Oh, the treat of homemade Raspberry Jam! This is a traditional cooked Raspberry Jam with no pectin added. This method of jam making is sometimes referred to as “long boil jam” because it is cooked on the stovetop until the jam has cooked down and thickened. Continue reading Traditional Raspberry Jam – no pectin added
Strawberry and rhubarb are two of my favorite flavor combinations. It should come as no surprise, then, that I would create a Strawberry Rhubarb Jelly recipe. With its stunning color and beautiful flavor, this jelly is sure to become a family favorite. Continue reading Strawberry Rhubarb Jelly Recipe
One of the most versatile foods in the garden has to be tomatoes – enjoy the ripe ones fresh or make into into sauce. Use the green tomatoes to make Green Tomato Marmalade, chow, and the list of possibilities for their use is practically endless. Today, I am sharing my recipe for another use of green tomatoes – Green Tomato Mincemeat, the uses for which are extensive. Continue reading Green Tomato Mincemeat Recipe
For those of you who are regular followers of my food blog, you know my love of rhubarb! I am always creating new recipes for it and that includes this fabulous beautiful-colored Rosy Rhubarb Jelly made from the strained juice of cooked rhubarb. With the smaller household in mind, I have created this stunning Rhubarb Jelly recipe to be a small batch – it should yield 3 half-pint and 1 quarter-pint jars. Continue reading Rosy Rhubarb Jelly Recipe
Homemade jam is such a wonderful treat. And, of course, there is the sense of accomplishment seeing the results of processing fruit into tasty jam. Today, I share my recipe for small batch Cherry Jam. Continue reading Small Batch Cherry Jam
This Strawberry Rhubarb Freezer Jam boasts wonderful flavour and is very quick and easy to make. Because it is to stored in the freezer, it does not require a long cooking time or the hot water canning process. Continue reading Strawberry Rhubarb Freezer Jam Recipe
Jamming and preserving season here in PEI starts with rhubarb, one of the first treats from the garden. The two crowns of rhubarb in our garden produce lots of rhubarb for use when it is in season and to freeze for later enjoyment.
One of the first things I make with rhubarb as soon as it is ready is this wonderful Rhubarb Marmalade I have been making for years. The marmalade only takes five ingredients – rhubarb, granulated sugar, an orange, half a pink grapefruit, and half of a lemon. The color of the rhubarb marmalade is a lovely deep shade and its flavour is fresh and slightly tart. Continue reading Rhubarb Marmalade Recipe
Green Tomato Marmalade is not an altogether common variety of marmalade. It’s not the “garden” variety of typical marmalades likely to be found on many supermarket shelves, or at least not in my neck of the woods anyway. That, in my view, makes Green Tomato Marmalade all the more special because it’s more unique and exclusive!
But, wait, in another sense, Green Tomato Marmalade is very much a “garden” variety of marmalade in that it is a great way to make use of the usual abundance of green tomatoes many gardeners end up with in their gardens in late summer or early fall and are wondering what they can do with them so they aren’t wasted.
Variations of green tomato jam and marmalade have been around for years. I expect many homemakers of years ago made one or the other (either the jam or marmalade) because they would have likely had lots of tomatoes in the garden so it was an economical ingredient to use and to have as a spread for bread or biscuits over the winter. Those homemakers were frugal and resourceful as there were no big supermarkets with a large selection of jams and marmalades we see today and, in some cases, families were large and did not have a lot of money. So, consequently, they figured out ways to feed their families economically, making good use of food they grew themselves.
Green Tomato Marmalade is one of those food items I would class as “don’t knock it till you’ve tried it”. This marmalade is both sweet and savory, making it a versatile product to have on the pantry shelf. Combining the green tomatoes with citrus flavours (orange and lemon) and some crushed pineapple for sweetness balance and texture, this marmalade is versatile and can be used just as one would use orange marmalade, for example – spread on toast, biscuits, and scones. Green Tomato Marmalade can also be eaten as a savory condiment with cheese, charcuterie, and cracker boards.
Almost any variety of medium/large tomatoes can be used for this marmalade. Tiny Tims variety or grape tomatoes, however, do not work well in this recipe because they are way too small to work with and are full of seeds.
My advice would be to try to find a variety that does not have a lot of seeds as the tomatoes will yield more tomato meat per pound for the marmalade and the tomatoes will be a lot easier to prepare. This is because the seeds and the watery/gelatinous sack that are inside the tomatoes need to be removed for this marmalade. Leaving them in will result in two things: 1) Too much water in the marmalade causing issues getting it to jell; and 2) tomatoes are tremendously seedy and all those seeds just simply do not look appetizing in the finished product and are a nightmare for anyone who cannot digest seeds well. The odd few seeds may make their way in to the marmalade and are not, generally, a problem for most but the intent is to remove as many seeds as possible from the tomatoes.
Cut each tomato in half, then each half into several wedges. Scoop, or cut, out and discard the watery gelatinous sack and its seeds.
Cut up the remaining tomato pieces into small, bite-sized chunks. These don’t need to be minced, by any means, but they need to be small enough to get cooked properly and to look appealing when spread on toast or biscuits.
