Ginger-Peppercorn Drink Syrup

I bought some ginger syrup one time at World Market.  I loved it, but not it's price, so I decided to make it at home.  This is a versatile simple syrup that's great in mixed drinks, as an ingredient in a warm fall drink, and even drizzled over pumpkin pancakes or waffles.

You may leave the peppercorns out, if desired, but I think they really make the ginger flavor pop.  As a bonus, remove the slices of ginger from the syrup and let cool on some parchment paper, then eat plain, use to flavor homemade fermented drinks (kombucha or kefir), or use as candied ginger in recipes.

Ginger-Peppercorn Drink Syrup (Simple Syrup)

2 ounces fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup white sugar
1-1/2 cups water
1 to 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns.

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Simmer, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves. Continue simmering for 30 to 40 minutes or until the syrup has a strong gingery aroma. Remove from heat; cool completely. Transfer to a glass bottle and store in the refrigerate.

Makes 2 to 2-1/2 cups.

Easy Homemade Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer

This isn't the only recipe for a flavorful coffee creamer with the fall flavor of pumpkin, but the only one I know of that starts with sweetened condensed milk.  While not the best choice, maybe, I'm OK with sweetened condensed milk because it contains no high fructose corn syrup.  I use whole milk, but feel free to use the milk of your choice.  This recipe goes together and is ready to serve in a flash.

Easy Homemade Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer

1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1-1/4 cups milk (use the milk can as a measure if you like)
1/2 cup pumpkin puree, canned or fresh (use more if you want a more intense flavor)
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice blend

Whisk all ingredients together until very well blended.  Add to coffee or tea as desired.  Store covered in the refrigerator, preferably in a glass container.  Shake well to blend before using.

Apples In Jars

Two bags of apples go a long way.

Last weekend, we were fortunate enough to pick some free apples.  I'm not sure of the quantity; we didn't weight them and we gave some away, but by the time I started working them up, there were still enough to fill most of a large insulated frozen food bag and about half of a typical reusable shopping bag:

Two kinds of apple - Granny Smith and perhaps Gala?

I started by washing the apples in water with a splash of vinegar, then giving them a quick rinse in plain water.  I bought and used one of those table mounted gadgets that peel, core and slice them all in one go.  That worked for a while, but I began having trouble with the coring part of the gadget, so I just peeled the rest and cored and sliced them by hand.

I wanted to can pie filling, but without Clear Jel starch (and no quick way to get any since it's not sold in typical stores), I decided instead to can apple slices in a spiced light syrup.  I ended up with 13 quarts, which I'll just thicken whenever I want to make a pie.

Sliced and spiced.

The mound of apple peelings and cores was huge and I hated to see it all go to waste, so I decided to use about half of it to make apple jelly, and compost the rest.  I took the portion I saved and put them in my largest stockpot and added just enough water to cover them.  I also added a half a bag of frozen cranberries, a few cinnamon sticks and some whole cloves for color and additional flavor.  I simmered it all for about half an hour in the evening, then turned off the heat, covered the pan and let it all sit overnight.

The next morning, I strained off 10 cups of juice and made cran-apple jelly, ending up with 16 half-pint jars of pretty pink jelly. 

Blush pink cran-apple jelly.

Although I hadn't really planned on making anything other than jelly, I  decided to pressed all of the cooked peels and cores through a food mill.  In the end, I measured 9-10 cups of what was essentially unsweetened applesauce.  We already have a large supply of applesauce on hand, so I decided to make apple butter instead.  The pulp was already very thick, so all I needed to do was add sugar and spices and heat it all to a boil.  The final yield was 14 half-pint jars of cran-apple butter.

Not as dark as commercial apple butter, but it tastes better.

I'm glad that I only kept half of the peelings to make spreads, because we'd be up to our ears in the stuff if I'd cooked them all down.  As it is, the jelly and apple butter will last us a very long time.

Besides, I'm out of half-pint jars now.

Blender Ketchup

Today's tomato-y condiment is Blender Ketchup, and the recipe comes straight out of "The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving" by Ellie Topp and Margaret Howard.  (Thanks to Paula, The Cookbook Junkie, for sending this book to me).

If you are looking for a copycat recipe for Heinz' or Hunt's, you might be disappointed with this one. But if you are looking for a fresher, lighter tasting ketchup (think spiced thick tomato sauce), then this is your recipe.  I'm looking forward to trying this on a burger soon.

