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Recipes

Cookie Butter Apple Treats

October 28, 2017 by Wendy Pettit

cookie butter apple treats Harvesting your apples?  Been to your local farmer’s market and bought a bushel of apples?  Cookie Butter Apple Treats may be a new delicious treat to please the entire family while you are processing your apples for the season.  This simple 4-ingredient recipe is easy and yummy.  Any variety of apple tastes delicious with this cookie butter dip recipe, but we prefer Fuji, Gala, or Pink Lady (whichever is the best price or whichever apple is ripe on the tree).

Cookie Butter Apple Treats Ingredients

  • 8 Tbsp. cookie butter – room temperature (I prefer Bischoff Cookie Butter so I feel like I’m flying on an airplane)
  • 4 Tbsp. vanilla greek yogurt
  • apple discs – 2-3 apples, sliced crossways
  • 1/3 cup chocolate chips – melted  (optional)
  • brine – 2 cups water with 3 Tbsp. lemon juice or 1 Tbsp. salt

Directions:

  1. In a medium bowl, add lemon juice or salt into 2 cups water. Stir and set aside.
  2. In a second medium bowl, combine cookie butter and yogurt.  Stir mixing well and set aside.Mix cookie butter and vanilla yogurt together until smooth
  3. Take your whole freshly harvested apples and slice them crossway through the center of the apple.  Apple seed “star” should be in the middle of your circle or disk.  Remove the seeds or centers of each apple disk using a tiny round cookie cutter or a knife. Your apples now look like skinny flat discs or donuts.Slice your apples crossway so the seed stars are showing. Cookie Butter won't fall through if you don't put a large hole in the middle
  4. Place the apple slices into the lemon or salt brine.  Let soak for 1-2 minutes. (This will keep the apples from turning brown.)soak your sliced apples in salt water or lemon water so that they won't turn brown.
  5. Place apple slices on a clean dishcloth or paper towel.  Flip them over so both sides are now somewhat dry.Pat the apple slices dry.
  6. Using a large piping tool,  pipe the cookie butter mixture in swirls on top of the apple discs.  (I like to use the Pampered Chef Easy Accent Decorator)
  7. Refrigerate and serve.  Yum!
  8. Optional – Melt 1/3 cup chocolate chips.  (Use double boiler on stove or microwave 10 seconds at a time until the chocolate stirs smooth.)  Drizzle or flip with a stick the chocolate over the apple discs.  It is very wise to wear an apron for this task.Decorate the apple slices and drip or flip chocolate on top for a gourmet design.

If you don’t want to do the apple disks, you can simply place the cookie butter dip in a bowl surrounded by any variety of apple wedges reading to scoop.

Cookie butter apple treats are a real crowd pleaser!  And even more delicious and satisfying when you grow and harvest your own apples!  Let Western Gardens teach you how to choose an apple tree for your yard.  It doesn’t have to grow super big to have a delicious harvest.

Snitching your Cookie Butter Apple Treats is common. They are delicious!

cookie butter apple treats

Filed Under: Eat from Garden - Recipes, Fruit, Recipes Tagged With: apple cookie butter, apple dip, apple recipe, apple treats, cookie butter apple treats

Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Bread – Cake

September 30, 2017 by Wendy Pettit

A fun potluck party idea is to have a zucchini fest.  People can be so creative; you’ll discover zucchini dishes you never dreamed of.  I’ll never forget going to one several years ago and someone had thought ahead and brought a gluten free chocolate zucchini bread.  Too many times, we forget the many who don’t eat gluten (wheat products).

My busy gluten free neighbor Vanessa shares this recipe – gluten free chocolate zucchini bread.  It is so yummy and rich, it can be treated as cake.  This is a proven winner recipe; it won’t last long in the pan! Enjoy the zucchini season while it lasts…and lasts…..and lasts!

gluten free chocolate zucchini bread cake

Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Bread/Cake

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 cup  applesauce
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil 
  • 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk plus 1 tbsp white vinegar (this makes a dairy free buttermilk version)
  • 1 cup brown rice flour
  • 1 cup oat flour
  • 1 Tsp xanthum gum
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 tbsp cacao
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups shredded zucchini 

Gluten free chocolate zucchini bread is easy to make with few ingredientsDIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan with non stick spray
  2. In a large bowl cream together the applesauce, coconut oil and sugar. Then add the eggs and vanilla and mix well.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the brown rice and pat flours, cocoa powder, cacao, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
  4. Add 1/2 of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix, then add the coconut milk (with the vinegar) mix, and add the remaining flour mixture. Mix until well combined.
    mixing gluten free zucchini bread

    This is a good time to teach patience to little ones while the batter mixes. Good things come to those who wait!

  5. Stir in the shredded zucchini.
    Children can grate zucchini for your gluten free chocolate zucchini bread.

    With supervision and a little help, young children can take pride in helping make this delicious zucchini treat!

    Nothing like freshly grated zucchini for zucchini bread!

  6. Pour the batter in the pan. 

    Be sure to smell it as you examine your batter.

  7. Bake for 30-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs. In my convection oven it takes about 34 minutes. 

This can be served with whipped topping or your favorite ice cream or ice cream alternative. 

gluten free chocolate zucchini bread is delicious! Yum!

If you have already pulled up your garden, don’t worry.  I’m sure someone has excess in their garden.  Just put out the word that you will make some gluten free chocolate zucchini bread for them if they will give you some of their zucchinis.  If you find this too late, make plans for various zucchini plants next spring.  There are many varieties to choose from at your local garden center.

Try out some other ZUCCHINI RECIPES:

Baked Zucchini Fries

Banana Zucchini Bread w/Chocolate Chips

Zucchini Chips

Delicious Roasted Zucchini

Oven Fried Zucchini

Prepare for April 25th – National Zucchini Bread Day

Prepare for August 8th – Sneak Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor’s Porch Day

gluten-free chocolate zucchini bread-cake recipe

 

 

Filed Under: Recipes, Vegetables Tagged With: kids in the kitchen, zucchini, zucchini bread, zucchini bread recipe, zucchini recipes

Apples for Applesauce and Apple Butter

September 14, 2017 by Marjorie Carter

I use different apples for applesauce and apple butter.  Here are ways to use a variety of apples or just Jonagold and Golden Delicious.

Applesauce

homemade Apple sauce

Photo by Taken at Pixabay

The best tasting applesauce is made using a variety of different apples.  This is a good opportunity to do some apple swapping with neighbors!  If only one apple is used for applesauce, then a sweet-tart variety is best, such as a Jonagold.  

Use jonagold apples for applesauce and apple butter

Photo by Marco Roosink at Pixabay

 

Apples have enough natural sweetness that I avoid adding sugar.  It’s really not necessary. The sauce maker is a big help if you’re trying to process lots of apples.

Photo: Canology/Norpro Click photo for link

Making applesauce is not difficult, especially if you have a sauce maker, but it can be sticky work.  I know there are lots of instructions on the internet.  I like this recipe by PickYourOwn because the writer explains all the steps and equipment needed. 

 

Cuisinart Smart Stick

Photo: Amazon/Cuisinart  Click Photo for Link

If you don’t own a sauce maker, you can peel the apples, remove stems and seeds, then use a stick blender or transfer to a blender jar to puree. Be careful because the apples and the resulting sauce will be hot.

 

That’s it.  Gobble it up fresh or preserve in bottles using proper canning procedures.

 

 


Apple Butter

Applebutter on banana nut bread

Photo by Jeffry W at Flickr license CC 2.0

golden delicious apples for applesauce and/or apple butter

Photo: Pixabay

My golden delicious apples, when used alone, make a bland tasting sauce that I don’t really enjoy eating.  However, they make great apple butter. So, if you make any applesauce that does not taste as good as you hoped it might, consider using it for apple butter.   Basically, you will use about 9 quarts of applesauce, slowly cook it down in your crock pot, add a spice blend part way through the process, and end up with about 9 pints of delicious, dark brown apple butter that you’ll want to eat by the spoonful straight out of the jar.  It’s also delicious on toast, biscuits, pancakes, waffles, etc., etc.  The only difference is I do not add any sugar.  Again, apples are sweet enough that they simply don’t need any help.  

I also like to use my stick blender to puree the final product a bit more so it is as smooth as I can get it.  This is purely optional but it makes for a very nice texture. 

FALL is a great time to plant your own fruit trees.  Your local nursery may still have some.  Otherwise, wait until spring for a great selection.

Click BACK to read my CHILDHOOD MEMORIES of APPLES

Click NEXT for APPLE CHIPS and APPLE PIE FILLING

Western Gardens | Utah

  Western Gardens | Utah

 

                                       

 

Filed Under: Fruit, Gardening, Recipes Tagged With: apple butter, apple recipes, applesauce, golden delicious, homemade, jonagold

Apple Chips and Apple Pie Filling

September 14, 2017 by Marjorie Carter

We’ve eaten fresh long apple skin peels, made delicious applesauce, and rich apple butter.  Here are two other ways that I use to preserve my apples – apple chips and apple pie filling.  The tips I give are from my own personal experience.

Apple chips

Dehydrated apple chips

Photo by Cook Your Life at Pixabay

I love my food dehydrator.  The first time I needed one, I borrowed my Mom’s dehydrator that she bought back in the early 70s.  It worked very well but it was pretty loud.  I finally bought a newer dehydrator and I love how quiet it is.  It also has a larger capacity than the older one, so I can process more produce per batch.

dehydrating sliced apples

If you don’t have a food dehydrator, you can use your oven but you’ll need to be a bit more vigilant about checking on the apples so they don’t burn.  The dehydrator allows you to use lower temperatures than most ovens will permit so you can ignore them for a few hours before checking to see if they’re done.  

 

apple slices for drying into apple chips

Photo by Wolffsfa at Pixabay

There’s nothing fancy when it comes to apple chips. 

The biggest trick, in my opinion, for the best apple chip is to cut the slices as thin as you can manage.  That is why I like using a food processor.  It allows for a consistent thickness of all the slices and it also allows you to quickly slice a lot of apples.  If you have boxes of fruit to go through, speed is something that cannot be underrated.   You can also use a sharp knife to cut slices as thin as you can manage.  

Spread the slices out on a tray from your food dehydrator and follow your dehydrator instructions for the right setting.  If using your oven, place apple slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Heat oven to 200 degrees and allow the apples to heat for 1.5 – 2 hours.  Or, for a little faster time, heat oven to 225 and cook apples for 45 minutes to 1 hour. 

Optional: Before baking or placing in the dehydrator, you can sprinkle the slices with cinnamon or another mixture of spices to give them extra flavor.  

Pumpkin spice mix is yummy:

  • 2 tbsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp. ground ginger
  • 1 ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
  • 1 ½ tsp. ground cloves

Apple Pie Filling

apple pie lattice top

Photo by Dusty Toes at Pixabay

I don’t really have a recipe for apple pie filling.  I’m sure there are wonderful recipes around but my approach is to simply place as many sliced apples in a bowl as I plan to put in my pie, sprinkle with as much cinnamon as I think would be a good amount for a pie (a couple of teaspoons?), add a couple of teaspoons of sugar (have you noticed I don’t like adding much sugar to my apple products?), add a couple of tablespoons of flour, and then mix and place in pie crust.  

homemade apple pie

Photo by Snapwire Snaps at Pixabay

If I’m planning to preserve and bottle pie filling, I only add the cinnamon before packing and processing.  I save the sugar and flour to add later when I open the jars to use the apples.  That way I can use the apples for a variety of baked goods.  If I use them for apple crisp, I don’t add any sugar at all since the topping has enough sugar to make for a sweet dessert.

I love the fall for many reasons.  The cool weather, the falling leaves… and the delicious, fresh apples!  

Click BACK for how I make

APPLESAUCE and APPLE BUTTER

Western Gardens | Utah

 

Filed Under: Fruit, Gardening, Recipes Tagged With: apple chips, apple pie, apple pie filling, apples, dehydrated, dehydrated fruit

Favorite Apple Varieties and How To Preserve Them

September 14, 2017 by Marjorie Carter

Welcome Apple Lovers!  Glad you dropped in.

I love apples!  There is such a wide variety of apple trees to plant and they are all delicious in their own right.  As a mother, I now used different apple varieties for different occasions.  I have several favorite apple varieties, but let me first share where my first love of apples began.  Maybe you had similar experiences.

bushels of apple varieties

Photo by Sladkovskaivka at Pixabay

long apple peel to eat

Photo by ChrisWoehri at Pixabay

My memories are vivid of sitting at my mom’s feet as she sat on the porch and peeled apples for apple pie.  I loved to pick out and eat the longest pieces of apple peel from her scrap bowl.  

We moved to Virginia when I was in 4th grade and we would go apple picking as a family in the crisp fall weather.  We’d then have boxes and boxes of apples sitting in the garage and I loved picking out the biggest apple from each variety and eating it plain or with peanut butter. 

Boxes of apples

One time I ate so many apples in one sitting that I made myself sick.  In fact, I did this more than once.  For some people, that would result in an aversion to the food that made them sick, but I love apples so much that this was not a deterrent for me.

The mature fruit trees, including Golden Delicious Apples and a Jonagold type of apple, were one of the reasons we purchased the home.

Jonagold apple tree

Photo by Kapa65 at Pixabay

The first year there, both trees produced around a bazillion apples each.  We basically made apple sauce and pie filling from so many apples.  We not only used the fresh picked apples, but also the still usable windfall apples. In the years since, we’ve managed to expand the variety of things we do with our apples.  

Our favorite preserving methods are: apple sauce, apple butter, dried apple rings (apple chips), and apple pie filling.  

Some useful tools for different apple recipes:

  • hand powered food strainer/sauce maker
  • food processor with slicing blade
  • food dehydrator
  • crock pot
  • stick blender. 

Of course, if all you have is a knife and a large pot, you can make it work!

peeling a red apple

Photo by JackMac34 at Pixabay

Read further for a few tips for success and a couple of the recipes we use for enjoying this amazing fruit well after the last one has been plucked from the tree.  I include the tools we use for making them.


Click NEXT for my favorite apples and methods for

APPLESAUCE and APPLE BUTTER and APPLE CHIPS and APPLE PIE FILLING

Western Gardens | Utah


Filed Under: Fruit, Gardening, Recipes Tagged With: apple recipes, apples, golden delicious, jonagold apples

Celebrate the Potato in September

September 2, 2017 by Heather Leister

September is the special month of the year that is set aside to celebrate the wonderfully dependable, always reliable potato.  This solid side dish performer works with almost any meal and if you planted potato starters in the spring then you should have a harvest ready to be served up this the fall. Mashed potatoes are always a solid side dish but if you’re looking for something different here are six ideas for side dishes this month as you celebrate the potato!

Hashbrowns – Who says that hashbrowns have to stay put on the breakfast menu? Try serving them at dinner and adding in bell peppers, onions, and your favorite spices for flavor. Serve the hash browns with a traditional dinner menu or make it an evening of breakfast. It’s always a good time for pancakes and bacon!

Funeral Potatoes – A Utah classic, funeral potatoes are a satisfying comfort dish for any occasion, even a weeknight family dinner. Potatoes can be diced, sliced, or shredded before you add them to the recipe. This potato dish can be as simple or as elaborate as you want to make it, the varieties are endless. Here’s a basic funeral potato recipe from Lil’ Luna to get you started if you’ve never baked this comfort food before!

Baked – You can’t deny the simple, great taste of a baked potato. Toss the potatoes in olive oil and kosher salt before baking and they’ll come out of the oven crisp on the outside and warm and fluffy on the inside. The beauty of the baked potato is that each family member can create their own. Whether it’s with simple butter and salt or fully loaded with sour cream, bacon, cheese, and green onions, everyone will have a say in how this potato dish is made.

Photo Credit: Flickr

Grilled – While the weather is still warm outside you may not be in the mood to use your oven to cook potatoes. If that’s the case you can always grill them. Grilled potatoes are an excellent choice when you’re already planning on grilling meat for dinner. Slice or dice the potatoes and then put them in a foil packet. Don’t forget to spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray to prevent the vegetables from sticking to the sides.  Add in bell peppers and onions or cheese and bacon, depending on your taste preference. Seal up the foil packets and place them on the grill earlier than your meat as the potatoes will take longer to cook.

 

Photo Credit: Food Network

Potato Salad – Potato salad isn’t only a dish for summer potlucks! If you find yourself in the mood for a potato side dish but want something a little lighter, try a potato salad. You can stick with the traditional recipes or try one that’s eggless, or a version that uses red potatoes and vinegar.

Potato Wedges – Celebrate the potato with homemade potato wedges.  They are about as family friendly as you can get. Wedges can be served with simple, kid friendly main dishes or fancier adult fare. While cutting the potatoes can seem like a chore, in the end the homemade taste will be worth it! Try this recipe from Our Best Bites for oven fries and experiment with the different seasoning. 

Photo Credit: Pixabay

 

Enjoy the month with your homegrown potatoes, but if you didn’t grow any, plan ahead for next spring.  Western Gardens carries in the spring a variety of only the best potatoes to grow in your own garden.  You will be able to celebrate the potato even more next September.

Other Delicious Potato Recipes and Information:

Ranch Roasted Potatoes

Garlic and Rosemary Mashed Potatoes

Smashed Potatoes

Planting Potatoes

 

Filed Under: Holidays, Recipes, Vegetables Tagged With: Gardening, potato recipes, potatoes, recipes

Gluten and Dairy Free Peach Cobbler

August 26, 2017 by Vanessa Roush

Having someone over for dessert but you have no idea what to feed them because they’re Gluten Free, Dairy Free, or Vegan? Here’s a recipe for gluten and dairy free peach cobbler that will be sure to impress those with or without food allergies.  And this recipe is just in time for the ripening of your Red Haven peaches from your tree.

Gluten and dairy free peach cobbler recipe

INGREDIENTS

2 cups sliced fresh, frozen, or canned peaches
1-2 tsp lemon juice
3 Tbsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp almond extract
dash of cinnamon (optional, but highly recommended)
3/4 cups sugar
2/3 cup almond flour or brown rice flour
1/3 cup tapioca flour
1 tsp baking powder
dash of salt
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tsp xanthum gum (you can omit this if you don’t have it, it just makes the flours stick together since they don’t have gluten in them)

fresh peaches from your tree you bought at Western Gardens are the best for this peach cobbler

gluten free ingredients include almond flour, tapioca flour, and almond extract

DIRECTIONS

Peach preparation:

First, peel and slice your fresh peaches and place fruit in 2 1/2 quart dish and drip lemon juice over them.  If you use canned peaches, drain and dump in dish.

squeeze lemon juice on gluten free peach cobblerBatter:

  1.  Cream together melted coconut oil and sugar, then add almond extract. kids in the kitchen making peach cobblerThis peach cobbler recipe is fun and easy for kids in the kitchen
  2.  Add in coconut milk, then rice/almond flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, xanthum gum and dash of salt.
  3. Mix well and spread over fruit. This will be thick and a tad lumpy.
  4. After this, I like to lightly sprinkle the top with a little sugar and a little freshly ground salt.coarse pink salt for peach cobbler

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 25-30 minutes. I bake the cobbler until it starts to look caramelized on top, which gives a bit of a crunch to go with the chewy middle.baked fresh gluten and dairy free peach cobbler

Serve warm plain or with frozen ice cream of choice. I personally like it served up with a little bit of coconut milk if I don’t have any dairy free ice cream on hand. My husband tells me it’s delicious with vanilla ice cream.

Gluten and Dairy Free Peach Cobbler with vanilla icecream

This recipe works great with using brown rice flour, or almond flour. After trying both, our favorite is the almond flour version.

Careful, it’s addicting and you might want to eat this entire dish of gluten and dairy free peach cobbler.

NOTE:  Cobbler can be made with canned peaches, but it is always best made with fresh picked peaches from your peach trees from Western Gardens.  Fall is a good time to plant trees.

Gluten free peach cobbler. Dairy free peach cobbler.

Filed Under: Eat from Garden - Recipes, Recipes, Tips & How To's Tagged With: dairy free, gluten free, peach cobbler, recipes from the garden

National Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor’s Porch Day

August 5, 2017 by Jenn Crookston

Hello!  I’m Jenn from Housewives of Riverton and am so excited to be here with you today.  Did you know that August 8th is National Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor’s Porch Day?  I am absolutely loving these different national days and have so much fun coming up with ways to celebrate them.
Leave a basket of zucchini on a neighbor's porch. The funny thing about National Sneak Some Zucchini onto your Neighbor’s Porch Day is, what person (who has a garden) isn’t going to be over the moon excited to celebrate this day.  I mean, if you were to start putting some of your zucchini abundance onto all your neighbor’s porches on just a random Tuesday people might think you were weird BUT make it a national day that you can include on a fun note and it’s perfectly acceptable to share the zucchini love!As I was thinking of different ways to celebrate this fun holiday I started thinking of some of my favorite zucchini recipes.  I think zucchini bread has to top the list, I like to pretend it’s completely healthy because it has quite a bit of zucchini in it, perfect for those days when I’m dieting.  I don’t want to make National Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor’s Porch Day a chore for you so I am not suggesting that you make zucchini bread for all your neighbors but you could include a recipe for zucchini bread (or cookies, cupcakes, brownies…there are so many delicious zucchini recipes) along with the needed amount (or more) of zucchini.  You may just introduce them to a new favorite recipe.
Free printable for National Zucchini day.
To help make this day and the giving easier for you, I’ve created this fun free printable for you to include with your bounty.  CLICK HERE to print it off! I think that cute smiling zucchini would make anyone’s day brighter, he just seems to scream “Hey you, I was thinking about you today!” and everyone loves to be thought of.
I say plan ahead, don’t let this fun new holiday sneak up on you, collect your zucchini abundance, print out a few of our free printable and maybe a recipe or two and hit the neighborhood on August 8th and bring a smile to the faces of your neighbors!

If you’re looking for a fun new way to eat your zucchini you’ve got to try our Zucchini Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting or our Applesauce Zucchini Bread both are serious crowd pleasers and are sure to have your friends and family asking for more zucchini from your garden!  Check out our National Zucchini Bread Day recipe as well.

Filed Under: Eat from Garden - Recipes, Holidays, Vegetables Tagged With: august 8, happy zucchini day, national sneak zucchini day, share with neighbor, zucchini, zucchini recipes

Favorite Edible Flowers from the Garden

August 3, 2017 by Marjorie Carter

Welcome Friends! Glad you are here.

Favorite edible flowers you probably already have in your yard

Edible flowers from the garden are an often overlooked delicious treat.  As a young child, each summer we would visit family living in California.  In the yard was a giant honeysuckle with beautiful red-gold flowers.  My cousins showed me how to pluck the flowers, pull off the green at the base of the blossom, and suck out the sweet nectar; hence, the name honeysuckle.  My young taste buds looked forward each summer to that sweet taste. 

As an adult, I have since learned that there are many kinds of flowers that are edible.  For example, many people know that dandelion blossoms and greens are edible.  However, there are a number of commonly grown flowers that are generally overlooked as a possible addition to a salad. 

Recently, I’ve experimented with flowers that are not simply beautiful but are also edible, with some surprises along the way.

Important points to remember about edible flowers:

  1. Pesticides – If you are going to eat any of your flowers, be sure you never use pesticides or other chemicals on any part of the plant that produces them. Your edible flowers could become not so edible.
  2. Research – Before sampling something, please be sure you research whether or not it is safe to ingest. Not all blossom are edible flowers.  Also, even if the flower is edible, it does not automatically follow that all other parts of that plant are also edible. Those honeysuckles blossoms I loved to taste as a child are safe, but the berries produced by the same vine are not.
  3. Allergies – As with any other food, be aware that some people are allergic to some flowers. If you already know you are allergic to a particular plant, avoid eating the flowers.
  4. Birds vs Humans – Just because birds can eat a berry, doesn’t mean that they are safe for human consumption.
  5. Cleanliness – Remember to wash the blossoms before eating them.  This will help remove any dust, dirt, or small insects that may be hanging out on the petals.
  6. Environment – The flavor of flowers will be impacted by how much water the plant receives, the timing of when you harvest it, the soil conditions, and the variety (and sometimes even the color of the flower). 

A few Edible Flowers to Try:  

Chamomile can make a tasty tea

Chamomile – Photo Credit: Pixabay

Chamomile – These simple white flowers are lovely and they also make good herbal tea.  I’ve grown them a few times and had to learn to harvest the flowers while the plant was young or the flavor became less to my liking.  Plus, my home grown chamomile had a more “wild” taste than the product I buy in teabags at the grocery store.  It was a bit of an adjustment.

Roses are edible flowers.

Rose – Photo Credit: Pixabay

Rose – Roses are not only a beautiful and dramatic garden favorite, they are edible.  I’ve heard of sugared rose petals, though I’ve never personally tried one.  Rose water is a popular ingredient in a variety of dishes, from cakes to beverages. 

Herb blooms like basil blossoms are edible flowers.

Basil Flowers – Photo Credit: Pixabay

Herbal Flowers (dill, basil, thyme, mint, etc.) – Eating the flowers from your herb garden can provide new options for seasoning your foods.  The flowers generally taste much like the leaves but can be a milder flavor, or a spicier flavor, or different enough that maybe you don’t like it as much as the leaves.  Give them a try and see what you think! 

Sage blossoms in a green salad.

Sage blooms in salad – Photo Credit: Marjorie C.

I personally love the flowers from sage.  They remind me of honeysuckle because of their sweetness, which was a surprise to experience.  We add edible flowers to salads or eat them straight off the plant.

Sage edible flowers

Sage – Photo Credit: Marjorie C.

Tulip – This spring we tried eating our tulips.  They basically grow wild in our back yard. My daughter described the flavor perfectly, “sweet red lettuce”. 

