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Snickerdoodle Frappuccino -Blended Coffee

December 6, 2019 by admin Leave a Comment

It’s the holiday season, and although Snickerdoodle cookies are great year round, this time of year is when they tend to be given more spotlight as with other holiday type flavors. In fact, every once in awhile I stop by my favorite coffee shop and grab a blended snickerdoodle, one of my favorite drinks! A few days ago my mom found a recipe for Chai Tea and it was delicious so I thought why not try my favorite blended coffee drink at home?! I’ve made plenty of homemade frappuccinos but never really thought to try the snickerdoodle.

I found a general snickerdoodle coffee recipe, but it was for hot coffee so I adjusted the recipe for my snickerdoodle frappucino and it turned out delicious! I even tried it sugar free/keto with Monk Fruit Sweetener and it still tasted yummy! Check out the recipe below, give it a try and let me know what you think!

Snickerdoodle Frappuccino Ingredients

First gather your ingredients. You’ll most likely have these items, or most of them in your pantry.

1/2 cup cold coffee
3/4 tsp Cinnamon powder. I like the bag of Ceylon cinnamon powder I ordered a few years ago on Amazon from Whole Spice Co. That one is not available now but here’s a link to another bulk 1lb bag. I love how long the bulk cinnamon lasts! Get a 1lb bag on Amazon .
1/4 tsp Allspice
3/4 tsp Cocoa Powder. I use Hershey’s 100% Cocoa but I LOVE Ghirardelli baking cocoa, I just don’t normally find it at the store.
1/4 tsp Cream of Tartar
3 Tbls Sugar or your favorite sweetener. I love Monk Fruit Sweetener
1/4 tsp Vanilla flavor or extract. I use Danncy Vanilla from Mexico
1 1/2 cups ice
1/2 cup Half and half or heavy whipping cream. (or regular milk, almond milk, coconut milk, etc…)

We’ll start by pouring the cooled coffee into the blender.

Next add the cinnamon….I love my 1lb bag of Ceylon cinnamon I bought on Amazon a few years ago. I’m just now getting to where I need to buy a new bag.

What’s the difference in Ceylon Cinnamon?

Here’s a short explanation from Livestrong.com. Cassia cinnamon is the normal type you buy at the store. Ceylon cinnamon is considered “true” cinnamon and appears to be healthier

“Ceylon cinnamon has a sweeter, more delicate flavor than cassia does, which may make it preferable for flavoring desserts and lighter dishes. But the more important distinction may be the presence of a chemical called coumarin, a natural plant chemical that acts as a blood thinner. This chemical is present in much higher concentrations in cassia than in Ceylon cinnamon. It is contraindicated for anyone taking prescription blood thinners. Coumarin has also been shown to be toxic to the liver and kidneys, and it may also be carcinogenic, which can negate any health benefits of cinnamon.”

Now add the Allspice to the blender…

Then add the Cocoa powder. I use Hersheys 100% cocoa, but I LOVE the Ghirardelli baking cocoa

Next add a little cream of tartar. This may seem odd to add to a frappuccino or coffee drink but if you know anything about Snickerdoodle cookies, the cream of tartar actually helps give the snickerdoodle it’s unique flavor. This is why I decided to try adding it to my recipe.

Adding ingredients to snickerdoodle frappuccino

Now either sugar or sweetener whichever you choose. I’ve used both sugar and sweetener in this and it turned out excellent both times! Monk Fruit sweetener is currently my favorite.

Pour in 1/4 tsp vanilla flavor or vanilla extract. I love the Danncy Vanilla extract that my mom brought me from Mexico. It’s very affordable and tastes great!

Now that you’ve got your coffee, spices and vanilla in the blender, it’s time for the last 2 ingredients! First I add the ice. I like to just fill up a 16oz cup nearly to the top and dump it in. It ends up being just the right amount. However if you want to use a measuring cup, it comes out to 1 1/2 cups of ice.

1/2 cup of heavy cream… I know, I know, it’s a LOT of calories.. 400 to be exact, but this is a once in awhile treat! You can also use Half and half which would taste just as delicious, and if you want to cut out a lot of the calories/fat then just use your favorite low fat milk or a milk substitute like Almond milk or coconut milk.

Pour the heaving whipping cream into the blender and you are ready to blend! Using heavy cream makes this so nice and creamy and low carb, as long as you use sweetener instead of sugar. You can also try using more coffee and less cream.

