Easy Slow Cooker Peach Butter

This has all the flavors of fall - and it's so easy in the slow cooker

Peel and pit peaches (or apples, plums, apricots, pears). Use any amount that will fit in your slow cooked.

Crush or puree gently in the blender (don't turn into juice).

Measure amount of puree and add sugar - 1/2 cup sugar to each cup of puree.
(I used my vitamix so I could measure right on the container)

Add desired spices (see below).

Put in slow cooker with lid propped open so puree can reduce all day until it thickens to the consistency you like. I left mine 10-12 hours.

I poured my Peach Butter into clean half pint jars, added lids and processed in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

For more info on the canning process - check the National Center for Food Preservation instructions

Optional Spices
For 1 gallon of pulp use any of all of these: 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground allspice, 1/2 tsp cloves and 1/2 tsp ginger.

I was able to fit 1/2 gallon of pulp in my slow cooker so I added a little less than half of these - plus a little salt to boost the taste.

It's absolutely delicious! Can't wait to make some homemade whole wheat bread to spread it on.

Canning Peaches

 

My little tree decided I needed peaches this year lots of them. It's only the second year of producing and did it ever go crazy! Poor thing broke two branches because of the weight of the fruit. We aren't very good at taking care of trees. I did thing the peaches - lots - but obviously not enough.

So I dived back into ancient history and revived my canning skills. To be honest - I wouldn't go out and buy peached to can them. It's lots of work. But when they are a give from your very own tree, that's different.

Here's what I made:

Simple quarts of peach halves and slices in light syrup - haven't tasted them yet but I'm sure they will be fun in winter. I did learn something - the peaches peel and pull of the stone much easier after sitting on my outdoor table for a few days. They felt ripe but were hard to peal. Later when I made the jams it was much easier. So my pieces in the jars and a bit messy.

Raspberry Peach freezer jam based on the Sure Jell package insert - didn't like this one at al. It's way too sugary.

Peach freezer jam - better than the raspberry. I like it

and BEST OF ALL BY FAR

Peach Butter - much less sugar, added spices and so yummy! Recipe is in a different post.

Total so far (and there's still loads of peaches on the table:

28 quarts of peaches
8 half pints of peach raspberry jam
3 pints of peach jam
12 half pints of peach butter
4 bags of frozen peaches




Thank you tree!!!!

Orange Vanilla Frozen Custard

I've really really got to try this. We came across a dessert in Florida that I just can't forget - real orange slushie layered with orange custard. I've got to figure it out.

Here's a recipe for Orange Custard from the Food Network. I haven't tried it yet - but I will soon!

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
• 4 teaspoons grated orange zest
• 
  

Directions

Whisk the cornstarch and 1/2 cup milk in a small bowl until smooth. Whisk the eggs, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan; whisk in the cornstarch mixture and the remaining 1 cup milk until smooth.

Cook the mixture over low heat, stirring, until thick enough to coat a spoon, 7 to 8 minutes (do not boil). Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, then set the bowl in a larger bowl of ice water. Add the cream and stir until cool. Remove from the ice bath; stir in the vanilla, orange juice concentrate and orange zest. Cover and chill until cold.

Freeze the custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions. Scrape into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe into cups.

Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies

I prefer dryer, more cake-like chocolate chip cookies. Somehow they feel less rich - although I guess not - this recipe has a cup of butter! But the cookies are delicious as a special treat. Made them with my granddaughters yesterday (just don't burn the bottoms like I did with one sheet - oops) 

 Recipe from The Food Network

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt (1'd use 1/2 tsp)
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 (8-ounce) block dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

Place the butter, sugar, and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer; cream together on medium speed until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat in the vanilla and eggs. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and continue to mix until a smooth batter forms. Turn off the mixer and fold in the chocolate chunks using the spatula.

To form the cookies, scoop about 1/4 cup of cookie dough into your hands and roll it around into a ball; place them about 3-inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets; you should get about 4 cookies on each pan. Press down the tops of the dough slightly and bake until the cookies are light brown, 12 minutes for chewy cookies, or about 15 minutes for crispy cookies.

Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough/cookie sheets.

