sprinklefingers

oregon berry season is right around the corner. while i feel like i’ve been waiting forever, it also seems like just yesterday (or was it last summer?) i was washing and hulling strawberries to stock the freezer for winter.

speaking of stocking the freezer: i just took the last of my last summer’s strawberries out of the freezer and embarked on a preserves journey with them. and because this treasure trove of last summer’s sweetness is so special, i decided to preserve them using a method completely new to me. so. exciting. (if you like watching paint dry.)

usually i cook my preserved fruits with sugar and lemon juice until they reach the desired jammy stage. but this new process involves a lot of waiting time. you mix the berries with sugar and lemon juice. you let them sit. you boil the mixture. you let it sit. and, sometime during all the sitting, you magically make the most authentic tasting preserved fruits, ever.

actually, it’s not magic that does it. it’s the waiting time. allowing the berries to sit in sugar draws moisture out of them. that moisture evaporates during the short cooking time. the results: you cook the fruit less, so it retains more texture, flavor and color. honestly, this is my new favorite way to preserve - i’m seriously looking forward to a summer full of it.

now, the following recipe should not be doubled. actually, it’s already quite large in terms of preserving and if you make it any bigger, you’ll end up ruining the fruit before you ever get it to a high enough boil to thicken it properly. and speaking of thick - i prefer my jams and preserves to be spoonable. loose yet full of fruit - with no need to reach for a knife to cut a wedge of jam out of the jar. besides, it’s much easier to eat a bowl of strawberry preserves using a spoon. [oh, wait, did i just admit that?] because i prefer my preserves loose, this recipe will yield exactly that: perfectly spoonable preserves. (oh, one more note: i call jam preserves and preserves jam all the time. of course, preserves have larger pieces of fruit and jams don’t. but we spread both/either/any on sandwiches, mix them into yogurt, plop them over ice cream and scoop them up into our mouths with spoons. jam? preserves? yes, please.)

another note: this preserves journey takes 3 days. you’ll basically start it friday night and then actually can the preserves on sunday. the actual work time is so short though - most of the time the berry mixture is just hanging out on your countertop.

in addition, as you will see below, i drew on a host of references to sort out my recipe for preserves. all are listed, all contributed some tip or idea that resulted in my recipe for true strawberry deliciousness. (if you buy just one of these books, make it christine ferber’s. i have such an enormous crush on her.)

practically no work strawberry preserves
yields 6 pints

references used:

• mes confitures (all hail christine ferber!)
• the complete book of small-batch preserving
• the joy of jams, jellies and other sweet preserves
• the river cottage preserves handbook
• the farmer’s wife canning & preserving cookbook

prepare to preserve:

1. gather your sterilized pint jars, lids and jar bands.
2. gather your canning tools - canning pot, rack, funnel, jar lifers, etc. refresh your canning memory here.
3. find your largest non-reactive pot. make sure it’s clean.
4. now, let’s jam!

you need:

• 5 1/2 - 6 lbs washed & hulled strawberries, left whole if small, halved if large
• 2 1/2 lbs granulated sugar (if you have vanilla sugar around, even better!)
• 4 oz bottled lemon juice (i always use bottled lemon juice to be sure the acidity is consistent.)

start your preserves journey:

1. in the non-reactive pot, layer the strawberries, topped by the sugar, with the lemon juice poured over the top.
2. put a lid on the pot and let it sit for 8-10 hours or overnight.
3. remove the lid from the pot and put it on the stove over medium heat. as soon as the sugar has melted, raise the heat to medium-high and bring the entire mixture to a boil. boil 3-5 minutes.
4. remove the pot from the heat, place a lint-free kitchen towel over the top and let sit at room temperature for 24 hours.
5. remove the towel and put the pot back on the stove top over medium heat. press a few spoonfuls of strawberries up against the sides of the pot to mash them slightly. (don’t mash all of the berries, just a 2-3 spoonfuls.)
6. once the berries have warmed up, increase the heat and boil the mixture hard (a boil that cannot be stirred away) for 3-5 minutes. 
7. ladle your preserves into your sterilized jars and process for 10 minutes. (remember, complete canning instructions here.)

see? your actual cooking time is really only 6-10 minutes total. you so totally can do this. pun completely intended.

and now, preserves in photos:

strawberries, sugar, lemon juice:



berries after sitting overnight:

berries after first boil and sitting 24 hours:



bottom of the pot - thick & sticky:



all canned up:



tomorrow i’ll be back to show you the sad truth of just how much of these preserves i’ve eaten this week. wait. wait. it’s not sad, it’s glorious.

things are can-tastic around here right now. my pantry is overflowing with all sorts of canned delights. beans, jam, apple butter, onions - you name it and i’m figuring out a way to preserve it. but the one item i’m most proud of? meyer lemon and raspberry balsamic peach preserves. delicious by the spoonful. tasty on a slice of crusty bread with sharp cheddar. yummy stirred into yogurt. savory or sweet - these preserves are perfect.

wait. what’s that you say? peaches are delicious on their own…why add lemon and whatever else you said? look. i get it. peaches are perfect on their own. but these preserves - there’s just something special about them. and you know how you can find out for yourself? two ways:

1. invite yourself over to my house for a snack.
or
2. make the peach preserves yourself.

while #1 sounds fun, i must admit that i’m not very much fun right now. first of all i have a horrific burn on my forehead that is slathered in antibiotic ointment around-the-clock. so, not only is there a giant burn front and center - but it’s a giant SHINY burn. awesome.
additionally i just spent several hours simply mulling over the idea of alphabetizing my food-related books. i start to think it’s a good idea and then i get stuck here: do i implement a self-imposed checkout system to ensure the books are returned to the correct place when i’m finished with them? even if i’m the only person ‘checking’ them out? should i hire a part time librarian? or maybe just a book assistant? ahhh!

i’m telling you right now, you’ll be much safer if you make the preserves yourself.

meyer lemon & raspberry balsamic peach preserves

notes:

this recipe yields approximately 14 cups of preserves. that may seem like a lot, but if you’re going to do the work i’d suggest you stick with the amounts listed in the recipe and make this whole ‘making preserves’ thing worth your while. you won’t be sorry once you taste it!

to peel peaches: boil a pot of water. wash peaches then cut a small X in the bottom of each. submerge peaches, 4 at a time, and let blanch for 1 minute or so. pull the peaches out of the water (let cool a bit) and peel them, starting at the X you made.

to remove pits: since you’re not turning these peaches into pie, it’s perfectly acceptable to take the slimy peach in your hand and squeeze out the pit. you basically crush the peach, but you’ll still have big bits left for your lovely preserves.

the pectin: it isn’t entirely necessary - your preserves will be a bit thicker with the addition of it and a bit runnier with the elimination of it. having made preserves both ways, i have to say i sometimes like the pectin. but i understand those who don’t. so i’m leaving it up to you.

you need:

• 12 lbs peaches - peeled & pitted (see above.)
• 2 meyer lemons - use the juice of BOTH and the zest of ONE
• 4 T raspberry balsamic vinegar
• 7 cups sugar
• 1 package low-sugar pectin (see above.)

to make the preserves:

1. put your peeled and pitted peaches into a large pot. add the lemon juice, zest and vinegar.
2. if using pectin, mix it with 1 cup of the sugar. stir this into the peaches. (if you are not using pectin, simply add 1 cup of the sugar to the peaches.)
3. gently heat the peach mixture so that it comes to a full boil. because you are doing this gently (gently!) it make take a good while. just give it time and stir often to prevent burning.
4. once the peaches are boiling, add the remaining 6 cups of sugar and return to a boil. allow to boil for 1 or 2 minutes then remove from the heat.

while the preserves are heating you’ll have time to prepare your jars and water bath for canning. because this recipe yields at least 14 cups you’ll want to have 14 half-pint or 7 pint jars sterilized and kept hot while waiting to be filled.

ladle the preserves into the prepared jars leaving 1/2 an inch of headspace. add the lids and screw bands then carefully place in your canner.

process these preserves for 10 minutes. remember to start your timer after the water has returned to a full boil.

[don’t forget: full water bath canner instructions are available here.]

so, no. you can’t come over. i’m too huge of a mess for you to see me right now. you’d better go buy some peaches…

i don’t mean to keep going on and on about apples - but i have been experimenting like crazy lately and have come up with yet another way to use them - canning your own apple pie filling! incredible yet true. i’m 90% done with my tinkering on the subject (i’ve gotten as far as canning the filling but have yet to bake it into a pie,) and when i’m finished you’ll be the first to hear all about it.

in the meantime, in full disclosure, i must tell you the following two things:

first of all - i burned the s&*t out of my forehead when making apple butter. the best part is that i normally have no-such-thing-as-a-social-life yet i’m slated to attend the party of the year (in my opinion) tomorrow with a gigantic apple butter burn right in the middle of my forehead. in a fancy dress and heels and everything. totally awesome.

next up, (this is the breakup part,) i ended up heaving my canning pot through a window on my last round of sealing jars in a water bath. i had the black speckled kind and got to the point where i could no longer stand the uneven bottom, the wonky jar rack or the ill-fitted lid. so, i chucked it donated it and got this. i consider it to be the cadillac of water bath canners. if you’re into cars. if you’re not into cars and are into - say - jewelry instead - then this is the tiffany diamond ring of water bath canners. and if those two images don’t do it for you, let’s just say it’s going to make all my canning dreams come true and leave it at that.

before i leave you here’s a word of warning: if you do make the cherry vanilla apple butter PLEASE use a splatter screen. and when you lift the splatter screen off the apple butter to check on it - DUCK!

remember last week? i went on a wild and crazy solo adventure to oregon’s great fruit loop and came home with over 20 lbs of apples. i’ve slowly been putting them to good use - and i’ll admit it: it’s been a lot of work. at least once i contemplated digging a hole in our yard and calling it a root cellar…perfect for storing unused apples and a few too many pounds of onions.

okay, maybe not.

without a root cellar to stow my bounty, i’ve been slicing and dicing and boiling and blanching for a week straight. my latest victory? apple butter. but not just any apple butter, people. not at all!

because i was lucky enough to come across some delicious cherry cider while on my fruit loop tour, i was able to turn my ordinary apple butter into something extraordinary - cherry apple butter. add in a vanilla bean and we’re talking high-fashion cherry vanilla apple butter. haute indeed! [remember, i don’t get out a lot. it doesn’t take much to excite me.]

because i know you want to get all tim gunn in the kitchen, i now introduce to you - new for the 2010 canning season - -

cherry vanilla apple butter

you need:

• 2 cups cherry cider
• 4 cups apple cider
• 1 cup water
• 6.5 lbs cooking apples
• 1 vanilla bean, cut open & scraped
• 2 t orange zest
• 2 t cinnamon
• 1 t nutmeg
• scant 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 2 1/3 - 2 3/4 cups sugar

to make apple butter:

1. pour cherry cider, apple cider and water into a large stockpot.
2. without peeling or coring the apples, cut them into 8 pieces each and add them to the pot filled with cider & water.
3. with the pot over medium-high heat, bring the mixture to a low boil and cook the apples gently until they are soft & falling apart. once the apples are soft, remove the pot from the heat and let cool slightly.
4. once cooled a bit, run the entire contents of the pot, a bit at a time, through a food mill. it’s a smart thing here to have the food mill suspended over another cooking pot, that way you don’t dirty another bowl.
5. once the apples are pureed, set the pot of appley goodness over medium-low heat and add the vanilla bean & scrapings, orange zest, nutmeg, lemon juice and sugar.
6. let the mixture come to a boil and them simmer for approximately one hour. stir frequently to prevent burning. after one hour, check for doneness by putting a spoonful of the apple butter on a plate. pop the plate into the freezer for 4 minutes. if the apple butter has set up and has no weepy edges, it’s ready.
7. now that you’ve got a batch of cherry vanilla apple butter on your hands, you need to can it!

the above recipe yields between 8-9 half pint jars of apple butter. follow instructions here for canning. do it! you’ll want to process these jars for 15 minutes. start your timer from the point the water returns to a rolling boil.

this apple butter is good. on toast, on crackers, on a slice of cheese or over vanilla ice cream…delicious. and, i feel like i’d be keeping something from you if i didn’t tell you that one or two of my jars are destined to become apple butter buttercream. i’m working on desserts for an extra special wedding and one of the bride’s requests is apple-something. i can think of nothing better than apple butter buttercream…especially if it’s sandwiched in an oatmeal whoopie pie! yay weddings! work it, apple butter!

i’m sitting in my office surrounded by flats of empty canning jars, twenty pounds of apples and a list of posts for this here blog too long to count.

sure i could have finished up my apple butter experiment and made use of the jars and apples - then i could have buckled down and put fingers to keyboard to record my findings for you…but instead: i baked.

i found a tiny treasure trove of chester blackberries today and i immediately turned them into an over-the-top delicious blackberry cobbler. then i drove that cobbler right over to a dear friend who’s having a birthday tomorrow.

i feel overwhelmed with busy, yes. but the look on the birthday boy’s face makes it all better. seeing food make people happy makes me happy. or something like that.

oh! and! speaking of lists - here’s what’s coming up soon at sprinklefingers!

- an extra special peach jam recipe
- adventures in canning homemade apple pie filling
- apple butter gone wild
- blackberry cobbler - ideal for end of summer blowouts!

so much to look forward to…i know!

try as i might to persuade him otherwise, my kid still loves ketchup. thankfully he only eats it on the foodstuffs that are obvious partners for ketchup, but still. it’s tough for a ketchup-shunning mother to accept her son’s ketchup-loving ways.

so, naturally, i set about making my own version of ketchup that he’d eat and i’d feel even better about serving him.

and, with all the tomatoes on the horizon (summer!) this ketchup is an excellent way to use up some of the bounty of your garden (or frequent trips to the farmer’s market.)

homemade tomato ketchup - makes 3 cups

you need:

• 1 shallot, chopped fine
• chunk of yellow onion equal in size to the shallot, chopped fine
• 1/2 sweet red pepper, chopped fine
• 2 t baking spice - or a combination of cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg - any spice you’d bake with (although if you choose cloves, go easy! they are strong in flavor and will completely take over the flavor profile of your ketchup.)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 t black peppercorns
• 2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2/3 cup golden brown sugar (light brown)
• 2-28 oz. cans whole tomatoes in juice (preferably peeled)*

make ketchup:

1. add some neutral oil to a soup pot set over medium heat. when the oil is ready, lower the heat and add the shallot & onion and saute for 8-10 minutes. you do not want them to turn golden, you just want them to soften & cook. 
2. add the red pepper to the shallot & onion and continue to cook.
3. once the pepper has softened, add your baking spices and let cook for 3 minutes while stirring.
4. wrap the bay leaves & peppercorns up in a bit of cheesecloth, tie with kitchen twine and put in pot.
5. add the vinegar & the brown sugar and stir to combine.
6. add both cans of tomatoes, stir to combine with everything else in the pot.
7. using you immersion blender, blend everything together completely. make sure to break down all of the tomatoes, bits of onion, etc. once you think you’ve blended enough, blend a bit more. the more you blend, the smoother the consistency.
8. once everything in the pot has been blended together, set the heat so that the mixture will come to a boil.
9. once you’ve reached a boil, lower heat so that the ketchup will simmer. allow it to simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1.5 hours.

ketchup will keep for a month or so in the fridge. alternatively you can freeze it in freezer-safe jars OR go the extra step of canning it. but, this yields an amount not really worth hauling out the canner for - that’s why i suggest keeping it in the fridge and coming up with all sorts of ideas for using it!



note: if you have a kid who’s used to heinz ketchup, this homemade ketchup might be a tough sell. if you plan to switch over exclusively to homemade ketchup, you may want to start out by mixing equal parts of your old ketchup with the homemade stuff - then gradually reducing the amount of old ketchup until your kid is used to it. or, do what i did and just tell your kid that all the ketchup in the whole world changed overnight, and this homemade ketchup is what it changed to. or some desperate story like that when all you really want him to do is eat his flippin’ dinner.

*i came up with this recipe when tomatoes were not in season, so i used canned tomatoes. when summer hits and tomatoes are ripe, definitely use fresh tomatoes - approximately 4 lbs - in this recipe. to remove the skins: boil a pot of water. using a sharp knife, score an X into the underside of each tomato. drop the tomatoes into the boiling water for under a minute. fish out, allow to cool enough so you can touch it and then peel - starting with the X you made. if the peel is stubborn, plop the tomato back into the water for a few seconds.