Blender Ketchup

7 cups chopped peeled plum tomatoes (about 4 pounds) I used a variety of tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped sweet red bell pepper
2/3 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pickling salt
1 cinnamon stick, 2 inches long
1/2 teaspoon whole allspice
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon peppercorns
1 bay leaf

Combine tomatoes, onion and red pepper in a  blender or food processor and process until smooth.  remove to a large stainless steel or enamel saucepan.  Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat and boil gently, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Add vinegar, sugar and salt.  Tie cinnamon, allspice, cloves, peppercorns and bay leaf in cheesecloth and add to saucepan.  Return to a boil and boil gently, uncovered, stirring frequently, until volume is reduced by half or until mixture rounds up on a spoon without separation, about 1-1/2 hours.  Remove cheesecloth bag.

Ladle hot ketchup into hot 8-ounce jars to within 1/2 inch of rim.  Process 15 minutes as directed in this book, or per the Ball Blue Book or your local extension office.

Makes about 3 cups ketchup (it made almost 4 cups for me).

Tomato-Lemon Marmalade

We don't eat a lot of jams, jellies, preserves or marmalades around here, but the idea of making one with tomatoes struck my fancy.  I used a couple of very similar tried and true recipes and came up with this small batch, which makes eight 4 oz. jars or four 8 oz. jars.

Tomato-Lemon Marmalade

2-1/2 to 3 pounds tomatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
3 medium lemons, cut into thin slices, then slices cut into quarters
1/2-inch chunk of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into slices
1 Tablespoon pickling spices
4 cups granulated sugar

Combine tomatoes and lemon slices in a large stainless steel or enamel pan. 

Tie ginger and pickling spices in a piece of cheesecloth or use a spice bag, then add the bag to the tomato mixture.  Bring to a boil.

Add sugar gradually, stirring until completely dissolved.  Bring to a boil and boil rapidly until mixture forms a gel*, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, prepare water bath canner for canning.  Also prepare 4- or 8-ounce jars, lids and rings for canning.  Use standard preparations per the Ball Blue Book or your county extension office.

When canner is ready and marmalade has jelled, ladle hot marmalade into hot prepared jars.  Process in water bath canner for 10 minutes.



*There are two ways to test for gel.  For the first, place two small plates in the freezer when you begin cooking the sweet spread.  As the spread nears the end of cooking time, put a spoonful of the hot spread on one of the chilled plates and remove the spread from the heat source.  Return it to the freezer for a couple of minutes.  If the mixture is sufficiently cooked, it will form a slow-moving gel that drips across the plate when the plate is tilted.  If the gel runs quickly, continue to cook the spread for an additional two minutes and repeat the test.

For the second test, dip a metal spoon into the spread and lift it up.  If the spread "sheets" off the spoon rather than dripping quickly, it is ready to ladle into jars.  If it drips quickly, continue cooking.

Lacto-Fermented Salsa - Two Ways

Our tomatoes are finally coming in, so this week I'll be focusing on a variety of tomato-y condiments.  Here are a couple of different flavors of lacto-fermented salsa.  Keep in mind that L-F salsa is preserved with salt or a salty brine --it's what makes lacto-fermentation work -- so it will taste saltier than many other salsas.  You can offset that by serving it with low-sodium tortilla chips and/or reducing the salt in the Mexican or Tex-Mex dishes that you'll be topping with the salsa.

If you have more salsa than will easily fit into your jars, it can be eaten the day you make it.  However, the flavors will blend and mellow the longer it is stored.

Annie's Basic Lacto-Fermented Tomato Salsa

4 cups of diced tomatoes (no need to peel)
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tablespoons whey
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 Tablespoon sea salt
2 teaspoons finely chopped cilantro (optional)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Finely diced jalapeno pepper - to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Adjust amount of jalapeno and/or spices to taste.  Ladle into clean wide mouth pint canning jars.  Press vegetables down so they are under the liquid and/or use a glass weight to weigh them down.  Seal tightly with canning lid and ring.  Set on countertop at room temperature for 2-3 days, or until brine is bubbly and salsa tastes tart.  Remove weights and reseal with lids; place in refrigerator until ready to eat.  Will keep in fridge for up to a few months.  Makes about 5 cups of salsa.

