cooking from scratch using recipes

[Amishway Homesteaders]

Don't know if this was posted before but.......................

 

I do a lot of cooking from scratch and also use recipes (Lori collects cookbooks) and today while I was making Picante Sauce to can, it made me laugh.

 

Here's the thing, it called for 15 tomatoes, 4 peppers, 4 onions, 3 garlic cloves, etc.

 

I know they were tested with 'Store Bought' Vegetables and if I use mine (they are very big this year) the recipe will be out of whack also well they say it will make 6 jars. Well I did the best I could but still filled 14 jars.

 

So here’s the thing - Do you just use what they ask and make more?

Or

do you cut down (like I did on the second batch) on you vegetables if they are big?

 

I also have this same trouble using eggs, if the recipe calls for 1 egg, I know the big Brown eggs we use will make it to 'watery' so I have to add more flour or something so it comes out right.

 

 

[Cat]

Michael, it's called "experience".

 

If you know your 10 tomatoes are equal to 15 store-bought, then adjust accordingly. Exactly like you're doing.

 

If you want to use Romas, but you know the recipe means the regular, more-watery-insides kind, add more.

 

 

You're smarter than you thought you were!!

 

 

 

 

 

[Mt_Rider]

Yeah, that's definitely something that would confuse someone new to using ....ahem, [real food]. Seriously, if I remember, I try to warn someone if I give them my duck eggs. Their measurement in recipes is about one and a half eggs. If you need to be picky, one would have to scramble the raw eggs together and measure again. [mix well two eggs and divide into three equal portions - each portion would be like one 'store-bought' chicken egg. ] I'm certainly too lazy to do that. I do like Michael and just throw in more flour.

 

 

But what about those scientifically tested canning recipes? Are they done with measurable quantities like cups or pounds? Or by 15 tomatoes..... ?? Any of those that would really throw off the acid content, etc so the times would be different?

 

 

MtRider [....I also warn them that duck egg yolks are....cohesive. They are much harder to mix into the whites....more gooey. Just so they know nothing is wrong with the egg. ]

[Amishway Homesteaders]

But what about those scientifically tested canning recipes? Are they done with measurable quantities like cups or pounds? Or by 15 tomatoes..... ?? Any of those that would really throw off the acid content, etc so the times would be different?

 

 

MtRider

 

Yup -

That was what I was thinking for the 'new to canning' people.

NOT what Cat said - I KNOW HOW TO COOK.

But for Cannning SOMETIMES you need to keep the Acids and Bases in check for it to 'can' right.

[Crazy4Canning]

I get to know my produce. If my home-grown pepper is twice the size of a "store bought", then I adjust the recipe.

 

About the eggs - one large egg is about 1/4 C. I got it from a cookbook.

 

Have fun!

[WormGuy]

I thought I'd post the doughnut recipe that I used today.

 

Home made Doughnuts

 

 

 

Ingredients:

 

Doughnuts:

1-1/8 cup Whole Milk, Warm

1/4 cup Sugar

2-1/4 teaspoons (one Package) Instant Or Active Dry Yeast

2 whole Large Eggs, Beaten

1-1/4 stick Unsalted Butter, melted

4 cups All-purpose Flour

1/4 teaspoon Salt

Shortening

 

 

GLAZE:

3 cups Powdered Sugar

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/2 teaspoon Vanilla

1/2 cup Cold Water Or Milk

 

Preparation Instructions

 

 

To Make the Dough:

 

1. Make sure milk is nice and warm, but not overly hot.

2. Add sugar to milk. Stir to dissolve.

3. Add yeast into a small bowl.

4. Pour milk/sugar mixture over yeast. Stir gently, then let sit for 10 minutes.

5. Melt butter in separate bowl until butter is melted.

6. Add beaten eggs to melted butter, stirring constantly.

7. Add the egg/butter mixture to the bowl, with the mixer on medium-low speed, pour in the yeast mixture.

8. Stir this mixture for a couple of minutes, making sure it is thoroughly combined.

9. With the mixer still going, add helpings of the flour mixture in 1/4 to 1/2 cup increments until all the flour is gone.

