Continue reading]]> I have planted pickling cucumbers in my garden this year.  They are so cute and little!  I started them from local heirloom seeds in the spring and they are flourishing now in the summer.  We love to snack on pickles all year round.  When I have a lot of pickles, I will steam can a batch for food storage.  You can see my How to Pickle post here for long term storage. Today I am going to show you an easy recipe for pickles that is not steam canned, but simply fresh pickles stored in the refrigerator. You don’t necessarily have to use pickling cucumbers for this recipe.  I used a mixture of regular ones from my garden and the pickling cucumbers from my garden.  Just make sure if you use regular ones that they are small in size, mini is best because they are more crunchy.  Here’s how to make refrigerator bread and butter pickles.

These pickles will last up to a month in a glass jar when prepared this way.

Step #1: Pick and Wash Cucumbers

Step #2: Slice

I like to slice mine a little thick because as they sit in the salt and the pickling juice, they will lose quite a bit of their moisture.  You will need 4-5 cups total.  They will reduce in size later.  A crinkle cutter might be a good addition here.  I was too lazy to bother

Step #3: Soak and Rinse

Soak the cucumbers in 1 1/2 Tablespoons of Pickling Salt for 90 minutes in a bowl on the counter.  Wait.  Wait. Wait.  Then rinse. Rinse. Rinse.  I used a colander and rinsed thoroughly 4 or 5 times under the sink sprayer.

Step #4: Make Brine Recipe in a Saucepan

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup dried onion, reconstituted (or 1 fresh onion chopped small)

1 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar, unpacked

1 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, with the mother

1 1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp celery seeds

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp minced garlic

Directions for brine: Add brine ingredients into a medium sauce pan and cook over medium heat until boiling and all of the sugar is dissolved.  Cool slightly and then pour into a clean, large jar (I used an old gallon pickle jar from the grocery store that had been sanitized).   Add in rinsed cucumbers, put the lid on, and let sit in the fridge for 24 hours.  Then they are ready to eat!

Easy, huh?  My kids love these.  I leave them out on the counter for them to snack on all day.

If you have any questions, feel free to post a comment and I will answer it to the best of my ability.  Thanks for stopping by!

Continue reading]]> Ever since I saw this honey lemon marmalade recipe here on Food in Jars, one of my favorite blogs, I’ve been dying to make it. Dying I tell you!

I love lemons.  Love Love Love Love lemons.  Lemons are a comfort food for me and I use them a lot in the winter time when I have a sore throat or am not feeling well.  I boil a lemon in some water and add some honey, then drink a whole lot of it.  I can see myself putting a spoonful of this jam in some steaming water and feeling it’s healing effects immediately!

This wasn’t the easiest or least messy thing I’ve ever canned.  It kind of was quite a bit of work but not much more than other jams I’ve made.  So, set aside a couple hours if you want to make this.

I purchased these lemons at Costco for about $6 for a 5 pound bag, and they were lovely, juicy and large.  I ended up with 4 left over that I used for making salmon. I washed the lemons well.  Then sliced them until they would fit into my food processor with the slicer/shredded attachment in.

I simplified the recipe by putting the lemons in my food processor, instead of chopping them by hand, as seen below.  I also had some helpers with this recipe, which makes it even more fun!

I also added about a cup of sugar more than the recipe called for because my marmalade was pretty bitter.  This jam is a little bit of an acquired taste.  I loved it.  My husband liked it.  My kids thought it was ok.  My father in law thought it was fantastic.  I guess it just depends on your tastes.  I think it’s a valuable thing to have in my food storage and it has multiple purposes for me.  I would definitely make it again!

For the honey lemon marmalade recipe, click here.  Enjoy!

Continue reading]]> We just had our first freeze of the year and while I was cleaning out my garden to prepare it for winter, I was having a really hard time throwing away the 100+ green tomatoes that I still had on the vine. I planted heirloom tomatoes this year and they were lovely.  I hated to throw them in the yard waste can, it felt so… well… wasteful.

I was telling my friend about this and she said I could make jam out of them.  I thought to myself…  yuck!  who wants to eat tomato jam?  But she assured me it tastes just like any fruit jam.  I was skeptical, but I wanted to try it.  I found a recipe here and modified it as seen below.

I think from start to finish it took me about an hour.  Let me tell you, of all the jams I have had, this has to be one of my favorites and I’m not the only one that likes it.  My son who HATES (although hate is not a strong enough word) tomatoes, absolutely loved this jam.  Loved it.  I didn’t tell him it had tomatoes in it until he ate the entire jar over the course of a week on his toast.  He didn’t believe me.  He said it tasted just like strawberry jam.  Might I mention it may taste better than strawberry jam.

How to Make Green Tomato Jam (that tastes like strawberry jam).

Step #1

Wash tomatoes in the sink using hot water and 1 T. white vinegar.

Step #2

Dice 4 cups tomatoes (unpeeled) and place in a large stock pot.  Turn heat to medium.  Bring to a boil and cook 10 minutes.

Step #3

Using your immersion blender, blend tomatoes until you have fine pieces.  Add 1- LARGE box of strawberry jello and 4 cups white sugar and blend a little more with your immersion blender.  Cook for 20 more minutes. That’s it!

Step #4

Now you can bottle (can) these as I did, or put them in a plastic container and put them in the freezer to make freezer jam.  I processed my jam in a waterbath canner for 25 minutes.  I have been sharing them with my neighbors and they have all liked it and were very surprised it was made from green tomatoes.  I hope you enjoy this as much as we did!

Disclaimer: **Positively Mommy occasionally provides recipes and other information about food preparation. Please keep in mind that it is the reader’s responsibility to determine the value of these recipes, nutritional and otherwise. It is also the reader’s responsibility to determine the safety of the preparation instructions. Recipes are prepared “at your own risk.” We assume no liability, obligation, or warranty with respect to these recipes. Positively Mommy is not responsible for any damage, medically or otherwise, that could result from preparation of these recipes. Visitors must take care to check the instructions provided and determine their value and any possible medical condition that may arise from the preparation instructions and consumption of the ingredients listed in this site’s recipes.

Continue reading]]> I feel like the title of this post is misleading.  It seems more like a dance move or a sports game that I am doing a tutorial for.  But no, just wait, this is much much better than any dance or sport!  It’s food!

I love vinegar.  I can drink it straight from the bottle I love it that much.  When I was a kid, I used to do that. Now because of peer pressure I feel like it’s not the “cool” thing to do.  I like hanging out with the cool kids, so I don’t drink vinegar…  in public.

It turns out, drinking vinegar is healthy for you and helps clear out your digestive system (TMI?).   And if you’re a marathon runner, you should drink pickle juice after your races, so there’s no reason not to love it. I clean with it at my house.  I have lots of it in my food storage, so why not pickle something?  It seems obvious, right?  You agree don’t you?  I used a gallon in these recipes!

We had a little canning class at our church last month.  The lady who taught it brought some pickles.  I couldn’t stop thinking about those pickles!  So, I learned how to make them.

For the prize winning Bread and Butter Pickle recipe (picture shown above), see this link here.  I loved learning how to pickle from this recipe.  Thank you Marilyn and Nanette for finding some pickling cucumbers for me this late in the season so I could satisfy my unusual craving!  The teacher uses Mrs. Wages mixes in her canning and she swears by them. I didn’t use them this time because I needed a little pickling salt and sent my husband to the store to get it and he came home with a gargantuan bag of the stuff, so I wanted to at least make an effort to use it up!

Now, the lady who taught the canning class also brought spicy pickles where there was a whole jalapeño in the jar.  OH, I just couldn’t resist, so I made some of those too.  The only bad thing about pickles is they have to “cure” for 2 weeks before you can eat them.  The pickles need to absorb all of that vinegary goodness and all.  It’s hard to be patient!  You should have seen the look on my husband’s face when he saw these beauties sitting on the counter.  Priceless, I tell you!

