It’s been cold outside, so I have been busy inside.

 It has been pretty cold here lately, with lots of snow, and now rain which is making everything super slippery, and just plain icky outside.  This got me thinking and got me busy.  I wanted to do something, but wasn’t sure what, and then just like always something fell into my lap…..hubby came home with some fruit and veggie boxes.  I spent 5 hours one day peeling, coring and cutting apples.  I put them on freeze dryer trays and into the freezer.  Also put some into the freeze dryer.  Was still left with a bunch of apples, so went through the canning book to see what I could do with them.  Found a recipe for brandied apples, so decided to make those.  Not really sure if I like them or not.  The recipe didn’t seem to call for much brandy, and to me there wasn’t enough.  I am hoping that as they sit or as they were in the water bath that maybe, just maybe the flavor will become stronger.  

I also had some bell peppers in the box, so ended up canning those as well.  Then there were a bunch of oranges.  I found some recipes I wanted to try, but didn’t have all of the ingredients for any of them, so I decided to make orange marmalade.  Got that started last night, and let it sit overnight like the recipe called for, and then finished it up this morning.  

 
I was done with the marmalade by 8 am, so what to do the rest of the day?  I decided to try my hand at making cereal bars (in the freeze dryer).  I loaded up four trays with four different kinds of cereals, and then added coconut milk to each one…..enough so that all the cereal was soaked, and put those into the freezer for a few days.  I want those to be nice and frozen before I run them.  I am really hoping the kids like these.  

Then onto making strawberry jam.  This one I originally thought I screwed up because after they were in the water bath I realized I only put in half the sugar.  I ended up tasting a little bit that was left in the pan, and it was super good and definitely sweet enough.  Had I added all of that sugar it might have been too sweet.  Plus I found a recipe online that had the same amount of sugar I put in.  Unfortunately, I am not sure if I put enough pectin in it.  I guess time will tell when they cool, and I end up opening one.  

I am now canning some mandarin oranges that I have.  I thought I did them all and put them in the water bath only to realized I missed a bunch of them that were still in the fruit box.  I think once the ones are done that are in the water bath now I might just finish up and do the rest of them.  Unfortunately they are pretty sour, and I don’t want them to go to waste (that is one of the main reasons why I decided to start dehydrating, freeze drying, and canning…..got sick of so much food waste in my house).  

The best part is that now all of my adult kids can come and get some apples, marmalade, and strawberry jelly……I am also going to take some to my parents.