Amish Recipe Series... Amish Cherry Varenya

How do the Amish hold a funeral?

In Lancaster County, funeral and burial usually takes place three days after death. A funeral director from the local area assists in a minimal way, which usually includes embalming, and sometimes includes supplying the coffin and the hearse. In death, as in life the simplicity is evident. A plain wooden coffin is built. Often it is six-sided with a split lie - the upper part is hinged so it can be opened for viewing the body. It is very simple - no ornate carving or fine fabrics. Traditionally a woman will wear the white apron she wore on her wedding day. In some Amish communities both men and women wear white for burial. The tone of the two-hour Amish funeral service is hopeful, yet full of admonition for the living. There are no eulogies. Respect for the deceased is expressed, but not praise. A hymn is spoken but not sung. There are no flowers. The grave is hand dug in an Amish church district cemetery. There will be only a simple tombstone to mark the spot, much like all the other tombstones in the cemetery - in death as in life, we are all equal and do not elevate one person above another.

Today's recipe... Remember... Disclaimer: The Amish don't always follow updated USDA canning methods, they follow methods passed down from generation to generation. Use this recipe at your own discretion, or adapt it to your own method. I am sharing these recipes EXACTLY as they were sent to me and take no responsibility for them.

Amish Cherry Varenya 

From mennonitegirlscancook

A Cherry Syrup, also called Cherry Varenya is used to sweeten hot tea. They used whole pie cherries for this recipe.

1/2 Cup Water
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Whole Sour Cherries (Pie Cherries)
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

You would increase the proportions of this recipe according to how many cherries you have on hand that you want to make into Varenya. Boil the water and sugar to make a clear simple syrup. When the liquid is clear add your cherries and let it boil for 10 to 20 minutes (depending on how hard the cherries were to begin with) At the end of the boiling add 1 Tablespoon of fresh lemon juice to help preserve the brightness of the syrup. You could increase the ingredients to have enough to can for future use. If you are familiar with canning I'm sure you can do it successfully with this syrup.

You can do this process with sliced lemons, too, to make a Lemon Varenya.

Amish Recipe Series... Amish Poor Man's Steak

Do Amish women still use midwives for childbirth?

Some Amish women go to English doctors and have their babies in local hospitals; others go to birthing centers; and some choose to have midwives who will deliver the babies at home. It is a matter of preference.


Today's recipe... Remember... Disclaimer: The Amish don't always follow updated USDA canning methods, they follow methods passed down from generation to generation. Use this recipe at your own discretion, or adapt it to your own method. I am sharing these recipes EXACTLY as they were sent to me and take no responsibility for them.

Amish Poor Man's Steak

Found on challengedsurvival.blogspot

I knew I did not own anything large enough to mix up all the ingredients so I went down to the Dollar General and bought a 35 quart Sterlite Container. After a little soap, bleach and drying I was ready.

5 cups of celery

5 cups of onions

crushed 6 tubes of saltines which is 1 1/2 pounds

cracked open and whisked 2 dozen eggs

5 cups of milk

the recipe just reads...salt and pepper. Don't you just hate it when that happens? So I added salt and pepper. I don't exactly remember how I came up with my equation but it worked out pretty well at the time. I figured the saltine crackers are salty and the condensed mushroom soup is going to be salty so I added what I thought would be right and I will tell you how much when (if) I find the piece of paper I scribbled it on..... Just in case you want to be as adventurous as me and try this recipe.

celery, onions, saltines, eggs, milk, salt and pepper mixed together.

add the 30 pounds of ground beef

now I warn you... Run you a sink of warm/hot water near where you are working. When you start mixing and mixing and mixing all of these cold ingredients with your washed, cleaned and naked hands you are going to want to plunge them into something very warm every few minutes. My hands were burning with cold.

I used the wide mouth rim and lid again to form the patties, just like I did when I made the meatloaf last week. Using this method will ensure the patties will fit into the wide mouth canning jars.

I baked in preheated 375 degree oven for 35 minutes and alternated the pans about half way through cooking time. It took me a little over 4 hours to cook them all. I piled up 2 huge roasting pan and covered them with tinfoil and placed them in the refrigerator as they came from the oven.

I put 1/2 cup of the strained fat into a skillet and heated over medium heat until hot.

Next I added 1/2 cup of plain flour. The secret to making a good gravy base is to stir, stir, stir and don't cook it too fast. You can control this by lifting your pan on and off the eye of the stove. You want to brown the flour slowly without burning it.

I had already put 5 cans of the mushroom soup along with 5 cans of water in a pot to begin warming. I think this was almost 2 quarts. Trust me again. The recipe doesn't say how much gravy to make but you are going to need to make a lot. When I make this again I will try to get a good measurement. I had to make gravy 3 times during canning and even ended up using two more cans of soup than the recipe called for.

I added some of the mushroom soup mixture to the browned flour. Be careful...it gets angry during this procedure. Keep adding and stirring and things will calm down.

I then added my base from the skillet to the pot of mushroom soup, stirred it in well and simmered while I reheated patties in the microwave. Put a patty in the jar, cover that with the gravy mixture and then another patty and more gravy until the ingredients are one inch from the top. I got 5 patties in a jar.

I processed these for 90 minutes at 11 pounds of pressure on my dial gauge.

