Every year between Christmas and New Year's, I like to sit down and reflect on the past year and plan forward to the next year of our farm business.
Like they say, you don't know where you're going if you don't know where you came from.
Am I right?
I recently heard a fellow farmer talk about their reflection process in terms of looking at the rose, bud, and thorn.
If you haven't heard of that analogy, here's what it means:
I thought this would be a great way to look back at 2023 and look forward to what's coming for 2024 here at Lazuli Farms.
2023 was a year of a lot of changes here at the farm.
As always, the year started off with lots of big plans for growth for the farm.
I was jumping knee deep into learning how to make soap the old-fashioned way from the animal fats from our pigs. I also wanted to dig deeper into using tallow to craft skincare.
We registered for a number of farmers markets and had big plans to open the farm store for more hours in the summertime. We talked about hiring an employee to help out with all that.
We also had big plans to work on the cabin and get it ready for Airbnb guests.
By the time June rolled around, it was becoming very clear that we had bit off way more than we could chew.
In comes the thorn.
Between full-time jobs, the farm business, and real life, we were really starting to feel the burn of juggling too many balls in the air.
As a farmer and business owner, we are nothing if not flexible. We have learned to pivot and make changes often over the years.
So, we sat down and made a plan.
A plan to simplify. To make the farm more profitable while also giving us more time back to be with our family. To rest. And to connect.
So, we closed the on-farm store and changed to being open only by appointment. We stepped back from the regular scheduled farmers markets.
We decided to make the slow transition over to raising animals seasonally and selling our meat in halves, wholes, and quarter packages.
With the cost of everything rising this year (feed, shipping supplies, shipping, etc.), selling the meat in bulk means that we can offer you the best price on premium meats while reducing the need for us to handle every cut that comes back to the farm.
In typical Lazuli Farms fashion, you all showed up in a big way to support the changes. We helped fill a lot of freezers for families this fall and will continue to do that into 2024.
We look forward to continuing to raise pork & beef for families across Alberta and offering those seasonally each fall. {Watch you email for your chance to hold a spot to fill your freezer in 2024.}
The bud from that thorn is the opportunity to continue to bring people closer to their food, to continue to care for animals here on the farm, and to create the right balance of life-farm-work.
Stepping back allowed us to enjoy more downtime as a family, to watch lots of Greyson's baseball in the spring and hockey this fall and winter, and time to focus on our own health & wellness. We even managed to enjoy a week in the mountains in August as a family!
The rose of 2023 has been the skincare line development.
Over the past year, I have been passionately developing and extending the line-up of nourishing soaps and skincare products. It's been a real treat sharing my passion for natural, non-toxic skincare with you.
The skincare line has allowed me to meld my passion for preventative health, my love for natural and safe skincare and household products, and my passion for ethical farming. There's nothing more nourishing to our skin then the hydrating and nutrient-dense animals fats from the farm, especially those animals that are raised outdoors with lots of fresh air, sunshine, and room to roam.
We're expanding the skincare line into retail stores across Alberta and have plans to collaborate with more small boutiques and farm stores. Check out the list of retail partners here.
You'll find us at a few curated events & markets in 2024. Markets offer a unique opportunity to chat directly with you to answer any questions you have about the unique skincare offerings from the farm. Find the list of markets & events here.
Our skincare is now available on our Etsy shop as well. Etsy allows people from all over the world to get their hands on the skincare made right here at the farm. You can check out the Etsy shop here.
I look forward to crafting even more luxurious skincare products for your to try and fall in love with as we head into 2024.
I honestly can't thank you enough for making our farm a part of your lives and making these milestones possible. Every time you share our story, buy our products, or connect with us, you are breathing life into our dream. I am filled with gratitude to be a part of this incredible community of customers we have built, and I can't wait to see what this next year has in store.
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As a pharmacist & farmer, and maker of non-toxic skincare, this is a question I get a lot!
Is grassfed beef tallow good to slather on my skin??
So here’s the short answer: YES!
The long answer: Do you have time for this??
All joking aside, we’ve been raising cattle on our little farm for about 4 years and it’s only been the past year or two that we’ve started harnessing the nourishing power of the fat from the animals.
It all started when our daughter, Kamden @prairieshepherdess, learned how to use more & more of the whole animal with her sheep. The sheep arrived on farm as a venture to raise & provide lamb meat for our customers. Kamden was determined to learn how to not let the wool go to waste. In our area, most farmers think of wool as a nuisance - something they have to pay a shearer to remove but can’t get enough money at the wool mill to make the trip worthwhile to drive it there. She discovered that she could sell the wool to spinners & wool artisans and give an extended life to the wool. Kamden also learned how to tan the sheepskins of the butcher lambs and turn them into a beautiful sheepskin for people’s homes. A true way to honour the animal’s life & a keepsake for its new owner.
I knew that my homesteading ancestors would have used animal fats to make soaps. I also was getting lots of questions about tallow for skincare.
And so the journey to digging into tallow for your skin began.
I started making tallow-based skincare about a year ago - starting with tallow balms (thicker, fat-based balms for deep hydration) and adding in scrubs, body butters, and more since then.
People who have tried the tallow balms RAVE about how they work. Not only do they tell us that their skin is rehydrated but they also tell us that the tallow product has helped sooth and hydrate their super dry eczema-prone skin. Even one person tells me that their rosacea has improved.
But let's dig into the science and the info behind grassfed beef tallow and how it can nourish & heal your skin.
1 - Ultra-hydrating as the Fat Mimics your Skin.
Tallow contains fats that are quite similar to the fats found in our skin. This means that the fat is easily absorbed by our skin. Plant oils have a harder time penetrating the skin so take longer to rub into and be absorbed by your skin. The fat can contribute to keeping your skin cells nicely hydrated and healthy (healthy skin = glowing skin). Fats can also help create a barrier on the skin to help protect your body from external toxins & pollutions.
2 - Nutrient-dense to Nourish your Skin
Animal fats are nutrient dense. Compared to plant-based oils, the nutrients are more concentrated in the animal fats. This means that can get away with less product for the same level of hydration & nutrition. A little goes a long way.
3 - Radiant Skin from Fat-Soluble Vitamins
Tallow is jam-packed with fat-soluble vitamins - A, D, E, and K. The animal concentrates and stores these vitamins in their fat - especially those animals that are raised on great pasture in the sunshine!
These vitamins are great for skin health and have anti-oxidant properties. Because the tallow is so similar to our skin structure, the tallow helps to get these vitamins into your skin & body better.
So, there you have it.
Tallow truly is an excellent choice for your skincare regimen.
To get your weekly dose of tips & tricks from our farmhouse to your inbox, sign up for the Lazuli Farms weekly email newsletter here. If you're ready to give tallow skincare a try, pop on over to the Tallow Skincare section of the farm shop and order your tallow products today. You get FREE shipping anywhere in North America on orders over $100!
]]>Here at Lazuli Farms, we don't use any synthetic fragrances in our products. The only scent you will smell is from pure essential oils.
DEA and DEA-compounds are used in skincare to make the product more creamy or to lather better.
DEA and DEA-compounds can react with nitrogen (which is formed when some other ingredients breakdown) to form nitrosamines. These nitrosamines can potentially increase the risk for cancer. In addition, they have been shown to linger on the skin after being rinsed off (for example, in hair dye). DEA has the potential to impact male reproduction.
Watch for triethanolamine, diethanolamine, DEA, TEA, Cocamide DEA, Cocamide MEA, DEA-cetyl phosphate, DEA oleth-3 phosphate, Lauramide DEA, Linoleamide MEA, Myristamide DEA, Oleamide DEA, Stearamide MEA, and TEA-lauryl sulfate.
Thanks for reading today all about the top ten skincare ingredients to KICK right out of your skincare routine right now! A list like this is part of the impetus behind the development of the Lazuli Farms skincare lineup. It shouldn't be so hard to decipher all the ingredients on the label ... that's why we formulate every product so that you don't have to worry about what's in it. We take the guesswork out of reading skincare labels.
Head on over to the Lazuli Farms online store to check out all the options for non-toxic, natural, and nourishing skincare from our farm to your skin.
]]>This past year has been an interesting ride when it comes to what we eat here at the farmhouse.
After reading a memoir about a woman & her family that vowed to cut out sugar for a year (A Year of No Sugar by Eve O. Shaub), I learned SO much about the how harmful sugar is in our bodies. No surprise there! But prior to this book, it was much easier to pull the wool over my eyes and ignore the amount of sugar in my foods. I immediately made a big change in our eating - we baked less, we used up and stopped buying a lot of sugar-laden items, and were very thoughtful about the condiments & ingredients we stocked in our kitchen. I literally tossed the canister of white sugar that we had! I have to insert my caveat here. We choose to keep both honey and maple syrup on hand so we could add a bit of sweet if we wanted to.
The second thing that changed for us was to try gluten-free eating. Our oldest has struggled with mild stomach issues for a couple of years. We had discussed eliminating potential culprits and finally decided it was worth trying to remove gluten from our diet. Gluten has shown to be inflammatory and can cause stomach troubles, so we thought, 'Why Not?" Over the course of a couple of weeks, we used up or discarded gluten-containing ingredients in our pantry. I sat down and mapped out a month of gluten-free meals and we flipped the switch and got started.
To be honest, our gluten free meals have been amazing! Since we are passionate about whole foods & knowing our ingredients, the swap to gluten-free eating has meant we've increased the amount of real foods we are eating. Instead of a carb-gluten heavy meal such as pizza, we are leaning into the meat & veggies on our plates.
To be honest, I was FLOORED by the changes I felt myself.
I didn't think I had any issues with my gut or digestion before this change. But I very quickly realized that I had no bloating, no fullness, no rumbling gut.
But what really surprised me, is that I no longer woke up with sore joints (that I honestly didn't know I even had). No more sluggish in the morning.
