Marisa McClellan's Blog, page 108

No Links and a Whole Foods Market Gift Card Winner

No links this week! I’ve been on vacation since Thursday night (we left town as soon as I was done teaching a class) and I haven’t been spending as much time sifting through my feed reader as I typically do. I still wanted to drop in to say hi and post the winner of the Whole Foods Market gift card giveaway from last week.

Random.com had picked #68/Laura W. as the winner. She said, “What you made was perfect–I especially think the rosemary was apt. Thinking about charcuterie and smoky flavors, I might have gone with a fragrant rosemary apple butter.”

I think a fragrant rosemary apple butter sounds delicious and I may have to try it this fall! Thanks to everyone who took the time to enter!

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Links: Fermenters, Pickles, and a Winner
Deal Alert: Sweet Cherries on Sale Tomorrow at Whole Foods Market
Links: Canning Aprons, Lemon Oaty Bars, and a Winner

Sponsored Post: Growing Heirloom Tomatoes Class Giveaway from Craftsy

For most of my adult life, I’ve lived in an apartment without so much as a square foot of outdoor space. In the wintertime, it’s a boon because it means that I’m not responsible for shoveling snow, but during the summer months, I am keenly aware of the fact that I don’t have any place to grow a little bit of food.

Years ago, there was a brief but glorious period when I had a plot in a community garden and tended my own teeny time patch of land. Of course, when I started spending the bulk of my summers traveling to teach classes and promote cookbooks, it wasn’t something I could sustain and so I surrendered my little garden.

Click here to enter for a chance to win Growing Heirloom Tomatoes! 

Of all the things I grew, I got the most satisfaction from the tomato plants. Of course, my yields weren’t particularly great, but I loved doing it and playing a role in such a delicious miracle.

As I think ahead to next summer, I’m starting to wonder if I might be able to get my hands on a garden plot again (I’m really hoping to make next year a bit more mellow than this season has been). However, before I set plants to soil, one thing I would do would be to take Marie Iannotti’s Craftsy class, Growing Heirloom Tomatoes in order to maximize my success.

Because they want to help spread the word about this most excellent class, the folks at Craftsy are offering up one registration for giveaway to a Food in Jars reader. Just click the link below to enter (it will take you over to Craftsy, where you’ll create an account with them in order to toss your hat in the ring).

Click here to enter for a chance to win Growing Heirloom Tomatoes! 

All photos in this post are printed here courtesy of Craftsy. I don’t have any tomato images that are nearly so beautiful.

For more about this series of sponsored posts and my year-long partnership with Craftsy, please visit this post.

Official disclosure statement: This is sponsored post from Craftsy. I was compensated for this post. However, all opinions remain my own.

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Cherry Preserves with Honey and Rosemary for the Whole Journeys Challenge + Giveaway

While I was out on the west coast a few weeks back, I got an email from a very nice woman from the Whole Foods Market corporate offices. She was writing because they’ve recently launched a travel company called Whole Journeys and were partnering with bloggers as a way of shining some light on some of their featured trips and destinations.

In this particular round of promotion, they were inviting a few bloggers to create a preserve would combine seasonal produce with an ingredient from one of the regions visited on a Whole Journeys itinerary.

Despite my crazy schedule, I just couldn’t say no to this very interesting recipe development challenge. Plus, they were kicking in a gift card to cover supplies and another one to give away to a FiJ reader (more about that at the end of the post).

When I got back to Philadelphia, there was a package waiting for me that contained a few jelly jars, a little tub of raw mountain honey, and a sheaf of paper telling me all about the Dolomites, which is a mountain range in the northern Italian Alps.

I spent a goodly amount of time wondering what I could make that would be both appropriately Italian and evoke a mountainous region. So much time, in fact, that I missed the challenge deadline and still didn’t have a plan. Oops.

Last Thursday, I stopped thinking and started canning. One of the details included in the material they sent was the fact that the Dolomites is known for cheeses, speck (it’s a lovely, smokey cured ham), and wines. I decided to make a preserve that would go nicely with all those things.

I took 2 1/2 pounds of cherries, split them in half, popped out the pits and piled them in a low wide Dutch oven. I added the honey that had come in my box (it was a 16 ounce jar), along with a fragrant stem of rosemary (I brought a gallon size bag of rosemary clipped from a giant shrub in my parents’ front yard back to Philly with me). I let it sit for a bit, until the honey dissolved and the cherries released some juice.

Once it was juicy, I put the pot on the stove and brought it to a boil. I cooked it at a rapid bubble for about 20 minutes, until the cherries softened and the syrup thickened a bit. I didn’t add any pectin because I wasn’t going for a jam, but instead wanted tender cherries in a rosemary and honey flavored syrup. Towards the end of cooking, I added the juice of one lemon and just a pinch of sea salt, to help sharpen the finished flavor.

The preserve is a perfect accompaniment for cheese and cured meats, so I think I hit my mark. It’s one that I look forward to cracking open later in the fall when the evenings turn crisp and the days shorten.

Now, the giveaway. I have one $50 gift certificate to send out to one of you. Here’s how to enter.

Leave a comment on this post and tell me what you would have made given the same challenge!
Comments will close at 11:59 pm eastern time on Saturday, July 26, 2014. Winners will be chosen at random and will be posted to the blog on Sunday, July 27, 2014.
Giveaway open to United States residents only.
One comment per person, please. Entries must be left via the comment form on the blog at the bottom of this post.

For more about Whole Journeys, check them out on Facebook and Twitter.

Disclosure: Whole Foods Market gave me a gift card to cover the cost of supplies for this challenge (along with a few jars and a little tub of honey) and has also provided the $50 gift card for this giveaway. My thoughts and opinions remain, as always, entirely my own.

Print
Cherry Preserves with Honey and Rosemary

Yield: between 3 and 4 half pints

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds sweet cherries
16 ounces raw honey
1 sprig fresh rosemary (about 6-8 inches lont)
juice of one lemon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

Prepare a boiling water bath canner and enough jars to hold 4 half pints of product.
Wash cherries. Remove stems and pits, and slice in half.
Combine the chopped cherries with the honey and rosemary in a low, wide pan.
Put the pan on the stove and bring to a boil. Cook at a moderate boil, stirring regularly, for 15-20 minutes. The preserve is done when the liquid has thickened into a slow running syrup and the cherries are soft.
Towards the end of cooking, add the lemon juice and salt.
Remove the pan from the heat. Funnel preserves into prepared jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Apply lids and rings and process in a boiling water bath canner for 15 minutes.
When time is up, remove canner from heat and set the lid aside. Let the jars cool gradually in the pot for an additional 10 minutes (this is to prevent any liquid loss).
Remove the jars from the canner and set them on a folded kitchen towel to continue to cool.
When jars are cool enough to handle, remove rings and test seals. Rinse the jars to remove any sticky residue.
Sealed jars will keep on the shelf for up to a year. Any unsealed jars should be refrigerated and used promptly. Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin2.5http://foodinjars.com/2014/07/cherry-preserves-honey-rosemary/




Related Posts:

Sweet Cherry Chutney
Deal Alert: Sweet Cherries on Sale Tomorrow at Whole Foods Market
Honey Sweetened Raspberry Preserves

Links: Fermenters, Pickles, and a Winner

I spent the weekend in Orlando at the Food and Wine Conference (it’s put on by the team behind Sunday Supper). I gave a short talk, but mostly spent my time catching up with Maggie and Merry Jennifer, and soaking up all the good knowledge and experience that the rest of the presenters and bloggers had to share. It was good and I’m so glad I went. Now, links!

Want to make some homemade wine this summer? Check out this DIY fermenter set-up!
Zucchini bread and butter pickles (from my new book!). Thanks Pam!
Small batch sour cherry apricot jam. Sounds like a dreamy combination to me.
Brilliance from My Homespun Home. Christina uses cranberries to help boost the pectin levels in strawberry jam.
Refrigerator giardiniera. Yes, please.
Candied jalapenos with a splash of tequila from the always clever Autumn.
A round-up of recent preserves from Rebecca over at Cakewalk. Those currants just could not be any prettier!
Gorgeous, glowing black currant jam.
Curious about blue garlic in pickles? Here’s the explanation.
My friend Amanda wrote a lovely post about my book over on her site, Phickle. Truly, she made me blush with words. Thank you, Amanda!

Thanks to everyone who took the time to enter the Felix Doolittle giveaway! The winner is #159/Erin. She said, “Oh what beautiful labels! I would choose the fox branch label.” Happily, you’ll be able to just that, Erin! Enjoy!

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Newsletters, Email Subscriptions, RSS Feeds, and More

I realized a while back that some people are totally confused by the various methods of communication I have listed on this site. So, in the hopes of clarifying things a little, I’m writing this blog post to show you the differences in the various methods and how you can sign up for each.

First up is the newsletter. This is an email I send out about once every two weeks. It details my upcoming events, rounds up some of my favorite recent blog posts, and very occasionally includes an exclusive recipe. I

Next is the RSS Feed. If you use a feed reader like Feedly or Bloglovin, this is the button for you. You can either follow this link or just paste my URL into the “add content” field in your feed reader of choice.

Finally, there’s the Subscribe via RSS option. If you sign up for this, you will get a copy of every blog post I write delivered to your email inbox. I think that there are lots of you who sign up for the newsletter who are really looking for this option. Now you know!

In addition to these options, I regularly post my happenings, blog entries, and upcoming events to Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr. If one or two of those are your preferred channels, please do follow there as well.

If you have any questions about any of this, please do let me know. You can either leave a comment on this post, or you can drop me a line via my contact form.

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Cookbooks: Pick a Pickle and Pickles & Preserves

We are in the thick of the canning season now. Pickling cucumbers are appearing in heaps at the farmers markets and orchards are selling summer stone fruit by the bushel basket. If ever there was a time to add a new recipe or two to your repertory, now is it.

This summer, there have been a few books that keep floating to the top of my stack as I search out a fresh crop of preserves. Two that I haven’t yet mentioned here on the blog are Pick a Pickle and Pickles and Preserves.

Pick a Pickle comes to us from celebrity chef and regular Top Chef judge, Hugh Acheson (he’s also a spokesperson for Ball). This charming but unwieldy paint chip-style books contains 50 recipes for a wide array of pickles, relishes, condiments, and vinegars.

I like the looks of many of the recipes in this book, but I find it so hard to physiclaly maneuver that I keep getting frustrated and surrendering before ever managing to cook from it. I also find one element of the recipes slightly strange, in that he never gives processing times. Instead, we are told for all canning-safe recipes to, “Cap with lids and bands, cool for 2 hours, and then either refrigerate or process according to the jar manufacturer’s directions.”

Knowing that processing time varies depending on density, acid content, and the size of the jars, it seems impossible to me that the jar manufacturer would have processing times available for the specific recipes Acheson has included in this book. It’s as if we are not actually expected to preserve from it.

Still, I find the ideas compelling enough that regularly pick it up, read a few cards (just until inspiration strikes), and then head for the kitchen with a kernel of an idea that was born thanks to Pick a Pickle.

Next up is Pickles and Preserves by North Carolina-based food writer Andrea Weigl. Published by the University of North Carolina University Press, as part of their Savor the South series, this slim hardback book offers carefully edited array of beloved southern preserves. You’ll find everything from sweet potato butter to a flexible batch of vegetable relish, designed to help use up odds and ends from an end-of-season garden.

The only flaw that some might find in this book is its lack of photography. However, I found that Weigl is such an able writer that her words painted images enough to illustrate this collection. For lovers of southern preserves, as well as those looking for accessible recipes with a no-nonsense attitude, this book is a good one.

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Preservation Dinner at High Street on July 22

Back in May, Chef Eli Kulp and I decided to team up for a series of dinner at High Street that would feature seasonal preserves. The first dinner was on June 3 and was a riot of delicious courses that all highlighted fresh, seasonal preserves. The second dinner in our series is Tuesday, July 22 and with summer produce beginning to reach its zenith, it is going to be well worth attending.

(The pictures in this post are from that June meal. Please forgive the focus issues, the room was quite dim).

The way the night works is that you come in, get settled at a table and order a drink if you so desire. Sometime after the first course is served, I’ll come around to your table to say hi and see how you’re doing.

Soon after the second course shows up, I’ll say a few words about canning, preserving, and some of the delicious things that are currently in season. I’ll have copies of Preserving by the Pint with me and am also entirely delighted to sign copies you already own.

The cost is $25 per person (plus beverages, tax, and gratuity). The menu will be released at 12 noon, the day of the meal and service begins promptly at 9 pm. Reservations are highly recommended, and you can make them by calling (215) 625-0988.

And if you can’t make the dinner next week, mark your calendar for September 30. That’s the night of the final dinner, which

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Canning 101: The Easiest Way to Peel Tomatoes (Peaches Too!)

Let’s talk about my favorite way to quickly peel tomatoes and peaches. I mention this technique a lot when I teach classes, and even wrote about it in this post in the context of peeling peaches, but as I broke down a few pounds of tomatoes today, thought it might just bear repeating.

Instead of bringing a big pot of water to a boil in order to blanch and peel tomatoes before turning them into a preserve, when I have a relatively small batch to peel, I do this. I trim away any soft spots, remove the cores from the tomatoes and cut them in half. Then, I arrange them cut side down in a heat proof baking dish.

While I’m prepping the tomatoes, I fill up my trusty tea kettle and bring it to a boil.

