Applesauce

My neighbor generously gave us apples in need of eating from their apple tree.

We love apple picking at the Suderman pond.. but we aren't there right now. Thanks to my neighbor, we still experienced our annual applesauce making.


If you have never made applesauce, it is the easiest thing ever, and a healthy way to use up a whole bunch of apples. If you have a sieve, you can cut up the whole apple and put it in the pot. I, however, did not,  so I peeled and cored the apples.

You can add water, but it is not necessary if you cook them on a very low temperature in order to release the juices slowly before the apples start to mush. If you think the sauce is getting too thick, you can add water in small increments to achieve desired consistency.

If you want to make applesauce with kids, there are some really neat things to talk about while cooking. Here is a recipe and some ideas:

 

Applesauce

1. Wash and cut up apples. Place in large sauce pan, cover, and put on the stove on low heat.
2. Wait. You can set the oven timer for 10 minutes to remind yourself to stir occasionally. It will take about an hour to complete the batch of applesauce.
3. The next step is your choice. You can eat the sauce just the way it is, which may be the healthiest option, or you can add sugar and cinnamon or other fruits to add flavor.
4. If you wish to use a sieve, mush it through the holes to get a nice even texture and to leave behind any unwanted parts of the apple.
5. Refrigerate and enjoy!

Applesauce and apple facts:

• Apples have natural sugars in them, so applesauce can be sweet without adding extra sugars. This is probably the healthiest way to eat applesauce.
• An apple that is nice and crisp have strong cell walls made of pectin. When the apples are cooked, the cell walls break down and pectin is released. The apples get mushy, but as pectin cools, it forms a kind of gel.
• Apples that are more ripe sometimes get mushy too, just like if it were cooked.
• Pectin can be extracted from apples and other fruits to make foods like jelly so that they have a gel like consistency.
• Apples have fiber, which is healthy for you. Cooking the apples and releasing pectin actually provide more fiber than a whole apple.
• Apples also have plenty of juice within their cells. This juice is what is leftover when we get rid of the pectin, seeds, skin, and any other fibrous parts. You can get juice from your applesauce by letting it filter through a cloth.
• Apples with different colored skin taste different, too. Some are sweet while others are more tart. It might be fun to have an apple taste test to see which is your favorite. My kids like red delicious best.
• Applesauce can be used as a healthier way to cook some foods, such as cake. It is moist and the pectin can provide a nice consistency. It also has a good flavor.
• Before making the applesauce, cut it in half to see a seed star.
• Many times, it is more fun to eat foods that you picked with your own hands. Try to find a place to pick apples in the fall.

Fresh apples are fun to pick, yummy, and even kind of interesting. We love apple season!

Easy Italian Sauce

My recipes usually are not too precise. I love this Italian Sauce because its flexible, easy, and I usually make two or three batches worth at one time so that I can save the rest for another meal.

 

Easy Italian Sauce

 

1-2 T olive oil

1/4 cup chopped onion

3 garlic cloves, chopped

 

Heat oil, saute

 

1 jar tomato juice (or several cans of sauce if you prefer)

fresh basil and oregano to taste (dried will work, too)

salt and pepper

 

Simmer at least 20 minutes

 

 

You can add any other spices you like, but this is a nice base recipe. You can put it in lasagna, Italian chicken, or use as a spaghetti sauce. My personal favorite is ground beef and spaghetti squash.

 

I like to get the kids to help by having them cut fresh herbs for me, pour in ingredients, stir occasionally, and taste test it with me. If they are around the kitchen, I also reinforce cooking terms such as saute and simmer, and explain how these actions improve flavor.

 

Anything left over I put in jars and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

 

 

 

 

 



Strawberry Lemonade

Lemonade is to summertime as hot chocolate is to winter...and it's lemonade time again!

I discovered a lemonade recipe last summer on Allrecipes.com that can be found here. But, of course, I can't leave it alone.

My older girls are at a point where they are trusted to cook, and enjoy it most of the time (we need to work on the cleaning up part!), and I love incorporating our learning in cooking- because cooking is fascinating and is done daily. So, this month strawberry lemonade has become a weekly routine for us.

This is what you need:

1-3/4 cups sugar
8 cups water
5 or six ripe strawberries, tops cut off
1-1/2 cups lemon juice
saucepan
large pitcher

1. Combine sugar and one cup water in a small saucepan. Heat stove to medium-high and boil in order to dissolve sugar.

We are creating a solution by combining two substances: 1)water (solvent), 2) sugar (solute). They start out as very different in taste and appearance, but as they mix together, they become one homogeneous mixture. If you like, carefully spoon out a small portion and let it cool to observe this mixture.