I love cream.. Isn’t it just so smooth and beautiful? lol

Ok, time to blend. I LOVE my Oster blender! Oster has always been my favorite because they blend so well, but are also on the affordable side. If you don’t have automatic settings on your blender, then blend on low the first 20 seconds and pulse for the last 10-15 seconds to make sure it blends really well. You don’t want ice chunks! I like my frappuccinos nice and smooth.

Want an excellent, affordable blender? Click here

Now it’s time to pour into your cup and enjoy!! Top with whipped cream and cinnamon sprinkles to make it pretty and even more yummy 🙂

Snickerdoodle Frappuccino topped with whipped cream and cinnamon sprinkles

Yummmmmmy! The perfect holiday treat! Let me know what you think of this snickerdoodle frappuccino blended coffee in the comments.

Snickerdoodle Frappuccino-Blended Coffee

Prep Time

2 mins

Cook Time

1 min

Try this delicious Snickerdoodle blended coffee drink

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Keyword: blended, coffee, espresso, frappe, frappuccino, holiday coffee, holiday drink, snickerdoodle

Servings: 1 person

Calories: 315.25 kcal

Author: Melissa Hall

Ingredients

1/2 cup Coffee Cold coffee is best
1/4 tsp Cream of Tartar
3/4 tsp Cinnamon powder
1/4 tsp Allspice
3/4 tsp Cocoa Powder
3 tbsp Sugar or Sweetener (I love Monk Fruit for a no calorie sweetener) For sugar free, use a similar amount of whatever sweetener you like!
1 1/2 cups Ice Fill a 16 ounce cup with ice to make it easy
1/2 cup Half and Half or Heavy Whipping Cream You can use regular milk or whatever you like. It would still taste greet low fat/low calorie too!

Instructions

Brew your coffee and let it cool, or take out 1/2 cup and put in the refrigerator to cool.
Pour coffee, cocoa powder, cream of tartar, cinnamon, allspice, sugar/sweetener into the blender
Add ice and half and half or heavy whipping cream to blender and blend for 30-40 seconds. I like use my smoothie setting on my Oster blender. If you don't have an auto setting, you can blend on low for 20 seconds and then pulse on high for 15-20 seconds more or until smooth.
Pour into a 16oz cup and top with whipped cream and cinnamon powder sprinkled on top and enjoy your snickerdoodle frappuccino!

Recipe Notes

Calories in this recipe are calculated using half and half instead of heavy whipping cream and sugar instead of sweetener.

When using heavy whipping cream and white sugar the calories for this recipe will be 558 calories

When using half and half and a 0 calorie sweetener like Monk Fruit, the calories will be about 171 calories

If you are going high fat low carb or keto and you want to use heavy whipping cream and 0 calorie sweetener like Monk Fruit or Stevia, the calories will be about 413 calories

Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino Recipe

October 16, 2018 by admin Leave a Comment

Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino Low Carb Keto Friendly

We’ve got some nice pumpkins out in our little pumpkin patch this year, and I decided it would be good to make some pumpkin puree and freeze it. I first made a Pumpkin Spice Latte and it was delicious! For those of you that are hot coffee drinkers, you can find the pumpkin spice latte recipe here on my Home Coffee Recipes website. So today I decided to try a pumpkin spice frappuccino. (I actually forgot to put the pumpkin spice in and it still tasted delicious, but I’ve added it to the recipe)

I didn’t follow any specific recipe, I just made my own concoction and dumped it all in lol I’ve been making flavored coffee drinks at home for years, so I’ve gotten pretty good at getting the amounts right for the right flavor.

Let me tell you, I wasn’t quite sure how this was going to turn out though. I decided at the last minute to try the new Monk Fruit sweetener I bought off Amazon. I’ve used it in a few things now and I really like it, but I wasn’t sure how it would taste with the pumpkin spice frappuccino. It was perfect! I did go a little on the heavy side, 1/4 cup, but It seems you need to use more of this sweetener to get it sweet enough. Thankfully it is calorie free! 1/4 cup of the Monk Fruit sweetener was perfect for my taste though.

Ok, so let’s get this pumpkin spice frappuccino party started!

Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino Recipe

First, here are the ingredients…

1/4 cup coffee
1.5 cups ice
1/4 cup Monk Fruit Sweetener
1 Cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp Vanilla (I used Danncy Vanilla that my mom brought home from Mexico. They have it here on Amazon: Danncy Vanilla)
1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino Ingredients-Low Carb Keto

Add 1.5 cups of ice or just fill a 20oz glass a bit less than full. Then 1 cup of pumpkin puree.

Pumpkin Frappuccino Step 1-Add ice and pumpkin puree

Next add 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Pumpkin Frappuccino Step 2 add heavy whipping cream

Then add 1/4 cup coffee, 1/2 tsp of vanilla and 1/4 cup of Monk Fruit Sweetener. You can also add 1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice here as well. I forgot to add it in mine but it would have been even more amazing if I had!

Pumpkin Frappuccino step 3 add vanilla and monk fruit sweetener

Now it’s time to blend! Blend the frappuccino for about 30 seconds, making sure it’s nice and smooth. A lot of people don’t blend their frappuccino’s very well and end up with little chunks of ice. Of course, if you like the chunks of ice then blend for less time 😉

If you don’t have a good blender, I recommend Oster for a really good, affordable blender. I love mine!

After it’s blended nice and smooth and creamy, pour that delicious goodness into a glass…..

Add some whipped cream and sprinkle some pumpkin pie spice on top (nutmeg or cinnamon will do if you don’t have pumpkin pie spice) and enjoy!! Of course you can leave out the whipped cream if you don’t want the extra sugar.

I love this recipe and I was surprised at how good it tasted even though I left out the real sugar and made it low carb/keto friendly. I’m not on the keto diet and don’t plan to be, but I’m all for replacing some things with a low carb version and using less added sugar. This turned out super yummy without regular sugar so I’ll definitely be making it like this again!

Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino

Prep Time

2 mins

Cook Time

2 mins

Total Time

4 mins

A delicious pumpkin spice frappuccino that is easy to make AND low carb/keto friendly!

Course: Dessert, Drinks

Cuisine: American

Keyword: coffee, frappuccino, latte, pumpkin, pumpkin spice

Ingredients

1/4 cup coffee or 2-3 shots espresso. Best if it’s cooled some so it doesn’t melt the ice too much
1 2/3 cups ice cubes
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream could use half & half or even low fat milk if you want less fat. I can’t gurantee it’ll still taste great though 😉
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice optional
1/4 cup Monk Fruit Sweetener or sweetener of your choice. If you don’t have or don’t like sweetener, by all means, use regular sugar!

Instructions

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend for 30 seconds. Pour in a glass, top with whipped cream if desired and sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice. ENJOY!

Buy Some of the Ingredients Now…

DIY Bread and Butter Pickles-Canned or Refrigerator

September 27, 2018 by admin Leave a Comment

I’ve always loved bread and butter pickles. They are my favorite pickles, especially for putting on hamburgers. This is our 3rd summer here on the farm, and the first time doing some canning. My mom bought a water bath canner last month, so we’ve been canning pickles galore! We have quite a few dill pickles canned since those are the simplest, but I’ve also been mixing in some bread and butter pickles as well.

To tell you the truth, I am not a huge pickle fan, aside from bread and butter pickles. I’ll eat them, but they aren’t on the top of my list unless on a hamburger or sandwich lol. However, since we have so many pickles now, I am going to be eating them more! They are healthy, so there’s that!

Bread and butter pickles take a little more time than regular dill, but they are so worth it and sooooo delicious. The cool thing about pickles is that you can make them for the refrigerator too so you don’t have to bother with canning if you only want smaller batches. This goes for bread and butter pickles as well!

If you don’t want to can these pickles, you can just do the recipe as stated, but leave out the water bath part. Just put them in jars with lids, let them cool on the counter and then stick them in the refrigerator. Let them sit in the refrigerator for at least a couple days or so before eating them for the best flavor.

Let’s get started!

First you’ll need to get your cucumbers sliced up. About 6lbs of cucumbers should fill 4 quart jars. Slice up about 4 medium onions as well.

