Mexican Lasagna

   I know we have discussed the merits to using flour tortillas before, in the Easy Breezy Lasagna recipe; today I will introduce you to the recipe that originally inspired that version. It is a "take" on Kidney Bean-Tortilla Lasagna from The Stocked Kitchen by Sarah Kallio and Stacey Krastins. Click here to see what "The Stocked Kitchen" is all about! It just goes to show you that you can take just about any recipe and tweak it to fit your own tastes. Don't ever be afraid to try to change things, within reason, of course. If you keep your changes in the same "family" or limited to things you already know go together, you can still come up with your own version of just about anything.

   The original recipe is vegetarian, at least I think that's what it is, having no meat in it. That doesn't fly in this house, all my men are meat eaters, so I substitute some ground beef for a can of kidney beans, and call it Mexican Lasagna, and they'll never know it was inspired by a meatless meal! That will be our little secret, okay?

• 1-1/2 lbs lean ground round (90% or better)
• 3 cups any Spaghetti Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons dried minced onion
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• One 15-1/2 ounce can small red beans, or kidney beans, rinsed & drained
• one 4 ounce can sliced or chopped drained black olives (optional)
• Two cups kernel corn, from a one or two lb bag 
• 6 flour tortillas (medium-soft taco size)
• 2 cups grated cheese (I use 1 cup of mozzarella & one cup of extra sharp cheddar, mixed)

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Spray a 10 inch skillet with nonstick spray, and brown ground beef until beef is no longer pink. Drain any excess fat (with the really lean stuff you might actually have to add some cooking oil to brown it correctly). Add the dried minced onion, the spaghetti sauce, sugar, chili powder, cumin, salt, garlic, the beans, olives, if using, and the corn. Stir well and get it hot. Spoon 1 cup mixture into bottom of baking dish, cover with 2 tortillas, follow with 1/3 of the balance of the meat mixture, 1/3 of the cheeses. Repeat two more times. Cover with aluminum foil, slip into the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes to get the cheeses melted and browned. Remove from oven and let sit for about 10 minutes before serving. Cut like lasagna. Touchdown!

   I hope you give this one a whirl. Its easy, healthy, and just plain GOOD! 

   Also please be sure to check out The Stocked Kitchen website (posted earlier on this page) for more recipes, ideas and discussions on working from a stocked kitchen!

   Love hearing from you all!

A Different Pot Roast

   Remember, a few days ago I told you the story of my husband being a beef man? Well, I guess it has been too long since we've had beef. He has requested pot roast for dinner today. Ahh, pot roast! As a child I despised the mere sound of the words. I didn't so much mind the beef or the potatoes or carrots, but the gravy? Yuk. It always seemed greasy to me. I could not get past the shiny stuff floating on top of the gravy to get to the real beefy part. So, sorry, Mom, I did not like your pot roast. At all.

   Then as a young adult I had the opportunity to have a friend's (okay, an old boyfriend's) mother's pot roast. Of course, hearing what was on the menu, I tried to opt out, but I was not in the position, on this particular day, to bow out gracefully. I was doomed to eat pot roast that day. Oh., bother!

  Arriving at the dinner table I immediately noticed a bowl of egg noodles. Hmm. Noodles? Okay, that's different. Then came a bowl of carrots in a deep orange-colored "sauce". Now that was really different. A platter of meat arrived, it, too looked different than what I had grown up with. Wow, this is pot roast?

   Well, yes, it was a version of beef roasted or braised in liquid in a large pot with carrots and onions, some beef broth, and an entire bottle of chili sauce. What? Chili sauce? I don't like spicy foods (or at least at that point of my life I did not like any spicy things.) I was told not to worry, it is not spicy, but sweet. Sweet?

    Onto my plate comes a large scoop of noodles, two slices of beef right next to it, then the orange-y sauce with the carrots in it was ladled on top. This is definitely not like any pot roast I have ever had before.

