The best peach or nectarine BBQ sauce recipe

I was recently gifted about 50 pounds of nectarines and wanted to come up with several items to make.  One of the items was a nectarine/peach BBQ sauce.  I've made it in the past with peaches, but truth be told, I wasn't crazy about it, so I knew some major changes were needed.

Nectarines and peaches are interchangeable in most recipes.  The main difference is that peaches have skins that are usually peeled and nectarine peels are usually not removed.

I also wanted to be able to can this, but if you do not know how to can, you can keep it in the fridge for a week or so, or even freeze it.  This version is so delicious, and would make a perfect sauce for chicken or pork and I am sure it will not last long in your home. 

The recipe I initially saw that gave me the idea, used canned baby food, but I already had nectarine puree made so I used that instead.  If you do not have nectarine puree, it's easy to make.  Just cook down nectarines in either a crockpot or on the stovetop.  Nectarines do not have to be peeled...peaches do.  You can see exactly how I put mine into a crockpot.  All I had to do was wash them.  I leave the pits in and just strain them out when the fruit is cooked down.  It will not be pretty, but it has many uses.  I personally left my puree a little chunky as you can see.  Then, for recipes where I wanted it smooth, I just blended it until it became smooth.  This works in recipes sort of like using mashed bananas does.  Only it's not as sweet.

Whole nectarines put in a crockpot

Nectarine puree -- still chunky

We already posted a recipe for nectarine cake/bread using this puree, but now on to the BBQ sauce recipe.

Nectarine (or peach) BBQ Sauce

Makes about 4 pints

 

·       2 tbsp vegetable oil

·       1 large onion, such diced

·       8 large garlic cloves, minced

·       4 cups nectarine or peaches puree

·       ¼ cup + 1 tbsp bottled lemon juice

·       1 ½ cups firmly packed brown sugar

·       ¼ cup dark Karo syrup (optional)

·       1 cup apple cider vinegar

·       ½ cup water

·       1 cup Worcestershire sauce

·       ¼ cup tomato paste

·       2 tbsp peeled and grated fresh ginger

·       3 tbsp chili powder

·       1 tsp smoked paprika

·       2 tsp onion powder

·       1 ½ tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)

·       Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste  

Prepare 4 one pint canning jars and lids, if canning this recipe. 

Add oil to a large nonreactive Dutch oven and heat over medium heat. When oil shimmers, add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender.  This will take about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.  

Stir in the nectarine or peach puree, lemon juice, brown sugar, Karo syrup, if using, vinegar and water. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.  Note: If your nectarines are not sweet, you can add some additional sugar.  I even added some Stevia in one batch to keep the calories down a little; however, one batch did not need any additional sweetener. 

 

Finished BBQ sauce

Working in batches, transfer the nectarine/peach mixture to a blender, food processor  or vitamix and puree until smooth. Pour back into the same saucepan.  Add the Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, ginger, chili powder, smoked paprika, onion powder and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring often, until hot, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.  This is what it looks like when its ready.  It's thick and I left an itty bitty amount of chunkiness in mine.  You can make yours completely smooth if you desire.

If canning, fill jars leaving ¼” headspace.  Remove air pockets from the jars, wipe rims, add fresh lids and place rings fingertip tight.  Process in a waterbath canner for 10 minutes at sea level and adjust for altitude.  I have been using a steam canner lately and love it.  They work exactly the same as a waterbath, so if you have a steam canner, feel free to use it. 

If you are not familiar with how to do waterbath canning, please see http://www.freshpreserving.com/canning-101-getting-started.html .  The instructions given here assume you already know how to can.  Not following exact instructions can cause you to become very ill or even kill you.

 

If you choose not to can this, put it in small containers in either the fridge or freezer to use as desired.

 

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did. 

 

Oh, do not throw out the pits once the fruit is removed.  It makes a great peach pit liqueur, peach vinegar or even peach extract.

Fabulous watermelon martini recipe

A few years ago, I was looking for something to do with an extra watermelon I purchased.  I looked around the internet and found something that looked pretty good.  While I made a few changes to the recipe, it's pretty close to the original...and boy, is it good.

Sorry, I do not have photos of this...we enjoyed them before we had a chance to take any.  They will look beautiful in a martini glass and have that pretty pinkish red color like a cosmopolitan does.  Here's the recipe:

Watermelon Martini 

·        1 cup watermelon juice

·        1/4 cup vodka

·        1/4 cup watermelon schnapps

·        2 tablespoons simple syrup

·        1 lime, juiced

Directions

To make watermelon juice, remove the meat from the shell and put it in a food processor, blender or Vitamix.  Blend until very smooth.
     
  Pour the watermelon juice, vodka, watermelon schnapps, simple syrup, (recipe below) and lime juice into a cocktail shaker over ice. Cover, and shake until the outside of the shaker has frosted. Strain into the chilled glasses. 

To make simple syrup, put equal parts of granulated sugar and water in a saucepan.  Stir and bring to a boil.  Boil until sugar is completely dissolved.  Cool syrup.  This may be stored in the refrigerator covered, for about a week.

I make several cups at a time since this is great mixed into iced tea or anywhere you want sugar to be nicely dissolved.

 

Make peach pit liqueur for an unforgettably easy and delicious recipe

Its that time of year where peaches are readily available.  I love to make peach preserves but when I'm done, I have a million peach pits.  Rather than throw them out, I wanted to find a way to use them.  A friend of mine said she likes to make peach pit preserves.  I got her recipe and with a few modifications, got to this fabulous liqueur.

Do not let the appearance of this liqueur scare you.  This is what it looks like when it's in the jar 'becoming liqueur'.  Once it's strained, it is beautiful.  I gave it as a gift one Christmas.  It's nice over ice cream or mixed into a drink.

