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!

Pickled Sugar Snap Peas

Until about a week ago, if you told me to do anything with a snap pea besides eat it raw, I would have scoffed. The whole reason I started vegetable gardening was because I wanted fresh snap peas (and tomatoes) and didn't want to pay the astronomical prices they were charging at the grocery store for the subpar selection. Snap peas are best enjoyed right off the vines. And I mean that literally. Our habit is to pick them, tear off the strings, and put them in our mouths. This makes snack time so easy.

This year I planted twice as many seeds as I normally do but it seems we ended up with more than a double harvest. Even after giving some away and blanching and freezing some, I still had quite a few left over.



Of all the ways to enjoy snap peas, pickling never came to mind. I really had to convince myself that pickling them would be a good idea. In the end,  I figured since we had so many and we'd already eaten enough to count for a year's worth of fiber, might as well try something new. I'm glad I did. These pickles were great.

When I need canning information, I always consult my trusted canning reference, the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving. I've canned many a chutney and jams, but pickles are relatively new ground for me. Who knew there were so many different types of pickles?  After some deliberation, I decided to go the way of brining then pickling. No rhyme or reason, just because it sounded good. If you're not feeling the brine, feel free to skip that step. Instead, add salt to the pickling liquid to taste. You'll save time and still have a tasty pickle on your hands.  By the way, this would work with string beans or just about any other vegetable.



Snap Pea PicklesAn adaptation of Mixed Vegetable Pickles from Ball Complete Book of Home PreservingMakes about eight  250ml jars (or  4 pint jars) 

• 2.5 lbs sugar snap peas, tips and center string removed
• 1 cup kosher salt (I use Diamond brand) dissolved in about 1 gallon water, cooled
• 4.5 cups white vinegar
• 1 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tbs celery seeds
• 2 tbs yellow mustard seeds

Put the snap peas in a large stainless steel or plastic container and pour the salt water over them. Let them brine for about 12 hours in the refrigerator.  After that time, drain and rinse the pods well with cold water.
In a stainless steel pot, bring the vinegar, sugar and spices to a boil. Allow to boil for a couple of minutes. Add the rinsed peas and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and boil gently for a couple of minutes, enough so the pods are heated through. Pack the pods into clean, hot jars. Add hot pickling liquid, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. (If you have leftover liquid, try making refrigerator pickled red onion. It's delicious on sandwiches.) Wipe rims, center lids on top, and screw on bands to fingertip tight. Process in a water bath canner for 15 minutes then let the jars rest in the canner for about 5 minutes before setting them to cool.
I find that allowing canned foods to rest for at least 2 to 3 weeks allows the flavors to mellow. But I was too curious to wait that long. Although the vinegar still hadn't mellowed, they went great with salami, but I imagine they would compliment any type of charcuterie. Even Hubby, who originally turned up his nose when I told him I was pickling snap peas,  enjoyed them.  

I think I've picked up the pickling bug. So tell me, what should I pickle next?

Preserving Strawberries

We purchased a new car last week, and to break it in, we decided to go for a short drive to Sauvie Island, a small rural island about 10 miles north of Portland. When I suggested Sauvie Island I had an ulterior motive⎯ berry picking! Right now the Hood strawberries are available, and I wanted—no,  needed!— to get my hands on those goodies. If you're not familiar with the Hood strawberries, they are the most delicious strawberries ever. So sweet! So juicy!  The problem is, once they're picked, they need to be eaten ASAP. They won't last more than a few hours on the countertop before they begin to go soft.

It couldn't have been a better day for berry picking.  There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the temperature hovered right around 70F. Since it was a weekday, there weren't many people about. And the icing on the cake: the berries were only $1.35 per pound!!!  I was so giddy with excitement, I almost peed my pants. (I'm only exaggerating a little.) We picked about 10 pounds, not including the ones we gorged on while picking.  It was an enjoyable activity and we'll be doing it again when the blueberries and raspberries are ready.



Picking the berries was the easiest part of this whole endeavor. The real work began once we got home. The first order of business was to freeze half of the berries. Frozen berries can go directly from the freezer to the blender for smoothies, shakes and my personal favorites, margaritas and daiquiris.

