Tag Archive for 'apples'

Canning 101 & Tomato Jam

Published on October 5, 2011 in Sauces. 1 Comment Tags: , , .


Yes, it’s true. I’ve been bitten by the canning bug. It seems like everyone is doing it these days. My mother says that back in the day, they canned pretty much everything (in peak season, they also picked 40 quarts of strawberries EVERY day — can you imagine?). So there was jam and tomatoes every which way, including what Mom is convinced what a precursor to salsa. That just makes me laugh. Why can’t I imagine salsa existing in the 1950s? I’m sure it did, but it just seems strange.

I know, canning is scary. At least, it seemed that way to me. But the truth is it’s actually quite easy. It’s just that you have to follow a bunch of steps and have certain gear, which is normally enough to get me to just blow the whole thing off. But for some unknown reason, I decided to persevere and just sort of worked my way through it.

So, here’s what you do: take your jars (I’d use 1/2 pint jars for this recipe), lids and screw tops and put them on a canning rack (I didn’t have one, so I blew this off; I’ll probably buy one for next time — I’m such a rulebreaker) in a pot that’s big and deep enough to give you a couple inches above the top of the jars. Pour hot (not boiling) water into the pot (and jars) and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes. Your jars are now sterilized. That was easy, right?

Now for the processing. Once you fill your jars (after draining and drying them), put the lids and screw tops on and put them back into the pot of boiling water (canning tongs are good for this; regular tong can work in a pinch, but be careful, that pan is HOT). Boil the jars for 15 minutes, take them out and let them cool at room temperature. You can test to make sure the seal is good by pressing down on the lid; if it doesn’t move, you’re good. If you push down and hear a click and the center goes down, it’s not sealed. You can put it back in and boil it again or just eat the contents within a couple weeks.

Anyway, I ended up making this particular tomato jam because a) I had a bunch of beautiful tomatoes, b) I wanted to try something different, and c) I got sucked into this site, which, whoops, you’re gone now…and won’t be back for awhile if you start reading. Never mind the amazing recipes, this woman, Jennie, is going through hell and then some (and still going). There are no words.

So, now that you’re back and thoroughly depressed, please cheer yourself up by making this jam. Tomatoes are still out there at the markets, but they’re going fast, so get on it. And also try not to be too scared about the amount of sugar in there. I put less than the original recipe called for and at first, I was sort of freaking out about how sweet it was, but then after it sat a bit, I realized it was kind of awesome. It is sweet, yes. But it is also savory. And in my case, a little spicy too, which I think counteracts the sweetness.

As for how much time you cook this, it’s a taste and feel thing, which in my case went for about 4-1/2 hours and was REALLY just almost perfect, until somehow, someone, I think it was the dog, turned the heat up from low to ultra-high and I realized that that very disturbing, acrid burning-pan smell was coming from my kitchen. Well. I was able to salvage the top layer of the batch, which ended up very caramelized and actually quite tasty (we won’t discuss the scorched black layer or my very sad Le Creuset pan, which is NOT the same). Yeah, so don’t do that. And keep an eye on the dog. They’re tricky. Very tricky.

Tomato Jam

Makes 1-1/2 pints (or 1 pint in my case *sniff*)

3 1/2 lbs tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 small onion, diced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup cane sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon cumin
2 dried thai chilis OR 1/4 teaspoon cayenne OR 1 teaspoon red chili flakes (optional, but use it!)
1/4 cup cider vinegar
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup finely diced tart green apple

Put all ingredients in a 2-quart pot. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until thickened and jam-like consistency, about 3 hours. Transfer to sterilized glass jars and store in refrigerator for up to two weeks, or use a hot-water canning bath for 15 minutes for long-term storage.

This site is super helpful. Also, you can watch this fun and informative video. We like fun and informative. It’s a good combo.

Apple Crisp

Published on September 23, 2011 in Desserts and fruit. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .


I’ve hardly made a dent in my apples. I’m thinking about making some applesauce (but I have to go buy a food mill for that), and I haven’t psyched myself up to tackle an apple pie yet, so I thought apple crisp would be a nice and easy way to get the ball rolling.

And it is. To the point where I should’ve doubled the recipe and made it in a 9″ x 12″ pan instead of an 8″ square one. Which is what I’m doing tomorrow. And what you should do too. And what this recipe makes.

A word about topping: some people like their topping to be super crumbly and sugary. Others go the cakey route. This one is somewhere in the middle because I’ve used a good amount of flour, but I’ve still kept a healthy amount of butter in there. I also added oatmeal and oat flour to the all-purpose flour, but I imagine you could really use whatever flour you like or do a gluten-free version (barley or quinoa flours would be good).

Because if you’re anything like me, you just can’t take that giant bowl of apples staring at you from the dining room table. Yes, apples can stare. And glare. And goad. It’s true. Quick, get going!

And have a loverly weekend all.

Apple Crisp

To fit in a 9″ x 12″ pan

10 cups apples (I used a combination of Macintosh and Baldwin, both kind of tart)
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly ground
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Topping:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup oat flour
1/4 cup oatmeal
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
10 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into pieces
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC.

Peel and cut apples into slices and put them in a 9″ x 12″ baking dish. Combine the next five ingredients in a small bowl and pour that over the apples, mixing well and distributing the coated apples in an even layer in the pan.

Mix the flours, oatmeal, brown sugar and salt in bowl. Cut the butter into the mixture with a pastry blender until it forms pea size lumps. Stir in nuts if using and sprinkle topping over apples.

Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the top is nicely browned and your kitchen smells so good you can’t stand it any longer.

Field Trip: Apple Picking

Published on September 21, 2011 in Field Trips and fruit. 0 Comments Tags: .


You know it’s officially fall when it’s time to go apple picking. We head up here this past Sunday on an absolutely pristine fall day and did the whole shebang: tractor-riding, apple-picking (more eating than picking for a few little ones), donut-eating, cider-drinking and hay-throwing.

A perfect day.

Now…what to do with a bushel of apples? Stay tuned…

Shaved Fennel Salad

Published on May 13, 2011 in Salads and Side Dishes. 1 Comment Tags: , , , .

This recipe is a great counterpoint to a heavier meal like the boeuf bourguignon I served at book club (or any meal really). It’s light and springy and super-flavorful. Oh yes, it’s also ridiculously easy. You basically just slice up a bunch of veggies and/or fruits (on a mandolin if you have one) and alternate those layers with layers of olive oil and lemon juice. You can, of course, play around with the ingredients. In place of apples, you could go with a nice sweet pear. A sprinkling of sliced almonds would be a nice addition. Mushrooms or a little red onion wouldn’t be terrible either. A mixture of tangy and sweet works nicely. Tangy and sweet; just like me. Hardy har har…

I’m very excited today because Ryan and I are off for a little staycation in the Big Apple for our 5th wedding anniversary this weekend. Museums, blackout shades and room service is on hand for us…can’t wait to be a tourist in my favorite city in the world with my one and only!

Have a lovely weekend everyone and an early happy birthday to the best of the best, Ms. Janice (who still loves me even though I inadvertently got married on her birthday). Can’t wait to celebrate with you!

Shaved Fennel Salad

1 good-sized fennel bulb, washed and trimmed of any brown bits with fronds removed (reserve and chop a tablespoon of fronds)
2 Granny Smith apples
A slab of Parmesan
Good quality olive oil
Lemon
Coarse sea salt
Black pepper

Cut the trimmed fennel bulb in half from root to stem. Remove the tough inner core. With the mandolin on the thinnest setting, slice the fennel halves. Half and quarter the apples and core them. Slice those next.

Put about a third of the fennel on a shallow platter, add a third of the apple and with a vegetable peeler, shave healthy curls of Parmesan off your slab. Drizzle a tablespoon or so of olive oil, followed by a squirt of lemon juice, salt and pepper. Continue the layering two more times. Top with the reserved fennel fronds.