So, I found the recipe for the Spicy Pickles here. I used the method without dill and replacing with rosemary. It pained me severely to do this because I love dill almost as much as I love vinegar, but my husband despises dill with a vengeance and I wanted to enjoy these with him.

I have found out that pickling is fun and sometimes a lot quicker and easier than other canning.  It also allows you bottle vegetables without the use of a pressure canner which I’ve always been scared of using, but I still want one (I hope my husband is reading this, Christmas is coming up quickly!) 

TIP: I didn’t use this on my pickles, but I’ve heard good things about Pickle Crisp from Ball to keep your pickles from getting soggy.

Next, I was at my favorite fruit stand yesterday and I just couldn’t resist the huge bag of green beans for $3 and the jalapeños for 20 for $1 AND red peppers for .25 cents.   I knew I could make something delicious from this combo.  I have this “thing” for fresh fruit and vegetables.  They are just so colorful and inviting.  I need help and I know this.  On many different levels.

Anyway, I found a new favorite blog called Food in Jars and she had a recipe for dilly beans. My husband doesn’t like dill, so I just left it out and I will season it when it comes out of the jar in 2 weeks. And it will come out of the jar in 2 weeks, believe you me.  I modified it a bit.  I put in a whole jalapeño instead of the cayenne and I just left out the seasonings because I will just do that later.  I was in a hurry.

You will need to steam can all of these to make a seal on your jars so that they will last for 1 year+ without being refrigerated.  I used my nifty pint and a half jars for these because the beans look lovely in them and unmarred by breakage. I think they look more appetizing when they are not cut.

Next on the agenda was pickling jalapeños.  I cheated a little, because I just doubled the pickling brine for these and added them to the beans.  So basically all I did was dice them, throw them into the jar and add the simple brine and then process the jars.  It was my fastest canning endeavor by far.  I did the beans and the jalapeños in less than an hour including processing times!  I will use these in chili, salsa or tacos.  Basically whatever you would use those little cans of “green chilies” you can use these in.  If you don’t like spicy you can take the seeds out (as in the jar on the far left).  If you like very spicy don’t take out any seed.  If you like medium, take out some of the seeds. Click here for the recipe.

TIP: Wear food grade gloves and don’t touch your eyes after cutting these babies.  Oh the burning!  I don’t speak from experience here, clearly.  Again, all of the pickled bottles need to cure for 2 weeks before eating.  It’s so hard to be patient!

I loved learning how to pickle and am happy to add a new skill to my canning repertoire.  I must say that it was easier than my other canning escapades and  my jar count for last month has now reached 100!

Happy Canning!

Please post a comment if you have any questions or have pickled something that was very tasty!

Disclaimer: **Positively Mommy occasionally provides recipes and other information about food preparation. Please keep in mind that it is the reader’s responsibility to determine the value of these recipes, nutritional and otherwise. It is also the reader’s responsibility to determine the safety of the preparation instructions. Recipes are prepared “at your own risk.” We assume no liability, obligation, or warranty with respect to these recipes. Positively Mommy is not responsible for any damage, medically or otherwise, that could result from preparation of these recipes. Visitors must take care to check the instructions provided and determine their value and any possible medical condition that may arise from the preparation instructions and consumption of the ingredients listed in this site’s recipes.

Continue reading]]> How to Can Cherry Tomatoes

A dear friend and neighbor invited me to her home to pick grapes for my How to Can Grape Juice post.  Her entire backyard fence was full of the yummiest, juiciest grapes and I was allowed to take as much as I wanted!  Her son ran out of the house and let me know that they had more cherry tomatoes than they could use and boy did they have a lot!  He gave me a grocery sack and I filled it up and took it home.  Aren’t they a lovely orange color?

I knew I only had a day to use them all up before they went bad, so I searched online about what to do with them and I did a lot of research to find out if it was safe to can the tomatoes without cooking them first and if it was safe that there is air in the jar after they cook down. Check here if you want to read about it.

It appears since I water bath canned them for 90 minutes that they would be free from bacteria and it seems the air in the jar is not a problem as long as the lids seal (which they did).  This was the easiest thing I have canned and a good way not to waste tomatoes.

