Putting Up: Pear Ginger Marmalade

I'm starting to think that what I should have done was freeze things like tomatoes, blueberries and such and save the canning for winter when the extra heat from the stove is welcome and I'm looking for things to do indoors.  Live and learn.

I spent Black Friday (um, yeah, this post is a little late) canning Pear Ginger Marmalade (from the *awesome* Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving) and Apple Cider Cardamom Butter with the help of my mom and grandmother.  We avoided the insanity of shopping, spent some quality time together and created some delicious spreads that make a simple toasted baguette a gourmet breakfast.  I've been hoarding jam since my first batch of Strawberry Balsamic Black Pepper Jam.  I'm thinking that the neighbors will be receiving a jar of jam and a bag of homemade granola sometime soon.

This recipe is not only seasonal, but versatile.  Sure, you can enjoy or bread or any other baked good, but it would also make a bowl of vanilla ice cream (just warm the jam up first) or a fat slice of brie a bit more special.  Enjoy.

Pear Ginger Marmalade (makes 4 half-pint jars)
3 limes or 2 lemons (Note: I doubled the recipe and used a mix of lemons & limes.  I found the lemons infinitely easier to peel and the peel seemed to soften up better when cooking)
8 c thinning sliced, cored and peeled ripe pears (I sliced them long-ways, but in future batches, I would make shorter slices as the longer ones can make eating awkward)
4 c granulated sugar (I've heard to not use off-brand sugar as it's often not real cane sugar and that can affect jell.  In recipes without pectin, I stay cautious and shell out for Domino or other real cane sugar)
3 tbsp chopped crystallized ginger
1.25 c water

Directions
1. Peel limes/lemons being careful not to get too much pith.  Cut peel into very thin strips and set aside.

2. In another container, juice into large non-reactive container, add in pears, sugar and ginger.  Toss to combine well.  Cover and set at room temperature for an hour.

3. Prepare jars & lids.

4. In small saucepan, add water and peel.  Bring to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes.  The peel should be tender and most of the water should be reduced.

5. Bring pear mixtures to a full boil for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.  If desired, use immersion blender for a few pulses to puree some of the pears.  Add peel and boil until mixture reaches gel stage, about 5 minutes (Note: Mine did not reach gel stage after 5 minutes.  It took more like 20 and that was still iffy.  However, once it cooled, it was perfect).

6. Ladle into hot jars, remove air bubbles, wipe down rim and put on lids.  Process in boiling water for 10 minutes.  Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool and test seal.

ISO The Perfect Pickle Recipe

And by "pickle," I'm referring to cucumber pickles here. I love pickles. Partly because I love all things vinegary, salty and crunchy. Like salt & vinegar chips. (Pickles are healthier, though!) Thus, I am on the quest for the perfect pickle recipe.

Last year I made a recipe from Putting Food By that was good, but wasn't my idea of the "perfect" pickle. Too sweet.

This year I used my Edmonson pickling cukes (they are white variety) and a recipe from Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving. They are also quite good and are getting closer to what I am after, but not quite. In fact, I'd probably make the recipe again (maybe adding a dried chili to the jar)

Next year I plan to do multiple recipes early in the season and do a taste test to pick my favorite. The Ball recipe below will probably be my basis for this.

Ingredients (Makes about 3 quarts)
3 Tbsp pickling spice
4 c vinegar (I used white, Ball recommends cider. Both are at least 5% acidity)
4 c water
3/4 c granulated sugar
1/2 c pickling or canning salt (I got this at a local hardware store)
3 bay leaves
3 garlic cloves
2.5 tsp mustard seeds
~3.5 lbs pickling cucumbers, trimmed and cut into spears (try to make sure all the spears are the same size)
Ball Pickle Crisp, optional

Directions
1. Sanitize jars and lids.
2. Put the pickling spice in cheesecloth (or a large tea ball) and place in a sauce pot with the vinegar, water, sugar and salt. Boil for about 15 minutes, stirring to dissolve salt and sugar.
3. In each jar, put 1 bay leaf, 1 garlic clove, and 1 tsp of mustard seed. Pack in cucumber spears, leaving 1/2-in on top of the jar. If using Pickle Crisp, add that according to package instructions.
4. Ladle hot pickling liquid in jars, keeping 1/2-in of headspace in the jar. Remove air bubbles and screw on lids.
5. Process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Wait to eat for a least a week for flavors to develop.

