YumSugar

Making Preserves at a Public Fruit Jam

YumSugar — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 05:50:57 -0800

Last weekend, I attended a collective canning event. Sponsored by Fallen Fruit, an activist group that promotes the planting of public fruit trees, the public fruit jam was a free, communal jam-making session where participants shared fruit and jam-making tips. I arrived with empty jars and lots of plums, and left with new friends, half a dozen jars of different kinds of jam, and the know-how to make fruit preserves. To see how it went down, read on.

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Would You Eat Jam on Your Grilled Cheese Sandwich?

YumSugar — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 10:43:18 -0700

Whenever my dad would make grilled cheese sandwiches, he would always end up coating the top of his with grape jelly. As a kid, I copied him and have grown up enjoying the delicious pairing of sweet and savory. It may sound weird, but a lot of folks use fig spread and it's not much different than that. Last night I ended up having a simple one with raspberry-peach jam, and thought it was an extremely flavorful pairing. So tell me, would you eat this grilled cheese sandwich?

Yummy Link: Microwaved Orange Fig Jam

YumSugar — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 04:01:31 -0700

This totally knocks my socks off: Spicy Fig Orange Jam made in a microwave!!! - Simply Recipes

Yummy Link: Save The Blenheim

partysugar — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 02:01:31 -0700

Two guys in Santa Clara, California have taken it upon themselves to save an endangered species of apricot, the Blenheim. They're saving a fruit that's not commonly available in grocery stores or farmers by making and selling a tasty jam. With only 3000 jars, you better get your jam now. - SFist

Blueberry Jam Session

YumSugar — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 07:57:21 -0700

A couple of months ago, I got together with my pals April and Jessie for what I hope is to become a new tradition of ours: hanging out drinking champagne while doing random bits of domestic diva-ry. This time we were doing one of Jessie's specialties: jam - blueberry jam to be exact.

It all came about when I had my housewarming party back in August. When Jessie arrived she presented me with a jar of homemade jam which caused me to totally pull an Elaine (from Seinfeld). I yelled "SHUT UP," nearly knocked her down and then rudely demanded that we get together to make some in the future. Lucky for me Jessie is a great gal and knows my rudeness was just because I was excited to make my own jam. To check out how ours came out (which I'll cheat and tell you it was great, if not too sweet), and see step-by-step pictures so you can make some yourself, read more

We decided on blueberry since Jessie was craving it, however in the future I think I'd like to try some in season fresh fruits instead. This is a huge batch, we made twelve jars, but you can easily cut the recipe in half. Also, both April and I thought it was too sweet, I'd easily omit a cup or two of the sugar (to taste).

Blueberry Jam
Makes 1 Dozen 8oz Jars

8 cups of frozen blueberries
4 tbsp lemon juice
2 packets of 100% fruit pectin
10 1/2 cups of sugar

First of all, you will need to sterilize the jars.
Wash the jars & lids in hot, soapy water, rinse and then sterilize by putting them in boiling water for at least 10 minutes. Since it's best to fill the jars when they are hot (to prevent breakage) you may want to leave them in the hot water until you are almost ready to pour the jam in. Remove them with tongs, they're going to be very hot.

Now on to the jam...

Thaw and drain blueberries. We forgot to thaw our berries, so we ran cold water over them instead.
Place one "layer" (enough to cover the bottom of the pan) of berries into the pot and crush. If you have to crush/mash the berries outside of the pan, you can, however you may end up losing a lot of juices.
Add another "layer" and crush. Repeat until all berries are crushed.
Add lemon juice and stir.
Stir in Fruit Jell pectin and bring to boil. Stir constantly.
Add sugar, stirring to dissolve - again, I thought this was too much sugar...
Return mixture to a rolling boil. You really want this to get going, you're looking for deep bubbles emerging from the bottom. Boil at rolling boil for one minute. Stir constantly.
Remove from heat and skim off any foam (if necessary).
Ladle hot jam into hot jars leaving 1/4" below the rim. You lose some of the jam this way, but we found it easier to ladle it into a cup measure with a spout and pour from that instead.
Wipe rim clean, place inner lid on jar, and tighten band (just until there is a bit of resistance).
Process jars in boiling water bath. Keep the jars covered with 1" of water and keep the water boiling. Boil for 10 minutes. Remove from water and cool for 12-24 hours. Lids should be concave in the center. Note: For whatever reason we actually didn't do this step. We made sure all of our lids were concave though. Only one did not stick and we just decided to eat it first. The processing step is to help hinder spoilage.
Decorate with cute cloth if desired!
Label the stickers that come with jars and stick them on your lovely creations!
Once it's cooled, pop-it open and serve with bread, crackers, scones, or even vanilla ice cream!

