No-Pectin Fruit Jam and Processing My Sauerkraut - Part 2

Usually, canning sauerkraut is easy, but not this time. I had several mishaps while I was filling the jars and I also had a jar break ruining the contents. Ugh! 

After a couple weeks of fermenting the sauerkraut, it was ready to process. 

I took the weights off the top and put them in hot soapy water.

I then peeled back the large leaves that I used to keep the shredded cabbage submerged under the juice.

Viola! Sauerkraut...

I heated up the sauerkraut in a pot.

It is ready to be put into the jars.

I sterilized the clean jars, lids and rings in the oven for 20 minutes at 200 degrees.

I filled the first jar, leaving enough headspace for the air to escape during processing.

Then I noticed that this jar had broken threads.

The second jar I used to replace the first jar cracked.

A third jar broke as soon as I put it into the hot water bath spilling its contents into the water.

Finally, after cleaning out the pot and refilling the water, I successfully processed four-pint jars for 35 minutes. This is the time required for my altitude.

I had extra jars in the oven for the jam I was making, so I had plenty of jars for mishaps.

It turned out lovely.

I needed to use up two mealy apples, so I made apple bread out of them. I also started this adventure off by making a batch of yogurt.

I used the juice from the berries to make syrup by adding sugar and cooking it on medium heat 20 minutes. This syrup is great on pancakes or can be used to flavor homemade yogurt.

Here are the finished products except for the sauerkraut, because some of my pictures did not save to my phone for some reason. It was a trying day, but well worth it. I also lost the pictures for the jam making process, but I will include the recipe below.

NO-PECTIN FRUIT JAM

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 pounds of fresh or frozen fruit
• 2 1/2 cups of sugar
• 1 tablespoon of citric acid or 3 tablespoons Real Lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Prepare your fruit by washing it thoroughly and removing any blemishes, stems, pits and seeds. Remove skin if desired and dice. If using frozen fruit, thaw and save the juice to make fruit syrup if desired.
2. Prepare your canning jars and lids by washing and rinsing them thoroughly. Place them in a 200-degree oven for at least 20 minutes. They can sit in the oven until you need them.
3. Place fruit, sugar and citric acid or lemon juice in a non-reactive 6 to 8-quart stock pot.
4. Turn the heat on medium low and allow fruit to warm and sugar to dissolve.
5. Once sugar has dissolved, turn heat up to medium. Stir regularly over a low boil for approximately 10 to 20 minutes. If using thawed frozen fruit, this process will take longer. For a thicker jam, cook fruit until it has reduced by half.
6. Take a chilled plate out of the freezer, put a teaspoon of jam on the plate and run your finger through it. If it leaves a trail it is done. 
7. Pull your lids and jars out of the oven and fill them with jam just below the threads of the jar. Put the lid on and set aside at room temperature. The lids will pop when they have sealed. If a jar doesn't seal, store in the refrigerator and use it first. 

Things do not always go as planned but keep your head up and keep moving forward anyway!

Mrs. Smith

Cinnamon Roll Cake

This is an easy delicious cake that is a lot easier than making cinnamon rolls. It is moist, buttery and sweet. This is a great make ahead breakfast. It is perfect for company or for a potluck. I did not take into account our altitude when I made this recipe and ended up with a little spillover in my oven. High altitude chefs, take this into account when making this recipe.

Cinnamon Roll Cake

Cake Batter Ingredients:

3 cups flour 1 cup sugar 4 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 1/2 cups milk 2 tsp vanilla extract 2 eggs 1/4 cup melted butter

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Mix well. Pour into a buttered 9X13 baking dish.

Cinnamon Swirl Ingredients: 1 cup soft butter 1 cup packed brown sugar 2 Tbs flour 1 Tbs cinnamon

Combine ingredients. Mix well. Drop mixture randomly by the spoonful on top of cake batter. Swirl mixture into cake batter. Do not over mix. Bake @ 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

Icing Ingredients:

1 cup powder sugar 2 TBSP milk 1 tsp vanilla extract

In a small bowl, blend ingredients together. Drizzle icing over the top of the baked cake. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Mix dry ingredients.