Recipe: Hot Tomato & Pepper Sauce/Salsa

In theory, this is supposed to be a salsa. But thanks to me using my bumper crop of kung pao peppers (and only de-seeding half) this turned into quite the spicy condiment. Because I didn't use paste tomatoes it was kind of thin out of the pot to be what most Americans would consider to be a salsa, but it thickened up when I canned it. Either way, it is wicked good. I can't wait to try it on tacos. Or greens. Or tortilla chips. Or anywhere I want a spicy, vinegary kick.

This recipe is from Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving. I *highly* recommend this book for all things canning. There are loads of delicious recipes and good explanations of canning techniques.

Ingredients (Makes 2-3 pints)

3 cups chopped tomatoes
3 cups chopped peppers (I used 1 bell pepper & the rest kung pao, with half of the kung pao seeded & the other half with the seeds intact. Ball's recipe uses seeded jalapenos.)
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup cider vinegar
6 cloves garlic, finely minced (from my garden!!)
2 tsp dried oregano
1.5 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin

Directions
1. In large sauce pan, combine all ingredients. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
2. Reduce heat to gentle boil and cook until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes or so.
3. If you want to preserve, you may either can this recipe (using sterilized cans & processing pints in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes) or freeze cooled sauce.

Recipe: Peach-Lavender Butter

Fruit butters, of course, don't actually contain butter. This "butter" isn't quite as thick as an apple butter thanks to peach's low pectin, but it's still delicious and would be perfect slathered on a biscuit or inside a crepe.

This recipe comes from Canning & Preserving with Ashley English.




Ingredients (makes about 6 half-pints)
3 lbs peaches
1/3 c water
2 Tbsp fresh or dried lavender (Do not use from craft store. Needs to be edible lavender)
3 Tbsp bottled lemon juice (Important to use bottled instead of fresh as bottled has a consistent acidity)
1.5 Tbsp lemon zest (Important to use as citrus zest provides some of pectin)
3 c granulated sugar

Directions
1. Peel peaches (either by blanching or with a vegetable peeler) and chop.
2. Bring the 1/3 c water to a boil and add lavender. Let steep 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile wash & sterilize jars and lids.
4. Combine lavender water, peaches, lemon juice & zest in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil & then reduce heat to a simmer for 15 minutes. Peaches should start to break down and create a thickened sauce.
5. With an immersion blender (or food processor or regular blender), puree peaches until smooth. Cool before hand, if necessary.
6. Add sugar to peach mixture and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for another 25 minutes.
7. Process in sanitized jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Recipe: Blueberry Lime Jam

Thus far, our 2 baby blueberry bushes have yielded 5 oz of fruit. It would probably be more if it wasn't for the blasted chipmunk, but still not enough to satisfy our need for a very blueberry summer. So, we went blueberry picking. An hour and a half of hard labor in mid-90* temps yielded almost 13 lbs of the sweetest, most intense blueberries I've ever tasted (save the measly 5 oz from my garden). As a bonus, the bushes were relatively mature so I had very little stooping & bending over and they were absolutely loaded with berries.

Good times all around, except those pickers that were engaging in what I would call unethical blueberry picking behavior. We're talking grown adults picking fistfuls of berries and greedily shoving them in their mouths...not their buckets. Now, putting aside that this wasn't an organic farm (and, even if it was, washing produce is still a good idea...), it's just plain WRONG to eat that quantity of berries without paying for them! I can maybe understand picking, picking, picking and then grabbing a few for a snack or young children that just don't know better. But, this lady was seriously looking like my resident chipmunk...cheeks full of berries, berries spilling out of her mouth as she was talking, etc. And, perhaps the worst of it was that she was pushing more ethical pickers around on the bush they were working so that she could her 5-finger discount on the goods!

