Homemade Applesauce: Slow Cooker Style

Growing up, I don’t remember either of my parents making homemade applesauce. That isn’t to say they didn’t do it, but I certainly have no memory of it. It wasn’t until I was almost entirely through college that I even realized canning and preserving food was something commonplace. I didn’t start my own journey with homegrown and preserved food until late into my twenties, after my son was born. 

After we purchased our home in 2009, we immediately set to work to plant a garden and get trees started for our own mini orchard. At that point, I still had no idea where my future in home preservation was headed. My in-laws are avid canners and freezers of food they produce in their garden. I don’t know if it was a push by my husband or a curiosity of mine, but I became interested. Slowly, I started by canning pickles and jams. Then tomato sauce. Then my in-laws brought me bushels of apples from their own orchard (ours are JUST starting to produce enough to preserve them. For now, we eat ours and preserve gifted apples). I became interested in making homemade applesauce. Then apple jelly and apple pie filling. 

Now, I’ve learned that preserving homemade applesauce doesn’t have to look like canning it (although I like to do a little of both). It can look like freezing it, which is a little less daunting for many. And while I love a low simmer on the stove, a slow cooker does the trick and takes the pressure off of worrying if it’s going to burn. Big win, right? 

So if you’re ready, I am excited to share my homemade applesauce recipe for freezing. 

Your Ingredients for HOmemade AppleSauce

  • 8-9 pounds of apples (between 27-36 apples)
  • 2-3 cinnamon sticks (optional) 
  • 1 cup of water 

Note: I never add sugar. Apples are sweet enough on their own that I don’t think you need it. If you want to add sugar, I recommend starting low, say, ½ cup. You can add it later, but you can’t unsweeten applesauce after you add it. 

Directions for Slow cooker Applesauce

Gather a bowl and a 7-8 quart slow cooker. Peel, core, and slice your apples. Place the scraps in the bowl for Apple Scrap Jelly (yes, you didn’t know you were also making jelly, but here you are, getting ready to!). Set aside (or compost them if you must.) 

Place the sliced apples in the slow cooker. Add cinnamon sticks and water. Set on high for 3-4 hours. Every 30 minutes or so, stir and mash a bit with a potato masher or pastry cutter to break down the apples. Cook until apples are soft. 

Remove the cinnamon sticks. Now, you have a decision to make: chunky or smooth? 

Chunky Applesauce? Continue to mash with the potato masher until you like the texture. 

Smooth Applesauce? Hit it with an immersion blender until you get the texture you love. 

Allow to cool for approximately an hour. Ladle cooled applesauce into freezer safe containers (I love these container from Arrow). Label and store in the freezer. My mom likes to ladle her applesauce into freezer bags. She likes that they lay flat in the freezer. You do you. (Yes, I know I started by saying my mom didn’t preserve food. She does now. Maybe I inspired her?) 

This recipe should result in about 6 pints of applesauce. 

Fresh, beautiful apples
Cooked down and mashed.
Blended with that immersion blender!
Freezer bags work great!
But so do containers…
Or sometimes you just have to eat it right away!

Tools of the Trade

In my post, I talk about my immersion blender (a favorite tool of mine!), my Arrow freezer containers (a go to for apples, portioned leftovers, apple pie filling, and so much more!), and I love my Crock pot. I mean, you can’t go wrong!

Slow Cooker Applesauce

Apple season equals time for homemade applesauce! Get out the slow cooker and some freezer safe containers and get set to create!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Preserving
Servings 6 pints

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 8-9 pounds of apples between 27-36 apples
  • 2-3 cinnamon sticks optional
  • 1 cup of water

Instructions
 

  • Peel, core, and slice your apples. Place in the slow cooker.
  • Add cinnamon sticks and water. Set on high for 3-4 hours.
  • Every 30 minutes or so, stir and mash a bit with a potato masher or pastry cutter to break down the apples. Cook until apples are soft.
  • Remove the cinnamon sticks.
  • If you prefer chunky applesauce, continue to mash with the potato masher until preferred texture. If you prefer smooth applesauce, blend with an immersion blender.
  • Allow to cool for approximately an hour. Ladle cooled applesauce into freezer safe containers. Label and freeze.

Notes

I never add sugar. Apples are sweet enough on their own that I don’t think you need it. If you want to add sugar, I recommend starting low, say, ½ cup. You can add it later, but you can’t unsweeten applesauce after you add it.
Keyword apple and cinnamon, apples, applesauce, freezer meals, preserving
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment

Spiced Pumpkin Muffins

Gosh, I have to tell you, fall is my favorite season. I love the change in colors. Jeans and sweatshirt weather while the sun is still shining. Brisk mornings and sort of warm afternoons. All wonderful, right? And the flavors! It’s soup season and apples are ripening. So many wonderful things, including these spiced pumpkin muffins. 

If you’ve followed me for a while, you know I dig making a recipe a touch healthier by substituting maple syrup for regular sugar. I love homegrown ingredients, so of course this was made from pumpkin I roasted (Have you never? You must try! Get the recipe for Roasted Pumpkin here!). And the warming spices. So good in the fall, right? And I don’t know about you, but there’s something so autumn about baking fresh goodies for your friends and family on the weekends.

Okay, enough chatter, let’s get baking some delicious spiced pumpkin muffins! 

Your Ingredients

  • 1 cup pumpkin puree, canned or home roasted
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons oil 
  • ⅓ cup maple syrup 
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla 
  • 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • ¾ cup oats 
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg 
  • ¼ teaspoon ginger
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves 
  • ½ cup chocolate chips or nuts (optional) 

Your Directions to Spiced Pumpkin Muffins

In a large bowl, combine pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, and maple syrup. Whisk until well combined. Add flour, oats, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Mix until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips or nuts if adding. 

