Category: Fruits

Strawberry and Lemon Zest Muffins

I am one of the lucky ones. My career is teaching high school math and physics. I recently had one of the most fun group of kids in an Algebra II class. They made me laugh on the regular while also still hanging on to their passion to learn. (Again, I am lucky). When this particular class learned that I was training for a marathon, they championed me, complete with a “We’re proud of you!” card when I finished. Then they learned that I had a food blog, and I suddenly gained a number of followers on my Instagram. Soon enough, I got an email request on my blog for “some strawberry muffins #lit #bestmuffinsever #yumalisous.” I told that young lady that strawberries weren’t in season, but as soon as they were, I would make a recipe for her. So without further adieu, I present Strawberry and Lemon Zest Muffins!

Your Ingredients

  • ½ cup sugar
  • ⅓ cup coconut oil, room temperature (about 70 degrees) 
  • ½ tablespoon vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour 
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup vanilla Greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • Zest of one lemon 
  • 1 cup fresh strawberries, washed and diced

Your Steps to Strawberry and Lemon Zest Muffins 

Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees and preparing two muffin baking tins by spraying with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, cream sugar and coconut oil (Note: the coconut should be solid but soft).  Add in vanilla and eggs, whisking until well combined. Stir in Greek yogurt, lemon juice, and zest. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix into the wet ingredients until just combined. Fold in blueberries. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-24 minutes until baked through. Serve them with a warm cup of coffee or tea!

A little lemon!
Dry ingredients
A pop of color in the strawberries.
Almost set!
Perfection!

Strawberry and Lemon Zest Muffins

Spring time flavors abound with these strawberry and lemon zest muffins. Bake up a batch today!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 24 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 12 muffins

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup sugar
  • ⅓ cup coconut oil room temperature (about 70 degrees)
  • ½ tablespoon vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup vanilla Greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • Zest of one lemon
  • 1 cup diced strawberries

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and preparing two muffin baking tins by spraying with non-stick cooking spray.
  • In a large bowl, cream sugar and coconut oil (Note: the coconut oil should be solid but soft).
  • Add in vanilla and eggs, whisking until well combined.
  • Stir in Greek yogurt, lemon juice, and zest.
  • Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix into the wet ingredients until just combined.
  • Fold in strawberries. Spoon batter into muffin tins, filling about 3/4 of the way full.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 20-24 minutes until baked through. Serve them with a warm cup of coffee or tea!
Keyword Breakfast, Breakfast Bread, lemon, muffins, Strawberries, strawberry
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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JessLeave a comment

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

In need of a sweet treat that isn’t over the top? Just the perfect amount of sweet with a touch of healthy? I am so excited to share this banana cake with cream cheese frosting! 

If you have a middle or high school-aged son, you know that they go through an EXCESSIVE amount of food. I do not know where my kid puts it all. Most weeks, he goes through literal bunches of bananas. We can not keep enough in the fruit bowl to the extent that recently a clerk at the local grocery store said, “I have never seen someone purchase this much fresh fruits and veggies.” #proudmoment

But then there are the odd weeks that we buy four bunches and then they sit. And sit. And suddenly we have five overly soft bananas sitting on the counter for days, no one wanting to eat them. The last time that situation arose, I was determined to make a healthy-ish dessert.

HOw did I make it healthier?

My first step to getting a healthier dessert was to swap the sugar for real maple syrup. Simple swap and so delicious. It also works out that the Mr. has been encouraging me to use up our supply from last year (read about our adventures in tapping trees here!) because syrup season will be here before we know it! I also cut down on the oil, added Greek yogurt for moisture, and added some extra banana.

Well, I mixed up this recipe, and from the moment I gave the batter a taste test, I knew it was a good one. And the frosting? I think it is just the perfect amount of sweet (but feel free to add a little more powdered sugar if you want it sweeter!). The baking dish traveled with me to school (I teach high school!) and my colleagues gave it two thumbs up, followed by, “Wait? You have a food blog?!” That made me giggle.

So are you ready to put together a delicious banana cake with cream cheese frosting? Let’s go!

Your Ingredients for Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 1 ¼ cup mashed ripe banana, 3-4 bananas
  • ½ cup plain Greek yogurt 
  • 1 egg 
  • ⅓ cup oil 
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla 
  • ¾ cup real maple syrup 
  • 1 ½ cup flour 
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda 
  • ½ teaspoon salt 

Frosting Ingredients 

  • ½ cup cream cheese, softened 
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup powdered sugar 
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla 
  • 1-2 tablespoons milk, optional 
  • ground walnuts, about ½ cup (optional)

Your Steps to Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×9 baking dish (or 7×10, my jam) with non-stick cooking spray. Whisk the egg in a small dish. Whisk bananas, yogurt, oil, vanilla, maple syrup, and egg until well combined. Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt. Pour into prepared dish. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until a toothpick can be inserted and comes out clean. 

