Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Time for the Banana peppers!!!

Today I decided to tackle the banana peppers...I like them on sandwiches especially sub sandwiches! This is a fast and easy canning recipe to make your own Banana Pepper
sandwich rings.
Just finished in time to get ready for a date!!!

Banana Pepper Rings
Here is a link that educates you; or anyone interest in methods in preserving peppers http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/8004.pdf

Ingredients

20 - 25 banana peppers
2 cups white vinegar
2 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 clove of garlic (per pint jar)
1 tsp canning/pickling salt (per pint jar)
1 tsp vegetable oil (per pint jar)
6-7  1/2 pint jars and lids, sterilized and prepared for canning

Instructions:


Wash the peppers. Slice, remove seeds, discard stem ends.
I have found that keeping the peppers in ice water helps them to stay crisp


 In each jar of packed peppers, add 1 tsp canning/pickling salt and 1 tsp vegetable oil.
add one clove of garlic and I like to add a small hot pepper to each pint jar...the pepper is optional
In a sauce pan, combine the vinegar, water, sugar, and ground turmeric. Bring to a boil.
Ladle hot pickling liquid into jars, leaving 1/2 inch head-space. Remove any air bubbles and add more liquid as needed.

Apply lids and bands, screw down to fingertip tight. Process in hot water bath for 10 minutes. Cool and store. Check back after 24 hours to make sure the lids have sealed.

Thursday, July 10, 2014

A twist on a family favorite Lemon Zucchini Bread!!!!


With plenty of Zucchini in the garden you can't go wrong with these two recipes. Both are yummy and once you cut into them be prepared they will be gobbled away quickly. This year I changed up my regular recipe by adding some lemon. I loved the results!!! This one is all pretty and wrapped....heading to Grandpa's he likes this bread just as much as My Gardner Guy!!!

Lemon Zucchini Bread

3 eggs
2 1/4 cups of sugar
1 cup of oil
4 cups of flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. lemon extract
2 tsp. lemon juice
zest from one lemon
2 cups of zucchini
1 cup of nuts (optional)

1, Mix together eggs, sugar, oil
2. Add flour, salt, soda, baking powder, lemon extract, lemon juice and lemon zest
3. Add shredded zucchini and nuts, mix well
4. Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 10 minutes (if you cook in large loaf pans)
mini loafs take about 40 minutes

Sometimes depending on my time and mood I add a lemon glaze glaze to my bread and it's yummy!!!
LEMON GLAZED ICING
 

1/2 c. powdered sugar
3 tsp. lemon juice, or a lemon extract I have used a little of both ;)
2 tbsp. butter
Add powdered sugar, stir in butter and add lemon juice

 
 



Tips for drying your own lemon or orange zest...
My Gardner Guy...Grow, Create, Cook and Eat...: Drying grated lemon or orange peel

Zucchini Bread

3 eggs
2 1/4 cups of sugar
1 cup of oil
3 cups of flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. allspice
3 tsp of vanilla (sometimes I use 2 tsp. of vanilla and 1 tsp. of lemon extract)
2 cups of zucchini
1 cup of nuts (optional)

1, Mix together eggs, sugar, oil
2. Add flour, salt, soda, baking powder, cinnamon and vanilla
3. Add shredded zucchini and nuts, mix well
4. Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 10 minutes

Loving mashed potatoes the Irish Way!!!

You can use kale instead of cabbage, but I personally prefer the softer and sweeter taste of cabbage. Colcannon is traditionally topped with...