This recipe made 142 patties! I canned 28 quart jars

Photo of finished product as requested

Amish Recipe Series... Amish Bread and Butter Pickles

What is the Ordnung that the Amish live by?

Donald B. Kraybill in his book, The Riddle of Amish Culture, writes: "The Amish blueprint for expected behavior, called the Ordnung, regulates private, public, and ceremonial life. Ordnung does not translate readily into English. Sometimes rendered as ordnance or discipline, the Ordnung is best thought of as an ordering of the whole way of life... a code of conduct which the church maintains by tradition rather than by systematic or explicit rules. A member noted: The order is not written down. The people just know it, that's all. Rather than a packet or rules to memorize, the Ordnung is the understood behavior by which the Amish are expected to live. In the same way that the rules of grammar are learned by children, so the Ordnung, the grammar of order, is learned by Amish youth. The Ordnung evolved gradually over the decades as the church sought to strike a delicate balance between tradition and change. Specific details of the Ordnung vary across church districts and settlements."

Today's recipe... Remember... Disclaimer: The Amish don't always follow updated USDA canning methods, they follow methods passed down from generation to generation. Use this recipe at your own discretion, or adapt it to your own method. I am sharing these recipes EXACTLY as they were sent to me and take no responsibility for them.

Amish Bread and Butter Pickles

Peggy Stolfus

1 gal. cucumbers
8 onions
2 green peppers 

2 red peppers

Slice cucumbers, peppers and onions. Pack in ice, and let it cool for 3 hours. Place a heavy weight on top the pickles (you can use a plate with a weight placed on top).

Drain well and combine with

5 cups sugar
2 tablespoons mustard seed
2 tablespoons celery seed
1½ teaspoons turmeric
½ teaspoon ground cloves
5 cups vinegar

Mix well. Pour this mixture over the pickles and then simmer for half ­an ­hour. Seal bread ­and ­butter pickles in hot jars.

Amish Recipe Series... Amish Blackberry Butter

Is it true the Amish are exempt from Medicare and Medicaid withholding? What legal basis is used for this?

Medicare and Medicaid are a part of the Social Security system. Old Order Amish believe that if the church is faithful to its calling, many government programs and commercial insurance are not needed. That conviction forced them to testify before Congress because they did not want to receive Social Security benefits. What they wanted instead was the right to look after their own elderly. They were finally given approval, if self-employed, to be exempt from paying the tax. Seldom do Old Order Amish individuals accept Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid.


Today's recipe... Remember... Disclaimer: The Amish don't always follow updated USDA canning methods, they follow methods passed down from generation to generation. Use this recipe at your own discretion, or adapt it to your own method. I am sharing these recipes EXACTLY as they were sent to me and take no responsibility for them. Also, today's recipe is not a canning recipe.

Blackberry Butter - Amish Recipe

Found on thelazydaisykitchen.blogspot

makes one pound of butter 

Ingredients:

1 pound salted butter, softened

1/8 cup of honey

1/2 cup blackberries

Whip together butter and honey until fluffy.

Add in berries and mix in short bursts until desired look is achieved. I did not want mine to be completely emulsified, so I "broke" up the berries slightly with just a few turns of the paddle attachment.

If storing in jars, scoop into jar and wipe mouth clean. Cap and refrigerate.

If storing in logs, place a piece of plastic wrap over a piece of aluminum foil the same size. Scoop out butter along length of wrap/foil, folding wrap over butter and rolling into consistent-sized cylinder. Roll up foil around log and twist ends. Refrigerate or freeze.

Recipe from The Lazy Daisy Kitchen.

Amish Recipe Series... Amish Beet and Apple Relish

Pennsylvania German (Deitsch, Pennsylvania Deitsch, Pennsilfaanisch Deitsch, Hinterwäldler Deutsch, usually called Pennsylvania Dutch) is a variety of West Central German spoken by the Amish and Old Order Mennonites in the United States and Canada, closely related to the Palatine dialects. There are possibly more than 300,000 native speakers in North America.

It has traditionally been the language of the Pennsylvania Dutch, descendants of late 17th- and early 18th-century immigrants to Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina from southern Germany, eastern France (Alsace and Lorraine) and Switzerland. Although for many, the term 'Pennsylvania Dutch' is often taken to refer to the Amish and related Old Order groups exclusively, the term should not imply a connection to any particular religious group.

In this context, the word "Dutch" does not refer to the Dutch people or their descendants. Instead it is probably left over from an archaic sense of the English word "Dutch"; compare German Deutsch ('German'), Dutch Duits ('German'), Diets ('Dutch'), which once referred to any people speaking a non-peripheral continental West Germanic language on the European mainland. Alternatively, some sources give the origin of "Dutch" in this case as a corruption or a "folk-rendering" of the Pennsylvania German endonym "Deitsch."

Today's recipe... Remember... Disclaimer: The Amish don't always follow updated USDA canning methods, they follow methods passed down from generation to generation. Use this recipe at your own discretion, or adapt it to your own method. I am sharing these recipes EXACTLY as they were sent to me and take no responsibility for them. Also, this is not a canning recipe, although some folks might try to adapt it to canning.

