Marisa McClellan's Blog, page 101

Giveaway: Mason Tap, Coffee Sock, and BNTO from Cuppow

This week’s giveaway comes to us from our friends at Cuppow (they’re also regular Food in Jars sponsors). Recently, they’ve been focusing on expanding the mason jar-related products they carry and have picked up a couple really terrific items lately.

The first piece of gear that they recently added to their online shop is the Mason Tap. Designed to fit snugly onto a regular mouth mason, the tap allows you to dispense from a jar easily and without making a mess. I’ve got one on a bottle of salad dressing and my sister hooked one up to her jar of chia seeds.

Another new product that they’re carrying is the CoffeeSock. These reusable coffee filters come in seven different sizes (including ones designed for cold brew, Hario, and Chemex) and are amazing for the amount of trash they can reduce. I realize that they aren’t specifically related to mason jars, but they fit in perfectly with the rest of the Cuppow products in that they’re all designed to help you reuse things and reduce waste.

A couple weeks back, the guys at Cuppow sent me a big box of lids, BNTOs, Mason Taps, and CoffeeSocks. Today, I’m passing some of the mason jar abundance on to you guys. I’ve put together five sets of gear. Each of the five winners will receive a couple Cuppow lids, a BNTO, a Mason Tap, and a CoffeeSock. Colors and styles of CoffeeSocks will vary. Here’s how to enter.

Leave a comment on this post and tell me how you’d use a Mason Tap. Salad dressing, maple syrup, chia seeds or something else? There is no wrong answer.
Comments will close at 11:59 pm east coast time on Sunday, November 9, 2014. The winner will be chosen at random and will be posted to the blog by Monday, November 10, 2014.
Giveaway is open to all.
One comment per person, please. Entries must be left on the blog, I cannot accept submissions via email.

Disclosure: Cuppow is providing all the gear for the giveaway. I am keeping a couple of the Mason Taps because they are awesome. Cuppow is a Food in Jars sponsor, but they did not provide any additional compensation beyond their sponsorship purchase. As always, all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely mine. 

 

Related Posts:

Giveaway: Cuppow Total Collection Gift Pack
Giveaway: BNTO from Cuppow
Links: Rose Petal Preserves, Garlic Scape Vinegar, and Winners

Links: Quick Pickles, Savory Pies, and Winners

Last Tuesday, I flew down to Austin to meet my brand new nephew and hang with my sister and her family for a week. I fully intended to keep posting here on the blog (I even had a schedule) but I quickly slipped into the rhythm of their life and lost my grip on my best laid plans.

Instead of writing, I’ve spent countless hours snuggling (and bouncing) a three week old, playing trains and reading books with the three year old, and making food (squash gratin! soup! pasta sauce! granola!). I taught my brother-in-law how to make jam and gave my sister a crash course in homemade sauerkraut. In my book, it has been time very well spent.

Now, links!

Still got tomatoes? Pressure can up some soup!
Julia has the scoop on the new book, Fermented Vegetables.
Here’s a terrific interview with David Ehreth of Sonoma Brinery.
Speaking of pickles, how about some in-season carrots and daikon!
Quick pickled peppers (and some serious pickle porn!).
Sweet potato butter. Not cannable, but totally delicious.
Apple conserve. Yum.
Awesome jam wisdom from the folks behind We Love Jam.
Two takes on savory winter squash pies.
Pumpkin date truffles (the post calls these caramels, but I struggle calling something made almost entirely with pureed dates a caramel. Delicious? Yes! Caramel? Not so much).
Chocolate chip pumpkin oat bars. Sounds like my kind of thing!
These raw chocolate and pistachio butter cups sound amazing (though really, I just want the pistachio butter).

The winners in last week’s Quench giveaway are #70/Jen and #298/Kim Murphy. Thanks to all who took the time to enter!

Related Posts:

Links: Maple, Carrot Tops, and Winners
Links: Grape Jelly, Peach Mustard, and Winners
Links: Plums, Tomatoes, Apples, and a Winner

Canning 101: Is Condensation Inside Sealed Jars Safe?

Like so many Canning 101 posts that have come before, this week’s post is prompted by a handful of emailed questions I’ve gotten recently. People have been writing to ask about the condensation droplets on the undersides of their mason jar lids. Is it safe, they wonder?

It is entirely normal to have a few drops of moisture on the underside of freshly processed mason jar lids. You experience condensation when warm, moist air is cooled. The cooling air doesn’t have the same capacity for water vapor as the warm air, so the water transforms back into its liquid state. It just makes sense to see some drops of liquid inside the jar.

It is not a sign that your jars are spoiling or that some water from the canning pot leaked into the finished product. Typically, the condensation will eventually reintegrate into the product. If it doesn’t, it’s still not a sign that it is spoiling. As long as the seal is still good and the product doesn’t look significantly altered, all is well.

Related Posts:

Canning 101: An Applesauce FAQ
Canning 101: How to Swap Vinegars
Canning 101: How to Shuck Corn Easily

Giveaway: Quench by Ashley English

For first 23 years of my life, homemade drinks were limited to coffee, tea, and orange juice reconstituted from frozen concentrate. Soon after I moved to Philadelphia, I learned what a pleasure it could be to make infused iced teas (black spiced with lavender and green steeped with a few apple slices are still favorites from those days). Since then, I’ve played with syrups, shrubs, kombucha, and the occasional homemade soda carbonated with champagne yeast.

However, Ashley English‘s new book (which officially comes out tomorrow!) makes me realize that I’ve only just tapped at the surface of what is possible in the world of homemade beverages. Called Quench, this lovely little hardback features shrubs, infused spirits, fermented sips, herbal tisanes, sweet/tart sodas, party punches, and inventive cocktails.

What I particularly like about this book is that there is something here for just about everyone. Kids will love helping to make the homemade Lemon Lime Soda (page 23), while parents will be happy that it only requires five ingredients (and other than citric acid, they’re all kitchen staples). Hard core DIY folks will dig the wine making tutorial (page 155), while those of us who like a good infusion will happily explore the chapter called Spirited (it starts on page 103).

I am also taken by the fact that Quench includes both recipes for seasonal, serviceable basics (like the Pear Bitters on page 143) and then suggestions for how to use them in something delicious, like the Cozy Cardigan Cocktail, (further down on page 143). I’ve also made a mental note that I must someday frost a cake with the Lavender and Honey Ganache that is used in the Lavender Hot Chocolate on page 84.

I’ve had a serious crush on this book since last winter, when Ashley’s editor sent me a copy of the bound manuscript and asked if I might write a blurb for the back. I spent half a day lost in the words and recipes, and have looked forward to the finished book ever since. The completed version is better than I could have imagined, printed on sturdy paper and illustrated with Jen Altman’s perfect photography.

Thanks to Ashley and Roost Books, I have two copies of Quench to give away. Here’s how to enter.

Leave a comment on this post and share your favorite homemade beverage. It can be hard or soft, simple or complex. OR, if you prefer, share something that’s on your to-make list.
Comments will close at 11:59 pm east coast time on Saturday, November 1, 2014. The winner will be chosen at random and will be posted to the blog by the end of the day on Sunday, November 2, 2014.
Giveaway is open to all.
One comment per person, please. Entries must be left on the blog, I cannot accept submissions via email.

Disclosure: Roost Books sent me three copies of Quench. One was for photography and review purposes, and the other two were to give away. No additional compensation was required and, as always, all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely mine. 

 

Related Posts:

Cookbooks: A Year of Pies
Giveaway: Ashley English’s Homemade Living Series
Giveaway: Cooking With Flowers + Dandelion Jam Recipe

Links: Seed Saving, Shrubs, and a Winner

Last week was the first since March when I didn’t have a book events to do. It was singularly amazing. I made dinner every night and made serious progress in shifting some of the clutter that has built up in the corners around my desk. We even managed to have a few friends over for a little soup potluck earlier tonight. It was nice to experience normal life again.

My time at home is short lived, though. I head for Austin, TX on Tuesday to meet my increasingly alert new nephew and celebrate nephew number one’s third birthday. Now, links!

