These recipes have been provided courtesy of Arizona State Parks.

In addition to managing 7 of the top 25 most visited natural attractions in the state of Arizona, Arizona State Parks also operates a number of historic parks (with museums, artifacts, and interpretive exhibits) and natural conservation areas. Learn more about Arizona State Parks by reading in-depth articles about wildlife, park habitats, restoration work, geology and more.

Prickly Pear Jelly Recipe from Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park

Hints on prickly pears: Pick fruit with tongs. Medium-ripe fruit is best. Singe fruit over flame to remove spines. Scrub with stiff vegetable brush. For most recipes, fruit should be peeled.

• 6 cups peeled, thinly sliced prickly pear fruit
• 1/2 cup water
• 1  2oz package powdered pectin
• 5 cups sugar
• Paraffin, melted 

Boil fruit and water 15 – 20 minutes. Press through a sieve, then strain through cheesecloth. Add pectin to the juice: bring to a rolling boil. Add sugar and bring to a boil again for 5 minutes. Remove from heat: skim. Pour into sterilized jars. Pour paraffin on top of jars to seal. Makes 6 cups.

 Army Hardtack Recipe from Fort Verde State Historic Park

• 4 cups flour (preferably whole wheat)
• 4 teaspoons salt
• Water (about 2 cups)

Mix the flour and salt together in a bowl. Add just enough water (less than two cups) so that the mixture will stick together, producing a dough that won’t stick to hands, rolling pin or pan. Mix the dough by hand. Roll the dough out, shaping it roughly into a rectangle. Cut the dough into squares about 3 x 3 inches and 1⁄2 inch thick.

After cutting the squares, press a pattern of four rows of four holes into each square, using a nail or other such object. Do not punch through the dough. The appearance you want is similar to that of a modern saltine cracker. Turn square over and do the same thing to the other side.

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F. Place the squares on an un-greased cookie sheet in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Turn each piece over and bake for another 30 minutes. The crackers should be slightly brown on both sides. The fresh crackers are easily broken but as they dry, they harden and assume the consistency of fired brick.

Makes about 10 pieces.

Three Sisters Corn Casserole Recipe from Homolovi Ruins State Park

• 1 pound frozen whole kernel corn
• 1 pound frozen green beans
• 4 cups summer squash, diced (about 1 pound)
• 1 pint fat free sour cream
• 1/2 cup egg substitute, beaten
• 4 tablespoons margarine, melted
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 cup jalapeno peppers, diced
• 1/2 cup reduced fat Monterey Jack cheese, diced
• Vegetable oil spray

In a large mixing bowl, mix sour cream and egg substitute together. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Coat a baking pan or casserole dish with vegetable oil spray and fill with mixture. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes until golden brown. Serves l0 (1 cup) servings.

Recipes from Riordan Mansion State Historic Park

Homemade Yeast

• 5 small or 4 large grated potatoes
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 quart boiling water
• 1 yeast cake mixed with 1/2 cup lukewarm water

Add grated potatoes to boiling water and boil for 5 minutes while stirring. Cool; add sugar, salt and yeast cake mixture. Pour into a stone or glass jar, cover and let stand in a warm place for three hours or more. Each time mixture reaches top of jar; stir it down. Do this until fermentation ceases then put away in a cool place. Cover.

Use 1/2 cup full of this in place of a yeast cake when making bread or biscuits. Use until there is only ½ cup full left, then prepare according to recipe above, using the 1/2 cup full of yeast in place of the yeast cake.

Boston Brown Bread

• 1 pint rye flour
• 1 quart corn meal
• 1 cup graham flour
• 1/2 cup molasses or brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup home make yeast

Mix into (as) stiff a dough as can be stirred using warm water for wetting. Let rise several hours or overnight. In morning or when light (porous) add 1 teaspoon soda dissolved in spoonful warm water. Beat well and turn into greased pans and let rise again. Bake in moderate oven from 3 to 4 hours.

Recipes from Slide Rock State Park

Apple Cake

• 3 apples
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon soda
• 1 cup sour milk
• 4 cups flour

Stew 3 apples and let cool. Take one-half cup of butter, 1 cup of sugar, 2 eggs, 1 tablespoonful soda, 1 cup of sour milk, 4 cups of flour, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg; then the 2 cups of apple sauce and 2 cups of molasses and mix together. Bake in moderate oven. When done, spread with whipped cream.

Brown Betty

Pare and chop six apples. Place a layer of apple in a well-buttered pudding dish, then a layer of bread crumbs; sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon; repeat until the dish is full; add several generous lumps of butter and pour sweet milk or hot water on until it comes within an inch of the top of the pan. Bake in a moderate oven until brown and serve with plain or whipped cream.

Baked Apple Pudding from Caroline Riordan’s recipe collection

Stir 2 tablespoons butter, 1/2 cup sugar to cream. Stir in this yolks of 4 eggs beaten. Juice and grate rind of one lemon and 1/2 dozen sound green apples grated. Now stir in 4 beaten egg whites. Season with cinnamon or nutmeg. Bake. Serve with cream.

Carne Seca Recipe from Tubac Presidio State Historic Park

 Use roast beef or brisquet. Cook in crock-pot on low until most moisture is gone, approximately 12 to 18 hours. Meat should be crispy. Pull meat into shreds. Simmer for one hour in following:

• 1/2 teaspoon comino (cumin)
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1 small onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 cup chili Colorado
• 3 green chilis
• 5 tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup water