Kefir is like yogurt on steroids when it comes to probiotic count. It is also made without heating the milk which is a big plus when using raw milk. < Back How to make kefir Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: N/A Serves: 4 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 4 cups whole milk we use raw milk from our family milk cow 2 - 4 tablespoon kefir grains OTHER ITEMS NEEDED: 1 qt mason jar Lid or cheesecloth to cover jar loosely Mesh strainer Spatula or plastic spoon Preparation Put the kefir grains in a 1 qt mason jar. Pour whole milk over the grains leaving about 1 inch space at the top of the jar. Stir the milk and grains and cover loosely. Leave in a warm place for 12 - 24 hrs. - depending on the taste you prefer. The kefir grains culture the milk and the longer it is left the tangier it will become. I leave mine on the kitchen counter for 24 hours. If it has separated and there is a bit of liquid on the bottom, I shake it before straining. Pour the kefir through a strainer into another jar catching the grains in the strainer. Refrigerate and enjoy. NOTES Leaving the kefir for 24 hours makes a delicious drink with maximum probiotics. If you find that it is too tart at this point, decrease the time left on the grains. Previous Next

Homemade cheese is fun and delicious! < Back Fresh Food Storage Mozzarella Prep Time: Cook Time: Serves: 6 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Homemade cheese is fun and delicious! Ingredients Rennet tablet (or liquid) ¼ cup cool non-chlorinated water 1-gallon fresh milk (or ¾ gallon prepared powdered milk with one pint of ***heavy cream) 2 teaspoons citric acid Stainless steel pot (or any non-aluminum or non-cast iron pot) Heavy duty kitchen gloves Preparation Crush ¼ rennet tablet in a ¼ cup cool, *chlorine free water and stir to dissolve. Pour the milk in your pot and heat on medium heat. Sprinkle 2 level teaspoons of citric acid powder in milk and stir gently. It will start to curdle. (If you don’t have citric acid, use vinegar) Heat milk slowly to 88F° and once the milk has reached that temperature, add the rennet solution, and continue to stir slowly until the milk reaches 105F°. Turn off heat. The curds and whey will now be clearly separated. Scoop out the curds and ladle them into a microwavable bowl. Press the curds gently together with your hand (wear gloves because it will be hot) and pour off as much whey as possible. **Microwave your curds on high for 1 minute and drain excess whey. Work your cheese quickly with a spoon or hands (with the gloves on) into a ball until it starts to cool. Repeat this process two more times setting the microwave for 35 seconds each time. Continue to drain excess whey while working the cheese into a nice little ball. The last time, when your cheese is almost too hot to touch, knead it quickly like bread dough until smooth. At this point, if it stretches like taffy it is done. When your cheese is smooth and shiny it is ready to eat. Refrigerate or freeze until used. FYI-The rennet is used to help the cheese coagulate and to help it hold together when it is stretched making it stronger. If too much rennet is used, the cheese can become very rubbery. *If you don’t have distilled water or non-chlorinated water, just boil your water for 15 minutes to remove the chlorine. Chlorine is meant to kill bacteria and you don’t want to inhibit the growth of the cheese bacteria. **If you don’t want to use the microwave, heat the whey to 175F° and store the cheese in it until it is heated up enough to work with. And repeat the process as stated above. ***In a pinch, you can replace the heavy whipping cream with olive oil, but the cheese will be a bit rubberier, and the taste is just a little different than with the cream, but it is acceptable. Previous Next

A delicious, deep south recipe that will tickle your palate! < Back Lighter Than Air Hush Puppies Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Serves: 6 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 1 cup self-rising flour (you can make your own) 2 cups self-rising cornmeal 3 medium onions, grated (keep the juice!) 3 eggs ½ teaspoon pepper ¾ teaspoon salt ¼+ cup diced jalapenos (optional, sort of) Buttermilk (just enough to make a batter) Preparation Combine all ingredients together and let it rest for about 30 minutes. Drop dollops of batter into hot oil and deep fry until a beautiful golden brown, Serve hot and thank the old-time southern mothers for such a delicious side dish. Previous Next