Are you a fermenter? If so, you know that ferments do best if they are fully covered in brine. Here are some excellent ways to ensure your veg stays submerged.
Pear vanilla shrub. Being that this is one of my favorite flavor combinations, I’m a little abashed that I didn’t think of this one first!
Slow cooker harvest butter! Made with apples, pears, and pumpkin. Probably not safe for canning, but awfully good for the freezer.
This banana bread, with it’s crust of pepitas, looks like everything I want in a quick, sweet bread. I’m also itching for a copy of the book from which it is adapted.
Towards the end of this post, there is a little narrative recipe for how to easily use a quart of pie filling, should you have some languishing in your pantry.
Did you know that there are and the amounts of fruit they must contain? There’s also a bonus recipe for baked apple jam in that post, though I might call it a conserve, thanks to the inclusion of dried fruit and nuts. The names of various preserves are so complex!
How one farmer approaches seed saving. Even though I don’t garden, I find this sort of thing fascinating.
Cider bourbon jam cocktails.
How to crack a walnut.
A Kickstarter for a sleek, modern fermenting crock.

The winner of last week’s A Kitchen Box giveaway is #91/Michelle in VA. If you didn’t win and are still curious about these kitchen-themed subscription boxes, don’t forget that they’re offering all Food in Jars readers $10 off the first month of any new AKB Subscription, along with a free Mini Box (while their limited stash lasts). If you want in on the deal, use the code ‘foodinjars’ in the coupon field at check-out.

Related Posts:

Links: Pickles, Concord Grapes, and a Cypress Grove Winner
Links: Fermenters, Pickles, and a Winner
Links: Canning Aprons, Lemon Oaty Bars, and a Winner

Other People’s Preserves: Department of Sweet Diversions

Other People’s Preserve is my opportunity to shine a spotlight on some of the very delicious jams, pickles, and preserves being made by dedicated professional canners. If you spot one of these products in the wild, make sure to scoop up a jar.

This week’s featured preserve maker is the Department of Sweet Diversions. Based in Los Angeles and run by Virginie and Thomas, the Dept. uses traditional jam, jelly, butter, and marmalade techniques combined with modern flavor profiles in order to create a tasty little product line.

I had a chance to dig into a jar of their The Suite Surprise. It’s a nicely textured, highly spiced apple butter that’s sweetened with agave nectar instead of sugar. It’s a good one for stirring into plain yogurt or spreading into a peanut butter sandwich.

Thomas, one half the Dept. of Sweet Diversions team, recently took the time to answer a few of my questions about their preserves business. Read on to learn a little bit more!

Where did the name, Department of Sweet Diversions, come from?

When we decided to make jam, one of our goals was to come up with new & exciting flavor combinations. So we wanted a name that set us apart from the standard branding you typically see for preserves. One of our ultimate goals is to travel the world in search of rare ingredients to create limited edition jams. To that end, we created the Dept. of Sweet Diversions as a base, and Agent Copperpot as our globe-trotting super sleuth, always on the lookout for new fruits and spices!

Could you tell us a little about Agent Copperpot?

The real Agent Copperpot is Virginie Strub, founder & head chef of the Dept. of Sweet Diversions. She’s originally from France, where she learned traditional preserving techniques at the apron strings of both her grandmothers.

Where does the inspiration for your flavors come from?

At the Dept. of Sweet Diversions, we are first and foremost inspired by all of the amazing seasonal fruit we get here in Southern California. We visit several local farmers markets on a weekly basis, always on the lookout for what’s fresh and flavorful! From there, it’s up to Virginie (aka Agent Copperpot) to work her magic… it’s all about creating, testing, and refining her inspirations.

Made in small batches using traditional techniques, Strub’s cooking process is classic, while the flavors she creates are modern and delectably surprising. From fresh strawberries mixed with the smoldering orange-tinged notes of Grand Marnier to black splendor plums combined cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, mace, ginger and cloves, all of our jam is made by hand, features seasonal and organic ingredients, and is completely free of preservatives.