Mix together the onions and sliced cucumbers in a large bowl or pan. Pour 1/2 cup pickling salt over the cucumbers and onions and carefully mix so that everything is covered in the salt. (I use sea salt, but you can also use Kosher salt. Do not use regular table salt because the additives in it will turn the pickles a dark color)

Now you’ll need to cover the pickle/onion mixture with a clean towel and put ice all on the top of it and let it chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours. This will help keep the pickles crisp (so I’ve read, I’m not entirely convinced about this part!) Make sure to not let the towel drape over the sides of the pan because when the ice starts melting, it will soak up the water and drip all over your refrigerator…. Ask me how I know! lol

When the 4 hours is up, put the cucumber and onion mixture in a colander and rinse well. Let it sit to drain and then rinse again and let sit to drain again while you prepare the canner and jars.

Now, get your canning jars washed and sterilized. You can do this by running them through the dishwasher, or you can wash them and then set them with some water in the canner and boil for a few minutes. I sterilize mine in the canner. This is also good so that when you are ready to pack the jars with the pickles, the jars will be nice and warm already.

Sterlize Canning Jars in Boiling Water — Sterilize your jars in the water bath canner and boil for about 5 min. Then turn the heat down and let them sit in the hot water until you are ready to pack the jars with pickles. See that green jar grabber? That is a must to have and you can get one here: Jar Grabber (Amazon.com link)

So of course, in order to sterilize the jars in the water bath canner, you’ll need to get that thing filled with water about 3/4 full. Set it on the burner on high and put the lid on. You’ll want to get the canner going just before, or as soon as you take the cucumbers out of the refrigerator because it will take quite awhile to get to boiling.

You’ll also want to sterilize the lids and rings at this time. Just stick them in a pot of water and bring to a boil. Then I just turn the burner off and let them sit there until I’m ready to use them.

Once you’ve set the canning jars in the boiling water to sterilize, you’ll want to get the brine ready. Use a 4 quart pot and pour in 2 1/2 cups of white distilled vinegar

2 cups of Apple Cider Vinegar

Add 4 1/2 cups sugar. I know, it seems like a lot, but bread and butter pickles are sweet! This is basically making a thin syrup and it’s so yummy!

Next add 2tbsp mustard seeds…. I don’t understand why the store doesn’t sell mustard seeds in a bigger container! Look at that…. It’s tiny 🙁 I think I may try growing my own mustard seeds next year.

2 teaspoons of crushed red pepper. You can add less if you like, but I find this amount is just right to give it that tang. I don’t like very spicy foods, and this does not make the pickles too spicy, just tangy.

Add the crushed red pepper to the pickle brine

1 1/2 teaspoons of celery seeds

Cut two 1 inch pieces of a cinnamon stick and add that to your brine. That’s about 2/3 of a whole cinnamon stick

An inch of cinnamon stick for pickle brine

I just LOVE these colors!

Next add 12 allspice berries and about 1/4 teaspoon of ground allspice

Add 12 whole cloves plus 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves

And last, but not least, add 1 teaspoon of Turmeric

Doesn’t it just look beautiful? I love the colors and the smell! It smells like Christmas 😉

Bring this brine/syrup to a boil and then add your pickle and onion mixture to the hot brine. Bring it back to a boil and then turn off the heat.

Take your jars out of the canner with the
Jar Grabber (Amazon.com link) , dumping the hot water back into the canner and set them on a towel on the counter.

Use a slotted spoon and fill the jars with the hot cucumbers and onions to about 1 inch from the top of the jars.

Once the jars are filled, pour the pickle brine/syrup into each jar about 1/2 inch from the top of the jars. I like to take the cinnamon sticks out and let them cool a minute and then cut them up and stick a piece of cinnamon stick in each jar as well.

Use a butter knife to stick down the sides of the jars. Carefully use an up and down motion, going around each side of the jar to get the air bubbles out. If there’s any extra brine left, you might top off the jars if they sank down some after getting the air bubbles out.

Now that the jars are all filled with the pickles and brine, wipe the tops of the jars with a clean damp cloth or paper towel and put the lids and rings on and place them in the boiling water bath canner.

Make sure the water covers the tops of the jars at least an inch (that is the current recommendation). Bring the water back to a boil and let boil for 15min. or longer depending on your altitude.

Put bread and butter pickle jars in water bath canner

When the pickles are done processing, pull them out with your jar lifter and set them on a dish towel on the counter to cool, making sure they don’t touch each other. You should hear the beautiful sound of lids popping shortly as they seal. After the jars are cooled, you can check that they’ve sealed by pressing down on each lid. If a lid pops back up, then it is not sealed and you’ll want to put that jar into the refrigerator.

I hope you give this bread and butter pickle recipe a try. It is delicious! You’ll want to let the pickles set for about a month before opening them, so I’ve heard, for best flavor.

Canned Bread and Butter Pickles

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Chill time

4 hrs

Total Time

45 mins

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bread and butter pickle recipe, bread and butter pickles, can your own pickles, canned pickles, diy pickles, home canned pickles, pickles

Servings: 4 Quarts

Author: Melissa Hall

Ingredients

4 jars Quart canning jars Wide mouth jars are best, but narrow mouth will do.
1 16 quart canning pot with rack
1 Jar lifter
6 lbs Cucumbers
2 lbs Medium white or yellow onions
1/2 cup pickling salt Can use sea salt or kosher salt, but NOT regular table salt
2 1/2 cups distilled white vinigar (5% acidity)
2 cups Apple cider vinegar (5% acidity)
4 1/2 cups sugar
2 tbsp mustard seeds
2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 1/2 tsp celery seeds
2 inch of a cinnamon stick
12 Allspice berries
1/4 tsp ground allspice
12 whole cloves
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp turmeric

Instructions

Slice cucumbers in 1/4 inch slices. Slice onions thinly and place cucumbers, salt and onions in a large bowl or pan and mix carefully.
Place a clean towel on top of the cucumber mixture, cover with ice and place in the refrigerator to chill for 4 hours
When cucumber mixture is almost done chilling, prepare the canner by filling 3/4 full with water and set on the stove on high. This will take some time to get to boiling. In the mean time, be sure your jars are washed.
Place rings and lids in a small pot of water and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and let sit in the hot water until you are ready to use them.
After the 4 hours is up, put the cucumber mixture into a colander and rinse well. Let drain and then rinse again. Let drain.
When the canner pot is boiling, fill the clean jars with some of the hot water from the canner and let sit in the canner for 5 minutes.
While the jars are sterilizing, you can prepare the pickle brine. Add the vinegar, sugar and all spices to a 6-8 quart pot and place on the stove on high. Once it begins boiling, add the pickle and onion mixture. Stir. Bring back to a boil and then turn off the heat.
Take out your canning jars using the jar lifter and dump the hot water back into the canner pot.
Using a slotted spoon, fill the hot jars with pickle/onion mixture. Fill to 1 inch from the top of the jars. Then fill the jars to 1/2 inch from the top with the brine/syrup.
After the jars are filled, use a butter knife to slide down the sides of the jars in an up and down motion to help get the air pockets out.
Wipe the tops of the jars with a clean, damp cloth or paper towel and place the lids and tighten the rings.
Using the jar lifter, place the jars in the water bath canner making sure the water is 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Add more HOT water if needed and replace the lid. Bring the canner to a boil and let boil for 15 min. (may need to boil longer depending on your elevation)
Remove the pickle jars from the canner and set on a towel on the counter, making sure there is space between them. Let cool. You should hear popping sounds within 10min. or so letting you know the lids are sealing. Once the jars are cool, check each lid by pressing down on the tops. If they pop back up then they are not sealed and you’ll need to put the jar in the refrigerator.

Canning Whole Plums-Delicious Spiced Purple Plums

September 20, 2018 by admin Leave a Comment

We’ve lived here on the farm for 2 years now. When we moved here, the plum tree that is here was still young and small. We got a few plums the first year, a bit more last year, but this year the tree was “plum” full! 😉 We will be pruning it this year so that hopefully next year it will grow more full and wide instead of tall, and hopefully we’ll get even more (unless its an off year because of pruning 🙁

With all those plums, I had thought about making jam, but that’s a lot of jam and we just don’t eat much of it anyway even with 3 boys. So, I decided we should just try canning the firmer ones whole and the softer plums I will turn into jam.

This is the first year I’ve actually canned anything myself, so of course this is the first time I’ve canned plums! I used a basic plum canning recipe and added a few spices to it, not knowing how it would turn out, but if you’re gonna jump in you might as well jump all in!!

I’ll give it away though…. These canned plums with the spices added taste delicious! They taste like Christmas lol

Speaking of jumping in, lets get to the recipe!

Canning whole plums is so easy! First pick your plums, wash them and pull off any stems. Pick out the firmer plums for canning. Plums that are fairly soft can be eaten or used for jam or whatever else you can think of.

