Homemade Butter

                                                                              
While we're on the subject of homemade cornbread, then we will want a delicious homemade butter made from raw cow's milk. I belong to a herdshare and get 2 gallons of raw milk each week. The rich cream from my Jersey cow rises to the top and I am then able to skim it off. When I want to make butter, I put the milk in wide-mouth Mason jars for ease of skimming the cream. Jerseys give good, rich milk, with yellowish milk in the early spring/summer. The rich butter fat is very good for you. The girls hate it when I make butter because they like the richness of the milk with the cream left intact.

Homemade Butter

Wait a few days after milking to skim your cream. The older the cream, the easier it is to make into butter. Because I like sweet cream butter, I use the cream two to three days after the cow has been milked.
Skim all the cream you can from the top of your milk. With two gallons of milk I easily get around a half pound of butter. I cheat and use my Kitchen-Aid mixer, which does all the work for me.
Place the cream in the mixing bowl and place the beater in the bowl. Turn on to medium and allow to whip the cream. This process takes about 1 hour or so before butter appears. About a half hour into beating, you will end up with whipped cream. If you want the whipped cream, add some powdered sugar, to taste, and some vanilla, then remove and use with your desserts. If you want butter, keep beating. You will see small butter pieces start to form on sides of bowl, with a rubber spatula, push these back into the bowl. You will still have another 10-20 minutes before you have butter. The butter will form all at once and then the buttermilk will begin to slosh out of the bowl, so watch carefully.
Once the butter is formed, turn off the mixer and scrape all butter out of the beater into a small glass bowl like you see above. Once all butter is formed and into bowl, pat together and begin to run under cold water so you can get all the milk out of the butter. If you don't get this out your butter will go rancid much faster.
The butter actually gets similar to putty under the water and I am able to use my hands to squeeze all the remaining milk from my butter. Place back in bowl, add some real sea salt, mix in well, and wrap well with plastic wrap. You can make it into a ball, a long cigar shape as I did above, or in a mold. Use like you would any other butter. There are special containers you can buy where the butter stays in water which extends the life of the butter. Because I use raw cream to make my butter, I keep it in the refrigerator.
The color is naturally very golden as grass-fed cow's milk is high in beta-carotene, as well as other vitamins and minerals.

Yankee Cornbread

                                                                                         
We Yanks like our cornbread sweet and cake-like. I don't like southern cornbread as it is not sweet and is too dry for my tastes. I like the yellow cornmeal best, but feel free to try this with white cornmeal, though I think you will end up with a drier version. I have made this with organic corn meal that is very rustic, and though I like it, most kids won't as it is a coarse meal that is kind of chewy in places. If you want to avoid GMO corn, then you must use organic meal. This is a delicious corn bread that is every bit as good or better than the kind that comes in a box. I've been making this recipe for more than 25 years. I found the original recipe in the Columbus Dispatch Food Section, but then I modified it to fit what we like. The above picture is a cornbread made with organic corn meal. I bought the meal from Ashery Farms in Heath, Ohio.

Yankee Cornbread

1 cup unbleached white flour*
1 cup cornmeal, organic, if possible
1/2 cup white sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
dash real sea salt (pink kind)*
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/4 cup, plus 1 Tbls. organic palm shortening, melted*

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Sift together dry ingredients and place in medium mixing bowl.
Combine milk, eggs, and shortening and beat well.
Add the egg mixture ot the dry mixture and blend just till moistened (don't over mix).
With palm shortening, grease a 9" x 9" square pan. Pour batter into pan, levelling top.
Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or till golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean,
Serve hot with plenty of real butter.
*You could use whole wheat flour, if you'd like, but you'll get a different taste.
*We use Redmond's Real Salt, a real sea salt that is pink and has trace minerals in it.
*I use organic palm shortening in place of vegetable shortening as it is a much healthier choice. I buy my palm shortening from Tropical Traditions. You can find them on the web.

Ham and Pinto Bean Soup

                                                                        
I know this is more for a fall or winter meal, but it is so good that I want to go ahead and post it. A year and a half ago I had leftover ham from Christmas and wanted to use it up. What to make? So I made up this soup that was so very delicious. I told Bob I wasn't sure if he'd like it, but on the very first bite he involuntarily said, "Mmmm..." and loved it. It was really good. I think I wrote it down somewhere, but I  think I can remember how I made it. The addition of the cumin and chili powder give it a bit of a 'chili' taste, but this is more subtle. One chilly night try this as you will love it. I served this with homemade cornbread with lots of real butter.

