A Tasty Weekend...

Our Farmhouse Pickled Beets

Friday night found us at our grandson's football game, and it was a perfect night to cheer them on to a win. Saturday morning, Shelly and I went to the farmer's market, where I purchased freshly picked beets, carrots and green beans. I bought the carrots and green beans to serve with our dinners, but I had other plans for the beets.

After I dropped off Shelly, I drove home (just down the hill), pulled out my big pot, cleaned the beets and popped them in the water to cook. Once they were soft, I took them out of the hot water and placed them in ice water until they cooled. Then I peeled and cut them up, placed them into hot, sterilized jars and added the pickling brine. Into the water bath for the allotted time, and this was the result. Four pints of beautiful, tasty beets. (I'll be getting more next weekend to do more!) 

Newly Canned Vidalia Onion Relish

While I was putting up the beets, I had sliced Vidalia onions and salted them to bring out their juice. After I finished with the beets, I pressed the moisture out of the onions and then completed cooking them with the rest of the ingredients. Turmeric was added, per the recipe, to give them this lovely yellow color. Three pounds of onions yielded four pints of Sweet Vidalia Onion Relish...and nary a tear was shed!

Homemade Canned Salsa

Saturday ended with a colorful, tasty batch of homemade, canned salsa. I tried the Mrs. Wage's Salsa Mix last year, and it was a huge hit with our grandson (among others). Why mess with a good (simple) thing? I used the same salsa mix this year and put it up in pint and half pint jars.

Hickory Hill Hickory Nut Pie Filling/Ice Cream Topping

I only had one thing on my mind for Sunday. Hickory Nut Pie Filling, which can also be used as an ice cream topping or anywhere else you'd like to use a sweet, nutty mixture to accent a dessert. Think pound cake, tarts, sweet rolls and more!

The recipe I used is a great one from Mary Marshall's "Cooking with Mary and Friends" blog. It's meant to be a Pecan Pie Filling, but hickory nuts are in the same family, so there was no problem substituting them for the pecans. (HERE'S a link to the recipe.) I knew I was going to make this recipe, so I ordered the thickener that was recommended in the instructions. It arrived on Thursday, and was in the jars by yesterday. There is actually a cup of nuts in each jar, and it will take two pint jars to make a pie...if it lasts that long!

When I was finished cooking the mixture, I had seven and a half pints to can and put on the shelf. Handsome and I actually tried this on ice cream after dinner last night, and I can tell you, it's fantastic! This one tastes like autumn in a jar, and I know I'll be making more.

This week, I'm going to switch back to my studio. I have some orders to work on, and packages to mail. I'll be doing a little stitching, too. Tag will see you tomorrow, and I'll be back on Wednesday to show you what I worked on today.

Have a great week!

A New Farm Treasure...

Hickory Syrup

 

You may have noticed lately how I've become slightly obsessed with the whole process of canning. (Understatement of the year, I know.) I recently found a group on Facebook where I've made new friends and found great knowledge and inspiration. The group was created by Marisa McClellan who wrote the book, Food In Jars (among others). Her group is of the same name.

A new (to me) friend in the group is Mary Marshall. She writes the blog Cooking With Mary and Friends. She has posted some magical canning recipes, including the one I recently told you about (Christmas Jam). It's a big hit around here.

 

© Cooking With Mary and Friends image

Over the weekend, I found her latest group contribution from her blog...Praline Syrup. (Click on the link for the recipe.) I immediately decided I'd make this recipe using hickory nuts, which I mentioned in the discussion. Another member shared that she'd made hickory syrup, and I went from there.

  

Dried Hickory Shells and Nutmeats

When I spent so much time last fall and winter cracking hickory nuts, I only had one thing in mind when I saved the shells (and nutmeats I couldn't pry out of them). I figured I'd use the shells in summer campfires, or when grilling spare ribs.

As luck would have it, I never did anything with them over the summer, so they just continued to dry out in a clean 25 gallon plastic container. When we started talking about the process of making hickory syrup, I decided to bring the container inside and give it a try.

 

Finished Hickory Hill Farm Hickory Syrup

 

Eight hours later, I have six pint jars, and seven 1.5 ounce sample bottles of the most tasty, beautiful golden brown hickory syrup to show for my first effort. I've barely made a dent in my tote full of shells. 

By my calculation, I have enough to make at least twenty more pints of syrup...and that's just from last years shells. That's not even counting the fifteen gallons of hickory nuts from this year that I'll be shelling for their meats.

I'll definitely be making Mary's recipe for Praline Syrup, and I'll spend free time this winter making more Hickory Syrup, too. I'll be ordering containers today, and plan to share this golden nectar in my shop. I'll have larger bottles or jars available, as well as small sampler jars.

They'll be listed up in my shop as soon as the new containers arrive, and I'll be sure to let you know so my blog friends get the first chance to purchase some. If you know you'd like to have some, you can send me an email to reserve a pint or jar. More goodness from Hickory Hill Farm, thanks to a little help from my friends.

Christmas Jam...

Christmas Jam

 

Yesterday ended with jars filled with tasty Christmas Jam. I made two batches which yielded fourteen 8 ounce jars and four 4 ounce jars. It's really delicious. I'll be making more before the holidays arrive, as I'm planning gift baskets of jams, cheeses and crackers this year.

If you're interested in making your own Christmas Jam for the holidays, HERE is where my recipe came from. In addition to the listed ingredients, I also added orange zest to my batches. (I love citrus!) Mary's recipe is easy to follow and processes beautifully (and our whole house smells like the holidays already!!)

Today I'll be making chocolate chip cookies to send to my Handsome boyfriend in Florida. He's been seeing all the jams and jellies I've been making and hinted yesterday that he was craving my cookies, so I'm happy to make a big box to send south. I'll be taking some up the hill to Shelly and Andy (and Eli), too! Lord knows, I don't need to eat them all!

It's hard to believe it's already Friday. My plan is to spend the weekend on homekeeping things, and Monday I'll get back to sewing. What do you have planned this weekend?