   Fork in hand,  I tried the noodles with the sauce first. Hey, that's pretty good! Then the carrots. Wow. Then some of the beef. Holy Moly! Now that is a pot roast I can actually enjoy!

   Have not seen that family in well over 25 years, but I still use their recipe, tweaked it a bit to ensure it gets sweet enough. And I adapted it to the crock pot to make my life really easy.

    Really different Pot Roast

• 6 large carrots peeled and cut into 3 inch lengths and thick sticks (see photo)
• 5 lb. beef rump roast, bottom round or chuck roast, trimmed of a lot of the outside fat
• 1 large Vidalia onion --sliced or chopped
• 1 cup flour seasoned with a little salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon beef base
• 1 bottle chili sauce (sorry I use Heinz--I have tried others, just not as good results)
• 2 bottles (chili sauce bottles) of water
• Hot cooked egg noodles-go ahead and make your own, its okay!

   Roll the beef around in the seasoned flour. Heat the oil in a large skillet or dutch oven. Add the onions and let them sweat, turn translucent, and begin to brown around the edges. Add the floured beef and brown it really well on all sides.

   While the beef is browning, add the carrots to the bottom of the crock pot. We all know that the vegetables take longer to cook in a crock pot than the meat, right? If the onions start looking like they are going to burn, lift them out with a slotted spoon, leaving behind any grease there may be, but there usually isn't much at this point. Add them to the crock pot, sprinkle in a tablespoon of the sugar.

   When the meat is all good and browned all the way around remove it from the pan and set it on top of the carrots and onions in the crock pot (there won't be a lot of onions anymore--they're there for flavor.) Pour the bottle of chili sauce over the meat and around the sides. Skim out any excess oil in the pan, if there still is any. Add the teaspoon of beef base, and the two bottles of water using the chili sauce bottle. Stir it up well, with the heat on high to loosen any of the browned bits stuck to the pan.Pour this mixture into the crock pot, add the other 2 tablespoons of sugar. Cover and let it cook for 8 hours.

    Here's the carrots:

And the meat going in to the crock pot:

   It might not seem like a lot of juice right at the beginning, but when the meat starts releasing its juices, there will be plenty! You still have to skim off the fat that accumulates on the top, otherwise you will get that "greasy flotilla" shinning across the top. So skim away any clear liquid, it will be orange, but you can tell the difference between the floating fat and the actual gravy. If the gravy isn't thick enough at the end you can use any method you have had success with in your crock pot to thicken it. I have had no success in thickening gravy in a crock pot that worked fast enough for me so after removing the meat, and straining out as many carrots as I can I return the juices to the dutch oven from this morning and slowly add some roux I have made on the side until I get the thickness of gravy my family likes, which is on the thick side.

Pork tenderloin

   Nothing doing here for National Gumbo Day, although I have some friends who said they will send me their gumbo recipes, one with okra, one without. I have never had gumbo, or even okra for that matter, and okra's reputation does not bode well for gumbo being included in my future plans of favorite meals. We shall see, however, we shall see.

   Several friends have told me that fried okra is the way to go--one likes it breaded and fried and the other, batter fried. That, right there, shows me how varied my results will probably be. So let's stick with a subject I am much better versed with, pork. Ah, I know, we have already done something for National Pork month, but there's so much one can do with pork, I feel it deserves more coverage. 

   Last week we tackled a boneless loin of pork, with sweet and sour pork made from the leftovers, this week I have a beautiful pork tenderloin, or pork eye fillet, as some areas call it. Either way, its the same cut. It comes from inside the loin. It is called a "lazy muscle" because it doesn't move much, which makes it lean and tender. Yes they can be a little pricey @ $5.99 a pound, but there is virtually no waste, no fat, no bone. Its "all good."

It cooks fast, so be wary it can overcook very quickly, as well. But once you learn how to prepare this cut, you will watch for sales in the store and stock up. This cut is a win-win in my house--with all the players giving it a thumbs up.

