Links: Plums, Tomatoes, Apples, and a Winner

Oops. I didn’t mean to drop out of sight last week, but I got home from Canada on Monday afternoon and just couldn’t find my way back to the blog. It happens sometimes.

That trip to Toronto though, it was pretty darn terrific. I met so many of my long-time internet canning friends, including Christine from Manning Canning (check out her just-launched commercial kitchen Kickstarter!), Sarah B. Hood (author of We Sure Can!), and Joel and Dana from Well Preserved. The Kitchen Party at the Harbourfront Centre was incredibly fun and I loved meeting all the dedicated food preservers who came out for it.

I also enjoyed getting to explore a little bit of Toronto and seeing the roof garden and bee hives at the Fairmont Royal York (as a Kitchen Party sponsor, they put me up in a gloriously comfy room).

This week, things will start to return to normal around these parts. Let’s get that started off with links!

Recently, Sean Timberlake (founder of Punk Domestics) took over the Food Preservation page at About.com. He’s been writing all sorts of useful things and I found his recent piece on how to safely pack oven dried tomatoes in oil really useful. He also recently addressed a question I’ve been getting a lot recently, about whether it’s safe to thicken preserved jams with chia. The short answer? No.
If you’ve ever considered making your own lacto-fermented hot sauce, look no further than this most excellent tutorial from Alana at Eating From the Ground Up.
Looking to make the crunchiest pickle possible? Caitlin (The Babbling Botanist) preserved pickles in five different ways, trying to scientifically determine which method would preserve the most snap and texture.
In another head to head showdown, Eileen pits tomato sauce made with a Victorio strainer again a batch made with an immersion blender.
Check out the gorgeousness that is Kaela’s Nectarine Plum Butter. It’s the end of the season for both fruits, but I bet you could get your hands on some if you tried.
Starting to preserve apples? If so, make sure to save the scraps and follow Kate’s advice on how to turn those odds and ends into vinegar.
Roasted heirloom tomato sauce. Safe for canning and delicious.
Raspberry plum jam. It’s the end of the season for both, so get on it!
Smokey tomato jam make with oven roasted tomatoes. Yes.
If you’re in need of a vehicle for cheese and jam, try these olive oil crackers from Meg at the Joy of Cooking blog.

When I fell off the grid last week, I failed to post the winner of the Roma Deluxe Electric Tomato Strainer Giveaway, sponsored by Blue Kitchen Canning. Oops. Now, without any further ado, the winner is #539/Rebekah Jones.

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