Crock Pot Apple Butter

 

I guarantee that when you make apple butter, the entire house will smell like every holiday rolled into one day. This recipe comes form my mother, Kathleen Tarr Helbling, and my sweet German friend, Talea Bloom. If you are not blessed with the gift of a bushel of their gnarled, flavorful organic apples, there are plenty of other varieties to try.

Apple butter doesn't actually contain any butter, and is completely fat-free, and I think the name comes from its smooth, rich consistency. This sweet-sour and spicy recipe doesn't take all the fussing and hovering that a lot of jam recipes demand. You just cut up the apples and let them simmer all day in a crock pot, stirring and mushing once in a while, then boil the puree until thick and can them at the end.

This tastes fabulous on whole-wheat honey bread. Yum.

Ingredients

4 lbs of firm-fleshed, tart apples (McIntosh, Jonathan, or Granny Smith are my favorites)
1 cup apple cider vinegar
2 cups water
1 lemon, quartered (note: old lemons have bitter peels; try to find a fresh, plump-skinned one)
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp salt
White granulated sugar or Splenda (about 2 cups, see cooking instructions)
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp allspice

Directions

Cut the apples into quarters, cutting out damaged parts. Don't peel or core them, or pick out the apple seeds. Put the apple pieces into a large crock pot, add the lemon, vinegar, water, and brown sugar, and cover. Turn the crock pot on high and allow to simmer for 6- 8 hours, stirring occasionally and crushing the fruit with a spoon. It is ready when the consistency is similar to applesauce. You can also let the mixture simmer overnight in a crock pot on low, but increase the time to 10 hours and stir it if you get up in the night to use the bathroom or get a snack.

Strain out the solids through a colander. Measure the apple puree. Stir in 1/3 cup of white sugar for each cup of apple pulp. Stir in the salt, cinnamon, ginger, ground cloves, and allspice. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Pour into a heavy, wide-bottomed saucepan. Simmer on medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until thickened and reduced, about 1 hour. Test if it is ready to jell by pouring a spoonful on a plate and letting it sit in the refrigerator until cool. It should be thick as jam.

Pour into sterilized pint jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace, and wipe the rims. Screw on lids hand-tight and lower into a hot water bath canner. Boil 15 minutes once the pot reaches a full rolling boil. Remove from the canner and allow to cool. Test the seals before storing.

Makes 3-4 pint jars.

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Replay: Salsa Verde and Spicy Black Bean Dip

One of the very first recipes we blogged, and one of the first Mexican foods I learned to make, was salsa verde. And last weekend, when we were preparing for the opening night of my artist show in Wisconsin, Joe decided to cook up a big batch of this green tomatillo salso for the guests. They ate it all, and practically licked the bowl!

With my friend Becky, and my art behind us on the wall!

I'm thrilled that nearly 200 people came to Lemon Street Gallery for the reception. Two other artists were featured - a sculptor and an acrylic painter. I'm also thrilled that I sold three pieces!

These two pieces are still for sale.

For the show, Joe also made his Light and Spicy Black Bean Dip. It was devoured, too. I only got a taste while he was making it!

Joe left out cards for our Hungry Lovers food blog so that people could try the recipes for themselves if they liked it. While I'm very last re-posting these recipes, I'm hoping the art lovers aren't too disappointed. Here, then, is how to make Salsa Verde.

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Maple-Fig Preserves

We ate fresh figs for the first time when we arrived at an agritourismo in Tuscany - a working farm with a bed-and-breakfast style accommodations.  The hosts had prepared an enormous five-course dinner, but on the sideboard sat a simple basket, lined with giant fig leaves, full of pale green figs.

Rosa dei Venti, Creti, Italy

Joe picked up a fig and sliced it. We were enchanted by the simple flavor and crunch of the tiny seeds. Fruit in Italy is astoundingly better than fruit I've tasted anywhere else - and I grew up in the fruit-growing area of Southwestern Michigan.

We rarely see fresh figs in the Chicago area, and when we do they are too expensive to contemplate. Dried figs are a good alternative to make jam. I've been wanting to make this ever since I started to notice fig jam as a condiment on antipasto platters, alongside a selection of dessert cheeses, and as a sauce for pork and game.

I think this would also be wonderful poured over a round of brie and topped with chopped walnuts before heating. (Update: we tried this at Thanksgiving, warmed and poured over cream cheese and topped with pecans. Everybody raved about it, and there were no leftovers.)

Since this is my last week working with wonderful friends in my library, I brought in this jam with crackers last night, along with jars of Roasted Poblano salsa and Green Tomatillo salsa. They seemed to like it! It was nice being able to give them a going-away present; they are some of the friendliest, most helpful people I've ever worked with. I'm trying to hold back tears every time I say goodbye to another friend there.