The nice thing was, I packed the jars all the way to the top with tomatoes.  I filled up 4 quarts and then used the rest of the tomatoes in salsa which turned out spectacular.

Watch this video to find out how to can the cherry tomatoes and what to do with them once they’re opened (it’s in the middle of the video episode).  I did not put the onion or the thyme in because in my opinion, that would require pressure canning and I do not have a pressure canner.  I can always add those in later anyway.

Here’s another good resource for canning tomatoes in larger batches.

Disclaimer: **Positively Mommy occasionally provides recipes and other information about food preparation. Please keep in mind that it is the reader’s responsibility to determine the value of these recipes, nutritional and otherwise. It is also the reader’s responsibility to determine the safety of the preparation instructions. Recipes are prepared “at your own risk.” We assume no liability, obligation, or warranty with respect to these recipes. Positively Mommy is not responsible for any damage, medically or otherwise, that could result from preparation of these recipes. Visitors must take care to check the instructions provided and determine their value and any possible medical condition that may arise from the preparation instructions and consumption of the ingredients listed in this site’s recipes.

Continue reading]]>

Hi Everyone,

My name is Rachel and I’m a fresh fruit and vegetable addict.  Since going gluten and dairy free, it’s my go to food. A friend told me I could borrow her steam juicer and she also gave me a box of jars she wasn’t using.  Another friend said I could pick her grapes while she was away on vacation and what came next? Grape juice! Free Grape Juice!

And guess what it is the most wonderful and healthy grape juice you could imagine.  I wish you could take a drink, it smells fresh and sweet and delicious.  The color is a deep deep purpleish red color.

Now I don’t think there is a cure to what I have.  If you have it too, here’s instructions on how to can grape juice.

HOW TO CAN GRAPE JUICE

Step 1

Wash grapes.  I have a huge 32 cup Tupperware Bowl that I’ve had for over 10 years that serves me very well. I used 1 bowl and a half, so about 50 cups of grapes (stems on).  This makes about 3-5 quarts of juice depending on how juicy your grapes are.  I made 2 batches and it took me a whole evening from start to finish.

Step 2

Prepare your steam juicer according to the instructions it came with.  The one I borrowed from my friend required water in the bottom third, the filter in the middle and the basket on the top.  Then attach the tube so the juice can flow out. I was surprised how little space this juicer takes up for how big it is, it nests into itself for easy storage.  It’s a little smaller in storage space than my steam canner.

Turn stove on medium heat.  Adjust as necessary in the cooking process.  I turned my heat down a little about half way through.

Step 3

Add grapes to steam juicer basket.  I used concord. I filled mine to the very tippy top which is fine because they will cook down a lot.  No need to remove the stems.  Add a little sugar to the top, maybe 1/4 cup.  Put the lid on the steamer.

Step 5

Clamp the tube so juice won’t come out until you are ready for it.  Don’t skip this step or you will have a gooey sticky mess on your stove, your floor and everywhere else, but I would never be speaking from personal experience

Step 6

Place a sanitized jar on a chair or stool under the stove (so the juice tube can flow downward) with a jar funnel on top to keep the mouth of the jar clean and not sticky. This is how ours looked.

Step 7

When you are ready to let the juice flow from the tube to your jar, you release the clamp and pull it down to the metal casing at the end of the tube, so that the clamp stays open.  Make sure you aim into the jar whenever you move the clamp (this was a 2 person job at our house).  Then you move the clamp into the jar funnel (the red plastic thing on top of the jar).  As the juice is released from the grapes, it will flow down the tube and into the jar.

Step 8

Occasionally you will need to stir and kind of press down on the grapes to get the juice flowing.

When you’ve stirred and pressed and the grapes are no longer producing juice, they should look like this

At this point I put them down the disposal, but if you have a good idea of what to do with the pulp, please let me know by posting a comment!

