7 Vanilla Spice Pear Butter - Pressure Cooker & IP Canning Instructions

Vanilla spiced pear butter - is really pear "sauce" that is reduced down to a jam-like texture. This Pear Butter is sweet, bright and citrus-y, with notes of pure vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. It is a perfect spread for toast, muffins, or stirred into your morning oatmeal, homemade yogurt, or as an ice cream topping, very much like you would use Apple Butter.

Using a pressure cooker greatly reduces the cooking time to soften the pears and using the Saute or browning setting helps reduce your pears into a wonderful, thick, jam-like sauce.

It is sweet, so feel free to adjust the amount of sugar in this recipe to your desired taste. I am canning this pear butter, and sugar contributes to the color and shelf life of the butter. It also freezes well and makes a nice gift for a family member, neighbor, or friend.

I am using Anjou pears that happened to be on sale, but you can also use Bartlett pears.

Peel, cut in half, and use a melon ball scoop to core the seeds out.

A paring knife works well in removing the stem and the blossom end (bottom) of the pear.

Slice the pear into wedges and put them inside your pressure cooker pot.

Ad your orange juice, lemon juice, zest, spices and sugar.

Using a citrus zester is a great way to add a flavor boost to any dish. A wooden citrus reamer will help you juice the orange or lemon.

Cover your pressure cooker and lock it. I LOVE using this ceramic non-stick pot for pressure cooking! It's great for any foods that may stick, apple butter, rice, mac N cheese, etc.

Set it for HIGH pressure, and time it for 15 minutes. When the cook time has ended, allow the pressure cooker to release naturally for 15 minutes. Open the pressure valve.

This smells amazing and reminds me of fall....

An immersion blender is super handy to puree the fruit directly in the pot, without dirtying another dish. You can use a potato masher or a stand blender.

Use the Saute or browning setting of your pressure cooker to help reduce the sauce. Stir often to prevent sticking, or use a ceramic non-stick liner to help reduce sticking and burning. If your browning setting is cooking your sauce too hot, choose a slow cooker setting if you have one.

You will know it is thick enough when it mounds on a spoon, or when a dollop is put onto a chilled plate, it sets up and is not runny.

Enjoy!

Vanilla Spice Pear Butter
(inspired by this recipe and Ball Blue Book Guide to Canning)
Ingredients
7 pounds ripe pears; about 20 med pears (Bartlett or Anjou), peeled, cored and sliced
3 Tablespoons Orange juice
3 Tablespoons Lemon juice
1 Tablespoon zest (orange or lemon)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
4 cups granulated sugar

Instructions
Put peeled, cored and sliced pears into the pressure cooker.
Add juices, zest, vanilla extract, spices and sugar. DO NOT STIR.
Close the pressure cooker lid and set the valve to Sealing.
Use High pressure, time for 15 minutes.
When cook time finishes, allow pressure cooker to release naturally for 10 minutes. (NPR)
Open pressure valve to release any remaining steam.
Use an immersion blender, potato masher, or stand blender to puree the pears.
Saute Low, or use browning setting to cook and reduce the sauce to desired thickness.
(With the IP, you will need to re-set SAUTE every 30 minutes, so set a kitchen timer)
Can use keep warm setting (about 145°F) to help thicken.
As mixture thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking and bubbling.
Test thickness by putting a small spoonful on a chilled plate.

20 min to prep pears
10 min to prep butter
10 min to get to pressure
up to 2 hours of saute to thicken

Makes approximately 7-8 cups.
Keep covered in the refrigerator, 1-3 weeks.
Freeze in freezer safe containers, up to 3 months.
Water bath or Steam can, up to two years shelf life.

Canning Your Pear Butter

This recipe made 7 half pint jars of Pear Butter. I was able to fit seven, 8 oz wide mouth jars in my 6 quart Instant Pot, when set on a trivet. The tops of the jars must be level with the top of your pressure cooker pot, to make sure the lid closes correctly.

IMPORTANT: If you are new to canning or Steam Canning with an Instant Pot (which does NOT use pressure), please check out the following posts first. There are important guidelines to follow and ensure safe canning.

If you do not want to use the steam canning method, you can water bath can your Pear Butter. You can see how water bath canning is used for Jalapeno Jelly, here.

Safe Steam Canning Rules
Safe Steam Canning with Your Instant Pot 

Video: Removing jars from the IP. You can hear the seal "pop."

Canning Pear Butter in Instant Pot
yield approximately 7-8 cups, or 4 pints
Ingredients & Equipment
Instant Pot
Hot Pear Butter, made as directed above
4 pint jars or 8 half pint jars with lids and rings
3 1/2 cups water, in the IP pot liner (at least level with the trivet)
Canning funnel
Plastic knife
Clean, damp paper towel
Jar lifter, tongs, or silicone gloves
Wire cooling rack

Instructions
1. Clean jars with hot, soapy water and rinse well. Keep hot until ready to use.
2. Using a canning funnel, ladle hot Pear Butter into each jar, leaving 1/4" head space.
3. Remove any air bubbles with a plastic knife.
4. Remove funnel, and using a clean, damp paper towel, wipe the jar rims clean.
5. Place new canning lid onto the jar and secure with canning ring, turning it finger tip tight.
6. Put jars onto the trivet, inside the IP. (Make sure you have water in the IP!)
    If stacking a second layer, off-set the jar to sit over two jars - not directly on top of the jar.
7. Cover with the IP lid and lock.
8. Remove the pressure valve. (This is important!)
9. Push the STEAM button.
10. When a full stream of steam comes out of the valve AND the float pin comes up, begin the timing process, according to your altitude on the chart below:

0-1,000 feet = 10 minutes
1,001-3,000 feet = 15 minutes
3,001 - 6,000 feet = 20 minutes
6,001 - 8,000 feet = 25 minutes
8,001 - 10,000 feet = 30 minutes

After the processing time is up, turn off the IP or unplug it.
When the float pin drops, carefully open the lid, keeping steam away from your face.

Using tongs or silicone gloves, remove each jar carefully to a wire cooling rack.
Do not disturb for at least 12 hours.
If any jars do not seal, immediately put into the fridge to enjoy.

Label, date and store sealed jars in a cool, dark place for up to one year.

50 Steam Water Bath Canning in Your Instant Pot: Part Two, Strawberry Jam

Did you know you can steam can your fruits, jams, jellies and pickles in your Instant Pot? Steam canning in your Instant Pot is a great way to preserve smaller batches of food as it takes less water, less overall time to process, and doesn't heat up your entire kitchen! Making smaller batches is actually preferred when making jams and jellies, as you will get a consistent batch each and every time.

Before starting, you will want to become familiar with the rules of Steam Canning and test your Instant Pot using water and a thermometer. I have tested my 6 quart Duo at 4,500 feet altitude and there can be some variance due to size and altitude, so do a WATER STEAM CANNING TEST first.

You can view a step by step video instruction, here, and watch me process some delicious Apple Butter, here.

I made some Strawberry Jam in my Ball FreshTec Automatic Jam/Jelly maker and was thrilled with the results of how easy and simple it was to make. The Automatic Jam/Jelly Maker does all the cooking and stirring, which left my hands free to get my jars, lids and rings ready to process the jam. You can find this recipe in the Ball Blue Book for Canning & Preserving.

1. Wash & Inspect your jars with hot soapy water and rinse them well. Using your dishwasher is fine.

Inspect your jars for any chips or cracks. Run your finger along the top of the rim - it should be smooth and free of any chips that may prevent your jar from sealing.

It is important to keep your clean jars HOT. You can keep them hot in your dishwasher, or pour boiling water over your clean jars in the sink.

OPTIONAL: Use your IP to sanitize your jars.

Trivet, 1 cup of water, put clean jars in IP, close, lock, set valve to Sealing, set time for 1 minute. Keep jars in IP till ready to use. 

2. Make your Jam. 
You can find the recipe here or in the Ball Blue Book of Canning. This takes about 25 -30 minutes to make, which is about the same time as it takes to prepare and fill the jars for canning.

I was able to make jam while a batch was processing and do 3 kinds of strawberry jam, back to back, taking 1.5 hours total to steam can 15-16 eight ounce jars of jam!

3. Fill your jars. 
When your jam is ready, empty out a HOT jar and set a canning funnel inside the jar. Fill it with your HOT jam, up to 1/4" from the top of the jar. This is called the "head space," which will allow your jars to seal properly.

If you have any jam left over that will not fill a jar up to the 1/4" head space, put it in the fridge to enjoy.

4. Wipe Rims.
Remove the canning funnel. Wipe the rim of the filled jar with a clean, damp paper towel.

If there is any food on the rim, it will keep your jar from sealing properly.

5. Lid & Ring. 
Put a NEW** canning lid on top of the jar of jam, and screw on the canning ring.
Do not turn it super tight - as it will prevent a proper seal.
Finger - tip tight is what you want. This means to screw on the lids and STOP when you start to feel resistance.

**If you are an experienced canner, did you know that you do not need to heat your lids? That is great news! (Source)

I still like to use the magnetic lid wand - I want to make sure everything is clean and sterile!

6. Put Jars in the Instant Pot.
Place the metal trivet (steam rack) inside the pot.
Put 3 1/2 cups* of water into your Instant Pot liner. Water should be at the height of the trivet.
Place your hot jars on the trivet.
If you are processing more than 7 half pint jars, you will want to make a foil sling for the center jar. (*If you are using the 8 qt IP, pour water up to the trivet line).

Fold the aluminum sling down and over the top of the jars. The foil sling will help you remove the center jar and allow you to use a canning jar lifter or hot pads to grab the rest of the jars.

7. Check Seal, Close/Lock Lid.
Check your seal - make sure it is seated correctly, all the way around the underside of the lid.

Put the Instant Pot lid on the pressure cooker and turn it completely to lock it.

Make sure the pressure valve is set to VENTING.

8. Process the Jars.
Push the STEAM button. Watch your pressure cooker.

When the float valve comes up AND you see a full stream of steam coming from the pressure valve, start the processing time according to your altitude.

Processing Time for Strawberry Jam is 10 minutes at sea level - no adjustment necessary.

Add time for altitudes higher than 1,000 feet.

I am at 4,500 feet, so I need to add 10 minutes to my processing time, for a total of 20 minutes. 

9. Turn off the IP.
At the end of processing time, Press Cancel/Keep Warm to turn the IP OFF and wait for the float valve to drop.

When the float valve drops, you can open up your pressure cooker.

10. Cool the jars. 
Carefully remove the jars, using a jar lifter or hot pads, and set each jar on a wire cooling rack. 

Do not disturb the jars for at least 12-24 hours.

As the jars cool, you will hear the JOYFUL pings of jars being sealed. The new canning lid design will let you know how to see if the jar has sealed - the jar on the right has sealed.

The jar on the left still has the 'bubble,' and will seal in a minute or two.

Resist the urge to touch the tops of the jars until 12 hours have passed.

After 12 hours, if you have any jars that have NOT sealed, you have 2 options.

1. Re-process with a new jar, new lid, with the same method (heating jam, jars, etc) and the same processing time. (Lids are a one time use). -or-

2. Put the jar of food in the fridge to use immediately. (I prefer this option)

When proper canning procedures have been followed, it is rare for a jar not to seal.

Reasons for jars that don't seal can be any of the following:

• Jar was not filled properly with required amount of "head space." If you do not have enough food to fill the jar, put it in the fridge to enjoy.
• The top of the jar was not clean. Any food or reside can prevent a proper seal.
• The top of the jar has a nick or a crack on the rim. 
• The lid was not centered. 
• The ring was screwed on too tight. Air needs to escape to create a vacuum and seal.

When canned and stored properly, your Strawberry Jam will keep for 18-24 months.

I have successfully Steam Canned Applesauce, Strawberry Jam (several varieties, including Strawberry Kiwi and Strawberry Vanilla), Strawberry Lemonade Concentrate, and Strawberry Lemon Curd. 

Enjoy!

12 Apple Butter - Pressure Cooker

Apple Butter is essentially a super thickened applesauce, cooked slowly so the sugar caramelizes and turns into this sweet, cinnamon-y, deep brown spread that is a wonderful Fall treat. Since apples naturally contain pectin, it is very similar to an apple jelly.

Most recipes call for slow cooking over 14-20 hours, and using your pressure cooker will definitely help reduce this cooking time!

This was my first time making apple butter and I wasn't sure how "thick" the consistency should be. Apple butter does thicken while it cools, so if it is too thick for you, you can add some apple juice to thin it out to your desired texture. Apples can vary widely in water content, depending on the variety and growing conditions.

I used my Instant Pot Ceramic liner for making this apple butter. I loved the fact that I didn't have to worry about the sauce burning and sticking to the pot. This ceramic liner is great for anything that can stick: rice, oatmeal, Macaroni & Cheese.

You will want to use a heat resistant silicone spatula or a wooden spoon while stirring, as not to scratch the finish.

