Best Ever Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

10 Oct

It’s been a while since I’ve given you a recipe for something sweet.  I won’t hold out on you any longer.  I don’t know if you’ve ever made homemade ice cream before, but it is one of my favorite food memories from childhood.  It was always exciting to come in from playing outside all day and hear the groaning of the ice cream freezer’s motor — wondering what flavor my mom would’ve made for us.  It also frequently meant that we would have company over to enjoy it with us, something else that I enjoyed as a child (and still do!).  While my mom’s specialties included black walnut, banana, strawberry — it was the vanilla that was always my favorite.  And while this recipe directs you to freeze your ice cream completely firm before eating it, we loved eating the soft treat immediately from the ice cream maker.

Do you have memories of homemade ice cream from childhood?  Do you make homemade ice cream now with your children?  If you don’t have the equipment, I suggest adding it to your Christmas list so you can be ready when spring rolls around (not that I don’t make ice cream in the winter 😉 ).

Now for the reasons I love this recipe.  First, the flavor is over the top.  The addition of vanilla bean and vanilla extract ensures that your taste buds will be delighted.  It is like Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla but SOOOOOO much better.  Next, the inclusion of a small amount of corn syrup keeps the ice cream soft even when completely frozen.  This means it scoops easier, no microwave zaps required.  Finally, the use of egg yolks to make a custard base creates a rich, smooth, and creamy ice cream that is perfect on its own but would also be a good base for some homemade caramel or hot fudge sauce.  And yes, I think this is better than the vanilla ice cream recipe in The Perfect Scoop.

So what are you waiting for?  Whip up a batch now and enjoy a scoop!

 

Vanilla Ice Cream

1 vanilla bean

1 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream

1 1/4 cups whole milk

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided

1/3 cup light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 large egg yolks

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

 

Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise.  With the tip of a paring knife, scrape out the seeds.  In a medium saucepan, combine the vanilla bean, vanilla seeds, whipping cream, milk, 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, corn syrup, and salt.  Heat over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is steaming steadily, 5 to 10 minutes.  Remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, prepare a large bowl of ice with a small amount of water in it.  Place a small bowl in the ice and set a strainer on top.  You will pour your ice cream custard into this ice bath to stop the cooking process.

Whisk the remaining sugar into the egg yolks in a small bowl.  When the cream mixture is hot, transfer 1/4 cup into the egg yolks and stir constantly to combine.  Transfer a little bit more cream into the yolks, stirring constantly.  This will temper the egg yolks to keep them from scrambling.  Now, pour the egg yolks into the pan of cream and return to the stove over medium-low heat.  Stir constantly until the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spoon (it will register 180 degrees F on a candy thermometer).  Remove from the heat and pour through the strainer into the small bowl in the ice bath.  Stir in the vanilla extract and return the vanilla bean to the mixture.

Once the mixture stops steaming (about 10-20 minutes), transfer the bowl to the fridge to chill completely (at least 4 hours).  Once chilled, freeze the mixture in your ice cream freezer according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  When the freezer is done, transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container and freeze until firm (or eat it right away!).

Adapted from Cooks Illustrated via Dishing the Divine.

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Sewing Finds in Great Britain

9 Oct

 

In my last post I mentioned a recent intercontinental trip — Mr. Homemaker and I took a little vacation to Great Britain last month!  We had known for a while that we wanted to go because one of my friends from medical school is spending a year there doing a fellowship.  We decided that planning a trip to visit them in Scotland would be a good excuse for us to make our first trip to Europe together.  We took an overnight flight into Glasgow then caught the train to meet our friends at their flat in Edinburgh.  While the weather was a bit chillier there than it is here, that didn’t stop us from tromping all over the place.

 

 

Once we explored Edinburgh, we spent a night at Dalhousie Castle then took the train into the Cotswolds.  While there we visited Bath, which I thought was a lovely place and can’t wait to go back.  Finally, we took the train into London and spent three nights before heading back to reality and (warmer temperatures!).  In London, we booked a room at the High Road House in a residential neighborhood called Chiswick.  According to their website, their hotel chain is a members club for people in the film industry but when rooms aren’t filled, they reserve them to commoners like us.  While I think the London hotel is low-key compared to some of their other properties (like Miami), I did spot one celebrity that I recognized while we stayed there (Hugh Dancy).

