Pumpkin Bagels

It's that pumpkin time of year again!

Not that we can't get canned pumpkin any time of year.   It just  feels weird to eat pumpkin during the heat of summer.  It's a psychological thing. Of course, if you're trying to eat with the seasons or  enjoy making your own pumpkin puree this is really the only time of year to do it.

Pumpkin is pretty much hit or miss in our household. I usually like it, pumpkin pie being the exception.  Sonny will gladly eat pumpkin ice cream or pie, but otherwise turns up his nose to it. Hubby doesn't really care for it at all. So I was pretty happy that everyone liked the pumpkin bagels. Good thing too, because I've made about 3 dozen (yes, 36!) over the last 2 weeks.




This recipe is quite easy to adapt. Feel free to use canned or your own homemade pumpkin puree. I imagine pureed butternut squash or the like would work just as well. I prefer a less sweet bagel, but feel free to add more sugar or honey to taste. Raisins and cinnamon are good additions. Sesame, poppy and/or flax seeds on top are nice. Substituting a portion of the bread flour with whole wheat flour also works wonderfully and gives a more complex taste and texture, although the pumpkin flavor will not be as pronounced.  If you make more bagels than you can eat in a day or two, they freeze beautifully.  If the crusts gets soft, they can be toasted whole in a toaster oven for about 5 minutes or so.

Pumpkin Bagels
Makes about 12 x 100g bagels

• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 1 tbs dry active yeast
• 3 tbs sugar or honey (more or less to taste)
• 4 to 5 cups bread flour (or replace up to half with whole wheat flour)
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 tbs oil
• 1 tbs kosher salt (more to taste)
• malt syrup or mild molasses for the boiling step
• 1 egg mixed with 1 tbs water for an egg wash (optional)

These instructions assume you have a KitchenAid or similar at your disposal. You can certainly do it by hand, but it will take more time and elbow grease.  Start in a large bowl and once the dough comes together, transfer to the countertop to knead by hand.

Begin by proofing the yeast in the warm water and sugar for about 5 minutes or so, until the mixture starts to become frothy.  Add about 3.5  to 4 cups of the flour, the pumpkin puree, oil and salt and knead on speed 3 until the ingredients are well incorporated and the dough starts to form strands, about 5 minutes. (Don't be alarmed if the dough seems dry when you first start kneading. It takes a little bit for the flour to incorporate. But if it continues to stay too dry, add a little more liquid.)  The dough will likely still be sticky.   At this point, add a little more flour and knead until it is well incorporated. (I usually add about a tablespoon or two at a time and I let the dough knead for at least a couple of minutes between each addition.)

Gotta get that gluten going!

Once the dough starts to pull away from the sides, knead for two or three minutes more, or until you get a smooth and elastic dough.  It should be tacky, but it shouldn't stick to your fingers.  Let the dough rest, covered loosely with plastic wrap,  for 30 minutes. (Alternatively, you can refrigerate the dough for a day or two. It will come to a full rise, which is fine. Take it out an hour before continuing.)

Divide the dough into equal ball-shaped portions. (I use a scale to weigh out 100 g portions, of which I can get about 12).  Let the portions sit, loosely covered with oiled plastic wrap, for about another 15 minutes.



In the meantime, combine about 1 tbs malt syrup or molasses and 1 tbs kosher salt with about 6 quarts water and get that boiling. I also like to preheat my oven at this time. Preheat to 425F.

Once the 15 minutes are up, shape the bagels. I find the easiest way to shape the bagels is to poke a hole in the center and stretch it bigger. This may take a little practice. It might help if your fingers are slightly oiled to keep the dough from sticking.  Let the bagels rest again, covered loosely with oiled plastic wrap, until they have puffed up a bit, about 30 minutes. (They don't need to double in size.)

Boil the bagels for 45 seconds to 1 minute on each side. Don't crowd them; 2 to 3 at a time works well. Remove them with a slotted utensil to a rack.

boiled bagels before being brushed and baked (like my alliteration?)

Brush them with egg wash and dress with any seeds before transferring them to a sheet pan and sticking them in the oven.  I usually bake them for about 20 minutes on a baking stone.  If you don't have a baking stone, a sheet pan is just fine, although you may want to give them an extra minute or so.  Once they're done, let them cool on a rack.

If you're new to bagel making, here is the recipe that got me started. It's super easy to follow and the results are great.

If you like pumpkin, then you may enjoy these other recipes:
Thai Simmered Pumpkin with Egg
Pumpkin Bread Pudding

It's a Wrap!