UGH! Farming is hard work with an uncertain return...pay for what you pick!! (And, no, I don't think she was poor because she wouldn't shut up about her upcoming trip to Italy. I just think she is entitled.)

Anyways, rant aside, what am I doing with our haul? Well, we are of course freezing some...about 2 gallons worth that we'll save for the winter when even apples aren't in season. We're keeping a bunch out for fresh eating for the next weeks or so too. The rest is becoming the point of this post: Blueberry Lime Jam.

This recipe comes to you from the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving that I purchased this weekend. You'll likely to see more recipes coming from this book as there are lots & lots of interesting ideas. My philosophy on homemade jam is this: If I am going to make it, it needs to be more interesting than what I can buy at the grocery store. This is because it's more expensive than grocery store jam and it requires heating up the house when a heat wave is going on. But, otherwise, canning jam is so easy (if you follow the instructions!) and it really does taste better than homemade...especially when using freshly picked fruit.

This jam specifically will be the best blueberry jam you've ever had. I promise.

Blueberry Lime Jam (Yield 6-7 half pints)
4 1/2 c crushed blueberries (don't measure whole blueberries; measure the crushed quantity)
zest of one lime
4 Tbsp bottled lime juice (bottle has a more consistent acidity than fresh)
1 pkg/1.75 oz regular powdered fruit pectin
5 c granulated sugar

1. Prepare jars: Wash with soap & water and then boil jars, lids and rings in a canner or large stockpots for 10 minutes. When done, set aside but keep warm.
2. In large saucepan, mix crushed blueberries with lime zest & juice. Whisk in pectin until dissolved. Bring to a boil over high heat.
3. Next, add sugar and return to boil. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
4. Remove jam from heat and skim off any foam.
5. Ladle hot jam into hot jars leaving 1/4" headspace. Remove bubbles by running a sanitized chopstick or knife around the edge of the jar and wipe the rim and sides of the jar clean. Center lid on jar. Screw on band fingertip-tight.
6. Place jars backing into canner/stockpot, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Remove from canner to let cool.
7. A few hours later, verify the jars sealed and label with date and contents.

Putting Up: Strawberry Balsamic Black Pepper Jam

Yes, I realize this isn't a post of garden photos. Those will come when it stops raining! And, yes, I realize that strawberries + balsamic vinegar + black pepper + jam sounds completely foul. But, sometimes opposites really do attract. This is one of those times, my friends.

Close your eyes. Imagine the taste of a fresh strawberry...not those big, flavorless ones, but those smaller, intense, deeply flavored ones. Now, imagine being able to spread that strawberry on toast, a biscuit, or pancakes. That's what this jam tastes like. I guess you could say it's a cheater way to take store bought strawberries (Whole Foods has a sale: 4lb for $8. Act fast!) and turn them into the image of a true strawberry.

Honestly, after this recipe, I see no reason for ever making "plain" strawberry jam again. The directions for this include canning instructions, but I'm sure you could freeze it in individual containers or give away to friends (without canning) for immediate consumption.

Strawberry Balsamic Black Pepper Jam
From: Canadian Living.

12 12cups cups(2.8 L) (2.8 L) strawberrystrawberries, hulled
1 1pkg (49 g) pkg (49 g)fruit pectin (I used Sure-Jell)
4-1/2 4-1/2cups cups(1.125 L) (1.125 L) granulated sugar
1/4 1/4cup cup(50 mL) (50 mL) balsamic vinegar
1 1tsp tsp(5 mL) (5 mL) coarsely cracked black pepper (use freshly ground!)

1. Sanitize 5 pint jars (or 10 half-pint). This recipe said it would produce 8 cups, but it produced 10 for me. Best to be prepared! Also, put 2 small plates in the freezer (to test the jell)

2. In a large pot, mash your strawberries. You can use a potato masher or, if you don't have one like me, use the bottom of a jar.

3. Mix the pectin with 1/4 c of the sugar; stir into the berries. Bring berries to full rolling boil over high. Stir constantly w/ wooden spoon. Add remaining sugar and boil hard for 1 minute.

