Peach jam 2014
Sep. 7th, 2014 03:53 pmUsed last year's recipe for plain ole peach jam: http://sarahbyrdd.livejournal.com/107689.html#comments
$8 for a 1/2 peck of peaches = 13 4-oz. jars, 1 8-oz. jar, and a bit more.
Which works out to around $2 a pint for a low sugar jam. Not too shabby for an afternoon's work.
$8 for a 1/2 peck of peaches = 13 4-oz. jars, 1 8-oz. jar, and a bit more.
Which works out to around $2 a pint for a low sugar jam. Not too shabby for an afternoon's work.
SALSAPALOOZA 2014
Aug. 10th, 2014 02:00 pmThis year we're making only salsa with our tomato box, since that's what we used the most.
This recipe for roasted tomato salsa: http://delectablemusings.com/2012/08/tomato-salsa-for-canning.html
And this year's pepper mix was 4 anaheims, 2 jalapeños, and 2 dried chiplotles per batch.
EDIT: Apparently we forgot to add the roasted peppers. So we've got 20 pints of mildly mexican spiced tomatoes. I guess it'll be like Rotel. Still useful, but not what I was after. Damn.






Yield 20 pints of salsa, plus 1.5 quarts of crushed roasted tomatoes that we'll use during the week.
Materials per pint work out to around $1.25.
This recipe for roasted tomato salsa: http://delectablemusings.com/2012/08/tomato-salsa-for-canning.html
And this year's pepper mix was
EDIT: Apparently we forgot to add the roasted peppers. So we've got 20 pints of mildly mexican spiced tomatoes. I guess it'll be like Rotel. Still useful, but not what I was after. Damn.






Yield 20 pints of salsa, plus 1.5 quarts of crushed roasted tomatoes that we'll use during the week.
Materials per pint work out to around $1.25.
Grande Aioli
Aug. 2nd, 2014 11:03 amObligatory market picture:

We're having a friend over for a We're Not At Pennsic Luncheon tomorrow, at which I've declared there shall be Grande Aioli. What is this thing you ask? A plate of blanched vegetables, not blanched vegetables, cold poached fish, medium boiled eggs and anything else that might be good slathered with super garlicy home made mayonnaise and served with copious of rosé wine.
There shall also be the annual blueberry pie for my beloved.
A vat of aioli is never a bad thing, right?



We're having a friend over for a We're Not At Pennsic Luncheon tomorrow, at which I've declared there shall be Grande Aioli. What is this thing you ask? A plate of blanched vegetables, not blanched vegetables, cold poached fish, medium boiled eggs and anything else that might be good slathered with super garlicy home made mayonnaise and served with copious of rosé wine.
There shall also be the annual blueberry pie for my beloved.
A vat of aioli is never a bad thing, right?


Farmer's market dinner
Jul. 19th, 2014 12:07 pmUsing up things we had in the house. Bunch of baby carrots, check! No pistachios, but yes pistachio oil. Add some nigella seed to the spice mix because. Also 1/2 a sweet onion sautéed in olive oil. Taste test without yogurt for our non-dairy guest is a thumbs up finished with the spice mix and a drizzle of pistachio oil. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Roasted-Carrot-Soup-with-Dukkah-Spice-and-Yogurt-51134010
The spice mix is crazy good. I added a little bit of nigella seed which is giving it an unexpected lemony note.
I made a salad of blanched green and yellow beans, yellow and red tomatoes, a crazy crispy orange cucumber, roasted summer squash slices, charred asian eggplant, chopped parsley, and sweet onion soaked in red wine vinegar. The dressing was just olive oil and the vinegar from the onions. I really like chopped salads without lettuce in the summer when the leafy greens have started to turn bitter.
The protein was chicken roasted with a pomegranate molasses/garlic/zaatar rub. It was pronounced seriously tasty by our guest.
Dessert (breakfast because we didn't get to it) is a mixed cherry/berry gallette with a shortening crust, also using up fruit we had in the fridge. http://www.marthastewart.com/312433/cornmeal-pate-brisee
Obligatory Market Picture:

The spice mix is crazy good. I added a little bit of nigella seed which is giving it an unexpected lemony note.
I made a salad of blanched green and yellow beans, yellow and red tomatoes, a crazy crispy orange cucumber, roasted summer squash slices, charred asian eggplant, chopped parsley, and sweet onion soaked in red wine vinegar. The dressing was just olive oil and the vinegar from the onions. I really like chopped salads without lettuce in the summer when the leafy greens have started to turn bitter.
The protein was chicken roasted with a pomegranate molasses/garlic/zaatar rub. It was pronounced seriously tasty by our guest.
Dessert (breakfast because we didn't get to it) is a mixed cherry/berry gallette with a shortening crust, also using up fruit we had in the fridge. http://www.marthastewart.com/312433/cornmeal-pate-brisee
Obligatory Market Picture:

Cherries for booze!
Jul. 1st, 2014 05:54 pmhttp://thestarvingartistgr.com/maraschino-cherries-are-the-devil-make-your-own-and-tell-everyone-to-do-the-same/
I have made all three of these recipes, shorting the sugar on the 2nd & 3rd, because really. I shall report back in a week with the results.
RESULTS: So interesting! These will be great in cocktails. The bourbon ones will do for boozy desserts, the other two are too herby … but in a good way. The Luxardo has leached most of the color from the sour cherries, the sweet cherries have stood up to their liquids a better, but for all of them there's a texture change. None of them are what I would call sweet, even with the added sugars. I predict much fun figuring out the perfect drink pairing for each kind of cherry. *burp*
I have made all three of these recipes, shorting the sugar on the 2nd & 3rd, because really. I shall report back in a week with the results.
RESULTS: So interesting! These will be great in cocktails. The bourbon ones will do for boozy desserts, the other two are too herby … but in a good way. The Luxardo has leached most of the color from the sour cherries, the sweet cherries have stood up to their liquids a better, but for all of them there's a texture change. None of them are what I would call sweet, even with the added sugars. I predict much fun figuring out the perfect drink pairing for each kind of cherry. *burp*
Strawberry Jam
Jun. 29th, 2014 11:45 amThis year's jam has been made following last year's recipe, with the only change being that I let the berries macerate for 2 days because of schedule issues. I made a HUGE batch with 5 quarts of berries, which got a little dicey when I was waiting for it to get to gel, and just barely fit into my big dutch oven, but it seems to have worked out.
With berries at $5.50 a quart, the jam has come out to around $3.50 per pint, with a yield of a little over 8 pints for the batch. Not bad for a superior product.
With berries at $5.50 a quart, the jam has come out to around $3.50 per pint, with a yield of a little over 8 pints for the batch. Not bad for a superior product.
Snow Day Baking
Feb. 5th, 2014 05:19 pmhttp://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/oatmeal-cranberry-cookies-recipe.html
Cardamom, why didn't I think of that? Lovely crisp texture.

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/classic-challah-recipe#reviews
Beautiful and glossy. It only took in 3 cups of flour, but seemed to be the right texture. That cut down the baking time by at least 5 minutes. I hope it didn't get too dry.