Ingredients

16 oz. dried figs
2 cups boiling water
1 cup lemon juice
1 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp ground coriander
2 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp vanilla
2 tsp salt

Instructions

Place the figs in a bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Let them soak 15-20 minutes, or until plump and tender.

Drain the figs, pouring the water into a pan. Set the fruit aside. Add the remaining ingredients to the water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes.

While the syrup is simmering, finely chop the fruit. Add it to the syrup and stir well. Continue simmering 30-45 minutes, or until very thick. Check whether the jam is set by pouring a little onto a cold plate. If it sets, it is ready. You can pour the jam into a jar and keep it in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks, or follow the canning process below to keep it longer.

If you plan to can the jam, ladle it into sterilized 1/2 pint or pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe the rims, then screw on the lids. Process for 15 minutes in a boiling water bath, then allow to cool before checking the seals.

Makes about 4 cups of jam.


You can find other canning and preserving recipes in my book, The Complete Guide to Food Preservation: Step-by-step Instructions on How to Freeze, Dry, Can, and Preserve Food

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Wild Berry Lavender Jam

Last weekend when Joe and I went for a walk in the woods, we found wild blackberry vines studded with fresh berries. I'd been out the week before collecting wildflowers, and I expected the berries would be ready soon. This time, I came to the nature preserve with a couple of plastic bags to bring home the fruit.

Wildflowers from the nature preserve - colored pencil drawing.

Thankfully, we were coated with a strong layer of insect repellent. The mosquitoes are fierce and heavy this summer; in some thickets we could hardly breathe through the fog of flying bugs. Nonetheless, the berries were delicious and worth the threat to life and limb.

Those we didn't eat immediately we stirred together with some blueberries and made this fragrant, floral-tinged jam.

Ingredients

Juice of three limes (about 1/2 cup)
1/3 cup hot water
2 tsp powdered pectin
3 tablespoons lavender buds and leaves
4 cups fresh blackberries
4 cups fresh blueberries
4 cups sugar

Directions

In a large non-reactive saucepan, stir together the water, lime juice, and pectin.

Put the lavender, berries, and sugar in a blender or food processor and pulse until mixed but still slightly lumpy. Add to the saucepan and mix well. Bring the jam to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer on low, stirring frequently, for 15 minutes.

Check to see if the jam is setting by dropping a bit onto a plate and letting it cool for a few minutes. The jam is set when you can tilt the plate sideways and the jam does not slide off the plate.

Sterilize half-pint jars and lids. Heat water in a boiling-water canner until it is at a rolling boil. If you don't like seeds, strain the jam through cheesecloth before putting it in jars. Then fill sterilized jars with the fruit mixture, leaving 1/2" room from the rim. Wipe off the rims and screw down the lids until finger-tight.

Boil in a hot-water bath for 15 minutes. Remove from boiler and cool on a towel. Tighten the lids before storing.

Makes about 8 half pint jars.


You can find other canning and preserving recipes in my book, The Complete Guide to Food Preservation: Step-by-step Instructions on How to Freeze, Dry, Can, and Preserve Food

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Asian Fusion Plum Jam

I recently had another canning date with my friend Talea, who had found a luscious pile of just-ripe plums at the grocery store. We put our heads together to come up with a unique plum jam recipe. The whole house was filled with the fragrance of simmering fruit and ginger. I couldn't stop staring at the luscious purple color in the jars! The photo above really doesn't do it justice.

That night, when the guys got home from work, we served a fresh ham roasted with ale and rubbed with herbs and salt, and served these preserves on the side with a nice glass of Cabernet. 

Ingredients

1 cup water
Juice and zest of 2 lemons

2 tbsp ground cardamom

¼ c  fresh ginger, grated

1 large jalapeno, finely chopped

2 lbs plums, seeded and sliced
3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups sake

Directions 

Pour water into a non-reactive saucepan. Add lemon juice, zest, cardamom, ginger, jalapeno, and plums and crush with spoon or potato masher. Heat to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 60 minutes, until mixture is thick and syrupy and the fruit is soft. Add water if the mixture gets too dry.

Press the fruit through a fine colander or run it through a food mill to remove the tough bits. Return it to the pan and add the sugar and sake. Simmer and stir for about 60 minutes, until the jam sets. It is set when a spoonful set on a cool plate is thick and jam-like.

Sterilize half-pint or pint jars and lids. Heat water in a boiling-water canner until it is at a rolling boil. Fill sterilized jars with fruit mixture, leaving 1/2" room from the rim. Wipe off the rims and screw down the lids until finger-tight.

Boil in a hot-water bath for 15 minutes. Remove from boiler and cool on a towel. Tighten the lids before storing.

Because the recipe does not include any jelling compound, the preserves may be a little juicy, but still delicious.

Makes about 6 half pint jars.