And now when I indulge in a dessert or gluten, I could tell.
We have slowly been adapting recipes to make them gluten free and refined sugar free. One of those recipes is for homemade granola. Many recipes have brown or white sugar so we've adapted our previous recipes so that the sweet comes from maple syrup.
So today, I wanted to share the recipe for homemade granola that we eat almost every day. The kids add it to their yogurt. I love topping my smoothie with granola for a delicious breakfast.
Homemade Granola Recipe | Gluten Free | Refined Sugar Free
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 300F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mix oats, nuts, coconut, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, ground cinnamon, and salt until well combined.
Add melted butter, maple syrup, and vanilla and stir until combined well.
Transfer the granola mixture to the parchment lined baking sheet. Spread out on sheet until the mixture is in an even layer with similar thickness across the whole sheet. Place on the centre rack of the oven.
Bake at 300F for 45 to 60 minutes, stirring your granola every 15 to 20 minutes. Bake until the granola is lightly browned.
Remove the granola from the oven. Stir in the raisins and dried fruit into the warm granola. If you prefer your raisins and fruit to be chewy in your granola, feel free to tuck the pan back in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes as this will dry the raisins and fruit out a bit more.
Let the granola cool completely on the pan. Transfer to air-tight containers for storage. Mason jars work well. Store at room temperature in a dark, dry pantry for best keeping.
Makes approximately 3 litres/quart jars full of granola.
Storage: use within 1 to 2 months for best freshness.
]]>For those of you who follow Lazuli Farms on Instagram, you likely know that I make 99% of the meals at our house. I enjoy crafting up a great meal - most importantly, I really love eating an amazing meal that I prepared with my own hands. I've been cooking since I was a pre-teen and love experimenting with new flavours, techniques, and making something great out of simple ingredients. It really doesn't leave much room in the kitchen for anyone else.
That being said, every once in awhile, I love when someone else cooks.
Ever since we've been living together, I let Scott take over when it's steak night.
He marinates the steak for a full day, or when there's time, 24 hours in this marinade. It's the perfect combo of acids to tenderize any cut of grilling steak. No matter if it's a sirloin, flat iron, coulotte, tenderloin, ribeye, tomahawk, or anything in between, this marinade is the go-to for delicious grilled steak.
If you're in the mood for a good homegrown, Alberta beef steak, check out the bundles & specials from Lazuli Farms. Order one for delivery right to your doorstep, anywhere in Alberta.
Now, go ahead and get your steak marinating!
Scott's Steak Marinade Recipe
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Place steaks into a large zippered bag or a casserole dish with a tight-fitting lid. Add the sauces & seasonings. Make sure the steaks get fully covered by the marinade.
Seal the bag and move to the fridge. Marinate for at least 2 hours. Marinate 12 to 24 hours for best flavour & tenderness. Flip steaks around once or twice during marinating.
Grill your steak to perfection.
]]>Vegetables:
Apple Cider Vinegar:
Water:
Today, let's talk through the three different ways you can make bone broth at home. You can make your broth in a slow cooker, a pressure cooker (Instant Pot), or on the stovetop. All three ways have benefits to them and you may want to try all three ways to figure out which one works best for you.
Slow Cooker - this method is great for "set it and forget it". You can toss you ingredients in the slow cooker, turn it on, and forget about it!
Instant Pot - this method works great to "quicken" up the process of making broth. The best broth comes from simmering the bones long enough to extract as much goodness as you can. The Instant Pot helps to speed this up.
Stove top - the best thing about the stovetop method is that you can make as big of a batch as your pot will hold! I often use my big canning pot to make many quarts of broth at one time.
Instructions for all ways:
1st Way = Instant Pot
Once complete, reset for an additional 4 hours.
Let the Instant Pot release naturally and allow broth to cool enough to handle.
Strain out bones, meat, and veggies through a metal strainer or cheesecloth lined colander.
If using broth as a sipping broth, add salt at this point.
Pour broth into mason jars (1 litre/quart size) until 3/4 full.
Transfer to the fridge to cool.
Once cooled, remove fat from the top.
2nd Way = Stovetop
3rd Way = Slow Cooker
When I first graduated from pharmacy school in Edmonton, I was offered a hospital pharmacist position in Fort McMurray, Alberta. For those of you who don't know, Fort McMurray is a community in northern Alberta that is a bustling hub for oilsands-related work. It's also a community in the middle of the bush, surrounded by forest and connected to the rest of Alberta by a long, never0ending stretch of highway.
At the time of the job opportunity, the city of Fort McMurray was just about to hit a big boom. The hospital job offer was a great opportunity for a new grad to "cut their teeth" since the hospital had to offer a large variety of services for the isolated and booming community.
Scott and I jumped at the opportunity to try something new and moved 4.5 hours north to Fort Mac. We lived there for two years before venturing back to central Alberta. We truly enjoyed our time there as we met some amazing people and got to experience a lot of new things as a young couple.
One of my colleagues at the hospital was a woman who had moved from Malaysia. She brought the most amazing dishes to our work potlucks including pickled spice pineapple and stuffed jalapenos that were made with ground pork. Jen's stuffed jalapenos were unlike any jalapenos I had tried before! I was hooked and have been making a version of them ever since! I wasn't a big fan of cream cheese so these meat stuffed jalapenos were right up my alley!
The recipe I am sharing below was inspired by those delightful stuffed jalapeno peppers that Jen introduced me to all those years ago. The sauce is similar to a store-bought "oriental barbecue sauce" that Jen used on her peppers - it's ginger-y and sour & sweet all at the same time!
Asian-Inspired Pork Stuffed Jalapenos Recipe
Ingredients:
Pork Filling:
Ginger Barbecue Sauce:
Instructions:
Pork Filling:
Ginger Barbecue Sauce:
To Finish:
Did you know that you can whip up homemade gravy in a flash?
The key is to always have the three simple ingredients on hand:
You'll also want to season up your gravy with salt & pepper or other seasonings if you want to get adventurous!
Simple gravy comes together easily in a saucepan by starting with melting the butter. Next mix in the flour until blended in. Then add the broth a little at a time, whisking after each addition. After that, you just continue to heat until the gravy thickens to your liking!
Go ahead and skip to the bottom if you just want the recipe!
Otherwise, here are SIX great ways to use your gravy for an amazing meal tonight!
Six Ways to Use Homemade Gravy Tonight:
1 - Swedish Meatballs
Pour homemade gravy over top of homemade meatballs to re-create your favorite IKEA Swedish meatballs!
2 - Poor Man Steak
Make & cook homemade burger patties. Saute onion & bell pepper strips until soft. Place the burgers and veggie strips into a casserole dish and pour your homemade gravy over top.
Bake in the oven until bubbly!
3 - Cottage or Shepherd's Pie
Shepherd's Pie is made with lamb. Cottage pie is made with beef, pork, poultry or other meats.
It's a mix of cooked meat, small chopped veggies like onions, celery, peas, carrots, and gravy. Then you top the mixture with mashed potatoes and bake in the oven until bubbly!
4 - Biscuits & Sausage Gravy
Make simple homemade baking powder biscuits.
Season your ground pork with "breakfast" sausage spices. Fry the ground pork until cooked. Add the homemade gravy. Stir and heat.
Pour over your biscuits for a delightful southern-inspired meal!
5 - Mushroom & Beef Stroganoff
Fry ground beef in a saucepan and add mushrooms and spices at the end. Cook until the mushrooms are soft. Pour in the homemade gravy.
Serve over cooked egg noodles and enjoy!
6 - Chicken Fried Steak or Chops with Gravy
Take your pork cutlets or minute steaks and bread them with a seasoned mix of bread crumbs and spices.
Fry them in a cast iron pan with a bit of lard or bacon grease in the pan.
Serve with homemade gravy to pour over top of the chicken fried steaks or chops!
Simple Homemade Gravy Recipe
Ingredients:
Instructions:
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter, lard or bacon grease over medium heat. Once melted, sprinkle the flour over top. Use a whisk to mix the flour in until the flour is completely blended in.
Stir regularly and continue to heat until the mixture becomes bubbly.
Add the bone broth one cup at a time, whisking the broth in after each addition.
Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring continuously, until the gravy thickens to your liking. Stir continuously so that the gravy doesn't thicken and cook to the bottom of the pan.
Now you season! Season your gravy with salt & pepper to taste. Add optional seasonings if you like.
Serve & enjoy!
]]>Last year when we offered the charcuterie kits, we included recipes to pair with your epic charcuterie spreads. One of those recipes was for the most amazing cheese ball.
Made with crumbled Lazuli Farms bacon, cheddar, garlic from Fifth Gen Gardens, green onions, then rolled in more garlic plus walnuts, this cheese ball is a flavour explosion!
The great thing about this cheese ball is that it's made with ingredients you likely have on hand all year round. If you don't have fresh green onions, you can sub in onion powder or minced dehydrated onion flakes.
It's the reason why we keep a block of cream cheese in our fridge at all times! You never know when you'll have the hankering for an easy, appetizer supper!
Garlic & Bacon Cheese Ball Recipe
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Warm cream cheese at room temperature for an hour to soften.
In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese with bacon, garlic, cheese, and onions. Using your hands, mix ingredients together and form into a ball.
Spread the walnuts and garlic on a plate in a thin layer. Roll the cheese ball in the walnut-garlic mixture to completely coat the cheese ball.
Place the cheeseball on a plate and chill in the fridge for 30 to 60 minutes to firm up.
Serve with veggies, crackers, pretzels on a beautiful wood serving board.
]]>Winter seems to be the "season" for breads! It must be the blanket of snow out our windows that makes us crave a kitchen that is warm with the oven on and the smell of fresh breads coming out of the oven.