When, once the water has come to a boil, I pour it over the tomatoes. You don’t need to fully submerge them, but you do want enough water in the pan so that it doesn’t cool down too quickly.

Then, I slap a cookie sheet over the tomatoes to trap the heat and leave the whole thing alone for 10 or 15 minute, until the tomatoes have cooled down enough to handle.

Drain the tomatoes and peel. The skins should slide right off and leave you with perfectly peeled tomatoes, ready to be turned into salsa or cooked down into a small batch of pizza sauce (that recipe is in Preserving by the Pint!).

Of course, this technique really only works for smallish batches. If you’re prepping ten or more pounds of tomatoes sauce, heating up the big old blanching pot is still going to be your best bet.

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Sweet Cherry Chutney

I spent last Friday evening at the Whole Foods Market in Devon, PA, teaching a group of lovely ladies how to make and preserve a small batch of sweet cherry chutney.

Because it takes a bit longer than jam to cook down, I don’t often choose chutney for my classes and demos. But it happened to fit nicely for this particular class, and I’m so glad it did because it reminded me of just how good this particular preserve is.

I went home on Friday night with a stash of cherries from the sale and spent a chunk of time over the weekend pitting the cherries and slicing them into quarters (because I’m insane like that). I ended up making a larger, slightly tweaked version from the one we made in class, but it was no less delicious.

Once you get through the pitting of the cherries, this chutney couldn’t be simpler. It’s really just a matter of getting the ingredients into the pot, bringing them to a boil, and then cooking until the ingredients marry and the liquid evaporates. There’s no need to monitor the temperature or check for set. It’s done when it doesn’t look watery anymore.

Another nice things about making a preserve like this is that you can break up the cooking time. While my batch was simmering, Scott and I decided that we wanted to go for a walk. I just turned off the stove and slid the pot to a cool burner. When we got back, I brought the chutney back to a low bubble and finished it off.

Oh, and one more thing. If you don’t have the mental fortitude to pit and chop 4 pounds of cherries, try making this chutney with plums. It works just as well and isn’t as tedious.

Print
Sweet Cherry Chutney

Yield: Makes 5 pints

Ingredients

4 pounds cherries, pitted and diced
2 cups minced yellow onion (about 1 large)
2 1/2 cups light brown sugar
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup dried sweet cherries
2 lemon, zested and juiced
3 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
2 tablespoons mustard seed
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

Instructions

Prepare a canning pot and 5 pint jars (or a combination of pints and half pints that hold a total of 10 cups of product).
Combine all ingredients in a large pot, stir to combine, and bring to a vigorous boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until the mixture has reduced and developed a thick, spreadable consistency, about 50-60 minutes.
When the chutney is finished cooking, remove the pot from the heat. Ladle the chutney into the prepared jars, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.
Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin2.5http://foodinjars.com/2014/07/sweet-cherry-chutney/




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Deal Alert: Sweet Cherries on Sale Tomorrow at Whole Foods Market
Sweet and Sour Cherry Jam
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Giveaway: Customized Canning Labels from Felix Doolittle

This week’s giveaway comes to us from Felix Doolittle. They make customized stationary, book plates, return address labels, and canning labels. All the cards, stickers, and labels are illustrated with full color watercolor images by Felix Fu (the artist behind the brand!).

They make a number of different label options that are appropriate for home canners. You can get their classic canning jar labels, which come in 20 different designs (you enter the name, contents, and origin of the product when you place your order). Another option are the oval kitchen labels, which come in 32 whimsical designs and are shipped in a charming tin box.

If you want something a bit smaller in size, consider the chef medallions, which are available in 64 (!) different designs. They come 20 to a small silver tin and would be the perfect thing for tiny jars of preserves destined for holiday giving. All these labels are in the $25-30 price range per set.

Thanks to Felix Doolittle, I have a coupon code and giveaway to share with you all. For 15% off your purchase of customized labels, use the code FOODINJARS15 at check out. And, to toss your hat into the giveaway of a set of the canning jar labels, a set of oval labels, and a set of chef’s medallions, here’s what you do!

Leave a comment on this post and tell me what your perfect Felix Doolittle design would be!
Comments will close at 11:59 pm eastern time on Saturday, July 19, 2014. Winners will be chosen at random and will be posted to the blog on Sunday, July 20, 2014.
Giveaway open to United States residents only.
One comment per person, please. Entries must be left via the comment form on the blog at the bottom of this post.

Disclosure: Felix Doolittle is providing the prize for this giveaway at no cost to me and additionally sent me samples for photography purposes.

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