 

 

The hotel was immensely cute and their food and bar service were excellent, not to mention the fact that the bathroom was filled with full-size amenities — we had four different body washes to choose from each morning! To top it all off, the room was reasonably priced and it was a 3 minute walk to the tube.

 

 

While I am not a huge museum-buff, I did stop by the Victoria and Albert to view the Ballgowns exhibit while we were in London, and we visited the Tower and saw several of the other big sites.

Now, of course you know I squeezed in a little shopping while we were there.  I did have to be careful, though, because we did carry-on only for this trip (hard to believe if you know me!).

 

 

I knew I wanted to go to Liberty and I was open to any other cute sewing souvenirs I came across.  First up, while in Bath, I visited a cute little shop called The Makery, where you can actually shop online.  It was a darling, tiny little store that sold unique trimmings and fabric and also offered classes (of course, I didn’t have time for one of these).  While there, I picked up two lengths of patterned bias binding (blue floral and red and white dot) and a Molly Makes magazine with a free envelope of assorted buttons.  Next up, we stopped in Salisbury to visit Stonehenge and while there I passed a sewing machine store that also sold some notions, so I picked up the white buttons and a cupcake pin cushion.  Finally, in London I knew I had to visit Liberty and that’s what I had been saving all my pennies for.

 

 

While there, I met Chow, a very helpful and funny salesman who cut my selections of cotton lawn and cotton jersey.  I also found two pieces from the remnant table, one 2.5 yard piece in a brown, pink, and mustard shoe pattern and another small length of floral silk destined to become a scarf.  Yes, Liberty fabrics are a splurge, but how often does a girl get to visit the brick and mortar store in person?  Not to mention all the restraint I had exercised when packing my carry-on suitcase so I could fit a few cuts of fabric in it for the ride home 🙂

I will leave you with a few more photos from our trip; you can check out my Flickr stream if you want to see more (although I did not upload the entire 500+ photos).  Thanks for looking!  More cooking and sewing to come, so stay tuned 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Thirsty Thursdays — Apple Pie Moonshine

4 Oct

Have you missed me?  Wondered if I had given up cooking AND sewing?  Never fear, I’m still here stitching and sautéing up a storm, but some intercontinental travel and work-related busy-ness have kept me from sharing my progress in this little neck of the web.   To make up for my absence, I am offering you the recipe for a much-requested liquid delicacy — Apple Pie Moonshine (hereby known as APMS) — just in time for your fall festivities!

APMS really does taste like apple pie in a glass — it is so smooth and delicious.  I have been racking my brain trying to recall who first turned me on to this tasty treat, but old age has gotten the best of me and I just can’t remember. Nevertheless, I first made it last winter for our annual holiday party and it was a huge hit.  I made a single batch and the dispenser I served it in was drained dry in no time.  While it is called “moonshine,” a quick use of some grade school mathematics will reveal that the final product is only about 20-25 proof, less potent than regular vodka or bourbon, so there is no risk of getting busted by the sheriff.  I guess it is called “moonshine” because it is made from pure grain alcohol and served in Mason jars?  Having made this now three times, I can tell you that it tastes fine right away, but the flavors mellow and it gets smoother if you let it sit a week or two in a cool, dark place.  In case you were wondering, the alcohol content is not changed by letting it sit, so don’t worry about it getting stronger.  But do keep in mind, because it is so smooth, it is easy to drink straight, so be careful — it will sneak up on you!

So, for all you girls who are always begging me to make you more Apple Pie Moonshine, now you can make your own! 🙂

Apple Pie Moonshine

Yield:  Approximately 9 quarts

1 gallon apple cider

1 gallon apple juice

3 cups granulated sugar

9 cinnamon sticks

1 liter 190 proof pure grain alcohol (aka moonshine or Everclear)

9-1 quart Mason jars

In a large stock pot, stir together the cider, juice, sugar, and cinnamon sticks and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Stir in the alcohol. Pour into jars, making sure each jar gets a cinnamon stick. Apply lids and store in a cool, dark place for a week or two before serving. Alternately, you can pour it back into the cider, juice, and alcohol bottles if you are planning to serve it at a party from a large dispenser.

P.S.  If you can’t buy pure grain alcohol where you live, you can use vodka instead.  To achieve the same final alcohol concentration, you will need to use 2-3/8 (that’s two and three-eighths) liters of 80 proof vodka and keep the cider, juice, and sugar measurements as listed.

P.P.S.  If you prefer your APMS to not have sediment in it, substitute another gallon of juice for the cider.  Basically, apple cider is just unfiltered apple juice, so opting for 2 gallons of apple juice will yield clear Apple Pie Moonshine.

Adapted from Moonshine Heritage.

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Thirsty Thursdays — Original Bushwacker

16 Aug

 

 

Rumor has it that this tasty libation originated just across the state line on beautiful Pensacola Beach.  I never realized it was such a local sensation until I tried to order one on a cruise ship and the bartender had no idea what went into a bushwackers (definitely nothing banana flavored!!!).  While I have never had one from the original Sandshaker on Pensacola Beach, I do enjoy whipping up a batch in my own blender.  Add this recipe to your repertoire and your friends will thank you 🙂

Frozen Bushwackers

Serves 2 adults who are not driving

5 oz cream of coconut (like Coco Lopez), NOT coconut milk
2 oz coffee liqueur (like Kahlua)
2 oz light rum
2 oz creme de cacao
4 scoops vanilla ice cream
2 cups ice cubes
2 shots 151 proof rum, optional
maraschino cherries, for garnish (or whipped cream and an umbrella if you are like me)

In a blender combine the cream of coconut, coffee liqueur, light rum, creme de cacao, ice cream and ice. Blend until smooth. Pour into two large glasses and garnish with a cherry, and if you are feeling, brave top each glass with a shot of 151.

Adapted from Bo’s Bowl.

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Fish Tacos

13 Aug

 

Is all this talk about sewing making anybody out there hungry?  Well, I’ve got the perfect fix for that — these delicious tacos stuffed with honey and cumin glazed crispy fried fish and spicy chipotle slaw.  Mr. Homemaker and I enjoy making these tacos together when we have a little extra time to spend together in the kitchen, usually on a weekend afternoon.  With a little preplanning you could definitely turn this into a weeknight meal as well though.  We discovered these tasty treats a few years ago and have shared the addiction with many of our friends and family since then.

While the recipe calls for tilapia, you can substitute any mild white fish you have on hand.  For this batch, we used some red snapper from our deep freeze that was caught by yours truly last summer.  We have also made them with the day’s fresh catch of bass and bream from the family pond.  Either way they are delicious.

 

 

One word of caution, the original recipe, linked here, calls for way more chipotles in adobo than we think is necessary (and we aren’t wimps about spice).  I have modified the recipe I am presenting here but if you are sensitive to heat, please start with 1/2 or 1/3 the amount of chipotle paste and increase it to taste.  It is some pretty spicy stuff!

So gather round your favorite peeps, whip up a batch of refreshing drinks (maybe some of these), and have a fish taco fiesta soon!

 

 

Fish Tacos

Serves 4

  • 1 pound tilapia fillets, cut into chunks
  • 1/2  plus 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon pureed chipotle pepper with sauce*
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 cups panko crumbs
  • salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 cup vegetable oil for frying
  • 2 cups 3 color coleslaw blend
  • 1 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
  • 8 (7 inch) flour tortillas, warmed

*I take a whole jar of chipotles in adobo sauce and puree it in the food processor.  I then transfer the puree to a resealable container and keep it in the fridge to use as needed.

Directions

  1. Place the tilapia chunks in a flat dish and pour 1/2 cup lime juice over the fish. Cover, and refrigerate at least 4 hours.  (We have marinated for as little as 30 minutes with good results.)
  2. Meanwhile, make the honey-cumin sauce by whisking together 1/3 cup lime juice, honey, vegetable oil, and ground cumin a small bowl. Set aside until needed.
  3. To make the chipotle mayonnaise dressing, whisk together the mayonnaise, pureed chipotle sauce, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cayenne pepper. Cover, and refrigerate until needed.
  4. To bread the fish, place the flour, eggs, and panko crumbs in three separate shallow dishes. Season the fish with salt and pepper to taste. Dip the fish pieces first in the four, coating evenly, and shaking off any excess. Dip next in the eggs, and last in the panko crumbs, patting the pieces to help the breadcrumbs hold. Set the fish aside on a plate.
  5. To cook the breaded fish, pour 1 cup vegetable oil into a skillet to 1/4 inch deep. Heat the oil to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C) over medium heat. Cook the fish, turning until all sides are golden brown, and flesh is easily flaked with a fork. Drain on paper towels. Brush the fish with the honey-cumin sauce.
  6. Mix the coleslaw and cilantro together in a bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup of the chipotle mayonnaise dressing, and pour the remaining dressing over the coleslaw mixture. Toss to coat evenly with the dressing.
  7. Place the tortillas on a flat surface, and spread each with a little bit of reserved chipotle mayonnaise dressing. Divide the fish between the tortillas. Top with the cilantro coleslaw.