Here in central Alberta, Canada, we had a crazy cold snap in December. We're talking minus 40s (both celsius and farenheit) for over a week! Our time outside was spent giving the animals "fresh sheets" (as we call it - putting in fresh straw bedding), thawing frozen water troughs & hoses, thawing propane nozzles for the farm store, and making sure the animals had lots of feed to warm their bellies. Our time inside was spent baking biscuits every couple of days, cozying up on the couches, reading books, and going to bed early as the house cooled off. I'm beyond thankful that the weather has decided to warm up and we're taking in as much time outside while the temperatures reach for above freezing the next few days. I'm sure a cold snap will be back again this winter ... which means more biscuits!
This biscuit recipe is simple to mix up and cooks up quickly. From start to finish, these can be on the table in 30 minutes. It's a great way to prep a "bread" in the morning or while your soup is simmering.
A couple of tips to biscuits:
We love our biscuits plain so that we can doctor them up however we like - peanut butter & jam for some, just butter for others. But you can definitely add other morsels to the batter such as cheese, bacon, green onion, garlic, or herbs. Just add them to the flour mixture before you add your milk - this will help you from overmixing the batter.
Fluffy Baking Powder Biscuits with Buttermilk Recipe
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 450F.
Mix dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Add butter to the bowl and "cut" in with a pastry blender or potato masher. You can also use a food processor and "pulse" to break up the butter. You will cut the butter in until the butter is in pebble sized pieces.
If adding bacon, cheese, or other fillings, add them to the flour mixture now.
Add the buttermilk and mix with a spoon until the flour is just mixed in.
Move the dough to a lightly floured surface and roll out to about 1 inch thick. You can use a rolling pin or use your hands to press the dough out evenly.
Use a round cookie cutter or a glass that's about 2 to 3 inches wide to cut the dough into rounds. Transfer the rounds to a parchment lined cookie sheet.
Bake at 450F for 12 to 14 minutes until lightly golden brown. If you have couple of pans of biscuits, swap them from top to bottom rack partway through the time.
Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool.
Best served warm!
Cut your biscuits in half and top with Lazuli Farms bacon slices, fried egg, and cheese for a classic biscuit breakfast sandwich!
]]>As the holidays approach, I crave all those classic "squares" that my grandmothers & aunts would bring to the family potlucks!
A lot of my favorite squares have a shortbread base - a simple butter, flour, and sugar mix pressed in a pan and baked.
Greyson recently asked me to make "granola" bars with chocolate. I pictured a bar with a shortbread base, caramel in the middle, and chocolate on top. We browsed for recipes and ended up modifying a few different recipes and making it up as we went. What we ended up with was a three layer chocolate bar with similar tastes to a "Twix" bar!
These are a sweet, sugary treat and would be perfect to gift or when you're looking for a chocolate-y, sugary fix!
Homemade Twix Bars
Ingredients:
Shortbread Layer:
Caramel Layer:
Chocolate layer:
Instructions:
Line a 8x8" square baking dish with parchment paper so that the parchment comes up over the sides (you'll want to pull the parchment like "handles" to remove the bars from the pan).
Preheat the oven to 350F
Combine all the ingredients of the shortbread layer. Mix until all the flour is mixed in. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan, pressing the mixture down in an even layer.
Bake at 350F for 20 minutes until the shortbread is lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let it cool completely in the pan.
In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the white sugar and water. Heat over medium heat until bubbling. Remove from heat and add the butter. Whisk to combine. Add the cream and salt. Return to heat and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Turn down to maintain a light simmer while avoiding burning the caramel to the bottom. Continue to cook until the caramel thickens to the consistency of liquid honey.
Let the caramel cool for about 5 to 10 minutes. Pour over the shortbread layer and transfer to the fridge to set the caramel layer. You can leave in the fridge overnight or tuck in the freezer for about an hour.
Using the parchment "handles", remove the bars from the pan and transfer to a large cutting board. Using a large butcher knife, cut the bars into 12 to 16 bars (depending how big you'd like them). Place them on the cutting board spaced out as you prepare the chocolate layer to pour over them.
To make the chocolate layer, you can melt the chocolate and butter over low heat in a small saucepan on the stove or microwave in 30 second increments. Melt until the chocolate chips are melted and the butter will mix in.
Gently pour the chocolate over each individual square, allowing the chocolate to drip down the sides of each square. Place in the fridge to set completely.
]]>Okay, it's time to get on the LEFTOVERS train! One of the best ways to stretch your food budget and to make multiple meals from one roast or one whole chicken, is to make a PLAN for your leftovers. Cook up a pork or beef roast or a whole chicken overnight in the slow cooker, then shred the meat and tuck it in the fridge for future meals. One roast or whole chicken can provide meat to make 2 to 4 meals for a family or couple!
This recipe for loaded baked potato casserole combines your leftover pulled pork, shredded chicken (or leftover roast beef) with pre-cooked potatoes, cheese, and sour cream for a "taste" of baked potato in a casserole!
With a little planning (pre-cooking your meat and potatoes) this casserole can come together and be on the table in under 30 minutes.
Easy peasy right!
Check out the recipe below!
Loaded Baked Potato Casserole with Shredded Chicken or Pork Recipe
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Grease a 9x13 casserole dish with bacon grease, lard, butter, or oil.
Preheat the oven to 350F.
In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients together except the 1/2 cup of grated cheddar cheese.
Dump the mixture into the prepared casserole dish and bake to 15 to 20 minutes in the oven. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup of grated cheddar cheese and return to the oven until the cheese is bubbling.
]]>What is lard?
Lard is the pure fat from pigs. The fat is set aside during butchering, then it is "rendered" down to the pure form of fat.
What is rendering?
Rendering is the process of heating the pork fat over low heat to melt the pork fat to a liquid. You can melt the fat in a slow cooker on low, in a roaster in the oven at 220F, or in a large saucepan on the stove over low-medium heat (aim for keeping the pork fat at 220F).
The pork fat is kept on the heat for a few hours so any water can evaporate. The melted fat is strained through a cheesecloth or tea towel-lined mesh strainer to remove any pieces of meat or unmelted fat.
Pour the melted fat into containers for storage. Wide mouth mason jars or plastic pails (think yogurt or honey containers) are a good choice.
The fat will harden into solid white lard.
Lard can be stored in a cool place (think cold room) for up to 6 months. You can also tuck the lard into the freezer where it will store for even longer (up to 12 months).
Small containers of lard can be stored in your kitchen in an easily accessible place to be used for frying and cooking.
Why use lard for candles?
Lard candles are a great option as they are inexpensive and burn cleanly.
You can render a fair amount of lard from a single pig. Imagine how many candles you could make from one pig! It's a super easy way to make sure that the pork fat is not discarded.
Lard is solid, but soft, at room temperature. Combining the lard with a little bit of beeswax makes for a candle with a good consistency. The lard melts easily from the sides of the jar which means the candles doesn't leave a whole bunch of was on the sides of the jar.
Candles made with soy or paraffin wax will release chemicals like formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, toluene, benzene, and acetone. Beeswax and lard are much safer options.
Do lard candles smell like pork?
No!
There are two types of pork fat based on where the fat is found on the pig - leaf and back fat.
Leaf fat comes from the interior of the pig and is found around the kidneys and loin. The fat is softer in consistency and is nearly odourless when rendered down to lard.
Back fat is just what is sounds like. Pigs have a thick layer of fat on the outside of their body. This helps them to regulate their body heat. When rendered to lard, it is a bit harder than leaf lard, and it has a bit more of a porky smell.
So if you want to make candles that are completely odourless, go with leaf lard.
When working with back fat, you can use essential oils to lightly scent the candles and this will counteract any porky smell that might be there.
What else is lard good for?
Lard is amazing for frying, cooking, and baking. If you are frying eggs, making stirfry, sauteing vegetables for soup, or making english muffins, toss a tablespoon or two into the frypan.
Use lard in place of butter or oil when roasting potatoes, veggies, or a sheet pan meal in the oven. Lard helps give crispness to the roasted veggies.
Lard is perfect for deep frying. It provides great flavour and gives just the perfect crispness to your donuts, french fries, or battered veggies.
Lard can be used in baking as well. You'll love using lard in your pastries - seriously the flakiest crusts come from using lard! Find the pie pastry recipe made with lard & butter here.
How much essential oils should I add for fragrance?
Aiming for 1 to 2% essential oils is perfect for scenting your candles.
With approx. 20 drops of essential oils in one mL, you will want to add 30 to 60 drops of essential oils to each cup of lard/beeswax.
What are good essential oils to use for candles?
You can use any essential oils you love in your candles! A few of our favorites are lavender, lemongrass, bergamot, peppermint, citrus scents, spice scents like cinnamon, ginger, and clove, and earthy scents like cedarwood and sandalwood.
Where to source pork fat?
If you are in the Camrose or Edmonton area, you can pop out to the farm store at Lazuli Farms to find pork fat ready for you to render.
If you are outside of our area, contact your local farmer to source quality pork fat from pigs raised outdoors. Pigs are amazing at turning sunshine into Vitamin D stores in their fat. Lard is a great source of Vitamin D in the wintertime when the amount of time you spend outdoors is minimal.
How to Make Lard & Beeswax Candles
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Prepare your jars: attach the wick to the bottom of the jar with a two-sided sticky dot. Use a wick holder to centre the wick in the middle of the jar. You can make a "makeshift" wick holder by placing two pencils on top of the jar on either side of the wick and taping the pencils together to hold the wick tight between the pencils.
Melt the lard and beeswax in a saucepan until just melted. Mix well. Transfer to a candle making pot with a narrow spout for pouring the wax easily into the jars.
Add essential oils to the lard & beeswax mixture and mix well.
Pour the mixture into the jars, filling the jars to the desired height.
Set the candles aside to harden for at least 24 hours. Trim the wick to the desired length.
Note: Lard candles can be softer than a wax candle so be cautious about transporting and storing the candle on it's side, especially if in a warm location.
]]>Happy Monday friends!
I don't know about you but I plan my summer garden to stock my pantry & freezer with fruits & veggies to use for baking in the winter! I love pulling out a container of frozen shredded garden zucchini on a snowy day ... then baking up a warm & delicious treat with a taste of summer!
A few things I grow in the garden that I love for winter baking:
More about planning your garden for winter baking here!
These chocolate zucchini muffins are an adaptation from a classic chocolate mayonnaise cake recipe that my Mom passed down to me. It's such a super simple recipe that comes together all in one bowl!
And there's a secret bonus to this recipe - no eggs, so you can eat the batter off the spoon after you make the muffins! My favorite part of baking!
Chocolate Zucchini Muffins {Classic Mayonnaise Chocolate Cake}
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 374F. Fill 12 regular size muffin cups with paper muffin liners or grease the cups.
Start with a large bowl and add all your dry ingredients. Mix well to break up any cocoa or baking soda chunks.
Add mayonnaise, water, zucchini, and vanilla. Mix until all of the dry ingredients are "just" incorporated. You don't want to overmix as the muffins will be more dense if overmixed.
Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, evenly distributing it between the 12 cups.
Bake in the pre-heated oven for 20 to 24 minutes. Check doneness with a toothpick - the muffins are cooked when the toothpick comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. These muffins freeze well.
Add 1 cup of chocolate chips or chopped walnuts if you'd like.
]]>What makes a bagel so chewy and crispy on the outside and soft & delicious on the inside?
You might be surprised to learn that bagels are boiled before they are baked!
The process of boiling the shaped bagels causes the exterior of the bagel to cook & set their shape before cooking them in the oven. The boiling gives the bagel its characteristic chewy exterior.
After boiling, the bagels won't rise as much as other breads in the oven since the exterior is partially cooked. The bagel will hold its shape while cooking resulting in a denser-than-bread interior that's soft & chewy.
Top 3 Reasons Why You will Love Bagels:
1 - Best bread for "sandwiches"
Affectionately called "bagelwiches" in our household, bagel sandwiches are a favorite. They are easy to pack in lunches or on the go and there are so many options for bagelwich fixings!
Give one of these a try:
2 - Long Shelf-Life
With the crispy exterior, bagels don't tend to dry out as quickly as other breads. So you've got a bit more time to eat through your batch of bagels - they'll stay fresh tasting for a few days ... but I'd bet you money you and your family will eat these up so fast!
3 - Easy to Freeze
Bagels keep their freshness, flavour, and texture intact after freezing - they'll taste just like you took them out of the oven that day!
Once your bagels cool completely, tuck 4 to 6 bagels into a large zippered freezer bag, remove as much air as possible before sealing, label, and tuck them in the freezer for up to 3 months. We always freeze in groups of 5 so we'll have enough for our family when we pull out a pack.
This recipe can easily be doubled to make a bigger batch of bagels to freeze. A single batch makes 8 to 10 bagels depending on how big you like your bagels. A double batch will yield you 16 to 20 bagels.
We often make TWO double batches of bagels to restock the freezer. I make two separate double batches at the same time. I find the dough gets way to BIG to handle if you try to make more than a double batch in one bowl. So having two double batches going simultaneously works great for me.
Homemade New York Bagels Recipe
Recipe makes 8 to 10 bagels.
Ingredients:
Instructions:
In a glass measuring cup (1 or 2 cup size), sprinkle yeast and sugar over the 1/2 cup water. Stir to mix. Let stand for 5 minutes. Mixture should be frothy.
In a large bowl. mix 3 1/2 cups flour and sea salt. Pour the yeast water mixture into the bowl. Pour in an additional 1/2 cup of water.
Use a fork to combine. Once water is incorporated, start mixing with your hands. Continue to add a tablespoon of water at a time, mixing after each addition. Add up to 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) until all of the flour is incorporated. The dough will be firm and moist after incorporating the ingredients.
Transfer the ball of dough to a lightly floured surface and knead the dough until the dough is smooth, elastic, and stiff. It will take approximately 5 to 10 minutes to knead.
Transfer the dough ball to the bowl and cover with a plate or a damp, clean tea towel. Let rise in a warm part of the ktichen for about an hour, until doubled in size.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. You can fit 6 to 8 bagels on each baking sheet.
Transfer the dough to a table or counter. Use a dough/pastry cutter to divide the dough into 8 to 10 equal pieces.
Take each piece of dough and roll them into balls. You can create tension in your dough ball by folding the edges in to the centre of the dough ball, then turn the dough ball a quarter turn, and pull the edge in to the centre. Continue until you have turned the ball 360 degrees.
Set aside each dough ball after you shape each one. Once you have formed them all into balls, you can now start creating the hole in the middle of the bagel.
While holding your dough ball with two hands, push your thumb and forefinger through the centre of the dough ball by pinching from both sides. Once the hole is through, use your hands to stretch and shape the bagel.
Place each bagel onto the parchment lined baking sheet. Set them aside to rise while the oven heats, and you bring the water to a boil, and you prepare your toppings.
Preheat the oven to 425F.
Fill a large pot or dutch oven with water and add 1 tablespoon of baking soda. Bring the water to a boil.
Place toppings (except cheese) onto plates or shallow dishes such as pie plates.
Once water is boiling, drop 3 to 4 bagels into the water. The bagels may sink, then rise to the surface. Boil for 1 minute, then use a slotted spoon to flip the bagels over to their other side. Boil for 1 minute on the second side. Use the slotted spoon to lift the bagels out of the water and place them back onto the parchment lined baking sheet.
Dip your bagels directly into the toppings on their plates. Toppings will stick to the moist bagels. Sprinkle bagels with cheese if making cheese bagels.
Continue to boil the remaining bagels and top them until all the bagels are ready to go into the oven.
Bake for 20 minutes on the top rack of the oven until golden brown. If cooking two pans of bagels, switch the pans from top to bottom partway through.
Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack until completely cooled.
Freezing Bagels:
Place 4 to 6 bagels in a large zippered freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
]]>Last week, I was slammed by a nasty virus that knocked me on my ass. Kamden and I visited the Fibre Frolic event in Edmonton (an event for knitters and wool lovers and fibre farmers) and on the way home, I could tell I was tanking fast. By the time we arrived home, it was all I could do to drag myself inside and crawl into bed. I fought a fever off and on for 3 days and slept more than I was awake. When the fever finally disappeared, I grabbed out a couple of whole chickens from the freezer - my body was in need of the nourishment of a hearty chicken noodle soup. My friend, Kerri, raised meat chickens this year and she dropped off a handful of the chickens a few weeks ago and we've been looking forward to them ever since.
After cooking the whole chickens in the slow cooker, I was able to shred enough chicken off the frames to make at least a couple of meals. The carcasses went right back in the slow cooker with water, carrots, onions, and garlic, and I let it simmer for the next 24 hours. The broth turned out to one of the most flavourful broths I've made yet and the soup was just what I needed.
Now, with all the shredded chicken leftover, I was excited to create a few new recipes for the Lazuli Farms blog! I spotted a bottle of Maple Bluff's delicious barbecue sauce in the fridge along with pre-cooked LF bacon and it hit me! Let's make a pizza complete with barbecue sauce, bacon, and caramelized onions. A hit of delicious flavours.
Pizza is always a hit at our house. The incredibly simple pizza crust recipe on the Lazuli Farms blog is so stinking easy that all my kids can make pizza crust ALMOST with their eyes closed, lol!
Of note, I find that shredded chicken and pulled, shredded pork shoulder can be used interchangeably in most recipes. Pulled pork would taste equally delightful on this pizza!
So let's make some barbecue chicken pizza my friend!
Barbecue Chicken or Pulled Pork Pizza with Caramelized Onions Recipe
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 425F while you caramelize the onions.
Heat the lard, bacon grease, or butter in a medium cast iron pan until hot. Add the onions and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the onions are soft and lightly caramelized.
Assemble each pizza by spreading barbecue sauce on the prepared, uncooked pizza crust. Use as much barbecue sauce as you desire. Add the shredded/chopped chicken or pulled pork, onions, and then sprinkle the pizza liberally with shredded cheeses.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, swapping the pizzas from top to bottom rack partway through.
Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Serve with spicy aoili, hot sauce, ranch, or a mix of ranch with hot sauce.
]]>Did you know that you can freeze lemons?
As a home cook who prefers to have ingredients on hand instead of hitting the grocery store often, I was floored to learn that you could freeze lemons to have on hand anytime you want to add fresh lemon juice to a recipe!
How convenient to just pull out a lemon from the freezer, thaw it, and then craft up meals & baking with fresh lemon juice! Lemon muffins, lemon loaf, lemon cake, lemon chicken, and so much more!
A number of years ago, I worked as a hospital pharmacist in a larger hospital in the city. I didn't eat in the cafeteria very often, but I sure had a love for the lemon loaf that the cafeteria always had on hand, day and night. The lemon loaf in the cafeteria rivalled the lemon loaf you find at Starbuck's. So yummy and sweet! I had to figure out how to re-create this lemon treat at home.
I've adapted to recipe into a muffin recipe since muffins are way easier to pack in lunches and quicker to bake!
So grab a few lemons, freeze some of them for later, and get making this lemon loaf muffins recipe today!
How to Freeze Lemons:
Lemon Loaf Muffins Recipe
Ingredients:
Glaze:
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Line 12 muffin tins with paper muffin liners or grease well.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until combined. Add egg and beat until fluffy. Mix in lemon juice, milk, and vanilla.
In a separate medium bowl, mix flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
Fill 12 cup muffin cups evenly with batter. If you'd prefer, you can skip the glaze (below) and sprinkle each muffin with a little bit of coarse sugar (also called raw or turbinado sugar).