The best pasta for a special occasion is homemade ravioli! < Back Green Ravioli With Ricotta And Culatello Prep Time: 45 Minutes Cook Time: 15 Minutes Serves: 4 Level: Beginner About the Recipe The best pasta for a special occasion is homemade ravioli! Ingredients For the pasta: 12oz of type 0 flour 3.5oz of frozen spinach 1 egg 1 egg yolk 1 pinch of salt For the stuffing: 2 cups of ricotta cheese 1/2 cup grated pecorino Romano salt and pepper to taste For the condiment: 1tbs of butter handful of sage 4 slices of Culatello di Zibello PDO crisped in the oven for pan a few tbs of grated parmesan cheese Preparation Flavorful, homemade stuffed pasta such as ravioli, or even the simpler pastas such as maltagliati or tagliatelle, despite the extra effort put in, are always a great idea. The recipe for green ravioli with ricotta may seem like a bit of work at first – the filling is simple whilst the dough requires some attention – but once you try it you will realize that the effort is totally worth the delicious results. A few notes on the dough: you want it to be homogeneous, smooth, elastic – and most importantly, rolled very thin. It may take some experienced hands to expertly work the rolling pin to achieve the desired thickness, but unless your pasta machine is able to roll out thin sheets of pasta to perfection, there may be no other way. Whether it be a formal or casual occasion, green ravioli with ricotta and Culatello di Zibello PDO will add a special touch to any meal. Set some time aside on the weekend, prepare this recipe and surprise your friends and family at your next Sunday lunch. To make the pasta: First, prepare the frozen spinach by cooking in boiling water until soft. Drain well, squeezing out as much excess water as possible, and set aside to cool. In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg and egg yolk together. Place the flour on a work surface. Make a well in the center and place the slightly beaten egg into it. Now begin the kneading process, incorporating the spinach puree as you bring the pieces of dough together. Add a pinch of salt and knead the dough until you get a nice, smooth lump. Let it rest for approximately 30 minutes in the freezer. To make the ricotta filling: Whilst the dough is resting, prepare the filling. In a medium bowl, using a fork, combine the ricotta cheese, pecorino cheese, salt and pepper. Leave in the refrigerator until you are ready to prepare the ravioli. To prepare the ravioli: After the dough has rested and is looking nice and compact, dump it onto a lightly floured work surface, cut it into slices and start rolling out each slice into long strips with a rolling pin. Sprinkle the work surface with more flour as you go, if necessary. You will need thin strips of dough that are also thick enough to accommodate the filling. Drop a teaspoon of filling every 5 cm along the strip of dough, cover with the second strip of pasta and cut in between with a ravioli cutter. You can also seal the ravioli with your fingers, cut into rectangles with a sharp knife, and then decorate with the prongs of a fork. Place the ravioli evenly distributed on a lined baking tray, place the tray in the freezer and when they are frozen, remove the tray and transfer the ravioli into freezer bags for easy storage. When you need the ravioli, they will be ready to be cooked in salted boiling water. The green ravioli with ricotta will cook in just a few minutes if you have been able to make the dough very thin. When ready, drain gently and season with melted butter and sage, then decorate each dish with a fried crispy slice of Culatello di Zibello PDO. Previous Next

Learn how to make 30 Minute Mozzarella, in your own kitchen. With just a few simple ingredients, this step by step recipe will show you how easy and easy it is to make cheese at home. From milk to yum, this recipe is fun for all ages. < Back 30 Minute Mozzarella Recipe Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cook Time: Serves: 1 pound Level: About the Recipe Ingredients 1 Gallon of Milk (not ultra-pasteurized) 1.5 tsp Citric Acid 1/4 Rennet Tablet or 1/4 tsp Single Strength Liquid Rennet 1 tsp Cheese Salt (adjust to taste) Preparation Choosing the Right Milk Make sure the milk you use is not ultra pasteurized. You can use homogenized or non-homogenized milk. Farm fresh milk is a great option if you can find it locally. Low fat milk will work, but the cheese will be drier and less flavorful. Prepare Work Area Do not prepare