Make it Yourself: Nut Butters, Jams and Jellies

I was talking to the manager of a local grocery store a couple days ago and was told that the first snowstorm always brings a crazy amount of people into the store to start "stocking" up on supplies. When summer is moving into early fall food becomes a big topic of conversation. I have come to the conclusion that somehow evolution still has humanity thinking like a squirrel. You know----the store enough so you can make it through the winter way of thinking. How funny is it that we are still tuned into the way our great or even great-great-great grandparents had to live. Because our food can come from anywhere in the world we really no longer have to be bound by the rotation of the seasons for food, yet, by some deep down instinct, we are.

When I have baked or canned it is strictly for knowing that I grew this or I know where it comes from, therefore, I feel it's healthier, not because I am trying to "stock" up for winter. I want my family to know that I am doing this because I care for them.

If you are wanting to make your own nut butters there is nothing simpler to make. All you need is the type of nut, a food processor, a little bit of oil and a little bit of sugar or honey. That's it. If you want to make peanut butter get unsalted peanuts (this way you can control how much sodium goes in). Put the "s" blade into your food processor and add 1 cup of peanuts. Pulse for a few seconds and check to see if the peanuts are turning into peanut butter, if not, pulse some more. Add as many peanuts you wish until you have as much peanut butter as you want. If you want--add salt, sugar or honey, and a little oil until creamy. All of this is to taste. If you want crunchy peanut butter, just stop before it's all creamy.
If you want to increase the peanutty flavor toast the peanuts in a shallow pan at 300 degrees for 20 minutes before making peanut butter and let cool. This same application can be used for any nut butter you want to make. Simple, huh?

Strawberry Jam: 4 cups strawberries; 2 Tbsp. lemon juice; 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin; 1 cup cold water; 1/2 cup fructose. Bring strawberries and lemon juice to a boil, crushing the berries to cook in the juices. Reduce the heat and cook 5 minutes. Meanwhile dissolve gelatin in cold water and allow to stand 1 minute. Add gelatin mixture and fructose to strawberries, stir thoroughly and cook 3 minutes. Skim off foam, pour into jars, cover and refrigerate or freeze.

HINT: If you add a small amount of butter to the fruit while it's cooking it should eliminate foaming.

Blueberry Jam: 2 cup blueberries; 1/3 cup honey; 1 Tbsp. lemon juice; 1 tsp. gelatin dissolved in 2 Tbsp. cold water. Bring blueberries, honey and lemon juice to a rolling boil, reduce heat; add dissolved gelatin and cook 5 minutes. Mash blueberries with potato masher to desired consistency, pour into jar, cover and refrigerate.

Apple Butter: 4 cups aples, 2 cups apple juice; 1/3 cup honey; 1 tsp. cinnamon; 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. cloves; dash of salt. Combine all ingredients in food processor and process until smooth. Cook over low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until desired consistency is reached. Put into jars. Refrigerate and freeze or process by water bath for 10 minutes.

Peach Butter: 2 1/2 lb. fresh peaches or 2 (1 1/4 lb. pkgs) frozen, unsweetened peaches; 1/2 cup orange juice; 1/2 cup honey; 1/2 cup fructose; 2 tsp. cinnamon; 1/2 tsp. nutmeg; 1/2 tsp. cloves. Combine all ingredients, bring to a boil and simmer uncovered. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally f or 1 hour, then beat with a mixer until desired consistency is reached. Continue cooking and stirring up to 1 hour more, until peach butter has thickened. Pour into jars. Refrigerate and/or freeze.

Apple Jelly: 1 envelope gelatin; 1/4 cup fructose; 1 (6 oz.) can frozen apple juice concentrate. Stir together gelatin and fructose. Add water to concentrate to equal two cups and combine with gelatin mixture in saucepan. Bring to a boil making sure gelatin has dissolved. Reduce heat to low and cook 3 minutes only; cool slightly, then pour into jars. Store in refrigerator or freezer.

Grape Jelly: 2 1/2 cups unsweetened grape juice; 3/4 cup fructose; 1 envelope unflavored gelatin. Pour grape juice into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, combine fructose and gelatin; stir into grape juice and make certain it dissolves. After mixture has begun to boil, reduce heat and simmer on low for 3 minutes. Cool slightly and pour into jars.