The addition of lemon and orange (and their zests) is what, in my opinion, makes this a marmalade as marmalades traditionally contain citrus fruit. This recipe calls for a small amount of crushed pineapple. This adds an element of sweetness, flavour, and texture. There is no need to drain the pineapple in a sieve or colander but, instead, use a slotted spoon to scoop the pineapple out of the can and let some of the juice drip off for a few seconds before measuring the pineapple. There will still be juice in the pineapple and up to a couple of tablespoons of juice will be fine. Any more and, like the watery part of tomatoes, it would add too much liquid to the marmalade content, potentially causing issues getting it to jell. Adding a small piece of cinnamon stick injects a subtle hint of cinnamon to the marmalade. However, it is not recommended to leave the cinnamon stick in the marmalade for the entire cooking process because it can result in too intense and excessive cinnamon flavour which is not the intent with this marmalade.
Care must be taken to ensure the marmalade does not scorch as it slowly cooks. With the sugar content, scorching is always a risk. Once a jam or marmalade has scorched, there is no fixing it and it’s a batch destined for the green compost cart. Stirring the marmalade fairly regularly as it cooks will help it to thicken and prevent scorching (as will keeping it at a low boil and using a heavy bottomed stock pot). It’s all about heat control. If desired, a few cut up red maraschino cherries can be added for color at the end of the cooking process.
Patience is required to make marmalade – it takes time for it to set, which can be upwards of two hours. Getting the marmalade at the right jelling stage is the key part of marmalade making. Temperatures for finished marmalade can range from 217°F to 222°F and the temperature at which the marmalade is taken off the stove will determine how runny or thick it is. Undercooking the marmalade will result in a very runny product while overcooking it will make it too thick and sticky to spread on anything and it will become very dark in color. I boil my marmalade slowly until it reaches a sustained temperature of 220°F on the candy thermometer. I find, at that stage, it has a lovely thick, yet still spreadable consistency. Marmalade is meant to be thicker than jam but still needs to be spreadable.
I could not get along without my candy/food thermometer for accurately checking food temperature. If, however, you do not have a candy thermometer, a “wrinkle” test of the marmalade on a cold saucer can also be used to test the marmalade for doneness (see notes at the end of the recipe below for how to conduct this test).
Half-pint bottles, like those shown in the photo at the beginning of this posting, are perfectly sized for marmalade. The bottles must be washed in hot, soapy water and rinsed thoroughly before being sterilized in boiling water for 10 minutes. Fill the sterilized jars with the marmalade to within ¼“ of the jar rim. Seal with the heated lids secured with the bands that came with the jars. Process the half-pint bottles in a hot water bath for 10 minutes to give them shelf stability for several months – if the Green Tomato Marmalade lasts that long! (Note the marmalade in the tiny jelly jars in the photos below have been transferred, for cracker board presentation purposes, from the half-pint bottles in which they were bottled and processed in the hot water bath – they were not processed in these jelly jars which I have not tested in a hot water bath process.)
The lemons, orange, and crushed pineapple turn the bright green tomatoes into a superb marmalade of glorious golden amber color. Don’t expect this marmalade to taste like tomatoes as might be expected. Rather, it has a surprisingly sweet and savory blend of flavours that make it a tasty and luxurious marmalade for which a multitude of creative uses can be found.
Give it a try!
Ingredients:
4 lbs green tomatoes, cored, seeded, and diced or cut into small chunks (should equal apx. 9½ – 10 cups cut up)
2½ lbs granulated sugar
1½ lemons, chopped + zest
1 orange, chopped + zest
10 oz crushed pineapple with some of its juice
2” piece of cinnamon stick
4 oz maraschino cherries, chopped (optional)
Method:
Wash tomatoes. Cut into sections and remove the stem end, core, seeds, and the watery/gelatinous sack around the seeds. Dice, or cut the tomato pieces into small chunks. Place in large bowl and add the sugar. Let stand for three hours to draw the juice from the tomatoes and allow the sugar to dissolve. Stir two to three times.
Wash the lemons and orange well. Zest the lemons and oranges. Remove any seeds and cut lemons and orange into small pieces.
Transfer tomato–sugar mixture and the liquid to a medium-sized stock pot. Add the chopped lemons and orange and the zest, along with the crushed pineapple. Add the piece of cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil over medium high temperature, stirring to prevent scorching. Immediately lower the temperature and cook, uncovered, at a slow gentle boil until mixture reads 220°F, sustained, on a candy thermometer*. Stir mixture regularly to prevent scorching. Be patient, this can take upwards of 2 hours. Remove the cinnamon stick after about an hour. When marmalade has reached its temperature, remove from heat and stir in the maraschino cherries, if using.
While the marmalade is cooking, fill a large pot of water, about ¾ full. Place 6 half-pint jars, upright, into the water. Ensure the jars are fully submerged, are each filled with water, and that the water is at least an inch over the tops of the jars. Cover, bring to a boil, and boil for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and leave the jars in the hot water while the marmalade finishes cooking.
Meanwhile, fill the canner about one-third to one-half full of water. Cover and bring to a boil to have it ready for the filled jars.
When the marmalade is cooked, use a jar lifter to remove the hot jars from the water. Using a canning funnel, pour marmalade into sterilized jars, leaving about ¼” headroom in each jar. Wipe the jar rims with a clean cloth. Seal jars with heated lids and fingertip-tightened ring bands.
Place jars in hot water bath wire basket, ensuring jars do not touch each other or fall over. Carefully lower basket into canner of hot water. Ensure the water level is at least 1” above the tops of jars, adding more boiling water as necessary. Cover with canner lid. Increase the heat to return the water to a rolling boil then decrease the heat to just keep the water at a rolling boil but not boiling over. Process half-pint jars in the hot water bath for 10 minutes, adjusting time for altitude. Start timing the processing from the point where a full rolling boil is reached after basket of jars has been added to the canner. At the end of the processing time, turn off heat and remove canner lid. Using a jar lifter, carefully remove the jars, one at a time, and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Listen for the “pop” or “ping” sound as the bottles seal over the next few minutes or hours. The lids of properly sealed jars will curve downward. Let jars rest, undisturbed, on wire rack for 12 hours. Store in cool, dark place. Refrigerate marmalade once opened.
Yield: Apx. 6 half-pint bottles
*If you don’t have a candy thermometer, place 2-3 freezer-safe saucers in freezer. To test for doneness, place a small amount of marmalade on chilled saucer and swirl saucer around. Let marmalade sit, untouched, for about a minute, then gently push your finger through the marmalade. If the marmalade holds its shape (i.e., does not immediately run back together after the finger has been removed from the marmalade), it is set and ready to bottle. If not, continue to cook mixture, repeating the “chill” test about every 3 minutes or so (always removing the pot from the heat while conducting the chill test) until the marmalade passes the “chill” test. Do not overcook as it will result in a very thick marmalade, dark in color.
While the marmalade is cooking, fill a large pot of water, about ¾ full. Place 6 half-pint jars, upright, into the water. Ensure the jars are fully submerged, are each filled with water, and that the water is at least an inch over the tops of the jars. Cover, bring to a boil, and boil for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and leave the jars in the hot water while the marmalade finishes cooking.
After marmalade has completely cooled, if there are any jars on which the lids have not curved downward, refrigerate those jars and use the marmalade within a month.
Peach Marmalade
Rhubarb Marmalade
Crabapple Jelly
Blueberry and Grand Marnier Jam
Gooseberry Jam
Zucchini Jam
Pumpkin Jam
Christmas is an excellent time to make Clementine Curd when fresh clementines are readily available. While certainly lesser known than the traditional Lemon Curd, Clementine Curd is lovely in its own way.
Less sharp and “puckery” than Lemon Curd, Clementine Curd is almost identical in color to lemon curd (perhaps a slight bit paler) and still has a lovely citrus flavour.
Be prepared to devote some time and patience to making any curd. It cooks slowly over a pot of simmering (never boiling) water to reach its finished stage (170F on a candy thermometer). You may wish to read my previous postings on making lemon curd and rhubarb curd for hints and tips on make curd as the same techniques apply to the making of Clementine Curd.
Use this Clementine Curd in the same way in which you would use Lemon Curd — as a spread on biscuits, scones, muffins, or toast; as a filling for cakes; in a parfait with Greek yogurt; or as a filling for tarts and cookies. Bottle the curd in a fancy jar and you have a lovely gift for someone, especially if you include a batch of homemade scones or biscuits with it.
[Printable recipe follows at end of posting]
Ingredients:
¾ cup caster* sugar or granulated sugar
2½ tsp clementine zest
7 tbsp freshly squeezed clementine juice, strained (apx. 5 clementines, depending on size)
2 extra-large egg yolks
1 large whole egg
3 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
Method:
In bottom of double boiler, bring about 2” of water to the simmer point (around 200°F). Maintain the water at this simmer point over medium-low heat. Place sugar in top of double boiler or heat-proof bowl. Mix in the clementine zest. Whisk the clementine juice into sugar.
In small bowl, lightly beat the 2 egg yolks and the whole egg together with a fork, just enough to break up the yolks and blend with the whole egg. Whisk the eggs into the sugar-clementine juice mixture. Add the soft butter. Place this pot or bowl over the simmering water. Stir the mixture continuously as it cooks until it is thickened and the temperature of the mixture registers 170°F on a candy thermometer. Be patient as this will take awhile. Make sure the water in the bottom of the boiler does not boil and stays only at the simmer point.
Remove curd from heat and strain through a mesh strainer to remove any of the egg white that may have coagulated as well as the clementine rind. Pour strained curd into a sterilized bottle. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd to prevent it from forming a skin on top. Cool at room temperature. Remove plastic wrap. Cover jar tightly and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Yield: Apx. 1 cup
*caster sugar may also be known as fruit sugar, berry sugar, super fine sugar, or instant dissolving sugar.
Note: Altitude may affect the temperature at which the water reaches the simmering point. The important thing is that the water in the bottom of the double boiler does not boil or touch the top of the double boiler/heatproof bowl during the cooking of the curd.
Similar to lemon curd but more mellow, this delightful clementine curd is especially lovely at Christmas when fresh clementines are readily available.
*caster sugar may also be known as fruit sugar, berry sugar, super fine sugar, or instant dissolving sugar.
Note: Altitude may affect the temperature at which the water reaches the simmering point. The important thing is that the water in the bottom of the double boiler does not boil or touch the top of the double boiler/heatproof bowl during the cooking of the curd.
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Cranberry Curd
Lime Curd
Rhubarb Curd
Lemon Curd
For as long as I can remember, peach marmalade has been part of our family’s pantry of preserves. As a small child, I remember the yearly ritual of my great grandmother (who we always knew as “Gram”) making peach marmalade. And a ritual it was.