any other food while you are making cheese. Put all food products away. Move all sponges, cloths and dirty towels away from your work surface, wipe your sink and stove with soap and water. Finally use your antibacterial cleaner to wipe down all surfaces. Prepare Rennet Crush 1/4 tablet of rennet and dissolve in 1/4 cup of cool non-chlorinated water, or add 1/4 tsp single strength liquid rennet to the water. Set your rennet mixture aside to use later. Mix Citric Acid & Milk Add 1 1/2 tsp. of citric acid to 1 cup cool water, pour this into your pot. Now, pour cold milk into your pot quickly, to mix well with the citric acid. This will bring the milk to the proper acidity to stretch well later. Heat Milk Heat the milk slowly to 90°F. As you approach 90°F, you may notice your milk beginning to curdle slightly due to acidity and temp. Note: If you're having problems with milk forming a proper curd, you may need to increase this temp to 95°F or even 100F. Add Rennet At 90°F, remove the pot from the burner and slowly add your rennet (which you prepared in step one) to the milk. Stir in a top to bottom motion for approx. 30 seconds, then stop. Cover the pot and leave undisturbed for 5 minutes. Check the curd after 5 minutes, it should look like custard, with a clear separation between the curds and whey. If the curd is too soft or the whey is milky, let it set longer, up to 30 more minutes. Cut & Cook Curd Cut the curds into a 1" checkerboard pattern. Place the pot back on the stove and heat to 105°F while slowly stirring the curds with your ladle (if you will be stretching the curds in a hot water bath, rather than using a microwave, heat to 110°F in this step). Take the pot off the burner and continue stirring slowly for 2-5 minutes. (More time will make a firmer cheese) Transfer & Drain Curd With a slotted spoon, scoop curds into a colander or microwave safe bowl (if the curd is too soft at this point, let it sit for another minute or so). Once transferred, press the curd gently with your hand, pouring off as much whey as possible. If desired, you can reserve the whey to use later in baking or as a soup stock. Heat Curd & Remove Whey If in a colander, transfer the curds into a heat safe bowl. Next, microwave the curd for 1 minute. If desired, add 1 tsp of salt to the curds for added flavor. You will notice more whey separation from the curd. Drain off all whey as you did before. Quickly work the cheese with a spoon or your hands until it is cool enough to touch (rubber gloves will help since the cheese is almost too hot to touch at this point). Microwave two more times for 35 seconds each, and repeat the kneading as in the last step to aid in more whey drain off and ensure even heating of the curds. Drain off all of the whey as you go. Note: If you prefer to not use a microwave here is a recipe using a water bath where the curds are heated in hot water Knead & Stretch Curd Now the fun begins, knead quickly now as you would bread dough. Remove curd from the bowl and continue kneading until it is smooth and shiny. Return it to the microwave if needed (if it begins to cool before it's ready to stretch). Add salt near the finish. At this point, if hot enough, the cheese should be soft and pliable enough to stretch, and stretch, and stretch some more (like taffy). This is what makes it Mozzarella We hope you have as much fun with this as we do. Eat & Enjoy Now knead your cheese back into a big ball until it is smooth and shiny Your Mozzarella is ready as soon as it's cool enough to eat. To cool quickly, place it in a bowl of ice water and refrigerate. When cold you can wrap in plastic wrap and it will last for several days, but is best when eaten fresh. Equipment Good Thermometer Knife to Cut Curds Spoon or Ladle to Stir Curds Large Colander Large Bowl Previous Next

This is a simple and quick meal that your entire family will enjoy! < Back Spam Eggs And Rice Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cook Time: 20 Minutes Serves: 4 (add additional egg for each individual) Level: Beginner About the Recipe This is a simple and quick meal that your entire family will enjoy! Ingredients 1 can low sodium spam 1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce 1 tbsp brown sugar 1 tsp mirin 1 tsp furikake seasoning 1 Fried Preparation Cut the Spam into cubes. In a hot pan, cook the spam until you get a golden brown color. Add soy sauce, sugar and mirin. Cook for an additional 2 minutes and remove off heat. Serve with white rice, furikake and fried egg. Previous Next