You can find other canning and preserving recipes in my book, The Complete Guide to Food Preservation: Step-by-step Instructions on How to Freeze, Dry, Can, and Preserve Food

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Jalapeno Jam

Unfortunately, this recipe did not make it into Angela's book, The Complete Guide to Food Preservation. But it's a tasty and colorful green-and-red jam that's an unusual way to use up end-of-summer peppers. This jam makes an excellent appetizer when warmed slightly and poured onto a brick of cream cheese or other soft cheese. Serve with crackers, vegetables, pita wedges, or toast rounds. The jam also makes a delicious glaze for poultry or pork.

 

Ingredients

1/2 cup jalapeno, chopped and seeded
2 cups green bell pepper, chopped and seeded
1/2 cup red bell pepper, minced
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
3 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 package pectin

 

Directions

Place jalapeno and green bell peppers in a food processor or blender. Pour in vinegar and process to a smooth consistency Pour into a saucepan and add sugar. Slowly stir in pectin. Bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently, and scraping the sides. Add red pepper and boil 1 minute longer.

Pour the jam into the prepared canning jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Dampen a kitchen towel and wipe around the rims of the canning jars. Screw the canning lids onto the jar just until finger-tight. Process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes.

Yield: About 6 half-pint jars.

If you have ever wanted to learn how to can foods, check out our post on "canning basics", titled Canning With Friends.

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Canning with Friends (Canning Basics)

Whenever I can some produce, I remember my mom and grandmother putting up bushels of tomatoes, gallons of applesauce, jars of jewel-like preserves and just-picked veggies. I remember the sweetness of fruits melting into jam and my mother's purple hands after pressing Concord grapes through her screw press and then putting up the juice in jars. There's a satisfying feeling of self-sufficiency, too, in storing your own food supply, like in the pioneer days when most of the summer was spent in preserving food for the winter.

When my mom brought me a bushel of organic Jonathan apples from her farm, I knew I was going to need some girlfriend help to can them. And some wine, of course. They brought cucumbers and peppers and caprese pesto salad for lunch. We giggled and goofed and produced six quarts of applesauce, eight pints of hot kosher pickles, three pints of mild koshers, and five quarts of pears in coriander syrup. 

Talea, my organic hippie free spirit friend, danced around me in the kitchen as if we'd been cooking together forever. She also helped me understand why I often drop jars while using my jar lifter. I have been using it upside down for years. I think she was literally rolling on the floor when she noticed this, but I swore her to silence; now I've outed myself. And I'm an expert, guys! I wrote a book and everything!

Jo, the newbie to canning, dove right into our jar-stuffing and apple-spicing after we had a welcome glass of wine. I am pretty certain my grandma didn't drink wine when she was canning, but my grandma also didn't look like the ethereal Jo. Anyway, we were thirsty. Canning is hard work.

I reminded my friends that "organic" meant that we were probably going to find worms and bad spots and oddly shaped produce. They didn't flinch. They also had a surprising amount of fun with oddly shaped produce. What happens on Canning Day stays with Canning Day. I'll just say that it might be dangerous to let Jo stand behind you when you're bent over taking a picture.

Everything is more fun when you do it with friends. Here is the basic canning process. At the end of this post are several recipes for you to try; you can also click on the canning link on the right side to find more canning recipes.

Canning jars are designed to create a seal between the lid and rim by the band of rubber-like material on the lid when the jar is heated to a certain temperature. The jars have three parts, the lid, the band that screws down and holds the lid, and the glass jars. Lids should be thrown away after you have used them once. Bands can be reused until you see any rust on the inside; jars can be reused indefinitely.

Canning works to preserve food by cooking foods to a temperature that kills viruses and bacteria, by making the foods acidic enough to kill viruses and bacteria, or both. It's kind of gross to think of viruses and bacteria on our food, right? In our normal diets these things are either too weak or undeveloped to harm us, but if they are allowed to bloom in a jar for a couple of months they can kill you. That's why we sterilize, follow processing guidelines, and check our food after it is canned.

Things you will need

Depending on what you are canning, you will need some or all of these things. Most of them are probably in your kitchen already.

1. A jar lifter—a set of tongs specially made for canning jars with rubber-coated handles—for lifting boiling hot jars out of your canner.
2. Modern canning jars with self-sealing lids and screw-on bands.
3. A small-bladed plastic or rubber spatula to remove bubbles out of jars before processing. Some instructions recommend a metal knife, but metal can cause certain fruits to turn color.
4. An accurate kitchen timer, measuring cups, and spoons. Canning recipes are very exact, and proper timing and measuring are crucial to your success.
5.  Saucepans for warming lids and cooking sauces.
6. Colanders for draining produce.
7. Knives and cutting boards for processing fruits and vegetables.
8. Pitters for removing the stones from cherries, olives, and other fruit with pits.
9. A food processor, if desired, to chop up ingredients.
10. A ladle.
11. Cheesecloth, if the recipe calls for fine straining of foods.
12. Pot holders or mitts to protect your hands.
13. A big spoon for stirring.
14. Towels or racks for cooling your canning jars.
15. Large, deep pots for boiling water canning, or a pressure cooker for high-pressure canning.

