Peach cake! seasonal/schmeasonal

If you can't wait for summer then grab a can of peaches!  Of course canned peaches that are prepared at home are best. Store canned peaches are OKAY if they are not in that syrupy goop.  Fresh are the best!!!  I am one of those people that will add so much fruit to a recipe that I often add a minute or few to baking time because the moisture content is so high.  I have yet to be unhappy about it. So I recommend acting on gluttony especially with fruit and vegetables! Cut down on the sugar or oil if you wish instead!  If the batter looks to not be moist enough slowly add some back and mix and see the results.

* 3 eggs, beaten
* 1 cup white sugar 
* 1/2 C light br. sugar
* 1/2 C olive oil
* 2 cups all-purpose flour (I used organic whole wheat- so good)
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (or vanilla)
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* fresh peaches - peeled, pitted and sliced ( I used 6 fresh peaches and chopped them small. And you can use ANY fruit that bakes well in this. Berries I recommend blending 1/2 to most of them and then folding in whole berries last.
* 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
* (1 tsp vanilla extract for any cake cake where it will come through, cinnamon often is so strong it over powers any vanilla you may add)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, sugar (sugars are usually best in the wet mix), oil, mixing wet together first and then mixing dry and combining after usually helps thoroughly combining, flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, peaches and pecans. Mix thoroughly by hand.
3. Pour into greased, oiled or buttered (sift flour into it if the pan tends to stick) 9x13 inch pan, I used a bundt pan, and bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 50 minutes or until done. Should be firm on top and when pressed the cake bounces back into place. 

Canning... the what and how

 

Napoleon is not often remembered for one of his greatest contributions to the world: canning food. Well, technically it wasn't him, but Nicholas Appert who at Napoleon's behest discovered after 15 years of experimentation that if food is sufficiently heated and sealed in an airtight container, it will not spoil. Englishman Peter Durand took it further in the early 1800s by sealing food in airtight tins. It wasn't til much later that Louis Pasteur figured out why canning worked at all: the heat kills those pesky little critters that love to do the backstroke in old food.

There are two types of modern home canning, water bath and pressure. Water bath canning relies on the natural or added acidity (or sugar content) of foods combined with heat to kill harmful toxins in the foods. Little critters don't like acidity.

Pressure canning uses extreme heat to do the same thing and can be used on foods that are not acidic like vegetables and meat. There are far fewer foods that can be water bath canned because of the acidity requirements, but it's an easy way to start. Plus, who doesn't love their own tomato sauce?

I could write all about canning here, but there are already some great resources out there for it. I will, however, recommend my All American pressure canner, since it works amazingly well, and doesn't use rubber seals that can wear out. On the Homestead, it's always important to keep in mind what parts on essential tools cannot be replaced "in the field." If your canner relies on a rubber seal, then that is the weakest link and may seriously shorten the useful life of it someday.

For a general overview on canning principles, I recommend this site that has a lot of good information. When it comes time to do your first water bath canning (start with tomatoes + lemon juice), check this site by Jackie Clay out.

I know that projects like this can seem daunting but I assure you it's not. And, the best part is that once you're done, you have a huge batch that can last you all winter. The cost savings and ability to have completely natural preserved food make it essential to know. Once you begin experimenting with recipes, you'll be amazed at what you can come up with. Later this year, I'll be sharing some of these recipes as we harvest the bounty from our organic backyard garden.

The Pantry

 Not ours, but awesome!

(most of these things need to be canned by you to be totally safe otherwise they are noted as name brand or will have helpful instructions on HOW to preserve them.)

Whole tomatoes

Tomato sauce/Crushed tomatoes (you can seive this or process it through mechanism for extra smooth sauces)

Ketchup (you make it!!!  recipe)

Canned fruits

Pie fillings (fruits, berries which have been canned by YOU)

Salsa

Eden mustard

Canned Tuna (Some of these are safe. For the most part they are not. I can list brands that are currently on my OKAY FOR NOW list, because you never know when a company will go to the dark side)

Green beans

Asparagus

Corn (I think by now most folks know the deal with corn is that it is heavily modified, it resembles corn as we knew it, it is nearly impossible to even grow any that hasn't been modified- the best you can do is either grow it or not have it)

Peanut butter (mold and issues with nut butters)

Assorted pickles (this can be a LOT of different veggies along with the common pickle)

Pure maple syrup

Honey

Vanilla extract

Almond extract

any mint oils or citrus oils you like (noting that vinegars, citrus, and marinades of any kind break down protein when SITTING for long periods of time or cooked with high temperatures)

Hot sauce

A pantry from the old days!