YumSugar

Do You Like Canning at Home?

YumSugar — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 08:30:16 -0700

Summer, with its bounty of exquisite produce, couldn't be a more fitting time to preserve fruits and vegetables for less-than-abundant months to come. Last year, I was obsessed with making quick pickles; this year, I'd love to pick up some professional canning equipment so I can save jams, jellies, preserves, and pickles for the Winter. Have you dabbled in home preserving?

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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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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'Wich of the Week: Mediterranean "PB&J"

YumSugar — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:00:20 -0700

When I opened my fridge the other day and saw fig preserves and almond butter, I thought, "that's like the Mediterranean equivalent of peanut butter and jelly!" Remembering that I also had a block of feta cheese, I took that glimmer of an idea and came up with something weirder: a Mediterranean-inspired marriage of a PB&J and a grilled cheese. I spread the fig jelly and almond butter on apple-walnut bread (though any sweet bread, such as cinnamon raisin, would do). Then, I added some crumbled feta and grilled it in a skillet coated with olive oil. I figured the flavor combination would either be totally gross or totally good, and thankfully, it was the latter. This 'Wich of the Week is at once creamy, nutty, salty, and sweet. If that sounds like your sort of sandwich, check out the recipe and more photos when you read more.

Mediterranean "PB&J"
Original recipe

Ingredients

2 slices apple-walnut, cinnamon-raisin, or other sweet bread
1 tablespoon fig preserves
1 tablespoon almond butter
1 ounce feta cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

On one slice of bread, spread the fig preserves; on the other slice, spread the almond butter.
Sprinkle the feta cheese on top of the fig preserves, and top with the remaining slice of almond buttered bread, closing to make a sandwich.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over low heat. Place the sandwich in the skillet and flip once to coat both sides with olive oil.
Cook the sandwich for about 2-3 minutes per side, until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted.
Cut in half and serve.

Makes 1 sandwich.

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Know Your Ingredients: Solid Pack Pumpkin

YumSugar — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 04:00:10 -0800

Recently, a co-worker came to me with a number of questions about canned, solid pack pumpkin: Is it sweetened? Does it have spices in it? What is it used for?

Well, Alexis - and anyone else curious to know - here's the answer you've been waiting for. Solid pack pumpkin is exactly that: just pumpkin, and nothing else (despite the misleading pumpkin pie that is often on the label). It's sometimes called pumpkin purée or "100% pure pumpkin" to distinguish it from the similarly named canned pumpkin pie filling, which contains sugar and spices.

Although you can make it yourself, buying solid pack pumpkin - which is free of preservatives - saves you the effort of seeding, roasting, scooping, and blending pumpkin flesh until smooth. The purée can be used as a time-saving measure when making pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, and pumpkin soup.

Have you ever bought solid pack pumpkin? What did you use it for?

'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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First-Ever White House Farmers Market Makes Its Debut

YumSugar — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 03:50:44 -0700

Some legislation, like healthcare reform, might take a little more work for the White House to push through, but other initiatives, like the White House farmers market, are happening virtually overnight. Less than a month ago President Obama revealed that he and the first lady were looking into holding a farmers market outside the White House - and the plan's already come to fruition. At the opening of the FreshFarm market yesterday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Washington DC mayor Adrian Fenty spoke to a crowd of about 300 shoppers about the importance of eating healthy, local food.

The visitor that drew the most attention was Michelle Obama, who encouraged Americans to get to know the farmers that grow the market's food, and stressed the importance of fresh markets, particularly in urban deserts.

Located at 810 Vermont Avenue, just blocks from the White House, the market runs Thursday afternoons through the end of October, and accepts food stamps. It sells pasture-raised meats, artisan cheeses, milk, yogurt, fresh fruits and vegetables, breads, flowers, and preserves. DCers, have you had a chance to visit?

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Go Green! Fashion Your Own Chip Clips

YumSugar — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 07:00:06 -0700

Ever since Party suggested using wine bottles as darling water holders, I've been wanting to share an eco-friendly tip of my own. If you're like me, you've got a surplus of plastic clamped clothes hangers sitting in your closet. I often return hangers to the dry cleaners, as a way to recycle them - but I save the ones with clamps, and turn them into chip clips.

It's beyond easy: carefully twist the clips off (or, if they're soft plastic, you can remove them with a sharp knife), and you've got a useful (and completely free!) clip for chips or anything else that needs preserving in your pantry. Have you ever done this before? What other upcycling or eco-friendly tips do you have for keeping a green kitchen?

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Burning Question: When Is It OK to Eat Moldy Food?

YumSugar — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 05:50:51 -0700

The other day, a co-worker asked me whether it was OK to eat a piece of cheese that had grown slightly moldy. That question sparked a discussion on how to handle moldy foods. Can you ever simply cut off the bad parts and proceed to eat the rest? Find out the answer when you read more