Boiling Water or Pressure Cooking?

Boiling water bath

Boiling water works fine to seal the jars of high-acid foods like tomatoes or apples. It even works for low-acid produce like pears if you increase the acidity by adding lemon juice, or like pickles which makes veggies acidic when you add the vinegar. The nice thing about canning things in boiling water is that they retain a slightly better texture than pressure canned foods.

A pressure canner is a special sealed pot that both seals the jars and heats the contents to at least 212 degrees Fahrenheit, which kills the nasty things that could ruin your food and possibly your day. All foods can be canned this way, but vegetables and meat should always canned this way.

It's possible to cook foods at over 212 degrees for 20 minutes or so, then can them in sterilized jars in a boiling water bath, and I'm sure people have had good results doing that. But I'm going to go with the USDA and Ball canning company's Blue Book guide on this.

Whichever method you choose, there is a processing time for each type of food. A chart of food items, canning methods, and processing times can be found here at the National Center for Home Food Preservation. If you're currently frustrated with government policies or you just generally don't believe what the government says, you can also find it on the Ball canning site (I don't work for them) or my book, The Complete Guide to Food Preservation. If you buy my book, you'll also learn how to make cheese, wine, and jerky!

What you do next

I'm going to talk about boiling water bath canning for produce because that's what Jo, Talea, and I did this week. The first steps are the same, though, for both canning methods.

1. Wash your produce. Don't be afraid to scrub it good with a sponge or scrub brush. If you're working with berries, a strong rinsing will do it. Drain them or dry them.
2. Sterilize equipment. Boil jars, rims, bands, and other equipment for 20 minutes at a rolling boil. Remove them with something sterile and then don't touch anything (inside of jars, tongs, spoons) that will then touch the uncanned food.
3. Remove skins. Foods like apple slices, tomatoes, or peaches will taste better if you skin them. If you can use a paring knife or peeler to remove the skins, do that. If it is something delicate like tomatoes or peaches, boil a large pot of water and then dump in the fruit. Remove it 20 seconds later and plunge it into icewater for 2 minutes. The skins should slip off easily.
4. Cut up your food and pack it. I swear, the hardest part of canning is getting the food into the jars and getting them packed evenly. If you are following a recipe in which the food is added first and a liquid later, cram it in the sterilized jars as tightly as you can. If you are pouring in food and sauce together, pour it right up to the space the recipe tells you to.
5. Get out the bubbles. Those little unsterile air bubbles can spoil food, mess with the space around the seal, and cause the food to become discolored. Run a knife around the edges and into the air bubbles to release them upward.
6. Screw on the lids. Wipe off the rim of the jar and screw it down hand-tight. "Hand-tight" means something different to me than it does to macho man Joe. Screw the bands down until the threads of the jar are fully engaged, but not too tight. The lids need room to seal. After the bath is done and everything is cooled, you can screw them down some more.
7. Put them in the water bath.  This part is tricky. Glass jars, especially if they are old, can crack or break under temperature changes. Lower each jar very slowly into the water, or heat them in a sink of hot water before lowering them into the water.
8. Process them in the bath. Once the water reaches a rolling boil again, start timing the jars according to the recipe.
9. Cool the jars.  Pull them out of the pot with a jar lifter, used in the proper position, and put them on a draining rack or dish towel to cool. It helps if you haven't had too much wine at this point. Like Jo said, boiling water and wine are not a great combination, but talented chefs can make it work.
10. Test and store. While your jars cool, you'll probably hear a few pops. This is good. The rubbery seal substance and the contraction of the cooling food will pull the seal down into place. When the jars are cool, press the center of each lid. If it bounces, it didn't seal so you should put it in the refrigerator and use it soon. If it is firmly in place, tighten the band and store it in a cool, dark place until you're ready to eat it.

Try these canning recipes:

Giardiniera



Hot Dill Pickles



Apricot-Ginger Preserves

You can find other canning and preserving recipes in my book, The Complete Guide to Food Preservation: Step-by-step Instructions on How to Freeze, Dry, Can, and Preserve Food

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Apricot-Ginger Preserves

When I was a kid, we lived on a five-acre truck farm with fruit trees, a huge vegetable garden, and separate flower gardens for my mom, my older sister, and me. My birthday in mid-June was right in the middle of strawberry season, so every morning (er, late morning, or um, maybe noon) when I dragged my teenaged butt out of bed, there was already the sweet perfume of strawberries melting into jam, and a bit extra cooling on a plate in the fridge for my breakfast brunch lunch.