One other thing...you may have some peachy sugar left in the jar when you are ready to bottle this.  DO NOT DISCARD.  I kept it in the fridge and used it to make a delicious syrup for waffles and drizzled some over sautéed fruit (such as peaches, apples and pears).  

 

Peach Pit Liqueur

1/2 quart peach pits
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground or whole coriander seed
3 cups 80 proof vodka
1 cup water

Pour vodka and water over peach pits and infuse in the sun for 6 weeks.  I used a large mason jar for this.

Take 1 cup pits crush (hammer works well) and return to jar and infused for another 2 weeks. (I was unable to break my peach pits no matter how hard I tried, so I omitted this step)

Strain and add sugar and spices.  Leave in a cool dark place for another several weeks  This is a slow to meld liqueur, but worth the wait.

You can store this in a mason jar or decant into beautiful decanters.  I store this in the fridge but that is just me.  You may be able to keep it in your liqueur cabinet, but I cannot guarantee that.

I hope you enjoy making and sharing this fabulous liqueur.

 What a nice gift to give.  I found this beautiful food safe decanter and filled it with delicious peach pit liqueur.

 

I used the 'leftover' flavored sugar on the bottom of the jar to start this syrup, but you can also make a syrup with the liqueur alone.  This was so good.  Keep in mind, this is NOT FOR KIDS!!!

Today's Kitchen Tip: How to tell if strawberries are ripe

Strawberries are just coming into season in Phoenix as evidenced by the sale prices we've been finding lately.  They will be available a little later in other parts of the country.  I love luscious sweet strawberries but hate when I get them home and they taste like....nothing. 

We have a great way to tell if they are ripe.  For the details, see how to tell if strawberries are ripe and flavorful. 

Today's Kitchen Tip: No more opening caramel squares for melting

It's caramel apple time and I just love making them.  I usually save some homemade caramel for making apples, but sometimes there just isn't any around, so I purchase caramel in the bag.

Unfortunately those caramel squares are usually wrapped in cellophane and opening them can take forever.  There is another product around that eliminates opening the caramels.  It's made by Kraft and it's called caramel bits.  You just open the bag and use the amount you want.  There are no caramels to unwrap.  These bits save so much time that I always keep a bag around 'just in case'.

I have also used these caramel bits as a mix-in for cookies.  When it gets closer to Christmas, I'll post a recipe I made with these bits.  While they're not as good as homemade, they take 10 seconds, rather than an hour to prepare.  Seems worth it to me.

Help! My bananas are getting overripe. What can I do with them.

Doesn't that just make you crazy.  You buy some bananas that are green, and within a day or two they are starting to turn brown.  Stopping the ripening process will be another topic.  Today we will look at how to preserve your bananas so you do not have to throw them out.

I like to use bananas that are getting too ripe in things such as smoothies and banana bread, so when I get some bananas that are really ripe, but I can't use them right away, I freeze them.  But there's a trick to freezing them.

I like to put them in zip-type freezer bags.  I used to peel them and put them all in the bag straight away.  The problem with this is that they all stick together and can be impossible to separate.  What I do instead is to place the peeled bananas on a baking sheet and place them in the freezer until they are frozen.  Then I put them into zip-type bags and keep in the freezer until they are ready to use.  That way I can get exactly what I need from the bag without having problems separating the bananas.

Apples are abundant now that Fall is near

I know it doesn't seem like fall yet, but it is just around the corner.  Apples are one of my favorite fall fruits and I love to look at ways to use them.  Standing in front of apple displays in the store, it can be difficult to figure out which one to choose.  Some apples are best for eating plain, while others are better suited for pies.  Some of our favorites are: 

• Braeburn--Flavor blends sweetness and Tartness just right for snacks and salads. Use for salads, pies, baked, sauce and eating fresh.
• Cortland--Crisp, juicy, sweet-tart and resists browning. Great all-purpose apple. Use for salads, pies, baked, sauce and eating fresh.
• Crispin--Sweet, firm and crisp. Use for salads, pies, baked, sauce and eating fresh
• Fuji--Flesh is spicy, crisp, sweet and firm. Stores well with improved flavor. Use for salads, pies, baked, sauce and eating fresh.
• Gala--Gala is a favorite for fresh eating. Use for salads, pies, baked, sauce and eating fresh
• Golden delicious--Sweet, firm with sweet, crisp flavor. It is the preferred‘all purpose’ apple and freezes well. Use for salads, pies, baked, sauce and eating fresh.
• Granny smith--Crisp mouth-watering tartness that comes through when baked or sautéed. Use for salads, pies, baked and eating fresh.
• Jonagold--A blend of Jonathan and Golden Delicious apples with a unique tangy-sweet flavor and firm flesh. Use for salads, pies, baked, sauce and eating fresh.
• Jonathan--A spicy fragrance and a juicy, sweet-tart flavor. Use for salads, pies, baked, sauce and eating fresh.
• McIntosh--A semi-crisp tart-sweet multipurpose apple. Not great for baked goods. Use for salads, pies, sauce and eating fresh.
• Red delicious--These sweet, soft apples are good for eating. Avoid buying them in the summer; they sometimes get mushy. Use in salads and eating fresh.
• Rome beauty--A baker’s apple with a mild flavor and sweet, slightly juicy flesh. It gets richer when baked or sautéed. Use for salads, pies, baked and eating fresh
• Winesap--Has a spicy almost wine-like flavor that makes it the cider maker's first choice. Use for salads, pies, baked, sauce and eating fresh. 

So now that you know which apples to use, go make an apple pie or some applesauce and enjoy the seasonal bounty.