we needed for the guest room, including a bed and some linens.
Getting: sore muscles.  I don’t usually paint and move furniture.
Opening: packages?
Giggling: at my own jokes. Bad taste, I know, but I can’t help it. At least someone laughs at them that way. ;-)
Feeling: thankful to my father-in-law for helping my husband with two big projects while he was here – installing a new water heater and cleaning up a large area of the garage!
Having: more bad dreams. Ecclesiastes 5:3  For a dream cometh through the multitude of business…

It seems like life has been kind of full lately and now it looks like canning season will be starting for us any day!

Red Noodle Beans and An Idea that Failed

 

Last year my dad grew these beautiful Chinese red noodle beans (Baker Creek Seeds).  They were really beautiful to look at, and when cooked from fresh they were quite good – definitely good enough to grow again.  The down side was that they did not can or freeze well.  Perhaps we didn’t know the right trick, but they became very soft and mushy when we tried to process them for longer term storage.  Of course, canning beans required pressure cooking, which was more than these could stand up to.  The take away for us was that they are good for producing a large amount of summer food, but not so great for long term storage.

The flowers on them were pretty and looked like a typical bean blossom, only these grew on vines so they were more reminiscent of sweet peas.

I had cooked them before, I think, and knew that the gorgeous red would fade some when they were cooked, but one day I got the idea that since they were “noodle beans”, maybe I should just cook them whole like noodles.  Bad idea.  This is what they looked like on the plate:

Yeah.  Any gardener will know what those look like – earth worms.  Yuck!  :-)

Another reminder that presentation IS an important part of good food. :-)

Random Acts of Blogging – (Sort of) Food Related Links

 

Here is a very interesting food chart that shows which herbs and spices go best with various foods, such as breads, poultry, vegetable, pasta, sauces, etc.  It looks like a good place to start for anyone wanting to add more herbs and spices to their cooking but who isn’t sure what to use with which foods.  Herbs and spices have many and varied health benefits.

Do you have a lot of trouble with stomach bugs?  Milk fat may be your best solution!  Yes, there’s a good reason why God refers to milk as good food for humans – including butter!  Isaiah 7:14-15  Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.  Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.

And, in case you decided not to use paper coffee filters any more and don’t know what to do with all the leftovers – here’s an easy craft project to do with kids:  Coffee Filter Flowers.

You can do a lot with mason jars.  I still think the best use for them is to fill them with tasty, homegrown goodness. :-)