Over the years my love affair with fruit went from strawberries to raspberries to figs, and I flirted briefly with kiwis, but lately I'm enamored of apricots. These fruits seem to appear in the stores for about two weeeks, then disappear for an entire year. They are flavor bombs that you have eat practically the day you buy them, or lose them forever.

Last week Joe and I were magnetically drawn to a luscious pyramid of apricots like a glowing sunset at the grocery store. I wanted them all. But because they ripen and fade so quickly, I decided to buy them at sale price and can them. These preserves are ethereal - sweet-sour, intoxicating, and just a little exotic with the added ginger.

Apricot-Ginger Preserves

Ingredients

1/4 cup water
6 cups apricots, seeded and quartered
2 tbsp grated ginger
2 tsp lime juice
2 cups sugar

Directions

Pour water into a non-reactive saucepan. Add apricots and crush with spoon or potato masher. Add all ingredients and stir well. Heat to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes, until mixture is thick and syrupy with some chunks of fruit.

Sterilize half-pint or pint jars and lids. Heat water in a boiling-water canner until it is at a rolling boil. Fill sterilized jars with preserves, leaving 1/2" room from the rim. Wipe off the rims and screw down the lids until finger-tight.

Boil in a hot-water bath for 15 minutes. Remove from boiler and cool on a towel. Tighten the lids before storing.

Because the recipe does not include any jelling compound, the preserves may be a little juicy, but still delicious.

Makes 4-5 half pint jars.


You can find other canning and preserving recipes in my book, The Complete Guide to Food Preservation: Step-by-step Instructions on How to Freeze, Dry, Can, and Preserve Food

Read more...

Salsa Verde (Green Tomatillo Salsa)

There's a wonderful Latino store in a neighboring town that caters to a diverse population of Asians, Latinos, Caribbean Islanders, Eastern Europeans, and Africans. The produce is fresh, cheap, and so diverse I'm constantly smelling and touching and wondering what people make with these things: four different kinds of bananas, bitter melons, foot-long beans, sixteen different kinds of peppers.

Tomatillos with husks on

One item that might be unfamiliar to the average American is the tomatillo. It looks like a small green tomato in a sticky, papery leaf. These cook into a tangy salsa that I like even better than tomato salsas. I've made this salsa fairly mild because I'm a wimp with spicy food, but you can make it as hot or mild as you like. I used lemon thyme instead of regular thyme, but if you don't have it, regular thyme works.

This salsa is often used to make a breakfast/brunch dish called Chilaquiles (Chee-lah-kee-lays). I'll post that recipe next!

Salsa Verde

(Salsa Vair-day)

Ingredients

4 lbs. tomatillos, husked and washed
8 medium jalapeno chiles (remove the seeds if you want to reduce some of the heat)
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
12 garlic cloves, peeled
2 cups white onions, chopped
3 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
1 1/2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
2 cups fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice of 2 fresh limes
1 tbsp sea salt
1 tbsp canola oil

Directions

Cut tomatillos in half, place in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until tomatillos begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and chiles and cook another 10 minutes.

Using a strainer or slotted spoon, remove the tomatillos, garlic, and chiles to a blender or food processor; reserve liquid. Add herbs, onion and 1 cup of the reserved liquid, blend until partially smooth but still has some chunks.

Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add salsa, 1/2 cup more of the reserved liquid, and salt. Simmer over low heat until it thickens - approximately 10-15 minutes.

Makes approximately 4 - 5 half pints.



You can find other canning and preserving recipes in my book, The Complete Guide to Food Preservation: Step-by-step Instructions on How to Freeze, Dry, Can, and Preserve Food

Read more...

Do Chua (Vietnamese Pickled Vegetable Salad)

During the Vietnam war, my wonderful stepdad Paul was a peace volunteer working in agriculture in Vietnam. He has had a love for Vietnamese food since then, which he has passed down to my four half-Vietnamese step-siblings and my mom, who is always willing to try something new. He has kept most of his Asian recipes a secret up until now, but I hope to wheedle them out of him to share with all of you.

Do Chua is a daikon radish slaw 

We'll start with Do Chua (Vietnamese Pickled Vegetable Salad). Mom gave us a mint plant out of her garden a few weeks ago, and we were looking for new ways to use fresh mint leaves. I plan to take a jar of this pickle back to them when I visit next month.

This recipe is a sort of Vietnamese version of Giardiniera; this ubiquitous condiment is found at table in Vietnamese restaurants and homes. The daikon radish, mint leaves, and hot pepper make an unusual and delicious contrast to salads, sandwiches, or alongside meat dishes.