Allow to cool 20 minutes. While it cools, mix the frosting. Combine softened butter and cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth. Add vanilla and mix again. Slowly blend in powdered sugar, ¼ cup at a time. Add milk, ½ tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is acquired. Frost the cake when the cake is not entirely cool to lock in the moisture. 

Serve immediately. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.  

Wet ingredients!
Mixed together and ready to go!
Going in the oven…
and perfection.
Yes, I used a hand mixer. A literal hand mixer.
So much yum.

Looking for other recipe inspiration?

Check out these sweet and savory from scratch recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

No one will guess that this perfectly sweetened banana cake with cream cheese frosting uses maple syrup for a sweetener.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12 servings

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ¼ cup mashed ripe banana 3-4 bananas
  • ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 egg
  • ⅓ cup oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ¾ cup real maple syrup
  • 1 ½ cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Frosting Ingredients

  • ½ cup cream cheese softened
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1-2 tablespoons milk optional
  • Ground walnuts about ½ cup (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×9 baking dish (or 7×10, my jam) with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Whisk the egg in a small dish. Whisk bananas, yogurt, oil, vanilla, maple syrup, and egg until well combined.
  • Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt. Pour into prepared dish.
  • Bake for 35-45 minutes, until a toothpick can be inserted and comes out clean.
  • Allow to cool 20 minutes. While it cools, mix the frosting.
  • Combine softened butter and cream cheese with a handmixer until smooth.
  • Add vanilla and mix again.
  • Slowly blend in pinch of salt and powdered sugar, ¼ cup at a time. Add milk, ½ tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is acquired.
  • Frost the cake when the cake is not entirely cool to lock in the moisture. Top with ground walnuts
  • Serve immediately. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
Keyword Banana, banana cake, cream cheese, desserts, maple syrup, sweets
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment

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

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

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

A simple water bath canner is great!

I use so many of these little tools every time I can, especially the funnel and the jar tongs.

I don’t even ferment, but this tapper works great for all sorts of kitchen needs!

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!

Jess16 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
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Looking for other berry inspiration?

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Lemon Zested Blueberry Muffins

Friends! My blueberry bushes are FINALLY producing enough blueberries to actually create with them. It brings me such joy to see these little splashes of blue among the sturdy green bushes. And while it seems to take a long time to harvest, I find it to be meditative. I do it silently and alone, taking in the sounds and smells; experiencing a nature bath. Once I harvested a pint, I got to work at creating lemon zested blueberry muffins. I have been so excited to share with everyone. 

I dig using oatmeal as a base in quick breads and muffins for the added nutrition and texture. However, I don’t see it mixing well with blueberries. Maybe I am wrong, but this recipe doesn’t use them. (You can check out some that do by checking out my baking page here.) In order to attempt to add some nutrients, I went with coconut oil and some Greek yogurt. I cut the sugar slightly as well. And don’t be afraid to try a quality whole wheat for some of the flour. You may be surprised! Now let’s get baking those lemon zested blueberry muffins. 

Your Ingredients for Lemon Zested Blueberry Muffins

  • ½ cup sugar
  • ⅓ cup coconut oil, room temperature (about 70 degrees) 
  • ½ tablespoon vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 ½ cups all purpose flour 
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup vanilla Greek yogurt, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • Zest of one lemon 
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (If frozen, measure frozen)

Your Steps

Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees and preparing two muffin baking tins by spraying with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, cream sugar and coconut oil (Note: the coconut should be solid but soft).  Add in vanilla and eggs, whisking until well combined. Stir in Greek yogurt, lemon juice, and zest. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix into the wet ingredients until just combined. Fold in blueberries. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-24 minutes until baked through. Serve them with a warm cup of coffee or tea!

  • A little sugar and coconut oil.
  • Farm fresh eggs. Does it get much better?
  • And the way the blue just pops!
  • Almost there!
  • Let’s go!
  • Perfection!
  • Check that berry goodness!

Lemon Zested Blueberry Muffins

Does it get more classic than lemon and blueberry? These lemon zested blueberry muffins are more nutrient dense with all the flavor!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 15 muffins

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup sugar
  • ⅓ cup coconut oil room temperature (about 70 degrees)
  • ½ tablespoon vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup vanilla Greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • Zest of one lemon
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries If frozen, measure frozen

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and preparing two muffin baking tins by spraying with non-stick cooking spray.
  • In a large bowl, cream sugar and coconut oil (Note: the coconut oil should be solid but soft).
  • Add in vanilla and eggs, whisking until well combined.
  • Stir in Greek yogurt, lemon juice, and zest.
  • Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix into the wet ingredients until just combined.
  • Fold in blueberries.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 20-24 minutes until baked through. Serve them with a warm cup of coffee or tea!
Keyword blueberry, Breakfast, currant muffins, lemon, lemon blueberry
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment

Raspberry and Nectarine Sorbet

Oh my goodness friends. I think you may be to the point of, “Enough with the raspberries!” But this year, they just keep coming and I’m beyond grateful for the harvest and all I have created using them. If you have missed it, you can check out regular raspberry jam, raspberry cherry jam, and raspberry jalapeño jam by clicking their links. Now, it’s raspberry and nectarine sorbet. Let me tell you, it’s a heavenly summertime treat. 