Apples that work best are sweet, meaty apples like Gala, McIntosh, Winesap or any of the baking apples found on this applesauce post. Using a mix of apples will create a unique final product. Don't use Granny Smith or Honey Crisp apples as they are too tart or too sweet for this recipe.

• Braeburn - sweet/tart
• Cameo
• Cortland - similar to McIntosh, but sweeter/tarter
• Crispin (Mutsu)
• Empire - very sweet when baked
• Fuji -sweet/tart,watery
• Gala - thin skinned, but grainy texture
• Golden Delicious - sweet, thin skinned
• Gravenstein
• Ida Red
• Jonagold - sweet, thin skinned
• Jonamac
• Jonathan
• Liberty
• McIntosh - strong structure of pectin
• Newtown Pippin
• Rome Beauty - mild, thick skin
• Stayman
• Winesap

Cutting & Peeling I love using this Apple corer, peeler, spiralizer. It is so FAST  - it took less than 10 minutes to prep 4 pounds of apples.

You can opt to leave the peels on, but you do need to core and cut the apples. This Apple Slicer/Corer does a quick job.

Sugars 

This recipe uses 1 cup of sugar for every pound of apples, which is very sweet. You can use any combination of sugars, and brown sugar will give your apple butter a taste of molasses. Sugar is necessary in making preserves to help it set up, gel or thicken, and increase the shelf life.

You can reduce the amount of sugars, but your finished apple butter may be more runny, need a longer cooking time, and end up yielding less. Since I am planning to can or preserve this apple butter, the recommended amount of sugar will ensure that it will have the maximum shelf life. When sugar is decreased, the shelf life of your apple butter is decreased.

TIP: When the apple butter is cooking down, it may look lava-like, bubbling and popping from your cooker. If this is the case, you can use a spatter screen, or a large mesh strainer to help. Your other option is to reduce the heat, using the highest slow cooker setting or simmer setting of your cooker.

This apple butter turned out much better than I anticipated - got a "double thumbs up" from all of my family members and I can't wait to try it with other foods!

Use this utterly delicious spread on freshly baked bread, toast, pancakes, muffins, swirl it through oatmeal, fresh yogurt, mix in smoothies, spread on crepes, waffles, or make a cookie sandwich filling with oatmeal cookies.

Enjoy!

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Apple Butter - Pressure Cook

by Frieda Franchina, adapted from Ball Blue Book  September-13-2017

Thick, rich, jam-like spread, traditionally known as "Apple Butter," is spiced with cinnamon and cloves for a treat that is wonderful spread on toast, waffles, muffins, etc....

Ingredients

• 4 pounds of apples, about 16 medium ( I used 13 McIntosh apples)
• 1/4 cup water, apple juice, or yogurt whey
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 4 cups granulated or brown sugar, optional, see note*

Instructions

1. Wash apples. Core & cut the apples into eighths. You can peel the apples, if desired.2. Put apples into pressure cooker insert.3. Pour water or apple juice into cooker.4. Dump sugars and spices on top of apples; Do Not Stir.5. Close the pressure cooker lid & close the pressure cooker valve.6. Select HIGH pressure for 10-15 minutes. Large cut apples will take a longer time.7. When cook time has finished, use at least a 15 minute natural release. You can use a full natural release, if desired. 8. Open pressure cooker valve and lid. 9. Puree the apples with a potato masher, immersion blender or food processor. 10. With the pureed apples in the pressure cooker, select Saute LOW or a low browning setting. Set your timer for 30 minutes, as you will need to restart the Saute setting every 30 minutes. Stir every 30 minutes, until desired thickness is reached, about 45-90 minutes. Stirring helps keep the spattering down, so as the apple butter thickens, stir more frequently. 
If your setting is too hot, switch to a slow cook setting.To check for consistency, put a small plate in the freezer for a few minutes. Put a small spoonful of apple butter onto the chilled plate. If liquid leaches out around the apple butter, it needs to cook a little longer. If not, it is ready. Keeps well in the refrigerator for 1-3 weeks.
Freezer 1-3 months
Process for water bath canning for up to a 2 year shelf life
*Note: I used a 50/50 mix of granulated sugar and brown sugar. This was the amount of sugar recommended for bottling the apple butter, but you can reduce this amount if you wish. The sugars help thicken and caramelize the apple butter and contribute to the shelf life.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 1 hour 30 mins Total time: 2 hours  Yield: 5-6 cups

23 Thick Goat Milk Yogurt - Instant Pot

Making yogurt has never been simpler, now that I am using my Instant Pot pressure cooker to make it. You have so many choices when making yogurt: what milk to use, type of starter, how long to incubate, how thick, and how sweet. So many options!

Goat milk is a good option for those who have a dairy allergy, as it is easier to digest, is naturally homogenized, has less lactose, and has 89% less of the alpha S1 casein, which is common in cow's milk and more likely to cause a dairy allergic reaction in some individuals. The fermentation process breaks down the proteins in the milk for better digestion. You can find out more about Goat vs Cow milk for making yogurt here. 

Milk: The fresher the milk, the less "goaty"it will taste. Goat milk has a stronger taste than cow's milk. I am using pasteurized goat's milk from the Drake Family Farm. My grandson got to visit this farm, adopt a goat and give it a name.  So fun!

Starter: You can use a plain, unflavored dairy yogurt for your starter (that contains Live/Active cultures) all you need it 1-2 tablespoons. The small amount shouldn't affect any dairy allergies, but if you are concerned, you can use a non dairy yogurt, such as SoDelicious, as your starter. You can also use a powdered direct starter, such as Yogurmet, that can be found online or at health food stores.  You can read more about yogurt starters here , how to choose them and where to find them.

Heating the Milk: You will need to heat your milk to at least 100°-110° for the yogurt cultures to work. While researching, I found that the higher you heat your goat milk yogurt, the more "cooked" it will taste. Brod & Taylor found that keeping the goat milk under 165°F gave a fresher taste to their yogurt, so that is the temp that I used.

Thickeners: Because of the different structure of the proteins in goat's milk, it makes a thin, pourable yogurt. If you want it to be thicker, you will need to add a thickener. Brod & Taylor suggest using cornstarch or agar agar powder, dissolving it into a little bit of cold milk and adding it to the hot milk. You can view a list of suggested thickeners, how to use them, and the pros/cons of each here, at Cultures for Health. 

I used cornstarch, and added it to the 165° milk. It did not thicken much at all, and then it dawned on me....

I'm pretty sure that you need to heat your milk to a higher temp in order to activate the cornstarch, much like when making a gravy.... *sigh* 

So, I ended up using Knoxx unflavored gelatin as my thickener, which worked much better!  1T. of powdered gelatin per 4 cups is all you need.

It's important to sprinkle the gelatin into cold milk to let it soften, and then add it to hot milk to dissolve it. If you add the gelatin to cold or warm milk, you will have little bits of gelatin floating throughout your yogurt.

Are you ready? Let's make yogurt! 

1. Clean, Cold Pot: Start with a very clean pot, free of any soap residue. No need to sanitize or sterilize the pot.

Add some ice cubes to your Instant Pot liner. Let it sit for a couple of minutes, then pour the ice water out. Do not wipe dry.

This will help keep the milk from sticking to the bottom of your pot, making it easier to clean.

2. Milk: Pour the milk directly into the chilled pot liner.

3. Heat Milk: Since the Instant Pot heats milk in the 160°-180°F range, I opted to use a probe thermometer to make sure the milk didn't get above 165°F. If you don't want your milk to go over 165°, you can check the temp mid-cycle at 15 minutes, and test the temp with your thermometer.

You can use the complete yogurt cycle and reach a higher temp, if you wish - the yogurt will have a more "cooked" taste. 

To find the Boil setting on your Instant Pot:

DUO & SMART Models: Push Yogurt and quickly push ADJUST

DUO PLUS MODEL:

Select the Yogurt program

Press the YOGURT key repeatedly until you see MORE on the display

In 10 seconds, heating will begin

When the boil cycle has ended, the IP will beep 3 times and display YOGT.

ULTRA MODEL:

Turn the dial to YOGURT

Press the dial to select it

Press the dial to select TIME (30 min for a half gallon, 50 min for a full gallon)

Press the dial to confirm the time

Turn the dial to TEMP

Push the dial to select

Select HIGH temp for BOIL

Pus START and the milk will heat

When the boil cycle has ended, the display will show YOGT.


This ThermPro remote thermometer is pretty easy to use, and is relatively inexpensive. The unit on the left is portable and flashes green while the milk is getting to temperature. The unit on the right is connected to the probe, which is in the milk.

You don't need to use the IP lid for making yogurt. You can use any lid from your pots/pans, a glass lid, a dinner plate, glass pie plate, or a flat silicone suction lid.