I needed to get back into serious cooking last weekend. The Chicago Area has broken heatwave records for the past week, and Saturday was the first day below 90 degrees in I don't even know how long. Windows opened, fan on, it was perfect to start canning again, since my canning mojo is in full swing this summer.

Note: I hadn't used fresh daikon until I made this salad, and I was surprised that it smells somewhat like mild mushrooms, and isn't as pungent as an ordinary red radish. If you can't find daikon, I would recommend replacing it with jicama. It's not exactly the same, but still delicious!

 

Sa Lach Dia (Vietnamese Pickled Vegetable Salad)

Daikon, carrot, cucumber

Ingredients

2 carrots, peeled
1 large daikon (white radish), peeled
8 oz fresh bean sprouts
1 cucumber, peeled
1 small red chile (Szechuan, birds eye, or red Cayenne)
1/4 cup sea salt
1 cup water
1 cup rice vinegar
2 tbsp superfine sugar
1 tbsp fresh mint leaves, chopped

Cut cucumber, daikon, and carrots into matchstick slices. Put vegetables into a glass bowl and sprinkle with the salt and water. Let sit for 30 minutes.

Drain vegetables. Finely chop red pepper, being careful not to get the volatile oils on skin or eyes (these are STRONG peppers!). Toss peppers with vegetables, then tightly pack into sterile glass jars.

Mix together remaining ingredients and pour over vegetables, tapping the jars to release air bubbles. Allow 1/4" head space at the top of the jars. Wipe the rims with a clean wet cloth and screw on lids. Let marinate for a couple of days before using. This will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.

If you plan to can these for later use, process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely before tightening lids and storing.

Makes approximately 3 pints.

You can find other canning and preserving recipes in my book, The Complete Guide to Food Preservation: Step-by-step Instructions on How to Freeze, Dry, Can, and Preserve Food

Read more...

Giardiniera (Italian Pickled Vegetables)

When my girls were little, one of our favorite treats was Sammie's Hot Dog stand in Grayslake, a far north suburb of Chicago. This casual little place used to be a summer food stand for the lake resort crowd but grew into a year-round place that also served thousands at the County Fair. Their hot dogs were the authentic Chicago-style kind, but I liked their savory Italian Beef sandwiches even better. Plenty of au jus, and a side of pickled giardiniera (some people spell this jardiniera) that was big enough to last me for a couple more meals after the sandwich was long gone.I especially liked to sprinkle giardiniera on my macaroni and cheese.

Since then I've branched out to taste many other Italian beef places. Chicago is full of them. Al's Beef on West Taylor Street was named Chicago's #1, but I must have gone there on an off-day after classes at UIC, because I wasn't impressed at all. I'm going to have to give them a second chance.

The Portillos sandwich chain has never disappointed me. I used to work near enough to one that my coworkers and I would sometimes go out to lunch there, and I'd inevitably come back to work with some splashes on my clothes. The chain has the added attraction of watching the fastest sandwich-makers in the world build your food as you move along the cafeteria line.

Carm's Beef and Italian Ice is another winner in the same area of Little Italy - this one is on Polk Street. They use Turano's soft rolls, the spiced beef is sliced just right, and they dip the sandwich into gravy for the perfect amount of time. Mr. Beef on Orleans is a favorite with celebrities and also gets a lot of reviews, rightfully so. The link to their site takes you to a wealth of sandwich information and a place to order their beef if you're far from home and jonesing for a sandwich.

It's hard to choose between big strips of sweet sauteed peppers and giardiniera on these sandwiches, but I'm sticking with the hot pickled veggies for this post. Around here, one of the most famous brands of giardiniera is Scala's, originally made by South Side immigrants of the Scala family. It's pretty easy to find in grocery stores.

My version of this is based off a Chicago Tribune article and the delicious version from the blog The Paupered Chef. I don't know if Italians make and eat this mixture in Italy; I didn't see any while I was traveling there, but we didn't go farther south than Rome. In any case, Joe and I like this condiment on eggs, bread, sandwiches, or with anything else we're craving a hot/sour tang.

Giardiniera

Ingredients

7 jalapenos, thinly sliced (for hot giardiniera, use serranos)
1 red bell pepper, diced
3 celery ribs, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 medium onion, diced
2 cups cauliflower, chopped

1/2 cup salt

3 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 tsp celery seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups white vinegar
1 cup Canola oil

Directions

Place vegetables into a bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Cover the vegetables with water and allow to sit for 4 hours or overnight. Drain the vegetables.

Set the oil aside. Whisk together the rest of the ingredients. Pack veggies tightly into pint jars. Pour 1/4 cup of oil into each jar. Ladle the vinegar/seasoning mixture into the jars until full, tapping to release air bubbles. Allow 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe the edges of the jars and seal them hand-tight.

Process the jars in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes. Remove and allow to cool. Check seals and tighten lids, if necessary, before storing. Allow the jars to marinate for a few days before using.