Bake for 22 to 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Cool for 5 minutes, then move to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Mix icing sugar and lemon juice. Drizzle over muffins.
]]>
Confession.
I don't drink coffee.
I love the smell of freshly brewed coffee, the smells of a coffeehouse, the atmosphere of a coffee shop. I just don't love coffee.
Since I'm not a coffee drinker, I've always wondered what all the hype is about "pumpkin spiced lattes" every fall. Everywhere on social media, you start seeing people talk about PSL's every September. I love pumpkin pie, pumpkin muffins, and all baked things with pumpkin. I was always curious about pumpkin spice lattes, but since I'm not a coffee lover, I've never tried one.
If you follow the Lazuli Farms on Instagram, you'll know that I LOVE chai tea lattes! Every week, I make a double or triple batch of chai tea latte concentrate to last me through the week.
So, my mind started thinking, would pumpkin spice latte work for a chai tea latte??
I did some digging and found out that most pumpkin spice lattes are made with a pumpkin spiced syrup. Well well. How about we mix a homemade pumpkin spiced syrup with a chai tea latte??
You won't be surprised to learn that the result is OH SO TASTY!
So grab a pumpkin, bake it up and use the puree to make the syrup below for your pumpkin spiced lattes and pumpkin spiced chai tea latte!
You can use your homemade pumpkin pie spice in the recipe as well!
Pumpkin Pie Syrup Recipe
Ingredients:
Instructions:
In a medium saucepan, mix ingredients together and heat over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and turn down to maintain a steady simmer. Stir often while the mixture simmers and thickens. Continue cooking until the syrup is thickened to the consistency of maple syrup. It will thicken more as it cools.
Make about 1.5 cups of syrup. Pour into a mason jar and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Pumpkin Spiced Chai Tea Latte Recipe
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Mix your ingredients together and heat to your liking. Sprinkle with cinnamon & nutmeg. And enjoy!
]]>Have you ever wondered what's in the "pumpkin pie spice" that so many recipes call for? Of course, you could just go out an buy a premade pumpkin pie spice mix but why run out to the store when you can make it at home with spices you probably already have!
Pumpkin pie spice is called that because it's the perfect mix for making pumpkin pie! (Obviously, lol!) But you can also use the spice in pumpkin and other kinds of muffins, on french toast, in pancakes and waffles, on eggnog, sprinkled on your chai tea latte, in cinnamon buns, to season pumpkin seeds or baked pecans, spice cake, mixed with pumpkin puree and sugar to make pumpkin syrup for lattes, and sprinkled over popcorn!
This recipe for homemade pumpkin pie spice contains only five ground spices including:
Mix up a big batch from the recipe below and tuck it in an airtight container and have fun experimenting with fun recipes this fall!
Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice Recipe
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Mix all spices together in a bowl. Transfer to a small airtight container.
Use pumpkin pie spice for the following snacks, meals, and recipes:
What is lard?
Lard is the pure fat that is rendered from the fat from a pig. The fat is heated over low heat to melt down the fat into a liquid. This allows any water to evaporate off and allows you to strain the liquid lard through a cheesecloth/sieve to remove any bits of pork meat that might be present in the fat. This process of rendering results in having the pure pork fat.
Why lard?
When your lard is made from pigs that have lived outdoors in the sunshine, the pork fat will be chockful of lots of Vitamin D. There will also be lots of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) as well.
The high melting point of lard means that the lard doesn't melt into the flour as easily as other fats. This results in the flakiest of pie crusts you'll ever have!
How to Source Lard:
Your best bet for sourcing lard is to go directly to your local farmer who is raising their pigs outdoors with organic feed. The sunshine will help concentrate the Vitamin D in the pigs fat and this means you get lots of Vitamin D from the lard!
You can often buy pre-rendered lard from your farmer but you can also save money by rendering your own!
Making lard from pork fat:
Rendering your own lard is a fairly simple process. Find out more on how to render lard and how to store it here on the Lazuli Farms blog. You can also find more information inside The Kitchen Club membership on rendering and using animal fats.
How to Use Lard Pie Crust:
Other Ways to Use Lard:
Lard works amazingly well for pan frying and deep frying due to it's high melting and smoke point. Keep a jar of lard near your stovetop and use it when frying eggs, vegetables, chicken, and anything else. You can fill your saucepan or deep fryer with lard to make donuts, fried chicken, or french fries.
Use lard for making crispy oven fries - just spoon a number of small teaspoons of lard over the potato wedges before putting them in the oven. Once melted (about 5 to 10 minutes), stir the lard into the potatoes.
Use lard when making foil packets of potatoes and/or veggies for cooking on the grill.
Lard can be used in baking as well. It works great for making bread, pizza crust, and other doughs. It can work for making cookies and other desserts although it can impart a bit of a porky taste, so butter might be a better choice.
Flaky Pie Crust made with Lard Recipe
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Mix flour and salt in a large bowl. Cut lard into the flour mixture with a knife, pastry blender, or fork. Keep cutting the lard in until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Add cold water one tablespoonful at a time. Mixing with a fork, mix well after each addition. Add enough water for the dough to form and for no flour to be left on the edges of the bowl. Using your hands, divide dough into two equal pieces. Form the dough into two balls. Shape the balls into flattened dough balls. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate a minimum of 1 hour or overnight.
Remove from the fridge and your ready to roll out your pie dough. Each ball will make one layer of pie pastry (either top or bottom). This recipe will make dough for a pie with a top or for two pies with crust only.
]]>A few years ago, Scott & I visited Texas & Louisiana on a road trip. We love to eat and made sure to sample as much cuisine as we could on our ten day tour. The food varied widely from barbecue to cajun cuisine, but the one thing that stayed true throughout was the sweet tea! In Canada, we call it "iced tea" and can find bottles of iced tea in every convenience store, gas station, and grocery store. Prior to our trip, I had never even thought about making homemade sweet tea from scratch! But once we got home, I thought, how hard can it be?
I'm here to say that making homemade sweet tea at home is super simple! You'll find the recipe for simple homemade sweet tea here on the Lazuli Farms blog. You start with black tea leaves (more on where to buy looseleaf tea below), a sweetener of some sort (white sugar, maple syrup or honey) and add hot water. Let the tea leaves steep for 5 to 10 minutes before straining them out. Cool your sweetened tea & add ice, and voila, you've got sweet tea! Once you feel comfortable with the process of making sweet tea, there are so many fun variations you will want to try!
The most recent sweet tea concoction we've been enjoying here on the farm is what we call "fruity sweet tea". We've incorporated raspberry tea leaves and hibiscus for a kick of fruit flavour in the sweet tea.
You might be wondering where to buy loose leaf tea and how to pick which tea to buy, so let's jump into that!
Where to buy loose leaf tea?
About Black Tea:
Black tea isn't really as simple as saying "black tea".
Let's start with black versus green tea:
Black tea differs from green tea in how the plant is processed after it is harvested. Black tea leaves are fried and fired over a longer period of time - leading to the darker colour. Green tea leaves are fried but not fired. The longer processing of black tea concentrates the caffeine content so black tea is often "stronger" than green tea.
Let's talk varieties:
There are a number of different varieties of black teas that are typically named based on the region in which they are grown. You will commonly see assam (grown in Assam region of India), darjeeling (grown in Darjeeling region of India), and ceylon (grown in Sri Lanka) black teas. Less commonly, you may also find Kee Mun and Lapsong Souchong and their many varieties grown in China.
Varieties like English, Scottish, or Irish Breakfast are blends of black teas. Earl grey tea is a black tea infused with bergamot oil.
Now let's look at cut:
When black tea is processed, Black teas can be classified into four different "grades" or cuts.
About Raspberry Tea:
Raspberry leaf tea is made from the leaves of a raspberry bush. It has a full body flavour similar to black tea with a fruity and earthy taste. This tea is considered a "woman's" tea leave - it's chockful of vitamins and minerals and is said to soothe the female reproductive system.
About Hibiscus Tea:
Hibiscus tea comes from the dried petals of the tropical hibiscus flower. The tart flavour is similar to cranberries. Hibiscus contains anti-oxidants and may have some health benefits. Of note, it is best to avoid hibiscus in pregnancy.
Fruity Sweet Tea with Raspberry & Hibiscus Recipe
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Add tea leaves, sweetener, and lemon juice to a litre/quart jar. Bring water to a boil in a kettle, then pour over the tea mixture.
Set aside to steep for 10 minutes. Strain into another liter/quart jar through a metal strainer to remove the tea leaves. Tuck the jar into the fridge to cool.
Once cooled, you can drink as is for strong sweet tea (I like to add lots of ice and drink it strong!). Or mix 1:1 with cold water. Just don't forget lots of ice!
]]>This is by far the best appetizer to pack when heading over to friends or family's house for supper!
Focaccia bread is super simple to make. Mix up the dough without ANY kneading in the morning. Set aside and forget about it all day. Then toss it in a pan, top it, and bake it! Voila! A delicious bread to share!
Bacon, garlic, rosemary, and cheese is our favorite way to top focaccia. But top it however you like! You can use sliced cherry tomatoes and mozzarella. You can use pesto & parmesan. You could top it like a pizza. Or try any combination you can think of!
Slice your backed focaccia into small finger or big pieces, it's totally up to you.
Bacon & Garlic Focaccia Bread Recipe
Ingredients for Focaccia:
Ingredients for Topping:
Instructions:
In a large bowl, mix the flour & salt together. In a separate bowl, mix the water and yeast and let sit for 5 minutes until the yeast is bubbly. Pour the water-yeast mixture into the flour-salt bowl. Using a fork, mix until all of the flour has been combined.
Cover the bowl with a clean moistened tea towel. Set the bowl aside on your kitchen counter at room temperature for anywhere from a couple of hours to 12 hours.
