Vidalia onions have always been a delicacy in Georgia and the Southeastern U.S., but their sweet yet tangy flavor is spreading worldwide. Try this simple sweet onion jam recipe to preserve any onions you can keep around long enough to store!

Sweet Vidalia Onion Jam

Rub oil inside a 4-quart or larger slow cooker. Add onions and cook on HIGH for 4 hours, or until cooked down. Stir in lemon zest, balsamic vinegar and organic sugar or honey granules. Cook another 2-3 hours on HIGH.

At this point, you can use the onion jam immediately, refrigerate it for use within a week, or can it to preserve your jam.

]]>Make Your Own Pumpkin Butter (and a List of Ways to Enjoy It)http://www.organicauthority.com/eco-chic-table/make-your-own-pumpkin-butter-and-how-to-eat-it.html
Wed, 05 Oct 2011 23:02:15 +0000http://www.organicauthority.com/s11-eco-chic-table/c30-eco-chic-table/make-your-own-pumpkin-butter-and-how-to-eat-it/ Get ready to make one of the single most dee-licious fall recipes this week: Pumpkin butter! It’s not butter, and it doesn’t contain any butter, and actually, it’s completely vegan! So you can enjoy this wonderful sweet, creamy, spiced spread with all of your friends this season… and you’ll want to. Pumpkin butter can […]

Get ready to make one of the single most dee-licious fall recipes this week: Pumpkin butter! It’s not butter, and it doesn’t contain any butter, and actually, it’s completely vegan! So you can enjoy this wonderful sweet, creamy, spiced spread with all of your friends this season… and you’ll want to. Pumpkin butter can run you around 5 to 8 dollars a jar if bought from a specialty shop, and it will usually be made with white sugar or corn syrup. In this completely natural version, all of the autumn elements come together just right: Pumpkin puree, apple cider and maple syrup. You’re going to love this recipe!

For those of you who’ve never had pumpkin butter before, you’re pretty much guaranteed to love it… unless you don’t go for things that are completely scrumptious, that is. Pumpkin butter is a fall go-to substitute for butter, so use it over whole grain toast for breakfast, smeared atop roasted meats or tempeh cutlets or stirred into apple crisp and pie recipes for an incredible spiced tang. And if you find yourself head-over-heels in love with the stuff, try a few more serving tips:

Stir into yogurt, kefir or a fall parfait in place of jam or sweetened fruit

Use in place of oil or butter in a cake, bread or muffin recipe to cut back on fat and pump up the fall flava

Homemade Spiced Pumpkin Butter

If using a whole pumpkin: Peel pumpkin and remove seeds. Cut flesh into ½-inch cubes. Place in medium pot with water barely to cover; bring to a boil and simmer, covered, until very soft, about 30 minutes. Drain and mash pumpkin until well pureed. If using canned pumpkin, skip and start with Step 2.

Return fresh pumpkin puree (or place canned pumpkin puree) to pot, along with remaining ingredients; stir well. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring. Reduce to a simmer and cook until thickened and cohesive, about 30 to 40 minutes, stirring and scraping bottom of pot regularly.

Allow pumpkin butter to cool to room temperature. Serve at room temperature or well chilled. Store in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 1 week.

]]>5 Gourmet Twists to Makeover Your Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwichhttp://www.organicauthority.com/foodie-buzz/5-gourmet-twists-to-makeover-your-peanut-butter-a-jelly-sandwich.html
Fri, 01 Apr 2011 00:06:44 +0000http://www.organicauthority.com/s1-foodie-buzz/c4-foodie-buzz/5-gourmet-twists-to-makeover-your-peanut-butter-a-jelly-sandwich/It’s okay, it happens to all the good things in life. What you once cherished for being so pure and simple, so straightforward in its awesomeness, has now become tired and lackluster after years of the same ole. No, I’m not talking about your significant other. I’m talking about your significant peanut butter and jelly […]

]]>It’s okay, it happens to all the good things in life. What you once cherished for being so pure and simple, so straightforward in its awesomeness, has now become tired and lackluster after years of the same ole. No, I’m not talking about your significant other. I’m talking about your significant peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Don’t despair; there is hope. Bring the spark back to that old childhood standby with a few gourmet twists. Here are 5 revamped recipes to make you fall in love all over again with the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. And remember buy as many organic ingredients as you can for optimum health and flavor!

]]>Peanut Butter & Jellyhttp://www.organicauthority.com/blog/organic/organic-food/peanut-butter-jelly/
http://www.organicauthority.com/blog/organic/organic-food/peanut-butter-jelly/#commentsMon, 24 Jul 2006 14:16:52 +0000http://www.organicauthority.com/blog/?p=205I’d normally come up with a more creative title for this blog entry, but there’s something so enticing about a classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It’s healthy comfort food at its finest, so why tamper with perfection? PB&J can also be one of your secret weapons in the war against childhood obesity, according to […]

I’d normally come up with a more creative title for this blog entry, but there’s something so enticing about a classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It’s healthy comfort food at its finest, so why tamper with perfection?

“PB&J sandwiches, an old favorite, get much healthier when you use 100% whole-wheat bread and no-sugar-added or 100% pure fruit preserves,” she tells Organic Authority. “You might even find that your child prefers the nutty, firm texture of whole-grain breads to spongy white breads, which often get smashed paper-thin in their lunchbox. If your kids are banana lovers, use bananas instead of jelly. Slice the banana crosswise, and arrange your ‘banana pennies’ right on top of the peanut butter.”

I like my PB&J with slices of fresh pear (see photo, above). Couldn’t be juicier, and it’s a great summer lunch or snack—especially when it’s too hot to turn on the oven!

Note: Because you follow an organic lifestyle, OrganicAuthority.com recommends using certified organic ingredients, when available, in all recipes to maximize flavor and nutrition, while minimizing your risk of exposure to pesticides, chemicals and preservatives.