   The piece I got is 1.89 pounds, and that is about average for this cut, they run usually between one and one half pounds to two and a quarter pounds per package. I aim for the larger, but being one child is away at college I can get away with a slightly smaller piece. Oh, and don't be surprised when you open the package and out pops two pieces, its the way they come, always. Rinse off the meat and pat dry with a paper towel. If there is any silver-skin do your best to remove it by grabbing a loose piece and slowly, but very firmly, pulling it away from the flesh.

   Marinating is the way to go, here and there are about a zillion recipes out there. Here's one of my favorites:

      Pork Tenderloin Marinade

• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• grated zest of one half lemon
• the juice of a full lemon
• 4 cloves crushed garlic
• 3 teaspoons honey
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons melted butter

Put all ingredients in your food processor and spin until smooth. Yes, the rosemary will still be little sticks, but do the best you can. Put prepared meat in gallon sized zip top bag, pour in the marinade and massage the meat for a minute or two. Zip the top closed and let meat marinate for at least four hours in the refrigerator. Drain the marinade, but reserve it to baste the meat once or twice while cooking. Place meat on rack in roaster pan and roast at 375°F for 35-40 minutes. Best to use a meat thermometer here, as this will overcook quite rapidly. You may notice that the meat still has a slight pink tint. This is okay, if you read up on these things, they have cut the recommendations for pork from the "cook it until there are no more juices" to "some pink is acceptable" Here's a link to check me out: Click here for the new USDA recommendations for cooking pork. By dropping that temperature from 160° F to 145° F, they have made pork a brand new meat, in essence, because it really tastes like something, now. I have to admit, however, that I take this cut out at 140°F, and if you read that article completely you'll see where I got the inspiration--and nerve. I am happy to report I have not sent anyone in my household to the hospital with cooking this pork to 140°f then letting it rest for 15 minutes to let the temperature continue to rise to the 145°F. Ah, heaven!

   I have some sweet potatoes that are going to start shriveling up soon, so I am going to bake them, whole, then split them, add butter and brown sugar and put them back in the oven for about 15 minutes for the sugar to caramelize. Kind of a cheater candied sweet potatoes recipe, but it will work for us.

   I am also going to heat up some chunky, homemade applesauce. I have been nice and have not served applesauce in over a week, so its time, again, I still have apples on some trees, so I have to go into overdrive on getting them picked and canned.

   Back to the pork. After the meat has rested, slice it into about 1/2 inch slices, serve it with your choice of dips, if your family does that. Additionally, you can bring the reserved marinade up to a boil and boil it for 10 minutes and serve that as a sauce for the meat, as well. I don't particularly care for reusing marinades that raw meat has sat in, but they tell me by boiling it for 10 minutes you take care of whatever...Not comforting to me, so if you chose to do that, its at your own risk. 

   You can also just swath a tenderloin or two in a combination of either duck sauce and barbeque sauce, or apricot jam and barbeque sauce, or orange marmalade and barbeque sauce, notice the common thread being the barbeque sauce. Any brand works well. Me? You know I make mine from scratch! But that's a different day!
   Hope to hear from all of you with your questions and comments. Thanks for listening!
  

Beer Can Chicken

   My husband must be crazy. Oh, do I hear some of you out there saying, "That's me!"? Last night the husband tells me that he's really in the mood for chicken. That is a little odd, he's a beef man. But what he tells me next is the real shocker. He tells me that I have two whole chickens in the extra freezer, and that I should take them both out and cook them for dinner tomorrow night. I ask him, "Both?" Who's going to eat all that chicken? We'll be lucky if its three of us. One will be more than enough." He then says, "but you make so many good things with the leftover chicken, you can cook the chickens tomorrow and use all the meat over the weekend."

   Did I just hear that right? He's telling me to purposely plan meals for the weekend with chicken? Days in a row, eating chicken? Either he's on something, or I am hearing things. I look at him, to see if there are any signs that he is having a stroke or something. Then I take my own pulse. I am neither sleeping nor dreaming, and I'm certainly not in heaven. He's standing there, straight-faced,telling me he's going to eat chicken all weekend long.