(Mix the dough up before you leave the house in the morning and make this for supper. Or mix it up a lunch time to cook for supper. The time is so forgiving on this focaccia it makes it the EASIEST bread to make!)
Line a 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper. Pour 3 tablespoons of olive oil in the bottom of the lined pan.
Dump the focaccia dough into the pan on top of the oil. Flip the dough once to coat the dough in the olive oil.
Set aside to rise for about 20 minutes while you preheat the oven and prepare the toppings.
Preheat the oven to 450F.
Flip the dough in the pan one more time. Using your fingers, dip them in a bit of the oil in the pan and then stretch and pull the dough to fill the pan, ensuring that the dough is about even thickness throughout.
Using your fingers to press dimples into the surface of the dough. Pour the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil evenly over the dough.
Top your dough evenly with the bacon, salt, garlic, rosemary, and parmesan cheese. Add more toppings if you choose.
Bake the focaccia for 25 to 30 minutes, making sure to move the dough from bottom to top rack and turning the pan around at the halfway mark.
Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes in the pan.
Transfer to a cooling rack to cool until the bread is cool enough to cut.
Cut the focaccia into pieces and serve.
Store remaining focaccia in an airtight container in the fridge and eat within 2 days. The bread does not have any oil incorporated into the dough and tastes best when eaten fresh, but will re-warm well for a day or two.
]]>What is kombucha?
Kombucha is a sour, fermented beverage made from sugar-sweetened tea. The sweetened-tea is fermented by adding a community of organisms to aid in the fermenting process. This community is called a scoby or mother and resembles a rubbery disk. The scoby is added to the sweetened-tea and floats on the surface of the liquid. A scoby is much like a "mother" that is found in raw vinegars as the by-product of the fermenting process.
If you've never tried kombucha, you should head to your local grocery store and check out the selection! Five years ago, kombucha would have been hard to find but nowadays, there are tons of brands, flavours, and styles of kombucha available in the store.
Why is kombucha so great?
Like any ferment, kombucha contains many probiotics and healthy bacteria that can paly a role in replenishing and maintaining your gut health. Kombucha has a unique, tart flavour that you will love (or hate) and can be flavoured in so many unique ways!
Why make your own kombucha?
If you've ever bought kombucha at the store, you'll know that a small bottle of kombucha can cost anywhere from $3 to 5!
Making your own at home can be quite inexpensive once you have the supplies and a kombucha scoby. After that, it's just the cost of the tea leaves and sugar.
How is kombucha made?
Kombucha is made from brewing black or green tea, sweetening the tea, adding a little bit of mature kombucha, then tossing in a kombucha scoby. The mixture is left to ferment at room temperature for about 7 to 14 days until the kombucha flavour is the right level of acidic for your liking. This initial fermentation of just the sweetened tea is called "primary fermentation".
Kombucha ferments under "aerobic" conditions (with air/oxygen) unlike many other ferments that happen in "anaerobic" conditions (without air/oxygen). The fermentation happens at the surface of the liquid where oxygen is available. You will want to use a wide mouth fermentation vessel to allow maximal exposure of the liquid to oxygen. A 1 gallon glass jar works well for this stage. Avoid metal vessels as they can corrode in the prolonged presence of acid.
The fermentation process gives off gases and you'll want to allow for those gases to escape. Secondly, you want air to be able to enter the vessel to allow for the aerobic fermentation. As such, do NOT cover your fermentation vessel with a solid, airtight lid. Cover the fermentation vessel with a light, porous cloth (tea towel, cheesecloth, muslin, etc.) secured with a elastic - this will allow air to enter the vessel freely without allowing fruit flies, mold spores, and other contaminants to get in.
It is important to add a little bit of mature kombucha to your sweetened tea mixture along with the scoby. This will acidify the tea and adds in kombucha organisms. Acidification of the liquid will set up the mixture to be optimal for growth of the kombucha organisms and sub-optimal for other harmful contaminants from developing. Each time you make kombucha, save a little bit of the mature, unflavoured kombucha to use for your next batch. {This can be accomplished by storing each scoby in about a cup of unflavoured kombucha. More on storage later.} Add 5 to 10% kombucha liquid to the sweetened tea. For example, if you are making 1 gallon of kombucha like the recipe below (1 gallon = 4 litres = 16 cups), you will want to add between 200 and 400 mL of mature kombucha liquid to the tea.
After the "primary fermentation" stage is complete, you can simply remove the scoby, bottle, refrigerate, and drink your kombucha as is. Or you can add flavourings, fruits, and herbs, and continue to ferment the mixture to create unique variations of kombucha. This flavouring step is called "secondary fermentation". Remove the scoby from the kombucha, the you can mix the kombucha with fruit juice, a sweetened herbal concoction, or add fruit directly to the kombucha.
Secondary fermentation can be aerobic in a wide-mouth container like the primary fermentation, or you can transfer the mixture into sealed vessels (something like a grolsch-style glass bottle with a flip-top lid). In a closed vessel, the kombucha will continue to ferment, giving off gases, which will in turn carbonate the kombucha. A caution at this step: over-carbonation can lead to the bottle exploding so you will want to be watchful of how long you ferment in a closed vessel. Check the carbonation on a daily basis (open the lid SLOWLY and see how much bubbles are in the kombucha) and transfer to the fridge to slow/halt fermentation once the desired carbonation is reached.
Every time you make kombucha, your scoby will grow an additional layer on it. This additional layer can be pulled off and shared with a friend! Make sure you store any scobies in a little bit of unflavoured kombucha liquid to keep them alive.
How do I store my scoby?
Each time you make complete the primary fermentation of kombucha, remove and hang on to your scoby for making your next batch (or start your next batch right away)! Place your scoby into a clean pint (500 mL) or quart (1 L) mason jar and top it off with a cup or two of the unflavoured kombucha liquid. Cover with a clean clothor coffe filter secured with a rubber band and tuck into a cool, dark area of your kitchen (where you won't forget about it!).
Use your scoby along with the reserved liquid to make your next batch of kombucha within a couple of weeks.
If you don't plan to make your next batch of kombucha within a couple of weeks, you will want to "feed" your scoby. Similar to sourdough, the scoby will require a new supply of tea & sugar to keep it active and alive. You can brew a small amount of tea, sweeten it, and allow it to come to room temperature before adding it to your scoby. You can continue to feed your scoby every 6 to 8 weeks.
It is suggested to NOT put your scoby into the fridge to let it go dormant for later use. There is some risk that the humid, cool environment may lead to mold or spoilage.
Where do I find a scoby for my kombucha?
You can find scobies at local health stores, fermenting and canning supply stores, farm stores (we carry them at the Lazuli Farms on-farm store), or Amazon. Or ask a friend to share a spare scoby from their scoby hotel!
You can also make your own scoby! Pour a store-bought, unflavoured kombucha into a wide mouth mason jar, cover with a cloth secured with an elastic, and wait a week for a mother/scoby to form on the surface of the kombucha.
Making Homemade Kombucha Recipe
Ingredients:
Instructions for First Ferment:
1. Measure 24 grams of tea and place in 2 litre heat-proof container.
2. Boil water, then pour over top of tea. Stir together. Steep for 10 minutes, then strain through a metal sieve into the 4 litre (1 gallon) glass jar.
3. Add sugar and stir to dissolve.
4. Add 8 cups of water (room temperature or cold).
5. Set aside to cool to less then 90F or close to room temperature. The scoby is a living thing and heat can kill it. Make sure you allow the tea mixture to cool before adding it in.
6. Add the scoby and the 1 cup of reserved kombucha.
7. Cover the jar with the the linen or cheesecloth and secure to the jar with an elastic band. You will want to make sure the cheesecloth doesn't have a holes that fruit flies can get through. A thicker woven piece of material will work better. Or fold the cheesecloth over to make many layers.
8. Set the jar aside in a warm-ish location and let ferment for 7 to 10 days.
9. Once you hit 7 days, start taste testing a small amount of your kombucha daily. Once you have hit the desired sourness & flavour, you can move onto the 2nd ferment. At this point, your kombucha is drinkable as is. The 2nd fermentation step allows you to add flavour and to create carbonation in your kombucha.
Instructions for Second Ferment:
1. Remove the scoby. Remove 1 to 2 cups of kombucha for each scoby and put into a pint or quart sized mason jar. You'll need this for your next batch of kombucha. You'll have a 2nd layer or scoby that has grown on your original scoby. You can keep those together for your use or separate and gift the second scoby to a friend! Just make sure both scobies have some of the kombucha liquid in the jar with them. See info above about scoby storage.
2. Add flavorings/fruit to flip top bottles, then pour kombucha over top up to 1" to the top.
3. Close the flip lid. Let sit at room temperature to ferment and get bubbly for 2 to 4 days. Start testing the flavour and carbonation at about 2 days. You will want to pop the top slowly so that the liquid doesn't bubble out (a sign of lots of carbonation) and check to see how much the solution bubbles. A word of caution on over-fermentation since excess carbonation in the bottle can explode the bottle! Once carbonated to your liking, move the bottles to a fridge for storage. This will slow down the fermentation & carbonation proccess.
4. Enjoy!
]]>Do you or your kids love pancakes so much that you'd love to eat them every morning?
Our kids sure do! Mornings can be chaos around here to having breakfast options that are quick are essential. In the FREE Back to School Guide download {found here}, it's all about being prepared for breakfasts, packable lunches, and quick make-ahead snacks. You'll find tips for setting up breakfast zones along with recipes for simple breakfasts. Along with that theme, making a quick small batch of pancakes can be made much simpler if you have a pancake mix all ready to go. You could buy a pancake mix from the store, but you know you'll be paying top dollar for the "convenience". So why not make your OWN pancake mix!
Your homemade pancake mix takes less than five minutes to put together and will make 4 small batches of pancakes. Print or write out the accompanying recipe and stick it to the fridge or the inside of a cabinet door so everyone has the pancake recipe at their fingertips!
