Watermelon Rind Pickles

Well... I didn't accomplish very many of my 2013 Food Resolutions. Oh well! I did manage to make some watermelon rind pickles this summer. I cannot find the recipe I used anymore but I do remember that there was a bowl of watermelon rinds in vinegar in my fridge for close to three days. 

The pickles themselves are interesting. They are very tart with a background of sweet. I would make them again because I like the waste reducing aspect of this pickle. I think they would go nicely on a sandwich or on a plate of pickles/chutneys.  

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From Scratching: Victorian Style Seville Orange Marmalade

Seville Orange Marmalade has been on my radar since I began canning this fall. I eagerly swapped for a jar of Seville Marmalade at the Preserve Swap I attended as I wanted a point of departure from which to base my Marmalade Mis-adventures. I copied a few recipes for traditional marmalade into various notebooks I keep for my food projects. This recipe was based off the one in We Sure Can!: How Jams and Pickles Are Reviving the Lure and Lore of Local Food

In Victorian style marmalade, whole oranges are boiled in water for several hours. Due to my cribbed notes I was unsure as to what the goal of this step was. Since then I have read that the oranges should be easily pierced with a skewer and express a type of 'deflation' and that the peels should be thoroughly cooked. The next step is to cut the peel into pieces according to personal preference (I lazily cut my peels into huge pieces). The peel is then boiled with sugar, water, and a jelly bag filled with the pith, seeds, and membranes of the orange) until it passes the standard jell test. To acheive a nice suspension of the peels, the mixture is allowed to stand for 15 minutes and then processed - my peels were too thick to suspend!

Victorian Style Orange Marmalade
9 Seville Oranges
4 cups sugar
2 cups water

Cover oranges with water and boil for two hours or until 'deflated'. Discard water and cool oranges. Cut oranges in half. Strain pulp and reserve liquid. 
Cut peels into matchsticks. 
Combine reserved liquid with sugar and water. Add jelly bag filled with pith, pulp and membranes of oranges.
Boil until mixture passes jell test. 
To achieve suspension, let mixture cool for 5-15 minutes. Then process in water bath for 15-20 minutes. 
Makes 6 500 mL jars.    

Tasting Notes: I actually enjoy the largeness of the pieces of peel, however several jars did not have enough 'jell' around the peel. So next year I will increase the amount of water and sugar by one cup each. 

This project was inspired by my 2013 Culinary Goals. 

Do you have an itch to make Seville Orange marmalade? Sadly, the oranges are only in season during January and February but...
this post on Spicy Seville marmalade will keep you inspired while this article on the history of marmalade will give you something to read while you wait until next year.    

          

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Preserve Swap

I received an email advertising the preserve swap hosted by @wellpreserved. I originally dismissed this event as something that I would not be interested in. I thought that it would be awkward to stand before my homemade preserves trying to trade with others. However, upon receiving an update email reminding one of this event I became very excited and immediately RSVP'd yes! I began to plan which of my homemade preserves I would take. I settled on crab-apple hot pepper jelly (1), plum jam (2), grape syrup (3), crystallized ginger (2), and sourdough starter (3). I received a lot of positive feedback regarding my sourdough starter, which I was hesitant to take as I was not sure if people would be interested. Before the event I worried that I would be the last kid picked for the team. I worried that no one would talk to me and that I would return home with all of my original preserves so I made my husband come with me!
 

 

My fears were unfounded as I managed to swap everything I took. I had some lovely, engaged and inspiring conversations with people that love food as much as I do. I bonded with more than one individual over an infatuation with crab-apples and commiserated their lack of commercial availability. I became excited at the prospect (and eventually swapped) for Seville orange marmalade. I did not manage to swap for the kimchi or the preserved lemons but that simply motivates me to make my own. I ended up swapping for fermented salsa, wild grape vinegar, Seville orange marmalade, tomato jam, ketchup, Everyberry jam, apple butter, lemon curd, and dilly beans. It was a ton of fun and motivated me in my preserving attempts. The next day I started a batch of kombucha, a batch of sauerkraut, a batch of sauerruben, canned some oranges, and made candied orange peel.

 

The next swap is already scheduled, and I have signed up! It's swapping sweet homemade treats and desserts. I plan on making some marshmallows as I love to see the hot sticky syrup be whipped into light, frothy, airy marshmallows but I hate eating them! It will be the perfect excuse to make a few batches without having to consume any!

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From Scratching: Grape Jam

I've always been a raspberry jam girl - with seeds! Strawberry was consumed, but not accepted when we ran out of raspberry. There was always 5 or 6 jars of half consumed strawberry jam in the fridge growing up. No one really liked it, especially with 'extra fruit' which were just lumps of sad strawberry.

As die-hard a raspberry fan as I am there are folk out there who only accept PB & Grape sandwiches. Which blows my mind - with the insipid store bought purple colored jam? Why such self hatred?

But with this delicious homemade grape jam? I may just be a convert!

Grape Jam
4 cups grapes
3 cups sugar

Boil grapes and sugar for 20 minutes. Push through a sieve which will remove skins and seeds. Hot water process for 15-20 minutes.

Total Jars Canned: 24 1/4 pints

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Eating the Web: Canning Resources

1. This post from wellpreserved.ca highlights the simplicity of making jam.
2. After you are all jammed out, consider preserving grape leaves!
3. Have a glut of red peppers? Here's your solution.
4. Canny Granny has a very strong facebook presence and offers a ton of wonderful canning advice!
5. And if you have some failures on your canning adventure... The Half-Assed Homesteader will make you smile!

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From Scratching: Crabapples

Crab apples. Crab apples have a less than stellar reputation. According to my husband they are only good for childhood neighbourhood fights. According to my sister's CSA farmer, "no one eats crab apples."

Eating those sour, pucker apples straight off the tree was definitely a trip down memory lane. I had to figure out something to DO with them, because eating more than five WILL give you an upset stomach.

Crab Apple Jelly - a jewel like jelly that is sweet and tart at the same time.

Put the apples in the pot. Add enough water to cover and cook until the little apples explode. Strain through a dishcloth. Measure how many cups of liquid you have. Add an equal amount of sugar. Boil until jell test passes. Hot water process 10 minutes.

Crab Apple Hot Pepper Jelly - my sister and my husband both like this jelly so I had to give it a try

Cook 2 lbs apples in water until they burst. Strain. Add enough vinegar to make 3 cups of liquid. Add 3 3/4 cup sugar. Boil until dissolved. Slice up half a sweet bell pepper, 3 jalapenos, and 1 scotch bonnet pepper. Boil for a few minutes then strain. Continue to boil until mixture passes the jell test. Process for 10 minutes.

I did not measure how long the pepper were in the mixture but I continued to taste test until I thought the strength was appropriate.

Check out my DIY Canning post for basic canning information.
Total Jars Canned: 19 3/4 pints

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Review: Food in Jars

I have a tendency to get a little obsessed with a new food hobby. I get obsessed for a while then something distracts me and I meander off to a new obsession but eventually something returns my attention to the original obsession. That's why it's not THAT bad if an obsession with a new food hobby costs me a little money.

Days into my canning obsession I passed a bookstore and couldn't resist picking up Food in Jars Preserving in Small Batches Year-Round by Marisa McClellan. I figured it would be a good buy as I had already come across her blog www.foodinjars.com and got some good information there. I also really like that the book was for small batch canning as that is what I had the equipment and desire to do. Overall this book is beautiful. The pictures are gorgeous and the layout is very visually appealing.

I've been canning a lot lately and so far have made three recipes from this book.

I started with Cantaloupe Jam. I hate cantaloupe but the McClellan said that this recipe tasted like Creamsicle. I couldn't resist! It does taste like creamsicle but because of that it is a little odd on bread. However, I think it will be really good in shortbread or in some type of jam cookie. 

