Applesauce with a Rosy Glow or the only applesauce recipe I’ve ever tried

As I noted in an earlier post, you know it’s December at my house when all that’s produced is AlmondRoco. Likewise, you know it’s fall at my house when all that comes from my kitchen contains apples, such as applesauce.

As a child I would only eat applesauce if it was served with pork chops for dinner. As for eating apples, I think I ate two by the time I was eighteen years old. Yes, my palette, food preferences and diet have changed significantly since my childhood.

My love for homemade applesauce took hold just over a decade ago after making vegan whoopie pies with my homemade applesauce and liking the richness of flavor this applesauce provides to this recipe over store bought sauces. For several years, my freezer would be packed in September with homemade applesauce and gradually emptied over the following winter and spring to make vegan whoopie pies, to top oatmeal or some form of vanilla ice cream. In late 2005 I learned how to can and successfully canned my first batch of applesauce in September 2006. I’ve canned my homemade applesauce ever since.

While some of you might be surprised at the amount of applesauce which gets produced annually, I can only tell you the happiness, joy and fond memories generated is far greater than the time and effort exerted. My cousin, Jenn, and her family join me at the orchard where we pick apples for all of us. When the apple picking is done, we then walk to the orchard’s farm stand for their homemade apple cider doughnuts. One year my mom assisted in coring and slicing the apples. Another year a girlfriend visited during the process and assisted with tasting the batch. A half pint jar given to a co-worker one morning was returned the same afternoon, emptied, washed, and with the statement “That was good.”

I originally came across this recipe in an issue of the Boston Herald sometime in the 1990s. I don’t have the exact date as the recipe was not in the corner of the page which contained the date. What I like most about this recipe is it’s a great way to use up lots of apples quickly without having to peel them. I’ve tinkered with the recipe over the years, increasing the amount of sugar and cinnamon to make a rich “sweet” batch, removing the sugar and cinnamon to create an unsweetened batch, as well as moving the “mash” process from stove top to oven to prevent the apples from scorching or “blackening” the bottom of the pot which can require a lot of time and manpower to scour clean.

Apples ready to be made into "mash" in

the oven

Rosy Applesauce yield: approximately 6 – 9 pints

5-6 pounds red-skinned applesauce (this is about a 1/2 peck of apples)

½ cup water

1 cup sugar

½ cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

To make “mash” on stove top: 

1. Wash, quarter and core the apples.
2. Place them in large saucepan with the water.
3. Cook over very low heat until the pulp softens and separates from the peel – from 30 minutes to an hour. Stir occasionally to avoid scorching.

To make “mash” in the oven:

1. Place oven rack on lowest setting.
2. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees farenheit.
3. Wash, quarter and core the apples placing them in a turkey roasting pan designed to hold 12 – 15 pound turkey.
4. Add water to apples in pan.
5. Tent/loosely cover top of roasting pan with aluminum foil, making certain reflective side of foil faces apples.
6. Carefully place tented roasting pan with apples and water in oven on rack on lowest setting.
7. Bake until pulp softens and separates from the peel without effort when pressed with large spoon – from 30 minutes to just over an hour.

Once “mash” is made:

1. Press “mash” through a food mill or colander.
2. Add sugar and cinnamon to the warm applesauce, mix thoroughly, and let stand until cool enough to eat.
3. Serve either warm or chilled. Refrigerate any unused portion for up to 5 days, freeze for up to 3 months or can the applesauce using the boiling-water method in steps 4 and 5.
4. Heat the applesauce until it boils. Ladle into clean, hot canning jars, leaving ½ inch of headspace at the top of each.
5. Close the jars and process in a water-bath canner with a rack for 20 minutes.

 

Apple Lemon Bread

I stumbled across this recipe several years ago in my Fanny Farmer Cookbook at about the same time I was introduced to local grown Mutsu (or Crispin) apples whose texture and moistness remind me of a Granny Smith and whose taste reminds me of a Jolly Rancher Sour Apple Stix.

Where the recipe calls for green apples, I decided to give this one a try with local Mutsu apples. On the day I made the first batch, my mother stopped by just as the bread was coming out of the oven. What's noted in my version of this recipe is correct: “Light and moist, flavored with apple and lemon zest, this bread freezes well, if there is any left.” There was none left of the first batch nor of the second. The third batch did get frozen, and yes, this bread does freeze incredibly well. I highly recommend this recipe if you ever find yourself with extra Mutsu apples in September or October which is their peak season.

Apple Lemon Bread

From the revised 13^th edition of The Fanny Farmer Cookbook.

Yield: One 9” x 5” x 3” loaf or 12-19 muffins

¼ cup butter or substitute, such as Earth Balance Buttery Spread (http://www.earthbalancenatural.com/product/original-buttery-spread/)

¾ cup sugar

2 eggs, beaten

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 green apples, peeled, cored, and grated (about 2 cups) or 1 very large Mutsu apple, peeled, cored and grated

Zest or peel from 2 lemons, minced (approximately 1 ½ tablespoons)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees farenheit. Butter or grease a loaf pan. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs until blended. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together and add to the creamed mixture alternately with the grated apple. Add the lemon zest and mix until well blended. Spoon into the loaf pan and bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the center muffins comes out clean. Remove from the pan and cool on a rack.

If making muffins, spoon batter into lined muffin tins. Baked for 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the center muffins comes out clean. Cool and then remove from tins.

Freezing green and other bell peppers

When the bell peppers come in to season here in New England, as they are doing right now, I'm known for picking up 2 – 4 peppers per week at the farmer's market, seeding and slicing them prior to putting them in the freezer. I've found that green and other bell peppers,--red, yellow, etc.,--freeze well and cook up nicely in a stir fry, a dish of sausage, peppers and onions, black bean sloppy joe, mushroom, peppers and onions, fajitas.

As I begin to re-stock my freezer with bell peppers, I thought I would share with you the steps I follow for freezing and using peppers I get at the farmer's market:

To freeze bell peppers, you’ll need:

Sandwich size ziploc storage bags,--one bag per pepper

Gallon size freezer safe ziploc storage bags,--one bag for every 4 peppers

Knife

Cutting board

Wash and dry peppers.

Slice and de-seed peppers, placing slices in ziploc sandwich bag. One bag should contain the slices from one pepper. Repeat as many times as needed.

When all peppers have been sliced and bagged, seal sandwich bags. Put sandwich bags into freezer safe gallon size ziploc bag. You should be able to fit 5 – 7 bags of peppers into one gallon size bag. Seal freezer safe gallon size bag and put in freezer.

The peppers will keep for about 6 – 12 months and can be used in stir fries, fajitias or any recipe which calls for cooked or sauteed peppers such as black bean sloppy joe. Keep in mind, the longer the peppers are in the freezer they more likely they are to lose flavor.

When ready to use, remove the number of peppers/bags from the freezer. Let thaw on the kitchen countertop for 1 – 3 minutes. Break peppers loose by pressing heel of hand on peppers while in bag on countertop. Open bag and add peppers to recipe.

Two versions of Cucumber Salad

Pickling cucumbers were in abundance on the last visit to my local farmer's market. As I decided how many to buy, I thought about the cucumber salad recipe I tried in 2011 as one of my twelve new recipes as I knew these cucumbers would work well in this recipe.

I found this recipe in my revised 13^th edition of The Fanny Farmer Cookbook and is a great summer recipe as its taste is very cooling to the palette. Per the cookbook, this is a sharp cucumber salad, maybe too much for some tastes—if so add a little sugar. I used pickling cucumbers which I did not peel as I like cucumber skin, I substituted onion powder where I did not have scallions, I skipped the vinegar, I reduced the amount of dill and used the directions as a guideline. These changes most likely softened the flavor.

This recipe will serve six if using 3 medium cucumbers,--2-4 if using 3 small pickling cucumbers. The cookbook's version as well as mine are listed here.

Cucumber Salad - From the revised 13^th edition of The Fanny Farmer Cookbook (serves six)

3 medium cucumbers

Salt

4 tablespoons sour cream or mayonnaise

3 tablespoons minced scallions

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons vinegar

½ teaspoon dry mustard powder

1 tablespoon minced dill or parsley

Peel the cucumbers and slice thin. Spread them over the bottom of a colander and sprinkle salt on top. Let them drain for 30 minutes, press gently to remove excess liquid, then chill. Blend the sour cream or mayonnaise, scallions, lemon juice, vinegar, and dry mustard together. Add salt to taste. Toss the dressing with the cucumbers. Sprinkle the dill or parsley on top and serve cold.

Cucumber Salad – Julie's version based on recipe from the revised 13^th edition of The Fanny Farmer Cookbook (serves two - four)

3 small pickling cucumbers

2 - 4 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tsp onion powder

1 teaspoon lemon juice

½ teaspoon dry mustard powder

1 teaspoon dried dill

Wash, dry and dice the cucumbers.

In a medium bowl, blend 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise, onion powder, lemon juice, dry mustard and dill together. Add cucumbers and toss until cucumbers are coated with dressing. If needed, add mayonnaise, ½ tablespoon at a time, until cucumbers are coated. Serve.

Zucchini Fritter

On a recent trip to my local farmer's market, I was eyeing the zucchini. It looked wonderful, beautifully green and fresh. Just perfect for zucchini fritters. As I mentally read through the recipe, the sales person asked if I was ready to pay. I said no and explained that I was debating whether or not to buy some zucchini for fritters. A conversation about this recipe ensued.

