Marisa McClellan's Blog, page 120

Close Up on the New Green Heritage Jars

Friends! I’ve finally gotten my hands on some of the new green heritage pint jars ! I’ve been on the receiving end of a goodly number of jars over the years, but I must confess, I was more than a little excited to unwrap these bad boys. They are just so pretty!

They come in case of six jars and are packaged in the same way that the blue jars were shipped last year. The sturdy box is white and is printed in matching black and green and the jars come shrink-wrapped into it.

The fronts have the traditional Ball imprint, along with the word Perfection (the blue jars say Perfect Mason). They come packaged with silver bands and lids, but if you’re looking for a more perfect color match, you can also get some of Ball’s new green metallic lids and rings.

Don’t forget that these green jars are being made in both regular mouth pints and wide mouth quarts. I’ve not yet seen the quart jars in person, but I’m hoping to get my hands on some soon.

Have any of you seen these jars in person yet? What do you think?

Disclosure: The nice folks from Ball’s PR company sent me this box of green jars for photography and review purposes. 

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Links: Meyer Lemons, Pour Spouts, and Winners

My yearly order of Meyer lemons arrived from the Lemon Ladies on Saturday and I can’t wait to dig in and preserve them in a bunch of different ways (this post details some of my favorite ways to transform them). I also have some good pieces coming up this week, including a tutorial on how to pressure can dried beans, a plan for all those questions you guys asked me in this post, a new Preserves in Action, and a peek inside one of my current favorite cookbooks. Now, links!

Want to have a jar with a pour spout? The Kitchn shows you how to make one.
A trick for quick jar labeling.
Cinnamon apple snack cake. I want anything with the words snack cake in the name.
I’ve got half a dozen rapidly ripening pears on my counter. This loaf looks ideal!
Want a change from a tomato-based salsa? How about this dried chile version.
Purple mustard!
I adore quiche. This mushroom leek goat cheese version seems pretty darn divine.
Parsnip cake with candied kumquats. Could anything be more perfectly seasonal?

Now it’s time to announce the winners of the new Ball Heritage Green Jars. This giveaway set an entry record for this site and I’m so happy to be able to share these jars with ten winners. And now, here they are!

#1 – Constance
#446 – Brenda P.
#512 – Melissa Schemenauer
#865 – Janet R.
#1235 – Connie
#1332 – Sherry
#1619 – Dawn Stark
#2405 – Nancy L.
#2612 – Jen
#2758 – Helaine

If you didn’t win, fret not. I’ll have another fun giveaway on Wednesday.

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Links: Jar Jewelry, Links, and a Winner
Links: Shortbread, Jam Tarts, and a Winner
Links: Mincemeat, Harvest Crackers, and a Winner

Photos from the Food in Jars Flickr Pool

Each weekend, I dig through the Food in Jars Flickr pool and feature some of your photographs here in this space. If you’d like to see your hard work on the blog, please add your images to the group! And just so you know, Instagram and camera phone images are more than welcome (and it’s easy to set up your Instagram photos to feed to a Flickr account). Here are this week’s selections.

We start this photo round-up with Angela’s home-canned beans. I have a post about just this technique scheduled for later this week, so if you’re intrigued by the idea of making your own canned beans from dried, stay tuned!

Some very pretty homemade applesauce, along with a serving suggestion (I do love the combination of oatmeal and applesauce!). This one comes to us from Meryl of My Bit of Earth.

Homemade mustard getting blended up (right in the jar!) from Christina of My Homespun Home. If you’ve not made your own mustard yet, I implore you to start. It’s so easy and transformative!

This image is from  Rebecca at Cakewalk and is of a batch of crabapple jelly that she made back in the the last summer. If you ask me, this is the sort of preserve that is most sustaining during the cold months – beautiful and delicious!

Check out that stack of dilly beans from Lindsay at The Wooden Nest! This by far my favorite pickle on earth and I love seeing them in such quantity.

The picture doesn’t say what exactly is in this jar, but I have a feeling that’s a batch of pear vanilla jam, which is one of my very favorite preserves! From Ilene of the Urban Canning Company.

