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< Back Pineapple Frozen Dessert Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 10 Minutes Serves: 4 Level: Beginner Ingredients Frozen pineapple chunks Pineapple juice Defrosted cool whip Honey Preparation The pineapple soft serve ice cream recipe is simple: blend frozen pineapple chunks with a bit of juice and cool whip until smooth. I was surprised by how rich and creamy the soft serve turned out, and the pineapple flavor was delicious. It’s the perfect treat on a hot day! If you’re in the mood for something a little different, give this pineapple soft serve recipe a try. It’s easy to make and is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth. Thanks for reading, and we hope you enjoy the recipe! What exactly is soft serve Pineapple ice cream? This is a simple recipe that is made by using pureed pineapple, heavy cream, milk, and a small amount of sugar. It is an extremely refreshing treat for any time of year. What is the Pineapple Ice Cream made with? The recipe contains heavy cream, milk, sugar, and pureed pineapple. A very simple combination for a delicious dessert. What does Pineapple Soft Serve taste like? The flavor will be Pineapple in this recipe. That is what makes it so refreshing. Can I add or substitute other flavors? You certainly can! Any other fruit flavor will work in this recipe as long as the fruit is pureed first. However, you could also make this into a Butter Pecan or Chocolate or even Maple flavored Soft Serve. Instructions: Step 1. Start by adding 3 cups of frozen pineapple chunks into a blender or food processor. Step 2. Then, add 6 oz of pineapple juice. Step 3. Next, add 1 cup of defrosted cool whip. Step 4. Lastly, add 2 tbsp of honey. Step 5. Blend until well combined and smooth. Step 6. Put the mixture into a piping bag, and pipe it into four separate serving containers. Previous Next

< Back Easy Baked Chicken With Mayo Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 20 - 60 Minutes Serves: 4 Level: Beginner About the Recipe This dish is easy to manipulate for larger or smaller portions. Use about a 1/2 cup of mayonnaise for every 1 pound of chicken breast (1 pound is usually 2-3 breasts). I encourage you to try different variants and make this your own! Ingredients 1 pound chicken breast 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons garlic powder 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning 1/2 teaspoon of powdered paprika or red pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (optional) 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional) Preparation Preheat oven to 350F Cut your chicken into smaller pieces (faster baking time), or leave whole (longer baking time) and place into a greased baking pan. I prefer an 8×8 pan for 2-3 breasts or a 9×13 for 4-6 breasts. Mix mayonnaise, cheese, and spices in a small bowl. Spread the mayonnaise mixture over the chicken in the baking pan; you may mix it or leave it on top. Bake for 20 to 60 minutes– bake time will vary wildly based on your elevation, the amount of chicken used, the depth of the pan, how cold the chicken was, and the cuts of chicken used. When the chicken in the center of the pan is fully cooked (reaching at least an internal temperature of 165F), and the top of the chicken is golden brown, it is ready. Sprinkle more cheese on top (optional) and serve. Substitutions, Variations, and Other Notes This recipe makes it easy to try out different herbs, spices, and other additives. I encourage you to make it your own to suit your taste. Here are a few alterations to consider. You can use other cuts of chicken, but it will slightly alter your baking time. Make sure your chicken reaches 165 degrees in the center. Generally speaking, it’s ready when the top is golden brown. Pull a piece of chicken from the center of your pan to check for doneness. May swap mayonnaise for Greek yogurt or vanilla yogurt (please note that I have NOT tested this in my kitchen, but several readers say they have). May use other types of cheese; for the recipe video, I used Colby Jack instead of Parmesan. It was delicious, too! Italian seasoning comprises basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram. You can use lemon pepper seasoning, too, for a different taste (I tested and loved this variation). You can add bacon to the mix, too. Precooked bacon is fine; the oil in the mayonnaise will keep the bacon soft and flavorful so long as it is fully coated and not used as a topping during the entire bake time. Uncooked bacon is fine, but be sure it cooks all the way. I find this a little more challenging, but it is possible. A few readers suggested adding breadcrumbs to the recipe. I have not tried this, but I bet it’s delicious. Previous Next

< Back Leftover Stuffing Muffins Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 25 Minutes Serves: 12 Level: Beginner About the Recipe We’re all about reducing food waste over here at Budget Bytes, so I want to make sure you’ve got plenty of options for enjoying your Thanksgiving leftovers later this week! Ingredients 2 tsp butter (for greasing the muffin tin) 3 cups prepared stuffing or dressing 1 cup chopped turkey or ham 1/4 lb. frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed 6 large eggs 2 Tbsp milk 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp Freshly cracked pepper Preparation WHAT IS A STUFFING MUFFIN? Okay, these are basically like those little egg bites that you can get at Starbucks, but with leftover stuffing added into the mix. In addition to the eggs and stuffing, I also added leftover turkey and spinach. So it’s like little single-serving baked eggs with meat, vegetables, and stuffing. Super tasty, super portable, and the perfect make-ahead breakfast! CHOOSE YOUR INGREDIENTS These great little muffins are a super flexible way to combine your Thanksgiving leftovers into a “new” meal and avoid Thanksgiving burnout. The bulk of this recipe is leftover stuffing (dressing), but you can add a variety of other ingredients into the mix and make them your own. Here are some other ingredients that would taste awesome in these Leftover Stuffing Muffins: Chopped broccoli Chopped ham Roasted sweet potatoes or butternut squash Chopped green beans Mushrooms Corn Cheese (cheddar, brie, mozzarella, feta, goat) Whatever you decide to add, make sure it’s chopped into small pieces! BAKE IT AS A CASSEROLE While I haven’t done this yet, you could definitely bake this as a breakfast casserole, just like a strata. This amount of ingredients would probably fit an 8×8 or 9×9-inch casserole dish. You’ll need to bake it until the center reaches an internal temperature of 160ºF. HOW LONG DO THEY LAST? You’ll want to either freeze or eat these leftover stuffing muffins within a few days, assuming you made them the day after Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, there’s no exact lifespan of dishes like this because the freshness and safety of leftovers can depend on so many different things, like how long the ingredients stayed at room temperature before they were refrigerated, the conditions within your refrigerator, and how quickly they were able to cool down once inside the refrigerator. When in doubt, play it safe! INSTRUCTIONS Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a muffin tin with butter, oil, or non-stick spray. Thaw and squeeze the spinach dry. Add the stuffing, turkey, and spinach to a bowl, then stir gently to combine without breaking up the stuffing too much. Divide the stuffing mixture between all 12 wells of the muffin tin. Leave the stuffing loosely packed in the cups so that the egg mixture can fill in around the stuffing. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Divide the egg mixture among the 12 wells, starting with 2 Tbsp per muffin and then adding a little bit more until all of the egg mixture has been used. The egg will not fully cover the stuffing, it will puff up as it bakes. Bake the muffins for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and crispy on the top. Allow the muffins to cool slightly, then run a knife around the edges to loosen and remove each muffin. Serve warm. Previous Next

< Back Crispy Baked Chicken Wings Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 25 Minutes Serves: 8 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Baked chicken wings fit in the party category in my mind and I love to bake them alongside some vegetable dip, BBQ Meatballs, and a Classic Cheeseball! Ingredients 4 pounds chicken wings , halved at joints, wingtips discarded 2 Tablespoons baking powder *aluminum free 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon garlic powder Buffalo sauce: 1/3 cup Frank's Wings Hot Sauce 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar 1 Tablespoon water Honey BBQ Sauce 1 cup barbecue sauce (I like Sweet Baby Rays Original) 1/4 cup honey 2 Tablespoons ketchup Sriracha hot sauce (optional), to taste Preparation It’s football season and what appetizer is better with game-day then crispy baked chicken wings?! Seriously, these little guys are the bomb.com ! They’re baked to crispy perfection, and then tossed in the most delicious sweet and spicy buffalo sauce. They’re totally addicting and perfect for game day! Make them ASAP, and then thank me later! 🙂Don’t worry if you're not into spicy foods. I have some sauces for you as well below! What I LOVE about these Baked Wings: Healthier- without the deep frying, you get wings that are lower in fat and total calories! Crispy- I’ve got tips to help you ensure you still get that nice crispy chicken wing texture. 5 minute prep! How to make Baked Chicken Wings: Dry the wings well with paper towels. This is essential to getting a crispy coating. Toss with dry spice rub. Combine the salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and baking powder in a small bowl. Then sprinkle the seasoning over the wings, tossing to evenly coat. Bake. Arrange wings, skin side up and bake, turning every 20 minutes until wings are crispy and browned. The total cook time will depend on the size of the wings but may take up to 1 hour. Toss in sauce. Remove from the oven allow it to rest for 5 minutes before tossing in desired sauce. I made a quick buffalo sauce with Frank's hot sauce, sugar and water. For Crispy Wings, DO THIS: Dry them well! After removing your wings from the packaging, be sure to dry them REALLY well. Use paper towels to blot away any moisture, pressing firmly on the wings. The less moisture left in the skin, the more crispy your wings will be! Use Baking Powder. Baking powder will help ensure that your wings brown nicely and it also helps create that desired crispy coating. Baking Temperature Matters! We all want our oven baked chicken wings to taste like they were fried, right? Or at least have that delicious crispy texture. Aside from the tricks listed above, it’s also important to get the correct oven temperature! The ideal oven temperature for crispy baked wings is 425°F. Sauce for Chicken Wings: This is the fun part…We love to have several different sauces available to try, including: Buffalo sauce (recipe below) Honey BBQ sauce (recipe below) Ranch BBQ sauce or any other favorite sauce! Serve wings with: Fresh veggies and dip Any game-day appetizer Instructions Adjust your oven rack to the upper-middle position. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack (I use a cooling rack) on top. Spray the rack with non-stick spray. Use paper towels to pat the wings dry and place them in a large bowl. It's important to dry them REALLY well! Combine the salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and baking powder in a small bowl. Then sprinkle the seasoning over the wings, tossing to evenly coat. Arrange wings, skin side up, in a single layer on a prepared wire rack. Bake on the upper middle oven rack, turning every 20 minutes until the wings are crispy and browned. The total cook time will depend on the size of the wings but may take up to 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let it stand for 5 minutes. Transfer wings to bowl and toss with sauce. For Buffalo sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium heat stir together all sauce ingredients. Mix well until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature before adding to wings (or prepare the sauce ahead of time and refrigerate). For Honey BBQ sauce: Heat the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour the warm honey BBQ sauce on top and gently toss to coat. Previous Next

< Back Chicken Marsala Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 35 Minutes Serves: 4 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Chicken Marsala is a classic Italian-American dish that's crowd-pleasing, quick, and irresistible. The slightly sweet and savory sauce made of mushrooms, aromatics, and Marsala wine is straight-up drinkable, thanks to the not-so-traditional addition of heavy cream. It's the perfect weeknight dinner, and we don't even feel guilty making it three nights in a row. It's a real plus that this dish comes together in just 35 minutes. Ingredients 1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 to 3) 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 1 tsp. Italian seasoning 2 tsp. kosher salt, divided 1/2 c. all-purpose flour 4 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided 3 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided 8 oz. cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced 1 shallot, finely chopped 3 cloves garlic, sliced 1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme 3/4 c. Marsala wine 1 1/4 c. low-sodium chicken broth 3/4 c. heavy cream 1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley Preparation What kind of chicken works best for chicken Marsala? There’s a reason boneless, skinless chicken breast is the traditional choice for this dish. Chicken breast is the perfect canvas for adding a ton of flavor, and the lean cut helps to balance the heavy sauce. Halving the chicken before frying also ensures that it’ll cook quickly while still yielding a golden brown crust on the outside. What kind of mushrooms are best for chicken Marsala? The most common choices are cremini or white button mushrooms, which will yield a delicious result every time. What kind of wine is Marsala? Marsala is a Sicilian fortified wine, which is a wine that has had a distilled spirit like brandy or cognac added. The fortification process lends a deep brown color and a distinct blend of richness and caramelized sweetness to the wine, making it an ideal match for the umami-rich mushrooms here. That sweet and savory flavor combo is what makes chicken Marsala so delicious and irresistible. If you can find it, opt for real Marsala wine instead of the cooking wine you might find next to the vinegar and oil in the grocery store. Look for a dry Marsala wine rather than sweet, so that the final sauce is balanced. If you can’t find Marsala wine, try another dry fortified wine like vermouth, Madeira, dark sherry, or port. Chicken Marsala serving ideas: Angel hair pasta is our go-to for this dish: The thin noodles soak up all of that yummy Marsala sauce. If you’re not feeling pasta, you can also go for any side that serves that same purpose. Try fluffy mashed potatoes, herby wild rice, or even toasted crusty bread. Directions Step 1 Pat chicken dry and remove tenderloin from breasts. Butterfly each breast, then separate butterflied halves to create 4-6 thin pieces; season both sides of chicken with pepper, Italian seasoning, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Step 2 Pour flour into a shallow dish. Dredge each piece of chicken in flour, coating both sides, and tap off any excess. Step 3 In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil, then melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add half of chicken and cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with 1 tablespoon of oil and remaining chicken. Step 4 In the same skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of oil. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add shallot and remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add wine and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping browned bits from bottom of pan, until reduced by half, 4 to 5 minutes. Add broth and cream and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce starts to thicken, about 15 minutes. Step 5 Stir in remaining 2 tablespoon butter until melted. Return chicken to skillet spoon sauce over chicken until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Top with parsley. Previous Next

< Back Mini Lemon Chess Pies Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 17-20 Minutes Serves: 40-42 Pies Level: Beginner Ingredients 1 box 2 refrigerated pie crusts, I use Pillsbury 1/4 cup butter melted 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 3 large eggs 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon lemon zest from 1 large lemon or 2 small 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 cup lemon juice 1/4 cup nonfat or regular milk 1 tablespoon all purpose flour Powdered sugar for serving Preparation Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray 3 mini muffin pans with cooking spray. (I like the kind with flour in it for these pies.) This makes about 40-42 pies. Unroll your pie crusts and cut 2.5” circles with a cookie cutter or jar. Press each carefully into each mini muffin cavity. Re-roll dough as needed. Chill until filling is ready. Whisk melted butter and sugar until smooth, then whisk in eggs until the mixture is a rich yellow, about 30 seconds. Whisk in the salt, lemon zest, vanilla, lemon juice, milk, and flour, one at a time, whisking until smooth. Fill each pie crust with 1 tablespoon of filling. You may have just a bit of filling left over. Bake pies for 17-20 minutes until the tops are no longer wet. The crust will just be very lightly brown. (I like to place my muffin tins on a cookie sheet before baking, for easier handling and less spilling.) Cool pies completely before removing from pans. They should pop out easily with the help of a knife. Dust with powdered sugar before serving, if desired. Previous Next

< Back Pickled Pigs Feet Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Serves: 6 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 1 raw pork roast (or 4 pig’s feet) – about 3-4 pounds 2 teaspoons whole cloves 1 bay leaf 4 cups white vinegar 1 tablespoon salt 1 onion, sliced or diced (or teaspoon dehydrated onions) ½ teaspoon pepper Preparation 1. Boil meat until cooked. Cut up into small ½” to 1” pieces and place in bowl. If you are using pig’s feet, separate at the bone joints. 2. Combine vinegar, cloves, salt, pepper, bay leaf, and onion. 3. Boil mixture and cut up meat for 30 minutes. 4. Reserve 2 cups vinegar mixture in which the meat was cooked. Strain the rest. 5. Put meat into a deep bowl or large jar and pour mixture over pork roast or pig’s feet just to cover. 6. Cover container and let stand in the refrigerator for a minimum of three days before eating. 7. After refrigerating, it should be congealed. Scoop out a portion, and eat it as a side, or you can make a sandwich with it. Previous Next

< Back Sidewalk Weed Killer Get rid of pesky weeds in places that you don’t want anything to grow – ever! 1 tablespoon liquid dish soap (It doesn’t matter what brand) 1 gallon white vinegar 1 cup salt 1. Mix together all ingredients. 2. Do not spray this on your weeds. Only pour the solution directly on the weeds that you want to get rid of and only where you don’t want anything to EVER grow – like the cracks in your sidewalk or driveway. 3. Then just sit in your lawn chair drinking lemonade and watch the weeds in the sidewalk cracks DIE! I’m going to use it as a preventative measure next year. In areas where you want to kill one particular plant, but not bother the other plants (like morning glory – which isn’t so glorious), I just pour boiling hot water directly on the plant. You might need to do it multiple times, but eventually they will give up and DIE! This is how I keep Previous Next

< Back Meatloaf Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 45-50 minutes Serves: 6 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 2 pounds hamburger 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon black pepper 2 large eggs *½ sleave of saltine crackers, crushed (about 20 crackers) 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1/3 cup A-1 Sauce ½ teaspoon granulated garlic ¼ cup ketchup (IN the meatloaf) 1 teaspoon dehydrated onions (or one small onion finely diced) ¼ cup ketchup (as a glaze ON the meatloaf) Preparation Mix together all ingredients except for the second 1/4 cup of ketchup. Put the meat mixture into **two loaf pans and bake in the oven at 375° until the center of meatloaf reaches 155°. At that point, add the last 1/4 cup of ketchup and spread across the top of the loaf. Continue cooking until the center of loaf reaches 170°. Remove from oven and let sit for about five minutes to rest and then remove from loaf pan so that the grease from the hamburger can drain away. Serve hot. *Variation: If you don't have crackers to add to the mixture, you can use breadcrumbs or raw oatmeal. All three variations taste a little different, but all of them are delicious. **I always cook it in two loaf pans because it cooks faster, and one loaf is never enough. Besides, who doesn’t want leftover meatloaf sandwiches the next day? Previous Next

< Back Canning Oranges Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: N/A Serves: 7 Quarts Level: Beginner About the Recipe Oranges are easy to can at home using a simple water bath canner. Ingredients 15 lbs oranges, peeled and membranes removed. 1 1/4 cups sugar 10 1/2 cups water Preparation Oranges are a high acid food, and they’re perfectly safe for water bath canning. This applies to all types of oranges including navel oranges, mandarins, clementines, and tangerines. The California oranges of my childhood are slightly more acidic than Florida varieties, but they’re all well below a safe canning pH of 4.6. PREPARING ORANGES FOR CANNING Oranges can be canned whole or in segments. Segments tend to work better for larger navel oranges, but smaller clementines are perfect for canning whole. Regardless of whether you can oranges whole or in segments, they obviously need to be peeled. Remove as much of the white pith as possible, while avoiding puncturing the segment membranes. If you cut into the segments the juice will run into the canning syrup, and they’ll lose flavor that way. For canning whole oranges, it helps to remove the pith from the center of the orange as well as the big hunk of pith that tends to sit at the flower or navel end of oranges. It can be tricky to remove it without breaking the orange into segments, but if you take a finger and gently slide it through the center of the orange the navel end pith and the stringy interior pith will all come out together. Creating space in the center of the orange is also helpful to allow the syrup to penetrate into the center of the fruit. For orange segments, simply remove as much pith as possible and break the fruits into individual pieces. HOW TO CAN ORANGES Oranges are usually canned “raw pack” which means that the fruit is packed into the jar without any pre-cooking. A boiling hot syrup is poured over the top before the jars are sealed and processed in a water bath canner. When canning oranges, choosing the liquid is completely up to you. Straight water is fine from a safety perspective, but it’ll wash out the oranges and leave them flavorless. It’s generally recommended that you can oranges in a very light, light or medium sugar syrup. An extra light syrup approximates the amount of natural sugar in the fruit and will help them keep their flavor and sweetness without adding extra. Dissolve sugar in water and bring it to a rolling boil before pouring it over oranges packed in canning jars. It takes about 2 pounds of orange slices to fill a quart canning jar, and roughly 3/4 of a pound, fits in a pint canning jar. For whole oranges, I can fit about 10 clementines in a quart canning jar. That works out to roughly 1 1/2 pounds of whole oranges per quart. Pack the oranges tightly, as they’ll shrink a bit during canning. Oranges require 1/2 inch headspace. Both pints and quarts are canned for 10 minutes below 1000 feet in elevation, or 15 minutes up to 6000 feet in elevation. INSTRUCTIONS Peel the oranges and remove as much white membrane as possible. Divide oranges into sections, or leave very small clementines and tangerines whole if desired. Pack oranges tightly into canning jars, leaving at least 1/2 inch headspace. Bring water and sugar to a boil in a saucepan and stir to dissolve sugar. Pour boiling sugar syrup over oranges, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Seal with 2 part canning lids. Process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes below 1000 feet (both pints and quarts). Increase time to 15 minutes for 1000 to 6000 feet in elevation. NOTES Recipe yields a full canner bath of 7 quarts, canned in extra light syrup. Significantly fewer oranges are needed for canning whole oranges. Previous Next

< Back Make Sea Salt Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: Varies Serves: varies Level: Beginner About the Recipe Making sea salt from saltwater is very easy, although quite time consuming. It's not necessarily cost effective, but it's a lot of fun and a rewarding learning experience. Ingredients salt water Preparation Making sea salt from saltwater is very easy, although quite time consuming. It's not necessarily cost effective, but it's a lot of fun and a rewarding learning experience. How much salt are you going to get? I read on this website that the rule of thumb is 5 gallons of seawater to 4 cups of salt, which would mean a 5% salt solution. I did 4 gallon batches, and got between 2.5 and 4 cups per batch, which is a bit of a lower yield. However, my small batch of 2 quarts gave me 1 full cup of salt, which is much higher. So it all depends on the original saltiness of the seawater and the method used to evaporate it, and how careful you are not to lose any salt to the floor in the process (I speak from experience—I lost more than I'd like through careless pouring). Let's get started! Overall, I processed 16.5 gallons of seawater, and I ended up with over 9 cups of salt. This is a total of about a 3.5% yield by volume of salt from saltwater, but your mileage may vary. Step 1: The Gather The first step is to get yourself a lot of salty seawater. I used 5-gallon buckets with lids, but I've seen others use milk jugs (for smaller batches) and coolers (for larger batches). Go on a road trip to the nearest saltwater source with your containers. You may want to do some research into the pollution along your coast so you don't end up with dirty water that won't give good salt (and may be very bad for you!). Generally, the farther from civilization, the better. Gather as much saltwater as you like. The more you get, the longer the process will take, but the more salt you'll end up with. Step 2: The Filter Let your seawater sit for a while to allow any sediment and particles to settle. Get your stockpot out and ready for the boil. Then siphon or scoop water from the top of the container, careful not to disturb the sediment at the bottom, through a filter into your stockpot. I used a dishcloth in a sieve for my filter, which provided a good fine mesh to get out any sand or other particles. I scooped out water with a 1-quart measuring cup so I could easily keep track of how large my batches were. I did 4 gallons per batch. Step 3: The Boil: Method 1 The quickest way to turn your saltwater into salt is by boiling it. But be careful, you don't want to scorch the salt! Be prepared to spend all day in the kitchen with the stove on.There seem to be several schools of thought on how to evaporate your seawater, so I will go over each method briefly. I will leave it up to you to experiment and develop your own technique. The first method, which I found described most frequently in my research, uses a constant boil. The danger with this method is how easy it is to scorch your salt. The advantage, though, is that it is the quickest method. Bring your seawater to a boil. Once about half of the water has evaporated, or when you start seeing the salt form in the water, you'll need to start stirring—infrequently at first, but more and more frequently as more water evaporates until you are continuously stirring. The goal here is to get your salt to the consistency of wet sand. Note: there can still be water in the pot when the sand reaches the right consistency. This part confused me when I was doing my research, but once I actually did it, it made more sense. Try scooping out the salt with your stirring spoon to check the consistency. When it's like wet sand, thick but still pourable, then you're done. Remember: Don't scorch the salt! Step 4: The Boil: Method 2 The second method that I read about involved a much longer process that actually does not involve boiling, but rather simmering. The idea with this method is to evaporate the salt without risk of scorching by using low heat. However, depending on the amount of salt water you have, this could take multiple days with the stove on, and thus will cost more in energy. With your pot of seawater on the stove, turn on the burner to the lowest heat setting, and let it evaporate slowly. As with the first method, you'll probably need to stir your water once it gets low, although it won't be as necessary as if you were boiling it. And again, you'll want to get your salt to the consistency of wet sand. Remember: Don't scorch the salt! Step 5: The Boil: Method 3 After some experimentation, and trial and error, I developed a technique that seems to be a good balance of amount of time spent and avoiding scorching the salt.I started off with a full boil at high heat, until about half of the water had evaporated. Then I turned the burner down to the medium-high heat. As the water evaporated, I turned the heat lower and lower until I was down to medium-low. This gradual decrease in heat helps prevent scorching without requiring you to stir constantly. It will take longer than boiling the whole time, but it does take less interaction on your part.And as with the other methods, you want to get your salt to a consistency of wet sand. Don't worry if there is still water in the pot; the only thing you're concerned about is the consistency of the salt itself. Remember: Don't scorch the salt! This is the longest step of the whole process. Once you've boiled down your seawater and your salt is the consistency of wet sand, you'll want to scoop it out into a pan to dry. The larger the pan, the thinner you can spread it, and the sooner it will dry. If you still have water in the pot (which you probably do), I would suggest trying to pour the water into a separate dish, so the majority of your salt is not sitting in water and can thus dry faster. You can place your pan(s) by a window so that the sun can speed up the drying process. Depending on how much salt you have, and how wet the salt is, this can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Some of my batches came out too wet (I didn't let them boil down enough) and they're still in the process of drying after two weeks. But a smaller batch that I did was not as wet, and it dried much quicker. Alternatively, you can place the pan in the oven on the lowest heat (the lowest on my oven is 170 ºF) to speed up evaporation. Some people seem to think that the oven technique changes the makeup of the salt; it seems to me to just affect the way the crystals form. Either way, it's worth experimenting with. Just be careful not to burn the salt. Step 7: The Final Product You're done! Now that your salt is dry, you can pour it into spice jars, mason jars, or other containers to store and use. If your salt crystals come out larger, you can put them in a grinder for freshly ground salt when you need it, or grind it all ahead of time before storing it. I've read that sea salt is better suited for flavoring food after cooking, rather than for the actual cooking, but you can experiment and see what works for you. After all, it's just salt! You can also mix your salt with herbs or spices to make seasoning salts. Previous Next

< Back Bacon in a jar Prep Time: 8 Minutes Cook Time: 10 Minutes Serves: 25 Pint Jars Level: Beginner About the Recipe It’s the “ultimate” food storage: BACON!! What a treat to have in your food storage pantry, don’t you think? What a better way to dress up all those beans you’ve stored than to have bacon! I wanted to try canning bacon for months and I was pouring through the different blogs and articles on how to do it. Ingredients pork belly: 2 kg (4 lb) salt: 150 g (5.3 oz) water: 1 l (34 pt) garlic: 20 g (0.7 oz) salt: 150 g (5.3 oz) water: 1 l (34 pt) sugar: 30 g (1.1 oz) black peppercorns: 30 g (1.1 oz) chili flakes: 5 g (0.2 oz) onion skins: 20 g (0.7 oz) dill: 20 g (0.7 oz) garlic: 15 g (0.5 oz) sweet paprika: 8 g (0.3 oz) spicy paprika: 8 g (0.3 oz) oregano: 8 g (0.3 oz) Preparation Unwrap your bacon and cut the strips in HALF. Fry your bacon on your skillet using medium heat until ALMOST cooked through. I aimed to have it begin to get crispy on the edges and lightly browned all over. (It cooks after you remove it and you don’t want it over done) Lay bacon on paper towels to soak up the grease. Note – you can save your bacon grease from your pan and store in the fridge to use in cooking. Cut a piece of brown parchment paper about 24” long and lay it on your table. Line up your mostly cooked bacon strips just below the middle and going from one side to the other side of the parchment paper. Now you can liberally brush on some of that maple syrup (Optional). Be sure and use real maple syrup so it will endure the pressure canning process. Fold the paper in thirds by bringing the bottom up over the bacon, then the top fold down over that so the bacon is completely covered. Starting at one end, begin rolling up the bacon ensuring that those first few rolls are tight. When it’s all rolled up, it fits nicely into your sterilized wide-mouth pint jars. If it sticks up a little above the rim, just push it down below so the lid can fit nicely on top. Then wipe the rims of your jars with a paper towel dabbed in some vinegar. Vinegar will remove any bacon fat from the rim which could interfere with getting a good seal. Do not forget this part – it is key to ensuring a good seal. Cover your jars with lids that have been warming up in a pan of water on a low setting. Screw on the rings finger tight, and set them in your pressure canner that has a few inches of water. Use the canning guide here to determine the processing time. Pint jars of “raw” meat need to pressure cook for 75 minutes (quarts for 90 minutes). Determine the pressure level of your canner by the elevation of where you live. I live at 6K above sea level, so I pressure at 14-15 lbs. Then process your jars. When it is done, take out the jars. Let them cool off and make sure they seal. After several hours or even the next day, I take off the rings and wash the jars and rings in warm soapy water to get any oily substance off. Then be sure and label them with what is inside and the date. To enjoy your bacon, simply open the jar and slide it out. Unroll the parchment – it will be messy, but peel it away. You can fry it for a bit to warm it up or eat it right away. I found one blog that said it will last 6-8 months up to a year; however Yoders professionally canned bacon has been opened more than 3 years after being canned and has been good. I’ll let you determine how long you think yours will store for. I started out with 24 pounds of bacon, and didn’t get to can quite all of it – but most of it filled up 25 pint jars. I ran out of parchment paper at that point, or I would have finished another 1-2 jars. I would also note, that if you do consider canning large batches like this, BE SURE you have help because it’s time consuming to cook all that bacon and then can it. I would think smaller batches would be less exhausting. How to use your amazing canned bacon: Gobble it right out of the jar. Crumble up into bacon bits for salads and soups. Even add corn muffins and bread. Use on sandwiches, in breakfast wraps, in taco’s, or even with fish. Add them to your bean dish to liven it up. Pork and beans! Reheat it for your breakfast meal. Use in an emergency or when camping. No need to refrigerate it. Use it to barter with – it will be a HOT commodity in an emergency situation. Previous Next