-Thomas Urech, co-founder of Dept. of Sweet Diversions

Related Posts:

Other People’s Preserves: Love Beets
Other People’s Preserves: Caulikraut
Other People’s Preserves: Sauerkraut Seth

Cookbooks: Honey & Oats

I have been interested in cookbooks for nearly as long I can remember. I picked up the habit of reading them cover to cover when I was eight or nine years old and haven’t stopped since. One aspect of this blog that brings me an awful lot of pleasure is that it grants me the opportunity to share particularly good cookbooks with all of you.

Since mid-March, I haven’t done as good a job as I would have liked with this cookbook sharing. Shepherding my own cookbook through the world took up a goodly amount of my attention and just didn’t leave me with a whole lot of energy with which to pore over the new cookbooks that find their way into the unsteady stack by my desk. I’m finally starting to work my way through the pile and I’m going to be better about writing about the best of the books that find their way into my life.

One book that I’ve been itching to share is Honey & Oats by Jennifer Katzinger. It’s a book devoted to baking with whole grains and natural sweeteners and it couldn’t be a better fit for the way I like to eat. The featured grains are oats (obviously), einkorn, wheat, barley, buckwheat, spelt, kamut, teff, and tapioca. The sweeteners include honey, maple syrup, coconut palm sugar, and sucanat.

There are 75 recipes in the book and they are divided into six sections – Scones & Muffins, Cookies & Bars, Quick Breads, Yeasted Breads & Crackers, Pies & Tarts, and Cakes & Frostings. Ten of the recipes are vegan and another ten are gluten-free. If you have a strictly GF household, this probably isn’t the book for you. However, if you occasionally find yourself needing to product a GF bread or dessert option for a party or potluck, it would definitely be a good addition to your library.

I have marked a number of recipes to try. In the very near future, I’d like to make the Pear Ginger Muffins with Streusel Topping (barley flour, einkorn flour, and sucanat), the Buttermilk Biscuits (kamut and einkorn flours), Snickerdoodles (teff flour and sucanat), the Applesauce Currant Snack Bread (buckwheat flour, einkorn flour, and maple syrup), and the Sweet Potato Skillet Corn Bread (kamut flour, cornmeal, and honey).

As far as the look and feel of this book, it’s entirely lovely. It’s a sturdy, hardbound book that lays flat and open with just a firm press of the pages. The photography stays tight on the food and makes it easy to imagine the various breads, cookies, and pies in your own home. I do wish that a few more of the recipes had images, but knowing how much time, energy and money it takes to produce good food photography, I understand why there aren’t more pictures.

If you like to bake with whole grain flours and less refined sweeteners, you will love this book.

Related Posts:

Cookbooks: Canning, Pickling, and Freezing with Irma Harding
Cookbooks: Pick a Pickle and Pickles & Preserves
Cookbooks: Asian Pickles by Karen Solomon

Preserves in Action: Pumpkin Carrot Bread with Pear Vanilla Preserves

I realize that no one really needs me to suggest spreading jam on bread. It is a deeply familiar application and one that requires little in the way of imagination. But, when you find yourself in possession of a very special loaf of bread, it feels like the best way to go.

The bread in question is the Pumpkin Carrot from High Street’s new Fall bread line. A crisp crust is coated in pumpkin seeds. The interior is vibrantly orange and studded with sweet currants. And while it’s perfect all on its own, spread with a little salted butter and some smooth pear vanilla jam (recipe coming next week), it made for simple, special breakfast.

For those of you who don’t live close enough to get your hands on a loaf of this bread (sadly, High Street has just one location here in Philly and they’re not sharing the recipe), don’t fret. Find a bakery in your town that is using sour dough starters, long rising periods, and interesting flours. Or if that isn’t available, make yourself a loaf of no-knead bread. Open up a jar of jam. And have your own simple, special breakfast.

Related Posts:

Preserves in Action: Open Faced Kimchi & Egg Sandwich
Preserves in Action: Peanut Butter and Spicy Apricot Jam
Preserves in Action: Egg Sandwich with Spinach and Tomato Jam

Good Things to Preserve in Late October

It is a cool, rainy day in Philadelphia. I’m back to drinking hot coffee or tea in the morning, after months of wanting my caffeine doctored with ice. The summer fruits and vegetables are all gone from the markets and have been replaced by apples, pears, cauliflower, and massive bundles of leafy greens.

