Canned cheese #3

As with butter, 11 pounds will fill about 12 1/2 pint jars -- or just over 3/4 pound per pint jar.


1. Cut up your cheese into cubes, or if it's frozen, just crumble it into a pan. Gradually melt the cheese, and add more to the pan as it melts. A double boiler works best for this since cheese tends to stick to the bottom of the pan if it's directly on the stove. This works best for smaller batches, unless you have a large double boiler or a way to keep it a good temperature while you fill the jars.
2. Sanitize your jars
3. Sanitize new canning lids according to package instructions.
4. When the cheese has melted and is hot enough, ladle, spoon or pour it into prepared jars. A canning funnel is helpful.
5. Wipe the rims of each jar clean, place the hot lids and bands, then hand tighten the bands.
6. Process 40 minutes in a boiling water bath. When ready, remove jars from water with a jar lifter. Leave undisturbed until completely cooled. Check to make sure all the lids have sealed before labeling and storing.

Canned Cheese #2

Canning Velveeta Cheese:



6 pounds of Velveeta cheese makes 7 pints plus a little extra.




1 1/3 cup milk powder


2 cups water


6 pounds Velveeta cheese


1/4 cup distilled white vinegar


1 Tbsp. salt


3 Tbsp. prepared mustard




Mix the milk powder with the water, then let stand awhile to get out all the lumps. Then cut the Velveeta into large chunks and put it in the top of a double boiler. If you don't have a double boiler that big, put a little water in a large stainless steel bowl used for making bread, then put the cheese in a stock pot in the water. When the cheese began to melt, stir in the prepared milk. Keep the lid on the stock pot except when stirring occasionally. When it is all melted, I stir in the other ingredients.
Leave  the pot in the bowl of water, then ladle the sauce into hot, dry wide mouth pint canning jars, leaving about 1 inch head space. Place new lids that had been simmered according to instructions, tightened the bands. Do a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.
The milk powder mixture is more concentrated that you'd normally make for milk, but since the recipe calls for evaporated milk, you can double the milk powder.

Canning Cheese

Take clean dry canning jars and fill each with cheese. Then place it on a rack in boiling water bath canner, to which you have already added some water. You want it to come about halfway up the jars. Any higher and it bubbles in if it gets to boiling. Then, as the cheese melts, add more. When all melted, remove the jars from the canner, wipe the rims, and seal the jars. Then proceed with the boiling water bath for 40 minutes. This is a great way because then you don't have extra things to clean and cheese isn't dripping all over.

Canned Butter

Canned Butter

1. To fill a pint jar, you need just over 3/4 pound of butter. (actually, it works out to .88 lbs. --- 11 pounds will fill 12.5 pint jars.)



2. Using a large stainless steel or good enamel pot, gradually melt the butter over low heat, stirring occasionally. You can use a big stainless steel pot  used to make jelly. Stir frequently. As butter melts, add more butter until it's all melted. Keep stirring frequently. Let it come to a simmer before pouring into the prepared jars.


3. While the butter is melting, put clean pint canning jars in a 250 degree oven for a good 20 minutes. I don't think this step is essential.
4. Sterilize canning lids according to directions. I simmer them in a little pan of water, and keep them hot until I need them.


5. When all the butter you are using for this batch has melted, and your jars have been in a 250 degree oven for at least 20 minutes, ladle the melted butter into the jars using a canning funnel if you have one. Leave 1/2 to 3/4 inch headspace. Stir the butter a little to keep it mixed and to keep it from cooling and sticking to the sides of the pot.


6. When all the jars are filled, wipe the rims well and place hot lids and bands. Screw down hand tight.


7. Process 40 minutes in a boiling water bath. When done, remove with a jar lifter.

8***. Instead of leaving the jars alone after removing from the boiling water bath, wait until they cool enough to handle. Then shake each jar a little every few minutes as they cool. This really works great to keep the butter from separating. Once the butter begins to stay consitent, you can put it in the refrigerator, still checking every 5 minutes and shaking. Do this until they solidify and won't shake anymore. Once the jars are cool and the butter is solidified, you can store on the shelf. 
Here is another method for canning butter:
1. Melt the butter as above; heat the jars and sterilize the lids as described above.
2. Instead of pouring the melted butter into jars at this point, continue heating and stirring until it almost boils. Stir frequently as it simmers for at least 5 minutes. Don't let it scorch. The butter separates as it heats, but then blends again as it is simmered and stirred.
3. Prepare your jars and fill as described above. Clean the jar rims, and place the hot lids and bands on the jars, and hand tighten.


4. After a few minutes, some of the jars will begin to seal. It is best to leave them alone a few minutes.  If you try to shake them as they seal, the lids might pop back up. However, they will seal again, so  just wait until the jars are cool enough to easily handle and have been sealed at least a few minutes before shaking. Continue shaking every few minutes, as above. When the butter remains more consistent in the jars, you can refrigerate and check every few minutes. Continue shaking every 5 minutes until the butter solidifies

So, it seems that you can either melt the butter, then do a boiling water bath for 40 minutes, or cook longer so that the butter simmers and don't do a boiling water bath. Either way, the jars will seal without much difference in the taste or texture. 

Instant Potato Sourdough Starter

Instant Potato Sourdough Starter


3 tbsp instant mashed potato flakes


3 tbsp white sugar


1 c. warm water


1 ¼ tsp active dry yeast


Combine instant potatoes, sugar, water, and yeast in a covered container.
 Let the starter sit on a counter for 5 days, stirring daily with a wooden stirrer.
On the morning of the fifth day, feed the starter with 3 tbsp instant potatoes, 3 tbsp sugar, and 1 cup warm water.
In the evening, take out 1 cup of starter to use in sourdough recipe. Refrigerate the remaining starter.
Every five days, feed the starter 3 tbsp instant potatoes, 3 tbsp sugar and 1 cup of water.
If starter is not being used in a recipe, keep it refrigerated and discard (or give away) 1 cup of starter after each feeding.


A friend's sourdough starter and bread recipe, this starter they had had for 2 years and it is still going strong.


Keep starter in refrigerator -- feed once a week. Add:


¾ c. sugar


1 c. warm water, and


¼ c. instant potato flakes


Set on counter (or in the oven) uncovered for a day or a night (8-12 hours)


If not making bread, throw away (or give away) 1 cup of starter. Put starter back in fridge and do not tighten lid... leave on loose.


If making bread, mix these ingredients in a large bowl:


1 cup starter


1 Tbs. Salt


6 cups flour


½ cup sugar


½ cup oil


1 ½ c. warm water


Stir together. Cover top of the bowl with a piece of oiled wax paper. Let it stand overnight or all day.


Next morning, or that night... push dough down with hand, divide into 3 parts... knead each part on a floured surface 20 times.
 Put each kneaded part into a greased or sprayed loaf pan. Let rise 4-6 hours or overnight.


Bake at 350 for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from pans, brush with butter and cool.

PEEP stuffed Brownies

 Makes 6 brownies


1 box of brownie mix {+ ingredients to make}


3 Peeps – cut in half


1. Preheat oven according to package directions. Mix brownies according to package directions.

2. Spray an 8×8 oven proof dish with cooking spray. Place 3/4 of the brownie mix into pan. Press peeps down into brownie mixture {1/2 peep per brownie section} Spread remaining 1/4 of brownie mixture on top.


3. Bake brownies according to package directions. Allow to cool completely prior to slicing.

CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

Chicken Noodle Soup

2 chicken breasts ~bones in.
I remove most of the flesh before boiling the bones- these I freeze for later use.
Boil those bones in about a gallon of water for several hours with:
1 large coarsly chopped onion
3 coarsly chopped stalks celery

I like to strain my broth unless the bones are very obvious.
Put the bits of chicken in the broth when you pick the bones out.
I add about 3 Tbsp of chicken base to my broth for that salty taste, and a splash of seasonings:
parsley
garlic powder or the real deal
Soul food seasoning

Add veggies.. this is the best part for me. I clean out the refrig of most any veggie that I think would be good in the soup.
Broccoli, Carrots, Potatoes, Peas, Mixed veggies, Mushrooms, or even beans.
Simmer these for at least until the veggies are softened- usually an hour or so.
In the mean time, boil a small pot of noodles.. I like the egg noodles best, but you can use any kind of noodle.
I add the noodles about 10 min before I'm ready to serve my soup.
Soup is served with saltine crackers or oyster crackers.. mmmm