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Sewaholic Cambie — As a Blouse

11 Aug

Me at Nanette Lepore showroom, standing in front of the upcoming season. Of course I’m blocking the whole section of NL clothes that match the shirt I’m wearing.

This is my second attempt at Sewaholic Cambie.

My first attempt is the complete dress pattern with the gathered skirt and it is lacking only the lining to be finished.  The problem?  I’m not loving the fabric now that it’s all sewn up.  The fit is perfect and it is my first time to do a real full bust adjustment on a flat pattern but I just can’t see myself ever wearing the dress so it is sitting in the UFO pile.  But that didn’t stop me from moving forward with my great-fitting post-FBA bodice pattern and turning out a second version.  I decided I wanted a cute peplum blouse when I found this green Swiss dot fabric at Hancock and I am so pleased with the results.  I lined it in a soft, light aqua cotton that I picked up for a steal at a local fabric salvage store.  The pattern is well drafted and goes together smoothly.  I only have a few issues/suggestions/comments, so I will list those here:

1.  The sweetheart neckline doesn’t hug the body very well.  I understitched the lining to the seam allowance and this helped a little but on my next version (currently in the works), I am going to ease in a slightly shorter piece of twill tape to the seam allowance to get the neckline to hug my body better.

2.  Along the same lines, the instructions tell you to trim the seam allowances of the neckline before you insert the sleeves.  This makes it a little trickier to know exactly how far to pull the sleeves through before sewing.  Next time I will just wait to trim everything after I have pulled the sleeves through and sewn them in place.

Please pardon the I-just-pulled-it-out-of-the-dirty-laundry-to-take-photos wrinkles 🙂

3.  For my FBA, I used the Palmer/Plescht method and created a new dart in the side seam.  I chose my starting size based on some crazy theory that I came up with — basically I calculate what my bust measurement would be if I was a B-cup based on my band measurement.  So if my under bust measurement is 28.5″ and US bra sizing adds 4″ for the band size then a B cup is 2″ above the band size, my theoretical bust measurement would be 34.5″ which corresponds exactly to the pattern size 8.  I do these crazy measurements because my high bust measurement never seems to correspond well for me and the fit is always off if I go by that method.  Maybe most people don’t have that problem and you can ignore my psycho idea but it works for me 🙂

So I started with a pattern size 8 and made the slashes up and across according to the Fit for Real People book.  Since the pattern doesn’t have a side seam dart, I created one for better shaping.  According to my DD cup size (I can’t believe I just said that!), I needed to add 1″ between the vertical lines of the slash I made, opening up the waistline dart wider.   I trued up the length of the bottom of the bodice piece, made sure my bust point was still accurate, drew in my dart legs (kept the waist dart curved with my French curve ruler), and I was done.  I have to say, this is the best fitting bodice I have ever sewn!  Yay!!!

4.  Since I modified the dress in to a blouse and swapped out the two pattern skirt options for a peplum, I had to draft this myself.  No worries, though, because drafting a small full-circle peplum is pretty simple.  Just google “drafting a full circle skirt” and you will find plenty of great tutorials on how to do it.

5.  I moved the zipper from the center back to the left side seam.  

Tasia gives great instructions on her blog about how to sew the lining to the invisible zipper.  I will be using this technique from now on.  It is so professional and clean and I didn’t even need to sew in a hook at the top of the zip!

All in all, this is a stellar pattern and you should start working on your Cambie dress (or blouse) ASAP.  Stay tuned because I have another version coming up that is a good deal fancier than the one you see here… 🙂

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NYC #2 — The Fabric!!!