Spoon into greased muffin tins, approximately ⅓ cup in each, about ¾ of the way full. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until muffins spring back when touched. Allow to cool five minutes in the pan. Then remove and place on a cooling rack to finish.

  • Liquid ingredients combine with
  • dry ingredients to create
  • delicious muffins!
  • Let’s eat!

Spiced Pumpkin Muffins

Simple and zero refined sugar, these spiced pumpkin muffins are a great recipe for a fall baking weekend!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 12 muffins

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup pumpkin puree canned or home roasted
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • ⅓ cup maple syrup
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • ¾ cup oats
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ginger
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ cup chocolate chips or nuts optional

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line or spray muffin tin with non stick cooking spray.
  • In a large bowl, combine pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, and maple syrup. Whisk until well combined.
  • Add flour, oats, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Mix until just combined.
  • Fold in chocolate chips or nuts if desired.
  • Spoon into muffin tins, approximately ⅓ cup in each, about ¾ of the way full.
  • Bake at for 15-20 minutes, until muffins spring back when touched.
Keyword Breakfast, muffins, pumpkin, quick breads
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment

Silver Dollar Yeast Rolls

Remember when a pandemic hit the world, and lots of families picked one family member to be the official grocery shopper to limit exposure? I do. And that shopper at our house happened to be my husband. As a high school teacher, I was teaching from home and watching my kiddos at the same time. I was also very focused on still creating great food. But when the Mr. was at work, I had to work with the ingredients we had on hand. I had a meal in mind that needed rolls and alas, we didn’t have any. Solution? Bake your own from scratch Silver Dollar Yeast Rolls. 

Now, when we have guests, my husband specifically requests these rolls because they really are that good. Not only have I used them for sloppy joes, but pulled venison, and I have even formed them into brat buns. 

Oh hey, and if you’re interested in an awesome Sloppy Joe recipe, check it out by clicking here! I originally made these rolls for my Sloppy Joes, but thought they deserved their own recipe!

Your ingredients Silver Dollar Yeast Rolls

  • 1 tablespoon instant yeast
  • 1 cup hot water (110-115 degrees Fahrenheit)
  • 3 tablespoons sugar 
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2-3 tablespoons butter, divided (1 tablespoon softened and remaining melted to brush on top of the rolls prior to baking)

Your Steps

In a stand mixer bowl, add yeast, sugar, and hot water. Allow to proof for five minutes. Stir in egg, flour, salt, and one tablespoon softened butter. From here, allow stand mixer to mix the ingredients on a low speed for 4 minutes, until a soft dough is formed. Cover the bowl and allow to rest and rise for an hour and a half.

After the dough has risen, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Cut dough into 9-16 equal pieces, depending on your family likes their rolls. We dig smaller rolls, we we went for 16. Place on a jelly roll pan lined in parchment paper or silicone cookie sheet liners. Cover and allow them to rest an additional hour, until they double in size.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Uncover rolls and brush with melted butter (sprinkle with sesame seeds? I mean, that would be fun!). Bake for 15-18 minutes. Then take in just how good your house smells and revel in the fact that you just made homemade rolls that are SO MUCH BETTER than store bought, I promise!

Yeast, sugar and water. So fun!
Science is cool. Check the yeast growth.
Add the flour!
Mix it up and let it rest.
Cut into 9-16 rolls.
Rise once more and brush with butter.
DELISH!

Silver Dollar Yeast Rolls

No rolls? No problem. Mix up a batch of homemade silver dollar yeast rolls for your meal today. I'll bet you'll be amazed at how easy and delicious!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Rest Time 1 hour
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Bread
Servings 12 rolls

Equipment

  • Mixer

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon instant yeast
  • 1 cup hot water 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 large egg beaten
  • 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2-3 tablespoons butter divided (1 tablespoon softened and remaining melted to brush on top of the rolls prior to baking)

Instructions
 

  • In a stand mixer bowl, add yeast, sugar, and hot water. Allow to proof for five minutes.
  • Stir in egg, flour, salt, and one tablespoon softened butter. From here, allow stand mixer to mix the ingredients on a low speed for 4 minutes, until a soft dough is formed.
  • Cover the bowl and allow to rest and rise for an hour and a half.
  • After the dough has risen, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
  • Cut dough into 9-16 equal pieces, depending on your family likes their rolls.
  • Place on a jelly roll pan lined in parchment paper or silicone cookie sheet liners.
  • Cover and allow them to rest an additional hour, until they double in size.
  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Uncover rolls and brush with melted butter. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until golden brown.
Keyword Bread, Rolls, Yeast
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Jess1 Comment

Warm Your Soul apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

Generally speaking, I am an overnight oatmeal kind of gal. I love that you can prep five servings in five minutes flat on a Sunday evening and be set for the work week. There are so many good for you ingredients in overnight oatmeal: old fashioned oats, chia seeds, honey, cinnamon, almond milk. But sometimes, a good old fashioned bowl of warm, cooked on the stove top oatmeal hits the spot, especially on the weekends. This warm your soul apple cinnamon oatmeal still has the simplicity in terms of mixing together, but is full of big flavor and is perfect as the weather gets cooler. 

While I am going to give you the measurements and all the ingredients, please know that this is a great recipe to play around with. Have some blueberries laying around? Toss those in. Want to give almond extract a try instead of vanilla? Do it! Want to skip the crunch of walnuts? Hey, go for it, I won’t judge.

Here’s the low down on the ingredients to Warm Your Soul Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal!

Your Ingredients (for one serving)

  • ¾ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or your favorite milk of choice)
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup 
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt 
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon 
  • ⅓ cup diced apples
  • ½ cup old fashioned oats

Your Steps to Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

In a small soup kettle, combine the almond milk, syrup, vanilla, and walnuts. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Lower to a simmer. Stir in the apples, oats, and cinnamon. Simmer for five minutes and serve. 