Mix wet ingredients.

Mix wet and dry ingredients together.

Pour batter into buttered cake pan.

Drop cinnamon swirl mixture on top of cake batter.

Swirl into cake batter. Do not over swirl. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Prepare icing.

Drizzle icing on top of the hot cake.

Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Serve warm.

Enjoy,

Mrs. Smith

Rivels - A Fresh Look at An Old-Fashioned Way to Feed Your Family...

Rivels are small lumps of unleavened dough made from flour, eggs and salt. The same ingredients are used to make homemade noodles but requires less work. Rivels are added to boiling soups, stews or broth to inexpensively stretch a meal to feed more mouths. They are similar to dumplings, without leaven, but smaller in size. They were created out of necessity, but they quickly became a favorite with cooks and family members alike. 

Spices can be added to the dough for a more intense flavor, but it is not necessary. These little gems stand on their own without the added expense of spices. Spices were a limited and expensive commodity when rivels were created. I imagine that wild onions and wild garlic were used to enhance the flavor when they were available for harvesting in the Spring.

Flour, salt and egg

Consistency of dough when mixed.

Ingredients:

1 Cup flour

1 Egg

1/4 Tsp Salt

Directions: 

In a small mixing bowl, combine flour and salt. Add the egg and mix until the mixture resembles a course cornmeal like dough. Do not over mix or the dough will be tough. Drop small lumps into a boiling soup or stew. Continue boiling for 10 to 12 minutes. Serve hot.

I used some frozen beef stock that I had in my freezer to which I added roast beef, onions, celery, carrots, cabbage, mushrooms, salt and pepper.

I cooked the soup mixture until the vegetables were almost tender then I turned up the heat to keep the soup boiling while I added the rivels. Add the rivels slowly to keep them from sticking together.

Once the rivels floated to the top I stirred them gently.

I turned down the heat, placed the lid on the pot and I continued cooking them for another 12 minutes.

Serve hot.

Enjoy! 

Things To Be Happy About:

The satisfaction I get from making a great tasting meal

Sharing 

A second helping

Red hair

Blooming flowers

Learning something new

Onions

The extra frosting on the corner edge of a piece of cake

Blessings,

Mrs. Smith

Prepping Freezer Meals - Mom's Delicious Meatloaf Recipe...

 

Glaze is mis-spelled. 

My mom sent me a recipe for meatloaf. She claimed, "that it was the best meatloaf that she has ever had." I just had to make it. Since it was time for prepping our freezer meals, I added this recipe to the list. 

I prepared the meatloaf according to the directions, but I had to make Homemade Ketchup before I baked the meatloaf. I just put the prepared meatloaf in the fridge until I was ready to bake it.

Soaking the bread, milk eggs and spices.

While I was preparing the meatloaf, I was also roasting chicken breast and veggies, pressed out hamburger patties for burgers and Salisbury steak. I cut up and processed the extra vegetables to use in the meatloaf and in salads. 

We will get at least four meals from this roasted chicken breasts with vegetables and black-eyed peas.

Simple and delicious.

A welcomed meal. We were hungry. 

I put up an additional bag of ground chuck for another meatloaf, pressed out burgers, Salisbury steaks and froze everything to use later.

I also cooked up a batch of ground chuck to use in recipes at a later date.

Burgers

Simmering the Homemade Ketchup. Follow the link above for the recipe.

It snowed yesterday. We went for a walk. Those are our footprints.

This is the glaze. 

I like to bake my meatloaf in a cast iron skillet for the ultimate amount of crust.

The glaze is shimmering.

All done!

Viola! It is the best meatloaf. Mom, thanks for the recipe...

Things to be happy about:

Mom's Delicious Meatloaf Recipe

Men with beards

Ordering groceries online

Getting most of my order in before it's out of stock

Blogging 

Sharing

The smell of cedar

Calendars

Pumpkin pie candles 

Enjoy,

Mrs. Smith