10 Aug

Okay, I won’t make you wait any longer.  Here’s my haul from the recent trip to NYC.  I will let the pictures do the talking… mostly 😉

This is a red and ecru dot silk charmeuse I picked up from a men’s fabric store.  May become a blouse…

 

This is a silk border print that I got 3 yards of.  Definitely seeing a dress in its future.

 

On the left a silky soft cotton floral print (3 yards) and on the right an equally soft and shiny royal blue cotton sateen (2 yards).

 

On the left a free remnant of some abstract print.  On the right a gorgeous silk woven with a little stretch and some texture (3 yards).

 

This is one of my favorite finds — a silk Shantung or dupioni with grey and black large-scale paisley print and bright navy blue sequin embellishments.  Perhaps a dress and/or blouse if I can squeeze it out of the three yards I bought.

 

On the left a Missoni sweater knit remnant I got for $40 (about 2.5 yards), and on the right 1.5 yards of cashmere and linen blend for a sweater with an exposed hot pink zipper up the back (zipper coming up soon).

 

Both knits, on the left a more stable piece with chocolate brown, aqua, tan, and white; on the right, a jersey with olive green, aqua, brown, and white.  Knit top from the piece on the left and maybe a DVF-style wrap dress from the piece on the right.  3 yards of each.

 

On the left, one yard of a gorgeous black woven fabric with texture and sheen, destined to become a LBD or pencil skirt for dressier occasions.  On the right, 4 yards of a wide navy and white stripe knit for a maxi skirt.

 

On the left, tan dot silk jersey with plans to become a tie neck blouse.  On the right, a fine rib knit in soft green with aqua, burgundy, and olive green — one of my favorites.  Three yards each.

 

On the left, a ponte knit stripe with plans to become an easy to wear dress.  On the right, a beautiful, light silk chiffon.  2.5 yards of the left, 2 yards of the right.

 

On the left, a silk voile with no specific plans yet.  On the right, a pretty silk twill with dress plans.  Three yards each.

 

Another favorite — 3 yards of wool knit hoping to be made up into a cowl neck sweater or sweater dress.

 

My two leather hides — one in mint and one in chocolate.  Both of these were on the sale rack and cost $25 each.  I came out pretty good compared to the ladies who were buying enough hides to make jackets and skirts.  I don’t have the guts for something like that yet!  We’ll see if these little delicious-smelling babies can whip up into a cute clutch purse or a case for my iPad.

 

And last but not least, my aforementioned hot pink zipper and a cute jade colored belt buckle.  I have no idea when or how I will ever use the latter, but I really like it and it came from Mood!  🙂

So that’s a grand total of 53.5 yards of fabric, two hides of leather, one zipper, one belt buckle, and one roll of tracing paper (not pictured).  How much did I spend?  Come on, ladies — my husband reads this blog, too!  🙂

I had a blast visiting NYC and scouring the city for the best fabric I could find.  I know it will be years (if ever) before I sew all this up, but I can’t wait to go back again and discover more treasures.  I would also love to spend more time seeing more of the sites that the city has to offer.  Have you ever been to NYC?  I’d love to hear about your favorite Big Apple experience!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Fun in the Big Apple

9 Aug

 

I have so much to tell you all about, I am having a hard time deciding what to post first.  But this definitely has to be it — I recently returned from a fabric-buying trip to NYC.  That’s right, a trip to New York City for the sole purpose of acquiring fabric for me to sew up into whatever my heart desires (or just lust after as it sits in my stash 😉 ).

Like the shirt I’m wearing? Stay tuned for more details and a review of the pattern!

I went with a friend and fellow sewing enthusiast and we had the best time.  We joined up with a bunch of other fabric junkies as part of Peggy Sagers’ NYC garment district tour/buying trip.  Although I have never sewn any of Peggy’s Silhouette patterns, I have watched some of her free, informative webcasts and sat in on one of her sessions at a sewing expo in Atlanta back in March.

 

 

She took us to several wholesale fabric distributors who typically don’t sell to the public so we had access to awesome selections at great prices.

We also got to go to the popular spots like Mood and Pacific Trims (where they have walls of nothing but zippers!).

The most unusual stop was a leather store where they sold hides of everything from pigs to stingrays.  I picked up two small pieces off the clearance rack to try out for a small clutch or sleeve for my iPad.