To make pnackaes, all you need to do is heat up your fry pan while you whip up the batter. Add eggs, milk, maple syrup or honey, and butter or another fat to the pancake mix and your batter is ready to rock. Add blueberries or chocolate chips for a fun twist!
You can use the pancake batter to make waffles if you prefer.
Don't forget to pair your pancakes with pre-cooked Lazuli Farms bacon or sausage for a wholesome breakfast to fuel you for the day!
Homemade Pancake Mix Recipe
Ingredients for Pancake Mix:
Instructions to make Pancake Mix:
Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl. Using a wide funnel, transfer the mix into the mason jar. Secure with an airtight lid. Label and store in a cool, dry place for use. Make sure to have instructions handy for making pancakes - you can write directly on the mason jar or lid if you want. Or print the recipe and tape to the inside of a cabinet door.
Ingredients to Make Pancakes from Mix:
Instructions to Make Pancakes:
Measure all ingredients into a medium bowl and mix well. Add 1/2 cup chocolate chips or blueberries, if desired. Heat cast iron pan over medium heat and melt 1 to 2 tablespoons bacon grease, lard, or butter in the pan. Once the fat is bubbling, pour in a 1/4 cup of pancake mixture into the pan. Cook on first side until the first side is lightly browned. Flip and cook second side until cooked through and browned.
The first pancake is the "test" pancake. If the batter is too runny, add 1 to 3 more tablespoons of mix to the batter and stir in well. If batter is too thick, add a tablespoon or so of milk to the batter.
Continue to cook pancakes one at a time until all cooked. One cup of pancake mix makes approximately 8 medium sized pancakes.
Let any leftover pancakes cool to room temperature before transfering them to an airtight container to store in the fridge. Eat within 3 to 4 days. Reheat in a toaster to make the pancake nice & crispy.
]]>Did you know that my parents both come from families with eight kids? Growing up, I didn't realize that other people didn't have big families like mine. It was pretty "normal" to have big holiday gatherings like Christmas and Easter at the local community hall down the road from my grandparents place. With all the cousins & aunts & uncles, we would crowd out a house pretty quickly!
One of my favorite things about the big family gatherings, was all the amazing food! With a big family, the spread of food was guaranteed to be epic and have so many of your favorites! With my sweet tooth, let's just say that I ALWAYS looked forward to the dessert table, lol. That dessert table was bound to have at least one plate of each of the following kinds of cookies on it:
At some point in my childhood I developed a love for baking & cooking. My Mom worked as a teacher's assistant in town and I often arrived home on the bus before she made it home. It was always the perfect time to whip up a batch of cookies or some treat we could pack in our lunches. Cookies are a great packable snack for lunches making them a go-to around our house to this day.
Today, I'm sharing our recipe for oatmeal coconut cookies - also known as Dad's or Father's cookies. I'm pretty sure the name stems from the fact that a Canadian company called "Dad's" made an oatmeal cookie that was commonly found in people's homes since 1929. This homemade version is WAY better than the crunchy cookie version from a box! This recipe makes a soft, chewy oatmeal cookie anyone will love!
These cookies should be cooked until the bottom is just lightly browned so the cookies stay nice & soft!
Oatmeal Coconut Cookies Recipe
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Blend butter & sugar until creamy. Beat in eggs until light and fluffy. Add in vanilla and salt & mix.
Add flour, baking soda & baking powder, oats, and coconut. Mix until fully blended. Batter will be fairly stiff to come together. Set in fridge to harden for about 15 to 30 minutes while the oven preheats.
Turn oven to 350F.
Roll mixture into balls and press them down with a fork. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies, until the bottoms just start to brown.
Let cool for 5 minutes on the pan before transfering the cookies to a cooling rack.
Enjoy!
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Welcome September! It feels like a change of season - both in the seasonal changes but also a change in mood & focus. Since September has always been the transition from "summer" to "school", the end of August and beginning of September makes me think about meal prep. This past week, the kids and I wrote out a list of foods to prep and tuck in the freezer for quick packable things for lunches & breakfasts.
One of the items that often makes the "prep-ahead" list is homemade, pre-cooked meatballs. Homemade meatballs are flavourful with homemade bureger & meatball seasoning. We keep a jar of homemade burger seasoning on hand year round to season burger patties, meatballs, meatloaf, breakfast patties and more. We often use it as a multi-purpose seasoning for eggs, potatoes, sheet pan meals, and popcorn.
Make a jar of the homemade burger & meatball seasoning below & use it year round!
Burger & Meatball Spice Recipe
Small Batch:
This small batch amount will season about 8-12 pounds of meat. If you use 2 pounds of ground meat for one set of burgers, this recipe will season 4 to 6 batches of burgers.
Big Batch Ingredients:
Instructions:
Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl. Transfer to an airtight container and store in a cool, dry place for up to six months.
To make burgers or meatballs: add 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of seasoning to each 1 pound of meat along with an egg and 1/4 cup or small flake oats or bread crumbs.
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Of all the world of pickled things, pickled carrots are king pin! And not just any old pickled carrot. If you're like me, you've tried lots & lots of store-bought pickled carrots and been disappointed way to often to count!
That's why I always come back to this recipe from my Mom's treasury of pickling recipes. This recipe always seems to create pickled carrots with just the right amount of dill & garlic punch. I remember these carrots fondly from my childhood and am always disappointed when we run out of dilly carrots in the cold room!
If you've got small pickling size carrots or if you've got big carrots that need to be cut down to fit into the pickling jars, this recipe works great both ways.
As with a lot of my recipes passed down from my Mom and grandma, there are no exact measurements for the carrots to brine. So I start with however many carrots I've got and then collect enough jars, lids, and rings that I think I'll need. For example, I'll put all my washed and chopped carrots into a large measuring cup and estimate how many jars I will need - I use the pint jars (500 mL) which hold about 2 cups of carrots. So, if I've got 20 cups of carrots, I wash and prepare 10 to 12 jars.
Same goes for the brine. I estimate that each jar will hold about 3/4 to 1 cup of brine to cover the carrots completely and bring the brine up to the right height. So for those 10 to 12 jars of carrots, I'll make sure I have 12 cups of brine - and will double the recipe below.
Always know that if you run out of brine, you can always make another small batch to finish up your pickling.
Pickled Dilly Carrots Recipe
Ingredients:
Carrots:
Brine:
*Makes approximately 6 cups of brine. You will need approximately 3/4 to 1 cup of brine per 500mL/pint jar). Double or triple the brine if you have lots of carrots.
Filling (per 500 mL/pint jar):
Instructions:
1 - Preparing your Carrots:
Scrub carrots really well to remove all dirt. Cut any carrots that are too large/long for the jar into smaller pieces. Use your 500 mL/pint jar as a reference - cut carrots shorter than the height from the bottom of the jar to the bottom ring. Place cut carrots into a cold water bath for 1 to 2 hours before making your brine. Drain water before canning.
2 - Preparing your Brine:
Mix vinegar, water, and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to keep brine hot until ready to fill your jars.
3 - Preparing your Jars:
If using previously used jars, wash them in hot soapy water and rinse well. Place the jars into your water bath canner on top of the rack and add water. Turn on to high heat to bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer. This will both sterilize and heat the jars so that the hot syrup will not "shock" and crack the jars.
4 - Prepare your Canning Zone
Place hot pad for brine on a clean surface.
Place a clean tea towel next to the hot pad - you will use this to place hot jars on to fill the jars.
Place bowl of carrots next to the clean tea towel.
Place bowls or garlic, dill, pickling spice, and cayenne near the jar zone.
Place canning funnel at the top of the tea towel.
Wet a clean dish cloth or paper towel with warm water and ring out. You will use this to wipe the rim of the jars before placing the lid on the jar.
Have tongs ready to lift the lids & rings out of the hot water on the stove.
Have a clean ladle ready to use to scoop brine into the jars.
Grab your canning jar lifter ready to remove jars from the water bath.
Use rings that are free of rust and blemishes. Wash & rinse rings and brand new canning lids (never re-use canning lids as they will not reseal well enough).
Place the required amount of rings and lids into a small saucepan. Add water to cover and heat over medium heat. You want your lids to be hot but not boiling. This will allow the rubbery seals on the lids to be pliable when putting the lids on your jars.
5 - Fill your Carrots
Place the hot brine saucepan on the hot pad.
Pull a hot jar from the water bath and place upright on the tea towel.
In the bottom of the jar, add dill, garlic cloves, pickling spice, and cayenne (optional).
Fill the jar with carrots by tilting the jar on an angle and placing carrots in upright position. Fill jar as tightly as you can with carrots up to the neck of the jar.
Place the canning funnel over the jar and fill the jar with hot brine up to about 3/4 inch from the top (around the bottom line of the rings on the jar).
Wipe the rim of the jars with your damp dishcloth or paper towel to remove any brine around the rim.
Centre your lid on the jar and screw on the ring to fingertip tight (not too tight).
Set jar aside and fill remaining jars.
7 - Water Bath Processing
Place filled jars back into the water bath canner of hot water. Make sure the water is high enough to cover the jars. Place lid on water bath canner and heat to a boil.
Once boiling, let boil for 10 minutes only (no longer or the carrots will get soft). Turn off heat and remove jars one at a time and place upright onto a clean tea towel to cool for 24 hours. You will start to hear the lids popping and they will continue to seal over the 24 hours period.
Check all the seals. Lids should curve downward if sealed. With carrots, you wouldn't want to re-process any jars that did not seal as the carrots will get soft with repeated boiling. Tuck any unsealed jars in the fridge and eat within a month or so.
8 - Labelling and Storage
Label your jars with the contents & the date of preparation. An easy way to label canning is on the lid since you won't use the lids again. Use permanent marker.