Pro tip: Start the milk mixture on medium heat, go finish your bathroom routine (makeup and the like), and then add the oatmeal. By the time the rest of your breakfast is done, you’ll be done too!

  • Mix it up!
  • Get ready to add!
  • Simmering!
  • Delish!

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

Seven ingredients combine in this warm your soul apple cinnamon oatmeal perfect for cool mornings. Let's get cooking these classic flavors!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 minute
Cook Time 8 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 1 serving

Ingredients
  

  • ¾ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk or your favorite milk of choice
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ⅓ cup diced apples
  • ½ cup old fashioned oats

Instructions
 

  • In a small soup kettle, combine the almond milk, syrup, vanilla, walnuts, and pinch of salt.
  • Bring to a boil over medium high heat.
  • Lower to a simmer. Stir in the apples, oats, and cinnamon. Simmer for five minutes and serve.
Keyword apple and cinnamon, apples, Breakfast, dairy free, Gluten Free, oatmeal
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment

Milk and Honey Sourdough Bread

Gosh, I adore sourdough bread. I love watching the starter grow when it gets fed. I feel good about the food I am feeding my family when I serve them bread with three to four ingredients rather than a list of things I can’t pronounce. For years, I did a simple water, flour, salt dough. My kiddos ate it, but they yearned for something better for sandwiches. Something less dense with a little more flavor. I did some research, and have started baking a delicious milk and honey sourdough bread that I am so excited to share with you. 

But first, can I share a SHORT story with you? 

A few years ago, I decided to make a list of 33 random things to do while I was 33. They varied from bake a fruit tart, to compete in a sprint triathlon, go to a concert, visit three new state parks, etc. It was so much fun to challenge myself to try new and fun things I wouldn’t normally do. One item on the list that truly changed my life was, “take a class at one of two foundations in town.” Initially, I took a Restorative Yoga class, which led me to the instructor, which lead me to her studio, and now, I get to lead barre classes 2-4 times a week. This has brought a beautiful community of women into my life that I am grateful for every day. 

I also took a class on sourdough baking put on by Sunrise Flour Mill. And honestly, I knew nothing about sourdough. I knew some people loved it, but had no idea how it was created, baked, anything. The idea of a sourdough starter was foreign to me. But I took a little portion cup of my starter I fondly called “Fred,” and got to work. I made terrible bread. Then I made beautiful bread. I played with sourdough bagels, crackers, tortillas. I made all the things, and I am at a point in my life and gut health that I strive to only eat bread products that I have created. 

Why do I share?  

Because this little list that I was inspired to create truly has molded my life in a way I never could have imagined. I am a teacher at heart, but never thought I would lead fitness classes. I love to bake, but never had heard of sourdough in my life. It led me to buying flour from the natural food store and having better, whole foods in my home for my family. If you at all feel inspired, make yourself a list for a year and do some wonderful and out of your comfort zone things. Future you will thank you. 

But this is a blog post about a delicious milk and honey sourdough bread that I am beyond excited to share with you. Ready to get preparing? I hope so! Oh, and you say you don’t have a sourdough starter? Check out King Arthur’s Flour for a great recipe!

Your Ingredients for Milk and Honey Sourdough Bread

  • 250 grams fresh and active sourdough starter 
  • 300 grams bread flour 
  • 50 grams whole wheat flour (you need a little whole wheat in your life)
  • 250 grams white all purpose flour
  • 20 grams kosher salt
  • 400 grams skim milk 
  • 40 grams honey 

Determining Your Time Line

If your starter hasn’t been doubled in the last 12-24 hours, be sure to start there. I usually do this the morning I am going to put it together or in the evening if I want to mix it up in the morning. The thing about sourdough is that it takes time and determining how to fit it into your schedule can be the hardest part. Here’s what has worked for me: 

If you want to bake in the late morning: 

The morning before, double the starter. 

The evening before, you will mix the dough. It will rest overnight. (Mixing and folding the dough will need about 40 minutes of time, but can be done while you are doing other things)

The morning of, do the final folding of the dough about 2-3 hours before you want to bake it. 

If you want to bake in the evening: 

The evening before, double the starter. 

The morning of, you will mix the dough. It will rest overnight. (Mixing and folding the dough will need about 40 minutes of time but can be done while you’re getting ready for the day)

The evening of, do the final folding of the dough about 2-3 hours before you want to bake it. 

Your Steps to Delicious Milk and Honey Sourdough Bread

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl with a cover (plastic wrap or bees wraps would work too)  Mix together with hands that have been run under water and then shaken off, but not dried (damp hands?). And I have to say, truth be told, I have forgotten the salt more than I care to admit because I can mix this by memory. Don’t do that! It’s amazing what 20 little grams of salt does to bread. 

Allow the dough to rest, covered, for 10-15 minutes. It WILL be very wet. After the 15 minutes has finished, fold in the “corners” (think, north, south, east, west) of the bed to the center with damp hands. I keep one hand wet and it does the folding the and the other hand spins the bowl. Repeat this process 4-5 times, every 5-10 minutes. (“Alexa, set a timer for 5 minutes” is heard at our house so often. But if you miss the 5 minute mark for any reason, it’s very forgiving.) Cover and allow the rest approximately 12 hours. 

Note: My dough generally rests overnight or during the work day. If you need to speed up the process, find a warmer spot for your dough to hang out. I have set it on the porch on a warm, humid day and had bread ready to go in 5 hours. You can slow it down by putting it in the fridge. 

About 12 hours later

Uncover the dough. Fold in the corners once more. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Heavily flour a surface (I LOVE to have an old, large spice container for this. It’s a must in the kitchen for a baker). With damp hands, lift the dough out of the container and onto the flour. Cut into two equal pieces (I use a turner in a pinch if you don’t have a pastry scraper). Fold the top and bottom of each piece in. Allow to rest 5-10 minutes. With damp hands, repeat this process, flipping the seam onto the table, resting once more. Place loaves into greased bread pans, cover with a towel, and allow to rest until doubled. I generally preheat my oven at this point, and allow the loaves to rest on a burner that is NOT the vent. This speeds up the doubling process just a little bit. 