Amish Beet and Apple Relish

Found on a harmony of flavors

This relish is lovely as a relish, full side dish, alone, or as an appetizer. If you love beets as I do, this recipe is for you. Makes about 4 or 5 cups

1 pound beets 

2 Granny Smith Apples, or apple of your choice 

½ medium onion, chopped 

1 tablespoon olive oil or coconut oil 

3 tablespoons honey 

2 tablespoons cider vinegar 

½ teaspoon Kosher salt 

Freshly ground pepper, to taste 

Nutmeg - a few grinds, to taste

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Wrap beets, clean but not peeled, in foil. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 ¼ to 1 ½ hours, or until very tender. Remove from oven and allow to come down to just warm, still wrapped in the foil.

Combine the honey, vinegar, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat a skillet with the olive oil and add in the onions. Saute until soft and translucent. Peel and core the apples (may be left with skin on, if preferred) and cut them into ¼ inch cubes. Add to the softened onion in the skillet and toss until the apples are just slightly softened. Pour on the dressing to combine and remove from heat.

Slip skins off the beets and cut into ¼ inch dice and add to the rest of the mixture and allow to rest for at least 2 hours for flavors to meld.

Amish Recipe Series... Amish Apple Butter

Why do Amish men have beards, but not mustaches?

There are quite a few scriptures that mention beards in the Bible. An example would be Psalm 133:1,2. An Amishman does not shave his beard after he becomes married. A long beard is the mark of an adult Amishman. Mustaches, on the other hand, have a long history of being associated with the military, and therefore are forbidden among the Amish people.

Today's recipe... Remember... Disclaimer: The Amish don't always follow updated USDA canning methods, they follow methods passed down from generation to generation. Use this recipe at your own discretion, or adapt it to your own method. I am sharing these recipes EXACTLY as they were sent to me and take no responsibility for them.

Amish Apple Butter

Peggy Stolfus

4 qts. apples

2 qts. apple cider

2 cups sugar

2 cups dark corn syrup

1 tsp. cinnamon

Boil the cider until reduced to 1 quart. Pare the apples and slice into thin pieces. Put the apples into the cider. Cook very slowly, stirring frequently, until the mixture begins to thicken. Add sugar, syrup and cinnamon and continue to cook until thick enough to spread when cool. Seal in sterilized jars.

This recipe yields 5-­6 pints.

Amish Recipe Series... Amish Zucchini Jam

The Amish are descendants of the Anabaptist movement

Anabaptism is a Christian movement which traces its origins to the Radical Reformation. Anabaptists are Christians who believe in delaying baptism until the candidate confesses his or her faith. Although some consider this movement to be an offshoot of Protestantism, others see it as a distinct one.The Amish, Hutterites, and Mennonites are direct descendants of the movement. Schwarzenau Brethren, Bruderhof, and the Apostolic Christian Church are considered later developments among the Anabaptists.

The name Anabaptist, meaning "one who baptizes again," was given them by their persecutors in reference to the practice of re-baptizing converts who already had been baptized as infants. Anabaptists required that baptismal candidates be able to make their own confessions of faith and so rejected baptism of infants. The early members of this movement did not accept the name Anabaptist, claiming that since infant baptism was unscriptural and null and void, the baptizing of believers was not a re-baptism but in fact their first real baptism.
As a result of their views on the nature of baptism and other issues, Anabaptists were heavily persecuted during the 16th century and into the 17th by both Magisterial Protestants and Roman Catholics.

Today's recipe... Remember... Disclaimer: The Amish don't always follow updated USDA canning methods, they follow methods passed down from generation to generation. Use this recipe at your own discretion, or adapt it to your own method. I am sharing these recipes EXACTLY as they were sent to me and take no responsibility for them.

Amish Zucchini Jam

6 c grated zucchini 

2 T lemon juice 

20 oz can crushed pineapple, drained 

6 c sugar 

6 oz apricot jello 

Step I: Add 1 cup water to zucchini, bring to a boil and cook 6 minutes. 

Step II: Add sugar, lemon juice, and pineapple and cook 6 more minutes. 

Step III: Add jello and cook 6 more minutes and seal in jars. 

Read more: http://community.tasteofhome.com/community_forums/f/30/t/189370.aspx#ixzz3R3gC6Pi7

Amish Recipe Series... Amish Raspberry Jam

Why are Amish schools different?

School for Old Order Amish and Mennonites is only a part of the learning necessary for preparation for the adult world. Children have formal schooling in one-room schools to 8th grade and then have a structured learning program supervised by their parents. Classes in the one-room Amish schools are conducted in English, and the children learn English when they go to school. The teachers are Amish and they have no more than an eighth grade education themselves. When the landmark United States Supreme Court decision of 1972 gave exemption for Amish and related groups from state compulsory attendance laws beyond the eighth grade, Chief Justice Burger wrote: “It is neither fair nor correct to suggest that the Amish are opposed to education beyond the eighth grade level. What this record shows is that they are opposed to conventional formal education of the type provided by a certified high school because it comes at the child's crucial adolescent period of religious development.”
Mennonites, on the other hand, have dozens of parochial elementary schools, more than 20 high schools, eleven colleges, and three seminaries sponsored by Mennonite groups in North America. Mennonite families choose whether to send their children to public or church-sponsored schools. Higher education became a vocational necessity as Mennonites left the farm. Missions and service opportunities also gave rise to the need for higher education.