The Ontario baskets of peaches were highly anticipated each August and we would pick up a basket for Gram, carefully inspecting each peach to ensure it was free of blemishes (lest we hear about it) and ensuring we had one of the large baskets with just the right amount of peaches in it. We would hunt down the best orange we could find (it had to be juicy and, at that time, that was hard to find in August when oranges were out of season), and a small bottle of red maraschino cherries. We would ensure Gram had all the supplies and she would carefully and tediously get the pulp prepared for the revered peach marmalade. Then, the following day, she and my grandmother would spend the day together making this special marmalade, slowly cooking and gently stirring it over the wood stove. I think my great grandmother savored every minute of its production as much, I suspect, as eating the actual marmalade.
You see, in my great grandmother’s day (she was born in 1883), peach marmalade was considered a luxury and was not the type of preserve that just anyone in our area made. My ancestors of the day would have been familiar with strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, black currant, and pumpkin jams but that would have been about the extent of the repertoire of preserving. These would have been items that would have been grown locally on their farms or, in the case of raspberries and blackberries, probably along the roadsides near their homes.
Where my great grandmother got the recipe for peach marmalade, I have no idea but my best guess is probably in the local newspaper. This marmalade would have been cooked on an old wood stove and I always marvel at how the cooks of the day were able to produce what they did because the heat was not easy to control. Today, when I think of myself in comparison to my great grandmother, I have a completely computerized stove that produces consistent and accurate heat all the time.
The recipe I use today is a modified version of my great grandmother’s which was passed down to me with the list of three ingredients (peaches, oranges, and maraschino cherries) and a method that was somewhat vague on the details. The batch that my great grandmother made was more than three times the size of the one I make. Here’s how the instructions read: “Over the peaches and oranges, put white sugar. Let stand overnight. In the morning, add a bottle of maraschino cherries cup up. Also add the juice and boil slowly on back of stove until thick. Then bottle.” If you weren’t someone who had some experience making jams and marmalades, this would not have been much to go on. For example, how much sugar? Those with experience will know that, as a general rules of thumb and in the absence of any information to the contrary, it is typically, cup for cup, sugar-to-fruit pulp but, for an inexperienced cook, I suspect most would not have a clue about the amount of sugar needed for a successful batch of the marmalade.
Over the years, I have adapted this recipe and certainly cut it down in size as I don’t need the amount of jam that 24 peaches would make! I also don’t let the peaches sit overnight in the sugar because I don’t think it is necessary and I think it would discolor the peaches. I also add a bit of lemon to my marmalade, have defined how many cherries are needed, and have omitted the cherry juice because I think it discolors the wonderful peach color of the marmalade. The other ingredient I have added is Peach Schnapps. My teetotaler great grandmother would be horrified as I can confidently state she would not have had such a liqueur in her house! Anyhoo…….
I am not sure how my great grandmother, a widow living alone by this time, would have eaten up this much peach marmalade but a new batch was made annually. Whether she ate it with homemade bread toasted over her wood stove or whether she served it in a small custard dish with biscuits for a light tea/supper, I am not certain. All I know is that, up until the time she died at the age of 99, the peach marmalade was made every year. After she was no longer able to participate in its production, my grandmother made it on her own so my great grandmother would continue to enjoy it. After my great grandmother passed away, however, my grandmother did not continue the annual tradition of making the peach marmalade.
I can’t say that making peach marmalade is an annual tradition with me. I do, however, make it many years and I always think of my two grandmothers and their tradition with this marmalade.
Making this marmalade will take a little time as it has to simmer on the stove for about an hour or so. Don’t overcook it (it does not need 2 hours of cooking like my great-grandmother’s instructions said) as it will become too thick and lose its spreading quality and wonderful color (it will become very dark). The marmalade can be made without the Peach Schnapps, of course. The liqueur, however, does deepen the peach flavor a bit. Don’t go overboard on the liqueur as it not only will be too intense but the liquid content will alter the consistency of the marmalade. If you choose not to include the liqueur, you may wish to add a half teaspoon of almond extract, although that is not mandatory either.
Ensure the jars are sterilized before filling with the marmalade. Leave about 1/4″ headroom in each jar. Ensure they are properly sealed with heated lids. I recommend that the jars be processed in a canner with a hot water bath for 10 minutes, following the canner manufacturer’s instructions.
[Printable recipe follows at end of posting]
Ingredients:
7 large peaches, washed
Zest of orange
1 medium-sized orange, seeded and chopped into small pieces
Zest of ½ lemon
½ medium-sized lemon, seeded and chopped into small pieces
1/3 cup maraschino cherries, finely chopped
1½ tbsp Peach Schnapps (optional) or ½ tsp almond flavoring
Granulated sugar equal to amount of fruit pulp
Method:
Plunge peaches in boiling water for about 1 minute to loosen skin. Peel. Halve the peaches and remove and discard stones. Dice the peaches into small pieces, about ½“ in size. Add the chopped orange and lemon along with the orange and lemon zest. Measure the amount of the peach pulp, orange, and lemon. Add an equal amount of sugar. For example, if the total amount of the pulp equals 4 cups, add 4 cups of sugar.
Place 2-3 freezer-safe saucers in freezer.
Place pulp and sugar into a medium-sized stockpot. Stir. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. Reduce heat and simmer until mixture thickens and peaches are translucent, stirring occasionally. This could take about an hour, a little more or less*. To test for doneness, place a small amount of marmalade on chilled saucer and swirl saucer around. Let marmalade sit, untouched, for about a minute, then gently push your finger through the marmalade. If the marmalade holds its shape (i.e., does not run back together after the finger has been removed from the marmalade), it is set and ready to bottle. If not, continue to cook mixture, repeating the “chill” test about every 3 minutes or so (always removing the pot from the heat while conducting the chill test) until the marmalade passes the “chill” test. Do not overcook as it will result in a very thick marmalade, dark in color.
Remove pot from heat and skim off any foam that may still remain on the marmalade. Stir in cherries and Peach Schnapps (or almond flavoring). Using a canning funnel, pour marmalade into sterilized jars, leaving about ¼” headroom in each jar. Wipe the jar rims with a clean cloth. Seal jars with heated lids and fingertip-tightened ring bands. Process in boiling water canner, following canner manufacturer’s directions, for 10 minutes. Remove jars from hot water to cooling rack. Listen for the “pop” or “ping” sound as the bottles seal over the next few hours. The lids of properly sealed jars will curve downward. Refrigerate any jars that do not have lids curved downward and use within 1 month.
Yield: Apx. 5 half-pints
*Note that it is difficult to give a precise cooking time for the marmalade since various factors, including the pectin level of the fruit and heat level of stove, can vary significantly and may affect cooking and marmalade-setting times. This is why the “chill” test is the recommended method for determining marmalade setting. It is recommended that the first “chill” test be conducted somewhere around the 45-50 minute point in the cooking process. It does not necessarily mean that the marmalade will be done in that timeframe and more than one “chill” test may need to be performed.
Peach Marmalade
Delicious peach marmalade made with fresh peaches, orange, lemon, maraschino cherries, and a splash of Peach Schnapps. Serve on toast, biscuits, or dolloped onto vanilla custard for a tasty dessert.
Ingredients
Instructions
I love rhubarb and use it in a multitude of ways. Being a lover of lemon curd, I figured I would also like rhubarb curd so I set about developing and testing a recipe for it. This delightful creamy curd can be used in the same ways as lemon curd – sandwiching cakes together, spreading on scones, filling cookies, eclairs, macarons, and tarts, stirring into (or topping on) Greek yogurt for quick parfaits, and, well, its uses are only limited by your imagination! Continue reading Rhubarb Curd Recipe
I adore lemon curd – luscious lemon curd – that wonderful balance of lemon’s acidity and tartness with the sweetness of sugar. I love it so much that it’s a staple in my refrigerator. Continue reading Luscious Lemon Curd
On my stove today was blueberry jam….but not just any jam…Blueberry AND Grand Marnier Jam! Blueberry and orange are a great flavor combo so why not add a little kick to the jam by adding an orange-flavored liqueur. This does add a level of richness and flavor complexity to the jam.
My berries came from the Tryon Blueberries U-pick in North Tryon, PEI. These are high bush blueberries and picking them is quick and easy since the vines are loaded with large flavorful berries. No need to get down on the hands and knees to pick these blueberries!
It takes probably no more than 10-15 minutes to pick a 5-pound box or bowlful and that’s generally from only 4-5 bushes.
This is an easy jam to make. I do use liquid pectin in the jam which gives it a soft set. I find blueberry jam takes forever to cook and thicken if I don’t use pectin. This is still a soft consistency jam that spreads easily and it is jam packed full of summer flavor!
The berries need to be slightly crushed so that their juices get released quickly as this jam does not cook long. Only crush a few berries at a time, using a potato masher, and make sure they are in single layers as you crush them so that each berry gets broken open. There is no need to purée them as the idea is for the jam to still have some texture to it and not be completely smooth like a jelly.
Adding a bit of cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon rind provides an additional flavor boost to the jam.
This is a super easy and quick jam to make. It is especially good on biscuits, scones, and toast. It’s also quite delightful dolloped on top of custard or Greek yogurt for a simple and quick dessert.
[a printable version of recipe follows at end of post]
Blueberry and Grand Marnier Jam
Ingredients:
4 cups crushed high bush blueberries (apx. 2 lbs)
3¼ cups granulated sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp finely grated lemon rind
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 – 85ml pouch Certo liquid pectin
¼ cup Grand Marnier liqueur
Method:
Wash berries. Using a potato masher, lightly crush berries to release their juice, mashing about one cup at a time, single layer.
In bowl, mix sugar and spices together. Stir in lemon rind.
Place crushed berries in large pot. Add the sugar-spice mixture and lemon juice. Stir well and bring to a full rolling boil, stirring to prevent scorching. Once boiling, boil hard for 1 minute, stirring continuously. Remove from heat and add the pouch of liquid pectin along with the Grand Marnier liqueur. Stir for 5 minutes, skimming off any foam that may form. Ladle into hot sterilized jars, filling to about ¼” from the top of each jar. Wipe each jar top. Cover jars with heated lids and screw on bands fingertip tight. Store jam in refrigerator or cold room. For greater longevity, process in a hot water bath, following canner manufacturer’s directions.
Yield: Apx. 7 half-pint jars
A quick and easy-to-make jam that is flavored with spices and Grand Marnier liqueur
Ingredients
Instructions
My grandmother had two small fruit-bearing bushes at the edge of her garden – a black current and a gooseberry. Both were good producers despite their relatively small size and age. I remember helping her to stem and tip the berries before they were made into jam. Every year, she would make a small amount of black current jam and the same of gooseberry, both of which would be very judiciously produced at the table throughout the year as these were considered very special jams. One did not eat these jams at the same rate as the more common strawberry and raspberry jams were consumed! I loved her black current and gooseberry jams! Continue reading Gooseberry Jam
As I write this post, it’s apple season in Prince Edward Island and orchards are filled with trees bearing wonderful apples of so many varieties. There’s nothing like heading to a u-pick orchard to pick your own apples. I typically pick several pecks each fall — in fact, sometimes it’s easy to get carried away and pick too many! However, they do get processed into pies, crisps, sauces, and jellies like this Crabapple Jelly.
Continue reading Crabapple Jelly
Zucchini is one vegetable that seems to grow prolifically. Come fall and many gardeners have an abundance of zucchini they don’t know what to do with. Zucchini is actually a very versatile veggie that can be used in cakes, cookies, muffins, and jams. I like to keep grated zucchini frozen and ready for use in various tasty baking products over the winter. Another recipe I like to use zucchini in is this one for zucchini jam. It is quite easy to make and is a great spread on toast, biscuits, or as a dollop on vanilla custard. Its bright orange color makes it a showy jam.
Zucchini Jam
Ingredients:
6 cups grated zucchini (peel and seed zucchini before grating)
5 cups sugar
1 cup crushed pineapple, with juice
1 tbsp lime juice
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 (85g) orange jello
1 (85g) lemon jello
Directions:
Assemble ingredients.
Peel and seed zucchini. Grate enough zucchini to make 6 cups, loosely packed.
Place zucchini and sugar in pot and boil, uncovered, over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in pineapple and the lemon and lime juices. Bring to a boil. Boil, uncovered, 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Skim off, and discard, any foam that may form.
Add jellos, stirring until incorporated and jellos are dissolved.
Pour into hot sterilized jars, leaving ¼” headroom on top of each jar. Seal.
Process the jam in a hot water bath, following the directions provided with your hot water canner.
Yield: Apx. 7-8 half pints
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This year seemed to be a particularly good year for growing pumpkins on the Island. Everywhere I looked I saw fields, bins, and wagons full of the bright orange pumpkins which are members of the gourd family.
Funny how we can’t wait to display them on our doorsteps and in fall displays but, once the end of November arrives, we don’t want to see pumpkins hanging around as thoughts turn to Christmas decorating.
So, wondering what to do with those pumpkins instead of throwing them into the compost bin? Why not make a batch of old-fashioned pumpkin jam. This isn’t an altogether common jam you are likely to find on many supermarket shelves. Yet, it is a very tasty, economical, and versatile jam that only takes four ingredients — pumpkin, sugar, crushed pineapple, and jello. This is a jam that my grandmother used to make every fall for her brother yet I don’t recall it ever being on her own pantry shelves and I’m not sure why.
The jam has a wonderful bright orange-yellow color. In fact, I think it is more like a marmalade than a jam. Regardless, it is very tasty on toast, biscuits, as a filling for cookies, and as a dollop on warm vanilla custard.
To make the jam, select a pumpkin that is more oblong than round in shape. I visited my local vegetable stand and they told me these are “jamming” pumpkins.
Cut the pumpkin open and remove and discard the seeds and pulp.
Cut the pumpkin flesh into finely diced pieces and place in pot.
Add the sugar to the diced pumpkin and let the mixture sit overnight. The sugar will draw the juice out of the pumpkin.
In the morning, drain and reserve the juice from the pumpkin.
Boil the juice for 20 minutes over medium heat to form a syrup.
Add the drained pumpkin to the hot syrup.
Over medium heat, cook the pumpkin until it starts to become transparent, approximately 20-30 minutes.
Add the can of crushed pineapple and its juice to the jam.
Add the jello to the jam.
Bring jam to a boil over medium heat.
Meanwhile, sterilize the jars.
Fill the sterilized jars.
Place warmed lids on the hot jam bottles to seal and fingertip-tighten the rims to the bottles.
Store this jam in the refrigerator for approximately 1 month and enjoy it fresh as a treat when pumpkins are in season.
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By Published: December 1, 2012
A colorful, moderately sweet, versatile jam.
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There is nothing quite like the scent of newly picked strawberries straight from the field! It’s a hallmark of Summer, particularly in climates with short growing seasons such as that on PEI. Some years, we are lucky to get a couple of weeks out of the “strawberry season” but, this year, weather conditions have permitted it to be extended to about a month.
I remember when I was growing up, the early morning take-offs to the nearby U-pick berry field so we would be in the line-up for its 6:00am opening for fear of not being in time to get the best “pickings” of berries. Out would come the big, huge plastic bowls, hats, and bug spray and off to the field we’d go to get berries for eating, for jamming and, of course, “to put away” which meant crushing and freezing them for uses throughout the year. There was no such thing as imported strawberries in the Winter from other countries as there is today….although I’ll argue those don’t have the flavour our local ones do! Indeed, there would always be the “reviews” as to the quality of the berries – “they were so large, they had no flavour”, “they were so small, they were “poor” this year and not worth picking”, or “they had too hard a core in the center” – and, of course, the weather was never quite right for their growing no matter the conditions! It seemed there was no “perfect” berry! Yet, people picked pounds and pounds and buckets of them every year. Going to the berry field was somewhat of a social event because that’s where everybody in nearby communities congregated in early July to get those berries!
I don’t freeze a lot of berries and take up freezer space with them but I do purée some for specific recipes I know I am likely to make throughout the year. I freeze them in recipe-specific proportions and label them with the recipe name. I like to make strawberry jam – sometimes I think more for the wonderful scent in the kitchen when it is cooking than for the need to have several bottles of jam available – although that’s a nice side benefit! When I make my jams, I use smaller bottles – i.e., the 1-cup and ½-cup sizes. These are ideal sizes for sharing and gift-giving and, let’s face it, who minds getting a treat of homemade jam. Even if you make your own, isn’t it always nice to taste another cook’s jam?
I like strawberry jam on toast, scones, as a dollop on warm custard and, yes, even in my dark fruitcake that I make in the Fall. But, one of the most marvelous ways to enjoy strawberry jam is on fresh homemade biscuits still warm from the oven. For some reason, the flavour of strawberry jam always seems more true when the jam is served on a plain tea biscuit along with a nice cup of freshly brewed tea. Perhaps this is why, of all the varieties of jams available, strawberry is typically the quintessential variety found on traditional afternoon tea tables.
The recipe I used to make strawberry jam this year comes from Anna Olson of the food network. This recipe does not make a large batch of jam – it yields approximately 6 cups. It is a fairly sweet jam and I think the amount of sugar could be reduced by ½ cup to 3½ cups (instead of 4 cups the recipe calls for). However, degree of jam sweetness is one of personal preference and much depends on the variety of strawberries being used and how much natural sugar the berries already contain. This is not a super-thick jam and it does not use pectin. I found I had to boil it longer than the recipe directions said. In fact, I boiled it near an hour to get it thick enough for my liking. The flavour is really good and authentic. One thing I do is use a potato masher to crush up some, but not all, of the berries because I like some chunks of berries in my jam but not so many that it makes it difficult to spread.
Bottles of PEI Strawberry Jam
One of my favourite pastimes is to relax and enjoy an afternoon tea. No better way than with a cuppa, fresh tea biscuits, and newly made strawberry jam. It’s a great way to enjoy the fruits of jam-making labour!
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Over the years, many Island homes, particularly those in the country (including mine) have had (and many still do) a rhubarb patch. The tiny shoots of the perennial rhubarb plants poking through the earth are always considered a harbinger of Spring and a welcome one at that. After many long Winter months in Northeastern Canada, it’s always good to see this sign of life in the corner of the garden. In fact, some local groups on PEI host fund-raising “Rhubarb Socials” each June at which they serve desserts made with rhubarb so it appears the lowly rhubarb has gained some social status!
A number of years ago, I suggested planting a rhubarb crown (rhizomes) in the corner of our cottage garden. The idea was not met with grand enthusiasm but, nonetheless, I went to the garden center and landed home with two rhubarb crowns which did get planted (I knew they would once they were onsite!). Well, now that rhubarb is just the greatest thing ever planted! It grew alright – in fact, we now have more of a rhubarb “bush” than a patch! Some stalks are about 18” tall. Local supermarkets are currently selling rhubarb for $3.99/lb (Cdn $). In fact, I saw some at a local farm stand last Saturday where they were selling for $4.95 and they were not overly fresh either. Sometimes, we take for granted the value of what we have in our backyard gardens. In fact, in Spring 2011, I planted two rhubarb crowns in the backyard of my suburban home. I’m pleased to say they are doing very well – long, strong stalks (ribs) with huge triangular-shaped leaves. I can’t remove any stalks from these plants this year but, next year, I can harvest one-third of the produce and, the following year, as much as is available since the rhubarb will be well established by then.
In PEI, we harvest rhubarb from early-mid May until mid-June. Harvest when stalks are long and still slender as thicker stalks tend to be older and, therefore, tougher and more stringy. To harvest, grasp the rhubarb stalk down close to its root base and give it a good tug to pull it out of the ground. Immediately cut off and discard the bottom whitish part of each stalk. The early Spring stalks are the most tender and yield greater juiciness.
If you are buying rhubarb at a farm market or grocery store, look for stalks that look dry, have crispness to them and are not limp, soft, wilted, or showing signs of turning brown at the ends.
Rhubarb is available in many varieties and shades of color that range from green to stalks that are red-green speckled or graduated in color from red to green, to deep crimson red. When purchasing a rhubarb crown for your garden or when buying rhubarb stalks, I recommend looking for varieties that have a deep red color. They will have the most flavour and give the richest pink color to recipes. Stalks that are primarily green are less flavourful and do not add appealing color to culinary dishes. As a rough, general guideline, 1 pound of raw rhubarb will yield approximately 4 cups chopped.
There has long been a debate over whether rhubarb is a fruit or a vegetable. It is often referred to as the “pie plant” because one of the most common and recognizable uses of it is in rhubarb pie and we tend to think of dessert pies as being made with fruit, not vegetables. Rhubarb is generally considered to be a vegetable notwithstanding that, in 1947, a New York court decided that, since it was primarily used as fruit in the US, rhubarb would be considered a fruit for the purposes of regulations and duties. So, while rhubarb is often treated as a fruit in many culinary dishes, botanically and by general consensus, it appears to be more accepted as a vegetable.