Green Tomato Raspberry Jam: 5 cups green tomatoes; 5 cups sugar; 2 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice; 2 (3 oz.) pkgs raspberry jello. Run tomatoes through blender or food processor to measure 5 cups. In large kettle, combine everything except jello. Boil 15 minutes, stirring often. Add jello and stir until all is dissolved. Put in jars and refrigerate, freeze or can by water bath method.

Rhubarb Jam: 5 cups rhubarb, cut fine; 1 cup water; 5 cups sugar; 1 can cherry pie filling; 2 (3 oz.) pkgs. cherry jello. Combine rhubarb, water and sugar; cook until tender. Add cherry pie filling; cook 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and add cherry jello. Stir well until jello is dissolved. Put in jars, refrigerate, freeze or process by water bath method.

HINT: Before storing: let jellied fruit products stand at least 8 hours at room temperature to avoid breaking the gel.

Almond-Apricot Jam: 2 lbs. ripe apricots; 3 cups sugar; 1/3 cup lemon juice; 1/2 cup sliced almonds; 1/2 tsp. almond extract. Pit and chop apricots; measure 4 cups fruit. In large saucepan, combine apricots, sugar and lemon juice. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil hard, stirring constantly 5 minutes or until syrup sheets off a metal spoon. Remove from heat. Stir in thin sliced almonds and almond extract. Stir for 5 minutes, skimming foam from surface. Pour into hot, clean jelly glasses or jars and seal. Refrigerate, freeze or process in water bath canner.

Chokecherry Jelly: 4 cups chokecherry juice; 1 pkg. Sure-Jell; 5 cups sugar. Add Sure-Jel to chokecherry juice. Bring to a rolling boil for 2 minutes. Add 5 cups of sugar; bring back to rolling boil for 9 more minutes. Seal in jars, refrigerate, freeze or process by water bath.

The following recipes are from my grandmother's time, from ladies who lived through the first depression and knew how to stretch every cent they had. These recipes have been around a loooonnnng time:

Mulberry Jelly: 1 quart ripe mulberries; 1 quart unripe mulberries; 2 cups water; sugar (amount equal with juice). In a saucepan, combine berries and water; simmer until soft. Strain through a cheesecloth. Measure juice. Add equal amount of sugar. Boil for 4 minutes, test spoon to see if jelly runs off and coats spoon. Pour into sterile jars and seal. Refrigerate, freeze or process in waterbath canner.

Rose Hip Jelly: 1 cup rose hips; 2 cups water; 1 cup apple juice; 1 box pectin; 4 1/2 cups sugar. Pick blossom end off rose hips. Wash rose hips in coldwater. Add water and boil 15 minutes. Mash rose hips with potato masher and simmer 10 minutes. Set aside for 24 hours in a stainless steel pan or a crock. Reheat juice and strain. To 2 1/2 cups of juice, add apple juice and pectin. Bring mixture to a boil; add sugar and boil rapidly for 4 minutes or until it sheets from spoon. Skim, pour in jelly jars and seal.

Beet Jelly: 3 cups beet juice; 4 cups sugar; 1/4 cup lemon juice; 1 pkg. Sure-Jel. Boil beets with skins on until tender. Use beets for beet pickles. Bring beet juice and Sure-Jel to hard, rolling boil. Add sugar and bring again to hard, rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute. Skim, put in jars and seal.

Simple Tomato Jam: 3 cups ripe tomatoes, peeled and cut up; 2 cups sugar. Cook tomatoes and sugar for 12 minutes. Remove from stove and add 1 box lemon or orange jello. Refrigerate.

Peach Jam: 4 lbs. peaches; 4 lbs. sugar; 1 large bottle maraschino cherries; 2 large oranges. Cut up peaches, cook 10 minutes after coming to a boil. Add sugar and the oranges (ground fine). Cook 20 minutes after reaching another boil. Add cherries, which have been cut in half and cook 10 minutes. It is so easy to make and never fails. (Isn't it funny how recipes are written down? I guess that is why we are supposed to read the whole thing before anything is done).

Orange-Zucchini Marmalade: 5 cups sugar; 5 cups shredded or grated zucchini; 2 oranges plus zest of another orange, ground. 3 Tbsp. lemon juice; 6 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate; 6 oz. pkg. orange jello. Put sugar, zucchini, ground oranges, peel, lemon juice and orange juice concentrate into a large kettle. Boil gently for 10-12 minutes and keep stirring. Remove from heat and add jello. Stir well to dissolve and let cool slightly. Pour into containers. Can be kept in refrigerator or frozen.