According to my neighbor, I've been spending a crazy amount of time canning lately.  I suppose in today's fast paced world, a two to three-hour canning session seems like a lot of time. Multiplying that by 2, sometimes 3 times a week, and yeah, I guess I have been spending an a lot of time canning. There might be another session to make some hot sauce (got tons of Thai peppers left to deal with)  or maybe a little more applesauce, but I think that's it. My canning season is pretty much done. How sad!


When I first got the notion to start canning, I bought myself an enamel water-bath canning set that came with all the accessories,  a 12 pack of pint jars and the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving. This  was enough to get me started and keep me satisfied for a while, but now that I'm feeling more confident (that is, we're all still alive and well!) I wanted to be able to play around with recipes and can fish, so I recently purchased a Mirro pressure canner.  I love this tool and would highly recommend it to anyone. I use it as both a water-bath and pressure canner.  It's safe, easy to use and works like it's supposed to (imagine that!). The added bonus is it comes with 3 different weights that maintain the correct pressure rather than a pressure gauge.  That means no babysitting and no having to get the gauge checked every year.  

Another tool I have found indispensable is a food mill.  It allows to me skip the tedious task of peeling and coring tomatoes. I purchased the Roma food mill and have used it to make BBQ sauce, ketchup, and tomato juice.

If you've got the notion to start canning, the season is winding down, but it's certainly not too late. You still have time to squeeze in some apple products. Or if you have some green tomatoes,  why not try green tomato relish? The recipe below is from the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving and I promise you, it is better than any commercially available relish!

Green Tomato Relish
6 cups finely chopped cored green tomatoes (no need to peel)
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 green bell peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/4 cup canning salt (or a generous 1/3 cup kosher salt, but no regular table salt)
1 tsp whole cloves
1 tsp celery seeds
1 to 2 sticks cinnamon
2 cups white vinegar (5% acidity)
1.5 cups lightly packed brown sugar
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tbs dry mustard (I used 1 tbs yellow mustard seeds)
kosher or canning salt, to taste
1/2 tsp ground ginger (this can be upped to taste)

If you are new to canning, I will refer you to the National Center for Home Food Preservation site for information on how to can. Although you may be tempted, do not change the proportion of vegetables to vinegar and do not added water to dilute the vinegar. The proportions must stay the same to make the relish shelf stable. The vinegar may seem overpowering as it's cooking, but mellows out nicely after the relish has been canned.

This is typically a two day process.  On day one, combine the finely chopped vegetables with the canning or kosher salt and let it stand for 12 hours at about 75°F.

On day two, rinse and drain the vegetables well. (Taste to be sure it's not too salty. If so, continue to rinse until you're satisfied.) Squeeze out as much water as possible. I like to do this using a clean kitchen towel or several layers of cheese cloth.

To prepare the pickling liquid, make a spice bag containing the cloves, celery seeds, and cinnamon stick. Put the spice bag, vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, mustard and ginger in a large non-reactive pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved then add the drained vegetables.  Bring up to a boil then reduce the heat and boil gently until the tomatoes are transparent. This should take about an hour. Be sure to stir frequently. Add extra kosher or canning salt to taste. You might not need to.  Discard the spice bag.

Can the relish in half-pint jars for 10 minutes in a water-bath canner.


So tell me, what have you put up this year?

Canning Harissa

I will remember this summer as the summer I got serious about canning and preserving my own foods. (It will also be remembered as the summer we finally went camping. Like at a real campsite,  and not in our back yard, but that's a story for another post.)  I've been preserving small batches of jams and chutneys for a few years now, but it's time to diversify. So far, I've put up 3 different berry syrups and jams, pickled snap peas, BBQ sauce,  taco sauce, roasted tomato and chipotle salsa and harissa.  I recently purchased a pressure canner and I expect it will get a lot of use starting in the next couple of weeks.





I've enjoyed every single thing I've canned so far, but the harissa is my current favorite so I thought I'd share it with you.  The recipe comes from the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving. It's not a traditional harissa because it contains tomatoes, sugar and vinegar. Their adaptation allows it to be canned in a water bath canner.  I'll admit, I  was skeptical. It initially tasted sweet and vinegary, but I'm happy to report that after just a couple of weeks on the shelf, it has mellowed out and tastes fantastic. It tastes great added to hummus, spread on a roast beef sandwich or drizzled with a good quality olive oil and used as a dip for bread and crackers.  It's also a good base for flavoring stews and such.   We like it so much, I'm planning to make more once my tomatoes and bell peppers ripen.