Today's recipe... Remember... Disclaimer: The Amish don't always follow updated USDA canning methods, they follow methods passed down from generation to generation. Use this recipe at your own discretion, or adapt it to your own method. I am sharing these recipes EXACTLY as they were sent to me and take no responsibility for them.

Amish Raspberry Jam

5 cup ground green tomatoes
4 cup sugar
6 oz raspberry jello
Place ground tomatoes and sugar in large kettle. Bring to a rolling boil and boil 10 minutes, stir constantly. Turn off heat and add jello. Stir well until dissolved and put into hot sterilized jars and seal. Cold pack 10 minutes.

Amish Recipe Series... Amish Mincemeat

Amish-style Jelly Cupboard

Funeral Traditions Among Some Amish Communities

Traditionally, funerals in the United States are followed by a meal for family and friends to gather to celebrate the life of those who have passed on. In the Amish community, the “noon meal” is intended help members of the community breathe new life into the home of the deceased. While not a lavish feast, the meal may include mashed potatoes, gravy, cold beef, cole slaw, pepper cabbage, prunes, applesauce, cheese, bread, buns and “funeral pie,” which includes raisins. The highly conservative Nebraska Amish community still participates in a practice known as rumdraage, which involves those in mourning passing around bread and wine before the body is laid to rest in the ground.

Today's recipe... Remember... Disclaimer: The Amish don't always follow updated USDA canning methods, they follow methods passed down from generation to generation. Use this recipe at your own discretion, or adapt it to your own method. I am sharing these recipes EXACTLY as they were sent to me and take no responsibility for them.

Amish Mincemeat

2½ gallons apples, cut fine
1 gallon beef meat, ground and cooked
4 lbs. raisins
6 quarts cherries (sour)
2 quarts beef broth
2 quarts dark Karo
5 lbs. brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons cloves
3 tablespoons cinnamon
3 tablespoons allspice
2 tablespoons nutmeg
2 tablespoons salt
1 quart vinegar

If you have strong vinegar just add 1 pint or to suit taste.  Mix sugar with spices and then mix all
together. Fill jars and cold pack for 30 minutes.

Amish Recipe Series... Amish Cinnamon Apple Jelly

What is Rumspringa?

The Amish youth period Rumspringa, or “running around,” is marked by an increase in social activity

Rumspringa, or “running around”, is the term used to describe the period of adolescence Amish experience starting at around age 16. Rumspringa has been described in books and films, to varying degrees of accuracy.

There are numerous misconceptions about Rumspringa, which is a formative time for Amish youth.
Common myths about Rumspringa:
Amish youth leave home to live in the city-most Amish live at home while adolescents
Amish parents encourage their youth to “break the rules”-Amish parents, like any other, want their children to behave morally
Rumspringa is “time out” from being Amish-most Amish youth live at home and attend church during Rumspringa, and are subject to community influences, though may bend and break guidelines of the Ordnung as they are not yet church members
Rumspringa is typically a time of experimentation with sex and drugs-some portrayals of Rumspringa have depicted the time as one of wild partying, though this is the exception rather than the norm


Today's recipe... Remember... Disclaimer: The Amish don't always follow updated USDA canning methods, they follow methods passed down from generation to generation. Use this recipe at your own discretion, or adapt it to your own method. I am sharing these recipes EXACTLY as they were sent to me and take no responsibility for them.

Amish Cinnamon Apple Jelly 

1 qt apple juice

1 box Sure Jell

4 ½ c sugar

2 T red hots candy

Mix together & cook on medium boil for 3 minutes. Place in hot sterile jars & seal.

Read more: http://community.tasteofhome.com/community_forums/f/30/t/189370.aspx#ixzz3R3hBIREy

Amish Recipe Series... Amish Beet Jam

What is Amish Bed Courtship?

In the Amish districts that sanction bed courtship, the boy asks the girl if he can take her home. If she consents, they drive to her home. They immediately go upstairs and get into her bed fully clothed, where they are expected to talk all night without touching.

Bed courtship is practiced only by the ultra-conservative churches. The parents rely on the church teachings to prevent hanky-panky.

This custom is also known as bundling which the dictionary defines as sleeping in the same bed with somebody while both are fully dressed.

Bundling has biblical roots. It is not an Amish invention. The custom was practiced in Europe for centuries before immigrants introduced it to the American colonies.

In the past, the practical reason for bed courting was comfort. When homes were heated by fireplaces and had hard wooden furniture, the bed was the warmest, most comfortable place to socialize. As fireplaces and hard wooden chairs were replaced by central heating and comfortable sitting rooms, bundling faded (almost entirely) from the scene.

Note: Most of today's Amish communities do not practice bed courtship. Amish customs vary greatly from one community to another since each community has its own bishop who, with the church leaders, set the rules of their own community.


Today's recipe... Remember... Disclaimer: The Amish don't always follow updated USDA canning methods, they follow methods passed down from generation to generation. Use this recipe at your own discretion, or adapt it to your own method. I am sharing these recipes EXACTLY as they were sent to me and take no responsibility for them.

Amish Beet Jam

6 c beet juice

2 pkg Sure Jell

6 oz raspberry jello

1 ½ c lemon juice

8 c sugar

Place beet juice, Sure Jell, and lemon juice in large kettle and bring to a boil. Add sugar and jello all at one time. Boil 10 minutes and pour into hot sterilized jars and seal.