10. Knead the mixture on a floured surface for 5 minutes.

11. Let the dough sit for 10 minutes.

12. Put the dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Coat both sides, & then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place straight in the fridge.

13. Refrigerate dough for at least 8 hours, or overnight.

 

 

 

To Make the Doughnuts:

 

1. Remove bowl from fridge and turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface.

2. Roll out to 1/4 to 1/3-inch thickness.

3. Using a 3-inch cutter, cut as many rounds as you can, then roll out remaining dough and cut as much as you can, etc.

4. Cut holes out of each round using a 1 1/2-inch cutter.

5. Place both doughnuts and holes on a floured baking sheet.

6. Cover with large towel and place in a warm place.

7. Allow doughnuts to rise undisturbed for at least 1 hour; 1 hour & 15 minutes if necessary. Doughnuts should be visibly puffier and appear to be airy.

 

 

To Fry the Doughnuts:

 

1. Heat plenty of vegetable shortening in a large pot until the temperature reaches 375 degrees, do not let it get hotter than 380.

2. Allow them to cook 1 minute on each side; they will brown very quickly.

3. Remove doughnuts from the oil.

4. Place doughnut immediately on several layers of paper towels.

5. The holes will cook more quickly than the doughnuts; about 30 seconds per side.

6. Allow doughnuts to slightly cool.

 

 

To Glaze

 

1. Mix all glaze ingredients in a bowl until completely smooth.

2. One by one, dip doughnuts into the glaze until halfway submerged.

3. Serve warm if possible, or room temperature.

 

 

I got 24 doughnuts from this and the glaze made way too much for a batch. I think I should have warmed the glaze up a bit so that it would not be so thick. I did 12 with regular glaze and then added some chocolate syrup and did the rest. They are not like a true chocolate doughnut but I like them. I also lightly dusted them with cinnamon, just enough to get the taste and they are yummy.

 

I made 4 about twice as thick as the reciepe calls for and they look more like store bought. The cooking time was the same and they turned out great. The holes gave me a fit cause once they were ready to turn over they didn't want to, so it was a battle but I won. Oh, be careful when you add the eggs to the melted butter, if the butter is too hot you will cook the eggs in the bowl...not good.

 

 

 

John

[WormGuy]

In reading this I notice it calls for shortening but doesn't say how much. I don't know if I deleted that part when I copied it. I didn't add any and they taste fine to me and Mrs; Wormie so I guess the next time I make them I will not add any again.

 

 

 

John

[Ambergris]

I have spent a lot of time using over-large or bantam eggs, or mixed eggs. I use 1/2 cup of egg when the recipe calls for two eggs. That way I can use up extra whites or extra yolks when that's what I have.

[Mt_Rider]

One large egg = 1/4th cup?? I'm quite sure one duck egg YOLK is would fill at least 1/4th cup. Mebbe I should use the cup measuring...

 

Then we have a duck who is laying double yolk eggs consistently. Those eggs are as large as our goose eggs. I'd have to scramble them up and measure by cups.

 

THEN a friend occasionally gives us a dozen mixed eggs from her chickens. Some of her chickens are banties and I'd swear they are robin eggs. Sooooo tiny. But then, chicken eggs all look very small to me by now.

 

"one egg" is a variable mesaurement, for sure!

 

 

MtRider ---good topic

[The WE2's]

OK you duck people/geese...if one were decide to have a few ducks in lieu of chickens...do they leave as much poop as people say they do? "Inquiring minds want to know"...LOL

[The WE2's]

Supper: fresh chicken breast cut into tenders & seasoned with Creole Seasoning powder, with a side of red chili beans & white rice. Very tasty. Not totally from scratch but pretty close! LOL

[Mt_Rider]

OK you duck people/geese...if one were decide to have a few ducks in lieu of chickens...do they leave as much poop as people say they do? "Inquiring minds want to know"...LOL

 

 

........ they aren't called "water foul fowl" for nothing.

 

MtRider ....hate raising baby ducks...messy*messy*messy .. but our adults are free range/pond except at night...and winter