Step 9

Process your jars according to your water bath canner or steam canner instructions.  I washed the mouth, put on a boiled lid and processed for 25 minutes in my steam canner. I have heard from many people that you can skip this process of steam canning, but I read several things online that bacteria can grow if you don’t steam it. So, I decided to go ahead and be on the safe side and do this since it wouldn’t make any difference in flavor.

Now I have to say of all my canning endeavors, this was probably the most time consuming and messy, but it was also one of the best tasting.  Please keep in mind, this probably isn’t a great item to can if you are a beginner, but it is a good skill to know and I’m glad I did it!

My kids enjoyed the juice, especially this one as you can see by the moo-stache!  Stay tuned for how I canned cherry tomatoes from the garden and how I made my own pickles.

NOTE: I had some leftover grapes that I threw in my blendtec (minus the stems) and put in a tiny bit of sugar and a little water.  I blended it up and honestly it was wonderful!  It was a little pulpy, but I stuck it in freezer bags for smoothies.  Then I could keep all those healthy grape seeds that are full of antioxidants.

The blendtec method would be a lot faster and if you wanted you could strain the pulp, boil the juice, and then bottle it.  I’m not sure about the safety of this and I’m not very experienced with grapes so, just an idea!

Disclaimer: **Positively Mommy occasionally provides recipes and other information about food preparation. Please keep in mind that it is the reader’s responsibility to determine the value of these recipes, nutritional and otherwise. It is also the reader’s responsibility to determine the safety of the preparation instructions. Recipes are prepared “at your own risk.” We assume no liability, obligation, or warranty with respect to these recipes. Positively Mommy is not responsible for any damage, medically or otherwise, that could result from preparation of these recipes. Visitors must take care to check the instructions provided and determine their value and any possible medical condition that may arise from the preparation instructions and consumption of the ingredients listed in this site’s recipes.

Continue reading]]> I was at the grocery store the other day looking to buy some jar lids in the canning aisle, when I happened upon instant pectin! Talk about a breakthrough for me, I was so excited to see it there!  Instant pectin means you do not have to cook the fruit and the pectin together to make freezer jam.  Therefore, one less dish to get dirty and it’s about 15 minutes faster.  One jar of this pectin makes about 12 one and a half cup servings of freezer jam so that is so YUMMY!  It took about an hour for me to make the 12 jams, which I consider to be very fast when it comes to making such great tasting and great looking jam.  I got the peaches for $3 a case, so I figured out each container costs about .75 cents to make.  The container itself was .50 cents. It’s very easy to make this no cook peach freezer jam recipe.  Here’s how:

STEP #1

Mix 3T. instant pectin and 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar in a large bowl (I used a white version of this Tupperware Bowl).  Set aside.

Step #2

Boil water in a large stock pot or dutch oven.  Add 10-12 peaches to boiling water.  You want the peaches to be soft to the touch.  If they are hard, the peaches will not peel and the jam won’t taste very good.  Let sit 2 minutes and then peel skin off of peaches and discard skins.  The skins will come off very easily, just rub the skin lightly and it should all come off in 1 or 2 pieces.  You can see my peaches are not perfect.  They are just going to be pureed so any peaches of any quality will do as long as they taste good.

Step #3

Remove peach pits and place peach halves in a medium bowl with 1 T. lemon juice ( I used the bottled stuff) and 1 tsp Fruit Fresh (optional) to prevent browning and to make the jam a pretty bright orange color.  I used a stainless steel mixing bowl to mix it in.

Step #4

Use your immersion blender or food processor to blend peaches to desired consistency.  I like chunky.

Step #5

Add 5 1/2 cups fruit to the sugar and pectin mixture and then stir together for 4 minutes.

TIP:  You can put in a little Kool-Aid to enhance the flavor and color of this peach freezer jam recipe.  I added about a teaspoon of orange Kool-Aid to this peach freezer jam and it was quite tasty!

Step #6

Fill storage containers (I used disposable ones because they were cheaper and I plan to give these away as gifts, but you can also use canning jars if you would like).

Step #7

Let sit on counter for 30 minutes to set, and then put in freezer.  I like the disposable containers because they can be stacked in the freezer.  Enjoy!