Makes approximately 4 pints.

Note: if you choose not to process these jars in a canner, they will last for several weeks in the refrigerator.



You can find other canning and preserving recipes in my book, The Complete Guide to Food Preservation: Step-by-step Instructions on How to Freeze, Dry, Can, and Preserve Food

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Coriander Pears

My parents have been growing pears on their farm for years. They are big proponents of organic gardening, so their pears are sometimes oddly-shaped and full of...ahem...wildlife. But their sweetness and healthiness make up for everything else.

 Last fall, my mom hurt her back badly at just about the same time my dad was scheduled to go on a charity trip to help people stranded in the desert in the Southwest. I spent a week with her canning produce and peeling fruits to put up in jars. It was wonderful bonding time.

Pears can be a little insipid and sweet when they are canned, so the addition of spices and lime juice made a delicious improvement.

Ingredients

2 cups unsweetened apple juice

2 cups water

Juice of 3 limes (about 1/4-1/3 cup)

2 tsp ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons coriander seeds

4 pounds ripe pears

Directions

Sterilize quart jars and lids in boiling water for 10 minutes.

Combine juice, water, lime juice, nutmeg, and coriander seeds in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.

Peel pears. Cut them into quarters lengthwise and cut out the cores and any bad spots. Press them into the quart jars, leaving as little room as possible between the fruit. Pour the juice mixture into each jar, ensuring that an even number of coriander seeds are in each jar. Fill the jars to 1/2 inch of the rim.

Wipe the rims of the jars. Screw on lids hand-tight and slowly lower into a hot water bath canner. Boil 15 minutes once the pot reaches a full rolling boil. Remove from the canner and allow to cool. Test the seals before storing.

Makes about 6 quarts of pears.

See more canning recipes in my book The Complete Guide to Food Preservation: Step-by-step Instructions on How to Freeze, Dry, Can, and Preserve Food

Read more...

Roasted Poblano-Thyme Salsa

This recipe enjoyed as a complex, smoky dip with chips, as well as brushing it on grilled meats and spooning it on Mexican dishes. While the process may take a little longer than other salsas, you will appreciate the final result. This recipe appears in Angela's book, "The Complete Guide to Food Preservation: Step-by-Step Instructions on How to Freeze, Dry, Can, and Preserve Food."

Ingredients:

3 lbs. plum tomatoes, about 20 medium
4 fresh poblano chilies
1 large red onion, sliced 1 inch thick
12 garlic cloves, peeled
2 cups tomato puree
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
4 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Heat the broiler or grill. Place whole tomatoes and poblanos on a broiler pan or cookie sheet.

2. Broil or grill close to the heat until the exposed side is blotchy, black, and peeling. Turn over the tomatoes and poblanos and roast until both sides are blistered and the skin is blackened.

3. Turn down the heat to medium. Mix together the onion and garlic and place them on another broiler pan. Roast or grill them, turning frequently, until the onions and garlic are soft and have browned edges. Cool to room temperature.

4. Pull the peels from the cooled tomatoes and cut out the tomato cores. Pull the peels off the chilies, and then open the peppers and remove the stem, seed pod, and any remaining seeds. Chop the peppers into l inch pieces and place in a large mixing bowl.

5. In a food processor, pulse the onion and garlic until finely chopped. Add to the bowl of poblanos.

6. Coarsely puree the tomatoes in the food processor, and then add them to the bowl. Stir in the tomato puree, water, cilantro, thyme, and salt. This fresh salsa should be used within five days if you are not planning to can it.

7. For canning, ladle salsa into sterilized pint jars, leaving 1/2 an inch of headspace. Slide a knife or spatula inside the jar to remove air bubbles; adjust headspace if necessary. Dampen a kitchen towel and wipe around the rims of the canning jars. Screw the canning lids onto the jar until finger-tight.

8. Process for 15 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

Yield: 4 to 6 pints




This recipe was featured in my book, The Complete Guide to Food Preservation: Step-by-step Instructions on How to Freeze, Dry, Can, and Preserve Food

Read more...

Bread-and-Butter Pickles

Angela's old-fashioned sweet pickle recipe is a staple with sandwiches or at summer picnics. The stories vary about the name "bread and butter" pickles, but the most consistent explanation is that in the Depression Era, these pickles along with bread and butter might well be a person's midday or evening meal. Keep that in mind just in case our current recession falls into an actual economic depression!