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place bread in oven, baking for 30 minutes. If your oven bakes unevenly at all, rotate the bread half way through. 

Now, I challenge you to take it out of the oven and NOT cut right into it. I can’t help it, every time. Fresh bread is just the best. Get a little butter, or homemade jam from my canning page, and man, life is so good. It’s the simple, little things, right? 

A food scale is a must!
Add the milk
and then the honey!
Mix it with one hand. Keep the other clean.
Fold it in 5-10 times.
After a little rest.
Getting ready to be baked.
Perfection.

Tools of the Trade

Here are a few tools I love to have around when I am baking sourdough!

Dough scrappers are great for not only cutting the dough, but cleaning the mess off the table and getting the dough out of the bowl.

I love that this scale is rechargeable. I can’t tell you how often I used to take out my kitchen scale only to find that the battery was dead and I didn’t have another one on hand. No more waste!

And my go to bread pans. I love bannetons too, but when I am baking sandwich bread, these are the pans I use!

Milk and Honey Sourdough Bread

A simple, seven ingredient milk and honey sourdough bread that is ready for sandwiches, jelly, and more!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Rest TIme 12 hours
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Sourdough
Servings 2 loaves

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 250 grams fresh and active sourdough starter
  • 300 grams bread flour
  • 50 grams whole wheat flour
  • 250 grams white all purpose flour
  • 20 grams kosher salt
  • 400 grams skim milk
  • 40 grams honey

Instructions
 

  • Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl with a cover. Mix together with hands that have been run under water and then shaken off, but not dried.
  • Allow the dough to rest, covered, for 10-15 minutes. It be very wet.
  • After the 15 minutes has finished, fold in the “corners” (think, north, south, east, west) of the bed to the center with damp hands.
  • I keep one hand wet and it does the folding the and the other hand spins the bowl. Repeat this process 4-5 times, every 5-10 minutes.
  • Cover and allow the rest approximately 12 hours.
  • Uncover the dough. Fold in the corners once more. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.
  • Heavily flour a surface With damp hands, lift the dough out of the container and onto the flour.
  • Cut into two equal pieces. Fold the top and bottom of each piece in. Allow to rest 5-10 minutes.
  • With damp hands, repeat this process, flipping the seam onto the table, resting once more.
  • Place loaves into greased bread pans, cover with a towel, and allow to rest until doubled on a preheating stove (400 degrees), but away from the vent.
  • Place bread in oven, baking for 30 minutes. If your oven bakes unevenly at all, rotate the bread half way through.
Keyword sandwich bread, sourdough, sourdough baking
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Jess1 Comment

Garden Fresh Tomato Sauce

Canning and preserving from my garden is my jam all summer long. I love the color, the flavor, the dirt under my nails and ALLL the mason jars. Seriously, there isn’t much better than a line of mason jars that are full of the garden’s bounty. I remember when I first started planting our garden, my theory was, “Plant all the plants. The worst thing that happens is that some of the food goes to the chickens, our friends, or the compost pile.” But I love to fill our shelves and freezer with food we grew, so it rarely goes to waste. One of my favorite things to preserve is garden fresh tomato sauce. 

After trying a few different recipes, I developed this lower yield recipe (15 pounds really is a lower yield! Check out any Ball Canning Book to see!). I hear you saying, “But Jess! I don’t have 15 pounds of tomatoes ready at any time and I don’t go to the farmer’s market!”. I’ve got your back with a great solution: The freezer.

The Hack

I rarely have enough tomatoes ripe at one time for 15 pounds. If you are like me, let me share the trick that was an immediate love for me: When you have a large amount of ripe tomatoes on the counter, stem, wash, and dry them. From here, place the tomatoes in a freezer safe container or bag. I like to label them with their weight ahead of time. When you are ready for canning, simply take the bags out a day or two ahead of time to thaw (or you can place them in the sink with warm water to speed up the process). 

This method is awesome for two reasons: 

  1. You can use your own tomatoes, even if you don’t have a ton of plants. They won’t rot on your counter waiting. 
  2. When the tomatoes thaw, the skins come right off. I like to can my sauce with the skin (so many of the nutrients are there!), but it is nice to get rid of a few of them. 

Regardless of how you come by your tomatoes (friends, farmer’s market, your own dirt), let’s get going with some great garden fresh tomato sauce! Oh, and if you plan on canning it and are new to it, check out the National Center for Home Preservation Site for more information! 

Your Ingredients For Garden Fresh Tomato Sauce

  • 15 pounds of tomatoes, cleaned and roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil 
  • 2 cups onions
  • 3 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 1 cup fresh basil, chopped
  • ½ cup fresh oregano
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pepper 
  • 1 tablespoon canning salt 

Your Steps to Garden Fresh Tomato Sauce

Cooking

Begin by heating olive oil over medium heat in a sauté pan. Add onions and garlic. Cook until translucent and soft, about ten minutes, stirring often. 

In a large kettle, combine onion mixture, chopped tomatoes, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Continue to simmer over medium heat, stirring often. 

Pro tip

As the sauce is cooking down, you will have a lot of liquid that you are simmering off. You can cut your cook time significantly by bailing out this liquid using a colander and measuring cup. Push the colander down onto the tomatoes, forcing the liquid up. Then use the measuring cup to ladle it out. You can simply dump it or save it as a light tomato juice. I ladle it into mason jars and save it in the fridge for my husband. 

After the tomatoes have begun to break down (about 30-60 minutes later), puree them. I like to use my stick blender to do this. It means less dishes to clean! Alternatively, you can transfer it to a food mill to puree. Once totally in sauce form, continue to cook down until the volume of the sauce has reduced to about one-half the original amount. 