The highlight of the trip for me was getting to tour the Nanette Lepore studio and main office.  During conversation over dinner, Peggy mentioned that one of the stops on our tour was next door to the Nanette Lepore offices and that on some priors tours they had visited the NL studios.  When I told her that NL was one of my favorite designers of all time, she arranged for me to have a private tour!  I was thrilled and loved seeing where some of my favorite fashions are designed.

I love the fact that most Nanette Lepore clothes are actually made in the USA, right in NYC.  When my tour was done, Nanette’s assistant took me to the warehouse and let me shop the racks from the sample sale that had occurred the day before — then gave me an extra 20% off!  Talk about icing on the cake!!  I brought home a blouse, skirt, and dress to add to my collection.

We spent one day with friends of my sewing buddy and they took us to a cute little town in Pennsylvania for lunch.  The best part?  All the tables in the restaurant used old sewing machine bases for the legs!

 

 

 


I am so glad I had the opportunity to take this trip (my first time in NYC, at that).  I can’t wait to start sewing up all my delicious fabrics!  More pics of the fabric to come.  Keep watching my Flickr for a sneak peek.  You will also see photos of an upcoming recipe that you will absolutely love 🙂

Have a great weekend!

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Peach Jam

14 Jul

As promised, today’s post is all about making your very own, homemade, totally-from-scratch, delicious, fresh peach jam!  Before I give you the recipe details, I want to talk about a few important points regarding canning foods at home.

1.  Canning food at home is EASY!  You don’t have to have a bunch of special equipment or skills.  Our foremothers did it with fewer modern conveniences than we have today (think hot stove and no air conditioning 😉 ).  Don’t be intimidated –you can do it and you will be so glad you did!

2.  Canning food at home is SAFE!  If you follow the steps I outline below, the jam you prepare will be very safe to eat, up to a year (or more) from now.  It is important to note, however, that you should not tinker with the recipe.  Canning recipes have been tested as written to set properly and inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria (think Clostridium botulinum).  The prescribed amounts of acid (AKA lemon juice) and sugar cannot be altered for this reason.  If you desire a jam with less sugar, you MUST use a pectin specifically formulated for lower-sugar recipes.  This is NOT one of those recipes 🙂

3.  Canning food at home is FUN!  Grab a bunch of friends and make a party out of it.  Choose two or three recipes and spend the afternoon putting up several different preserves so that everyone’s pantry is stocked with a variety.  Or better yet, knock out part of your Christmas list early.  As an added bonus, there will be extra hands around to help clean up the kitchen when you’re done.

If this is your first time canning, you may want to click over to the National Center for Home Food Preservation site to familiarize yourself with the basic principles of home canning.  You will find answers to all of the why’s and how’s of canning as well as recipes for sweet and savory treats to put up.

Alright, enough of the mumble-jumble — on to the fun part!  This is my tried-and-true recipe for peach jam.  I love it because the peach flavor is very potent and bright.  What makes it so good?  Just a little bit of salt.  Crazy?  Not really.  Adding just a hint of salt to your sweet treats allows their flavors to shine while taming the lock-jaw sugariness.  Try it and see for yourself 🙂

Best-Ever Peach Jam

Yield:  approximately 7 half-pint jars

7 half-pint canning jars with lids and rings

3 pounds fresh, ripe peaches

2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice

1 box Sure-Jell fruit pectin (NOT the kind for reduced or no sugar recipes)

1 teaspoon butter or margarine

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 1/2 cups (or 1100 grams) granulated sugar, measured into a bowl

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.  Arrange 7 clean, dry half-pint jars on a kitchen towel on a large cookie sheet.  Place the jars in the oven to keep warm until needed.  This will help sterilize the glass and make the temperature of the jars closer to that of the jam when you pour it in.  Place the (clean, brand new, never been used before) lids in a small bowl or pot.  Cover with very hot water.

Bring a large stockpot of water to a rolling boil.  Meanwhile fill a large bowl with ice water. Using a small paring knife, cut a small, shallow X into the skin on the bottom of each peach.  Place 3 peaches in the boiling water for 90 seconds.  Remove them immediately and submerge them in the ice water.  This process will loosen the skins and make the peaches a cinch to peel.  Repeat the process until all the peaches have been blanched.  Once the peaches are cool, peel the skins off with your fingers.  Cut off any bad spots with a small paring knife then pit and quarter the peaches.  Place the peach quarters into a medium bowl and mash with a potato masher.