Ham and Pinto Bean Soup

1/4 to 1/2 pound smoky, thick cut bacon*
1 medium onion or shallots, chopped
2-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 green pepper, chopped
2 boxes (32 oz.) organic chicken stock or broth*
4 cans (15 oz) pinto beans, drained and rinsed*
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon  chili powder
pepper, to taste
Leftover ham cut into bite-sized pieces (I used at least 2 pounds ham)


Cut bacon into bite-sized pieces and fry up in a Dutch oven. When bacon is almost done, add onions and green peppers and saute till bacon is done and onions are becoming clear. Add garlic and cook another minute or two. Add the boxes of chicken broth and the 4 cans of pintos; bring to a boil. Add the spices, turn down heat, and simmer for a few minutes. Add the ham and allow to simmer for a half hour to combine flavors. Serve with chopped scallions and corn bread. You can also add grated Co-Jack cheese, if desired.

*Try to make sure your bacon is not too fatty as you will be using the grease for frying vegetables and as part of the flavor of the soup. I used a sassafrass smoked bacon that was thick-cut.
*You can use your own homemade stock or broth.
*You can make your own 1 pound package of beans from scratch, just start the night before as you will need to soak the beans before cooking them.

Blender Pineapple Jam

                                                            
Blender Pineapple Jam

1 envelope unflavored gelatin (Knox or store brand)
2 Tbls. water or apple juice
1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple in juice
sugar, to taste*

Sprinkle gelatin on cold water or juice in blender or food processor; wait one minute to soften. Drain pineapple, reserving juice. Bring juic to a boil and add to gelatin in blender. Cover and blend until gelatin granules dissolve (scrape down sides of blender). Add pineapple, cover and blend till smooth. Sweeten to taste. Pour into 3 hot, sterilized half pint jars, add lids and store in fridge after it cools. It will set up while in refrigerator.
You could turn these jars upside down for 5 minutes to seal, then right side up, if you like.
Makes about 3 cups.
*Original recipe said to sweeten with artificial sweetener or sugar, and I am using sugar as it is a healthier choice.

Violet Jam

                                                                        
Violet Jam

1 cup firmly packed violet blossoms
1 ½ cups water, divided*
Juice of one medium lemon*
2 ½ cups sugar
1 pkg (3 oz) powdered pectin

In an electric blender or food processor, blend 3/4 cup of water, the lemon juice and the violet blossoms until the mixture resembles a smooth paste. Slowly add 2 1/2 cups of sugar and blend until dissolved. In a small saucepan stir the powdered pectin into 3/4 cup of water and boil for one minute. Pour into the violet blossom mixture and blend about one minute. Quickly pour into small sterilized glass jars and seal. After the jam has cooled, keep it in the refrigerator for three weeks or store it for up to a year in the freezer.

Tips:
*The use of spring or distilled water would be better than tap water.
*Make sure you ream a fresh lemon so you use real lemon juice.

Slow-Cooker Apple Butter

                                                                      
Slow-Cooker Apple Butter

10 cups apples, sliced
1 pound brown sugar
4 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 1/4 teaspoons ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker and stir well. Cook on high for an hour, then on low for 6 1/2 to 7 hours. Take lid off the last half hour. Stir occasionally while cooking to mix ingredients. Refrigerate or freeze. To can, pour into hot sterilized jars, cap, seal, process 10 minutes in boiling water bath.

Tomato Spread

                                                                          
Soon our tomatoes will be coming ripe and this seems an easy recipe to make from the excess.


Tomato Spread

6 cups peeled and chunked tomatoes
5 1/2 cups sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 lemon sliced, very thin (use a kitchen mandolin for even slices)

Combine tomatoes and sugar in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, watching constantly. Reduce heat to a simmer and add spices and lemon. Cook 2 hours, watching and stirring frequently. When reduced by half, it is done. Skim foam. Pour into hot sterilized half pint jars, leaving 1/4" head room, cap and turn upside down for 5 minutes, then right side up. Let cool.

Onion Jelly

                                                                  
Onion Jelly


2 pounds sweet onions, chopped fine
2 cups water
3/4 cup white vinegar
1 pkg. powdered pectin (1 3/4 oz)
5 1/2 cups sugar

Chop onions very small (mince). Combine onions and water in large saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove from heat and cool. Pour mixture through a large wire mesh strainer lined with a wet cheesecloth into a 4 cup measure. Discard pulp. Add water to onion juice to equal 3 cups, if necessary. Combine onion juice, vinegar, and pectin in a large saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add sugar and return to a boil, stirring constantly, and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and skim off foam. Quickly pour hot mixture into hot sterilized jelly jars, within 1/4" of top. Wipe off rims, cap and seal. Turn upside down for 5 minutes or process in boiling water bath for 5 minutes. Makes 7 half pints (8 ounces each).

Mulberry Jelly

                                                                                                                                                      
Some of you may have mulberries or access to them and may want to make some jelly from them. The berries are usually free for the picking. Start this recipe the night before.

