Marisa McClellan's Blog, page 44

Submit your April Mastery Challenge Projects!

Hello Mastery Challenge participants! We’re a little over halfway through April and the internet tells me that many of you have been busy making all manner of quick pickles!

In order to be counted in the final tally for the April challenge, please use the form below to submit your projects. Remember, you don’t have to provide a URL to be counted as a participant, but if you want me to link out to your project in the round-up, you do need to include the direct link to a blog or social media post.

Please get your projects submitted by April 28, so that I can get the round-up posted on April 30.

If the form below (it’s after the jump, if you’re reading this on the main page of the blog) isn’t working for you, you can also access the form by clicking this link.

Oh, and if you do post to social media, make sure to use the #fijchallenge tag to help spread the word of our preserving activities!

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Quick Pickles for the April Mastery Challenge
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Mastery Challenge: Quick Pickled Mushrooms

Giveaway: Cuppow & BNTO Jar Adapters

Want to up your packed lunch, picnic, and snack game? This week, Cuppow is offering five $20 gift codes up to the Food in Jars community! Use the widget at the bottom of the post to enter!

During the winter months, I can happily spend week after week working away at my dining room table or perched at my desk (located behind the television), without feeling even a little bit restless. Many a day has passed when I haven’t so much as stepped toe outside my apartment building. But as soon as the weather begins to warm and the days lengthen, I start to feel squirrelly.

Lately, staying inside has made me feel fidgety, as if the walls of my apartment are a particularly itchy and confining wool sweater. And so, I’ve been changing my patterns and heading outside.

Some days, I only go as far as my neighborhood coffee shop or the covered concrete patio that juts off on the west side of my apartment building. Other days (far more infrequent than I’d like), I blow off work entirely and visit a friend who moved about an hour away this time last year and had a sweet baby boy back in December.

The one thing that all these outings have in common is my devotion to always packing a snack. As someone who tries to eat well most of the time but is highly susceptible to bakery cases and bags of chips at the check-out counter, being prepared is hugely helpful in avoiding temptation.

Lately, I’ve been reaching for my stash of BNTO jar adapters from Cuppow to help me pack up portable and waste-free snacks (because even when you do find a relatively virtuous snack in the world, the amount of packaging is enough to drive an environmentally minded person a little bit crazy).

On the particularly day pictured here, I filled jars with carrot sticks, apple slices, and yogurt with a dollop of quince jam. Into the BNTO adapters, I put peanut butter, hummus, and a bit of granola (embarrassingly, it was not homemade). Some homemade cold brew went into a wide mouth pint, with one of my original Cuppow lids secured on top for easy sipping.

With picnic season upon us, I encourage you all to spend a few minutes thinking about how you pack up your sandwiches, snacks, and treats. Perhaps a new BNTO or two would make the process more streamlined and less wasteful!

To that end, for this week’s giveaway, our friends at Cuppow are up five gift codes worth $20 a piece. Five lucky Food in Jars readers will each win one code to redeem over at the Cuppow website. You can choose from Cuppow lids, BNTO jar adaptors, Mason Taps, and CoffeeSocks! Use the widget below to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: Cuppow is a Food in Jars sponsor and are providing the codes for this giveaway at no cost to me. Products pictured were sent for review purposes. However, all opinions expressed here are mine alone.

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Food in Jars Stickers for Sale!

Back in 2014, when Preserving by the Pint was just coming out, I ordered a box of stickers with the orange Food in Jars logo on them. I handed out these stickers at libraries, farmers markets, and book shops and was delighted people put them on their water bottles, laptops, and car bumpers.

I’ve been out of that first batch of stickers for awhile now and have missed them. So when a coupon code from Sticker Mule landed in my inbox, I decided it was high time to order up a new batch. Die cut and made of weather and scratch-resistant vinyl, these stickers are kind of awesome.

If you want one of these stickers, I’m offering up 150 for sale here on the blog for $3 a piece. If you want one, use this link to send me $3 via Paypal (make sure that your mailing address is accessible via Paypal, so I know where to send the sticker). Once I get your order, I’ll drop the sticker into the mail for you! And let me know if you have any questions!

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Mastery Challenge: Quick Pickled Mushrooms

Regular Food in Jars contributor Alex Jones is here today with her contribution for the April Mastery Challenge. This month, she quick pickles some gorgeous local mushrooms from Primordia Farm! Take it away, Alex!

Just about every Saturday, I wake up early and walk a few blocks from my West Philly apartment to Clark Park, where I’ll meet a truck laden with cheese and mushrooms from Berks County. We’ll set up folding tables and tents on the sidewalk along with organic vegetable growers, kraut makers, fishermen, orchardists, urban farmers, and bakers who are there to vend at the farmers’ market.

On one side of our stand, I sell grass fed artisan cheese, yogurt, and cultured butter for Valley Milkhouse, a microdairy located less than 90 minutes from Philly that’s run by my friend Stefanie Angstadt. On the other side, my neighbor Bianca sells wild foraged and organically grown mushrooms for the other Berks-based business, Lenhartsville’s Primordia Farm. In addition to providing an efficient logistics partnership for the two farms, we and our farmers’ market customers find that our products go really well together.

The proximity to Primordia’s offerings has given me the chance to experiment with the kind of fungi that never used to cross my radar. I get to bring home feathery maitake mushrooms to roast up crisp and toasty, king trumpets to slice into planks and saute until golden brown, and—when they’re in season—black trumpets, chanterelles, and morels to flavor creamy pasta sauces and risottos or simply cook gently in a good amount of butter.

If you’ve got a good source for fresh, organically grown mushrooms in your area but haven’t tried cooking with them yet, I highly recommend it. Varieties like these and others, like furry-looking lion’s mane, delicate golden oyster, and tiny, compact enoki, are sometimes labeled “exotic” or “wild” and can come with eyebrow-raising price tags, ranging anywhere from $10 to $40 (for morels in season) per pound.

But mushrooms are very light, and the amount you need to make even a mushroom-centric dish or preserve is probably much less than you think. The mushrooms for this recipe cost around $8. By bringing some home from the farmers’ market, you’ll also be supporting a small, sustainable business like Primordia and adding something nutritious and delicious to your diet.

(The specimens in the top photo sat bagged in my crisper for nearly a week before I could process them, hence a few dings and broken pieces, but trust that Primordia’s and any good grower’s mushrooms will be immaculate at purchase.)

As much as I’ve come to love mushrooms, I’d never pickled them after a tendency to be disappointed by the marinated buttons on most antipasti platters. Quick-pickling some beautiful mushrooms would be perfect subject for April’s Mastery Challenge.

After a little Internet research, I decided on this Andrew Zimmern recipe, modeled on Russian pickled mushrooms, as a guide. Along with the garlic, red pepper, dill, and thyme that he recommends, I swapped in star anise for cloves and black pepper.

And while Zimmern makes the impossible (at least where I live) recommendation to combine spring morels and summertime chanterelles in his recipe, neither were available locally—so I grabbed a mix of shapely king trumpet, velvety pioppino, and gray oyster.

The pickling process is a simple one. Check mushrooms for soil or debris—Primordia’s are so clean that you don’t have to wash them—and trim off any substrate, typically a nutrient-rich mix of straw or sawdust, coffee grounds, and mycelium out of which the fruiting bodies emerge.

Separate mushrooms like pioppino and oyster into smaller pieces and cut large, fleshy king trumpets into manageable sticks or planks.

Next, measure out water, apple cider vinegar, sugar, and pickling salt and put it in a pot to boil. Since this is a quick pickle that will be refrigerated, and I’m not a fan of overly sweet pickles, I cut the sugar down from ⅓ cup to one tablespoon, the same as the amount of salt called for in the recipe.

While you’re waiting for the brine to boil, get your jars ready by dividing the herbs, spices, and garlic between two wide-mouth pint jars.

Once the brine came to a boil, I added the king trumpets and pioppinos, boiled for one minute, and scooped them out with a slotted spoon and into the prepared jar. Then, I topped them with hot brine and repeated the process with the oyster mushrooms, which went into their own jar.

After the pickles had cooled but before they went into the fridge to cure overnight, I sampled a stem. The pickles weren’t too sweet or salty, but pleasantly tangy and well-seasoned, with a tender texture. They took mere minutes to make and already tasted delicious.

One note on pickling mushrooms: I gauged what size jar I would need the same way I would if I were pickling carrot sticks or asparagus spears—by packing a jar with the raw product to see what might fit.

Based on this, I started the recipe with 24-ounce straight-sided jars. But after that minute in the boiling brine, even the firm trumpet mushrooms had shrunk a bit and were flexible enough so that they only filled a wide-mouth pint, so I transferred them into the smaller size.

Also, I’ve seen some recipes that call for the mushrooms to be cooked for eight to 10 minutes, which seems like overkill to me. A minute in the boiling brine plus an hour or two of heat as the jars cool should be enough to lightly cook the mushrooms and, as long as you cut large specimens thinly enough, allow the flavors to penetrate all the way through without getting soggy.

As soon as local morels arrive this spring—which should be any week now—I plan to pickle a few pints to savor in salads and pasta and with cheeses all summer long.

Do you love mushrooms? Have you tried pickling your own, whether exotic or everyday? Share your tips for a great mushroom pickle in the comments!

PrintMastery Challenge: Quick Pickled Mushrooms

Ingredients

12-16 ounces king trumpet, pioppino, and oyster mushrooms (or any combination or type of mushrooms, preferably organically grown)
2 cups water
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon pickling salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves
2 whole star anise
2 sprigs fresh dill
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 cloves garlic, lightly crushed and peeled

Instructions

Inspect mushrooms and brush off any debris. Trim off any substrate remaining on the stems and separate individual stems of mushrooms like oyster and pioppino into individual pieces, and cut larger varieties like king trumpets into thin planks or sticks. Set aside.
Divide herbs and spices equally between two clean pint jars and set aside.
Combine water, vinegar, salt, and sugar in a medium non-reactive saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve salt and sugar.
Place mushrooms into the saucepan and boil in brine for 1 minute. Remove mushrooms with a slotted spoon and divide evenly between the two pint jars. Pour hot brine over the mushrooms, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
Let jars cool to room temperature, then store in the refrigerator. Allow jars to cure overnight before enjoying. Pickled mushrooms will last in the fridge for around one month.3.1http://foodinjars.com/2017/04/mastery-challenge-quick-pickled-mushrooms/
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Links: Date Charoset, Speedy Pickles, and a Winner

Happy Monday, friends! I spent all of Saturday working the Philly Farm & Food Fest, which left Sunday feeling like Saturday and today feeling entirely off. As a result, I’m running about a day late in every way, including with my blogging. So even though I normally do these links on Sunday evenings, I’m serving them up today. Hope they’re still tasty!

Jostaberry fruit pate
Date charoset
Sweet onion marmalade
Pickled wild mushrooms
Pickled pearl onions
Speedy pickles
Homemade tartar sauce
Sprouted chickpea hummus
Wild violet butter
Superfood sprinkle
One pan chicken and potatoes
How to remove labels from jars

As as sad as I am that the Pint & Half jars I featured in last week’s giveaway with Fillmore Container are being discontinued, it was a pleasure to hear many of you all love them too! The giveaway winner is in the widget below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Quick Pickled Radishes for the Mastery Challenge

We have a chain of stores in the Philadelphia called Produce Junction. Rarely more than a concrete box fitted out with some coolers and a couple of counters, the primary appeal of Produce Junction is that you can get large quantities of produce for very little money.

It’s not a store that’s on my regular shopping route, but I occasionally dash into one when I’m in the right neighborhood. And of course, end up going home with far more food that I actually need (which then sends me off into a fit of food preservation).

This last Monday, I found myself in the vicinity of a Produce Junction. I parked outside and made promises to myself that I wouldn’t overdo it. And while I was relatively restrained, I did bring home beets (both red and golden), snow peas, kale, cucumbers, bananas, oranges, lettuce, and a three pound bag of radishes.

Most of what I bought has been incorporated into our regular meals, but three pounds of radishes is a lot, even for this vegetable-loving household. Steps needed to be taken.

And thus, these quick pickles were born. I used the thin slicer blade on my food processor to break them down (having decided that washing the bowl was better than hand slicing the two pounds I used for this recipe).

Once they were sliced, I made a brine using rice wine vinegar, a little bit of agave, and salt. I tucked some sliced scallions and slivered ginger into the bottom of the jar and then packed the radishes on top.

Now, I made a giant portion of these quick pickles. I filled an entire half gallon jar. You can obviously reduce the recipe if you don’t want to have such a huge portion. However, this is a pickle that I can move through fast, as they go well with salads, grain bowls, tacos, and more.

PrintQuick Pickled Radishes for the Mastery Challenge

Ingredients

2 pounds radishes
4-5 scallions, sliced into 2-3 inch lengths
1 ounce ginger, cut into matchsticks
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons agave nectar
1 tablespoon salt

Instructions

Clean the radishes and slice them thinly.
Tuck the scallions and ginger into the bottom of a large jar.
Pack the radish slices in on top.
Combine the water, vinegar, agave, and salt in a saucepan and simmer until the salt is dissolved.
Pour the brine over the radishes, using a wooden spoon to help release any trapped air pockets.
Let the pickles cool to room temperature. Put a lid on the jar and put the jar into the fridge.
Once the pickles are cool, put a lid on the jar and slide it into the fridge. Let them hang for about 24 hours before digging in.
3.1http://foodinjars.com/2017/04/quick-pickled-radishes-mastery-challenge/
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Quick Pickle Cookbook Recommendations

Our month of quick pickles for the Mastery Challenge is underway. While there is PLENTY of information about quick and refrigerator pickling available on the internet, I also have a short stack of books to recommend in case you’re hoping to dig deeper. (Amazon | Powell’s)

Pickled by Kelly Carrolata (Amazon | Powell’s) – This book runs the pickling spectrum. You’ll find everything from a class dill pickle to refrigerator herring. There are some recipes here that are designed for the water bath, but most are to be used and eaten promptly. Another fine feature of this volume is the fact that about a quarter of the recipes are ones to help you use up what you’ve put up.
Quick Pickles by Chris Schlesinger, John “Doc” Willoughby, and Dan George (Amazon | Powell’s) – This book is a celebration of the unprocessed pickle and serves up inspiration every time I flip through its pages. It does show its age a bit as far as the names of the recipes go (no one would name something Korean-Style Cabbage Pickle in these times, they’d simply call it Quick Kimchi), but the fact remains that it has plenty to offer.
The New Preserves by Anne V. Nelson (Amazon | Powell’s) – I bought this book for its pickled cantaloupe recipe and keep it around for its sweet pickled carrots. Just don’t make the three bean salad – there’s not nearly enough acid in that recipe for boiling water bath canning.
Asian Pickles by Karen Solomon (Amazon | Powell’s) – If you want to pursue authentic pickles from Japan, Korea, China, India, and Southeast Asian, you want Karen Solomon by your side. This book is a masterful piece of recipe development and curation. And since many of the traditional pickles from those parts of the world are kept with processing, much of the book is perfect for this month’s challenge.
The Pickling Handbook by Karin Bojs (Amazon | Powell’s) – I included this book in the round-up because it is beautiful. It offers a handful of pickling recipes, as well as bunch of recipes to help you use up the pickles you’ve made.
The Joy of Pickling by Linda Ziedrich (Amazon | Powell’s) – Linda Ziedrich is the high priestess of home food preservation (I anxiously await her forthcoming book on savory jams). The third edition of her pickling book came out last summer and is bursting with all manner of pickled delight. If you only own one book on pickling, this should be it.
The Pickled Pantry by Andrea Chesman (Amazon | Powell’s) – This is a big, friendly book with lots of pickle knowledge to offer. Andrea processes most of her pickles, but many of the recipes could be easily done as quick pickles. She’s got one section where the recipes are all scaled for a single jar, making them easy for the small batch aficionado.
Pickled & Packed by Valerie Aikman-Smith (Amazon | Powell’s) – Pickled rose petals! Boozy bread and butter pickles! Pickled makrut lime leaves! This book is the one I pull down when I need something to wake me up and get me thinking about pickling in a whole new way.
Beyond Canning by Autumn Giles (Amazon | Powell’s) – I love Autumn’s flavor sensibility. She has a way of combining ingredients that is creative, delicious, and accessible. Recipes in this book that would work particularly well for the challenge include Kombu Dashi Pickled Shitake Mushrooms, Curried Orange Pickle, Bloody Mary Pickled Eggs, and Quick Pickled Rhubarb.

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Philly Farm and Food Fest this Saturday, April 8

The Philly Farm and Food Fest is this Saturday, April 8 from 11 am to 4 pm at the Philadelphia Convention Center. This is one of my very favorite local food events of the year, because it is the effective kick-off for the consumer-side of our regional growing season.

Farmers, producers, makers, authors, restaurateurs and other food-focused people gather to share their mutual love of food and drink. There are cooking demos, activities for kids, and opportunities to buy new-to-you food products. You can sign up for a CSA share, partake in the Local Libations Lounge, and even visit the Curd Convention (it’s a convention within a convention).

This year, the Fest includes more 150 exhibitors, a chance to meet farm animals up-close, and 16 workshops in order to expand your skills. You’ll find me on the Homesteader’s Stage at 1 pm and fermentation expert Amanda Feifer will be presenting in the PF3 Kitchen at 2:05. I’ll also be around all day with books for sale and signature.

And, for industry folks who want a chance to wander before the crowds converge, there’s a VIP hour from 10-11 am that will allow you meet farmers, authors, and producers without the crush.

Tickets are available online (and kids under 12 are free!). Join us!

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Giveaway: Pint & Half Jars from Fillmore Container

Of all the Ball jars out there, the Pint & Half has always been my favorite. It holds 24 ounces, has straight sides, and always feels like just the right amount. I reach for one whenever I’m putting away leftovers, pouring a smoothie, stashing pantry staples, and making extra-long pickles.

When I first started canning, the Pint & Half was not currently in production and so I haunted thrift stores, antique shops, and eBay in order to amass a small collection. Then, in early 2012 Jarden Home Brands announced that they were bringing the Pint & Half back. I cheered! I wrote blog posts! I bought several boxes.

Today, I come bearing sad news. I’ve learned that the Pint & Half is going to become a collector’s item once more. Ball Canning has discontinued this useful vessel (cue the weeping). I am heartbroken that my favorite jar is soon going to become scarce.

I’ve teamed up with my friends at Fillmore Container to send this noble jar out with a bang. They still have a goodly supply in stock, but it won’t last forever. So this week, they’re sponsoring a celebratory giveaway featuring the Pint & Half.

One lucky winner will get $100 credit* at Fillmore Container, one case of the Pint & Half jars, and

two wide mouth iLids for easy access to your smoothies, quick pickles, and dry good (winner will choose lid color). What’s more, Fillmore Container is also giving away two more cases of the Pint & Half jars over on their blog. You have so many chances to win!

Please use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter! And when you’re done with that, head over to Fillmore Container’s blog to enter their giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Store credit can be used for product or shipping, but once the $100 is used the winner is responsible for anything more than $100 including shipping.

Disclosure: Fillmore Container is a Food in Jars sponsor and so does pay a monthly fee to display a banner ad on this site. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed within this blog post remain entirely my own. 

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April Sponsors: Cuppow, Fillmore Container, EcoJarz, MightyNest, and Mason Jar Lifestyle

Happy April, friends and readers! It’s the start of the month and so is time to thank the businesses that help make this site possible. Please do show them your appreciation for their support with your time and attention!

In the top spot are our friends at Cuppow. They are the creators of the original mason jar travel mug topper and the BNTO, a small plastic cup that transforms a canning jar into a snack or lunch box. Parents and kids love their EIO set, with its grippy silicone sleeve and a lid that makes for easy sipping. Look for a fun promotion featuring their gear later this month.

Lancaster, PA-based and family-owned Fillmore Container are next! They sell all manner of canning jars, lids, and other preservation gear. As always, their blog is an amazing resource for all things jar-related. They’re the host of my giveaway this week. Make sure to enter to win some fabulous Pint & Half jars!

Our friends over at EcoJarz on board again this month. They make an array of products designed to fit on top of mason jars, including cheese graters, coffee brewers, and stainless steel storage lids. Make sure to follow them on social, because they host a weekly EcoJarz Fan Pic of the Week giveaway!

Mason Jar Lifestyle is a one-stop shopping site for all the jar lovers out there. They sell all manner of mason jar accessories and adaptors. If you’re in the market for lids, straws, sprouting lids, and cozies to transform your mason jars into travel mugs, make sure to check them out!

MightyNest is an amazing resource for non-toxic, natural, and organic products for homes and families. I’m a big fan of the MightyFix, their monthly product subscription program. Right now, you can get a year’s subscription to the MightyFix for just $99 (it regularly costs $10 a month, so that’s a great deal).

If your company or small business is interested in becoming a sponsor, you can find more details here. I offer discounts for multiple month purchases and am always happy to work with your budget. Leave a comment on this post or drop me a note to learn more!

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January Sponsors: Cuppow, Fillmore Container, EcoJarz, iLids, MightyNest, and Mason Jar Lifestyle