Marisa McClellan's Blog, page 121

Giveaway: Set of Three GIR Silicone Spatulas

When I was growing up, one of the staple tools in our kitchen was the trusty rubber-headed spatula. Known to us as a rubber scraper, it was my mother’s go-to utensil for cleaning bowls of cookie dough, saving every drop of leftover spaghetti sauce, and generally ensuring that not a drop of food was wasted.

However, those scrapers we used to use had some serious drawbacks. The rubber heads never lasted particularly long, they weren’t particularly sturdy in high temperature situations, and they had to be removed from the wooden handles all the time to prevent any grossness from collecting under there.

Happily, the flexible spatula has come a very long way in recent years. They nearly all have heatproof heads and my favorite ones are the fully encased silicone models where the heads don’t separate from the handle. I find that they last a whole lot longer than the previous generations, and I love that they can go in the dishwasher.

One company that’s making particularly awesome spatulas these days is GIR. They are made from food-safe silicone with a polymer core. They are heat proof up to 464 degrees F and are really great for stirring simmering batches of jams and jellies.

Thanks to the nice folks at GIR, I have a set of three spatulas (the mini, the skinny, and the ultimate) to give away today. Here’s how to enter:

Leave a comment on this post and tell me show 2014 is treating you so far.
Comments will close at 11:59 pm east coast time on Saturday, January 25, 2014. Winner will be chosen at random and will be posted to the blog on Sunday, January 26, 2014.
Giveaway is open to everyone.
One comment per person, please. Entries must be left via the comment form on the blog at the bottom of this post. I can not accept submissions via email.

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Giveaway: Straight Sided Half Pint Jars from Fillmore Container
Happy Holidays and a Winner
Giveaway: Cuppow Total Collection Gift Pack

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! Here are this week’s selections.

For all of those in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s tomato season. Ock Du Spock has shared some photos of canning tomatoes in jars that once belonged to her grandparents.

Elsewhere in the world, there is ginger to be pickled. Katvanb did a nice batch back in late summer, with a small slice of red beet to add color.

Pretty pickled peppers from Erin.

Emily from Relishments made a whole heck of a lot of pickles this summer and managed to line them all up for a picture. Here’s hoping those will keep you in pickles for the year!

Susan made some asian pear butter that looks pretty darn lovely on that toast!

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

Physical Copies of Preserving by the Pint

I got back to Philadelphia earlier this afternoon after a week spent hanging out with my sister and her family in Austin (it was a magically good trip and I miss my nephew like a pain). I’d been home for all of fifteen minutes when I headed out again to swing by my editor’s office. Kristen had emailed on Monday to say that she had a few copies of the new book in. I’d been itching for days to see it in person and couldn’t wait any more.

Last time, when I got that first copy of a book I’d written in my hands, I swore like Tony Soprano for a full five minutes. Kristen had to pull me into her office and shut the door to contain my salty words. This time, I didn’t feel moved to let loose a streak of colorful verbiage. Instead, I held it in my hands and felt deeply satisfied.

One of the things I’ve learned over the past few years is that when you write a cookbook, you are capturing a moment in time. Kitchen habits and preserving practices naturally evolve and so as perfect a technique as an author thought they were sharing, it may not remain their preferred approach for all time. I already do a number of things differently now than I did when I wrote Food in Jars*. And while I know my ways of being will continue to develop, I really, really love the moment in time that I caught for Preserving by the Pint. I hope you all will too.

Oh, and just so you know, this book will be officially available on March 25. It’s available for pre-order at Amazon, Powell’s, Barnes and Noble, Indigo, and your local, independent bookseller.

*For example, I don’t use a thermometer nearly as much as I once did to determine the doneness of jam. I rely far more on how it looks and sounds these days.

 

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Upcoming Classes: Temple University! The Brooklyn Kitchen! And More!

Links: Canning Aprons, Lemon Oaty Bars, and a Winner

I am snuggled down in my sister’s very cozy guest room in Austin, Texas right now. I arrived Thursday afternoon and head home again on Thursday morning. I’m here to see Raina and Andrew’s new-ish house and spend as much time reading books and playing trains with Emmett (it’s hard work and he takes it all very seriously). I’m easing back on my work time a little while I’m here, so if you send me an email and I don’t reply quickly, that is why. I’ll plug myself back into the frenzy soon, but for now, I’m enjoying the mellower pace. Now, links.

Want a dedicated canning apron? Kate over at The Hip Girl’s Guide to Homemaking has got you covered.
I love these lemon oaty bars that Janet from A Raisin and a Porpoise made. She filled them with a batch of my honey lemon apple jam in which she slashed the sugar (you can do such things with apples because they’re so pectin rich).
Bake mixes in jars with the instructions written right one them. Seriously smart.
Baked apples two ways.
If you come into a bounty of asian pears, pickle some and make asian pear liqueur with the rest.
It’s the time of year to start a batch of salt-preserved lemons. Alexandra has a pretty, newly published blog post on the topic.
Quinces are mostly gone in the Philadelphia area, but if you still have them, these preserved slices in white wine sound divine.

I think we set a Food in Jars record with this most recent giveaway from Fillmore Container. A total of 2063 people left comments on the post, which just blew me away. I am so happy that you all love these jars as much as I do.

Our winner is #676, which is the comment left by Cory. She said, ” I resolve in 2014 to actually eat my way through the larder I created this summer and fall. Which means a lot of pickles.”

Cory, I wish you the very best of luck eating through all those pickles!

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Links: Mostarda, Thumbprint Cookies, and a Winner
Links: Plums, Gingersnap Granola, and a Winner
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Pictures 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! Here are this week’s selections.

Cheryl’s gorgeous red pepper jelly. She put the recipe right into the photo description on Flickr, so click through to see it!

A very pretty and colorful canning cabinet from Katvanb.

Spicy pickles from Misty of Sticks in the Mud.

Shira’s in progress pickled green tomatoes!

Looks like Meryl from My Bit of Earth has been making her own chai blend. It’s such a good drink for these chilly winter days.

I think we’ve all been there, in the kitchen late at night, finishing off a canning project. This photo from Sharon evokes that moment and mood perfectly.

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Pictures from the Pennsylvania Farm Show

After years spent meaning to go to the Pennsylvania Farm Show, I got to spend two whole days there earlier this week. In between my canning demos and book signings, Scott and I wandered around the show. We ate a vast array of fried foods, gawked at the rows of cattle, and admired the chickens, rabbits, and ducks. The photos below are just some of the ones I took while there. The full set of images can be found here.

Fried broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, and onion rings, served with a horseradish dipping sauce. One of the most delicious things I’ve eaten in recent memory.

Such horns!

All milkshakes should be half chocolate and half vanilla.

Ducklings are delightful, but they don’t like to go on the slide.

I am most definitely a cider lover.

At the Fillmore Container Preservation Station.

Baby bunnies!

These breaded and fried button mushrooms were delicious!

Just some of the canned foods entered into the competition.

I loved how these two were standing in the same position.

Nice examples of pressure canned green beans.

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Monday and Tuesday at the Pennsylvania Farm Show
Giveaway: Straight Sided Half Pint Jars from Fillmore Container

Links: Cave Raisings, Hot Toddies, and More

For most of November and all of December, I felt well and truly bogged down and overwhelmed but with the arrival of 2014, I’m feeling a welcome sense of lightness. I’ve been taking advantage of this wave of new energy by restarting my nearly nine-year-old personal blog (it doesn’t have much of a design at the moment, but the content is what’s important, I think) and trying to be more on top of the content I write here. Fingers crossed that I can keep it up! Now, links.

Attention cheese lovers! Madame Fromage is hosting another Cheese Ball and this one isn’t just a party. It’s a cave raising to benefit Birchrun Hills Farm and their campaign to build a cheese cave on their property. There will be a world of cheese, a number of pickles and preserves (including a number from my pantry), and a very great deal of fun.
When I was in Portland, I had the opportunity to visit the Multnomah Whisky Library and drink a transcendently good hot toddy. I’ve been dabbling in making my own at home and am loving this recipe from Deena at Mostly Foodstuffs.
I do so love this recipe for savory slab pie from Smitten Kitchen. Such a good idea for brunches.
An interesting discussion of mustard oil and its ingestability. It’s a traditional ingredient in mostarda, it’s not always easy to come by in the US.
As someone without a fireplace or even a gas stove, I loved this technique for indoor s’mores.
Cherry pecan chocolate granola bars. I wish there was in my hand this very second.
I love this post about the subversive nature of apple butter.
Struggle finding good ways to store your home preserves? Check out this Kickstarter from folks who have come up with a unique jar hanging system!

There’s no giveaway winner tonight because the current giveaway is still going on. If you haven’t entered yet, click over to this post and leave a comment.

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Monday and Tuesday at the Pennsylvania Farm Show

I mentioned this at the bottom of my straight sided half pint jar giveaway post on Wednesday, but I wanted to call it out here again in case you’re going to be in the greater Harrisburg, PA area tomorrow or the day after.

I’m going to be doing a series of canning demos and book signings this Monday, January 6 and Tuesday, January 7 at the Pennsylvania Farm Show. I’ll be at the Fillmore Container Preservation Station on the Main Floor in the Family Living area. The demos will be at 10 am and 4 pm (I’m doing batches of Pear Vanilla Jam and Pickled Cauliflower each day). There’s also a very good chance that I’ll be demoing on the PCN Main Stage at 1 pm on those days as well.

I’ll be sticking fairly close to the Preservation Station when not demoing to answer questions and sell books, so if you’re at the show and pick up a signed copy of my book (or bring your copy to get signed), please come on by!

Also, if you haven’t done so yet, make sure to enter the Canner’s Treasure Chest giveaway that Fillmore Container is hosting on their blog.

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Photos From the Food in Jars Flickr Pool

I used to be in the habit of featuring photos from the Food in Jars Flickr pool here on the blog once a week. Then somehow along the way, that particular feature fell by the wayside. I really liked sharing reader photography here and so have decided to revive this column. If you have a photo of your jams, pickles, or other delicious things in jars, please do add it to the group (phone and Instagram photos are absolutely welcome!).

Christmas morning butter and jam by Meryl of My Bit of Earth.

Who knew that canned venison, turkey breast, dark turkey meat, pork, and chicken breast could look so pretty. Nice hoosier cabinet, too! Photo by 7thswan.

Chocolate pistachio sables in jars from Sara of Three Clever Sisters.

Glowing honey in a jar from Ryan.

Some very nice looking pickles from Karen at Short Story Long.

Finally, some quince preserves from Rebecca at Cakewalk. This photo was from a post she wrote about her 2013 preserving season, which I thought was a very good read. I always mean to write such posts, but I never seem to make the time.

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Preserves in Action: Stovetop Toasties for a Snow Day

Like most of the northeast, Philadelphia woke up this morning to a thick layer of snow. Though I didn’t venture outside to measure, friends in the next neighborhood up from ours had 8 inches on their back deck and I hear that there were some areas that got even more. I had to cancel the class I was scheduled to teach and Scott’s office was closed, so we hunkered down for a cozy snow day.

Thankfully, I braved the pre-storm crowds at Trader Joe’s yesterday and so the fridge was fully loaded for a day at home (it was my first full shop since getting back to town on Monday, so things would have been pretty stark otherwise). As we contemplated lunch, Scott made an off-hand suggestion that I should write a post about using jams on a snow day.

As soon as he said it, I realized that it was the perfect day to pull out my old stovetop sandwich makers and toast up a few jam-filled treats. I’ve had these two pie/sandwich makers for ages now and don’t use them nearly enough. My mom grew up making sandwiches in a Toas-Tite at her aunt’s house, and so when she spotted on at an antique mall some years back, scooped it up and gave it to me for Christmas. The KwiKi-Pi (don’t you just love the name?) cost a quarter at a Lancaster County garage sale.

There’s nothing fancy about either of these gadgets, though I will say that the I find that the Toas-Tite delivers a better finished product than the KwiKi-Pi (it’s heavier and seals better). There are other vintage brands out there, like Nutbrown Sandwich Toaster and Jem Toaster, and there a handful of companies who still make these kinds of irons (like this round one). There are also electric sandwich makers that do the same sort of thing, but I like these lo-fi ones better.

The way it works is that you take a couple pieces of bread, flatten them out a little with a rolling pin to create a little extra filling space, and lightly butter the outsides like you would a grilled cheese. You fit the first slice into the bottom of the mold (don’t worry about the overhanging bread yet), and fill. Go light to the fillings so that the sandwich doesn’t ooze during cooking.

Once the fillings are in, you line up the top piece of bread and close the Toas-Tite down. Then, using a paring knife, cut away the overhanging bread, taking special care around the hinges, as that spot can sometimes trap some large crumbs (save those crusts for homemade bread crumbs!).

Because I have a pokey old electric stove, I preheat the smaller burners to a medium-high temperature while I construct the sandwiches. When the burners are hot, you just lay the sandwich makers directly onto the burners. If you have a gas stove, you proceed in much the same way, though you shouldn’t need to preheat. Turning regularly, your sandwich should be done in four or five minutes.

For my first sandwich, I used a combination of prosciutto, shredded cheese, and tart plum jam on whole wheat. For the second round, I used flattened a couple hot dog buns that Scott had picked up while I was away and filled them with herbed goat cheese and apricot jam. Of course, you can fill your sandwiches with anything you want, but keep the number of ingredients fairly low. Any more than three or four ingredients and the flavors start to get muddy.

I realize that in some ways, these are nothing more than homemade Uncrustables, done with fancy ingredients. But made with kids, or on a snow day when you just feel like a kid, they’re a very fun treat. And they’re such a good way to use up your jams and chutneys in a slightly different way.

How are you guys using your preserves these days?

Related Posts:

Preserves in Action: Baguette with Ricotta, Fig Jam, and Baby Arugula
Preserves in Action: Pumpkin Butter Oats
Preserves in Action: Tomato Jam