Our local peaches are coming into the farmer’s markets now. Oh my! Fresh peaches are SO heavenly… the trouble is, they ripen quickly and then the season is past… Of course, they can be frozen, but then what happens when the power goes out? I like to can my extra peaches and I do it with no added sugar or anything else. They are delicious!
Each bushel of peaches will yield approximately 21 quarts, or 42 pints of canned peaches. It is easiest to use wide-mouth jars, but you can use regular-mouth jars if you need to.
Set up your system thus… You will need a water bath canner, a large saucepan for scalding the peaches, a “jar lifter,” a small saucepan for scalding the caps, jars, new caps, a damp wash rag for wiping the rims of the jars, a large slotted spoon and something to remove the hot caps from the hot water when placing them on the jars. You can purchase a little magnetized wand for this or simply fish them out with a fork.
Fill the large saucepan 2/3 full of water and bring to a boil on the stove. Meanwhile, fill a sink or large dishpan 1/2 full of cold water. Place the new caps in the small saucepan cover them with water, and put them on medium/low heat on the stove. Fill your canner with sufficient water to cover the jars when you add them and begin heating it on low heat, covered, on the stove. Do NOT get in a hurry and turn the heat up high. When you add the filled jars of peaches, the boiling water might crack the jars!
A few at a time, lower the ripe peaches into the boiling water. Leave them there for about 20 seconds and using the slotted spoon, carefully remove them and transfer them to cold water in the sink. You can do as few or as many as you wish at a time. I try to figure out how many peaches will fill the jars that fit in the water bath canner and scald that many at a time.
Using a small sharp paring knife, cut the peaches to the pit, around the middle where the “rib” is. Remove the skin and twist the peach open. Remove the pit.
Next, cut side down, place the peaches into the jars. Using careful pressure from your hand, push the peaches down until they make enough juice to fill all the empty space in the jar. Only fill the jars to within 1 inch of the rim. Continue until all your jars are filled that will fit into the canner.
Carefully wipe the rims of the glass jars clean with a damp rag. Fish a hot cap out of the small saucepan, put it on the jar and put on the canning ring. Tighten firmly, but don’t get carried away!
Using a “jar lifter,” place each jar carefully into the canner- it needs to have a rack in the bottom. Do not put the jars directly on the bottom of the pot. If you do not have a rack, use a folded dish towel.
When all the jars are filled, and in the canner, be sure they are covered well with water, put on the lid and turn the burner to “high.” Bring the water to a full boil, and then you can begin timing the processing. Keep the water boiling well 25 minutes for pints and 30 minutes for quarts.
Turn off the stove. Using the jar lifter, remove the jars and set them on a folded dish towel on the counter to cool. Be careful not to do this in a draft. It can break the jars. Allow them to cool 24 hours and then if you wish, you may remove the rings.
Simple. Sugar-Free. Only 2 ingredients! Gotta love that. Refreshing real food for any summer day. keep these stocked in the freezer for a nourishing and satisfying snack. I have no guilt letting my little ones have seconds of these! These frozen watermelon pops are shaped like stars for a special Independence Day treat, but you could use any shape you’d like. I plan on experimenting with flavors soon, like adding lime zest or minced mint to the coating. Yum!
Slice your watermelon into rounds about 1/2″-3/4″ thick. Remove any obvious and visible seeds, but don’t go digging for them and ruin the integrity of the watermelon.
Use your favorite cookie cutter (3″ is a good size) to cut shapes out of the sliced watermelon. Lay the cut watermelon on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
Insert Popsicle sticks into the watermelon shapes.
Place in the freezer and freeze until solid, about 4 hours.
Warm your coconut butter (or have a freshly made batch of homemade coconut butter that is still in the liquid state from processing) by placing it in a small jar and floating that jar in a bowl or very hot water. Stir every once in a while. You want the coconut butter to melt back into a thick liquid state. If it is not thinning well, add a little coconut oil to it and stir. Add more hot water as necessary until it melts enough to spread.
Working with one pop at a time, pour a tablespoon or so of the coconut butter on the watermelon shape and use a butter knife to spread it around and on the sides, much like you are “icing” a cake. The coconut butter will harden rather quickly. Place the finished pop back on the parchment to finish hardening. Repeat with remaining pops.
Eat immediately, or store in the freezer in an air-tight container with parchment sheets between layers.
This deliciously creamy, rich, decadent treat, free of gluten, dairy, and refined sugar can be eaten warm or chilled. I suggest freezing leftovers in individual servings. Tuck them into packed lunches and by the time you’re ready to enjoy your meal, it will be thawed just enough for it to have a frozen custard effect.
In a large sauce pan, bring water to a boil. Turn off heat, add tapioca pearls, stir, and let it rest for 30 minutes.
While tapioca soaks, separate eggs. Beat egg whites with maple syrup and beat yolks in a separate bowl. Start measuring other ingredients while you wait for the tapioca to finish soaking.
Add milk and salt to soaked tapioca and whisk in egg yolks. Whisk constantly over medium heat until it thickens and is brought to a boil. It’s important to use a whisk to separate any tapioca clumps. Reduce heat and simmer another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Slowly pour 2 cups hot tapioca into the egg white mixture as you whisk vigorously. Now whisk in egg white mixture with the rest off the tapioca. Whisk 3 more minutes over low heat. Add vanilla. Serve warm or chilled. Sprinkle a bit of cinnamon on top of each serving if desired.
I am excited to make our own yogurt pops this year with these silicone popsicle molds. My kids loved the organic Stonyfield ones, but at $3/box all summer that adds up.
Throw your frozen fruit choice, homemade yogurt, chia seeds, water kefir and Concentrace all into your Vitamix or blender or food processor and give it a whirl. They are done when filly blended and no frozen fruit chunks are left.
Fill these silicone Popsicle molds and freeze as directed.
Poppy seeds are rich in B vitamins and minerals including iron. Soaking them in a sourdough batter helps deactivate anti-nutrients. This lovely little cake, low in sugar, and served with lightly sweetened milk kefir soft cheese is perfect for an outdoor summer tea party!
In a glass bowl, combine the flour, sourdough starter, poppy seeds and milk. Stir well and cover. Let rest at room temperature for at least 8 hours or up to 12.
Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan. Pre-heat oven to 350.
In another bowl, combine the honey and softened butter. Beat together well.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.
Add the lemon juice or vanilla, lemon zest, nutmeg, salt, soda and baking powder and beat well.
Stir in raisins.
Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly.
Bake until the center springs back when touched lightly with your finger, about 25 - 30 minutes.
Remove from oven. Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes and then turn the cake out onto a metal cooling rack.
Sauce:
Stir together the milk kefir soft cheese and the honey thoroughly.
Place the cake on a plate and cut into wedges. Serve each wedge with a spoonful of the topping.
The cake, if carefully wrapped, freezes well, but the topping will need to be made fresh.
These little squares are a treat. The coconut and crispy cashews create a lovely texture. They are moist, chewy and rather sweet. The original recipe that this was adapted from called for 2 cups of sugar! Needless to say, this recipe is significantly reduced, but still on the sweet side, so I wouldn’t make them too often. They are a great treat to bring to potlucks or share with friends over herbal tea.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 inch square dish or line one with parchment paper.
Using a whisk, beat the eggs until they are foamy. This is a critical step. Make sure the eggs are good and foamy. Then, beat in the sweetener salt and vanilla.
Stir in the shredded coconut and crispy cashews, then sift the coconut flour on top of the mixture. Stir the coconut flour in lightly.
Spread the batter into the pan and bake for about 15 minutes. Cool in the pan for an additional 10-15 minutes before cutting into squares.
*Crispy cashews are made by soaking 4 cups raw cashews overnight in enough filtered water to cover, plus 1 tablespoon of sea salt. Drain and dehydrate at 150 degrees for 12-24 hours or until completely crisp. Preparing any nuts this way will increase nutrients and make them easier to digest.
Fresh strawberry pie is a delightful early summer treat! Made with wholesome ingredients, it is also a wonderful way to add the health benefits of fresh strawberries to your family’s cuisine!
To make the pie shell:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a food processor, combine the flour, salt, and butter. Pulse until mixed well and crumbly.
Add cold raw milk, a little at a time, while the processor is running. When the dough forms a ball, it is ready.
On a well-floured surface, roll out the dough into a circle large enough to cover the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate, with a little extra hanging over the edge.
Carefully transfer dough to pie plate.
Flute the edges and then prick the bottom of the pie shell all over with a floured fork. This will prevent the dough from puffing up when you bake it.
Bake the pie shell for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool while you prepare the rest of the pie.
To make the glaze, combine the fruit juice, stevia, sucanat, salt, cinnamon, vanilla, lemon juice (except if you are using pineapple juice, omit this), and corn starch or arrowroot in a blender. Blend together well.
Pour the liquid into a small saucepan, and, stirring constantly, bring to a boil. Boil gently, continuing to stir, for 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside.
Wash the strawberries and remove the green caps. Drain well. Pour them into the pie shell.
Pour the glaze evenly over the berries.
Refrigerate the pie and chill thoroughly.
If you wish, you can serve this with a little heavy cream, sweetened whipped cream or a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream.
Editor’s Note: For occasional treats like pie, many who eat a real food diet make a concession to use unbleached flour for the crust to achieve the perfect texture. If you are unwilling to compromise even occasionally, try using a grain-free crust like the one in this Almost Raw Grain-free Apple Pie or a crust made with sprouted flour in this Healthier Whole Wheat Pie Crust Shell.
If you make whole grain bread, you know how it is. The heels of the bread are marvelous when the bread is very fresh, but after that, no one wants to eat them. So, they sit in the bread bag until the bread ends up in the refrigerator so it won’t get moldy. Of course, the stale bread makes marvelous toast at that point, but only the most intrepid will willingly choose the stale heels of bread. So, they sit there, making one feel guilty. To compost or what? Here is my solution. I’ve been making “Bread Pudding” since our children were all young and still living at home. It is delicious, warm with milk or cream, or even after it’s been chilled, it is still good. It can be re-heated, of course.
Butter an 8 inch square glass baking dish.
Break the bread into little pieces into the dish.
Sprinkle the raisins over the bread and stir down into the bread pieces with your fingers.
In a blender, combine the milk, vanilla, sucanat, cinnamon, nutmeg and eggs. Blend together thoroughly.
Pour the milk mixture over the bread and raisins.
Start preheating the oven to 325 degrees F. after the pudding is all in the dish.
When the oven is pre-heated, place the dish of pudding into a larger dish and pour enough water into the outer dish to come up halfway on the inner dish. (See pictures on my blog.)
Place in the oven, and bake until when you insert a sharp knife in the middle, it comes out clean.
Start checking after 30 minutes.
Serve warm with cold milk or cream, or serve cold!
This is a pie that the Paleo, GAPS, gluten-free, and any ol’ lover of food can gather ’round the table and enjoy. Fancy a crisp instead? Simple omit the crust, follow the filling & crumble recipe, and bake it in a 8×8 pan.
Beat all crust ingredients in a mixer and press crust into pie pan. You can either bake the crust in a pre-heated 350º oven for 15 minutes or dehydrate it at the highest temperature it will go for 45 minutes. Let the crust cool while you prepare the filling.
To make filling, mix all ingredients in a mixer for about 10 seconds or until everything is mixed and the apricots have been mashed but not puréed. Pour filling into crust.
To make crumble, combine all ingredients in mixer and. Mix until the crumbs are of the consistency you desire and sprinkle on top of pie.
Now you may either cover pie and freeze for later or bake in a 375º oven for 45-55 minutes . If you are ready to bake a frozen pie, first place pie in oven, then turn it to 375º and bake for 60-75 minutes, or until pie is slightly browned and bubbly.
If you have never tried preparing a raw dish, this is a very delicious starter recipe. It’s simple and only takes about 15 minutes to prepare.
Put 10 apricots, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 3 tbs. coconut oil, maple syrup, and salt in a blender (a high-speed like a Vita-Mix works best). Blend on high until smooth and pour into a pie pan. Chop up 4 remaining apricots in little bits and sprinkle them onto the apricot purée.
In a food processor, make the crumb topping by processing nuts, dates, 2 tbs. coconut oil, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and vanilla until it resembles coarse crumbs (before it turns into a butter). Sprinkle on top of apricots. Now you can either serve it right away or stick it in the dehydrator at 105º for 30 minutes to 3 hours if you’d like it warmed and your house to smell divine. Scoop onto plates or bowls and serve immediately. Store leftovers in the fridge. It stays good for 3 more days.
These little treats are fudgy and rich, yet high in protein! Don’t tell anyone what the secret ingredient is…most people won’t be able to guess!
Place all ingredients for brownies (except for mini chocolate chips) in a high-powered blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Stir in mini chocolate chips by hand and pour into a 9×13 pan that has been lined with parchment paper and then greased. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut marshmallows into small chunks. After brownies have baked 30 minutes, sprinkle with marshmallows, and then top with peanut butter chips. Bake another 5 minutes or so. Let cool and chill thoroughly before cutting. Cut into small squares (they are very rich!) and enjoy!
Seriously tastes like an awesomely flavorful, chewy, full-of-sugar candy. I am so excited to have discovered these treasures. My kids took them to school today and all their friends were jealous, so they look appealing too! Pineapple is a super sweet fruit and dehydrating concentrates the sugars, so it would be really easy to eat too many. They are an excellent substitute for candy, but if candy is your weakness, these will be too, fair warning.
Cut off the top and the bottom with a sharp knife and carefully trim around the sides. These slide through a madoline really well, but you could also slice the rounds with a knife. I used three mm slice, but am going to try some seven mm as well. I laid them out on dehydrator sheets and dehydrated for 12 hours on 130 degrees. You could also lay them on cooling racks and lay out in the sun on a hot, dry day. Oven temperatures do not typically get low enough for fruit.