As a long distance runner (Training for my 5th marathon this summer!), I need a snack that will provide a quick refuel but will also cool me down when I get done with a long run. These little guys have been the answer to that need. I have been known to make a training partner’s stomachs growl as I describe raspberry and nectarine sorbet as we near mile 20. Sorry, not sorry, right? 

Beyond myself, my kids love sorbet and will default to that even at the best ice cream shops. But I also love being able to control the amount of sugar they consume, and while this does still have some added sugar, it is far less than I have seen in a number of recipes. You can cut it even further if you care to, which I do from time to time.

The color alone brings me immense joy. It is simply summer in a jar. Even in the bitter cold of Wisconsin winters, I crave little jars of sorbet to bring back that “sunburned lips and summer” feeling. I hope you enjoy these jars of sunshine as much as my family does! 

PS…Don’t have raspberries or nectarines? I have such good news! This recipe is totally moldable to your favorite flavor combination. Ultimately, you will need 4 cups of chopped soft fruit. Think berries, peaches, nectarines, etc. 

Your Ingredients for Raspberry Nectarine Sorbet

  • 2 cups raspberries
  • 2 cups diced nectarines, about 2 nectarines
  • ½ cup orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice 
  • ¼ – ½ cup sugar 

Your steps to Sorbet

Combine fruit. Use a blender or immersion blender to break fruit down. I use an immersion blender and blend right in the kettle I will be heating them in. Add remaining ingredients. Use the immersion blender to mix everything together once more. Once combined, heat over medium heat until the mixture is beginning to simmer, stirring often. Pour into a 9×13 pan, cover, and place in the freezer and allow to freeze solid. I generally wait overnight.

Once fully frozen, remove and allow to sit at room temperature for 5 minutes. This will make it easier to remove the sorbet. Working in small batches, puree frozen sorbet. There are lots of options for this. You can use a blender, a food processor, or an immersion blender. I dig the immersion blender because clean up is so easy. Scoop the puree into freezer safe containers, leaving ½ inch headspace at the top. I like to use 4 ounce jelly jars for ½ cup servings ready to go! Be sure to label and return to the freezer until you’re ready to enjoy them! 

I just love the color!
Blend it up right in the kettle!
Pour it up!
There are a few chunks. That’s okay, we have a second blend!
Getting prepared to blend again!
Second blending.
1/2 cup containers are perfect.
But first a bowl for myself!

A few notes

When I initially found this recipe, I wanted to cut the second blending of the sorbet. It is critical to complete if you want fluffy sorbet that you remember from childhood. It’s worth the extra step. Don’t skip it! 

I did love this with freshly picked raspberries so feel free to mix it up in terms of fruit. Ultimately, you need 4 cups of chopped/crushed fruit so let your taste buds do the work here. 

Looking for an adult version? I found that adding ½ cup of lime twisted gin was a delight to the raspberry sorbet! Be mindful of how much alcohol you add as it will affect the ability of the sorbet to freeze. 

Have a sweeter tooth? The recipe originally calls for 2 cups of sugar. Feel free to add more to suit your own tastes. I think the fruit flavor is great the way it is and doesn’t need the extra sugar. 

Hoping to use some of the tools I love for creating these? Here’s the link for the 4 ounce jelly jars I used as well as an immersion blender. Seriously, the immersion blender is an underrated tool in the kitchen and it hardly takes up any storage space! If you don’t have one yet, I highly recommend investing. You’ll thank me! 

Raspberry and Nectarine Sorbet

A "Summer in a jar" treat no matter the time of year
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Freeze Time 4 hours
Course Dessert
Cuisine Canning
Servings 6 1/2 cup servings

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups raspberries
  • 2 cups nectarines diced
  • ½ cup orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • ¼-½ cup sugar to taste

Instructions
 

  • Combine fruit.
  • Use a blender or immersion blender to break fruit down into a puree.
  • Add remaining ingredients. Blend once more to fully break down the fruit and incorporate added ingredients.
  • Once combined, heat over medium heat until the mixture is beginning to simmer, stirring often.
  • Pour into a 9×13 pan, cover, and place in the freezer and allow to freeze solid.
  • Once fully frozen, remove and allow to sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes to make it easier to remove from pan. Working in small batches, puree frozen sorbet using food processor, blender or immersion blender.
  • Scoop the puree into freezer safe containers, leaving ½ inch headspace at the top. Label and return to freezer if not enjoying immediately.

Notes

This recipe works for any soft fruit so feel free to combine strawberries, blueberries, peaches, the options are endless! 
You may be tempted to skip the second blend step. Don’t! It’s critical for the sorbet to be fluffy, just the way you remember it. 
Keyword nectarines, Raspberry, sorbet, sweets
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment