15 cent Baking Rack for Your Dutch Oven

Sometimes when we're baking with our Dutch ovens, we want to create air space for circulation so that our food doesn't burn on the bottom before becoming thoroughly baked.  For thirty years, my husband and I have just crinkled foil to create a baking rack of sorts or inverted a pan.  I always hated using crumpled foil; it seemed like such a waste of foil, but I didn't just want to hang onto the foil either.  It takes up space and looks messy.  The inverted pan only worked if we had a pan that fit and that wasn't being used for any other purpose that meal.

Last month, my good friend Lorna shared a tip with me.  (I suppose, if she were a truly good friend, she would have shared this tip thirty years ago.)  Anyway, it's genius, simple, compact, and cheap.  It costs exactly fifteen cents.  To create a baking rack in her Dutch oven, Lorna uses fifteen pennies, three stacks of five pennies each.  She puts them in an equilateral triangle configuration inside the Dutch oven, and sets the baking pan on top.   When not in use, she keeps her pennies in a small container used for diabetic test strips; a prescription pill bottle would be just as good.

However, a caution came with it:  Only pre-1962 pennies were safe to use.  Something just didn't seem right about that to me.  Lorna's husband is a banker and coin collector and explained that before 1962, pennies were 95 percent copper, with the remaining 5 percent made up of tin and zinc.  In 1962, the formula was changed to 95 percent copper and 5 percent zinc.  The issue apparently, was the amount of zinc being heated in the oven.  However, it seemed to me that a little alteration in the metal composition of the pennies shouldn't make that much difference.

So I asked my soon-to-be metallurgical engineer son what he could tell me.  When zinc is heated, enough to melt it, zinc oxide is formed.  Zinc oxide is used to fortify breakfast cereals.  It is added to anti-dandruff shampoo, sunscreen, and diaper rash creams.  The US FDA lists zinc oxide as GRAS (generally regarded as safe).

So what's the issue?  Well, breathing zinc oxide vapors is hazardous.  It causes metal fume fever.  But you can only generate zinc oxide vapors if you are welding or melting zinc or zinc alloys.  Even if you use more recently minted pennies, which are 97.5 percent zinc, they are all coated with copper.  No zinc is exposed. You are going to have to be generating some pretty serious heat to melt zinc.  If you've got that kind of heat (zinc melts at 787 degrees Fahrenheit) cooking your dinner, well, you're probably going to bed hungry, to say the least, and no one is ever going to let you cook anything again. 

20 december 2018

Pepper Jelly

As we go about our lives, we often don't realize how important the little things are in our food.  We start off stocking hundreds of pounds of grains and beans and such in our pantry because they truly are essential.  They're the basics that we have to have.  However, having some variety in our options is critical to staving off food fatigue and keeping morale up.  Condiments are one of those little things, but spend a few days eating nothing but beans, rice, and wheat, and you'll realize they're not so little anymore.

Longer-term solutions for mayonnaise and ketchup have been previously covered.  I should probably address mustard in the near future.  Today, we're going to discuss pepper jelly.

My Smith's store had several bags of discounted bell peppers and jalapenos were on sale, so I decided it was a good time to replenish the pepper jelly supply.  I made two batches of it yesterday afternoon. 

It's pretty versatile and very easy to make.  This particular recipe is a perfect substitute for the sweet and sour sauce served with egg rolls at Chinese restaurants.  (And yes, we're planning on egg rolls, too, post-collapse, just not very often because they are pretty labor-intensive.)  It's also great as one of the layers in a seven-layer dip.  And it's pretty tasty and festive when warmed and poured over a block of cream cheese and served with crackers.  

Most people make it with green peppers, but it is quite beautiful when made with red bell peppers and red jalapenos.  And then it really does look just like the sweet and sour sauce used for dipping in egg rolls. The latter are very hard to find in stores; you usually just have to grow your own.  Some people prefer to add a little food coloring.

Jalapeno Pepper Jelly
1 cup chopped, seeded bell peppers
1/4 cup chopped, seeded jalapeno peppers
4 cups sugar
1 cup cider vinegar
1 package liquid pectin

Combine the peppers, sugar, and vinegar in a large stainless steel saucepan.  Bring to a boil and boil for five minutes.  Let cool at room temperature for an hour.  Stir in the pectin.  Return to heat, and bring to a full, rolling boil for one minute.  Pour into four- or eight-ounce canning jars to within 1/2" of the top.  Wipe the rims and apply lids and bands.  Process in a water bath for 5-15 minutes, depending on altitude.  Remove from the canner and cool overnight.

Family reviews:  Basically, this is an essential in our food storage.  Everybody loves it--not alone, but for the afore-mentioned uses--egg rolls and seven-layer dip, as well as a dip for won tons.  Some people use it on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but that sounds a little sketchy to me. 

Links to related posts:
Ketchup
Mayonnaise

 12.28.19

Doomsday Donuts

The "Quick Mix" that I posted yesterday from Make-A-Mix Cookery has a least a couple of dozen recipes that it is used for.  One is donuts, and for the first time in my life, I decided to give them a try, using that recipe.  

Super Duper Donuts

Oil for frying

2 cups Quick Mix

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2 tablespoons powdered eggs

1 tablespoon dry milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup water, minus 2 teaspoons

 

Vanilla Glaze

1 1/4 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients.  Then add in the water and vanilla extract and stir well.  Knead the dough about 10 minutes.  Roll dough 1/2" thick and cut with a doughnut cutter, or improvise with what you have on hand.  (I used a regular canning ring for the outside and half a tea ball for the center.  Or perhaps make an entire batch of doughnut holes.)  Fry in hot oil (375°F) for 60 seconds on each side.  Drain on paper towels.  

Combine glaze ingredients and drizzle on warm doughnuts.  Makes about 12 doughnuts. 

Family reviews.  It was ok.  The kids liked them well enough, and so did my husband.  He also said adding some chopped apples to the dough would be fabulous.  (I’ll try to keep that in mind.)  They were all gone by the next morning.  But these were cake doughnuts, which I don't really care for.  I mean, if I'm going to have all those calories, I want it to be something worthwhile.  

The Make-A-Mix book had another recipe for raised donuts, which I tried.  Those were a hard pass.

And then Becky asked why I wasn't using a recipe for a copycat of Krispy Kremes.  

Well, duh, of course I should have been doing that.  

So I immediately went in search.  After all, we're in the midst of something called Second Winter right now.  It's late March and we're getting more snow on top of the snow we got two days ago and before we get more snow in two days.  Gardening is just not happening right now.  

The first recipe claimed to be the true Krispy Kreme copycat.  It looked a bit fussy and called for unusual ingredients.  I passed on a second one as well that also appeared a bit time-consuming.  I concede that they may produce something more like Krispy Kreme glazed doughnuts.  But I also need to keep the recipe reasonable.

This is the one I settled on:

Raised Donuts

2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast

3/4 cup warm water

1/2 cup sugar, divided

2 tablespoons dry milk 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/4 cup melted shortening

1 whole egg plus 1 egg yolk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3-4 cups vegetable shortening for frying

 

Vanilla Glaze

2 tablespoons melted butter

1 1/3 cups powdered sugar

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon dry milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons water

In a large bowl, combine yeast, water, and ½ teaspoon sugar and let proof for 5-10 minutes. Then stir in remaining sugar, dry milk, salt, shortening, eggs, and vanilla.  Stir in flour and turn dough onto counter to knead.  Knead until dough is smooth and slightly tacky.  Place dough in a large, greased bowl and cover with plastic or a damp towel.  Let rise until doubled in volume, about an hour.

Punch dough down and roll out to ½” thickness on a floured surface.  Cut into circles using a donut cutter or improvise with what you have.  Place 2” apart on a greased cookie sheet.  Cover and let rise again until doubled, about 30-40 minutes.  

Combine glaze ingredients in a small bowl.

Heat shortening to 360 degrees in a deep fryer, electric skillet, or large Dutch oven.  Fry donuts a few at a time, without crowding, until golden brown on both sides, about 60 seconds on each side, flipping once.

Cool on a cooling rack for 1-2 minutes before dipping in glaze. 

Note:  By now, you all know I’m not a fan of vegetable shortening.  I use it for buttercream frosting and that’s it.  But all the Krispy Kreme copycat recipes I looked at said vegetable shortening was essential.  So that’s what I used.  If that’s what it takes to make a respectable donut, I can concede and add a couple containers of vegetable shortening to my storage. 

Family reviews:  Full disclosure first.  QOTPE and I believe that Krispy Kremes are the best donuts ever.  Becky and my husband do not agree and think Krispy Kremes are too soft, almost soggy.

QOTPE and I like real Krispy Kremes better than these donuts.  But these are pretty good and we ate more than we should have.  Becky and Aaron like these better than Krispy Kremes and as well as donuts from their favorite donut shop.  I found that a bit surprising.  Lydia’s pretty happy with anything, and Jared wasn’t home so he didn’t get an opportunity to voice an opinion.  This is one treat they want me to make again really soon. 

Links to related posts:

Quick Mix Biscuit Mix

8.25.23

Finding Canning Lids

When I began writing this blog back in 2018, my plan for Thursdays was to present quick tips.  I had the idea that I might need a little break mid-week, when I didn’t have to write a long(er) article that would also require more research.  I got away from that pretty quickly.

But as I was lying in bed last night/this morning due to insomnia (again) and perhaps all the craziness in our world (still), I got to thinking about canning lids and jars.  COVID sparked runs and shortages on all kinds of items from toilet paper and rubbing alcohol to kitchen appliances, garden seeds, and canning supplies.  While I’ve read reports of some shortages in garden seeds, I haven’t seen the panic and selling out that occurred last year.  Most things are back on the shelves, without limits.  Except canning jars and lids. 

Lehmans.com was my go-to source for years.  Good prices.  They sold out in spring last year, and they’ve never really recovered since.  Previous posts on their website indicated they wouldn’t have any until March 2021.  Now they just say they are sold out.  My local grocery store had a good supply of canning jars—with lids—on just one of my weekly trips since September.  

So, knowing that some people are still struggling to find lids, I thought I’d post about that today.  A Facebook post from my local food storage group (the only reason I am still on F-book) reminded me that feed and ranch stores, the larger ones anyway, often have a great selection of food preservation items.  Including canning jars and lids.  My local C-A-L Ranch got quite the shipment earlier this week. (No, they don't show any available online.) If you’re still looking for lids, it might be worth a phone call or quick trip.  Hopefully, they'll be less than the nearly $1 each that Amazon is charging.  That's more than what we paid in 2019 for a new jar, band, and lid.  Ridiculous.

And while you’re there, you might check out the medical supplies as well. 

Links to related posts:

Feed Stores for Medical Supplies

Refurbishing Canning Lids

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Canning Lids

Lemon Pie from Shelf-Stable Ingredients

In observance of Pie Day (March 14, or 3/14, or as some Europeans write it, 3.14), this past Sunday I made two pies for dessert.  We normally have eight of us at Sunday dinner, but once or twice a month we also have a couple of missionaries.  As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes referred to as Mormons), it’s just something we do.  Three of my children have served missions (Eastern Ukraine; Eastern Texas and Louisiana; and Fresno, California); the ones serving in the US very much enjoyed sharing meals with people.  The one serving in Ukraine had to eat his own cooking most of the time—feeding missionaries on a regular basis would have been too much of a financial burden for church members there. 

