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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Fittingly Green: BPA-Free Food Containers

FitSugar — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 11:00:00 -0700

Ever since the BPA/Nalgene scare of 2008 - in which we learned that bisphenol A could cause all sorts of health problems - manufacturers have been churning out BPA-free plastic water bottles and baby products. Now, BPA-free food storage is also becoming easier to find.

Since we know that bringing your lunch to work is a healthy habit, make it even healthier by packing food in BPA-free plastic containers. I love these fittingly green food storage containers from Preserve made from 100 percent recycled plastic. Buy two square containers for $5.99, a large round one for $2.99, or the smaller version for $2.79. Rubbermaid also has an extensive collection of BPA-free containers to help you go green.

Look What's on the Preservation List of 11 Endangered Places

CitizenSugar — Fri, 23 May 2008 03:00:38 -0700

The National Trust for Historic Preservation just released a list of 11 endangered sites chosen from almost 70 nominees. The list's goal is to protect significant buildings and locations. Of the approximately 200 places listed by the organization in the past 20 years, only six have been lost. The head of the Trust says, "The 11 represent the different kinds of historic places in different parts of the country. It's a representative list." Take a peek at where they're trying to save.

Boyd Theater, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
California's park system (made the list because of $1.2 billion worth of deferred maintenance.)
Charity Hospital and adjacent neighborhood, New Orleans, Louisiana
Great Falls Portage, Great Falls, Montana
Hangar One, Moffett Field, Santa Clara County, California
Lower East Side, New York (once home to immigrants and the working class in the 19th and early 20th centuries - gentrification and development threatens historic churches, theaters, schools and tenements.)
Michigan Avenue Streetwall, Chicago, Illinois
Peace Bridge Neighborhood, Buffalo, New York
The Statler Hilton Hotel, Dallas, Texas
Sumner Elementary School, Topeka, Kansas (the centerpiece of the landmark 1954 Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education.)
Vizcaya and the Bonnet House, Florida

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Open House: Historic Preservation vs. Energy Efficiency

CasaSugar — Sat, 30 May 2009 05:30:00 -0700

There is something - much - to be said for historical accuracy. Architects of the past have left a legacy for us, so we should respect their work. But sometimes this conflicts with efforts toward energy efficiency and renewables. A recent post in the New York Times blog Green Inc. talks about this incongruence, citing failed efforts to double-glaze the windows of a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed cottage (in order to keep it warmer and use less energy) as an example of this conflict. Al Gore's attempt to install solar panels on his over-70-year-old Nashville home passed, but only on the condition that the panels were out of sight of neighbors. Personally, I think the merits of installing clean energy features and energy-efficiency upgrades on historic homes should be considered on a case-by-case basis. Until we're all running graywater systems in our homes and using wind turbines and solar panels to channel energy, it shouldn't be assumed that historic buildings should make the change. On the other hand, if Frank Lloyd Wright were alive today, he might be a leader in the green building movement.

Do you think historic homes should be exempt from integrating energy-efficient and green energy technologies? Do you think the two can meet halfway? Do you think all buildings should make the move to clean energy?
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On the Market: Daryl Hall of Hall & Oates's Restored Revolutionary War Georgian Colonial

CasaSugar — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 09:00:53 -0700

It's always interesting to see how the other side lives but, in many cases, the celebrity homes you see are underwhelming, cookie-cutter LA mansions. As for this restored Revolutionary War Georgian colonial recently listed by Daryl Hall of Hall & Oates, I'd consider it a coveted crib even if one half of history's most successful music duos didn't sleep in it. Beyond its good looks, there's much more of a story behind these digs than the "unparalleled views" and "updated appliances" of those California cribs.The Dutchess County, NY, property, known as Flint Hill, is actually two museum-quality homes that once belonged to Revolutionary War captains, and have since been joined through a beamed living area with a fireplace. The 6,363-square-foot home, four-bedroom, five-and-two-half-bath home has 24 rooms, nine fireplaces, four guesthouses, an indoor pool, and a pergola.

Hall himself took on the project of having these homes painstakingly restored. One was built in 1771, the other in 1780, and they initially sat on different properties. After moving them together, he discovered that by coincidence they were connected to the same family. Now, this architectural tour de force sits on a 245-plus acre estate with 100-mile views of the Catskills, ponds, old apple orchards, stone walls, farm roads, gardens, and a Neolithic firepit. To hear more and see photos, read more.

In fact, Hall has made a habit of restoring and preserving homes, including the John Bray House in Kittery, ME, which is over 345 years old, and a historic house from 1740 on the Thames River in London. Interested in this historic home? It's available through Weichert Realtors for $16 million.

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Smarter Eats: Freeze Fruits and Veggies Before They Spoil

FitSugar — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:00:14 -0800

In the morning I always make a breakfast smoothie using fresh produce. But sometimes our household goes a little overboard in the amount of produce we buy. Instead of throwing out spoiled fruits and veggies, we freeze our produce to preserve its nutritional content and halt the ripening process. Freezing produce is also a good way to stock up on fruits and veggies that are on sale or going out of season.

If there's an abundant amount of produce in our house, we estimate how much we'll need to last the rest of the week and then freeze the rest. Produce is best frozen when it's perfectly ripe, and it can last in the freezer for up to a year.

To find out how to freeze produce at home, read more.

When it comes to fruit, wash, peel, and dice before freezing. Put the fruit slices onto a cookie sheet and freeze overnight, then transfer the frozen fruit pieces into moisture proof containers. By freezing fruit on a cookie sheet first, you avoid ending up with a massive block of frozen fruit later. Although I freeze fresh fruit as is, you can use sugar to maintain a fruit's flavor, color, and texture if you won't be using it soon after freezing. Lemon juice can also be used to preserve the color of fruits that would normally brown when exposed to air, like apples or pears.

Before freezing vegetables, it's highly recommended that you blanch them first. Blanching halts the action of vegetable enzymes which cause veggies to lose their color, flavor, and texture. Keep in mind that blanching time varies depending on the vegetable, and you want to make sure that veggies are cooled before you freeze them. Frozen veggies can be used in the same way you would use frozen vegetables from the grocery store.

If freezing produce is not for you, find other ways to use ripe fruits and veggies before they spoil like making sauces, stocks, or jams. In the end, we're all better for limiting our waste.

Source: Flickr User Chiot's Run

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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A Tale of Two Toothbrushes

BellaSugar — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 07:00:17 -0700

Yes! Daneen at Spoiled Pretty has said what I've been thinking all along: Colgate's new Wisp product is an environmental fail. Wisp is a wee single-use cleaner that has a pre-soaked scrubber on one end and a pointy pick on the other. It's about the size of a lipstick, so the idea is to tote it with you and whip it out whenever spinach-teeth becomes a threat.

Unfortunately, Wisp can't be recycled or even re-used. So every time you unwrap one and use it that little Wisp will head off to a landfill. I'm all for convenience, but not at the expense of being environmentally sensitive. Disposable stuff is so passé. So instead, I tote this Preserve toothbrush, which is made from recycled yogurt cups. It comes in a tube, so I can toss it in my bag and go. And when the toothbrush wears out, Preserve will recycle both the brush and tube into plastic lumber that can be used in parks. Seems like a no-brainer to me.