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Photos From the Food in Jars Flickr Pool
Photos From the Food in Jars Flickr Pool
Photos From the Food in Jars Flickr Pool + Marmalade Winner

February Sponsors: Cuppow, Fillmore Container, Tradestone Confections, Preserving Now, and The Clay Studio

The’s the start of a brand new month (is it just me, or did January positively fly by?) and that means it’s time to mention and thank the current Food in Jars sponsors. These are the companies make it possible for me to spend time testing recipes, writing tutorials, and answering canning questions and I am grateful for their support.

In the top spot is jar accessory maker Cuppow! They are the creator of the original mason jar travel mug topper and, more recently, of the BNTO, a cup that fits into a wide mouth mason jar and transforms it into a lunch box. If your sweetie is a jar lover, make sure to visit their shop for Valentine’s Day inspiration.

Next up is our friends at Fillmore Container. They sell all manner of canning jars and lids, as well as a handful of books and jar accessories. They’re a family-owned business based in Lancaster, PA and they happily work with home canners and commercial producers alike. If you’re looking for some jar-based Valentine’s Day ideas, they’ve got ‘em!

New to the site is Tradestone Confections. They make artisan chocolates in downtown Conshohocken, Pennsylvania (not too far at all from Food in Jars HQ!). Their line of handmade barks, truffles, gift assortments, bars, and caramels are available in their storefront or can be ordered online. Special for Valentine’s Day is their Love Collection (pictured above) which will make make your honey’s holiday sweet indeed.

I’m also happy to welcome Preserving Now back! Operated by Lyn Deardorff, Preserving Now is both a website and school dedicated to helping people expand their canning and preserving skills. If you’re in the Atlanta area, make sure to check out her schedule of upcoming classes and events!

The Clay Studio is back with us again! This Philadelphia-based non-profit was founded in 1974 and is dedicated to affirming the importance of the ceramic arts. They work to make clay an accessible medium to a broad range of people. I regularly drool over the many gorgeous pieces in their shop.

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Links: Canning Aprons, Lemon Oaty Bars, and a Winner
Pictures from the Pennsylvania Farm Show
Monday and Tuesday at the Pennsylvania Farm Show

Preserves in Action: Quick Blender Salsa

Every summer, I make at least a dozen jars of salsa (my very favorite is the roasted corn salsa which is in my first book). As much as I try to ration those jars out across the year, they always run out too darned fast. As things stand now, I have two lone jars left that I’m saving for special snacking occasions.

However, when it comes to salsa, not all is lost when the homemade stash runs out. I still have at least 15 quarts of whole peeled tomatoes left from last summer’s canning sessions and so have been making batch after batch of blender salsa to satisfy my dipping needs.

I published my favorite recipe for blender salsa in a Super Bowl snacks piece on Table Matters about this time last year and it remains my go-to. The only change I make is that I drain a quart jar of whole peeled tomatoes (because I pack mine in water) and use them in place of the 28-ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes. You can use either, depending on what you’ve got in your pantry.

I pour it on scrambled eggs, I use it as a braising medium for chicken thighs, and I scoop it into my mouth with tortilla chips (preferably the freshly fried chips from Tortilleria San Roman in South Philadelphia). And it’s a very good way to press your home canned tomatoes into action.

Print

Quick Blender Salsa

Ingredients

Blender Salsa

1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes or 1 quart home canned whole peeled tomatoes, drained
1 4-ounce can fire roasted green chiles
3/4 cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, stem and seeds removed (or 2-3 pickled jalapeños)
1 lime, juiced
2 teaspoons Kosher salt

Instructions

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend in short bursts until the ingredients are well incorporated. Don’t process to the point of having a smooth puree, you want a salsa that still has a little texture.
When it’s achieved a consistency you like, pour into a large container and refrigerate.
This salsa is best after it’s had a little time for the flavors to marry (overnight is ideal, but even a couple hours is good).
It will keep up to five days in the fridge.
Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin2.2http://foodinjars.com/2014/01/preserves-action-quick-blender-salsa/


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Apple Horseradish Conserve

It was at least two years ago that I started imagining an apple jam with a bit of sinus-clearing horseradish for punch. I made note of it on my running list of recipe ideas and promptly moved on to other things. Each time I returned to that list for inspiration or to add a new idea, I’d spot it and promise myself that I’d try it soon. But it just didn’t happen.