You eat this jam straight from the freezer.  No need to put in the fridge to soften or anything.

Disclaimer: **Positively Mommy occasionally provides recipes and other information about food preparation. Please keep in mind that it is the reader’s responsibility to determine the value of these recipes, nutritional and otherwise. It is also the reader’s responsibility to determine the safety of the preparation instructions. Recipes are prepared “at your own risk.” We assume no liability, obligation, or warranty with respect to these recipes. Positively Mommy is not responsible for any damage, medically or otherwise, that could result from preparation of these recipes. Visitors must take care to check the instructions provided and determine their value and any possible medical condition that may arise from the preparation instructions and consumption of the ingredients listed in this site’s recipes.

Continue reading]]> How to Make Applesauce for Canning (with the skins on!)

Making applesauce is really easy if you don’t have to peel the apples first.  There is a fruit stand near my home where you can buy apple “seconds” for $3 for 20 pounds!  I have been canning yummy applesauce like crazy because I want to take advantage of that amazing price.  I’ve canned 36 pints so far and each pint costs less than a dollar and tastes delicious and has a red hue from the skins of the apples.  The quality is so much better than what you can buy at the store.  Ask my kids, they’ll tell you!  They can eat this stuff by the gallon.  I figure it costs about .75 cents per pint to make.  If you already have the jars and lids, probably more like .25 cents if you can get the apples at that price.

How many apples should you buy?  I bought 1 case (about 20 pounds) and used 2 stock pots filled to the top.  I used a mix of Jonathan and Golden Delicious.  After cooking down, this made 14 pints of finished applesauce.

STEP #1

Wash apples.  I fill up one side of my sink with very hot water and just soak them for a few minutes.

STEP #2

Core and quarter apples and add to a stock pot or a french dutch oven and/or a stock pot. I used one of each. I can’t say enough good things about my red French dutch oven. I use it daily and it’s a great conductor of heat and cooks very evenly.  I used 2 stock pots and it filled up both.  You can fill the apples all the way to the top of the pots because they will cook down to about 1/2 volume.

 STEP #3

Turn heat on your stove to medium low and let the apples start to boil.  Add 2 cinnamon sticks or 1 T. Cinnamon and 1/2 cup sugar. Cover pot.  Turn heat down to low and let simmer for about an hour (stirring in 1/2 hour intervals) until apples are very soft and break apart when stirred. Remove cinnamon sticks and discard.

STEP #4

Use an immersion blender to blend the apples to the desired consistency. You can do it right in the pot you cooked in.  I like it a little chunky.  If you are going to eat the applesauce at this point, just put it in a food storage container that is air tight, and you’re done!  It will last for around a week in the refrigerator.  If you are going to can or bottle the applesauce, continue to step #5.

Step #5

Now it’s time to prepare the jars.  I feel all along the top of the rim to make sure there are no cracks.  If there is a crack, or any kind of indentation, the jar will not seal.  I wash the jars with soapy water in the sink, fill them 1/2 way full with water and stick them in the microwave to sanitize them.  I microwaved these for about 5 minutes.  You just want them to get very hot, and the water boiling if possible.  Then just leave them in the microwave to stay warm while you prepare everything else.

Step #6

Boil some water in a small saucepan on the stove.  Add lids and boil for 2-3 minutes.

Step #7

Now you are ready to fill the jars.  Dump out the water from the jars and place them on the counter.  Use your canning tool set and place the jar filler on top of the jar to fill (so you don’t get applesauce on the rim and interfere with the seal). Use a measuring cup and fill the jars leaving 1/2 inch of space at the top for expansion while canning.

Step #8

Next wash off the rims of the jars with a clean and damp dishtowel to insure it is free of any sauce.

STEP #9

Get the lids out of the boiling water (use the stick tool with the magnet on the end) and place on top of jars.  Add rings and tighten slightly, do not make them very tight.  This is bad, very bad.  Loose on the rims!

Step #10

Process with a steam canner according to package instructions.  I processed mine for 20 minutes.  Make sure you see steam coming out of the side of the lid on the canner (there’s a hole there) before you begin your processing time.