To freeze strawberries: Remove the stems. Gently rinse with cold water to remove dirt, then pat dry. Lay the berries out on a clean sheet pan (I recommend lining with parchment) in a single layer. Stick the whole lot into the freezer, and once frozen, the berries can go in a Ziploc bag for long term storage.



Making jam would seem like a natural way to preserve berries, but making a syrup is actually a better way to get the most out of the fruit. Not only are you getting the fruit juices, but the process produces plenty of pulp, which can be used to make jam.  It's the ultimate 2-for-1 deal. Pretty nifty, huh?

This strawberry syrup is thinner than maple syrup, but the flavor is still quite concentrated. To use, simply dilute with water to taste to make delicious strawberry juice. Using carbonated water will give a nice strawberry soda. Or add a little to lemonade. Throw vodka in the mix and life will be really good.

To make and can strawberry syrup: In a large pot, crush about 5 pounds strawberries with about 1/2 to 1 cup water. (This might be easier to do as the strawberries heat up.) Bring to a boil over medium heat then allow to gently boil for about 5 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent sticking or burning. Strain the berries using several layers of cheese cloth set in a strainer  or colander set over a large, deep bowl or stainless steel pot. For 5 pounds of berries, I recommend a colander. Most strainers are too small to hold the entire lot, so you'll have to do it in batches, which is just more work. Lesson learned. Let the juice drain from the pulp, undisturbed, for a couple hours.

At the end of the straining process, I had about 3 to 4 cups strawberry liquid and about 3 cups pulp.





While the strawberries are straining, make a simple syrup using 3 cups sugar and 1 cup water.

When the strawberries are done straining, transfer the juice to a stainless steel pot that can hold at least 10 cups of liquid. Add the simple syrup to taste. (I think I ended up using most of it.  I also added 2 to 3 tablespoons of lemon juice to round out the flavor.) Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Transfer the hot strawberry syrup  to hot, clean pint or 250 ml jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe the rims with a wet paper towel, center a warm lid on top and screw on bands to fingertip tight. Bring to a boil in a water bath canner and process for 10 minutes. Let the jars sit for 5 minutes before removing from the canner. Allow the jars to sit undisturbed until cooled.

I was able to process 3 pints with almost another pint left over.

The pulp leftover from making the syrup can also be canned. Since a lot of the liquid had been removed, I didn't bother with pectin. The consistency was thicker than a sauce but not as set as a traditional jam. The taste was still fantastic. Use it to flavor plain yogurt, make strawberry cream cheese, as a topping for vanilla ice cream or to make a galette (directions follow).

Save time and resources by processing the jam with the syrup.

To make jam with drained strawberry pulp:  Make a simple syrup with 1. 5 cups sugar and 1/2 cup water.

Place the strawberry pulp in a medium saucepan. Add about 2 tbs lemon juice (or more to taste). Add the simple syrup to taste. Heat until boiling then turn down the heat and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent burning.

Transfer the jam to hot, clean pint or 250 ml jars,  leaving about 3/4 inch of headspace. Wipe the rims and center a warm lid on top. Screw on bands till fingertip tight. Bring to a boil in a water bath canner and process for 10 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes before removing from the canner. Allow to cool undisturbed.



From the pulp I was able to make 2 pints jam. One of the pints didn't sit very long though. I used it to make a delicious galette for Father's Day.  For the crust,  I used Smitten Kitchen's hand pie dough, which has a wonderfully buttery flavor and flaky texture. For the filling I used 1 pint of the strawberry jam to which I added about 2 tbs cornstarch mixed with 1 tbs cold apple juice (cold water would be fine). I dotted the filling with 1 tbs butter and brushed the top with eggwash. Into a 375F oven it went and 45 minutes later it came out a nice golden brown.

It was tempting to cut into this bad boy right away, but I knew I had to wait for the filling to set. So I placed it out of sight and by tasting time, it had cooled to room temperature and the filling was set. In case you were wondering, it was a big hit.



Tell me, how do you like to preserve summer berries?