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Must-Read: Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It

YumSugar — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 09:00:20 -0700

Given that some say we're in the middle of a food revolution, and local, sustainable, home-grown produce is popping up everywhere, it's only logical that an uptick in home preserving will happen, too. Enter Karen Solomon's Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It, a new book that's focused on making your own artisanal food products, either to keep or to give as gifts. The tome isn't simply limited to fruit jellies and quick pickles - it also includes instructions on making everything from flatbread to watermelon Popsicles to chai tea. But did it live up to its high expectations? Find out when you read more.

Pros:

The cookbook covers a wide range of basic preserving techniques that run the gamut from dairy products to cured meats.
Each recipe provides a general overview of the dish, estimated time required, and suggestions for storing.
Book size and binding make it easy for the tome to stay on the desired page.

Cons:

This do-it-yourself book could benefit from having more instructional pictures.
Recipe directions are written in paragraph form, which can be hard to navigate.

Recipes: I'm excited to create homemade versions of many different comestibles using the book's artisanal techniques and tips. Intriguing projects include:

Baked potato chips
Kimchee
Gravlax
Smoked trout
Ricotta salata
Lemon curd
Jamaican ginger beer

Imagery: While only a quarter of the book contains images, all of them are vivid, visually appealing color photographs.

Overall Rating: If you're looking to be a resourceful kitchen do-it-yourselfer, then this book would seal the deal.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Chicken Panini with Fig Jam

partysugar — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 05:27:18 -0800

Going back to work after the holidays is never an easy task. To ease some of the stress, treat yourself to a simple and delicious pressed sandwich for dinner. Pick up the fig jam, fresh bread, and cooked chicken breast from your local market. There is virtually no cooking in this recipe, all you have to do is assemble the sandwich and let the press do its magic. The sandwich with its rich, layered ingredients is comforting and filling. If you have any extra bottles of Champagne leftover from New Year's open one; a glass of bubbly pairs superbly with this sandwich. Take a look at the recipe, just read more.

Chicken Panini with Fig Jam
From Cooking Light magazine

1/4 cup fig jam
1 (8-ounce) ciabatta, cut lengthwise
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 tablespoons butter, softened
8 ounces sliced cooked chicken breast
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups arugula leaves
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Spread jam over cut side of top half of bread.
Combine cheese and butter in a bowl, stirring until smooth. Spread cheese mixture over cut side of bottom half of bread. Arrange chicken evenly over cheese mixture; sprinkle with pepper. Place top half of bread, jam side down, over chicken.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, and add sandwich to pan. Place a heavy cast-iron skillet on sandwich; cook 5 minutes or until both sides are browned, turning once. Alternatively, if you have a panini press, place the sandwich in the press and cook until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes.
Place arugula in a bowl. Drizzle juice over arugula; toss gently. Remove top bread half from sandwich. Arrange arugula mixture over chicken. Replace top bread half. Cut sandwich into 4 equal portions and serve.

Serves 4.