All sealed jars can be stored in a cool, dark place. Use within 1 year for best quality.
Note that carrots will "pickle" over time and taste best after letting them sit for a couple of months before eating.
]]>My Mom passed this recipe down to me & these beet pickles are one of my all-time favorite preserves. Her grandma Vi lived just down the road from her growing up near Talbot, Alberta on the original homestead from the early 1900s.
My Mom talks about the amazing garden and food that Grandma Vi always shared with her grandkids. The small community hall at Talbot was known for it's community sports days, potlucks, dances, and other gatherings where great food & fun was shared. The recipes have been passed through the generations and the community - often compiled in community cookbooks.
Beets are one of the easiest thing to grow in the garden. When I was little, I wouldn't have ate a beet except as a pickled beet. Something about the combination of vinegar & sugar makes beets delectable! Nowadays, we eat a lot of roasted beets - peeled, chopped, and roasted in the oven with a little bit of garlic, salt & pepper, and olive oil, lard, or bacon grease.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we have over the years!
Great Grandma Vi's Pickled Beets Recipe
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Put beets in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer until the beets are tender (test with a fork - they are cooked once the fork pulls out easily). Drain and cover with cold water to cool. Once cool enough to handle, remove the skins and stems easily with your hands and discard. Set peeled beets aside and wash the pot for the next step.
Prepare your canning jars, lids, and rings. Place jars in a hot water bath to sterilize and heat jars. Keep at simmering to keep jars hot. Place lids & rings into a small saucepan and heat over medium heat. Do not boil lids & rings (just hot enough to soften the rubbery seal on the lids).
Slice beets into slices approximately 1/4 inch thick (or to your liking). If your beets are large, you may need to cut the slices in half so they fit in the jar better.
Return the sliced beets to the washed pot. Add vinegar and sugar. Heat until just simmering. The syrup should just cover the beets. If not, add double the vinegar and sugar mixture to cover the beets, and reheat to simmering.
Using a ladle, scoop beets into a hot jar until close to the top of the neck of the jar. Spoon hot syrup over top to fill jar to 3/4 inch from the top (around the bottom ring of the neck). Wipe the rim to remove any syrup. Place lid in centre and put ring on until fingertip tight. Set aside and fill remaining jars.
Place jars into water bath canner and make sure water covers the jars. Place lid on canner and heat to boiling. Process for 10 minutes in boiling water. Turn off heat and let sit until water is no longer bubbling. Remove jars and place on clean tea towel in upright position to cool. Let cool for 24 hours.
Check seals to make sure they have sealed. If not, you can water bath process them one more time for 10 minutes. If any lids do not seal, tuck the jar in the fridge and eat within 10 to 14 days.
]]>Late July into August, we start to see BC Peaches at the Farmers Markets and Fruit Stands here in Alberta. Our climate isn't warm enough to grow peaches right here in our province but our neighbouring province of British Columbia is perfect for orchard fruits!
Fresh peaches taste amazing! But the peaches have a narrow window for ripeness so we always try to make a number of jars of canned peaches to save for winter eating. Those sunny peaches are such a welcomed treat on snowy winter days on the farm.
You can try peach cobbler made with canned peaches as well on the Lazuli Farms blog. This cobbler is made in a cast iron pan and is oh so tasty!
This canned peach recipe is made with "light syrup" but don't let that fool you - peaches are pretty sweet on their own and this syrup ends up tasting pretty sweet to the palate.
Canned Peach Halves in Light Syrup Recipe
Ingredients:
Instructions:
1 - Pit Peaches
Start by halving your peaches to remove the peach pit. Run a sharp knife through the centre of the peach right to the pit, then rotate the peach/knife to cut the peach in half all the way around. Now grip each halve of the peach in one hand and twist slightly to pull the two halves apart. The peach pit will stick to one side of the peach. You may be able to easily pull the pit out with your hands. If not, use a sharp knife to carefully remove the pit from the flesh of the peach halve.
Place each pitted peach halve into a large bowl filled with water & lemon juice to prevent browning while you work (mix 4 cups of water with 1/4 cup of lemon juice - double if needed).
2 - Peel Peaches
In a large stainless steel pot, bring water to a boil, then turn heat down to medium to simmer. You'll use the boiling water to blanch the peaches to make them easy to peel.
Fill a clean kitchen sink or large bowl with cold, almost icy water. You'll use this water to cool the peaches after blanching them.
Add peaches to the boiling water in small batches. Blanch for 30 seconds. Remove the peach halves from the water using a slotted spoon and immediately place them into the icy cold water.
Now the skin will easily peel off the peaches. Discard the skins (or set aside to freeze for using to make peach flavoured brandy or vodka).
Set the peach halves into a large bowl filled with a water & lemon juice mixture (4 cups water to 1/4 cup lemon juice) to prevent browning while you prepare your canning jars.
3 - Prepare Water Bath and Jars
If using previously used jars, wash them in hot soapy water and rinse well. Place the jars into your water bath canner on top of the rack and add water. Turn on to high heat to bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer. This will both sterilize and heat the jars so that the hot syrup will not "shock" and crack the jars.
Use rings that are free of rust and blemishes. Wash & rinse rings and brand new canning lids (never re-use canning lids as they will not reseal well enough).
Place the required amount of rings and lids into a small saucepan. Add water to cover and heat over medium heat. You want your lids to be hot but not boiling. This will allow the rubbery seals on the lids to be pliable when putting the lids on your jars.
4 - Prepare your Syrup
In a large saucepan, add water (11 cups) and white sugar (2 1/2 cups). Cook until the sugar is dissolved and the syrup is hot throughout. Keep syrup hot until ready to use and do not let the syrup boil down.
5 - Prepare your Canning Zone
Place hot pad for syrup on a clean surface.
Place a clean tea towel next to the hot pad - you will use this to place hot jars on to fill with peaches and syrup.
Place bowl of peaches next to the clean tea towel.
Place canning funnel at the top of the tea towel.
Wet a clean dish cloth or paper towel with warm water and ring out. You will use this to wipe the rim of the jars before placing the lid on the jar.
Have tongs ready to lift the lids & rings out of the hot water on the stove.
Have a clean ladle ready to use to scoop syrup into the jars.
Grab your canning jar lifter ready to remove jars from the water bath.
6 - Fill your Peaches
Place the hot syrup saucepan on the hot pad.
Pull a hot jar from the water bath and place upright on the tea towel.
Fill the jar with peach halves, placing the pit side of the peaches down. Overlap the peaches to fill the jar as efficiently as possible (less air space).
Place the canning funnel over the jar and fill the jar with hot syrup up to about 3/4 inch from the top (around the bottom line of the rings on the jar).
Wipe the rim of the jars with your damp dishcloth or paper towel to remove any syrup around the rim.
Centre your lid on the jar and screw on the ring to fingertip tight (not too tight).
Set jar aside and fill remaining jars.
7 - Water Bath Processing
Place filled jars back into the water bath canner and make sure the water is high enough to cover the jars. Place lid on water bath canner and heat to a boil.
Once boiling, let simmer for 30 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand until water stops bubbling. Remove jars one at a time and place upright onto a clean tea towel to cool for 24 hours. You will start to hear the lids popping and they will continue to seal over the 24 hours period.
Check all the seals. Lids should curve downward if sealed. If any lids did not seal, you may place them in the water bath canner for an additional 10 minutes of processing time. If the lid does not seal after the second processing, place the jar in the fridge and eat within 7 to 10 days. Do not process in the hot water bath a third time.
8 - Labelling and Storage
Label your jars with the contents & the date of preparation. An easy way to label canning is on the lid since you won't use the lids again. Use permanent marker.
All sealed jars can be stored in a cool, dark place. Use within 1 year for best quality.
Note that peaches will taste best if left for at least 2 to 4 weeks before eating. This allow the syrup to integrate into the fruit.
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Garden season is bittersweet.
The garden can be so much work to weed, water, harvest, and maintain.
But the rewards are so worth it.
There's nothing like "shopping" for supper in the garden.
In today's recipe, we're grabbing fresh broccoli & herbs from the garden to make this cheddar bacon quiche with fresh herbs.
Start with a pie shell - homemade if you've got time or store-bought shells if you don't. Hands down, the best pie crust recipe for quiche is a lard-butter pie crust! You'll find that recipe in the Pork & Beef A to Z Recipe book that's available to purchase on the website OR join The Kitchen Club and the recipe book & guide is yours for FREE.
Not gonna lie, I like to keep a couple of boxes of store-bought pre-made frozen pie shells on hand. It's so easy to whip up quiche filling, toss it in the shell, and bake the quiche while you finish up other tasks.
If you follow me over on Instagram, you'll likely have seen that I like to cut up a package of bacon with kitchen scissors, fry it up, then tuck it in the fridge to use throughout the week for salads, quiches, and other recipes.
We use fresh chives & parsley in this quiche but you could honestly swap in whatever herbs you've got on hand - dill, rosemary, and thyme would be great choices as well.
If one quiche isn't enough for your guests, go ahead and double the recipe for 2 quiches. If you need to make more than 2 quiches, I suggest you make a second batch of the egg mixture as it gets hard to pour the egg-cheese mixture evenly between multiple pie shells.
Bacon Cheddar Quiche with Fresh Herbs Recipe
Ingredients (for 1 quiche):
Instructions:
Place the pie plate on a baking sheet. This will make it easier to transport the quiche to & from the oven and catch any spills that might bubble over the crust.
Preheat oven to 350F
In the pie crust, place the broccoli pieces evenly around the bottom of the crust. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk eggs & milk until fluffy. Mix in cheese, salt, pepper, and herbs. Pour egg mixture over the broccoli in the pie shell. Sprinkle bacon pieces on the top of the quiche.
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes until all of the egg is set (test by poking into centre of quiche with a knife). Let cool 10 minutes before slicing into 6 to 8 pieces.
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