For many, this change in the season means that it’s time to put the canning pot away. I firmly believe that there’s still plenty to preserve this time of year (and hallelujah for that. I had a busy summer and still have far too many empty jars kicking around the apartment).

Here are some of my favorite jams, butters, pickles, and chutneys that are perfect for autumn preserving.

Pears

I love making jams and chutneys with pears. I am smitten with their slightly grainy texture and delicate flavor. They are good on their own, but also play nicely with any number of herbs and spices.

Pear Vanilla Jam – This is, by far, my very favorite pear preserve. Look for a smooth, small batch approach on the blog next week.
Pear Cranberry Jam – Good on toast, even better with a turkey dinner.
Pear and Chocolate Jam – This version uses bits of a dark chocolate bar and is quite rich. Look for a lighter, cocoa powder-based take in Preserving by the Pint.
Pear Cinnamon Jam – For deepest flavor, use Vietnamese Cinnamon.
Pickled Asian Pears – This recipe is from Karen Solomon’s wonderful book, Asian Pickles. I love them tossed into baby arugula salads.

Apples

Apples are just the best thing ever for a dedicated autumn canner. There’s just so much they can do, including playing a starring role in jams, butters, sauces, and chutneys. Get yourself a half bushel and go to town.

Honey Lemon Apple Jam – It’s bright, sweet, and perfectly spreadable. The secret is that you cook the apples down with the lemon juice before adding the sugar and honey.
Spiced Apple Butter – The slow cooker does all the work for you in this delicious preserve.
Apple Pie Filling – With a couple of pie crusts in the freezer, dessert will practically make itself.
Apple Cranberry Jam – For even more flavor, add a little cinnamon, ginger, and allspice to the cooking jam.
Apple Cider Syrup – Good in a mug of hot tea, great in a bourbon cocktail.

Pickles and Chutneys

Pear Chutney with Dried Cherries and Ginger – This one makes lovely holiday gifts and should always been eaten with aged cheddar.
Grated Fennel Relish – Tangy and herbaceous, this relish is great with roast meat.
Apple Date Chutney – Sweetened only with dates, this chutney is a perfect edible gift for folks who follow low and no sugar diets.
Persimmon and Pear Chutney – Make sure to use the flat-bottomed Fuyu persimmons in this recipe!
Sweet and Sour Pickled Red Onions – This pickle is your secret weapon in the fight against wasted food. They can transform all manner of leftover meat, salad, or side into a fresh, appealing meal.

What are you canning this time time of year? (My most recent fall preserve was this batch of Apple Pear Sauce for October Unprocessed!).

 

Related Posts:

Good Things to Can in Autumn
Ten Ways to Use and Preserve Spring Rhubarb
Canning 101: Air Bubbles in Finished Products

Canning 101: An Applesauce FAQ

When it comes to my own canning, I like to make a mix of fun things and pantry staples. That means that while I make plenty of highly spiced jams and fancy pickles, I also make a point of putting up a goodly amount of tomato puree and applesauce each year. I stir applesauce into oatmeal, bake it into cakes, and eat it straight from the jar when lunchtime pickings are slim.

One would think that applesauce would be a fairly straightforward thing to preserve, but it can be surprisingly tricky, particularly for new canners. After getting a number of questions about applesauce recently, I thought I’d put together a list of commonly asked applesauce questions and my answers, in the hopes of putting many minds at ease.

What is the best kind of apple for sauce?

I don’t really think that there’s any one apple that makes the best sauce and truly, the best apples to use are the ones you have. I have cooked any number of apples into sauce and it has always been delicious. I would advise that you start with apples that taste good to you and that are relatively free from damage or rot (cutting around a bad spot or two is totally fine).

If you’re working with relatively sweet apples, you can always add a little lemon juice to balance the flavor. If the fruit is quite tart, a little sugar or honey will help adjust the sweetness.

What is the best way to make applesauce?