Nutritional Information: CALORIES 381(30% from fat); FAT 12.7g (sat 6.1g,mono 4.7g,poly 1g); PROTEIN 24.7g; CHOLESTEROL 70mg; CALCIUM 71mg; SODIUM 591mg; FIBER 1.2g; IRON 2.6mg; CARBOHYDRATE 42.6g

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Cooking the Cover: Gourmet's Grilled Cheese

partysugar — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 07:01:31 -0800

There is nothing as simply delicious as melted cheese and crispy bread. There are thousands of variations of cheese, bread types, and tasty extras, but recently I was dazzled by the grilled cheese on the cover of Gourmet magazine's February issue. Presented on a clean white plate with a pretty blue background, their uber grilled cheese features escarole, onion jam, and tallegio.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find onion jam nor tallegio, but luckily the recipe states the next best options - fig jam and fontina - both of which were at my local market. I cooked the sandwich over low heat to maximize the melt in the melted cheese. The final result was a divine treat with the sweet jam perfectly complementing the pungent cheese and bitter greens. For the plating, I used a simple white plate like Gourmet, but thought a pink placemat was more me. To see how I made my version of this super scrumptious sandwich, read more.

Grilled Cheese With Onion Jam, Talleggio, and Escarole
From Gourmet magazine

4 (1/2-inch-thick) center slices sourdough bread (from a 9- to 10-inch round)
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons onion or fig jam
12 to 14 oz chilled Taleggio or Italian Fontina, sliced
1/4 lb escarole, center ribs discarded and leaves cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)

Brush 1 side of bread slices with oil and arrange, oil sides down, on a work surface.
Spread jam on 2 slices of bread and divide cheese between remaining 2 slices.
Mound escarole on top of cheese and season with salt and pepper, then assemble sandwiches.
Heat a dry 12-inch heavy skillet (not nonstick) over medium-low heat until hot.
Cook sandwiches, turning once and pressing with a spatula to compact, until bread is golden-brown and cheese is melted, 6 to 8 minutes total.

Makes 2 sandwiches.

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Yummy Links: From Lucky Charms to Twinkle's New Kitchen

partysugar — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 06:45:53 -0700

Lucky Charms has a new charm: the hourglass. - So Good
An inside look at the party Martha recently threw for Emeril. - The Martha Blog
Lisa Garza, the Food Network's Next Food Network Star contestant: love her or hate her? - Serious Eats
Luscious looking lemon squares and more recipes that highlight the flavor of the sunny citrus fruit. - GlamDish
The best herbs to plant in a cocktail-garnish garden. - Imbibe Unfiltered
Use strawberries to make strawberry rhubarb jam. - The Kitchen Sink
Check out Kitchen Goddess Twinkle's amazingly redesigned new kitchen.- CasaSugar
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'Wich of the Week: Spanish Monte Cristo

partysugar — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:00:08 -0700

I'm not much of a Monte Cristo fan. The classic sandwich straddles breakfast and lunch by placing ham, turkey, and cheese between two slices of French toast. The entire thing is topped with powdered sugar and jam resulting in a dish that to me, is messy and too sweet.

However, when I came across this Serrano ham and manchego cheese variation, my love for all things Spanish overcame me, and I decided to give it a try. I'm glad I did, this sandwich is wonderful!

The quince paste isn't as cloying as strawberry preserves and the addition of mustard provides a delightfully savory tang. Although the bread is dipped in egg before being placed in the saute pan, it tastes more like a really crispy grilled ham and cheese than French toast. To check out the recipe, read more.

Spanish Ham and Cheese Monte Cristo Sandwiches
From Bon Appétit

Ingredients

8 1/2-inch-thick slices sourdough or country-style French bread (each about 5 x 3 inches)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
6 ounces Manchego cheese, thinly sliced
2 ounces thinly sliced Serrano ham or prosciutto
4 tablespoons membrillo (quince paste) or quince preserves
4 large eggs
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter

Directions

Arrange 4 bread slices on work surface. Spread each with 1/2 tablespoon mustard. Top each with 1/4 of cheese, then 1/4 of ham, folding to fit.
Spread 1 tablespoon quince paste on each of remaining 4 bread slices; place bread, paste side down, atop ham.
Beat eggs in pie dish until well blended.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in each of 2 large skillets over medium-low heat.
Working with 1 sandwich at a time, hold sandwiches tightly closed and dip into beaten eggs to coat on all sides. Place 2 sandwiches in each skillet.
Cover and cook until bottoms are golden, about 4 minutes. Turn sandwiches over. Cover and cook until bottoms are golden, cheese is melted, and egg coating is cooked through, about 4 minutes longer.

Serves 4.

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