Perfect Dessert For The Summer! < Back Strawberry Upside Down Cake Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 50 Minutes Serves: 12 Level: Beginner Ingredients 2 cups crushed fresh strawberries 1 (6 ounce) package strawberry flavored Jell-O® mix 3 cups miniature marshmallows 1 (18 ounce) package yellow cake mix, batter prepared as directed on package Preparation Step 1 Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Step 2 Spread crushed strawberries on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan. Evenly sprinkle strawberries with the dry gelatin powder, and top with mini marshmallows. Step 3 Prepare the cake mix as directed on the package and pour on top of the marshmallows. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 to 50 minutes. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the pan to loosen the sides and turn the cake out onto a serving tray. Store cake in the refrigerator. Previous Next

Overnight Crockpot Breakfast Casserole is a classic breakfast casserole with eggs, sausage, bacon, hash browns, and cheese. It's easy to make, great for the holidays and feeding a crowd. < Back Crockpot Breakfast Casserole Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cook Time: 8 Hours Serves: 8 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 1 pound package frozen shredded hash brown potatoes ½ pound breakfast sausage ½ pound bacon cooked and crumbled 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided ½ medium sweet onion diced ½ green pepper diced ½ red pepper diced 12 eggs 1 cup milk ½ cup sour cream ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper Preparation Overnight Crockpot Breakfast Casserole With the holidays quickly (too quickly!) approaching and schedules getting busier by the minute, I'm sure you're looking to have one less thing to worry about (or at least I am!). This Crockpot Overnight Breakfast Casserole can be the perfect answer to that request! You just put it in the slow cooker, go to sleep while it's cooking, and serve it up in the morning! Crockpot Overnight Breakfast Casserole is a classic breakfast casserole with eggs, sausage, bacon, hash browns, and cheese. It's a crowd-pleaser, for sure, and is large enough to feed a crowd! After some questions and comments from readers, I worked to improve this recipe over the last couple months. I reduced the amount of hash browns in half and added sour cream for creamy moisture. I also realized that this casserole has so many warm, comfort food flavors that what it really needs to take it to the next level is freshness. To make your casserole truly spectacular, top it with fresh veggies like cherry tomatoes or pico de gallo, cilantro, avocado, red onions, or any other topping you can think of. The freshness just adds the perfect pop. What to Serve with Crockpot Breakfast Casserole Crockpot Breakfast Casserole is a meal by itself! Serve it with lots of fresh toppings like avocado, cherry tomatoes, red onions, sour cream, salsa, or hot sauce. If you're trying to stretch it a little bit for a crowd, you can also serve it with fresh fruit or a simple fruit salad. Toast, bagels, muffins, or English muffins would also make excellent sides and fill everyone up a little more. What Size Crock Pot Should I Use? I suggest using at least a 6 quart Crock Pot or larger. If you can get a programmable one, like this , that would be even better! That way there's no way you'll lose track of time or overcook it. Instructions In a large skillet over medium heat, brown sausage with onion and peppers until cooked through and no longer pink. Drain and set aside. Grease a large 6 quart slow cooker (or bigger) with cooking spray or butter. Layer half the hash browns in the bottom of the slow cooker. Top with half the sausage mixture, bacon, and then cheese. Repeat layers with the remaining ingredients, except cheese. In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and sour cream. Pour over hashbrown and sausage layers. Cook on low for 6-8 hours on low or 2-3 hours on high. Sprinkle on remaining cheese and cover until melted. Serve warm with lots of fresh toppings. Notes PLEASE NOTE: Not all slow cookers cook at exactly the same temperature. You may need to adjust the cook time to your specific device to avoid burning the edges, as some readers have reported. This casserole is gluten free. Check the ingredients on your sausage and hash browns, to make sure. Don't thaw the hash browns. It's not necessary and could cause