Your apple saucing approach depends on the gear you have in your kitchen. For basic batches, all you really need is a peeler, a paring knife, and a potato masher. Peel, quarter, and core the apples. Dump them into a big pot with a little water to prevent burning, and cook them on low until they are soft. Use the potato masher to smash them into a chunky sauce.

If you have a food mill or a tomato press with a saucing screen, you can skip the peeling process and put the cored and quartered apples right into your pot. Add a little water, over the pot, and simmer until the apples are tender. Then, work them through the food mill or tomato press. You’ll end up with a peel-free sauce with a uniform texture.

If you want to include the skins in your finished product, core and quarter the apples. Put them in a pot with a little water and cook until soft. Once they’re tender, work the apples through a blender in batches, pureeing until the apple skins are integrated. This works best with a high speed blender, like a Vitamix, Blendtec, or Ninja, but can be accomplished in regular blenders or with an immersion blender if you’re persistent.

I personally like a chunky applesauce, so often use an approach that blends the first and second techniques. I core and quarter my apples, but leave the peels on. I simmer the sauce until it’s tender. Once the fruit flesh has started to separate from the peels, I stand over the pot with a pair of tongs and pull the skins off the fruit. I work those peels through a food mill, to catch any bits of sauce, and then mash the remaining naked apples with a potato masher. You get the color and some of the vitamins from the peels and still retain the chunky consistency.

Do I have to add anything to my applesauce to make it safe for canning?

Nope. Because apples are naturally high in acid, you don’t have to add a thing to it to make it safe for boiling water bath canning. What’s more, apples also have a goodly amount of sugar, so they keep well once canned.

Can I add things to my applesauce?

Yes! You can add spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, citrus zest, citrus juice, sugar, honey, or maple syrup (though use maple syrup in conservative amounts. It is lower in acid than other sweeteners and if added in large quantities, can impact the finished acidity of the applesauce.

How long do I process applesauce in a boiling water bath canner? 

If you live under 1,000 feet in elevation, you process pints for 15 minutes and quarts for 20 minutes. If you live above 1,000 feet, your processing time adjustments can be found here. Times and pressure amounts for processing a pressure canner can be found here, though it is not necessary for safety and can often lead to product loss.

I just took my jars of applesauce out of the canner and they are leaking! What did I do wrong?

First of all, know that applesauce almost always siphons like that. It’s hard to prevent it entirely, but you can do a couple of things to help minimize it.

The first is to minimize the amount of air you work into the apples during the saucing process. Apples pushed through a food mill or tomato press can take on more air than those mashed with a potato masher. The air isn’t the end of the world, but it will expand during the processing, which will then force some sauce out of the jar.

The second thing to do is to let the jars cool gradually once the processing time is up. The worst siphoning typically happens in the moments just after you pull the jars out of the canner, when they’re still really hot. Instead, let the jars sit in the canning pot for 10-15 minutes after the canning process is done. Once your timer goes off, you slide the pot off the burner and remove the lid. Let the jars cool slowly in the pot. After the 10-15 minutes are up, pull the jars out. They may start to siphon some, but it will (hopefully) be less than you’ve experienced in the past.

If my jars siphon, but the lids eventually seal, is my sauce still safe? 

Yes! No matter how much they leak, if the seals are nice and tight, they are still safely shelf stable.

The surface of my applesauce has turned brown! Is it still safe? 

It is! That is normal oxidation. You can either scrape off the brown layer or just stir it into the rest of he sauce.

If there is mold on the outside of my applesauce jars, is it still safe? 

Yes! Sometimes you end up with a little bit of residual applesauce on the outside of the jars because of the siphoning I mentioned up above. It’s that applesauce residue that is molding. As long as the seal is still good and firm, the sauce inside the jar is perfectly safe.

There are some air bubbles in my finished, sealed jar of sauce. Is it still safe? 

As long as those air bubbles aren’t moving around, they are fine. You can read more about air bubbles in finished products in this post.

If you have an applesauce question that you don’t see here, please make sure to leave a comment and I’ll update this post.

Related Posts:

Canning 101: Air Bubbles in Finished Products
Canning 101: How to Swap Vinegars
Canning 101: How to Shuck Corn Easily