Marisa McClellan's Blog, page 98

Hopes and Goals for Food in Jars in 2015

Next month, this blog turns six. When I first started, I had no inkling of where a little idea to write about canning, preserving, and my personal obsession with mason jars might take me. Turns out, the answer is pretty darn far (literally, in fact. I did 113 events in 2014 and put 12,000 miles on my car in the process).

Before get I swept up in the momentum of 2015, I want to take a moment to articulate some of the things I hope to do this year. A couple are tangible things to do, while others are lofty concepts.

Higher quality content, a little less often – In recent years, I feel like I’ve fallen into a trap in which I post fairly frequently, but the value of what I’m posting is low. While I can’t stop writing about my classes and events, I want to make sure that the bulk of what I share is of value.
More personality – Fear not. I don’t plan on turning this into a vanity lifestyle blog. But I do feel like I don’t always bring a whole lot of myself to this space and I don’t like that feeling.
Make some video – Years ago, Scott and I used to make an online cooking show called Fork You. But then, other projects cropped up and we just stopped doing it. I’ve wanted to get back to video for a while, but in the intervening years, the quality of web video exploded and I felt like I wouldn’t be able to produce something that would measure up. This year, I plan on throwing off the weight of my own expectations and just do it.
More pantry basics – I love a good batch of jam as much as the next girl (probably more), but this year, I want to focus on those practical, pantry building projects that make it easier to make a quick, healthy meal.
Tee-shirts and bumper stickers – Before I went on my book tour last spring, I had some stickers printed up that I gave away at my classes and signings. They were a hit and I want to make some more fun Food in Jars logo-ed gear this year.

So those are my hopes for this year. I’m also determined to get the next book written with a minimum of stress and anxiety. I’ve also declared some more personal goals for myself, that I posted a few days ago over at my little personal blog (I’m trying to carve out some time to write about things beyond food and when I do, I post them over there).

Now let the new year come!

 

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January Sponsors: Cuppow, Fillmore Container, Spice Ratchet, New West Knife Works, and Fermentools!
Preserving Resolutions

Giveaway: Fresh & Fermented

Over the last year or so, I’ve been getting more and more into making my own fermented foods. I’ve dabbled in sauerkraut for years, but more recently have added kimchi, kombucha, brined radishes, and other little batches of brined vegetables to my repertory.

One of the things that has been encouraging me along this path has been the wave of new books devoted to fermentation (as well as Amanda’s fabulous blog, Phickle).

One such book that has been providing much inspiration in recent days has been Fresh & Fermented by Julie O’Brien and Richard J. Climenhage of Firefly Kitchens (I mentioned this one in my Class of 2014 round-up, but thought it deserved a little more attention).

What makes this book stand apart is that it’s not just about basic ferments. It focuses on drinks, dips, salads, casseroles, burgers, and desserts all made with a goodly portion of one of the eight basic krauts and kimchis featured in the first chapter. As someone who is always looking for ways to use up a cup or two of sauerkraut, it is proving invaluable.

Thanks to the nice folks at Sasquatch Books, I have a copy of Fresh & Fermented to give away. Here’s how to enter.

Leave a comment on this post. This time, I’m curious to hear if you made any preserving-related resolutions this year.
Comments will close at 11:59 pm east coast time on Saturday, January 10, 2015. The winner will be chosen at random and will be posted to the blog by Sunday, January 11, 2015.
Giveaway is open to US residents only (sorry!).
One comment per person, please. Entries must be left on the blog, I cannot accept submissions via email.

Disclosure: Sasquatch Books sent me the review copy of this book I now have in my library and they are also providing the giveaway unit. However, my thoughts remain my own. It’s a good book. I think you’ll like it. 

Related Posts:

Giveaway: Quench by Ashley English
Giveaway: Cooking With Flowers + Dandelion Jam Recipe
Cookbooks: Put ‘em Up Fruit + Giveaway

Links: Marmalade, Kimchi, and a Winner

Oh friends, what a nice holiday it’s been. I spent a week in Austin over Christmas, and then came home to a husband who was off from work until January 5. We’ve slept late, gone for some long, wandering city hikes, and did a little cleaning up and clearing out (six big bags went to Goodwill today!). Now it’s time to get my brain back into work and this blog. Let’s start with some links!