Finally, back in December I got myself a knob of fresh horseradish and set out to see what an apple horseradish jam might taste like. Of course, as these things so often work out, I didn’t actually end up making jam. Instead, I made a conserve (anytime you add dried fruit or nuts to jam, it becomes a conserve).

You see, there was a bag of golden raisins on the counter as I was cooking, and I ended up adding a couple palmfuls for sweetness and texture. After a few tastes, I determined that it needed some vinegar for balance, a scattering of mustard seeds to compliment the horseradish, and just a little bit of cayenne fire.

The resulting preserve lands somewhere in between a jam and a chutney. You get the apple and raisin flavors in the beginning, but the bite will always finish with the horseradish and heat asserting themselves. I’m not sure that I’ve given up on the idea of a straight apple horseradish jam (or jelly!), but I’m really pleased with how this conserve turned out. It’s particularly good with cheese or eaten alongside bites of crisp roast potato.

A word about safety and acid levels. Horseradish is a lower acid food. Apples are quite high in acid. This preserve is made almost entirely of apples, with vinegar and lemon juice adding to the acid load. As it’s written, it is quite safe. However, please resist the temptation to increase the amount of horseradish, as that could lead to an unsafe preserve.

Print

Apple Horseradish Conserve

Yield: 3 pints

Ingredients

6 cups applesauce (simmer 5-6 peeled and cored apples with a little water until tender and mashable)
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup freshly grated horseradish
Zest and juice of two lemons
1 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions

Prepare a boiling water bath and enough jars to hold 6 cups of conserve. Place lids in a small pan of water and bring to a bare simmer.
In a large, wide pot, combine the apple sauce, sugar, vinegar, raisins, horseradish, lemon zest and juice, mustard seeds, salt, and cayenne pepper.
Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook, stirring regularly, until the volume has reduced and the conserve doesn't look at all watery. My batch took approximately 45 minutes to cook down.
Taste conserve and add a splash more lemon juice, a pinch more salt, or a bit more cayenne pepper, if you so desire.
Funnel conserve into prepared jars. Wipe rims, apply lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath canner for 15 minutes.
When time is up, remove jars from canner and place on a folded kitchen towel. Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin2.2http://foodinjars.com/2014/01/apple-horseradish-conserve/


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Giveaway: New Ball Heritage Collection Green Jars

As you might remember, Ball released a line of limited edition blue glass pint jars last year. It was a fun throwback to canning jars of yore and I enjoyed using them throughout the 2013 canning season (though I will confess, they do make my peaches look a bit little sickly).

This year, Ball is continuing the special edition trend with a limited release of green jars. These jars will be available in both regular mouth pint jars and wide mouth quarts, which is particularly exciting for those of who like to use wide mouth quart jars as drinking glasses (I’ll actually have more about my habit of drinking out of wide mouth quarts later this week). Just like the blue jars, they will be making a finite number, so if you fall in love with this particular look, make sure to stock up sooner rather than later.

Typically, I don’t like to write about new jars and products without having had a chance to experience them personally, but we had a little shipping snafu and the jars that were coming to me got a bit delayed. However, I promised a good giveaway this week and so made an exception. When I do get these jars into my hot little hands, I’ll be posting a follow-up post and some photos, so that you can get a better idea of what they look like in the real world.

Fillmore Container recently published a post on their blog about these new jars and they have a couple of additional images if you’re interested. They’ll also be taking online orders for them soon.

Now, here’s the giveaway scoop. The nice folks at Ball have given me 10 cases of the green pint jars to give away to 10 lucky winners (each winner will receive one case, which contains 6 jars). Here’s how to enter:

Leave a comment on this post and share how you’d use these new jars in your home.
Comments will close at 12 noon on Sunday, February 2, 2014. Winners will be chosen at random and will be posted to the blog later that day.
Giveaway open to US residents only (so sorry, my further-flung readers).
One comment per person, please. Entries must be left via the comment form on the blog at the bottom of this post.

Disclosure: The jars for this giveaway have been provided by the manufacturer at no cost to me. However, my opinions remain entirely my own. 

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Ball Canning Books Giveaway
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Links: Jar Jewelry, Links, and a Winner

On Friday night, I found myself in a Jo-Ann craft store. In need of a hobby beyond staring at my computer, I’ve recently started knitting (with lots of help from Knit Camp) and so wanted to pick up a few more sets of needles. However, I never leave a store like that without checking to see what they have in their jar section.

Normally, it’s just a few smooth-sided jars for crafting, but in this particular store, there was a whole quarter aisle devoted to a thing they’re calling “Jar Jewelry.” There were decorative lids (designed to sit on top of regular lids), chalkboard labels, and other little bits. I found some of it kind of charming, but the sets were small and quite pricy. I’m curious what you guys think about the idea of jar jewelry?

Now, links!

Mini tarts made in mason jar lids! Too cute!
Speaking of baked goods made with preserves, how about a slice of coffee cake with a swirl of jam or a raspberry jam crostata.
Three variation on a slow cooker pear butter.
Still got a stash of last year’s salt-preserved lemons in the back of your fridge? Make hummus!
Breakfast cookies. Just like a bowl of oatmeal, but so much more portable.
If cookies aren’t your morning dish, what about savory cottage cheese muffins?
Need some citrus inspiration? How about earl grey kumquat marmalade or white grapefruit and elderflower marmalade?
Pomegranate ginger jam.
On the boozy front, how about some beet or dill infused vodkas?
Curious about Ball’s new Automatic Home Canning System? The Kitchn did a good piece on it recently.
Finally, a longer piece from Heather Arndt Anderson on a 100-year-old jam factory strike in Portland, OR. It’s an interesting read!

Many thanks to everyone who took the time to enter last week’s GIR spatula giveaway and share an update on their 2014 so far. Our winner is #230/Claire who said, “We have spent much of 2014 working on kitchen reno designs – so, 2014 has been SO MUCH FUN!”

I’ll have another fun giveaway for you guys tomorrow that I think you’ll like. Stay tuned!

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Links: Shortbread, Jam Tarts, and a Winner
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Photos from the Food in Jars Flickr Pool

Each Saturday, I dig through the Food in Jars Flickr pool and feature some of your photographs here in this space. If you’d like to see your hard work on the blog, please add your images to the group! And just so you know, Instagram and camera phone images are more than welcome. Here are this week’s selections.

Cinnamon whiskey jelly from Erin (she writes the blog Putting Up With Erin). It’s a combination of apple cider, bourbon, and cinnamon sticks and I only wish I could say that I’d thought of it first. I can’t stop imagining it with a sliver of crumbly, aged cheddar cheese.

I am just a little bit jealous of Melissa (who is also known as The Boastful Baker). She finally has a pantry big enough for her homemade preserves. Mine still live in random closets and under our bed.

A gift of gorgeously hued apricot honey jam from Mostly Foodstuffs blogger Deena, to Cakewalk blogger Rebecca. I love what a small world it becomes thanks to the internet.

Here’s a flashback to late summer tomatoes thanks to Christina of My Homespun Home. I’m about halfway through my own stash of tomatoes right now. How are the rest of you holding up with your home canned staples?

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Photos From the Food in Jars Flickr Pool
Photos From the Food in Jars Flickr Pool – Citrus Edition
Sunday Night From the Food in Jars Flickr Pool

Canning 101 + The New to Canning Series

A big part of my mission with this website it to help teach people how to can and demystify the process. That’s why you don’t just see me posting recipes and pretty pictures. Fairly frequently, I try to get down into the nitty gritty of canning and shine some light on the hows and whys.

Over the years, I’ve created two series that have attempted to create this space for food preservation education. The first was Canning 101 (which launched in 2010 with this post), which has been my catch-all for the minutia of canning. I’ve covered everything from how to loosen stuck rings to what to do if a jar breaks in the canner under that heading (all the Canning 101 posts can be found here).

The second series was the one I started last summer, under the name New to Canning? Start Here! I wrote two posts and then promptly got lost in book edits, classes, and the height of the canning season.

I want to bring back more of these education focused posts, but I need some suggestions. What are the topics you’d like to see me cover? What are your burning questions? Is there a canning term that needs more explanation? The comment box is officially open (though really, when does it ever close. This is the internet, after all) and I want to hear from you!

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