This recipe came to me via my girlfriend, Sally, who is always a great source of culinary innovation and feedback. In this recipe a fritter is a small mass of fried or sauteed batter not a small piece of food coated in a mixture or flour and egg and fried, which is the more accepted definition of a fritter.

These fritters can be refrigerated and re-heated in either a microwave or oven.

The goal with pressing the zucchini is to squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Depending upon my mood and the amount zucchini, I do this multiple ways,--squeezing shredded handfuls in my fist over the kitchen sink and then pacing the pressed lumps on two paper towels, putting the shredded zucchini in a colander in the kitchen since and pressing down with my hands. In short, there are multiple ways to do this and no right or wrong way. Removing as much moisture as possible from the zucchini is key to a successful fritter.

Shredded and pressed zucchini can be stored overnight in an airtight container in the back of the refrigerator prior to use.  Zucchini shredded and pressed should be used within 24 hours for best results. 

Zucchini Fritters

2 cups shredded zucchini, pressed

2 eggs

½ cup flour or cornmeal

2 cloves garlic, pressed or 2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tablespoons milk,--dairy, soy or rice

1-2 tablespoons canola oil

salt and pepper to taste (optional)

1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped (optional)

½ grated parmesean cheese (optional)

In large bowl, beat eggs with milk. Add zucchini, flour or cornmeal, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, basil and cheese. Mix until well blended.

Coat a medium to large skillet with canola oil. Heat oil to medium/medium-hot. Spoon batter to slightly larger than silver-dollar pancake size into hot skillet. Cook 2-7 minutes on one side, then flip, cooking 2-7 minutes or more to complete cooking/browning. Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels. Serve warm, refrigerating any unused portion.

Black Bean Sloppy Joe

Several years ago, I was advised to incorporate more black beans into my diet to help with some health issues I was having. In looking for ways to accomplish this, I ended up making the following Black Bean Sloppy Joe recipe which is a variation of the Sloppy Veg-Head Joe recipe from Rachel Ray's BigOrange Book Cookbook.

This is a versatile recipe. It's dairy-free, egg-free, gluten free and vegan. Dice the onion and peppers and served chilled with tortilla chips as variety of black bean dip for a summer appetizer. As an entree, top with cheese, serve warm with avocado. Corn or rice to make a hearty meal.

1 tablespoon canola or olive oil

¾ teaspoon minced garlic or 2 large garlic cloves, chopped

1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 small to medium onion, chopped

2 cups or 1 19 – 21 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

¼ teaspoon black pepper or more to taste 

salt

1 ½ cups tomatoes, chopped, or 1 – 15 ounce can diced tomatoes

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Heat the oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onion and pepper, stir once to coat with oil, cover and cook for 8 minutes. Fold in the black beans, cumin, coriander, black pepper. Add salt or more pepper to taste. Stir in tomatoes and vinegar. Lower heat to simmer and let simmer for five minutes. 

Black Bean Sloppy Joe 

Ready to Serve

Melting Chocolate in the Microwave

I recently made Duncan Hines' Red andWhite Velvet Cookies as one my twelve new recipes to try for 2014.

While the recipe calls for a combination of white chocolate premium baking bars (in pieces) and vegetable shortening, melted for dipping half of the cookie into, I chose to take a different path. I chose to melt white chocolate chips in the microwave.

Melting chocolate in the microwave can be a bit tricky as I have learned from doing this time and time again. Heat the chocolate too high too quickly and it will seize. Don't heat the chocolate high enough and you may not be able to finish dipping or drizzling before the chocolate solidifies.

To melt chocolate in a microwave, start with a clean and dry glass bowl. Make certain the pieces of chocolate to be melted are of a small, uniform size, especially if you're not melting baking chips.

Microwave chocolate at 50% power (or medium power) for half of the time instructed by the recipe. Where all microwaves run differently, it's better to melt too little versus too much. Remove bowl from microwave and examine the chocolate. If approximately half of the chocolate looks glossy, stir with a dry spoon or spatula to finish the melting process. If less than half of the chocolate doesn't look glossy, return to microwave and microwave at 50% power (or medium power) for quarter of the time instructed by the recipe.

Once chocolate has completely melted, dip or drizzle as instructed by recipe.

If you need to melt chocolate multiple times for a recipe, such as with my Ginger Nut Clusters recipe, each subsequent melting will take less time as the bowl being used to melt and the melted chocolate already in the bowl will facilitate the melting of subsequent amounts of chocolate.

Oh, and the Red and White Velvet Cookies were a hit even though I changed step 2 in recipe. Instead of forming the dough into a log and refrigerating, I rolled 1” pieces of the dough into a ball, placed them on a non-stick cookie sheet and flattened the ball with the bottom of a drinking glass. The recipe is a keeper.