Cardamom, why didn't I think of that? Lovely crisp texture.
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/classic-challah-recipe#reviews
Beautiful and glossy. It only took in 3 cups of flour, but seemed to be the right texture. That cut down the baking time by at least 5 minutes. I hope it didn't get too dry.
2.25 lbs of clementines
1 oz of fresh ginger peeled and sliced thin across the grain
peel of one lemon
1 cup lemon juice
4 cups water
2 lbs. Sugar
Put whole clementines in a pot with enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Discard water. Repeat.
When the clementines are cool enough to handle, chop and return to pot with the ginger, lemon peel, juice, and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil and let simmer for about a half an hour until the ginger and peels are tender. Blitz with a stick blender if you want smaller chunks than you've already made.
Add 2 lbs of sugar and bring to a boil. Cook until mixture reaches gel point (220 degrees or sets up on a chilled saucer). This may take a while.
Ladle in to hot clean jars and water process for 10 minutes to make shelf stable.
Yield: 12 4oz jars plus 8oz for the fridge.
Right out of the pot I'm not really tasting the ginger, except maybe on the finish. With any luck it'll come out more as it sits. Next year more ginger.
1 oz of fresh ginger peeled and sliced thin across the grain
peel of one lemon
1 cup lemon juice
4 cups water
2 lbs. Sugar
Put whole clementines in a pot with enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Discard water. Repeat.
When the clementines are cool enough to handle, chop and return to pot with the ginger, lemon peel, juice, and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil and let simmer for about a half an hour until the ginger and peels are tender. Blitz with a stick blender if you want smaller chunks than you've already made.
Add 2 lbs of sugar and bring to a boil. Cook until mixture reaches gel point (220 degrees or sets up on a chilled saucer). This may take a while.
Ladle in to hot clean jars and water process for 10 minutes to make shelf stable.
Yield: 12 4oz jars plus 8oz for the fridge.
Right out of the pot I'm not really tasting the ginger, except maybe on the finish. With any luck it'll come out more as it sits. Next year more ginger.
Lemon Curd Weekend
Dec. 14th, 2013 08:30 pmIt's officially lemon curd weekend. This year's batch is in the canner processing as I type.
I'm using the same recipe that I've been using since 2010, http://sarahbyrdd.livejournal.com/77191.html , and it can't be beat. Pretty reliably it takes 2 standard lemons per recipe. A triple batch gives me 12 4oz. jars plus some to stick in the fridge. Every year I wonder if the eggs, sugar and lemon will ever start to thicken. And then it does. And then I wonder if it's really lemony enough. And then I add the zest. It really is kind of magic. Even more so than jam.
I give most of the curd as gifts. This year I'm not baking for the office folks at all. They're going to get lemon curd, vanilla pear butter, and one other preserve TBD. Maybe an orange ginger marmalade. Whatever I can put together tomorrow. I consider it all product testing and development for the future. :-D
I'm using the same recipe that I've been using since 2010, http://sarahbyrdd.livejournal.com/77191.html , and it can't be beat. Pretty reliably it takes 2 standard lemons per recipe. A triple batch gives me 12 4oz. jars plus some to stick in the fridge. Every year I wonder if the eggs, sugar and lemon will ever start to thicken. And then it does. And then I wonder if it's really lemony enough. And then I add the zest. It really is kind of magic. Even more so than jam.
I give most of the curd as gifts. This year I'm not baking for the office folks at all. They're going to get lemon curd, vanilla pear butter, and one other preserve TBD. Maybe an orange ginger marmalade. Whatever I can put together tomorrow. I consider it all product testing and development for the future. :-D
Mixed Pickle/Giardiniera
Oct. 19th, 2013 07:44 pmInspired by http://www.onetomato-twotomato.com/Main/Blog/Entries/2012/9/30_Indian_Summer_Giardiniera_Pickle.html
and the mixed vegetable pickle in the Ball Book
1 eggplant
2 yellow squash
1 zucchini
5 round italian hot peppers
2 small onions
3 red bell peppers
2 cups green beans
1 cauliflower head
5 small carrots
Cut eggplant, squash, zucchini, onions, bell peppers and cauliflower in to 1 inch chunks, cut carrots thinner on diagonal, cut hot peppers in to thin rounds, stem the green beans and cut in half if they're long.
Soak the above in water with 1 cup salt overnight. You may want to wear gloves to push the veg into jars to avoid discomfort from the hot peppers.