Next, get your quart jars ready. Wide mouth jars are best for canning whole plums. It’s just easier to get them in and out of the jar and you can fit a couple more in than you can with narrow mouth jars. If you don’t have wide mouth quart jars, that’s ok, just use what you have.

To get your jars ready, make sure you’ve washed them in the dishwasher, or if you don’t have a dishwasher, scrub them really well with hot soapy water. Next, get your water bath canner kettle filled about 2/3 full with water, cover with the lid and bring it to a boil. This is going to take awhile, so it’s something you could get started before washing the jars if you like.

Once the canner is boiling, go ahead and use your handy jar grabber thingy (canning jar lifter) and place 3 quart jars into the boiling water on their sides so the water can get inside them and just leave them in there for a couple minutes to sterilize.

At this time you can also get your rings and lids ready by putting them in a small pot of boiling water. I just set them in the pot of water, bring it to a boil and then turn it off once it’s boiling. The lids can sit in the hot water until you are ready to put them on the jars.

Now that your jars are sterilized, pull them out of the canner with the jar grabber and carefully dump the hot water out of them back into the canner. If you need to sterilize more jars, go ahead and place some more in there after you take the first ones out.

Time to get the brine ready! I used a 4:1 ratio for the sugar and water. So add 4 cups of water and 1 cup of sugar to a cooking pot.

Then add your spices. I used cloves, allspice and anise seed. Bring this brine to a boil and stir, making sure the sugar is fully dissolved.

While your brine is coming to a boil you can start filling your jars with plums. I found that anywhere from 10-12 purple plums fit per jar. Leave about 1 inch from the top of the jars. Be sure not to pack them too tight as you don’t want to squish them!

Now that the plums are in the jars, go ahead and begin filling the jars with the hot brine, allowing some of the spices to go into each jar as well. Fill to about 1 inch from the top of the jars.

Wipe the top of each jar with a clean damp cloth (where the lids will sit and around the threads since they might be sticky). Then go ahead and place your lids and then tighten the rings on each jar.

Place the jars in the water bath canner. Be sure the water covers the jars by about an inch. You may need to add more water, but make sure to add hot water so it doesn’t cool the canner down too much (if you have to add more water, wait until it starts boiling again before placing the jars into the canner). After placing the jars in the canner, bring replace the lid. Bring the water back to a boil and leave the jars to process in the canner for 25 minutes. Be sure to set your timer!

Once the time is up, use your jar grabber to take the jars out and set them on a dish towel on the counter with space between them to cool. After they have cooled, press the top of each lid to be sure they have all sealed. If you press the lid and it pops back up, the jar did not seal and you’ll need to put it in the fridge. I would not try to reprocess it in the canner.

If all went well and they’re all sealed, then you can store your home canned plums for later use, whether to just eat out of the jar, or use in a recipe that calls for canned plums. Enjoy!!

Canning Whole Plums

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

45 mins

Course: Side Dish

Keyword: canned fruit, canned plums, canning, canning plums, how to can plums, spiced plums

Servings: 4 quarts

Author: Melissa Hall

Ingredients

4 quart Canning Jars
4.5 lbs Purple plums
4 cups Water
1 cup Sugar
12 pieces Whole Allspice Optional
12 pieces Whole cloves Optional
1/2 tsp Anise seed Optional....can also use Star Anise as well
1 stick Cinnamon Optional (if you use cinnamon, you can cut it into fourths and add to each jar before putting the lids on

Instructions

Fill water bath canner 3/4 full with water. Turn stove top on high
While waiting for canner to boil, wash plums and remove stems
Place lids and rings in boiling pot of water to sanitize, then turn off and let sit until you are ready to use them.
Wash jars thoroughly. Once the canner water begins to boil, place jars 3 at a time into the canner on their sides so the water can get inside them. Leave to sanitize a couple of minutes, then pull them out with the jar lifter and set on a dish towel.
Once the jars are sanitized, you can begin filling them with the plums. 10-12 plums should fit in each jar. Leave 1 inch space from the top of the jar. Do not press them down as this could squish them.
Add the water, sugar and spices (if using) to a pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn off the stove top and pour the hot brine into the jars. Be sure to leave 1 inch space from the top of the jar.
Wipe the tops of the jars and around the threads with a clean, damp cloth. Put the lids on and tighten the rings.
Set the filled jars into the water bath canner and bring it back to a boil. You might need to add more water to be sure the tops of the jars are covered by 1 inch of water. Once the water is boiling again, set the timer for 20min. After 20min. , pull the jars out of the canner with the jar lifter and set on a dish towel on the counter, not allowing the jars to touch.
Let cool. Once the jars are cool, check that the lids have sealed by pressing down on each lid. If the center of the lid pops back up, it did not seal and you will need to put that jar in the refrigerator.