Rinse out the large pot and refill with fresh water and return it to high heat to boil.  This will be your boiling water bath.

Measure exactly 4 cups of mashed fruit into another large pot and add in lemon juice, pectin, butter or margarine, and salt.  Place the pot over high heat and bring the fruit mixture to a rolling boil (a rolling boil is one that doesn’t dissipate when stirring).  Once the fruit mixture is at a rolling boil, stir in the sugar and return to a rolling boil, stirring constantly.  Continue to boil, stirring constantly, for exactly 1 minute.  Remove from heat and skim off any foam that has formed (although there shouldn’t be any since you added the little bit of butter).

Carefully ladle the hot mixture into the clean jars using the funnel (if you have one), filling the jars to within 1/2″ to 1/4″ of the top of the jar.  Wipe the rims and threads of the jars with a clean damp cloth.   Carefully remove the lids from the hot water, trying not to touch the seals, and position them on the jars.  Screw the rings onto the jars until they are “fingertip tight,” i.e. just until you meet resistance and then a quarter turn more.  The goal is just to get it tight enough to hold the lid down.  You don’t want it so tight that it drags the seal along the jar.

By now your large stockpot should be boiling.  Carefully place some of your filled jars into the canning rack and gently lower it into the boiling water.  Make sure the jars are covered by at least 1″ of water.  If they aren’t, add a little more water.  Put the lid on the pot, and bring it back to a rolling boil.  Once it starts boiling, start the timer for 10 minutes.  After 10 minutes, carefully remove the jars with the jar lifter and set them on a clean, dry towel and leave them undisturbed for at least 12 hours.

You will most likely hear your jars sealing not long after you remove them from the boiling water bath.  You should give yourself a very smug pat on the back when you hear that  victorious little pop 🙂  However, you should still check the seals by pressing down on the center.  If they don’t spring back up, your seal is good.  If it pops back up at you, your jar did not seal but all is not lost.  Stick that jar in the fridge and eat it within 3 weeks… if it lasts that long 🙂

And just in case you need a serving suggestion:

Try it on a Heavenly Cream Scone (recipe coming soon!)…

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Thirsty Thursday — Peach Margaritas

12 Jul

Sorry for the recent radio silence in these parts. I don’t have a lot of excuses other than a short weekend getaway to New Orleans for some shopping, a bout of tonsillitis (thanks again, Mom, for the TLC), and a holiday. I hope you have been enjoying your summer!

Here’s another refreshing summertime thirst quencher for you. It’s a delicious margarita with a hint of peachy flavor. It’s definitely not overly fruity. You can blend this up if you want, but I think it’s better on the rocks.

You know something else that’s peachy delicious? Homemade peach jam, of course! This Saturday is National Can-It-Forward Day and I want to show you exactly how easy it is to make your own homemade preserves. So grab the supplies and ingredients listed below (see this site for more details on specific items but you can find everything you need at Wal-Mart), and join me in making some of the best peach jam you will ever eat. And as an added bonus, you’ll end up with enough jars to share 🙂

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Peach Jam Ingredients and Supplies

3 pounds ripe peaches
Lemon juice
1 box SURE-JELL Fruit Pectin
Butter
Sugar
Salt
7 half-pint mason jars with rings and brand new seals
Wide-mouth funnel for filling jars with hot jam
Jar lifter
Canning rack

And now for the margarita recipe…

Fresh Peach Margarita
Serves 2

1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 ounces Grand Marnier
1.5 ounces silver tequila
2 ounces fresh lime juice
3 ounces peach simple syrup (recipe below)
Sliced peaches and limes for garnish

Combine salt and sugar on small plate. Rub rims of margarita glasses with lime wedge and dip in salt/sugar mixture. Fill glasses with crushed ice. Set aside. Fill cocktail shaker with crushed ice. Pour in Grand Marnier, tequila, lime juice, and peach simple syrup. Shake vigorously until condensation starts to form on the outside of the shaker. Strain into prepared glasses and garnish with peach and lime slices. Serve immediately 🙂

To make Peach Simple Syrup, combine 1 cup Simple Syrup and 3 peeled, pitted, and chopped peaches in a blender or food processor. Pulse to combine until smooth.

Adapted from how sweet it is.

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