Canning

While the tomatoes are cooking down, you can begin to prepare your canner and jars if you plan on processing them. (If you want to simply place the sauce in the freezer, that’s totally okay. You can transfer it to freezer safe containers or bags and freeze once cool.)

Wash and sanitize pint or quart jars, rings, and lids. Keep warm. Fill the canner with enough water to cover the jars by at least 2 inches of water. Cover and heat on high. Watch the temperature, you want a simmer but not a boil when you place the jars in the water. 

Once the sauce and canner are ready, you can begin to fill the jars. To be sure there is enough acid to have self stable jars, you must add citric acid or bottled lemon juice. 

  • Add ¼ teaspoon citric acid or 1 tablespoon lemon juice to pint jars. 
  • Add ½ teaspoon citric acid or 2 tablespoons lemon juice to quart jars. 

Finish it up!

Ladle the hot tomato sauce into jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Wipe rims of the jars with a damp cloth, add lids and rings, tightening to fingertip tight. Place in the canner, increasing the heat to high. Once the canner reaches a boil, process pint jars 35 minutes or quart jars 40 minutes. Remove from heat and allow jars to cool in the canner over 5 minutes. Then remove jars from the canner, placing them on the counter. Listen for the ping of the lids over the next 12 hours. Sealed jars are self-stable. If any jar doesn’t seal, simply place it right in the refrigerator and enjoy over the next week or so. 

Onions and garlic. Perhaps the best smell?
I adore all the color!
Slowly cooking down.
Getting so much closer!
Bailing it out is such a hack!
Blended and cooked down!
Get the jars ready!
Almost there!
Delicious!

Looking to preserve more of your garden? Check out my canning and preserving page by clicking the button!

Canning and Preserving

Tools of the Trade

I adore my immersion blender for all things canning when I need to blend. Canning tools are a must and what is canning if you don’t have a waterbath canner?

Garden Fresh Tomato Sauce

Basil, oregano, and garlic flavor this great tomato sauce
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Processing Time 40 minutes
Course dinner
Cuisine Canning
Servings 3 quarts

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 15 pounds of tomatoes cleaned and roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cups onions
  • 3 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 1 cup fresh basil chopped
  • ½ cup fresh oregano
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pepper
  • 1 tablespoon canning salt

Instructions
 

  • Begin by heating olive oil over medium heat in a sauté pan. Add onions and garlic. Cook until translucent and soft, about ten minutes, stirring often.
  • In a large kettle, combine onion mixture, chopped tomatoes, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Continue to simmer over medium heat, stirring often.
  • After the tomatoes have begun to break down (about 30-60 minutes later), puree them. A stick blender or food mill works well. Once totally in sauce form, continue to cook down until the volume of the sauce has reduced to about one-half the original amount.
  • While the tomatoes are cooking down, you can begin to prepare your canner and jars if you plan on processing them. (If you want to simply place the sauce in the freezer, that’s totally okay. You can transfer it to freezer safe containers or bags and freeze once cool.)
  • Wash and sanitize pint or quart jars, rings, and lids. Keep warm. Fill the canner with enough water to cover the jars by at least 2 inches of water. Cover and heat on high. Watch the temperature, you want a simmer but not a boil when you place the jars in the water.
  • Once the sauce and canner are ready, you can begin to fill the jars. To be sure there is enough acid to have self stable jars, you must add citric acid or bottled lemon juice.
  • Add ¼ teaspoon citric acid or 1 tablespoon lemon juice to pint jars. Add ½ teaspoon citric acid or 2 tablespoons lemon juice to quart jars.
  • Ladle the hot tomato sauce into jars, leaving ½ inch headspace.
  • Wipe rims of the jars with a damp cloth, add lids and rings, tightening to fingertip tight. Place in the canner, increasing the heat to high.
  • Once the canner reaches a boil, process pint jars 35 minutes or quart jars 40 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and allow jars to cool in the canner over 5 minutes. Then remove jars from the canner, placing them on the counter.

Notes

As the sauce is cooking down, you will have a lot of liquid that you are simmering off. You can cut your cook time significantly by bailing out this liquid using a colander and measuring cup. Push the colander down onto the tomatoes, forcing the liquid up. Then use the measuring cup to ladle it out. You can simply dump it or save it as a light tomato juice.
Keyword Canning, from the garden, preserving, tomato sauce, tomatoes
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment

Wild Grape Jelly

I am so excited to share my wild grape jelly with all of you! It’s just three simple ingredients that you likely have and didn’t even know! But before I get there, I want to share a habit I have that led to this fun recipe! 

About five years ago, the Mr. and I started a routine of grabbing a cup of coffee and walking around our orchard on top of the hill on our land. We did it right before I left for work, saying good morning to our trees and plants. That little walkabout gradually turned into a ½ mile walk, which grew to 2 miles, and is now generally a 2.5-4 mile walk every morning. It’s so special and a pivotal part of our marriage; we make big plans, fight, discuss our children, our dreams, everything. 

Our walks have added a lot of value to our lives beyond helping our marriage be the best it can be. I have learned a crazy amount about the plants and animals we see along the way. I can identify at least ten different plants that can be foraged from the side of the road, including the wild grape. (You should hear our conversations…here’s just a bit of it: 

Me: What’s that plant? 

Mr: It’s ‘fill in the blank.’ 

Me: I think you can eat that! 

Mr: Just because you can eat it doesn’t mean you need to. Or sometimes, “I love you honey.” 

Anywho, the Mr. doesn’t discourage the wild grapes. He just reminds me that if I want to make wild grape jelly, I need to get to them before the birds do. Many of the wild grape vines don’t seem to produce fruit, but you know I am always on the lookout. The moment I find some, I go in for the harvest. The grapes that grow here are perfectly tart; think blueberries that have been harvested just a hair too early. And that makes them delicious and the perfect candidate for wild grape jelly. 