Ingredients

• 4 pounds small pickling cucumbers
• 1/3 cup pickling salt
• 4 cups apple cider vinegar
• 3 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons whole mustard seeds
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 3 teaspoons celery seed
• 1 teaspoon black pepper, ground
• 3 cups green tomatoes, thinly sliced (optional)
• 5 cups onions, thinly sliced
• 11 to 12 pint canning jars

Directions

1. Sterilize canning jars.
2. Scrub cucumbers well. Slice off the ends of cucumbers and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Place layers of cucumbers and salt in a large bowl, and cover it with a layer of ice. Place in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours to make the cucumbers crisper. Drain well.
3. Combine vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds, ginger, celery seeds, and pepper in a large saucepan or pot. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for ten minutes. Stir in the cucumbers and onions and return to a boil. Remove from the heat. 
4. Pack vegetables into hot jars, and then ladle the sauce over the vegetables, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Slide a knife or spatula inside the jar to remove air bubbles; adjust headspace if necessary. 
5. Dampen a kitchen towel and wipe around the rims of the canning jars. Screw the canning lids onto the jar just until finger-tight. Process 15 minutes in boiling-water canner.

Yield: 12 pints.

This recipe was featured in my book, The Complete Guide to Food Preservation: Step-by-step Instructions on How to Freeze, Dry, Can, and Preserve Food

Read more...

Jalapeno Dill Pickles

If you're like us, the beginning of August is the time you're drowning in cucumbers and tomatoes. Like generations before us, we have begun canning our produce, and enjoy the fresh taste of summer in the middle of winter. This recipe is featured in Angela's book, "The Complete Guide to Food Preservation: Step-by-Step Instructions on How to Freeze, Dry, Can, and Preserve Food."

Ingredients

4 lbs. small pickling cucumbers
8 cups cold water
1/3 cup kosher salt
1/3 cup white vinegar
1 tsp. pickling spice (if desired, remove extra allspice and coriander)
1 tsp. whole black peppercorns
4 Tbsp. dill weed, or 2 to 3 heads of dill, chopped
6 peeled garlic cloves, crushed
4 jalapenos, thinly sliced length-wise

Directions

1. Sterilize canning jars.
2. Scrub cucumbers well. Slice off the ends of cucumbers and cut cucumbers lengthwise into spears.

3. Place layers of cucumbers and salt in a large bowl, and cover this with a layer of ice. Place in the refrigerator for two to three hours to make the cucumbers crisper. Drain well.

4. Mix together the spices and vinegar in a medium pot or saucepan. Bring to boil and stir well.

5. Place half of a garlic clove in each jar. Pack cucumber wedges vertically in jars, alternating with slices of jalapeno, leaving little space between each spear. Ladle the brine over cucumbers, leaving a 1/4 inch of headspace. Slide a knife or spatula inside the jar to remove air bubbles; adjust headspace if necessary. Dampen a kitchen towel and wipe around the rims of the canning jars. Screw the canning lids onto the jar just until finger-tight.

6. Process in a boiling-water canner for 20 minutes.

Yield: About 6 pints




You can find other canning and preserving recipes in my book, The Complete Guide to Food Preservation: Step-by-step Instructions on How to Freeze, Dry, Can, and Preserve Food

Read more...

Dill Pickle Relish

Chicago is home of the famous Chicago dog, which isn't complete without the neon-green sweet relish. We're not sweet relish fans ourselves, so when the garden starts overproducing cukes, peppers, and dill, we start making our dill pickle relish. This recipe is featured in Angela's book, "The Complete Guide to Food Preservation: Step-by-Step Instructions on How to Freeze, Dry, Can, and Preserve Food."

Ingredients:

5 lbs. of pickling cucumbers
1 cup red bell pepper
1 cup yellow onions
5 1/2 cups cider vinegar
3 tsp. dill seed
1 tsp. celery seed
6 cloves garlic, minced
5 Tbsp. Kosher salt

Instructions:

1. Sterilize canning jars.

2. Wash cucumbers and peppers well. Cut off the ends of cucumbers and onions and dice them. Chop in a food processor or blender — using about three to four short pulses on “chop” setting — to yield pieces about ¼ inch in size.

3. After washing the peppers, remove the stems, seeds and white membranes. Cut into 1 inch pieces or slices and then chop in a food processor — using about three to four pulses on the “chop” setting — to yield pieces about 1/4 inch in size. Combine chopped cucumbers and bell peppers and set aside.

4. In a large kettle or Dutch oven, stir together the cider vinegar, dill seed, celery seed, minced garlic, and pickling salt until the salt dissolves. Add chopped vegetables and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer ten minutes.

5. Spoon the hot relish into the pint jars, leaving half an inch of headspace. Slide a knife or spatula inside the jar to remove air bubbles; adjust headspace if necessary. Dampen a kitchen towel and wipe around the rims of the canning jars. Screw the canning lids onto the jar just until finger-tight. Process in a boiling-water canner for 15 minutes.

Yield: About 7 pint jars




This recipe was featured in my book, The Complete Guide to Food Preservation: Step-by-step Instructions on How to Freeze, Dry, Can, and Preserve Food

Read more...