Annie's Basic Lacto-Fermented Strawberry-Kiwi Salsa

3 cups of diced tomatoes (no need to peel)
1 cup of chopped strawberries and peel, diced kiwi (any amounts to total 1 cup)
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tablespoons whey
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 Tablespoons sugar (optional)
1 Tablespoon sea salt
2 teaspoons finely chopped cilantro (optional)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Finely diced jalapeno pepper - to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Adjust amount of jalapeno and/or spices to taste.  Ladle into clean wide mouth pint canning jars.  Press vegetables down so they are under the liquid and/or use a glass weight to weigh them down.  Seal tightly with canning lid and ring.  Set on countertop at room temperature for 2-3 days, or until brine is bubbly and salsa tastes tart.  Remove weights and reseal with lids; place in refrigerator until ready to eat.  Will keep in fridge for up to a few months. Makes about 6 cups of salsa.

Two Strawberry-Rhubarb Non-Recipes

Here are couple of ideas for using the strawberries and rhubarb that may be in season in your garden right now (they are in ours).  They aren't really recipes, since I didn't bother to measure anything.  Basically, combine the fruit and/or juices, then sweeten to your taste.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Syrup

Wash and chop some fresh rhubarb and fresh strawberries and toss them into a pan.  Add about 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup sugar.  Bring mixture to a boil, then cook over medium heat until the berries and rhubarb start to break down.  Being careful not to burn your tongue, taste the mixture and add sugar as necessary.  It will probably take quite a lot.  You can use white sugar, cane juice crystals, Sucanat -- whatever you like.  Continue to cook until mixture thickens slightly.  Pour into canning jars and screw down lids.  Syrup can be used in smoothies, in lemonade or cocktails, on top of ice cream or other desserts, on pancakes or waffles, as a thin spread on biscuits or toast, or just licked off a spoon.  Store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or until gone, which will probably be in about two days.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Lemonade

In a 2-quart pitcher, combine about a cup of fresh lemon juice with about a half-cup of strawberry-rhubarb syrup.  Add about 3 cups of water or as much as needed to dilute the lemon-juice to your liking.  Stir in simple syrup until it is as sweet as you like it.  No simple syrup?  Try this recipe with the sugar of your choice.  IMO, it's the only way to sweeten lemonade easily.  If the syrup is too chunky from the strawberries or stringy from the rhubarb, run it all through the blender for a minute, with or without a shot of something boozy added.  Pour over ice and enjoy!

My Homemade Fajita Seasoning

This recipe is based on some others I found online, but I made a few changes.


Annie's Homemade Fajita Seasoning

3 Tbsp. cornstarch (or other thickener of choice, see below)
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. sugar
2-1/2 tsp. chicken base (similar to bouillon)
1-1/2 tsp. onion powder
2 packets of True Lime flavoring
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
Pinch of cayenne pepper

Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Pour into small glass or plastic container, seal tightly and store in a cool, dry place. Makes the equivalent of 3 packets of commercial or purchased Fajita Seasoning Mix.

To Use:

The easiest way to use this is to add a small amount of oil to a large skillet and saute thin strips of meat (chicken, beef, turkey, venison, pork, etc.).  When meat is mostly cooked through, add 3 Tablespoons of the fajita seasoning mix, 1/3 cup water and some sliced bell peppers and onions, then continue to cook until all ingredients are coated and peppers become slightly tender.

For another way to make fajitas, you can mix 3 Tablespoons of seasoning mix with 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup oil and use this mixture to marinate the slices of meat for several hours before cooking.  Saute the onions and peppers separately in just a bit of oil.

It can also be used to season ground beef for tacos or sprinkled onto steaks, chops or chicken before grilling.

Optional changes:

Use beef base or bouillon instead of chicken for beef or venison fajitas.  (I think the chicken-based version works fine for red meat, though).

If you don't have or don't want to use True Lime powder, add a few spoonfuls of lime juice or the juice of half a fresh lime to the meat and vegetables when you cook them.

If you don't like using cornstarch, try using Mochiko (sweet rice flour), potato starch or all-purpose flour as thickeners.

Heat things up by adding more cayenne pepper (original recipe called for 1/4 teaspoon) and/or 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes.

Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

I've tried a few different ranch dressing recipes and finally fiddled with them enough to call this one our family favorite.  Hope you like it.


Homemade Ranch Dressing

1/2 cup mayonnaise -- can use Miracle Whip, but dressing will be much sweeter if you do
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar -- or white (clear) balsamic vinegar if you can find it
1 teaspoon dry parsley leaves
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dry dill weed
1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)

Combine all until smooth. Let chill for several hours for best flavor.


This recipe is being shared at the Delicious Dish Tuesdays Hop with Full Time Mama.