Cool Summer Drinks

These cool summer drinks are non-alcoholic, suitable for adults or children.

Almost Margaritas

1 6 oz. can frozen lemonade concentrate
1 6 oz. can frozen limeade concentrate

Ice
Gingerale
Lime juice
Coarse salt

Combine lemonade and limeade concentrate in blender container. Fill container with ice and add just enough gingerale to process. Blend until smooth.
Dip margarita glass rims in lime juice then in coarse salt. Fill glass 2/3 full with lemon-lime slush and add more gingerale to fill.

Pineapple Mint Julep

For each serving:
Fresh sprigs of mint
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
½ cup pineapple juice
½ cup ginger ale

Wash the mint leaves and place in a glass. Crush mint with a spoon. Add sugar and lemon juice. Let stand for a few minutes.
Add pineapple juice, pour over ice in a tall glass. Add ginger ale.
Garnish with a sprig of mint if desired. Enjoy!

Fruit Milk Shakes

In a blender container, combine 2 cups of cold milk and ½ cup of frozen fruit. Blend until smooth. Try any frozen fruit: strawberries, peaches… A little sugar or honey can be added, depending on your taste and the sweetness of the fruit. Garnish with whipped cream if desired.

Tomato Juice Cocktail

If you have plenty of tomatoes this year, try this wonderfully refreshing and easy tomato juice cocktail. Full of vitamins and flavor… Its like a supercharged tomato juice. This takes a little time to cook and sieve the tomatoes, but it is easy.
Tomato Juice Cocktail

2 quarts tomato juice and pulp made from fresh tomatoes
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 Tablespoon Salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon thyme
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
hot sterile pint or quart jars

Wash and cut up (but do not peel) the desired amount of tomatoes. Boil until tomatoes are soft enough to go through a sieve easily. Put through sieve, then measure. For every 2 quarts of juice and pulp, add the above seasonings (except Worcestershire). Bring to a boil and cook for 5 to 8 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce – 2 teaspoons for every 2 quarts juice. Pour into hot sterile jars and seal. Process immediately for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Pickled Watermelon Rind

This is the pickle that my family loves the most.  Some cooks color the rind red by adding food coloring to the syrup. This is not necessary or traditional, but it is pretty, especially if cutting the rind into shapes. Back when I had time, I would color some jars red and some jars green, cutting into Christmas shapes for use as garnish at Christmas time. Cutting the rind into shapes takes a lot of time, but is a good activity to keep kids busy. My kids would cut shapes until they got tired using the small cocktail cutters. Then I would cube the rest and throw in all together with the scraps from the shapes. The kids would enjoy finding their shapes when eating the pickles up to a year later.

Rind of a large watermelon (about 4 quarts, prepared)
½ cup salt OR 2 ½ tablespoons slaked lime or pickling lime
3 quarts cold water
1 ½ quarts boiling water
3 cups vinegar
6 cups sugar
3 tablespoons whole allspice
3 tablespoons whole cloves
5 3-inch sticks cinnamon
peel of 1 lemon
hot sterilized jars and lids

1. Prepare watermelon rind by removing all of the pink meat and the green skin from the rind leaving the white. Using an underripe watermelon is desireable. Cut rind in 1 inch squares and measure. You should have 4 quarts of prepared rind. ( Rind can be cut into shapes using small cutters)
2. Prepare a brine of the salt and cold water. Pour over the prepared rind. Cover and let stand overnight. If a crisp pickle is desired cover with water and slaked lime instead of salt.
3. Next morning, drain and rinse well with fresh water.
4. Cover the rind with fresh water and bring to a boil. Simmer until tender, approximately 10 minutes. (If you used lime, it will still be crisp.) Drain.
5. Combine boiling water, vinegar, sugar, spices and lemon peel. Bring to a boil. Add the watermelon. Bring to a boil again and boil gently until the rind is clear and transparent, about 45 minutes.
6. Pour immediately into hot sterilized jars. Seal at once. Makes 4 – 5 pints.

I prefer to use the pickling lime for a really crisp pickle. Be sure to rinse it well until all the salt or lime is washed off the surface. I have made this using oil of cinnamon and oil of cloves, but you have to be very careful, those flavors are intense. Using grated cloves

or cinnamon makes a muddy pickle.

Baked Papaya Recipe

Baked Papaya Recipe
Baked Papaya has long been popular in the southern parts of Georgia and in Florida where papaya grows like a weed in the back yard. You can find papaya everywhere now. Try this. Read more

Overnight Pear Conserve

Pear Conserve
(overnight)

4 pounds very firm pears
4 pounds sugar
2 cups seedless raisins
2 tablespoons grated orange rind
1 cup orange juice
6 tablespoons lemon juice
Hot sterilized jars