An explanation of the alcohol pectin test!
Spiced port pomegranate jelly.
Mandarin marmalade with lemon verbena and campari.
Cranberry tangerine ketchup!
Kimchi-style spicy pickles. Turnip kimchi.
Kimchi cream cheese dip!!!
Crispy maple and olive oil granola bars.
Almond butter brownies.

I also realized that I never managed to select a winner in the New West Knife Works giveaway I hosted a few weeks ago (so long ago!). Random.com declares it to be #201/Michelle.

Related Posts:

Links: Bourbon, Linzer Bars, and Winners
Links: Thumbprint Cookies, Hard Cider, and Winners
Links: Cranberries, Quick Breads, and Winners

January Sponsors: Cuppow, Fillmore Container, Spice Ratchet, New West Knife Works, and Fermentools!

It’s the beginning of the month (and the year, for that matter), which makes it time again to thank the companies that make it possible to

First up is jar accessory maker Cuppow! They are the creator 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.

Our friends at Fillmore Container are back this month as well. They’re a family-owned business based in Lancaster, PA and sells all manner of canning jars, lids, and other preservation gear.  Make sure to check out all the fun programming they’ve lined up for their booth in the Pennsylvania Farm Show next week.

Next up is Spice Ratchet. They make the blossom trivet that I use as a canning rack, and just recently, they released a line of silicone Blossom uCaps for mason jars. They are available as a storage cap, a sipping cap, and a flower frog.

I’m happy to welcome the nice folks at New West KnifeWorks back again! Based in Wyoming, they are makers of gorgeous, sturdy, crafted in the US kitchen knives that are a joy to use.

Last up is Fermentools. They make a brilliant fermentation starter kit that involves a heavy-duty glass pickling weight, an airlock, a lid with a reusable rubber seal, and mineral-rich salt. The pickles I made using their kit turned out deliciously!

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.

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Hopes and Goals for Food in Jars in 2015

Canning Demos with Fillmore Container at the Pennsylvania Farm Show

Happy New Year! I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday season! I spent a week in Austin with my family and came back with a cold (darn pre-schoolers!) and so have been slow to get back into the blogging game. I’ve got a post in the works with some of my hopes for this fresh, new year, but while I gather my thoughts, I wanted to drop in with a quick reminder.

The Pennsylvania Farm Show kicks off next week and I’ll be there offering canning demos on Saturday and Sunday, January 10 and 11! Fillmore Container is hosting a demo station at their booth (like they did last year), and they’ll be having a variety of demonstrations and tutorials throughout the show (don’t miss Amanda from Phickle on Monday and Tuesday).

My schedule is as follows:

Saturday, January 10

10:30 am: Pear Cranberry Chutney at the Fillmore Container booth
1:30 pm: Dilled Carrot Spears at the Fillmore Container booth
4:30 pm: Pear Chocolate Jam at the Fillmore Container booth

Sunday, January 11

10 am: Strawberry Meyer Lemon Marmalade at the Family Living Stage
1 pm: Dilled Carrot Spears at the Fillmore Container booth
4 pm: Pear Chocolate Jam at the Fillmore Container booth

You can find the complete schedule of presenters over at the Fillmore Container blog. And, of course, I’ll have books available for sale and signature throughout the weekend.

Related Posts:

Pictures from the Pennsylvania Farm Show
A Pomona’s Pectin and Fillmore Container Giveaway
Tomorrow (Friday, August 8) in Lancaster County

Stocking Stuffers for Canners and Jar Lovers

I realize that it’s getting down to the wire for these gift guides, but I’ve been meaning to pull together a list of jar toppers, accessories, cozies, and other pieces of jar related gear and this seems like an opportune time to do it. Of course you can order these online (and links are provided), but if you need these by December 25, check out your local co-op markets and kitchen stores.

Lids, Adaptors, and Drink Toppers

Cuppow & BNTO – One of the first makers of mason jar add-ons, they make the classic Cuppow drink lid and the BNTO jar adaptor. Simple and useful.
EcoJarz – They make stainless steel and silicone drink toppers, as well as a lid with a larger hold that can be sealed with a silicone pop-top.
iLids – They make drink lids and storage lids. Their drink lids are a single piece that screw on to the jars, which is a departure from the Cuppow and EcoJarz designs.
Tulid – These leakproof lids have an internal silicone seal that can be removed for cleaning. If you have someone in your life who often takes leftovers to work in pint jars, these lids would significantly improve their quality of life.
Blossom uCaps – These one-piece silicone lids snap onto regular and wide mouth jars. They come three flavors: a flower frog, a sipping cap, and a storage lid.
reCAP – They make leakproof pour lids (so good for stuff like maple syrup and teriyaki sauce), as well as a spray bottle lid and a pump dispenser that fit mason jars. They’ll also be bringing their Flip Cap to market sometime next year.
Nuby Silicone Sippy Cup – Transform regular mouth jars into sippy cups. I gave one of these to my sister and she uses it all the time for my nephew.
Mason Tap – This lid attaches to a regular mouth jar with a conventional lid and allows you to dispense syrups, sesame seeds, and other messy or drippy things.
– They make flat plastic lids for straws and jar cuffs made from either leather or vinyl.
Classic Flower Frog – I picked one of these up at a junk store many years ago, but you can get reproductions easily enough.
Sprouting Lid – Make your own sprouts in a wide mouth mason!

Appliances and Tools

Progressive International – They have a Mason Jar series of tools that are packaged on shatterproof jars, but will also fit wide mouth canning jars. There’s a dressing emulsifier, a nut chopper, and a citrus juicer.
EcoJarz – In addition to their line of drink toppers, EcoJarz also makes a bunch of tools that fit in or onto a jar. They’ve got a grater/slicer pair, a shaker whisk ball, and the DOSE pour over coffee system.
Mason Shaker – Turn your regular mouth mason into a cocktail shaker.
Mason Jar Coffee Grinder – If you’re seriously coffee dependent, it’s not the quickest road to coffee, but the form factor is highly appealing.
Kraut Source – They’re still working to fulfill their Kickstarter incentives, but you can enter your email address on their website to get an email when this mason jar fermentation press will be available for general purchase.
Pour Mason – A pour over funnel that fits onto wide mouth mason jars.
Fermentools – Fermenting air locks and glass weights designed to fit wide mouth masons.
Ball Canning Spice Shakers – Ball has started making a bunch of jar add-ons in recent years, but for my money, these spice shakers are some of the most useful.

Cozies

Koverz – Neoprene sleeves for 12 and 24 ounce jars. Keep your iced coffee cool!
Holdster – Slick leather sleeves for wide mouth pints. Perfect for the hipster coffee lover in your life.
Eco Sleeve Silicone Sleeve – These were originally designed to work with disposable drink cups, but fit mason jars nicely. They’ve been discontinued, but The Pint & a Half shop has all the remaining inventory, if you like the form factor.
Mason-re Silicone Koozie – A molded silicone sleeve for the modern wide mouth pint jar (they don’t fit the older, squatter wide mouths). Right now, only the black sleeve is in stock, but I hear they’ll have more soon (with and without the embossed logo).
Jar-Z – Similar to beer/soda can koozies, but designed to fit mason jars.

Other Stuff

Taper hooks – Turn your regular mouth quarts into lanterns.
Chicken Waterer – An oldie, but a goodie.
Solar Powered Lights – The fit on top of your jars and help you light up the night.

Which one would you like to see in your stocking this year?

Related Posts:

Giveaway: Gift Card from The Pint and a Half
Regular Mouth Cuppow Review + Giveaway

Ginger Spice Delights from Holiday Cookies

I have not done a lot of baking for gift giving this season. The sum total of my holiday output has been the caramel popcorn I wrote about last week, a batch of this burnt sugar toffee, and these ginger spice cookies. I picked up two pounds of pecans yesterday that are destined for brittle, and then I’m declaring myself done.

Of course, I could always cost along on my stash of jams and chutneys for holiday giving without making a single additional thing, but it feels somehow more complete to offer a small sweet treat alongside a jar or two.

The popcorn, toffee, and brittle are all long time favorites, but these ginger cookies are a new addition to the holiday rotation. The recipe is from Holiday Cookies, a book that rounds up the top recipes from the last three decades of the Chicago Tribune’s annual cookie contest.

There are a number of sugar cookies, shortbreads, and chocolate confections, but this recipe for Ginger Spice Delights spoke to me most. They are made with oat flour, whole wheat flour, applesauce (preserves in action!), and a minimal amount of sugar. I do like a slightly virtuous cookie, particularly one that is spiced with plenty of ginger and orange zest.

I will say, they aren’t the most beautiful cookie, but they do go so nicely with a mug of tea (and if you need to sweeten them up, a dollop of jam would do the job nicely).