And great news! This recipe is VERY flexible in terms of quantity. Whatever you harvest is what you can work with. (Be sure you are finding wild grapes and not a poisonous look alike. Wild grapes will have heart shaped leaves with serrated edges. While I am not from Missouri, there Department of Conservation has a great website on identifying animals and plants in the field.)

Your Ingredients For Wild Grape Jelly

  • wild grapes, rinsed and removed from the stem 
  • sugar (½ cup for every cup of juice after straining)
  • lemon juice (½ tablespoon for every cup of juice after straining)

Begin Boiling 

Place the rinsed and stemmed grapes in a kettle. You can add a few tablespoons of water here to help prevent sticking. Heat over medium-high heat, using a potato masher or wooden fermentation tapper to break them down. A large spoon would also work, but I love my tapper and I don’t even ferment food yet. 

Once the grapes have come to a boil and sufficiently broken down, remove from heat. From here, you have a few options: 

  • Strain through a few layers of cheese cloth, collecting the liquid in a liquid measuring cup. 
  • Rest a small holed strainer over a bowl and use the tapper once more to force as much liquid and pulp through the strainer, being mindful to have holes smaller than the seeds of the grape. (This is the option I go with)

If you haven’t already, pour the grape juice into a liquid measuring cup to determine the amount of sugar and lemon juice you should add. 

Place the juice in a large kettle. For every cup of liquid, stir in ½ cup sugar and a ½ tablespoon lemon juice. Begin to heat over medium-high heat, stirring often. Your end goal is to reach the gelling point. There are lots of tests for this, but I prefer the temperature test. If you are at sea level, the gelling point is at 220 degrees. For every 1000 feet of elevation, you subtract 2 degrees. For me, the gelling point is 218 degrees. Don’t have a decent food thermometer? Check out the National Center for Home Preservation website for other ways of testing for the gelling point. 

It takes longer to reach the gelling point than I think it should. It also goes from needing 3 degrees to reaching the gelling point fast. You can get complacent while you are waiting and suddenly hit the temperature, so I am trying to warn you 🙂 

While the jelly is boiling, begin to prepare your water bath canner and jars if you plan on processing them. (If you want to simply place the jelly in the fridge after it hits the gelling point, that’s 100% okay. You don’t need to process it. However, if you want it self-stable, you should process in a waterbath canner.)

Canning Time!

Wash and sanitize jars, rings, and lids. Keep warm. Fill the canner with enough water to cover the jars by at least 2 inches of water. Cover and heat on high. Watch the temperature, you want a simmer but not a boil when you place the jars in the water. 

Once the wild grape jelly has reached the gelling point, remove from heat. Ladle into prepared jars, leaving ¼  inch head space. Wipe rims of the jars with a damp cloth, add lids and rings, tightening to fingertip tight. Place in the canner, increasing the heat to high. Once the canner reaches a boil, process for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow jars to cool in the canner over 5 minutes. Remove from canner, placing on the counter. Listen for the ping of the lids over the next 12 hours. Sealed jars are self stable. If any jar doesn’t seal, simply place it right in the refrigerator. 

PS…To be especially awesome, have some fresh baked bread on hand to spread the left over wild grape jelly in the kettle on a slice. Enjoy while the rest of the jelly is in the water bath. I promise, you’ll thank me.

First, harvest from the field.
Then smash them up!
Get that beautiful juice and pulp.
Check that color!
Boil, boil away to get to the boiling point.
I just love a cutting board picture!
Finally, perfection!

Tools of the Trade

If you haven’t gotten one yet, you’ll want a nice kettle for water bath canning! While not necessary, a set of canning tools makes the process so much easier. And finally, a fermentation tamper actually works GREAT for all sorts of canning processes!

Wild Grape Jelly

Foraged wild grapes from the woods come together with some sugar and lemon juice to create a tart and delicious wild grape jelly!
5 from 3 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Course Breakfast
Cuisine Canning
Servings 12 per jar

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup grape juice per 1/2 pint jar
  • 1/2 cup sugar per 1/2 pint jar
  • 1/2 tbsp lemon juice per 1/2 pint jar

Instructions
 

  • Place the rinsed and stemmed grapes in a kettle. You can add a few tablespoons of water here to help prevent sticking. Heat over medium-high heat, using a potato masher or wooden fermentation tapper to break them down.
  • Once the grapes have come to a boil and have sufficiently broken down, either strain through a cheese cloth into a liquid measuring cup or run through a mesh strainer using the tapper or a spoon to force as much liquid and pulp through.
  • Pour grape juice into a liquid measuring cup to determine the amount of sugar and lemon juice you should add.
  • Wash and sanitize jars, rings, and lids. Keep warm. Fill the canner with enough water to cover the jars by at least 2 inches of water. Cover and heat on high. Watch the temperature, you want a simmer but not a boil when you place the jars in the water.
  • Place the juice in a large kettle. For every cup of liquid, stir in ½ cup sugar and a ½ tablespoon lemon juice. Begin to heat over medium-high heat, stirring often. Begin to heat over medium-high heat, stirring often.
  • Heat to 8 degrees above the boiling point of water. If you are at sea level, the gelling point is at 220 degrees. For every 1000 feet of elevation, you subtract 2 degrees.
  • Once the jelly has reached the gelling point, remove from heat. Ladle into prepared jars, leaving ¼ inch head space. Wipe rims of the jars with a damp cloth, add lids and rings, tightening to fingertip tight. Place in the canner, increasing the heat to high. Once the canner reaches a boil, process for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow jars to cool in the canner over 5 minutes. Remove from canner and allow to rest for 12 hours before storing.