Read more: http://community.tasteofhome.com/community_forums/f/30/t/189370.aspx#ixzz3R3fadkAq

Amish Recipe Series... FROG Jam

“Is the Amish calendar the same as ours?”

The Amish use the same yearly calendar that you use. We might add that November is the month for weddings – spring, summer, and fall months there is too much work to be done and in the winter there’s the risk of unfavorable weather. Also, Tuesdays and Thursdays are the days for weddings – these are the least busy days of the week.

Today's recipe... Remember... Disclaimer: The Amish don't always follow updated USDA canning methods, they follow methods passed down from generation to generation. Use this recipe at your own discretion, or adapt it to your own method. I am sharing these recipes EXACTLY as they were sent to me and take no responsibility for them.

Amish F.R.O.G. Jam 

(Figs, Raspberries, Orange, Ginger)

Makes 5 to 6 8oz jars

5 cups dried figs (2 lbs), remove stems and quarter
2 cups orange juice
1 10oz bag frozen raspberries
1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
1 cup sugar (more or less to taste)


Directions:
1. In a large SS pot add figs and orange juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook until skins are soft and the seeds have been released (15 minutes) stir every few minutes.
2. Using a stick blender, puree the fig skins (or allow mixture to cool and then put in a blender and puree).
3. Add raspberries and ginger. Increase heat to medium and stir frequently. Cook until the raspberries have fallen apart and are well incorporated.

4. Add sugar to taste. Since there is no pectin in this recipe the amount of sugar doesn’t matter.

Amish Recipe Series... Amish Tomato Ketchup, for canning

Why do Old Order Amish not like having their pictures taken?

Old Order Amish and Mennonites forbid photography of their people, and their objection is based on the second commandment, Exodus 20:4: Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

Today's recipe... Remember... Disclaimer: The Amish don't always follow updated USDA canning methods, they follow methods passed down from generation to generation. Use this recipe at your own discretion, or adapt it to your own method. I am sharing these recipes EXACTLY as they were sent to me and take no responsibility for them.

Amish tomato ketchup, for canning

Found on food.com

My dh's Amish mother raised him on this recipe. He MUCH prefers it over store-bought ketchup. It was a taste I had to acquire, but now my ds's also prefer this type of ketchup. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

3 quarts tomato juice
1 pint apple cider vinegar
4 -5 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon pepper
3 drops clove oil
5 drops cinnamon oil
4 Tablespoons ground dry mustard

DIRECTIONS
Mix all ingredients & boil for 2-1/2 hours, or until thick.
Pour into jars.
(no need to heat filled jars).
I use 'old' glass ketchup bottles.
It is not necessary for these to seal.
"My Amish mother-in-law has been making this her entire life, and has never used a sealed jar for this recipe, and it's always been great!"

Amish Recipe Series... Amish Pickled Eggs and Beets

Why don't the Amish use electricity?

Amish people interpret linking with electrical wires as a connection with the world - and the Bible tells them they are not to be conformed to the world. (Romans 12:2) In 1919 the Amish leaders agreed that connecting to power lines would not be in the best interest of the Amish community. They did not make this decision because they thought electricity was evil in itself, but because easy access to it could lead to many temptations and the deterioration of church and family life.

Most of us today would think it impossible to live without the modern conveniences such as electricity and cars. What makes the Old Order Amish unique is not that they get along without modernity, but that they choose to do without it when it would be readily available. The Amish value simplicity and self-denial over comfort, convenience and leisure. Their lifestyle is a deliberate way of separating from the world and maintaining self-sufficiency. (Amish are less threatened by power shortages caused by storm, disaster, or war.) As a result there is a bonding that unites the Amish community and protects it from outside influences such as television, radios, and other influences

Amish Pickled Eggs and Beets 

Found on food.com by Mercy

This is an easy recipe that my grandmother used to serve in the spring. My brother still refers to this dish as "Easter eggs." Slices of onion or hot pepper may also be added to the pickling liquid with the beets and eggs.

INGREDIENTS
SERVINGS 6

* 1 cup cider vinegar
* 1 cup beet juice (add water, if necessary, to make 1 cup)
* 1⁄2 cup brown sugar (packed)
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 6 hard-boiled eggs, shelled
* 1 (15 ounce) can small round beets

Boil first four ingredients gently for 5 minutes. Cool the liquid then pour over eggs and beets, cover and let stand overnight (or up to three days) in the refrigerator.

To serve, cut eggs in half or quarters.

Amish Recipe Series... Amish Noodles

The first Amish novel I ever read was The Shunning by Beverly Lewis... I loved it! But it does romanticize the Amish culture and paints a much rosier picture of life in the Amish world than is reality.

Shunning of Amish Church Members
The term church members means those who are baptized as adults and voluntarily commit themselves to a life of obedience to God and the church. Yes, those who break their baptismal vows are shunned by the Old Order Amish. Belonging is important and shunning is meant to be redemptive. It is not an attempt to harm or ruin the individual and in most cases it does bring that member back into the fellowship again. Actually, the number of members excommunicated and shunned by the Amish is small.
The Biblical basis for shunning is found in these two verses:

• But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner -- not even to eat with such a one (I Corinthians 5:11)
• Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and of fences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. (Romans 16:17)

The families of a shunned member are expected to also shun them. Families shun the person by not eating at the same table with them. The practice of shunning makes family gatherings especially awkward. Other aspects of shunning include not doing any business with the shunned person, and not accepting gifts from them.

Another non-canning Amish recipe for today...

Amish Noodles

Found on recipegoldmine

3 eggs
About 2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Beat 3 eggs until frothy. Add flour and stir until of dough texture. Knead until smooth. Turn into floured cutting board. Roll dough, turning often until thin. Let noodle dough dry for 45 minutes. Turn dough and dry 1/2 hour. Cut into noodles size. Drop into boiling beef or chicken stock, reduce heat and cook at rolling boil about 20 minutes. Season to taste.

Amish Recipe Series... Amish Homemade Cough Syrup- Snake Juice

Bet ya thought you wouldn't get a recipe today... it HAS indeed been a busy day in Canning Granny world... Mr. G and I have our youngest granddaughter, Carissa, for our annual weekend before she starts school next week... she's going into first grade. Today we went on an adventure to the Carolina Raptor Center near Charlotte to see all the birds of prey. Had a fun dinner at BobbeeO's BBQ, a little "hole in the wall" BBQ joint that was so yummy!!! We're back home watching Narnia and tomorrow we're going school supply shopping and plan to make tutus, homemade pizza, and maybe cookies and homemade peach ice cream... A fella Mr. G works with gave him some fresh peaches... not enough to can, but just enough for ice cream!

Yup! As grandparents we get to do the fun stuff... starting
the weekend with slushies and candy!

Carissa told Mr. G last night... "Papa, YOU are the little boss and Nana is the BIG boss... we both hafta listen to her for the serious stuff!" (smart girl! LOL!)

And now for the recipe... not really a canning one, but I suppose you could can it if you wanted!

Amish Homemade Cough Syrup- Snake Juice

Found on the milkmans wife.blogspot

First you need a gallon glass jar or a half gallon depending on the size of your family or how bad your cold is. I used a gallon jar because we have had such bad colds that this has been a 'good thing' - not to quote someone who totally doesn't need my help.... My mom came over last night and saw the 'jar', tested it and said 'Grandpa used to call this 'snakejuice'..... Come to find out my grandpa used to make this very thing and I never new it. SO from now on its going to be 'snakejuice'


First you cut up 3-4 lemons - I had BIG ones and used 3.
I then cut up 2 large onions into slices.

Then the onions.....
Then I layer them - first lemons then onions until I have about the same amounts...

Then you take a jug of honey and pour that over the top.
THEN... the booze - a bottle of blackberry brandy and a bottle of peppermint schnapps.....
Yes use the whole thing if you are making a jug like this.
We take about a Tblsp as adults and 1/4 tsp of it IF we give it to the boys.... There is no more alcohol in this than there is in 'boughten' cough syrup - just none of the synthetic stuff that they stick in it. My Amish friend said that she keeps hers in a cool place and that it will last.... are you ready - over a year..... I suppose with all the booze the lemons are 'pickled' - *snort*

Amish Recipe Series... Amish Friendship Starter

While passing through Amish country in the Missouri Ozarks last spring, we visited a tiny Amish community store... as we were leaving the little store, a horse and carriage were parked in the driveway (a lady had come into the store to shop) and Mr. G spotted a baby sleeping in the back of the buggy... I really REALLY wanted to snap a picture of that sweet, sleeping child but Mr. G reminded me to be respectful of the Amish wishes of not being photographed, so I contented myself with soaking all the views in and remembering.

Today's recipe is not a canning recipe again, but a bread starter. Enjoy!

Amish Friendship Starter

found on baconinmypocket.blogspot

Here is the starter recipe. In a GLASS or PLASTIC bowl (this step is VERY important. You don't want to use anything metal when mixing this recipe up which also means mix with a plastic spoon, rubber spatula, or my favorite a silicone whisk) mix: 

1 package active dry yeast 
1 cup milk 
1 cup flour 
1 cup sugar 

Pour into a large plastic zip top baggie and label with the date. Place it on your counter- don't worry it will be ok! You've completed day one! 

Day 1: Do Nothing. 

Day 2: Mush the bag and let the air out 

Day 3: Mush the bag and let the air out 

Day 4: Mush the bag and let the air out 

Day 5: Mush the bag and let the air out

Day 6: Add to the bag 
1 Cup flour, 
1 cup sugar and 
1 cup milk. 
I mix these up in a bowl again (remember NO METAL!) and I have Mr. Bacon help me pour it into the baggie. You don't need a second set of hands, but it does help! Mush the bag and let the air out.

Day 7: Mush the bag and let the air out 

Day 8: Mush the bag and let the air out 

Day 9: Mush the bag and let the air out

Day 10: Mix and divide starter as follows. 
Pour the entire contents of the bag into a non metal bowl. Add 
1-1/2 Cups Flour, 
1-1/2 Cups Sugar, and 
1-1/2 Cups Milk 

and mix well. 

If you'd like to share the starters with friends, measure 1 Cup Batter into 4 gallon size zip lock bags. Keep one for yourself and give the other 3 to friends along with a copy of the recipe. You will end up with 5 batches of bread (4 bags and 1 in the bowl) Since I make the whole batch for myself, I skip this step. Now you are ready to add the rest of the ingredients and bake the bread! One thing I love about this recipe is that there are so many ways you can make it. Today I made Regular (vanilla), Pumpkin spice, Chocolate peanut butter & lemon poppy seed. I can't wait for breakfast tomorrow!