Brine:
8 cups red wine vinegar (batch 2, 2 cups red, 4 cups white)
1/4 pickling spice mix
2 tsps hot pepper flakes
5 cloves garlic slivered
1 tbl oregano (batch 2 only)
1 cup sugar
Divide vegetables in to prepared jars, top with brine leaving headspace, dividing the spices equally, hot water process for 15 minutes for pints, 20 for quarts.
ARGH. Ended up having to do two batches of brine and forgot to put the garlic and spices in the jars on the first round. Meh. It'll still be tasty dressed with oil as an antipasto or on a salad.
Yield: 2 quarts, 1 3/4-quart and 10 pints. Love the retro blue pint jars.

and the mixed vegetable pickle in the Ball Book
1 eggplant
2 yellow squash
1 zucchini
5 round italian hot peppers
2 small onions
3 red bell peppers
2 cups green beans
1 cauliflower head
5 small carrots
Cut eggplant, squash, zucchini, onions, bell peppers and cauliflower in to 1 inch chunks, cut carrots thinner on diagonal, cut hot peppers in to thin rounds, stem the green beans and cut in half if they're long.
Soak the above in water with 1 cup salt overnight. You may want to wear gloves to push the veg into jars to avoid discomfort from the hot peppers.

Brine:
8 cups red wine vinegar (batch 2, 2 cups red, 4 cups white)
1/4 pickling spice mix
2 tsps hot pepper flakes
5 cloves garlic slivered
1 tbl oregano (batch 2 only)
1 cup sugar
Divide vegetables in to prepared jars, top with brine leaving headspace, dividing the spices equally, hot water process for 15 minutes for pints, 20 for quarts.
ARGH. Ended up having to do two batches of brine and forgot to put the garlic and spices in the jars on the first round. Meh. It'll still be tasty dressed with oil as an antipasto or on a salad.
Yield: 2 quarts, 1 3/4-quart and 10 pints. Love the retro blue pint jars.

mmmbutter mit kultur!
Oct. 13th, 2013 07:58 pmIt's somewhere between butter and marscapone. Not quite so tangy, though if I'd let it culture longer there'd have been more tang. The texture is lighter than commercial butter, but I think I also could have washed it more to rinse away more of the milk solids. Chilled, it's acting just like butter ... though more of a whipped variety. I think it should be measured by weight rather than volume for any baking. A quart of cream yielded 1 lb. butter and a pint (plus a bit) of buttermilk. And actual buttermilk is tasty. I can much more easily see that as a treat than the supermarket variety.
I think washing the curds was my favorite part ... when you get in there and squish with your hands, and I got to use the reproduction redware milk pan that Bytcharse gave me last christmas. Being a dairymaid is fun.
I think washing the curds was my favorite part ... when you get in there and squish with your hands, and I got to use the reproduction redware milk pan that Bytcharse gave me last christmas. Being a dairymaid is fun.
Dilly Beans 2013
Oct. 6th, 2013 11:32 amThis recipe http://www.pickyourown.org/greenbeans_pickled.htm in my nifty 1-1/2 pint jars.
Note, for 7 jars I needed 1.5 amount of brine.

Note, for 7 jars I needed 1.5 amount of brine.

http://mlplouff.wordpress.com/2013/08/26/small-batch-peach-jam-2/
http://threecleversisters.com/2012/08/10/peach-jam-with-lavender/
1/2 peck peaches = 4 lbs after skinning and pitting.
+ 2 cups sugar
+ 2 tbls lemon juice
I've split the batch and added a little lavender infused water to one pot.
Chop peaches and mix with sugar to macerate for 30 minutes. Add lemon juice and cook until gel. Water bath process for 10 minutes.
Ended up with 2 1/2 pints lavender and 3 1/2 pints (plus a tiny bit) of plain. Plain got a tiny bit burnt, but not so much as to be unpleasant. That yield says something about the relative liquid contents of peaches and plums.