Mulberry Jelly

1 pound ripe mulberries (make sure they are not buggy!)
1 cooking apple, chopped*  (gala, granny Smith, golden delicious, etc.)
1/2 cup water
Sugar

Mix together the mulberries, apple, and water in a large saucepan. Simmer, covered for about 20 minutes, or until berries are soft. Pour mixture into a jelly bag and leave to drip for 12 hours. Measure juice and pour into clean saucepan. For every 2 1/2 cups juice, use 1 pound sugar. Add sugar to juice and cook, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil and boil rapidly until jelly has reached the setting point, about 10 minutes. Skim jelly and pour into sterilized jars, cap, seal, and turn upside down for 5 minutes, then right side up again. OR process for 5 minutes in a boiling water bath.
*The apple is the pectin used in this recipe.

Corn Cob Jelly

                                                                  
Corn Cob Jelly

Here's an old-fashioned jelly where our ancestors allowed nothing to go to waste. I'm sure a farmer in your area would give you some old corn cobs.

12 dried corn cobs
3 pints water (48 ounces)
1 pkg. powdered pectin
3 cups sugar
1 Tbls. fresh lemon juice

Use 12 ears dried field corn cobs. Take off all kernels. Rinse well to get off all chaff. Break them in half and put into a pan with water. Boil gently for 30 minutes. Strain juice through a wet cloth (must be wet cloth!).Measure juice to get 3 cups juice. If you must, add enough water to make that amount. To juice add pectin. bring to a boil. Add sugar and heat until sugar dissolves. Boil again for 1 minute or until mixture starts to jell when you lift mixture up with a spoon. It might take another minute of cooking. Add lemon juice. Skim off foam, pour into hot sterilized jars and seal. Process 10 minutes in a boiling water bath or turn upside down for 5 minutes then right side up.

Cantaloupe Preserves

                                                             
This is another recipe that needs to be started the night before.

Cantaloupe Preserves

2 pounds firm, ripe fruit
4 cups sugar
Juice of one lemon

Peel cantaloupe and cut into thin slices 1" long. Mix sugar with fruit and lt sit all night in a cool place. Add lemon juice and cook until clear. Pour into hot and sterilized jars. Seal and turn upside down for 5 minutes or process for 5 minutes in boiling water bath. Cool, label, and store.

Sun Preserves

                                                                            
Sun Preserves*

This recipe needs to be started the night before.
Add 1 quart sugar to 1 quart strawberries. Cover and let stand overnight in a cool place. In morning, bring to a boil and cook 8 minutes. Pour into a large platter (use a large meat platter or dish) and cover closely with a piece of glass. Set in sun till juice thickens and gels. Cool completely and seal in jars. Keep in refrigerator.

* I got this recipe out of the Columbus Dispatch Food section around 31-37 years ago and copied it verbatim.
I've not ever made this, mainly because I've never had a piece of glass to try this with. Make sure the glass you use does not have sharp edges. We have a glass company on other side of town and maybe next year I will buy a piece and try this recipe. I've read that these taste even better than conventionally made preserves or jam.

Queen Anne's Lace Jelly

                                                                         
I made this jelly about 15 years ago; some liked it and some did not. It was reminiscent of quince jelly to me, which I don't care for, but if you like quince, this may be for you. I am sure there are some good medicinal qualities to this jelly, but enjoy it for its simplicity and the fact that the flowers are free for the picking. Try to pick your flowers (no matter what kind you use) far from the road.

Queen Anne's Lace Jelly

2 cups very firmly packed Queen Anne's Lace flowers cut from stems (or violet, lilac, rose petal, milkweed, clover, elderberry, dandelion, carnation, peony or any edible sweet smelling flowers)
4 3/4 cups boiling water
3 1/2 cups sugar ( 1 1/2 lbs., divided)
1 pkg. Sure-Jel light pectin (I used regular)
4 1/2 Tbls. freshly strained lemon juice

Slosh flowers through cold water to remove any bugs; let sit about 15 minutes to remove them all. You will find bugs!
Place flowers in a pot and cover with boiling water and allow to steep for 15-20 minutes; strain. (You are basically making tea.)
Measure 4 1/2 cups strained infusion into a large kettle. Mix 1/4 cup sugar with pectin and stir into kettle. Bring to a full rolling boil; immediately stir in remaining sugar and boil 1 minute.Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice. Skim foam from top of jelly with a metal spoon and immediately pour into ho, clean, sterilized jelly jars. Wipe off tops, cover with lids and bands and turn upside down for 5 minutes, then right side up and allow to sit for 24 hours before moving. Makes 6 cups (Makes six 8 ounce jars, also known as half pints.)

The original recipe said to place in jars and seal and when cool to refrigerate, but I treated them like other jellies and jam and sealed them by turning them over for 5 minutes which causes the lids to seal. If you are not comfortable with this, you can place in a boiling water bath for 5-10 minutes to seal.
*Important! Make sure your jars are sterilized before you seal them!!! No one wants to get botulism!