For recipes using Amish Friendship Starter, visit http://www.friendshipbreadkitchen.com/

Amish Recipe Series... Amish Church Peanut Butter Spread

When I visited an Amish community in southern Missouri last spring, I bought a couple of the traditional, faceless Amish dolls. Not all Amish communities still hold with the faceless doll rule, but many still do.


Why are the Amish dolls faceless?


Years ago, most dolls for ALL little girls were rag dolls without faces. Many of the Amish have retained this custom. It is believed that the reason is similar to the refusal to have pictures of people and is linked to the second commandment. ("Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments." Exodus 20:4-6)


At an early age, many Amish children are learning not to have images, likenesses, or idols... and a doll with a face is still considered by some as a graven image.


The recipe I am sharing with you folks today is NOT a canning recipe (so many yummy recipes have been shared with Canning Granny, including many non-canning... and I will share them all with you, hope that's OK), although you CAN store this in a mason jar, so does that count? LOL!


My opinion on this recipe is beside the point, I guess, but it seems terribly sweet to me! BUT... in most all the Amish cookbooks I've seen, the following recipe is included in one form or another, so apparently most Amish folks enjoy it. In my (our) romanticization of the Amish culture, I guess we think since they live so close to the land, that everything they do, down to what they eat, must be fresh and healthy as well. This is not the case, it seems! From what I have read, and the cookbooks I have perused... the Amish LOVE their sweets; their fat-filled goodies; and yes, even processed sugar, pasta, cheeses, etc. It is what it is!

Amish Church Peanut Butter Spread

Found on fullbellies.blogspot

"One of my kids favorite treats is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Now imagine a peanut butter spread that is sweet enough on its own that you really don't miss the jelly. Imagine that you could almost eat it by the spoonful (though not recommended of course). I got a few Amish cookbooks for Christmas and in the midst of all the delicious recipes, some known some new to me, I found the recipe for this peanut butter spread which my kids LOVE.

It is usually served at Amish gatherings, especially on Church days where it will be served on homemade bread. It is also good on cakes, crackers, even pancakes."


1 cup light Karo syrup

½ cup peanut butter

¼ cup marshmallow crème


Mix all ingredients until smooth.

May refrigerate; let sit at room temperature a few minutes before using for sandwiches. Note: I don't refrigerate mine, I keep it in mason jars tightly closed.

Amish Recipe Series... Another Amish Chow Chow

I read a book a few months ago by a former Amish lady, Saloma Miller Furlong, entitled Why I Left the Amish. I highly recommend this book, especially if, like me, you have always romanticized the Amish lifestyle. It seems, as in all cultures, there are the good, the bad, and the ugly. Mrs. Furlong has a website and also writes a blog which is delightful to read. Read about her interesting life at http://salomafurlong.com/

I found yet another Amish Chow Chow recipe that I would like to share with you folks.

Disclaimer: The Amish don't always follow updated USDA canning methods, they follow methods passed down from generation to generation. Use this recipe at your own discretion, or adapt it to your own method. I am sharing these recipes EXACTLY as they were sent to me and take no responsibility for them.

Amish Chow Chow

Found on home brewers association

This is my grandmother's chow chow recipe that she had written on the back of an envelope. I thought I would share it with everyone. This makes a bunch so some scaling down may be necessary. There are tons of recipe variations so make it to your liking. 

1 peck green tomatoes
3-4 hot peppers
1 large cabbage (shredded)
5-6 cups sugar
8 large onion
2 quarts vinegar
3 green bell peppers
3 red bell peppers
1 Tbsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. celery seed
¼ cup plain salt
*1 tsp. allspice
*2 tsp. cinnamon
*1 tsp clove
(* place in bag)

Let tomatoes and onions and salt stand overnight. Then drain and squeeze-dry. Add cabbage, pepper, dry mustard, and celery seed. Mix. Boil vinegar and sugar (5 min). Put in rest of spices in bag. Boil 5 minutes more. Remove bag of spices. Mix all vegetables and boil 5 minutes more. While hot, fill jars and seal. I have tweaked this recipe several times and go light on the tomatoes and a little heavier on the cabbage and add black peppercorns to the spice bag. Use standard hot bath canning and sanitation methods, please...

Amish Recipe Series... Amish Chow Chow

Like many people, I've always been fascinated by the Amish, but living in South Carolina, we don't have any Amish communities. I finally got to drive through an Amish community last winter when we went out to Kansas City, Missouri to visit my son. We drove back through southern Missouri, through the Ozarks and took a little detour into Amish country in Seymour, Mo. We briefly visited a tiny Amish store and purchased a few items, including some hairpins, a cookbook, and handmade, "faceless" dolls.

We enjoyed meeting the ladies who ran the store.

I've since read extensively about this culture and while I admire them, after all my reading, I think I'll content myself with living in the culture I live in... they're pretty strict! And somewhat suppressed, I think... but still fascinating to me!

In our One Drive Recipe Box, there are TONS of recipes and I still have a slight fear of losing all those recipes you wonderful readers have shared with us, so I think I will ALSO post them, one by one, on the actual blog. There are several Amish Canning Recipes, so let's start with those.