them to dry out. Add diced ham or other ingredients that you love in omelets, such as mushrooms or spinach. Mix in a can of diced green chiles with the sausage for a Southwest style casserole. To really make this breakfast shine, add lots of fresh toppings such as sour cream, tomatoes, salsa, avocado, green onion, or chives. Consider getting a programmable Crock Pot with a timer, like this one . That way you don't have to worry about getting distracted or over-sleeping and overcooking! How do you reheat leftovers? I just cut a slice and pop it in the microwave. If your microwave is big enough, you can transfer the remaining casserole to a baking dish and microwave the whole thing that way until heated through. Can you freeze it? I don't recommend it. Eggs don't typically freeze well and have a rubbery texture when thawed. Previous Next

Time to raid the fridge! < Back Leftover Turkey Pot Pie Prep Time: 40 minutes Cook Time: 40 minutes Serves: 4 - 6 serving(s) Level: Beginner About the Recipe Time to raid the fridge! Ingredients 1 pie crust (1/2 of Perfect Pie Crust recipe) 1/2 stick butter (1/4 cup) 1/2 c. finely diced onion 1/2 c. finely diced carrot 1/2 c. finely diced celery 2 c. leftover turkey, light and dark, diced or shredded (or both!) 1/4 c. flour 2 c. low-sodium chicken or turkey broth, plus more if needed 1/4 c. white wine (optional) 3/4 c. heavy cream 1 c. frozen peas (optional) 2 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped Salt and pepper to taste Preparation Even if you've planned your Thanksgiving menu perfectly, you'll probably still have leftovers once the big meal is over. If you're looking for something to do with your extra turkey, here’s the recipe for my delicious pot pie. You can make it with chicken or turkey… whatever’s in your fridge. You may even have leftover onion and celery from the Thanksgiving stuffing—even better! Just make sure to pair it with leftover Thanksgiving desserts—if there are any! What is turkey pot pie made of? It's just like chicken pot pie, but with turkey! The filling is made with vegetables like onion, carrot, celery, and green peas. It becomes creamy thanks to some butter, flour, broth, and heavy cream. I sometimes like to add a splash of wine to the filling, but you can leave it out if your family is like mine and doesn't like the taste. For the turkey, you can use dark meat or light meat, and can shred or dice it. It's up to you. The top is just a simple pie crust! Any crust works: Use store-bought or frozen puff pastry, or dive into the depths of your freezer to find the homemade crust from that Thanksgiving pie you never got around to baking. What's the best way to reheat turkey pot pie? You can cover the whole dish with foil and reheat the pot pie in a 350ºF oven. Depending on how much is left, it could take 10 to 20 minutes. Just be sure not to place your dish into the oven directly from the fridge. It could shatter, and who wants to clean up shards of glass and turkey from the bottom of an oven until the end of time? Not me. Go ahead and stick the dish in the oven while it preheats or let it hang out on the counter for 15 minutes or so before you put it in the oven. How long does turkey pot pie last in the fridge? It'll stay good for about 3 days. Make sure to wrap leftovers tightly in plastic wrap or place the pot pie in an airtight container to keep it as fresh as possible. Directions 1 Preheat the oven to 400ºF. 2 Melt butter in a skillet or dutch oven. Add onion, carrots, and celery, and cook until translucent (a couple of minutes.) 3 Add turkey and stir. Sprinkle flour over mixture and stir. Cook over medium heat for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly. 4 Pour in chicken or turkey broth, stirring constantly. Splash in wine (you can leave this out if you’d like.) Pour in cream. (May add frozen peas at this point if you’d like.) 5 Bring to a slow boil and allow the mixture to cook and thicken for a few minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste (do not underseason), and fresh or dried thyme to taste. Do one final taste at the end and add what it needs. 6 Pour mixture into a casserole dish or deep pie pan. 7 Roll out the crust so that it’s about 1 inch larger than the pan you’re using. 8 Place the crust on top of the pot pie mixture, and press the crust into the sides of the dish. Cut vents in the top of the crust. 9 Bake for 30-40 minutes or until very golden and bubbly and the crust is done. 10 Allow to cool for a little bit before serving. 11 Serve with a large spoon. Previous Next