Barbara's Red Cabbage - Instant Pot

We have German heritage. My mom didn't cook often - this was one of her dishes. It's originally form the Betty Crocker Cookbook - now available here.
I modified the instructions to work with Instant Pot

Ingredients

1

medium head red cabbage (1 1/2 lb), thinly sliced

4

slices bacon, diced

1

small onion, sliced

1/4

cup packed brown sugar

1/4

cup water (or chicken stock)

3

tablespoons white vinegar

1/4

teaspoon salt

1/8

teaspoon pepper

I like to add 2 sliced apples

Set Instant Pot to Saute and cook bacon. Add onion and cook for a few minutes. Add all other ingredients.

Set Manual pressure to 10 minutes

Waikiki Meatballs

An old family favorite - from Allrecipes

Waikiki Meatballs

• Prep
  20 m
• Cook
  25 m
• Ready In
  45 m

Recipe By:CMAYBELL

"Beef meatballs flavored with ground ginger, simmered in a sweet pineapple sauce."

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 2/3 cup crushed saltine cracker crumbs
• 1/3 cup minced onion
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 (15 ounce) can pineapple chunks - drained, with juice reserved
• 1/3 cup white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, cracker crumbs, onion, egg, milk, ginger and salt. Shape mixture by rounded tablespoonfuls into meatballs.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place meatballs in skillet and cook until evenly brown, and meat is no longer pink. Drain excess fat.
3. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, brown sugar, reserved pineapple juice, vinegar and soy sauce. Mix until smooth, then pour into the skillet with meatballs. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils, about 5 minutes. Stir in the green pepper and pineapple chunks. Heat through.

Pot Roast - Instant Pot

I like this recipe because the veggies are added at the end so they don't get mushie.

From Bread Booze Bacon

INSTANT POT OLD-FASHIONED POT ROAST

Instant Pot Old-Fashioned Pot Roast with Gravy & Vegetables is the best pot roast I've ever made. This easy, one-pot dinner is a family favorite!

 Course Main Dish

 Cuisine American

 Prep Time 35 minutes

 Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

 Total Time 2 hours 5 minutes

 Servings 4

 Calories 939 kcal

 Author Julie

Ingredients

• 3 pound chuck roast
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup brown or yellow onion diced
• 14.5 ounces low-sodium beef broth
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste (If I don't want to open a can of tomato paste, I use a squirt of ketchup)
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 medium carrots peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 6 red potatoes cut into quarters
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley finely chopped
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup water
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Remove roast from package and pat dry with a paper towel. Season liberally with salt and pepper on all sides.
2. Turn your Instant Pot on to saute. Once hot, add the vegetable oil to the vessel. Place the roast in the hot pan and sear on each side for 5 minutes until browned. Remove the roast to a plate and set aside.
3. Add onions to the vessel. Cook for 3 minutes until softened. Stir occasionally, scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. 
4. Add the beef broth, tomato paste, and bay leaves to the onions. Stir until the tomato paste is incorporated. Add the roast back to the pan. Cover and lock the lid in place. With the valve on sealing, use the manual option to set the Instant Pot to high pressure for 75 minutes.
5. Once the cooking is done. Let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes. Then do a quick release of the remaining pressure. (I use a kitchen towel when moving the valve to prevent steam burns.) Take the roast out of the pan and place it on a plate or cutting board. Cover with foil and set aside.
6. Remove the bay leaves and add the carrots and potatoes to the vessel. Cover and lock the lid in place. With the valve on sealing, use the manual option to set the Instant Pot to high pressure for 3 minutes. After the cooking has finished, do a quick release of the pressure. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the vegetables to a bowl. Sprinkle with parsley and gently toss.
7. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour and water until smooth. Then, pour the liquid from the Instant Pot vessel through a strainer. Discard any solids. Pour the cooking liquid into a fat separator. Pour 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid into the flour mixture and the rest into the vessel. DO NOT pour the fat back in. Stir the flour mixture until it form a slurry and is well combined. Pour the slurry into the vessel. 
8. Turn the Instant Pot to saute and bring the gravy to a boil, whisking often. Cook until boiling and thickened. Turn off the pressure cooker. Transfer the gravy to a gravy boat.
9. Uncover the pot roast and cut into large serving pieces. (I discarded any big pieces of fat that were on their own.) Plate the pot roast on a serving platter. If desired, plate the carrots and potatoes around the edge of the serving platter around the pot roast, or serving the vegetables in their own serving bowl. Pour some of the gravy over the pot roast and reserve the rest for diners. Serve immediately.