4. Remove plate from freezer & put 1 tsp of jam on it. Return to freezer & wait 2 minutes. If, when you push the edge of the jam, it wrinkles & makes a little path, your jam will set. If it doesn't, cook the mixture a bit longer & try again.

5. Remove from heat. Skim off foam with metal spoon. Stir in balsamic vinegar and pepper.

6. Fill your sanitized jars with the hot jam, leaving head room. Remove air bubbles by running a chopstick around the edges of the jars and wipe the rim clean. Cover with sanitized lids and tighten the screw lid finger-tight. Put into boiling water and boil for 10 minutes.

7. Remove & let cool. You should hear some popping sounds if your jars seal. When cooled, you can test the seal; you should not be able to lift the lids off the jars.

Putting Up: The Collection

There is something intensely satisfying about knowing that your freezer and cupboards are loaded with summery goodness just sitting there, waiting for you. I have froze, dehydrated and canned to create this impressive collection of food:

Yeah, it just looks like a bunch of bags and jars. But it contains so much awesomeness. Like: Several pounds of dried tomatoes waiting for pasta or an unusual pesto, apple halves to be used for making apple cakes & muffins, 5 lb frozen organic bell pepper strips (from PA peppers on sale at Whole Foods for...$1/lb!!!) for chilis and soups, dried herbs for...well...anything, frozen watermelon puree for a taste of summer anytime, jars & jars of Green Tomato & Apple Chutney, apple sauce, frozen blueberries from my boss' garden, frozen grated zucchini for zucchini bread, dried mint for peppermint tea, garlic scape pesto for a pasta or pizza, garden-fresh canned tomatoes for Ribollita...

I'm very excited to have all this seasonal (mostly local and organic) produce ready for my out-of-season use. Of course, the frozen apples and peppers won't be crisp like they are fresh, but that's OK for fall & winter purposes. This time of year I crave soups and stews & other "wet food" as a friend of mine used to call it. In short, the lack of crispness isn't as important if it's going to be simmering in an Chicken Tortilla Soup for 30 minutes, ya know?

It's going to be a good winter.

Apples! Apples! Apples!

Last weekend we went apple picking. It is only now that I can see out from under my mountain of apples. We picked just over 25 lbs worth and only paid $25! Total deal, especially considering that we had a great time doing it and you can't beat the freshness.

But, this also meant that we had 25 lbs of apples! We primarily picked Grimes Golden and Jonathan as they are semi-tart apples good for cooking which we knew was what we would be doing with most of the apples. We also picked some Golden Delicious for eating. Note: I think Golden Delicious from the grocery store are certainly "golden" but rarely "delicious." They always seem to have a mealy texture. But just-picked, local Golden Delicious are, in fact, crunchy and delicious!

My husband made his annual apple pie using exclusively the Grimes Golden. It was fabulous! The husband's pie is a bit of an inexact science; never the same pie twice. This time included 6-8 sliced & peeled apples, a splash of vanilla, 1 tsp-ish of cinnamon, a splash of rum, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, and 2 Tbsp of flour all mixed together and put, expertly, between 2 Pilsbury pie crusts. I think it was his best pie yet. Another idea? ModernDomestic's Apple Turnovers. Or Smitten Kitchen's Apple Tart.

Next up? Apple sauce. I know, groan, apple sauce. But, seriously, this is wicked good apple sauce. I used 26 apples, a 50-50 mix of the Grimes Golden and the Jonathan. This was key as the Jonathan break down pretty easily while the Grimes retain their shape better. Thus yielding a delighfully smooth sauce with chunks here & there (my favorite consistancy). To the apples, I added about 2 cups of water (to aid in the cooking down), 2 long cinnamon sticks (from the Asian grocery store. Way cheaper spices there), 1 tsp of ground cloves and 2 Tbsp of dark brown sugar. Really, the cloves are what made this sauce, aside from the consistancy. After I made this, I canned it. It yielded 2 quart jars, 1 pint, and a small container for immediate consumption. Another idea? Chutney. Like Simply Recipes' or my version.

And, finally, I was left with probably 15 lbs of apples even after a large batch of apple sauce, an apple pie and snacking on a few apples throughout the day. I learned last year that if I don't process all of the apples, save the ones destined for raw consumption, the weekend they are picked, I just won't get around to it. So, I decided to freeze them. Basically, wash, peel and quarter your apples. Put them in a water-lemon juice mixture so they won't oxidize and then place on cookie sheets (or layer on a cookie sheet putting parchment or plastic wrap between the layers) and freeze (see first photo). Once (individually) frozen, you can place these into larger freezer bags and use the apples for future pies, sauces, cakes, chutneys... you name it! They won't be very good for using raw, these frozen apples. They'll get a bit mushy in the freezer (think frozen strawberries vs. fresh)

My other favorite ways to use apples:
- Dipped in caramel sauce
- Put slices or chunks into pancake batter (if going the slice route, place slices on batter once poured in pan)
- In stuffing
- Muffins
- Cake

Putting Up: Green Tomato & Apple Chutney

Believe it or not, my Sungolds are *still* producing. Slower, but I still get about 1/2 a pint of ripe cherry tomatoes per week. This weekend, I gleaned the garden. With the crispness of fall in the air and chilly nights I just feel like it is time to pull those babies up. May they RIP.

I oven-dried the ripe tomatoes (a whole tray full!) but what to do with the green tomatoes? I got inspired by Gradually Greener and decided to make a green tomato chutney. However, I don't have fig jam to use as a base.

Below is a recipe I found online but I've tweaked it to volume rather than weight which I think is probably more easy to follow. If you're going to can this, follow to ratio of tomatoes/onions/sugar/vinegar/etc. closely. You can certainly vary the spices but this is pretty darn good! If you aren't up for canning, freezing would work too.

Ingredients
5 c green cherry tomatoes, halved (about 2 1/4 lb)
2 Granny Smith apples, diced (about 1 lb)
2 medium onions, sliced
4 c cider vinegar
2 c brown sugar, minus 2 tbsp
1 c raisins
1.5 tsp mustard powder
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

few tsp of oil

Directions
1. Heat oil in a pan. Add onions & caramelize.
2. Next, add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook for 45 min (up to 1 hour) or until thickened into a sauce.
3. If not canning, cool and either freeze or place in fridge.
4. If canning, boil jars and lids for 10 minutes. While still hot, pour in boiling chutney, place on lids (with fresh seals) and put back into the boiling water bath for 20 minutes. Let cool for 8 hours and check seals. Those that are well sealed, put up. Those that aren't, put in fridge and eat soon.



Makes 3 pints. Use this with roasted pork or chicken or with cheese and crackers. Or give as a holiday present to coworkers or a hostess gift for Thanksgiving (this would be fabulous with a good roast turkey).

Enjoy!

Putting Up: Oven Dried Tomatoes

My Sungolds are still producing, although at a slower rate than before. And, we picked our final few Wonder Lights. Add in the few red tomatoes I got from the Farmer's Market and it all adds up to more tomatoes than we care to eat at the moment. Although I'm sure come December my tune will change.

I've already covered canning (I've put up 3 quarts!). Freezing oven-dried tomatoes is another idea on what to do with any tomato surplus you may have. Or, oven-drying is a great way to make faux sun-dried tomatoes for all your recipes needs!

Here's what you do:

1. Preheat oven to 300*F.
2. Slice sauce or even cherry tomatoes halfwise (big tomatoes don't work great for this). De-seed the bigger tomatoes.
3. Place tomatoes on baking tray (I line mine with tin foil for ease of clean up) along with olive oil and/or dried herbs (Optional. Note: Woody herbs work best.). Don't use salt though.
4. Bake for 45 minutes.
5. Turn off oven, but leaves tomatoes inside for 2-4 hours. They should be a bit flexible and a tad moist but have very concentrated flavor.
6. To freeze, just take the baking tray from the cooled oven & place in the freezer for a few hours. When the tomatoes are individually frozen, put in a larger ziploc bag.


I like using these in pastas and purple basil pesto as well as an earthy addition to beef stews, salads, sandwiches, etc.

Stewed & Canned Tomatoes

Success!!!

{fist pump}

Canning is pretty freaky. Every time I thought about doing it, I was convinced I'd kill myself or someone else with botulism from improper canning practices. Perhaps because I didn't really grow up with it? My mom once canned strawberry jam, I snuck a large sip of the foamy, starwberry-y, sugary stuff she was skimming off, and felt an immediate sugar rush followed by an ill stomach for the rest of the day. And that was the extent of my exposure to the process.

So I was super stoked when I saw the talk about it a few weekends ago. I mean, here was a live person that I could ask all my questions and reassure me! She even demonstrated the process.

I left the event thinking: "Why was I afraid of doing THAT? THAT is easy." and "I can't wait to try this!" Talk about a successful presentation!

Thus, when I got a ridiculous amount of tomatoes in my CSA and no fresh ideas for them (that's a lie. I didn't feel like eating them), I decided to give this whole thing a try.

Here's what I used:
-- Jars (not like leftover pasta or jam jars. Like Ball Mason jars. I got mine at Shoppers near where they sell charcoal. But Freecycle works for the less impatient) with seals & lids
-- Large pot (I used a pasta pot)
-- Smaller pot (for cooking tomatoes. I used our smaller sauce pan)
-- Timer
-- Spoon for putting tomatoes in jar
-- Rubber tipped tongs (or canning jar grabber thingy. I couldn't find one of those & the rubber-tipped tongs worked pretty well.)

Here's what you do: (from Putting Food By)

Boil enough water to cover your jars & their lids & seals. My pot fits 2 jars, so I put 2 in even though I wasn't sure how many I would need.

When water is boiling, carefully add in jars with lids and seals. Boil for 10 minutes. This sanitizes everything.

Meanwhile, chop your tomatoes & put into a pot. Bring to a boil

.

When tomatoes reach a boil, cook for additional 5 minutes. They'll be cooking more later on, so it's OK if they aren't totally cooked through.

Back to the jars: When your 10 minutes is up, remove them from the water and add 1Tbsp of white vinegar into quart jars & 1/2Tbsp of white vinegar into pint jars. If the tomatoes have cooked for their 5 minutes, spoon into jars with vinegar in them. Leave about 1/2-1 of space in the top of the jar. Seal.

Make sure the large pot of water is back to a boil.

Return jarred, sealed tomatoes to the boiling water and cook for 35 min (pints) or 45 min (quarts)

When that's done, remove from water and let cool (don't put in fridge or anything. Just set aside). When it is totally cool, you shouldn't be able to remove the seal. This means: SUCCESS!

Side notes: I found a tea tray/The-Tray-I \-Eat-In-Front-of-The-TV-On tray lined with a clean kitchen towel a great way to stay organized, move hot jars around the kitchen and minimize mess. I used an oven mitt to lift the cooked, filled jars from the hot water...the tongs were just too cumbersome for this.

Putting Up: Herb Drying

Certainly, you can dry herbs by hanging them upside down inside a paper bag with holes in it (to keep out dust) in a dry, dark place with good air circulation for a few weeks. I've personally found this works best for woody herbs like rosemary & thyme.

But what about for more "moist" herbs like basil or mint?

Well, I've read about a few options on the Internets. Basically, the oils in the herbs start to decline if they are heated above 100*F. An idea solution would be to construct a mesh frame that would be put on blocks outside in the shade in 80*F, non-humid weather. But...um...that isn't going to happen. A second idea would be, perhaps, using a dehydrator. However, I do not have a dehydrator and would prefer not to one as I have no where to put it.

So, my runner up method is using the microwave. Yes, microwave.

The deal: Arrange leaves between 2 paper towels. 'Nuke for 2 minutes checking every 30 seconds (for me, they were done at 1:30). I think next time I'll do 50% power because I think it might have gotten too hot, but it definitely worked.

<-------Here's the before












<-------Here's the after




You want to make sure they are crinkling and crumbling. That's how you know they are good & dry.