Toast!

digitS'

Garden Master
Joined
Dec 13, 2007
Messages
25,720
Reaction score
28,731
Points
457
Location
border, ID/WA(!)
Do you ever get excited about toast?

Wow. It seems like the least-exciting food in the world. Right? Unless you have a good AppleButter recipe :D!

Or apricot jam or grape jelly or ... ;)

I was inspired to post this reading @ninnymary 's Gardening Humor about not being tempted by an apple. She needs eclairs 🤭 .

My AppleButter didn't have apples from the garden, the Granny Smiths were given to me. I hope that I don't offend anyone; those aren't my favorite apple variety. But! They sure made good apple butter :).

I will post the recipe here in a few minutes. It may take longer to find it in the recipe folder than typing it out -- simple, dimple!

Do you have a favorite jam recipe! Favorite varieties of fruit to use?

Steve
 

flowerbug

Garden Master
Joined
Oct 15, 2017
Messages
15,885
Reaction score
23,783
Points
417
Location
mid-Michigan, USoA
we made garlic toast this past week for Tuesday's visit (spaghetti and meat balls, gotta have good garlic bread)... we start by slicing french bread 1/3-1/2 inch thick slices, and then dry it out for at least three days. yes, that sounds odd, but then you get this very crumbly bread which is not too hard. since we had leftovers i made fake liver pate' this morning and had that for breakfast. garlic, garlic, garlic butter, yum, it's all good. Mom was going out to clean up the little garden at the Post Office this morning and she was pouting that she would not be here for the pate' but i told her that of course i would not eat it all! it's much too rich for that...

my favorite recipe for jam and kind of jam is strawberry freezer jam. it's so good to have in the middle of winter when nothing else is out and it is so bright and sharp a taste (i add extra lemon juice - it really pops). besides being a great jam it also works as an ice-cream topping or strawberry shake ingredient.

i've made peach butter exactly once. it was good, but in the end i decided to just put the lemon peace sauce precursor up and ate that instead. it would have taken way too long on a hot day all those years ago to cook it down and by then i'd already done 40something pints of cooked peach jam. i was whupped! :)

apples, i like tart apples so granny smiths are fine with me. never had them turned into apple butter, but always willing to try. :)
 

ninnymary

Garden Master
Joined
Dec 7, 2009
Messages
12,560
Reaction score
12,356
Points
437
Location
San Francisco East Bay
Toast? I eat toast! But not with jam. I eat it with peanut butter! Jams are just two sweet for me. I have occasionally tasted some homemade ones where I could actually taste the fruit and not the sugar. I was at a restaurant once having breakfast and I raved to the waiter about the peach jam. The owner came out and he said his mom makes it every year and he gave me a full paper cup to take home at no charge. That was very nice. My favorite would be raspberry if I had to pick one.

Apples? Well I don't like tart ones so that means I don't like Granny Smiths. It seems like my 3 grafted apple tree just produces Granny Smiths! Good thing the kids like them. There is supposed to be a Fuji apple on that tree but I don't seem to recognize them or the sweeter taste.

Mary
 

Carol Dee

Garden Master
Joined
Apr 28, 2011
Messages
12,961
Reaction score
20,355
Points
437
Location
Long Grove, IA
Toast? I eat toast! But not with jam. I eat it with peanut butter! Jams are just two sweet for me. I have occasionally tasted some homemade ones where I could actually taste the fruit and not the sugar. I was at a restaurant once having breakfast and I raved to the waiter about the peach jam. The owner came out and he said his mom makes it every year and he gave me a full paper cup to take home at no charge. That was very nice. My favorite would be raspberry if I had to pick one.

Apples? Well I don't like tart ones so that means I don't like Granny Smiths. It seems like my 3 grafted apple tree just produces Granny Smiths! Good thing the kids like them. There is supposed to be a Fuji apple on that tree but I don't seem to recognize them or the sweeter taste.

Mary
You accidently get Granny SMith aples! We have tried for YEARS to get
a granny smith to grow and produce. No luck Granny Smith is my #2 grandsons favorite as well as mine!
 

digitS'

Garden Master
Joined
Dec 13, 2007
Messages
25,720
Reaction score
28,731
Points
457
Location
border, ID/WA(!)
Here is the AppleButter recipe with microwave instructions. It works just fine on stovetop, how I did it this week but have done both ways. I had enough apples to double recipe.:

8 c chopped apples
1 c apple juice (water is okay to substitute)
2 c granulated sugar
1 t cinnamon
1/4 t cloves
1/4 t allspice

Combine apples and juice in large bowl. Cover and microwave on high for 10 - 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Blend, then stir in spices and sugar. Microwave uncovered on high for 15 - 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Check consistency.

You can then can or freeze the AppleButter. I freeze. It's been 20+ years since I did any canning.

The stovetop was used this time and I use my usual technique: stir frequently and progressing to constantly. Continue until digitS' etc. are in danger of splatters ... Quit!

Steve
who will error on the side of more generous spice measurements
 

digitS'

Garden Master
Joined
Dec 13, 2007
Messages
25,720
Reaction score
28,731
Points
457
Location
border, ID/WA(!)
For quite a few years, I made pear butter using Bartlett pears. They ripen during the summer which is my busy season. I tried D'Anjou and it works but I still prefer Bartlett. In my last trip down the produce aisle, Bartlett was in the bins but those things must have been picked when they were hard as rocks and put in cold storage. Maybe, Comice and Bosc should be given a try.

This is my Pear Butter recipe, adapted from Ball Canning book:

Chop peeled pears, add a little water, and cook until soft. Mash.

For every 6 cups of pulp add,
3 cups of sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t allspice
1/4 t ginger

Continue cooking until splattering drives you away from the stove!

Steve
 

ducks4you

Garden Master
Joined
Sep 4, 2009
Messages
11,151
Reaction score
13,826
Points
417
Location
East Central IL, Was Zone 6, Now...maybe Zone 5
Making grape jam/jelly from your own grapes tastes WONDERFUL!!! I have canned the juice. DH has ALmost convinced me to use my brand new, never been unloaded from the box pressure canner, and more jelly to come!!
The taste from fresh grapes is intense, and cannot be duplicated in a jar with preservatives.
Don't care much for apple butter myself, although I like to dip leftover friend chicken in it.
 

Prairie Rose

Deeply Rooted
Joined
Jul 20, 2019
Messages
342
Reaction score
683
Points
162
Location
Central Illinois, zone 5/6 line
My mom is the apple butter fanatic around here; I like good apple jelly, but have a hard time getting the texture right. Right now my absolute favorite jam is plain strawberry. Made right, it tastes like summer in a jar!

Ducks I still have a few quarts of grape juice canned from last year I need to use up..might have to try my hand at grape jelly!
 

Latest posts

Top