Strawberry Freezer Jam
July 15, 2012
Delicious strawberry jam can be elusive. The standard jam-making technique of cooking down fruit and sugar until the mixture achieves a jell generally does not work with strawberries. All the fresh sweetness of the ripe fruit converts into an overly sweet darkened mash when cooked. Not bad, but definitely not one of my family’s favorites. Mixed with other fruits, it does not seem to be a problem. The strawberries added to Three Berry Jam only add to the complex fruitiness of the mix. Slow roasting the strawberries is another option, as I have done in this Strawberry Rhubarb Jam. To capture the simple delight of strawberries though, the trick is not to cook them at all.
Strawberry Freezer Jam is perhaps the simplest jam I have made. Starting with fresh ripe strawberries in season, they are simply cut, mashed, and mixed with a simple syrup mixed with pectin. That is it, no additional cooking. As the pectin cools, it jells. Now since this jam is not cooked, it is not safe for shelf storage. It can be stored in the refrigerator for a few weeks and for a year in the freezer. It is so quick and easy I literally made it while my kids ate their lunch one day. Since there is no boiling jam it also does not heat up the house like other jam making might. My daughter took over the job of filling the jars. We capped them off, labeled them with the name of the jam and the date, and we were done. What a perfect way to preserve the fresh taste of strawberries for the winter ahead. It would also be a great jam recipe for someone who is new to jam making and does not want to deal with the sterilization and processing required to safely make other types of jams.
This post is linked with Grow It, Cook It, Can It’s Cook It 2012. Check that site shortly for a roundup of great jam making posts.
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Asian Plum Sauce (and the winner is…)
July 6, 2012
It is unfortunate that so many types of condiments are readily available at the supermarket. Being able to walk down an aisle and toss in a jar of jam, bottle of ketchup, or any number of types of hot sauce distracts the collective “us” from the fact that none of these products are as good as we can make in our own kitchens. This point is only magnified when looking into imported ethnic condiments. There is the allure of some tasty sauce shipped in from around the world and many cooks (including myself) can sometimes lack confidence when branching out to culinary styles not grounded in our continent of birth. One look at the ingredient list of these foods though and we are reminded of the uncertain quality of foods with mysterious origin.
All of these complicated thoughts were running through my mind the other day when I happened upon Sherri Brooks Vinton’s recipe for Asian Plum Sauce in her book Put “em Up. I am a firm believer that a high quality condiment can transform an ordinary meal into something special. Since plums are literally falling from the trees right now, there is no better time to capture that goodness in this deeply spiced tangy sauce. The directions for canning the sauce are included, this sauce is sure to taste even better on a rainy or snowy day in February than it does now when these fruity tastes are so abundant. I also included the half batch proportions, because I can see whipping up this sauce in advance of my next eggroll party. What? You have never had an eggroll party before? Me either, but it sure sounds like fun to me!
And now for the winner of the Canning Supplies Give Away… Kalamckala from Eating on a Napkin is the lucky winner. She says, “I’m a newbie with the whole canning and preserving thing but I made an apricot preserve with vanilla and cinnamon – I may have fallen for the entire process! I only hope to can more and more this summer! ” It sounds like these supplies will be put to good use! Thank you to everyone who commented! There are so many great ideas in the comments of that post. Check them out and get inspired!
Generator Min: 1 Max: 57 Result: 52 Powered by RANDOM.ORG
*A note about the winner selection. There were 69 comments total, 12 were my responses. Since it would be strange for me to win my own prize, I used a random number generator to select a random number between 1 and 57. 1 was the first comment and 57 the last.
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Cherry Rhubarb Jam (Low-Sugar)
June 13, 2012
School has been out for two weeks now, the sun is blazing, and the canning pot has reasserted its dominance on my stove top. Hello summer! Canning is usually a solitary sport for me, squeezed in the early hours of the morning or late at night when the kids have finally succumbed to sleep. While the bubbling caldron of jam is still a bit much for my youngsters, they are quite capable of helping me to process the fruit. My son found the cherry pitter to be quite a lot of fun and was thrilled when I handed him the knife to cut the cherries. Who needs summer camp when you can enlist your kids in practical life skills at home? (Of course, give me a few weeks and I may be screaming for them to go to any sort of camp that will take them!)
Cherry Rhubarb Jam is a delightful balance of sweet and tart with a rich background note of vanilla. The color is absolutely divine. This is my second attempt at this type of jam and it is an absolute hit. There is a relatively small amount of sugar added. Cherries are so naturally sweet that it is very easy to over-sweeten them. The fruit macerates for an extended time before cooking. This reduces the overall cooking time, since the fruit has already given up its juice. Shorter cooking times mean fresher tasting jam and more vibrant colors. This jam is sure to a new June tradition in our house. Absolutely delicious!
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Mango Avocado Salsa
May 9, 2012
One of the many wonderful things about salsa is there are no shortage of excuses to make it. Any time of year, any weather, any occasion, there is a salsa to fit the bill. This most recent concoction folded beautifully into a pre-Cinco de Mayo/ baby shower (yes, Fresh Lime Margaritas were included, of course! ).
Mango Avocado Salsa combines sweet tart mango with creamy avocado spiked with red onion and jalapeño and doused with lime. This palate pleasing mix is equally at home on a piece of grilled salmon or chicken as it is on a tortilla chip or quesadilla. It is the kind of dip that makes you want to whip up another batch as soon as the first is gobbled up. If you are unsure how to cut a mango check out this post. I would love to hear what creative ways you come up with to serve this salsa!
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Quick Pickled Spring Vegetables
April 25, 2012
One trip to the Farmers’ Market is enough to know that spring is truly here. Mounds of fava beans, pea shoots, and strawberries compete for space with kale, beets, and last season’s potatoes. My kids and I headed over last weekend to pick up some fresh foods and the obligatory honey sticks. When we returned home, our house was unpleasantly warm thanks to unseasonably sultry weather. It may have been too hot to cook, but it was the perfect temperature to put together some quick refrigerator pickles.
Pickled Spring Vegetables are an Asian-inspired quick pickle. Quick pickles are a fantastic use for all sorts of vegetables and do not require time or canning equipment. I used Easter egg radishes, fresh nantes carrots, and leeks from our trip to the market, though you could also use cucumbers, onions, daikon radishes, or just about any other vegetable you want to pickle. The brine is based on rice wine vinegar and lime juice that tempers the sweetness. These pickles have hints of flavor from slices of ginger, garlic and cilantro. Slice up the veggies and pour over the brine. The pickles will be ready to eat in under an hour. Letting them sit overnight will intensify the flavor, if they last that long.
My Pantry Shelf 