  Has he gone mad? I wonder what's come over him and mutter to myself that, come Monday, he is going to be a bear. He cannot go that long without beef.  Heck, I usually can't feel him chicken meals with less than two days between the meals. I shake my head and take out the two chickens, put them on my super speedy thawing rack in the refrigerator.

   Still shaking my head this morning I ask him how he would like me to prepare the chickens today. He responds, "beer can chicken, okay? Shoot, yeah, easy and yummy, and probably the best way to cook whole chickens, if you ask me. They stay moist and being on their little pedestals, its easy to carve them and strip the meat off. Works for me!

   I still have this feeling that something is not right with this scenario. Who knows if the eldest will grace us with his presence at the dinner table tonight? He has been MIA several times this past week. Okay Number two is off so he SHOULD be home, although he sometimes cuts out minutes before I get dinner on the table. Hrmph. "Kids."

   So after washing the chickens inside and out, and seasoning them with some chicken grill spice, and planting them onto their respective soda cans, as some of the residents here squawk at the "waste of perfectly good beer", and set in their own little racks they go into the convection oven. Convection ovens are king when it comes to cooking chicken. I had a small counter top version many, many years ago and learned that you can cook a whole chicken in and hour and five minutes, flat, crispy skin and moist breast meat. Oh, yeah, heaven in the chicken eating world.
   The convection oven I have now is my gas range, now complete with a little switch that says "speed bake". What that is, essentially, is a fan at the back of the oven that sends the heat swirling around the food, cooking it in one third less time. It takes a little longer for the chicken than the original hour and five minutes, but I attribute that to the oven being much larger than the compact counter top model of 25 years ago. And, sorry, but it does not work for baked goods, I've tried it. It may not hurt it, but it doesn't speed the baking, either.
   Inside the soda cans I had put a mixture of 3 ounces of water, 3 ounces of cider vinegar, and a tablespoon of the chicken grill spice. I greased the little babies and sprinkled some of the grill spice on top.

 Here's the little beauties on their pedestals:

  
   Into the oven, they go at 350°F. I am estimating about an hour and fifteen to an hour and half. I will test them to get to 175°F internal temperature, in the thigh, then take them from the oven, cover them with a foil tent and let the temperature go up to 180°F, which is a must for poultry. But let me give you a little tip--at 190° they're overdone and dry. It will take at least 15 minutes for the temperature to get up those last five degrees, and trust me, do not try to serve it below 180°F. Salmonella poisoning is not pretty. True, most adults probably won't die, but they will wish they could.
     Well, well. well. Someone pulled the wool over my eyes. Right after I popped the chickens in the oven I started scrubbing potatoes for the mashed potatoes also requested, when my oldest son finally shows up, asking if it was okay that he brought someone home for dinner. I thought to myself, "why not? I have much too much chicken, anyway." So I answer in the affirmative, grab a few more potatoes, and he calls into the other room for his company to come in and say hello to his mother. In walks someone who looks very familiar. Holy Cow, its my youngest son! What? How? Hey! How did you get home, wait, holy cow, you went to get him! Hey, did your dad know about this? Tears started flowing and I pulled my "baby" into my arms for a big hug and kiss.
   I was laughing and crying tears of joy; right up until yesterday Austin was telling me he had too much work to do, so he wasn't coming home for fall break. I was heartbroken, but accepting that he is serious with his studies, and grateful for that.
   As it turns out, he had contacted his brother a few days ago saying he wanted to come home, but he wanted it to be a surprise to me. They were all in on it, including my husband. Yeah, he wanted to eat chicken all weekend, and I believed that! Do I know my husband, or what? Beer can chicken is one of Austin's favorite meals.
   So as we did our catching up, dinner was cooking, but I failed to get photos of the finished product. The kitchen was swarming with my boys and husband, the aroma of roasting chicken, apple spice cake that finished just before putting the chickens in. It was like what those commercials say,

"Priceless."

   

   See you all tomorrow!

Homemade Noodles or Pasta strands

   Today is National Noodle Day. I guess that goes right along with being National Pasta Month. I asked my husband what he wanted with noodles today, so I could whip some fresh ones up, and do you know what he asked for? Fettuccine Alfredo.

   Well, I have never made noodles for that before, I usually make noodles for chicken soup or turkey soup, after Thanksgiving, but, hey, he wants fresh made noodles with Alfredo sauce? I'm in! What's the worst that could happen? The noodles are so awful, I'll have to pull a pack of dried pasta out of the cabinet and boil new ones, but I honestly doubt that's going to happen, as long as everyone realizes that without a pasta roller, (no, that's one kitchen gadget I do not yet own, but I'm working on it) the noodles will be a bit thicker than the dried ones you buy in the store. All the better, if you ask me.

   Hmmm....Son number two will be home tonight, as this is his last day to work for the week--he works four 10-hour days, so I had better make sure I have plenty. That "boy" loves his pasta!
  The easiest pasta or noodle recipe I have found calls for 1 cup of flour, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon olive oil, and up to 2 tablespoons water. I just multiplied that by three to make sure I made enough noodles for dinner. These come out denser than commercially prepared noodles, but my family loves them. 
   I mixed up the batch in my Kitchen Aid stand mixer, because my hands cramp when I try to knead, which is why until I got the Kitchen Aid I did not make much bread. Now? fuggedabowdit!
   After mixing the ingredients and kneading the dough for about 5 minutes, I let the dough rest for another 10 minutes; helps the gluten to relax, which, in turn, helps the noodles stay tender. I cleared off a large section of my (much too large) island, dusted it with flour and cut the dough into 2 sections.         
   Keeping one section covered with a damp dishtowel, I rolled out the first section as thin as I could get it, and as close to a rectangle I could get, and believe me, that part is not easy. You roll one way, turn the dough a quarter turn to the right (or left) and roll again, turn, roll, turn, roll, (I'm sure you get the picture). By turning and rolling you get almost a rectangle or square. Don't worry if you rip the dough. Sprinkle a drop or two of water on the dough by the rip, overlap a good piece of dough and roll it in. And don't get anal about it being perfectly square on the edges...come on now, you're not a machine, and who's going to know? You? Are you going to tell? Well, neither am I. You can trim away the squiggly end and toss them, if you like, but this is homemade, a little imperfection is, well, just perfect in my mind.
   The dough ended up rolling thinner than I have ever gotten it before. I used a pizza cutter and cut into nice fettuccine noodles, put them on a rack to dry for about and hour, while I waited for my husband to come home.

    I don't make the sauce until everyone is home, Alfredo sauce does not hold well.  The sauce consists of 1 stick of butter (unsalted preferably), 2 cups of heavy cream, (no this is not a low-calorie dish), 1-1/2 cups of Pecorino Romano cheese, grated, preferably freshly grated, just make sure you use real cheese and not some faux cheese.
   Melt the butter in a heavy bottom saucepan, I use a 3 quart size, you can probably get away with a 2 quart. Wait until the butter is just a pool of liquid. Slowly add all the cream, stir, and heat slowly just until it comes to a simmer.  Unless you are ready to drain the macaroni, do not go any further at this time. 
   Get your salted water to a boil in a LARGE (8 quart) pot. Macaroni cooks best in lots of water, and sorry no-salt people, you HAVE to salt the water to cook all macaroni. Even just a teaspoon of salt will be better then none, trust me. Put the noodles in the boiling water and stir with a slotted spoon or spider strainer to make sure it is not sticking to the bottom. Now is when you add the Pecorino cheese to the cream and butter over the lowest possible heat, stirring. Stir the noodles in their pot every now and again, it takes 5-8 minutes to cook these thicker than store bought noodles, and they will start floating to the top of the pot. Al dente, "to the tooth" is the way to go here.  
   Drain the noodles well in a large colander and slip into a large glass bowl. Immediately pour the Alfredo sauce over the noodles and toss gently. with tongs and spoon. Grind fresh pepper, if desired over each individual serving.
   Hold onto your hats, you are in for a real treat. This is decadence in the macaroni/noodle world and only special noodles get to swim in such luxury.
   I really hope you give this a try, even if you don't attempt the homemade noodles, get a good brand, preferably imported, noodle and try the sauce. It is really easy, and worth the little extravagance once in a while. Oh, it is definitely not a meal to make often, the fat and calorie counts are quite high, but for a special occasion, go for it! 
   Looking forward to your comments, questions and feedback!

Sweet and Sour Pork

   Today I used the leftover pork I had from the pork roast from the other day. I made sweet and sour pork, as promised. Now this recipe can be accomplished in several different ways. Not working at a real job I elected to put a little more effort into it and used fresh carrots and fresh peppers, although you can certainly use canned or frozen carrots and frozen green pepper if you so desired. I also thought in honor of No Salt week it would be better if I used fresh, although I don't usually use canned carrots anyway, as they become mushy long before I like them to.

   So, I pulled out my trusty mandolin. If you don't have a mandolin, it is another item I wholeheartedly recommend; but I must caution you to ALWAYS use the hand protector--promise me you'll use the handle thingy to hold the vegetables. Okay, then.

  I scrubbed two carrots with a vegetable scrubber, sliced both the bottom and top off on an angle and whipped them over the mandolin. Done, and fast!

  

   I put the carrots in about and inch of water and simmered them for about 7 minutes. They still had a bite to them, but not crunchy. For reasons unknown to me, my family doesn't like crunchy carrots in their meals, except of course, raw carrots with dip,but that's a different blog, somewhere.

   While the carrots were cooking, I cut up a pepper into about 3/4 inch pieces, drained the juice from a can of pineapple chunks, reserving the juice in a measuring cup, and cut up the cooked pork into about 3/4 inch cubes. (I had to make sure there was no sauerkraut remnants left behind, also).

   When the carrots were done I drained them and set them aside for a bit. I beat two eggs with a fork and poured them over the pork in a small bowl. Sprinkled 1/4 cup cornstarch over the pork and, with a spoon, gently tossed the pork around in the cornstarch and egg to nicely coat it all.

   Then you heat a large skillet (10 inch will do) over high heat, add 1 tablespoon oil, not olive for this application, When the oil ripples toss in the coated pork and move it around with a flat spatula. Here you are browning the coating without trying to remove it from the pork. Flip the pieces over and over until they are light golden brown. Remove the pork and keep warm nearby. 

   To the reserved pineapple juice add enough pineapple OR orange juice to measure 2 cups. Add it to the skillet, add 3/4 cup of sugar (the sweet) and 2/3 cup of cider vinegar (the sour), 4 tablespoons of soy sauce, whatever brand you like. Stir in the green pepper. Cover and simmer 3 minutes. Add the carrots, cover, and simmer while you get 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water mixed in a small cup.Remove cover and slowly stream the cornstarch-water mixture into the simmering pot, stirring to avoid lumps. (here you can use your own judgment: if you want your sauce thicker, go ahead and mix and add more cornstarch-water mixture). When you get the sauce how you like it toss in the warm pork, and the pineapple chunks from the can (unless of course, you were REALLY good and used fresh--you get the idea). Stir and heat through. Serve over white or fried rice, with additional soy sauce and Chinese noodles, which are totally optional.

   Hubby told me that I haven't lost my touch, it was perfect--AGAIN! 

   Touchdown, AGAIN! 

Hope you enjoy yours. Hey, how about telling me how yours turned out?

Sweet and Sour Pork (can also use Chicken)

• 3 cups cooked cut up boneless pork or chicken
• 1 cup sliced cooked carrots (or 1-2 cans drained well)
• 1 green pepper, seeded and cut into 3/4 inch pieces
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons cornstarch-separated
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 can pineapple chunks in juice
• about 1 cup of pineapple or orange juice
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup cider vinegar
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1-2 tablespoons water
• Cooked rice or cooked fried rice

Heat oil in 10 inch skillet. Toss the pork or chicken with the beaten egg in a small bowl, Sprinkle with cornstarch and gently toss to coat. Add pork to the hot oil and stir it around with a spatula, browning all sides. Remove pork and keep warm. Add enough pineapple or orange juice to the reserved juice to equal 2 cups, add to skillet. Add the sugar, the vinegar, and the soy sauce, stir to mix completely. Add the green pepper, cover and simmer 3 minutes, add the carrots, cover and simmer another 2 minutes. Mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1-2 tablespoons water to make a medium thick slurry.  Swish it into the skillet, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. When you achieve the thickness you like, add the pork and the pineapple. Stir and heat through. Serve over rice or fried rice.

This would probably work with shrimp, as well. I would try using one pound of completely peeled and deveined shrimp, whatever size you prefer.

Apricot Jam

   Yesterday was National Taco Day, and since I didn't think I had anything substantial to tell you about tacos, I proceeded to prepare apples for canning apple pie filling, something I have done many, many times.

   The difference, this time, was that the canning website I use recommends hot packing apples rather than cold packing. Hmmm... I have cold packed the pie filling before and didn't have any problems, but trying to make sure I don't kill anyone with my canned foods, I cooked the pie filling. Problem with that is cooking the apples shrinks them, so I had to keep peeling and adding apples to get the full half gallon I was attempting to can.

   Why half gallon, you ask?  Well, I usually use just about two quarts per pie, with just a little bit that doesn't fit, so I figured that canning half gallons would make it easier on me. Just goes to show logic is not always what it seems.

   Why canning half gallons is so much more work, I cannot tell you, but it took me most of the afternoon to can ONE half gallon, only to find later on the internet, that the USDA no longer recommends canning half gallons, although they did not disclose the reason. Oh, bother! So not only did it seem like a lot more work, now I am running the risk of poisoning my family. Just great.

   I discussed the issue with my husband, and he said what I was thinking, "just use the half gallons first and don't can anymore." Glad we are on the same page on that issue. Luckily I have only gotten two done, one last week, and one just before I read the no-no from the USDA.

   Today, however, I am working on something I never thought I would get to work on. Homegrown apricots. Yes, you heard me right! (okay, read that right, okay?) One of the apricot trees we planted 25 years ago gave us some fruit. So it is not that this neck of the woods cannot grow stone fruit, just don't count on it and once every 25 years or so, you will be surprised!

   The fruits are not big, by any standard, but the test one proved to taste like apricots, so before they all fell off the tree (or the frost we are expecting tonight kills them), my son, the tallest, went out yesterday afternoon and picked the tree clean. Okay, so we only got 14 fruits, that's 14 more than we ever expected.

   What am I going to do with 14 small apricots? I searched and searched and finally found that the Ball® website has a calculator that allows you to put in the amount and type of fruit you have, and it tells you how much pectin and sugar to use. Who knew?

   So, I have already peeled the fruit, hey, our cockatiel likes apricot skins! Enjoy it, Buddy, you may never get that again! And as I type this my canning jars are in the water being sterilized.

   Skip ahead about two and one half hours. I got two cups of fruit from the apricots and thanks to the Ball® pectin calculator located at:
http://www.freshpreserving.com/tools/reference/pectin.aspx#  
I was able to make three 8-ounce jars of apricot jam. Scroll down after you get the calculation and they tell you what you need to make X-amount of half-pint jars. Well, I ended up with 2 cups of fruit after I cut away the bruises, so I was able to make 3 half-pints--no more half gallons for me, thank you!

   The jam came out a lighter yellow than any apricot jam or preserves I have bought, but, again, tasting the little bit that did not fit into the jars, it tasted just as good, maybe better, and knowing there are no sufites, or sulfuring agents that they use to dry apricots with, well, I am a happy camper. I brought the extra bit over for hubby to taste. He said, and I quote, "mmmm sweet!" and in my husband's language, that means "oh, yeah!"            

    Touchdown!