4. Bloom Starter & Check Temp: While your milk is heating, sprinkle your unflavored gelatin into some cold milk.

The ThermPro flashes red and beeps when the temperature is reached.

I tested the milk temp with my highly accurate Thermapen, and it read 2 degrees warmer. I may need to calibrate my ThermPro thermometer and adjust it for more accuracy.

5. Remove the skin from the surface of the milk. This will help your yogurt stay smooth and creamy.

6. Stir in Gelatin: Mix the bloomed/softened gelatin into the hot milk. Whisk well.

7. Cool the Milk & Check Temp: Place the bowl into another bowl of ice water to help cool the milk to 100°F-110°F, whisking while taking the temp. It should less than 5 min.

You will want to shoot for this range to add your starter, as it is the optimal temp zone for it to culture properly. Any higher temps will kill your starter and result in a thin milk, not yogurt.

Wipe the outside of the bowl dry before placing it back into the IP.

8. Temper Starter: Take a cup of your cooled milk and whisk in your starter, dissolving it well. Pour this mixture into your milk and give it a good stir. Tempering brings your starter to the temperature of your cooled milk and helps dissolve it better.

9. Incubate: This means to keep the milk and yogurt cultures at a constant 100°-110° temp for several hours.

Incubate on Yogurt Normal for at least 6-8 hours for a mild yogurt, 9-10 hours for more tang.

To find the Normal Yogurt setting on your Instant Pot:

DUO & SMART Models: Push Yogurt once. It will say 8:00 & Normal. If not, keep pushing the adjust button until it displays 8:00 and Normal is lit.

DUO PLUS MODEL:

Select the Yogurt Normal

Press +/- to set incubation time.

When finished, the IP will beep and display YOGT. 

ULTRA MODEL:

Turn the dial to YOGURT

Press the dial to select it

Press the dial to select TIME (5-24 hours, depending on how tangy you like your yogurt)

Press the dial to confirm the time

Turn the dial to TEMP (LOW, MED, HIGH, Custom)

Select MED (107°F) or CUSTOM (You can choose a temp between 100°F-110°F)

Press dial to confirm

Push START
Incubation will begin.

When the yogurt cycle has ended, the IP will beep and display YOGT.

10. Add your flavoring: Your yogurt will look thin. No worries! Putting your yogurt into the fridge will activate the gelatin and help it set and firm up.

Add your vanilla and choice of sweetener at this time, if desired. I like to use 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 2-4 tablespoons of warmed honey or granulated sugar. Mix in well.

You can now do one of 2 things:

Pour your yogurt into a single plastic container with a well fitting lid -OR-
Pour your yogurt into individual jars. Glass or plastic canning jars work well.

Allow your yogurt to chill in the fridge for at least 4-6 hours, or until the gelatin has set.

Enjoy your yogurt!

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Thick Goat Milk Yogurt - Instant Pot

by Frieda Franchina August-2-2017

Goat milk yogurt has different milk proteins than cow's milk and needs a thickening agent to help it set like a traditional yogurt. Using the correct amount of gelatin helps keep the right consistency.

Ingredients

• 8 cups fresh or pasteurized goat milk, reserve 1 cup for gelatin
• 2 Tablespoons fresh, plain yogurt or powdered yogurt starter*
• 2 Tablespoons unflavored gelatin (I used Knoxx)
• *If using powdered yogurt starter, follow directions on the package

Instructions

1. Start with a very clean pot and utensils. Put several ice cubes into the pot. After a few minutes, pour out the ice water; do not wipe the pot dry. 2. Pour your 7 cups of goat milk into the pot. Reserve the extra cup of milk for step 4.3. Heat your milk by using the BOIL cycle as directed by your Instant Pot model, to your desired temperature. 165°F is recommended for a clean taste. 180°F will give you a more 'cooked' taste. Check mid-cycle at the 15 minute are and test your temperature with an accurate thermometer.4. While your milk is heating, sprinkle 2 Tablespoons (about 2.5 packages) of unflavored gelatin into the cold, reserved milk. Allow it to sit and soften (bloom) for at least 10 minutes.5. After your milk has heated to your desired temperature, whisk your bloomed gelatin into the hot milk. Mix well.6. Cool your milk to 100°-110°F by setting your pot of hot milk over a large bowl of ice water or sink filled with cold water. Whisk and take the temperature every couple of minutes. It should take less than 5 minutes.7. When you have reached your cool down temperature, take a cup of your cooled milk and stir in your 2 Tablespoons of yogurt starter or powdered starter, and mix well. Pour this mixture into your pot of cooled milk and stir well to combine.8. Incubate your yogurt by setting your Instant Pot on the Yogurt Normal cycle (based on your model), which defaults to 8 hours. Push the +/- buttons to increase or decrease the incubation time. 9. When the cycle is complete, your Instant Pot will beep and display YOGT. 10. Flavor your yogurt with 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and your choice of sweetener to taste. 2-4 Tablespoons of warmed honey or granulated sugar works well. Mix well.11. Put yogurt into a container or individual containers with a well fitting lid and place in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours. Yogurt will look thin, but set up once chilled. *You can cut this recipe in half, using 4 cups of milk, 1 Tablespoons of yogurt starter and 1 Tablespoon of unflavored gelatin. Keep the same incubation times.