http://threecleversisters.com/2012/08/10/peach-jam-with-lavender/
1/2 peck peaches = 4 lbs after skinning and pitting.
+ 2 cups sugar
+ 2 tbls lemon juice
I've split the batch and added a little lavender infused water to one pot.
Chop peaches and mix with sugar to macerate for 30 minutes. Add lemon juice and cook until gel. Water bath process for 10 minutes.
Ended up with 2 1/2 pints lavender and 3 1/2 pints (plus a tiny bit) of plain. Plain got a tiny bit burnt, but not so much as to be unpleasant. That yield says something about the relative liquid contents of peaches and plums.

http://littlemisscruciferous.com/2012/08/19/italian-plum-jam/
5.5 lbs is about a 1.2 peck sack of plums. With the pits and trimmings it was more like 4.5 lbs.
yield = 8 1/2 pint jars plus about 6 oz for the fridge.




5.5 lbs is about a 1.2 peck sack of plums. With the pits and trimmings it was more like 4.5 lbs.
yield = 8 1/2 pint jars plus about 6 oz for the fridge.




Tomatopalooza 2013
Aug. 26th, 2013 08:39 pmTwo bushel boxes of tomatoes:
Whole tomatoes in acidulated water: 13 quarts (one blow out)
plus 3 quarts and 2 pints from the 2nd box.
Roasted Tomato salsa:
http://delectablemusings.com/2012/08/tomato-salsa-for-canning.html
I bought a variety of peppers 2 each: jalapeño, poblano, hot long, and anaheim, and roasted them all.
Looks like two trays of tomatoes will yield the volume needed for the salsa. I'm way under pepper volume, but I'm not going to sweat it. SPICY! But good.
9 pints


Salsa 2 (milder)
http://akitchencanvas.wordpress.com/2011/08/27/canning-a-basic-homemade-salsa/
1 extra cup of tomatoes, no bell pepper, 3 small asian chills (because that's what I had by then)
6 pints
Bittman Tomato Jam (quadruple recipe):
http://www.thewednesdaychef.com/the_wednesday_chef/2011/09/mark-bittmans-tomato-jam.html
nine 8-oz jars
Bonus paste from scraps: 2 8-oz. jars (only the skins and cores from the 13 quarts of whole tomatoes).
When I ran out of burners, I tried pouring boiling water (electric kettle) over a bowl of tomatoes and letting it sit for a minute or two before shocking and peeling them. It works pretty well.
Started this mess at about 10:30 A.M, last batch going in the water at 8:45 PM.
I'm pooped.

Whole tomatoes in acidulated water: 13 quarts (one blow out)
plus 3 quarts and 2 pints from the 2nd box.
Roasted Tomato salsa:
http://delectablemusings.com/2012/08/tomato-salsa-for-canning.html
I bought a variety of peppers 2 each: jalapeño, poblano, hot long, and anaheim, and roasted them all.
Looks like two trays of tomatoes will yield the volume needed for the salsa. I'm way under pepper volume, but I'm not going to sweat it. SPICY! But good.
9 pints


Salsa 2 (milder)
http://akitchencanvas.wordpress.com/2011/08/27/canning-a-basic-homemade-salsa/
1 extra cup of tomatoes, no bell pepper, 3 small asian chills (because that's what I had by then)
6 pints
Bittman Tomato Jam (quadruple recipe):
http://www.thewednesdaychef.com/the_wednesday_chef/2011/09/mark-bittmans-tomato-jam.html
nine 8-oz jars
Bonus paste from scraps: 2 8-oz. jars (only the skins and cores from the 13 quarts of whole tomatoes).
When I ran out of burners, I tried pouring boiling water (electric kettle) over a bowl of tomatoes and letting it sit for a minute or two before shocking and peeling them. It works pretty well.
Started this mess at about 10:30 A.M, last batch going in the water at 8:45 PM.
I'm pooped.

Two weekends ago I got two sacks of peaches, one white one yellow, ate a few, and then had to quickly peel and freeze them, before the galloping spoilage took them over, with the plan to jam them later.
I cannot for the life of me find the peach jam recipe I used last year, so it must have been from "pick your own" or the Ball book. This year I'm using the following metric: 1 lb fruit + 2 tsps lemon juice + 1/3 cup sugar + 1 Tbl "no sugar pectin". Because who ever has exactly the amount of fruit that a recipe calls for?
I had 3 lbs. of fruit and got 5 8-oz. jars and one 4-oz. jar out of the batch. It looks a little cloudy, but it sure tastes good.
If we haven't gotten the tomato call for next weekend, I may do another batch of peach jam with amaretto added. I hear the peaches are abundant this year.
I cannot for the life of me find the peach jam recipe I used last year, so it must have been from "pick your own" or the Ball book. This year I'm using the following metric: 1 lb fruit + 2 tsps lemon juice + 1/3 cup sugar + 1 Tbl "no sugar pectin". Because who ever has exactly the amount of fruit that a recipe calls for?
I had 3 lbs. of fruit and got 5 8-oz. jars and one 4-oz. jar out of the batch. It looks a little cloudy, but it sure tastes good.
If we haven't gotten the tomato call for next weekend, I may do another batch of peach jam with amaretto added. I hear the peaches are abundant this year.
Strawberry Jam
Jun. 9th, 2013 02:01 pmToday's project was strawberry jam. I don't know what I did five? (six?) years ago when I started playing with canning and managed to make some kick ass strawberry jam without pectin. Subsequent batches have all been more runny. I tried using regular pectin last year and got strawberry syrup. This year I am determined to kick this thing and get a consistent product. Okay, part of the issue is that the berries themselves aren't consistent and you have to allow for more/less ripe, supermarket vs. farm fresh and things like that. Grrr.
This year: 2 quarts farm fresh strawberries, cleaned, hulled, rough cut, weighing about 1.75 pounds. Add 2 Tbs. lemon juice, plus an equal amount by weight of sugar (4 cups scant*). Mix gently and let macerate overnight. Pour resulting syrup and a small amount of the fruit into a heavy pan and bring to a boil, stirring down the foam. Add a pat of butter to cut down the foam. Boil boil boil. Add reserved fruit, boil a bit more. Add 1 Tbl. "no sugar" pectin, bring to a boil again. Start testing the viscosity of the jam on a saucer you've stashed in the freezer. When the viscosity looks good, take jam off heat skim off any remaining foam, spoon into sterilized jars and hot water process for 10 minutes.
I THINK this year the viscosity is going to be right. This made four 8 oz. jars and one 4 oz. jar. I threw a few grains of lavender into the 4 oz jar to see if that might be a good combo. Given how strong lavender is, I figure just the processing would be enough heat to release the scent and perfume the jam. If I like it I'll try another batch with the lavender in a tea ball or muslin.
* Believe it or not, that's about half the sugar usually called for in jam recipes.
This year: 2 quarts farm fresh strawberries, cleaned, hulled, rough cut, weighing about 1.75 pounds. Add 2 Tbs. lemon juice, plus an equal amount by weight of sugar (4 cups scant*). Mix gently and let macerate overnight. Pour resulting syrup and a small amount of the fruit into a heavy pan and bring to a boil, stirring down the foam. Add a pat of butter to cut down the foam. Boil boil boil. Add reserved fruit, boil a bit more. Add 1 Tbl. "no sugar" pectin, bring to a boil again. Start testing the viscosity of the jam on a saucer you've stashed in the freezer. When the viscosity looks good, take jam off heat skim off any remaining foam, spoon into sterilized jars and hot water process for 10 minutes.
I THINK this year the viscosity is going to be right. This made four 8 oz. jars and one 4 oz. jar. I threw a few grains of lavender into the 4 oz jar to see if that might be a good combo. Given how strong lavender is, I figure just the processing would be enough heat to release the scent and perfume the jam. If I like it I'll try another batch with the lavender in a tea ball or muslin.
* Believe it or not, that's about half the sugar usually called for in jam recipes.