Canning Plums-Delicious Spiced Plum Recipe

September 20, 2018 by admin Leave a Comment

We’ve lived here on the farm for 2 years now. When we moved here, the plum tree that is here was still young and small. We got a few plums the first year, a bit more last year, but this year the tree was “plum” full so I decided to try canning them. We will be pruning the tree this year so that hopefully next year it will grow more full and wide instead of tall, and hopefully we’ll get even more plums (unless its an off year because of pruning 🙁

What to do with all those plums?

I had thought about making jam, but that’s a lot of plum jam and we just don’t eat much of it anyway even with 3 boys. So, I decided we should just try canning the firmer plums whole and the softer ones I will turn into jam.

This is the first year I’ve actually canned anything myself, so of course this is the first time I’ve canned plums! I used a basic recipe for canning plums and added a few spices to it, not knowing how it would turn out. If you’re gonna jump in you might as well jump all in!!

I’ll give it away though…. These canned plums with the spices added taste delicious! They taste like Christmas lol

Speaking of jumping in, lets get to the recipe!

Spiced Canned Plum Recipe-Canning Plums

Step 1- Wash The Plums

Canning plums is so easy! First pick your plums, wash them and pull off any stems. Pick out the firmer plums for canning. Plums that are fairly soft can be eaten or used for jam or whatever else you can think of.

Step 2- Prepare Your Canning Jars

Step 3- Prepare The Canning Brine

Time to get the brine ready! I used a 4:1 ratio for the sugar and water. So add 4 cups of water and 1 cup of sugar to a cooking pot.

Then add your spices. I used cloves, allspice and anise seed. Bring this brine to a boil and stir, making sure the sugar is fully dissolved.

Step 4- Fill The Canning Jars with Plums and Brine

Now that the plums are in the jars, go ahead and begin filling the jars with the hot brine, allowing some of the spices to go into each jar as well. Fill to about 1 inch from the top of the jars.

Wipe the top of each jar with a clean damp cloth (where the lids will sit and around the threads since they might be sticky). Then go ahead and place your lids and then tighten the rings on each jar.

Step 5- Canning Plums in The Water Bath Canner

Step 6- Store Your Canned Plums and Enjoy!

If all went well and they’re all sealed, then you can store your home canned plums for later use, whether to just eat out of the jar, or use in a recipe that calls for canned plums. Enjoy!!

Canning Whole Plums

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

45 mins

Course: Side Dish

Keyword: canned fruit, canned plums, canning, canning plums, how to can plums, spiced plums

Servings: 4 quarts

Author: Melissa Hall

Ingredients

4 quart Canning Jars
4.5 lbs Purple plums
4 cups Water
1 cup Sugar
12 pieces Whole Allspice Optional
12 pieces Whole cloves Optional
1/2 tsp Anise seed Optional....can also use Star Anise as well
1 stick Cinnamon Optional (if you use cinnamon, you can cut it into fourths and add to each jar before putting the lids on

Instructions

Fill water bath canner 3/4 full with water. Turn stove top on high
While waiting for canner to boil, wash plums and remove stems
Place lids and rings in boiling pot of water to sanitize, then turn off and let sit until you are ready to use them.
Wash jars thoroughly. Once the canner water begins to boil, place jars 3 at a time into the canner on their sides so the water can get inside them. Leave to sanitize a couple of minutes, then pull them out with the jar lifter and set on a dish towel.
Once the jars are sanitized, you can begin filling them with the plums. 10-12 plums should fit in each jar. Leave 1 inch space from the top of the jar. Do not press them down as this could squish them.
Add the water, sugar and spices (if using) to a pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn off the stove top and pour the hot brine into the jars. Be sure to leave 1 inch space from the top of the jar.
Wipe the tops of the jars and around the threads with a clean, damp cloth. Put the lids on and tighten the rings.
Set the filled jars into the water bath canner and bring it back to a boil. You might need to add more water to be sure the tops of the jars are covered by 1 inch of water. Once the water is boiling again, set the timer for 20min. After 20min. , pull the jars out of the canner with the jar lifter and set on a dish towel on the counter, not allowing the jars to touch.
Let cool. Once the jars are cool, check that the lids have sealed by pressing down on each lid. If the center of the lid pops back up, it did not seal and you will need to put that jar in the refrigerator.

Baked Zucchini Recipe-Quick and Easy!

September 19, 2018 by admin Leave a Comment

Zucchini is in full swing this time of year here in the Pacific Northwest, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed by this summer squash! One second it’s small and you’re like, oh I’ll pick it in a day or two, and the next second you’re like Whoa!!! It’s as big as a house! What am I going to do with this huge zucchini!

There are so many things you can do with zucchini.

Zucchini bread, a favorite and go-to for many!
Zucchini lasagna
Zucchini casserole
Baked zucchini (what I’ll show you today!)
BBQ zucchini
Zucchini spaghetti
Cheesy zucchini tots
Zucchini Quiche
Cheesy zucchini rice
Zucchini brownies
Zucchini boats
Zucchini pancakes
Zucchini on homemade pizza

And so much more! I’ll be posting more zucchini recipes soon, so be prepared to be inundated over the next month. I’ve frozen much of the zucchini we’ve picked so far, so I have plenty to try out new recipes.

I am going to kick off the zucchini season with a very simple baked zucchini recipe. This is so easy! Even though grating zucchini for zucchini bread is pretty easy, it still gets a bit messy, so some days you just don’t really want to deal with it! Well, if you really need to use some of your zucchini and you’re not sure exactly what to do that’s super easy, just SLICE it! Especially if it’s one that you picked after it suddenly grew to the size of a house! lol

Just slice that baby up into half inch rounds. Easy peasy!

Then put the zucchini slices into a bowl with about 1/4 cup of oil of your choice or butter. Some ideas are: Olive oil (may not want to use extra virgin if you don’t like that strong flavor), Canola or vegetable oil, Avocado oil (This would taste amazing!), coconut oil(haven’t tried that yet, but it might give it an interesting twist), butter (a definite win!)

Sprinkle with salt, garlic powder and a little pepper if you like. You can use any seasonings you want of course. Parmesan cheese, onion powder, maybe some minced fresh garlic cloves, basil, oregano, sliced onions, the sky is the limit!

Now, mix it all up and you can either put the slices on the baking sheet right away if you don’t have much time, or you can let them sit and marinate for a bit. I’d say 10-30min. The longer you let them soak, the stronger the flavor will be.

Once you have the zucchini slices on the baking sheet, slide them into a 350F degree oven and bake for about 15min.

Another great way to cook your zucchini slices is to put them on the barbecue. BBQ your zucchini for an even richer flavor! Just leave the zucchini slices on for 4-5min. and then flip them. BBQ 3-4 min. on that side and your done!

And there you have it! Very yummy, very easy, baked or bbq zucchini!

Below is a super convenient printable recipe card….

Easy Baked Zucchini Recipe

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

20 mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: baked zucchini, zucchini, zucchini recipe

Servings: 4 people

Author: Melissa Hall

Ingredients

1 Zucchini Medium or large
1/2 tsp Salt To taste
1/2 tsp Garlic powder
1/4 tsp Ground Pepper To taste
1/4 cup Vegetable Oil Olive oil, butter, coconut oil etc.. are some examples

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Slice zucchini into approx. 1/2 inch slices, cutting off and discarding about 1/2 inch of each end.
Place zucchini slices in a large bowl with the oil
Add salt, garlic powder and ground pepper and mix well so the zucchini slices are evenly covered.
Place zucchini slices onto a baking sheet and bake for approximately 15min. or until zucchini slices are tender.
Let cool 5 min. before eating because they will be very hot!
Enjoy!!

admin

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Spiced Canned Plum Recipe-Canning Plums

Step 1- Wash The Plums

Step 2- Prepare Your Canning Jars

Step 3- Prepare The Canning Brine

Step 4- Fill The Canning Jars with Plums and Brine

Step 5- Canning Plums in The Water Bath Canner

Step 6- Store Your Canned Plums and Enjoy!

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