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 8 hour 15 mins Total time: 8 hour 30 mins Yield: 10 servings

0 Oven Dried Cherries & Bonus Simple Syrup!

I had a bumper crop of cherries this year! After enjoying several handfuls of fresh cherries and making a couple of Fresh Cherry Cobblers, making a syrup for Cherry Lime Ricky's, I needed some ways to preserve the rest of the cherries.

Freezing: I took half of the cherries, washed, pitted, and froze them on a plastic wrapped cookie sheet in a single layer. After freezing, I put them into freezer Ziploc bags. These cherries will be used for smoothies, cobblers, and other desserts.

Drying: I took the other half and tried my hand at drying them. Dried cherries are amazing tossed into a salad, homemade yogurt, in your morning cereal, or in a homemade granola.

I don't have a dehydrator, but I do have a convection oven with a dehydrating setting. If your oven temp starts at 200°F, you can try drying your cherries at this temp.

This method not only dries your cherries, but you can get a simple syrup as well! Use your syrup in your favorite cocktail drink, Coke, lemonade, Lime Ricky, spritzer, salad dressing, or sweetener for iced tea. One pound of cherries will give you about 1/2 cup of syrup.

First, pit your cherries. I love using Progressive's cherry pitter, to do 4 cherries at a time. There are about 25% of the cherries that still have pits attached, but are easily removed.

Next, weigh your cherries. I like to cover my OXO Good Grips digital scale with a plastic bag for easy clean up. I love that you can pull out the display if you are using a large bowl and that it lights up. I am using Rubbermaid's 6 qt clear square food storage container to weigh and store in the fridge.

Toss in 5-10% sugar. 5% of 6 pounds is .3 pounds. 1 pound of granulated sugar is 2 cups. 1/3 pound of sugar is about .6 cups, so I put in a heaping 1/2 cup of sugar into the cherries and gave it a good stir.

Cover, and place in the fridge overnight, in a non-reactive (plastic or glass bowl).

Next day, strain your cherries and reserve the simple syrup.

Lightly oil a wire cooling rack or dehydrating sheets. I found the plastic sheets at a sporting goods store. I believe they are for smoking jerky, which worked very well for drying cherries.

Spread the cherries into a single layer.

Dry at 135°-140° for 12-24 hours until they are dry.

Bag, date and freeze.  I can't believe how compact 6 pounds of cherries fit into this bag!

Give this method of drying your cherries a try. You'll love the versatility of using dried cherries in many of your recipes and enjoy the bonus simple syrup!

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Oven Dried Cherries & Bonus Simple Syrup

by Frieda Franchina June-19-2017

Use a dehydrator or convection oven with a low heat setting to dry out sweet cherries that take a fraction of the space to freeze or preserve.

Ingredients

• Cherries
• Granulated Sugar

Instructions

1. Wash and pit your cherries. 2. Weigh the cherries.3. In a large food safe glass or plastic container, toss in 5-10% (of the weight of cherries) granulated sugar into the cherries. Stir well. 1/2 pound of sugar = 1 cup. For example: 6 pounds of cherries=1/3 pound=.6 cups of sugar. 4. Cover the sugar coated cherries and place the fridge over night. 5. Next day, strain your cherries and reserve the simple syrup. 6. Lightly oil a wire cooling rack or dehydrating sheets.Place cherries in a single layer.7. Set oven or dehydrator at 135°F-140°F for 12 - 24 hours or until they are dry. Bag, date, and freeze.

Details

Prep time: 30 mins Cook time: 12 hour Total time: 12 hour 30 mins Yield: vary

Enjoy!