Happily Ever Crafter: no high fructose corn syrup

How would you like to give your family a fruit snack that actually has real fruit in it? I know I would. Almost every type of fruit snack on the market today is deceiving us all! They are made with artificial flavors and colors and are chock full of high fructose corn syrup. I originally found this recipe on Our Best Bites and you can find the recipe HERE.

This recipe is extremely easy but it does take a long time. If you have a dehydrator you can use that but I used my oven on the lowest heat setting available.

Ingredients:

Whatever fruit it whatever combination you want! You can use fresh, frozen, or canned.
Sweetener like honey or agave
Lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat your oven to the lowest temperature. Some only go down to 170 but others go to 140.

Pick out your favorite fruit(s). Wash them and cut them if necessary.

Blend them in your blender or food processor (I used a blender). Add a couple spoonfuls of your favorite sweetener and lemon juice. Do some taste testing to find the right blend.

Stretch out plastic wrap onto your baking sheets, or use a silicon baking mat. Pour the puree onto the baking sheet and spread it till it is even. Try to keep it from the edges. The top pan is strawberry-peach and the bottom is just strawberry.

Bake in the oven for about 6-8 hours or until the center is no longer sticky. You want it to be solid but not brittle. You can see in the bottom of this picture that the edges were getting too thin and brittle. If this happens, brush a little water onto the areas that need it.

Now go make more in other flavors! These are apple and peach mixes.

Once it is done, simple cut strips with kitchen scissors and roll them up. If you want to get fancy you can lay them onto parchment paper, roll them, then tie them with a pretty bow. I wrapped mine while still on the plastic wrap and it works great...just be sure to remind people that it has the plastic on it!

Trust me, you want to go make these! They're delicious! Experiment with different flavors and see what's best! I don't think you can go wrong, though!

What flavor(s) would you make? Would you make the switch from store bought to home made?

Till next time,

Catherine

One of my favorite Pinterest finds is Skinny Taste's simple and delicious recipe for homemade ketchup! For a few years now, I've been trying my best to avoid high fructose corn syrup because it's so bad for us! HFCS is cheap and plentiful and is generally laden with GMOs (genetically modified organisms). If I'm going to have sugar, I want it to be as natural and healthy as possible. No HFCS, no Splenda, no crap like that. I want organic raw sugar! I'm convinced it's one of the best sweetener choices out there. There are other options like stevia but I generally stick with raw sugar.

Ready to make some delicious, healthy ketchup for your family? Well let's get to it.

I love that most of the ingredients you probably already have in your pantry and spice cabinet! Today I actually doubled the recipe so I've listed the ingredients for a single batch and a double batch. The original recipe makes about 12oz and the doubled recipe makes about 24oz. I've been saving jars so that's what I'll be storing mine in! Or you could reuse a regular ketchup bottle and if you have a picky family, they will never even know that it's "healthy!" My husband LOVES this ketchup and so do I!

Ingredients:

6 oz can tomato paste
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup honey (or agave)

Ingredients for double the recipe:

12 oz can tomato paste (or 2 6oz cans)
1 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 tsp sugar (3 if you want it a little sweeter)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup honey (or agave)

Directions:

1. Mix all of the ingredients into a medium saucepan and whisk them together.

2. Bring the ketchup to a boil but then simmer it for about 15-20 minutes.

3. Be sure to whisk it often so it doesn't burn to the bottom of the pan!

4. Let it cool then store it in an air-tight container in the fridge.

And that's it! So easy!

Helpful hints:

I actually ended up adding another 1/4 cup of water because a lot of it seemed to boil off while it was cooking. But that all depends on how thick you want your ketchup!

I also waited till it was just about cooled off before adding in the honey. I read that it is better to not cook the honey because it will kill the good proteins in it. I also have agave but just chose to use honey this time. Both should work wonderfully!

Taste test it along the way so you can customize your ketchup. If you like more vinegar, add more vinegar! If you prefer sweeter ketchup, add a dash more sugar or honey!

Try to make it as healthy as possible by getting Kosher salt and organic sugar or raw sugar. I personally like to buy Sugar In The Raw as well as Agave In The Raw. Healthy and delicious! I believe you can get both at either Target or your regular grocery store. I shop Food Lion usually because that's what we have here in the Burg.

There you have it...delicious, quick, easy, healthy homemade ketchup!

This is a regular spaghetti sauce jar with measurements on the side till 16oz. I estimate it can hold a total of up to 22oz. I filled this jar and had a several big spoonfuls leftover.

Tonight the first sampling was on top of an Amy's veggie burger and homemade honey wheat bread as the bun! Paired with a salad it was a delicious and veggie-full dinner!

Have you made your own condiments before? What is your favorite one to make?

Till next time,

Catherine