Sugar dissolves faster when the temperature is hot and when you stir the solution.

2. When the sugar is dissolved, turn heat to medium-low and add the strawberries to the solution. Let simmer for about five minutes, allowing strawberries to become tender.

You will notice that the clear solution will turn pink or red. You can help extract the coloring from the strawberries by taking the tip of a beater or a potato masher and mashing them. When you are satisfied with the color of solution, turn off the stove, remove from burner, and let cool.

My favorite part about this experiment is to learn ways to naturally color food. This is typically healthier, but it also is informative for young chefs, and it helps us understand how foods were colored before we started using artificial colorings. 

3. While the solution is cooling, cut lemons in half and squeeze out the lemon juice. It took us approximately six lemons to make 1-1/2 cups juice. How many tablespoons of juice is that per lemon? If you do not have fresh lemons, bottled lemon juice will work fine. Also, lime juice can be substituted.

 4. In a large pitcher or jar, pour lemon juice and 7 cups water. Try tasting this mixture before adding the sugar solution. What does it taste like?

5. Strain the sugar/strawberry solution so to remove strawberries and seeds.

6. Add to the lemon juice mixture. How has the appearance and taste changed? What color is the drink? Why do you think it has turned this color?

Here are some more observation questions:
Lemonade is typically a mixture of sweet and sour. What part of your tongue can taste these tastes?
What other foods could you use to color lemonade?
Do you like the lemonade with strawberries, or would you rather leave them out next time?
Is there anything else that you would do differently?
Look at the sauce pan after it has cooled. Do you notice anything on the sides? Why do you think that happens?

We like the solid form of lemonade- so we pour some into ice cube trays and make lemonade pops. Can you think of any other way to serve this drink?

After it's all said and done...it's here to enjoy! Here's to a great summer!

Ham and Green Bean Soup

Ham and Green Bean Soup

Eat Sometimes

1. 1 Bone in Ham

Cut ham into cubes, leaving some meat on the bone.

Place bone in a large pot. Cover with water

Place cubed ham in the refrigerator for later.

Simmer, covered for at least 45 minutes.

2. 1 t. Summer Savory

     1/2 t. Ground Pepper

Add to broth.

3. 2c. Green Beans

Cut into 1/2 in. pieces. Add to soup.

Add cubes of ham.

4. (optional)

    1/2 onion, finely sliced

    3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

    3 carrots, peeled and sliced

Add to soup. Cook until done.

5. (optional)

    milk or cream

Add to the soup just before eating

• Cooking with bones adds flavor. It also provides extra nutrients that are in the bones. Can you think of a nutrient in bones that is also something you need in your body?
• Have you heard of Summer savory before? It is an herb that is in the mint family. Smell it!
• Be sure and taste your soup before serving it to see if it needs any more seasoning.
• Salt is not needed in this recipe because ham is high in sodium (salt).
• Adding potatoes, onions, and carrots to this soup will add extra nutrients and some carbohydrates. Adding some carbohydrates may improve satiety (the feeling of being full longer). Eating too many carbohydrates, however, may be unhealthy.
• You can tell if a potato is done by poking it with a fork. If it easily splits in two, it is done.
• Be sure to try eating this soup and politely tell your mom or dad what you think of it!
• This soup can be kept in the refrigerator and saved for later if you have extra.

This recipe was written so that children can be a part of the process. The red instructions are intended for parents or very close parental supervision. The orange letters are intended for older children or parents. The green letters are for children to do with the parent's permission.

This soup is made at the stove, so always be cautious when cooking with heat!!



Pops

We have enjoyed our "pops" this summer. Savannah was the first to make them after reading about them in a magazine.

1. Make juice. (Or just buy it already made) Any juice you want to try will do, but apple juice or lemonade won't stain clothes.

2. Pour juice in ice cube trays. Use a smaller container with a pour spout for less mess.



3. Freeze solid. This may take several hours (patience :)

4.When you are ready to eat, set out for a few minutes, poke with a toothpick or short bamboo skewer.

5. Eat!

We don't typically drink juice at meals and each of these are fairly small, so we can have a few of these a day and won't over-eat them! If you use a juice with "no sugar added" you can limit sugar intake.

This is a great example of two different properties of water: liquid and solid. You can ask the children, "Do you like your juice as a liquid or a solid?"

The Popsicle was an accidental invention of an 11 year old boy, Frank Epperson. It's original name was "epsicle". Mr. Epperson's children re-named it to "Popsicle", after their "pop". You can read more of this story here.