Lilacs and tulips are common flowers we can eat.

Lilacs and Tulips – Photo Credit: Marjorie C.

Lilac – I learned only recently that lilacs are edible, too!  I have about half a dozen lilac bushes on my property (thanks to the previous owner).  I love their scent and now look forward to trying out the taste next spring.  I will have purple, pink, and white lilacs to sample.  I think I’ll try a blind taste test to see if I can identify the color of the blossom from its flavor. 

Squash blooms are edible.

Squash Bloom – Photo Credit: Pixabay

Squash – The blossoms from pumpkin vines, zucchini plants, and all other varieties of winter and summer squash are edible. Everyone knows that we all end up with more zucchini than we know what to do with by the end of the summer.  Consider plucking some of the flowers earlier in the growing season and stuffing them, frying them, or making them into soup.

Eat some tasty daisies.

Daisies – Photo Credit: Pixabay

Others – A few other varieties of edible flowers that are common across Utah include: lavender, pansy, peony, marigold, nasturtium, violets, hibiscus, dandelion, clover.   Read about additional  Favorite Edible Flowers.

Finally, just because a flower is edible doesn’t mean it will taste good to you!  Some will taste better to you than others.  Be safe and have fun sampling!

Filed Under: Eat from Garden - Recipes, Flowers, Gardening, Utah Gardening Tagged With: chamomile, edible flowers, edible garden flowers, flowers safe to eat, flowers to eat, garden flowers to eat, herbal flowers, lilac blossoms, rose petals, safe to eat flowers, sage blossoms, squash blooms, tulips

Homemade Ketchup Recipe

June 5, 2017 by Jenn Crookston

WELCOME Gardener, Happy to see you here checking out a delicious Homemade Ketchup Recipe for all those tomatoes you are growing!

Homemade ketchup recipe from Western Gardens in UtahAre you looking forward to summertime and all the amazing foods summer brings?  I love picnics and bbq-ing, basically anything that allows me to eat outside and on dishes I don’t have to wash afterward.  One consistent condiment is ketchup, it seems like ketchup goes with just about every summertime meal.
I love trying new recipes, especially recipes that are simple and include items I always have on hand.  Every year we plant a variety of tomato plants and I enjoy using them in the summer and fall.  Unfortunately half of my family are not tomato lovers so I find myself giving tomatoes away so they don’t go to waste.  This year I am determined to learn how to can tomatoes so I can use them all year round and they’re perfect for this Homemade Ketchup Recipe.

Homemade Ketchup RECIPE:

*Whole Peeled Tomatoes, I used 1 large can Whole Peeled Tomatoes (1lb 12oz can)
(I’m looking forward to canning my own tomatoes this year to use for this recipe and many others)
*1/8 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
*1/2 teaspoon Garlic Salt
*1.5 tablespoon Honey
*1-1.5 teaspoon Mustard
*1/4-1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
*1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
*1 teaspoon Onion Powder (can add more to taste)
boil your homemade tomatoes for your ketchup

Homemade Ketchup Recipe INSTRUCTIONS:

*Place all ingredients into a medium-size pot.
*Bring ingredients to a boil over medium-high heat.  Once boiling turn down and simmer for 60 minutes.
*After 60 minutes remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
*Once cool pour into blender and blend until smooth.
*Pour into air-tight container and place in refrigerator for up to 14 days.
Making homemade ketchup from your garden tomatoes is simple and delicious!
While this recipe isn’t the quickest it is quite possibly the simplest recipe you’ll find out there and it is delicious.  I highly recommend making it a couple of days ahead of time, if you can, the more time the flavors have to blend the better it will taste.  I love the rich flavor, I personally love that you can taste more of the tomato flavor and my family all loved it, even the tomato haters, so you don’t have to worry that the flavor is too strong.

I’m excited to bring this delicious ketchup to all our summer gatherings, I can’t wait to try it in homemade fry sauce too!
If you’re planning a bbq this summer or attending one, you need to try one of these amazing salads that are serious crowd pleasers!

Mom’s Potato Salad

Chicken Pasta Caesar Salad

Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Filed Under: Eat from Garden - Recipes, Gardening, How To, Recipes, Utah Gardening, Vegetables Tagged With: eat your garden, garden tomatoes, homemade ketchup, homemade ketchup recipe, ketchup lovers, recipe, recipes, tomatoes

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