Disclaimer: The Amish don't always follow updated USDA canning methods, they follow methods passed down from generation to generation. Use this recipe at your own discretion, or adapt it to your own method. I am sharing these recipes EXACTLY as they were sent to me and take no responsibility for them.

Amish Chow Chow Recipe

Found on kitchennostalgia

Ingredients:
1 small head cabbage, chopped
3 cups chopped cauliflower
1 cups chopped green tomatoes
2 sweet green peppers, chopped
2 large mild onions, chopped
1/2 cup salt
3 cups vinegar
2-1/2 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons celery seed

Preparation:
1. Combine vegetables. Sprinkle with salt. Let mixture stand 4 – 6 hours in cool place. Drain well.
2. Combine remaining ingredients. Simmer 10 minutes. Add vegetable mixture and simmer until just tender.
3. Pour into hot sterilized jars; seal. Process 15 minutes in boiling water bath. Let stand at least 2 weeks before opening.

The Actions of a Few

Recently, as some of you know, we experienced what I can only describe as a debacle on social media, causing me to make a decision I never thought I would make... to close down a canning group that was 27K Plus members strong. 

To close a Facebook group is no simple process... the only way is to delete all members, then delete yourself... it took about a week for me to complete this task. During the deletion process, I received comments, private messages, emails, messages on my personal Facebook page... some supportive and understanding, some rude, some telling me how I should run things, some advising me to pass the torch to someone else and simply go away myself.The common thread on many of the comments and messages criticizing my decision usually included something like "why would you close a group this large due to the actions of a few?"

The answer? My answer? I got to the point where I couldn't tell who the "bad guys" were... I got tired of being told how to run things... I got tired of the drama, the backbiting, the arguing... I got tired of the criticism, the finger pointing, the feeling of anonymity people seem to get when on the www... where they feel they can say ugly things while hiding behind the anonymity of social media that they wouldn't dare say to a person's face. And I wasn't about to give my "baby" to someone else... I started this group, I grew this group, I couldn't simply give it away... my name, my work, my reputation was tied to this group.

Anyway... the common thread, "why let the actions of a few?" got me thinking about all the times in history where things, good and bad, were affected by "the actions of a few." I'd like to list a few examples of how the "actions of a few" changed the world...

• In 1973, Norma McCorvey, using the pseudonym Jane Roe, got abortion legalized in the United States... Roe v. Wade.

• On December 1, 1955 in Alabama, Rosa Parks decided to defy racial segregation rules by not giving up her seat for a white passenger when asked. Her actions sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, designed to put enough economic pressure on the city to listen. The campaign was so successful, it led to the desegregation of buses by the US Supreme Court. Rosa’s defiance changed the course of civil rights in American history.

• In 1963 Madalyn Murray O'Hair started a movement that eventually  led to the removal of prayer in schools in the US.

• Emily Davison was a women’s suffrage activist. She was imprisoned nine times, and endured force-feeding while on hunger strike. In 1913, her protest at the Epsom Derby resulted in her death, as she was trampled by King George V’s horse. She died of her injuries in hospital four days later. Her intention for the protest has always remained unclear, but she is remembered as a symbol of the struggle undertaken for the right for women to vote.

• Adolf Hitler, German dictator, and his Nazi minions during the 1930s were the reason millions of Jewish people were slaughtered during the Holocaust... All Germans were NOT Nazis and tens of thousands of Germans lost their lives as well by protesting the actions of a few.

• Only 56 men signed the Declaration of Independence.

• Only 3 percent of the citizens of what is now the United States of America fought in the Revolutionary War that brought independence from Great Britain.

The above are only a few examples of how "the actions of a few" made huge changes. "The actions of a few" can be a powerful thing!

I don't even BEGIN to include myself or my small actions in the grand scheme of history... but I like to think I've made a small difference. That I've given inspiration and confidence to a small group of people that helped them to become more self-sufficient, to take the power of feeding their families into their own hands, to learn a skill that will serve them well. I'd like to think I have played a small part in that.

Can on, my friends!

Recipe File

Hi folks!
I know... it's been a minute since I've posted anything. I've had a year or so of burnout, LOL! An incident, however, on social media has kicked me in the britches and made me come out of hiding.

It seems a trusted admin in a group I started a few years ago, left the group and took all our over 2,800 recipes along with her. She started her own group and took them with her. All I can say is I hope things go well for the new group.

The incident has left me reeling and not very trusting of the social media realm, so I am in the process of closing down the group and my page there. It may be a mistake, but for now I'm going with my gut on this one.

The biggest heartache for me was not losing the recipes (I have recovered most of them) and not even the loss of trust in someone (or some ones) I had put my faith in... but that the actions of a few have affected a host of good, trustworthy folks... folks I have come to consider friends... YOU folks!

So in this post I will try to link to my copy of the recipe folders in my One Drive account... so you dear readers will have access to them even after the social media sites are shut down.

Thank you for your support and friendship.

I need to make a necessary disclaimer... the recipes in the files are simply recipes that have been shared by canners and cooks from all over the US and even other parts of the world and some use methods that are heirloom, outdated by today's USDA guidelines, and/or using another country's guidelines that may or may not be the same as the ones you are accustomed to. Don't judge, do your own research, use the ones you are comfortable using. Use at your own discretion.

Click on the link Recipe Box and we'll see if this works.