Harissa Sauce
adapted from Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving
Makes about six 8-oz jars

4 oz dried New Mexico chilies, seeded and stems removed (I used a mix of dried chilies)
4 cups (about 21 oz) chopped, seeded, cored and peeled plum tomatoes
2 cups (about 8.5 oz) chopped onions
3/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar (I cut down to 2/3 cup)
1 cup cider vinegar (white vinegar is okay too as long as it has 5% acidity)
1/2 cup (about 2.5 oz) chopped, seeded red bell pepper
3 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
4 tbs (about 2 oz) finely chopped garlic
salt to taste (the recipe calls for 1 tbs and I assume they mean canning salt, but I just used kosher)

Begin by soaking the chilies in hot water until they soften, about 20 minutes. Drain, reserving about 1/4 cup of the soaking liquid. In a blender or food processor, blend the chilies with the garlic, salt and about 3 tbs of the soaking liquid. Blend until you achieve a uniform paste. Set aside.

In a large pot, bring the tomatoes, onions, sugar, vinegar, red pepper, cumin and coriander to a boil. Reduce the heat and boil gently, uncovered, until the mixture has the consistency of a thin tomato ketchup. (Don't worry if your mixture doesn't look like thin tomato ketchup. Mind didn't either. In any case, the recipe states this should take about 25 minutes.) Be sure to stir frequently to keep from scorching.

While the tomatoes are gently boiling away, prepare your canner, jars and lids. The jars don't need to be pre-sterilized (boiled), just keep them warm (about 180F) until they're ready to use. Same with the lids.

After the tomatoes have reached the correct consistency (or after 25 minutes), add the blended chili mixture to the tomato mixture. Season with salt.  Bring it all back up to a boil and continue to boil for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Ladle the hot sauce into the hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Run a plastic knife down the sides to remove air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, wet paper towel, then center lids on the jars. Screw on bands until they are "fingertip tight." Don't over tighten because air needs to be able to leave the jar and the seal sets up.

When you put the jars in the canner,  be sure they are completely covered with water with a couple of inches to spare. Put the lid on the canner and bring it up to a boil. Once it reaches a rolling boil, start timing. You'll want to process the jars for 10 minutes. After turning off the heat, let the jars sit in the canner for about 5 minutes, then remove them to cool.

Resist the urge to check the jars until they are completely cooled, otherwise they might not seal properly. After they've cooled, check the seals to make sure each jar has a good seal. If a jar isn't sealed, treat it like fresh food and put it in your  fridge.  It should probably be eaten within two weeks.  If you can hold off, let the canned product sit for a couple of weeks on the shelf before using.

Now that you have the harissa, you can try this North African inspired braised lamb shank. Meaty beef short ribs should work as well.  Or use skinless chicken hindquarters, if you prefer.





Here's what you'll need to feed 3 or 4:
2 meaty lamb shanks (or about 2.5 pounds of meat on the bone)
1 knob ginger (about 0.5 oz), minced or grated
1 onion, sliced or chopped
a few cloves garlic (basically to taste; I like lots)
1 cinnamon stick (about 3 inches or so long)
1/2 tsp cumin seed
1/2 to 1 cup of your home-canned harissa
2 oz chopped dates or raisins (optional)
2 medium Chinese eggplant, cut into chunks (optional)
1 cup whole blanched, toasted almonds
salt and pepper to taste

Begin by searing off the lamb shanks in a Dutch oven or the like.  ( Better yet, use a pressure cooker! I almost always use my pressure cooker for braised dishes.) I like to dredge them in a little flour, but that's optional. Do make sure they are seasoned with salt and pepper.  When they are nice and brown, remove them to a plate until needed.

In the same pot, add a little more oil if necessary and saute the onions with ginger, cinnamon stick and cumin seed. When the onions start to soften and brown a little, add the garlic. Sautee for a couple more minutes.  Add the harissa and return the lamb shanks to the pot. Turn to coated the lamb shanks with the spice mixture.  Add about 1/2 cup of water if you are using a pressure cooker and about 1.5 to 2 cups of water if you are going to braise in a Dutch oven.

In a pressure cooker the lamb shanks need about 30 to 35 minutes (depending on size)  at 10 pounds pressure. If you are using the eggplant and dried fruit, after about 30 minutes, turn off the heat and carefully release the pressure. Add the eggplant and dried fruit and bring it back up to pressure. Cook for an additional 2 minutes at 10 pounds.

If you want to braise the shanks in a Dutch oven, it could take anywhere from 2 to 3 hours, depending on how low you like to do it. Turn the shanks every hour. About 30 minutes before the shanks are tender, add the eggplant and dried fruit.  Once the shanks are tender, I like to let them rest and cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. You may have to reduce the sauce if it's too thin.

Serve topped with the toasted almonds and couscous, rice, quinoa or a crusty bread on the side.

Enjoy!