Anyway, we enjoy having the missionaries over, and I have no problem trying out new recipes with them.  Besides, there is always something for backup in case a recipe goes horribly wrong.  Last month they got to try out Water Pie; this month I decided to give Vinegar Pie a try.  Admittedly, it was a Depression-era recipe that I had passed over many times previously.  Seriously, how could something called Vinegar Pie be any good?

But then I read of someone calling it a Mock Lemon Pie.  Ok, I thought, that might be doable.  It called for very basic food storage ingredients, and I’m pretty sure shelf-stable ingredients could be substituted for the fresh eggs, milk, and butter.  Here’s the recipe as I found it:

VINEGAR PIE

Pat in the pan crust
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons cold milk

Place the flour, sugar, and salt in a 9” pie plate and use fingers to mix until evenly blended. In a large measuring cup, combine the oil and milk and beat until creamy. Pour all at once over the flour mixture. Mix with a fork until the flour mixture is completely moistened. Pat the dough with your fingers and flute the edges.

Filling
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, blend the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the vinegar, eggs, and vanilla. Beat for 1 minute, until the mixture is creamy and smooth. Pour into the unbaked pie crust. Bake until knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. The pie will be golden brown. Cool on wire rack until firm. Refrigerate.

Notes.  I liked the pat-in-the-pan crust.  I’d never done one of those, and it was pretty easy.  It would be a good one for a child to start with.  I baked the pie about 55 minutes, but the knife still wasn’t coming out clean.  Hmm….  It was also getting pretty dark, so I just pulled it out anyway.  I think perhaps it was overbaked, but it tasted fine and held together very well for serving.  (I refrigerated it overnight.)  And while it had a nice yellow tint to it (under the brown top, which admittedly didn’t look so appetizing), it didn’t really taste of lemon to me. 

Family reviews:  QOTPE was appalled that I even dared to make this and totally rebelled.  She went and got some ice cream instead.  Lydia followed suit. The missionaries, being well-behaved young men, declined the girls' offer of ice cream.  The rest of us ate the pie.  Some, including me, liked Water Pie better.  We liked the sugar cookie flavor of that pie.  The rest liked this Vinegar Pie better.  I wouldn’t have a problem serving it in a Depression. 

But you know, I thought the recipe could be improved upon to taste much more like lemon—and use more shelf-stable ingredients, like powdered milk, powdered eggs, coconut oil, and lemon extract.  So this is what I did:

LEMON PIE

Pat in the pan crust
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
3 tablespoons cold milk (2 teaspoons powdered milk in 3 tablespoons cold water)

Place the flour, sugar, and salt in a 9” pie plate and use fingers to mix until evenly blended. In a large measuring cup, combine the oil and milk and beat until creamy. Pour all at once over the flour mixture. Mix with a fork until the flour mixture is completely moistened. Pat the dough with your fingers and flute the edges.

Filling
1/2 cup minus 1 tablespoon coconut oil, softened*

1 tablespoon milk (3/4 teaspoon powdered milk in 1 tablespoon water)
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice (or TrueLemon powder packets)

3 large eggs (6 tablespoons powdered eggs and 6 tablespoons water)
1 teaspoon each lemon and vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, blend the oil, milk, and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice, eggs, and extracts. Beat for 1 minute, until the mixture is creamy and smooth. Pour into the unbaked pie crust. Bake until knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. The pie will be golden brown. Cool on wire rack until firm. Refrigerate.

*Coconut oil isn’t a perfect substitute for butter when it comes to creaming with sugar.  It doesn’t become light and fluffy and form the air pockets that are desired when creaming with sugar.  Adding a little milk helps compensate a bit for this.

So how'd we like this version?  I used coconut oil, powdered milk, and powdered eggs, as well as lemon juice and lemon extract.  Aaron and Becky thought it was a bit too sweet and wondered whether some of the sugar could be omitted.  I had a small slice and thought it was great.  I had to go straight to bed so that I wouldn't eat any more.  We'd all definitely choose lemon pie over vinegar if there's an option. 

Links to related posts:

Coconut Oil

Water Pie

DIY Lemon Extract