Notes

You can skip the processing step all together if you feel more comfortable. If you do so, the jam will need to be stored in the refrigerator. The process of water bath canning creates a self-stable jam. That is, a jam that can be stored on the shelf.
Keyword Foraging, Grape Jelly, Jellies and Jams, Waterbath Canning, Wild Grapes
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Jess21 Comments

Roasted and Preserved Tomatoes

Every year, I get so excited to plant tomato plants. Even in our first years with a garden, we couldn’t keep up with our tomato love. I vividly remember my darling son as a toddler eating every single cherry or grape tomato we grew. They didn’t even make it out of the garden! Now, I get all those beautiful drops of red, orange, and yellow and turn them into roasted and preserved tomatoes. 

Now, it’s a joke between my husband and I that I will always plant too many cherry and grape tomato plants. Why buy one if you can buy four? And you have to have a few varieties, right? And so, we have an abundance of bit size tomatoes. One year, an acquaintance suggested roasting them, and I have never looked back! 

This is such a simple and flavorful way to preserve tomatoes. All you need is an oven, a baking sheet, some parchment paper, and your favorite tomato spices. Let’s get to creating some roasted and preserved tomatoes. 

Per pound of tomatoes, you will need: 

½ tablespoon olive oil 

¼ teaspoon each of: salt, pepper, oregano, garlic, or any other spice you love with tomatoes

Your Steps to Roasted and Preserved Tomatoes

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Wash and dry the tomatoes. Slice each tomato in half. Lay cut side UP on a parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic, etc on top. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until just beginning to caramelize. Allow to cool. 

From here, you can totally just snack on them. If you want to preserve for later, stick the tray in the freezer for 2-3 hours. Transfer to a freezer safe container and use within a year. So quick, easy, and a great way to preserve your harvest!

Slice them up!
Drizzle with oil and season it up!
Roast them!
Freeze them!

Roasted and Preserved Tomatoes

Too many grape and cherry tomatoes? Like to preserve the flavor of summer for the winter months? Create these roasted and preserved tomatoes!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Italian
Servings 5 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound cherry or grape tomatoes any variety
  • ½ tablespoon olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  • Wash and dry the tomatoes.
  • Slice each tomato in half. Lay cut side up on a parchment lined baking sheet.
  • Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic, etc on top.
  • Bake for 20-30 minutes, until just beginning to caramelize. Allow to cool.
  • To preserve, place the tray in the freezer for 2-3 hours.
  • Transfer to a freezer safe container and use within a year.
Keyword cherry tomatoes, freezing, preserving, side dish, tomatoes, Vegan, vegetables
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other preserving recipes?

Check out my canning and preserving page! Or maybe one of the recipes below will speak to you!

Jess2 Comments

Gooseberry Jam

My journey to gooseberry jam has been an interesting one with more than one road traveled. The beginning of the story starts at the farmer’s market. Initially, I had tried a berry and loved it. I left, forgetting what it was that I had tried, and decided it was gooseberries and had to plant some. 

Well, they grew fruit and they were not the fruit I remembered from the farmer’s market trip. But I still enjoyed them. Around the same time, I became fascinated by foraging and the idea of finding the edibles of the woods. And would you know it, wild gooseberries became on my radar. Friends, they are everywhere! I find them in our woods, on the side of the road, and in so many state parks. If you are a midwesterner like myself, check your woods. I bet you have some too! Here’s a great link to get an idea of what you’re looking for. I became enamored with the berries in my yard and all around me. I wanted to share them with everyone!

Currently, I have four bushes (some red, some green) that I tend to. And boy, do they produce. We snack on them, but I have also taken to canning these sweet-tart berries into three ingredient jam. It can’t get much better than that, can it? (See what I did there? I am punny!) Ready? Let’s get gooseberry jam creating!

Your Ingredients for Gooseberry Jam

Per ½ pint jar (jelly jar), you will need: 

  • 1 cup of gooseberries, cleaned
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ tablespoon lemon juice 

The Prep Work

Fill the canning kettle with enough water that the jars will be covered by at least 2 inches of water. More is better in this case so over estimate. Begin to heat over high heat. Place the canning rack so that it is hooked over the side of the canner and put clean jars on it to keep them warm. Note: You don’t have to keep the jars in the rack, although it is helpful to keep them warm. You want the jars warm to prevent breaking when they are being filled. 

Set the clean rings aside. I like to simmer my lids on low low heat in a small saucepan. Not necessary, but I like to think it helps them seal better. 

If you have not already done so, clean 1 cup of gooseberries for every ½ pint jar of jam you intend on canning. To clean, you need to remove both the stem and the flower portion of the berry. See the picture below. 

The Gooseberry Jam Making

In a large, preferably shallow, kettle, smash the gooseberries with a potato masher. Then, for every cup of berries, stir in ½ cup sugar and a ½ tablespoon lemon juice. Begin to heat over medium-high heat, stirring often. I like to smash the berries more as they are cooking down. 

Your end goal is to reach the gelling point. There are lots of tests for this, but I prefer the temperature test. If you are at sea level, the gelling point is at 220 degrees. For every 1000 feet of elevation, you subtract 2 degrees. For me, the gelling point is 218 degrees. Don’t have a decent food thermometer? Check out the National Center for Home Preservation website for other ways of testing for the gelling point. 

It takes longer to reach the gelling point than I think it should. It also goes from needing 3 degrees to reaching the gelling point fast. You can get complacent while you are waiting and suddenly hit the temperature, so I am trying to warn you 🙂 

The Canning

Once the jam has reached the gelling point, remove from heat. Ladle into prepared jars, leaving ½ inch head space. Wipe rims of the jars with a damp cloth, add lids and rings, tightening to fingertip tight. Place in the canner, increasing the heat to high. Once the canner reaches a boil, process for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow jars to cool in the canner over 5 minutes. Remove from canner, placing on the counter. Listen for the ping of the lids over the next 12 hours. Sealed jars are self stable. If any jar doesn’t seal, simply place it right in the refrigerator. 