This isn't the 10 lbs dried fruit cake you hear about! You will LOVE this real fruit cake and I recommend adding some chocolate or nuts! < Back “Any Old Bottle of Fruit” Cake Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 50 minutes Serves: 9 Level: Beginner Ingredients 1 quart of any bottled fruit, juice and all 2 cups of granulated sugar 1 cup oil 4 cups flour (not sifted) 4 teaspoons soda – mix in with fruit 1 teaspoon salt 1teaspoon cloves 1teaspoon nutmeg 1 Tablespoon cinnamon 1 cup nuts (optional) 1 cup raisins or chocolate chips (optional) Preparation Blend or chop fruit and place in a large mixing bowl with sugar and oil. Add sifted dry Mix together well Pour into a 9x13 inch pan Bake at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes or until a Cool. Frost with Cream Cheese Icing Hurry and take a big slice before anyone knows that the cake is done, or you won’t get any because it is that good. Previous Next

Make Olive Garden’s Alfredo Sauce Recipe at home in just 20 minutes! Pair it with Fettuccine for an easy dinner idea the whole family will love! < Back Olive Garden’s Alfredo Sauce Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cook Time: 15 Minutes Serves: 6 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Make Olive Garden’s Alfredo Sauce Recipe at home in just 20 minutes! Pair it with Fettuccine for an easy dinner idea the whole family will love! Ingredients 6 Tablespoons salted butter, high quality 1 Tablespoon garlic, minced 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 ½ cups heavy cream 1 ½ cups whole milk, 1% or 2% can be used if needed ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated and at room temperature ½ cup Romano cheese, grated and at room temperature Salt and black pepper, to taste 1 lb. Fettuccine Parsley, to garnish Preparation I know it’s a restaurant chain, but honestly, Olive Garden’s Alfredo Sauce recipe is just perfect in my book. Hands-down. Chain or no chain, I love it. (And you won’t believe how easy it is to make at home!) PRO Tips For Making Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce: Olive Garden’s Alfredo Sauce recipe is made with Parmesan and Romano Cheeses, however you can also incorporate Mozzarella , Gruyere, Gouda, or Asiago . You can also just use Parmesan. You can use half and half instead of half heavy cream/half milk. If you only have evaporated milk, just use half the amount of milk and replace the other half with water. You won’t compromise flavor or consistency by doing this in creamy sauces like this one. You can even experiment with different pastas . I like fettuccine because the noodles soak up that thick sauce well! How to Make Alfredo Sauce Melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the flour. Add heavy cream and milk. Gradually whisk in the cheese. Add cooked Fettuccine. Sauce will continue to thicken upon standing. Tip: I like to use 3/4 lb. of fettuccine for saucier pasta, but this recipe will satisfy a full pound as well. Tips for Extra-Creamy Sauce Use blocks of (high-quality) cheese and shred it yourself for extra creamy results. Bagged shredded cheese has cellulose added to it to prevent the cheese from sticking together in the bag. Cellulose repels moisture, which makes it melt poorly in comparison to shredding the cheese yourself. Let the cheese come down to room temperature before adding it to the sauce. Sprinkle in the cheese gradually, the sauce should be warm but not too hot. Otherwise the dairy will separate and the consistency will be grainy. High-quality butter is important. I like, Land O’ Lakes brand. Pro Tip: Alfredo sauce continues to thicken upon standing, and thickens even more when it’s added to pasta. Refrain from adding additional cheese to thicken it up. Making Alfredo Sauce Ahead of Time Alfredo sauce is a convenient make-ahead and freezable sauce. Unlike some other cheese sauces, the flour in this recipe helps it to maintain it’s consistency when cooled and reheated. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It can also be frozen and is best if used within 1-2 months. How to Reheat Alfredo Sauce Alfredo sauce will thicken up and harden as it cools, but can be easily microwaved or slowly reheated on the stove top . Reheating in a makeshift double boiler is the best reheating method to restore it back to it’s original form. (Either by itself or when combined with pasta. Frozen Alfredo sauce should be thawed overnight in the fridge before heating. If the sauce is too thick when reheated, add a splash of milk or chicken broth to thin it out. Instructions Boil the fettuccine according to package instructions. As the water preheats, begin the sauce. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously. Add the heavy cream in splashes, stirring continuously. Add the milk in the same manner. Bring to a gentle bubble, then reduce heat to low to bubble. It will continue to thicken as it simmers. Slowly stir in the cheese. Taste and season with salt/pepper if desired. Drain the pasta and carefully mix it into the sauce until well incorporated. The pasta will absorb the sauce and it will continue to thicken. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve! Previous Next

Do you also dream of bright, fresh and flavorful homemade canned peaches? Look no further, we’re sharing our Mom’s recipe (and tips) for canning peaches at home. Canning peaches at home preserves the taste, texture, and quality of fresh peaches. This recipe makes approximately 6 quarts of peaches. Depending on the size of peaches, or if they are halved or sliced, it is possible to get 7 quarts – see notes. A serving is calculated here as ½ cup of canned peaches. < Back Canning Peaches At Home Prep Time: 45 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes Serves: 42 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 30 ripe peaches large 1/2 cup lemon juice 12 cups water 6 cups sugar 1/4 cup Fruit-Fresh 6 tablespoons lemon juice Preparation Prepare for Canning Sterilize canning jars by running them through a cycle in the dishwasher. Place the canning lids in a large saucepan of hot water and simmer until ready to use. Prepare a large pot of water and bring it to a boil on the stove. Fill the sink with cold water, or prepare a large bowl of ice water. In another large pot, combine the 12 cups of water and 6 cups of sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add ¼ cup Fruit-Fresh and set aside for later. Prepare the Peaches Carefully place several peaches in the large pot of boiling water. All peaches should be totally covered by water. Set a timer for one minute. Remove the peaches from the boiling water and place them in the sink filled with cold water, or in an ice water bath. Repeat this process until all the peaches are in the cold water. Add 1 quart of cold water and ½ cup of lemon juice to a large bowl. At this point, peeling the peaches should be easy. The peach skins should slide off without even using a knife. If the peach is less ripe, it may require a little peeling. Cut the peaches in half or slice them and remove the pits. Place the halved or sliced peaches in the large bowl filled with water and lemon juice. Stir the peaches into the water and lemon juice as you slice them to avoid discoloration. Canning the Peaches Place the sterilized jars right side up on a large cookie sheet. This helps keep spills to a minimum. Pour 1 cup of the light syrup into each jar. Fill each jar with the halved or sliced peaches. Use a slotted spoon or ladle to remove peaches from the bowl of lemon water. Leave ½ inch headspace at the top of each jar. Add more syrup to fill the empty spaces between the peaches and to cover the fruit. There should still be ½ inch unfilled space at the top of each jar. You will likely have some light syrup left over after filling the jars. It's important to get all of the trapped air bubbles out of the jar before it seals. Slide a clean knife down the inside of the jar in four or five places to release the bubbles. Clean any liquid from the rims of the jars with a clean towel before placing the heated lids on the jars. Use a magnetic lid wand or fork to carefully remove a canning lid from the simmering water on the stove. Do not dry it or touch the lid with your bare hands. It will be hot and you don't want to contaminate it. Place it directly on the top of the jar as pictured. Tighten the screw bands firmly on each jar. Processing the Peaches Fill a water bath canner ½ full with warm water. Place the jars on the wire rack and lower the jars into the canner. Add more water to cover the jars with 1 inch of water above the jars. Cover with a lid, and watch for it to boil. Once it reaches the boiling point, reduce to a medium to medium-high heat. The water should still be boiling, but not at a raging boil that makes a sauna in your kitchen and a mess on the stove. Set a timer for 25 minutes for elevations of 0-1,000 feet (Check exact processing times for your elevation