Step #11

After jars have steamed, use your tool to remove the jars from the canner.  DO NOT TOUCH THE LIDS, let them do their own thing.  If you touch them it will interfere with the seal.  Be patient!  Set jars on a tea towel on the counter overnight to give them a chance to get a good seal. Popping noises should be music to your ears at this point, this means the jars have sealed!

If you have tips on how to make applesauce for canning, please post a comment!

**Positively Mommy occasionally provides recipes and other information about food preparation. Please keep in mind that it is the reader’s responsibility to determine the value of these recipes, nutritional and otherwise. It is also the reader’s responsibility to determine the safety of the preparation instructions. Recipes are prepared “at your own risk.” We assume no liability, obligation, or warranty with respect to these recipes. Positively Mommy is not responsible for any damage, medically or otherwise, that could result from preparation of these recipes. Visitors must take care to check the instructions provided and determine their value and any possible medical condition that may arise from the preparation instructions and consumption of the ingredients listed in this site’s recipes.

Continue reading]]> I have a neighbor that lives across the street that is in her “golden” years.  She is so sweet to us and sits next to our family at church each Sunday to help with our 3 children.  The other day she brought us by a yummy yummy treat.  I shared a tiny bit with my family and ate the rest.   Is that selfish?  I don’t think so!

So, the thing I loved about this small act of kindness (not that the relish wasn’t good, because it was fantastic!), but the handwritten recipe card.  Who does that any more?  It just takes me back in time a little when technology wasn’t so prevalent and people actually exchanged letters and recipes instead of emailing them or sending a link.

Anyway, if you are wondering what to do with the plethera of zucchini in your garden, this sweet Zucchini Relish Recipe would be a splendid recipe to have on file!  If you’re not sure what to use it on, of course hot dogs, hamburgers and my favorite: on rice crackers for lunch.  I had this for lunch for a whole week and it was wonderful!

**Positively Mommy occasionally provides recipes and other information about food preparation. Please keep in mind that it is the reader’s responsibility to determine the value of these recipes, nutritional and otherwise. It is also the reader’s responsibility to determine the safety of the preparation instructions. Recipes are prepared “at your own risk.” We assume no liability, obligation, or warranty with respect to these recipes. Positively Mommy is not responsible for any damage, medically or otherwise, that could result from preparation of these recipes. Visitors must take care to check the instructions provided and determine their value and any possible medical condition that may arise from the preparation instructions and consumption of the ingredients listed in this site’s recipes.

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This easy vanilla pear sauce recipe has been a favorite at our house since our pear tree started producing like crazy a couple years ago.  It’s fun to make this recipe with kids and it’s easy enough for older children to make by themselves. Not to mention, the house smells so wonderful when we’re making it!  We serve this vanilla pear sauce recipe for either breakfast or dinner and it’s always a favorite at Thanksgiving as well.

As you can see, this recipe contains vanilla beans.  Don’t be scared of vanilla beans, they are delicious and easy to use.  Real vanilla beans need to be split in half lengthwise with a sharp knife and then just throw them in the pot!  Easy peasy!  They add delicious and exotic flavor to the pears.  Don’t leave them out!  Also, don’t be afraid to experiment with other flavors, we have put in strawberries and apples in with the pears and it tasted wonderful! For a sugar free version of the recipe below – check out the video I just made on the Positively Mommy YouTube Channel.

**Positively Mommy occasionally provides recipes and other information about food preparation. Please keep in mind that it is the reader’s responsibility to determine the value of these recipes, nutritional and otherwise. It is also the reader’s responsibility to determine the safety of the preparation instructions. Recipes are prepared “at your own risk.” We assume no liability, obligation, or warranty with respect to these recipes. Positively Mommy is not responsible for any damage, medically or otherwise, that could result from preparation of these recipes. Visitors must take care to check the instructions provided and determine their value and any possible medical condition that may arise from the preparation instructions and consumption of the ingredients listed in this site’s recipes.