Print
Ginger Spice Delights from Holiday Cookies

Ingredients

Dough:
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
5 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons freshly grated orange zest
1/2 cup light or dark molasses
7 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ginger (I used freshly grated)
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

Sugar coating (I skipped this part):
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons freshly grated orange zest

Instructions

Heat oven to 375 degrees. For the dough, grind the oats in a food processor until it looks like fine powder, 1 to 2 minutes.
Beat the butter and ⅓ cup granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the brown sugar and orange zest, continuing to beat as you add the molasses, applesauce, egg yolk and vanilla. Mix the baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice, pepper and salt together in a bowl. Add to the dough. Beat on medium-high until well mixed.
Turn the mixer to medium; slowly add the ground oats. Then slowly add the whole wheat flour. The dough will be moderately sticky.
For the coating, pulse the sugar and orange zest in a food processor until well combined. Place in a shallow bowl.
Using a rounded teaspoon of dough per cookie, roll the dough into balls; roll each ball in the coating sugar. (If necessary, moisten your palms to help with rolling.) Place the balls about 1½ inches apart on parchment lined cookie sheets.
Bake in batches until the edges are set and tops are cracked but the centers are still soft and puffy, about 10 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets.

Notes

When I made these, I skipped the orange sugar coating. Instead, I portioned them out directly onto the cookie sheet and used damp hands to flatten them a little. That's because they didn't spread out as much as I wanted on their own.

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Giveaway: New West Knife Works Paring Knife

It used to be that when I traveled for the holidays, I would always take care to pack a sharp knife or two into my checked luggage. No matter where I was spending Christmas, I knew I’d end up doing some cooking and would inevitably be frustrated by their array of slicers and choppers.

Thankfully, I don’t have to chance my favorite knives to the whims of TSA anymore, because a few years back, I started a personal campaign to improve the situation in my parents’ and sister’s kitchens. That way, when I go to visit them, I don’t end up moved to tears by the state of their cutlery.

If you find yourself in similar straits when traveling to visit family, consider doing your part to improve the state of their knife drawer. If they’ve got good knives gone dull, a simple sharpener like this one will help save your sanity.

If their knives are just plain lousy, consider giving them one well-made knife. You’ll save your own sanity and take care of the gift list in a single swoop.

One such maker of beautiful, present-appropriate knives is New West Knife Works. Their blades are light, strong, and hold and edge. The Fusionwood handles are lovely to look at and to hold (do know that the factory that made their handles burnt down earlier this year, so if you like the looks of the Fusionwood, make sure to get one soon as inventory is low).

Because it’s the holiday season, I have one Fusionwood paring knife to give away to one of my readers. This is the last giveaway of 2014, and I’m so happy to be able to offer such a good one! Here’s how to enter.

Leave a comment on this post and tell me about your favorite holiday and/or end of year tradition. Do you make the same cookie each year? Do the latkes get cooked in the same pan? Is there a solstice ceremony you particularly love? Do you gather with the same people to watch football on New Year’s Day?
Comments will close at 11:59 pm east coast time on Saturday, December 20, 2014. The winner will be chosen at random and will be posted to the blog by Sunday, December 21, 2014.
Giveaway is open to US residents only (sorry!).
One comment per person, please. Entries must be left on the blog, I cannot accept submissions via email.

Disclosure: New West Knife Works is the sponsor of this giveaway and they have provided two paring knives. One for me for photography purposes and another for the winner. Additionally, they are currently a Food in Jars sponsor. However, all opinions expressed in this post remain entirely mine. 

One last thing! The folks at New West Knife Works have a sister brand called MTN Man Toy Shop. If you are still looking for the perfect gift for the mountain man in your life, it’s worth a gander.

Related Posts:

Giveaway: ToGoJar Lid and Connector
Giveaway: Blossom Trivets from Spice Ratchet
Giveaway: The Preservationist Gift Set from MightyNest

Pickled Cranberries for Ball’s 25 Days of Making and Giving

I am a devoted to the belief that when it comes to holiday giving, a homemade gift (preferably edible), is best. I come by this attitude honestly, as my parents have a tradition of pairing my mother’s homemade jams with quart jars of my dad’s famous pancake mix to share with their friends, family, and neighbors.

I’ve been filling little flat rate boxes to send off some of my favorite far-flung people, and when my local family gathers on Saturday for our annual Hanukkah party, I’ll be carrying a sturdy crate full of jams and pickles so that everyone can pick their favorite.

This year, I’ve teamed up with Ball Canning to share a seasonal recipe as part of their 25 Days of Making and Giving campaign. All across the internet, bloggers have been posting their favorite gift in a jar creation to help inspire your handmade holiday. For my part, I’ve decided to share an updated and improved version of my pickled cranberries.

I initially wrote a recipe for pickled cranberries back in the days when I was writing about pickles for Serious Eats. However, I’ve found that the yield wasn’t perfectly consistent and readers sometimes struggled to find some of the ingredients I called for. This new and improved version makes exactly 4 pints of preserves (which you can either can in pint jars, or spread across half pints, for an increased gifting yield) and uses things you should be able to get at the grocery store or local spice shop.

The finished pickle is a lovely thing to serve alongside roast meat or with a cheese plate, and if you’re going to pack it up in a box to ship across country, I highly suggest that you include a note telling the recipient to stir the liquid into sparkling water or a gin and tonic.

Win Canning Supplies during Ball Canning’s 25 Days of Making and Giving

This recipe is part of Ball Canning’s 25 Days of Making and Giving—each day throughout December, Ball will be sharing a new gift-in-a-jar recipe or tutorial designed for holiday giving Make sure to check back each day throughout the month for a new, fun way to handcraft your holiday gifts. You can also follow Ball Canning on Facebook or Pinterest to stay on top of the daily posts!

During the 25 Days of Making and Giving, Ball is giving away daily prizes to those who enter on the contest website (you can enter every day)! Each daily entry is also included in the grand prize drawing for a FreshTech Automatic Canning System.

Disclosure: This post was written in partnership with Ball Canning. However, all the thoughts and opinions expressed here are entirely mine.

Print
Pickled Cranberries

Yield: makes 4 pints

Ingredients

3 12-ounce bags of cranberries
3 cups apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup filtered water
2 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
1 inch segment of fresh ginger, sliced
1 teaspoon allspice berries
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns

Instructions

Prepare a boiling water bath canner and four pint jars and new lids.
Wash cranberries and pick over for any stems or bad berries.
Combine vinegar, water, and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add cinnamon sticks to the brine.
Place fresh ginger, allspice berries, whole cloves, and black peppercorns in a spice bag or tie them up in a length of cheesecloth. Add them to the brine.
Once brine is boiling vigorously, add the cranberries. Stir to combine and cook for 5-7 minutes, until the cranberries begin to pop and the brine has returned to a rolling boil.
When cooking time has elapsed, remove pot from heat. Pull out the spice bag and cinnamon sticks. Break cinnamon sticks in half and set aside.
Using a slotted spoon, ladle cranberries into prepared jars. Cover berries with brine, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Place a cinnamon stick segment into each jar.
Wipe jar rims, apply lids and rings and process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes.
When time is up, remove jars from canner and place them on a folded kitchen towel to cool. When jars are cool enough to handle, remove rings and check seals. Any unsealed jars should be kept in the refrigerator.
Let jars sit for at least 24 hours before eating to all the flavors to settle.
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Homemade Cranberry Jelly and Pickled Cranberries
Preserves in Action: Pickled Cranberries

Links: Bourbon, Linzer Bars, and Winners

Every Sunday night, I sit down to write up these links and marvel at the fact that a whole week has passed. The pace at which time passes leaves me absolutely dizzy. This weekend flew by in a whirl of grocery shopping, holiday errands, and Ikea trips (my mother-in-law moved to an apartment just 15 minutes away from us last week and as it goes with any move, she needed things to make the new space work for her). It was close to 8 pm when we returned home from assembling her new furniture. Never in my life have I been more grateful for take-out burritos. Now, links!

Bourbon, infused with apples and cinnamon.
Hazelnut orgeat. Onion-free fire cider.
Apple pie filling with bourbon and vanilla.
Mulled wine for sharing.
Apricot ginger shortbread.
Citrus olive oil cake, with beautiful pictures.
Pear cranberry jam from Preserving Now.
Linzer bars (they use all the jam of a linzer cookie, but without all the fussy work).
Four alluring tomato soups, in one handy location.
Three quick kitchen projects that make lovely gifts.

The winners in last week’s ToGoJars giveaway are:

#22/Holly H.
#85/Amy
#95/Brenda Miller

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Links: Thumbprint Cookies, Hard Cider, and Winners
Links: Cranberries, Quick Breads, and Winners
Links: Quick Pickles, Savory Pies, and Winners