on the National Center for Home Food Preservation website ). When the time is up, remove the jars from the boiling-water canner and let them cool on a counter in a non-drafty area. Once jars have cooled, make sure they have sealed properly and store them in a cool, dark place. Recipe Tips: To prevent browning, toss your peeled, sliced peaches with Fruit Fresh or a lemon juice mixture before canning (see how in recipe below) Blanch your peaches to easily remove the peels. Use a knife to easily pull the peels away from the fruit. Add a little lemon juice to each jar before adding the peaches to ensure you reach safe acidity levels for canning. Halved peaches take up for space in the jars than sliced. If you are planning on halving your peaches you may need to use more jars. Canning Peaches In Winter During the cold winter months, when fresh fruit is hard to come by, these peaches are so refreshing and the bottles disappear quickly. Peaches contain a bounty of antioxidants which keep the skin clear and slow down the aging process.If you’re a beginner in canning peaches and home food preservation, this is a great easy-to-follow complete guide with tips, tricks and recipes! Canning peaches at home preserves the taste, texture, and quality of fresh peaches.This recipe uses the raw pack canning method, where the peaches are blanched, skinned, sliced and canned in a hot syrup. Another method for canning peaches is the hot pack method, where peaches are cooked for 5 minutes before they are canned. We prefer the raw pack canning method because it is quicker and easier – and you don’t have to handle hot peaches. Ingredients Needed for Canning Peaches ripe peaches – large lemon juice water sugar Fruit-Fresh What are the Best Peaches for Canning? I like to use the Elberta peaches that come on in September. They are a freestone variety and are easy to work with. Free-stone peaches slip right away from the pit, or stone. Clingstone peaches need to be cut away from the pit, which isn’t a problem either, it just takes a little more work. This recipe works with any traditional yellow varieties of peaches. Do not use white-flesh peaches with this canning method. According to the National Center for Home Food Preservation, white peaches are lower in acid than yellow peaches and are not safe to can.The most important thing is to use ripe peaches. If the peach is hard and greenish in color, wait a day or two to do your canning. I often can the ripe ones the first day and wait a day or two to can the rest when they have ripened. Canning Peaches in Light Syrup A light sugar syrup is really the best for canning peaches. Too much sugar can overpower the fresh flavor of the peaches. For my recipe, I use a 2:1 water to sugar ratio. I also use Fruit-Fresh, which contains citric acid, to keep my peaches looking bright and to prevent browning. I use 1 teaspoon of Fruit-Fresh per cup of syrup. Sterilizing the Canning Jars The best and easiest way I have found to sterilize my glass bottles for canning is to run them through a normal dishwasher cycle. I place the canning jar lids in a pot of warm water and simmer them until I’m ready to use them. Do Peaches Need To Be Pressure Canned? No, peaches are not required to be pressure canned. They can be canned using the water bath method or a steam canning method. Many people prefer pressure canning their peaches and that’s ok too! Yellow flesh peaches, in general, can be pressure canned at 6 pounds of pressure for 10 minutes below 2,000 feet in elevation. Be sure to check your pressure canning manual for exact pressure and times depending on your altitude. For Water Bath Canning Processing time for water bath canning peaches is 25 minutes for elevations of 0-1,000 feet. Check exact processing times for your elevation on the National Center for Home Food Preservation website. Tips For Canning Peaches To prevent browning, toss your peeled, sliced peaches with Fruit Fresh or a lemon juice mixture before canning (see how in recipe below). Blanch your peaches to easily peel peaches. Use a knife to easily pull the peels away from the fruit. Add a little lemon juice to each jar before adding the peaches to ensure you reach safe ph acidity levels for canning. Halved peaches take up for space in the jars than sliced. If you are planning on halving your peaches you may need to use more jars. EQUIPMENT 4 Sterilized Glass Quart Canning Jars and Lids (wide-mouth jars are easiest to use) Water Bath Canner Magnetic Lid Wand or Fork Previous Next