I had a glut of apples due to some Not Far From The Tree apple picks so I made Honey Lemon Apple Jam and Apple-Cranberry Jam. All of the Honey Lemon jars sealed (YAY! First time!) so I won't be able to taste that jam for a while. The author states that the apple-cranberry jam is good on turkey (as in a cranberry sauce) or on bread and I could definitely see how it would be good on tofu or seitan. It may actually be too savory to make a good toast jam.

The instructions in this book are easy to follow and clear. The amount of jam seems to vary slightly from what is stated but that is due, I think, to the ripeness of the fruit and will be an issue in any canning recipe. I like the flavor combinations and find them intriguing. I will definitely be canning more from this book in the future and would recommend it.   

Total Jars Canned: 11 1/4 pints

 

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From Scratching: Plum Jam

This is the canning recipe that really sealed my current obsession with canning (pun intended). I went on a @NFFTT plum pick and came home with a huge bag of small under-ripe plums. There really was no choice except to make jam.

Plum Jam
2 cups pitted, quartered plums (skin on)
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice (used bottled)

Combine on the stove. Once the sugar melts and starts to boil start at timer for 15 - 20 minutes. At 15 minutes, start to test for jell. Process for 10 minutes.

Makes: 3 x 125 mL jars

Follow my DIY Canning Guide for more information on canning.

Total Jars Canned: 5 pints

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From Scratching: DIY Canning

While I am a somewhat adventurous home cook, there are a few things that I am simply terrified of. For example, I have a huge fear of broiling because after all, broiling is basically a controlled burn. I have nurtured a fear of canning for many years. This fear was so strong that it survived a successful batch of raspberry jam. 

However my recent involvement with Toronto's Not Far From The Tree has forced me to overcome this fear. I have been on a plum pick, apple picks, and even a grape pick. It's been a ton of fun and is a really good organization to get involved with.  

The @NFFTT bike and picker poles.

My DIY guide to canning:

Equipment:
One gigantic pot
One huge pot
Fruit
Sugar
Canning jars and new lids
Tongs
Jar lifter


1. Sanitize the jars by boiling them in water for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, keep them in the hot water until ready to use.
2. Start cooking the ingredients for jam. Test for jell by dipping a metal spoon in the jam and placing in the freezer for a few minutes. This cools down the mixture quickly so that you will be able to tell how thick the jam will set to.
3. When the jam is almost set, throw the lids and rings into the pot with the jars. 
4. Remove one jar from the gigantic pot. Fill with jam. Wipe the rim of spilt jam. Remove one lid and ring from the jar. Place on the jar and finger tighten.
5. Repeat step 4 until you run out of jars.
6. Turn up the heat on the gigantic pot. Place the filled jars back into the pot. Once the water returns to a boil start the timer for amount the recipe calls for.
7. Remove jars from water. The jars should start to pop sealed within a few minutes. Once the jars have sealed remove the rings. Let cool completely before storing.

The main things I have learnt through the last few weeks of canning is:
a. don't remove the rings and lids from the hot water until immediatly before you place them on the jar
b. don't remove the ring from the jar until the jar seals

My seal rate greatly increased after I started to follow these two things!

Another thing to note is that the jar lifter is not required for jars that are 125 mL in size. These tiny jars can be lifted with tongs even when they are full of jam. So if you aren't sure if you are going to continue canning you could skip buying the $8 dollar jar tongs. There are packages of canning equipment for $15 that include jar tongs, tongs, magnetic lid lifter, funnel, and jar opener. I feel like the jar tongs are the only required item but the magnetic lid lifter would be nice to have.

Disclaimer: I am not a food scientist or an expert canner. There are a lot of safety concerns with canning and I urge you to do your own research regarding canning. The above DIY guide is simply meant to illustrate how simple the premise of canning is. I hold the view that the industrial food complex requires (and likes) us to be scared and sceptical of our food. However, if jam smells like jam and tastes like jam it probably IS jam. Overall, we should not be scared of food that we source and cook ourselves. It's important to trust your own senses and common sense.  

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