Regardless whether it is a fruit or a vegetable (we’ll leave that to botanists and other scientists to make the definitive call on that), it is a very versatile ingredient in many recipes. From jams, marmalades, sauces, chutneys, and drinks to pies, tortes, puddings, muffins, and ice cream, there are an endless number of recipes in which to use rhubarb. While I don’t fancy it raw, it is not uncommon to find our young glasscutter hopping off the mower to head over to our rhubarb patch to grab a rhubarb stalk to snack on! Guess he must like the sour, tart taste better than I do!
Rhubarb freezes very well and we freeze a number of bags each Spring. Chopped and frozen in recipe-specific portions and labelled accordingly, rhubarb is then available to us year-round to use in our favourite recipes.
From a nutritional standpoint, rhubarb is a source of Vitamin C, calcium, potassium, and dietary fibre. Because rhubarb largely consists of water (one source claims it is 95% water), it has no cholesterol, fat, or sodium. However, because rhubarb is so tart, it needs sweetening so, adding other ingredients such as sugar, or combining it with fruits such as strawberries, apples, etc., will obviously alter the cholesterol, fat, and/or sodium content of the dish you make using rhubarb.
I have a multitude of favourite rhubarb recipes but one of my all-time favourites is this Rhubarb Marmalade (recipe follows). Combined with three citrus fruits, it has a tart, fresh taste and, best of all, it is the first of my jamming and preserving processes of the season. I use this rich-colored and flavourful marmalade on toast, biscuits, scones, and I particularly like a dollop of it on a warm cream custard.
Time to bring out the jam pots and bottles and capture some of this Springtime goodness before the rhubarb gets too old and tough to use. If you do try this recipe, please be sure to leave me a comment about your impressions of it.
Jamming and preserving season is officially underway!
Ingredients:
8 cups rhubarb, thinly sliced into pieces between 1/8″ and 1/4″ thick)
4¼ cups sugar
1 large orange (or 1½ small oranges)
½ pink grapefruit
½ small lemon
Method:
Chop rhubarb into thin slices. Set aside.
Wash the orange, grapefruit, and lemon well.
Peel orange, grapefruit, and lemon. Chop the pulp, remove and discard any seeds, and place pulp in bowl. Scrape the pith from the fruit peelings and discard. Chop the peel into small pieces. Set aside.
In a large pot, place the rhubarb and sugar. Add the citrus pulp and peel. Bring to a boil over medium high temperature, stirring to prevent scorching. Immediately lower the temperature and cook, uncovered, at a slow gentle boil until mixture thickens and reaches a sustained temperature of 217°F on a candy thermometer (see Note 1 below for alternative testing method). Stir mixture regularly to prevent scorching. Be patient, this can take an hour or so.
While the marmalade is cooking, fill a large pot of water, about ¾ full. Place 7 half-pint jars, upright, into the water. Ensure the jars are fully submerged, each jar filled with water, and that the water is at least an inch over the tops of the jars. Cover, bring to a boil, and boil for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and leave the jars in the hot water while the marmalade finishes cooking.
Meanwhile, fill the canner about one-third to one-half full of water. Cover and bring to a boil to have it ready for the filled jars.
When the marmalade is cooked, use a jar lifter to remove the hot jars from the water. Using a canning funnel, pour marmalade into sterilized jars, leaving about ¼” headroom in each jar. Wipe the jar rims with a clean cloth. Seal jars with heated lids and fingertip-tightened ring bands.
Place jars in hot water bath wire basket, ensuring jars do not touch each other or fall over. Carefully lower basket into canner of hot water. Ensure the water level is at least 1” above the tops of jars, adding more boiling water as necessary. Cover with canner lid. Increase the heat to return the water to a rolling boil then decrease the heat to just keep the water at a rolling boil but not boiling over. Process half-pint jars in the hot water bath for 10 minutes, adjusting time for altitude. Start timing the processing from the point where a full rolling boil is reached after basket of jars has been added to the canner. At the end of the processing time, turn off heat and remove canner lid. Wait 4-5 minutes, until the water stops boiling then, using a jar lifter, carefully remove the jars, one at a time, and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Listen for the “pop” or “ping” sound as the bottles seal over the next few minutes or hours. The lids of properly sealed jars will curve downward. Let jars rest, undisturbed, on wire rack for 12 hours. Store in cool, dark place. Refrigerate marmalade once opened.
Yield: Apx. 7 half-pint jars
NOTE 1: If you don’t have a candy thermometer, place 2-3 freezer-safe saucers in freezer. To test for doneness of the marmalade, place a small amount of marmalade on chilled saucer and swirl saucer around. Let marmalade sit, untouched, for about a minute, then gently push your finger through the marmalade. If the marmalade holds its shape (i.e., does not immediately run back together after the finger has been removed from the marmalade), it is set and ready to bottle. If not, continue to cook mixture, repeating the “chill” test about every 3 minutes or so (always removing the pot from the heat while conducting the chill test) until the marmalade passes the “chill” test. Do not overcook as it will result in a very thick marmalade, dark in color.
Note 2: After jars have completely cooled, if there are any on which the lids have not curved downward, refrigerate them and use within one month.
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