Note: You can skip the processing step all together if you feel more comfortable. If you do so, the jam will need to be stored in the refrigerator. The process of water bath canning creates a self-stable jam. That is, a jam that can be stored on the shelf. 

Cleaning, the most tedious part!
Time to measure and prep!
Smash those babies!
Cooking down. So pretty!
Almost there!
Jammy goodness!

Gooseberry Jam

Three little ingredients (lemon juice, sugar, and gooseberries) combine to make this wonderful sweet-tart jam.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Course Breakfast
Cuisine Canning
Servings 12 per jar

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup gooseberries cleaned, per 1/2 pint jar
  • 1/2 cup sugar per 1/2 pint jar
  • 1/2 tbsp lemon juice per 1/2 pint jar

Instructions
 

  • If you have not done so, clean and measure gooseberries by cutting off the stem and tail on each berry. You will need 1 cup of berries per 1/2 pint of jam you want to create.
  • Wash and sanitize jars, rings, and lids. Keep warm. Fill the canner with enough water to cover the jars by at least 2 inches of water. Cover and heat on high. Watch the temperature, you want a simmer but not a boil when you place the jars in the water.
  • In a large, shallow kettle, smash gooseberries with a potato masher. For every cup of berries, stir in 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice. Begin to heat over medium-high heat, stirring often. Smash more as they are cooking down.
  • Heat to 8 degrees above the boiling point of water. If you are at sea level, the gelling point is at 220 degrees. For every 1000 feet of elevation, you subtract 2 degrees.
  • Once the jam has reached the gelling point, remove from heat. Ladle into prepared jars, leaving ½ inch head space. Wipe rims of the jars with a damp cloth, add lids and rings, tightening to fingertip tight. Place in the canner, increasing the heat to high. Once the canner reaches a boil, process for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow jars to cool in the canner over 5 minutes. Remove from canner and allow to rest for 12 hours before storing.

Notes

You can skip the processing step all together if you feel more comfortable. If you do so, the jam will need to be stored in the refrigerator. The process of water bath canning creates a self-stable jam. That is, a jam that can be stored on the shelf.
Keyword gooseberries, gooseberry, gooseberry jam, Jam, Waterbath Canning
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other berry inspiration?

Check out any of the recipes below!

Jess1 Comment

Honey and Soy Marinated Chicken Bites

Are you ever the person who feels like they are always late to the party, intentional or not? I certainly am. I’m the girl who decides not to read Harry Potter or buy an Instapot simply because it’s what everyone else is doing and I want to be unique…or something. It doesn’t always work in my favor, but we all have our quirks, right? For me, I was late to the party with the air fryer. But friends, I bought one and now I can’t stop using it. And here, I am so excited to share honey and soy marinated chicken bites. 

Initially, I had boneless, skinless chicken thighs to cook up. I marinated them and cooked them whole. My family RAVED about them. Unfortunately, I don’t generally have thighs on hand; however, I almost always have chicken breasts on hand. My son gets frustrated with chicken because it can be dry, but he was head over heels for these honey and soy marinated chicken bites. He even requested I bring the air fryer on vacation with us so we could share this recipe with our whole extended family. That didn’t happen, but these will be on our “go to meals” list as the school year gets underway! 

YOUR INGREDIENTS⁠

  • 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch chunks⁠
  • 1/4 cup honey ⁠
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce⁠
  • 1 tablespoon water⁠
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic⁠
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil ⁠
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar⁠
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil ⁠
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger⁠
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried minced onion ⁠
  • a shake or two of red pepper flakes⁠

Your Steps to Honey and Soy Marinated Chicken Bites

Combine all marinade ingredients in a liquid measuring cup. Whisk together until well blended. Place cubed chicken in a 1 gallon plastic bag. Massage the chicken slightly and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. ⁠

When you are ready to cook chicken, preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees. Cook for 10-15 minutes, flipping halfway through. ⁠

I served this chicken with jasmine rice (so good!) that was seasoned with some salt and pepper. I also did a quick stir fry in sesame oil of some red onions and snap peas from the garden. Those got a small shake of soy sauce with a little cornstarch to thicken it mixed with minced garlic and ground ginger and red pepper flakes. So good! ⁠

  • Pro tip: Mix in a liquid measuring cup!
  • Easy to measure! Easy to pour!
  • Filet knife for the win!
  • Season it up!
  • Marinade it up!
  • Peas and Onions
    Cook it up!
  • Finished dinner
    And serve! A complete and beautiful meal!

Tools of the Trade

I am telling you, I was slow the the air fryer game, but I absolutely adore mine. I also love a good filet knife for ease in cutting up anything from fish to chicken. These are my favorites!

Looking for other dinner inspiration? Check out my cooking page here!

Finished dinner

Honey and Soy Marinated Chicken Bites

A quick eat for weeknight meals: Use your air fryer to cook up some delicious and healthy honey and soy marinated chicken bites!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Rest Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 25 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 4 people

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch chunks⁠
  • 1/4 cup honey ⁠
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce⁠
  • 1 tablespoon water⁠
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil ⁠
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic⁠
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar⁠
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil ⁠
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger⁠
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried minced onion ⁠
  • a shake or two of red pepper flakes⁠

Instructions
 

  • Combine all marinade ingredients in a liquid measuring cup. Whisk together until well blended. Place cubed chicken in a 1 gallon plastic bag.
  • Massage the chicken slightly and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. ⁠
  • When you are ready to cook chicken, preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees.
  • Cook for 10-15 minutes, flipping halfway through.
  • ⁠Serve with jasmine rice and some quick stir fried vegetables of your choice such as broccoli, red onions, or sugar snap peas.
Keyword air fryer, chicken, chicken breast, marinated chicken
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment