A Life in Food by real-life Chef Cheryl Bennett
Strawberry key lime jam is a citrusy twist on the classic. Key limes add a bit more floral flavor and are slightly less acidic than regular grocery store limes. For another unique and delicious jam recipe, try this easy loquat jam.
Strawberries and limes are good together, just try this strawberry limeade for a refreshing summer sip.
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…Figs are in season from late summer through early fall, so if you happen upon them at the farmer’s market or the grocery store, get them while you can. This fig jam with vanilla is a delicious way to preserve fresh figs before they disappear. For another easy fig recipe, check out my puff pastry fig tarts.
This jam can also be used as a base for other add-ins – caramelized red onions or bacon for example to make it savory as well.
Fig jam makes a terrific topping for crostini with a little fresh goat cheese or blue cheese crumbled on top for a quick appetizer or afternoon snack.
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…Peach pepper jam combines the sweetness of summer peaches with a bit of spiciness from hot peppers.
There are so many uses for this delicious peach pepper jam, including a Bacon Goat Cheese Burger.
This jam is super versatile. Slather it on chicken for a sweet & spicy dinner, top a block of cream cheese for a fast appetizer or snack, use it as a spread to give your sandwich a little kick.
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…Black and Blueberry Freezer Jam is quick, easy and delicious. It is a great recipe for those new to canning, as it doesn’t require much fussing about. For a quick tutorial on traditional jam, check out my strawberry key lime jam recipe.
I like the simplicity of freezer jam because you still get all the flavor of summer fruit, but it is quicker and easier than sealing everything in a water bath.
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…Learn how to make loquat jam with this simple and delicious recipe. Whether you are an experienced jam maker, or just learning to make jam, this recipe will be one you come back to again and again. Flavored with vanilla and bourbon, this jam is out of this world amazing. For basic loquat jam, check out my easy loquat jam recipe.
Perfect on anything from toast or biscuits to glazing a piece of chicken, this small batch loquat jam also makes a phenomenal pb & j.
…Cherry Chutney is a fantastic summer condiment. It is one of my favorite fresh cherry recipes. If you are unfamiliar with chutney, let me give you a quick description. It’s like a relish, it has sweet and sour ingredients, usually coming from sugar or fruits and vinegar. It is a blend of sweet and savory.
Chutney is a great condiment to use with grilled meat or vegetables and this cherry chutney went splendidly with a grilled flank steak.
During warm summer months, when stone fruit is at its peak, I make big batches of this chutney to put up for winter months when I need a bit of summer.
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Pickled banana peppers are quick and easy, plus they are a tasty addition to sandwiches, pizza or just as a snack. Another quick and easy pickle is my curtido recipe.
My banana pepper plants have been rather prolific and for this I am grateful. As most of you who are regular visitors to this little space already know, I went a little overboard in planting. I have a tendency to overdo things and this was no exception.
Spending so many years living in an apartment with zero outdoor space, I may have gone a little crazy when I realized that I could grow some of my own food. This had been a goal of mine for a very long time (growing food, not going crazy… that ship has sailed).
I am fascinated by the entire process of planting a seed, taking care of it and watching it grow into something that will actually feed you.
The very first time I had a banana pepper was on a pizza, my Freshman year in college. A small group of us had descended on the pizza place next to campus. We were there under the pretense of “studying” I’m sure.
There were pool tables, dart boards (which I became quite skillful at playing), air hockey tables; all the things one thinks of when looking for an appropriate place to “study”.
Anyhow, there we were and one of the guys went to order our pizza and when the waitress came to the table and set it down in front of us, I noticed that it had peppers on it. Not wanting to draw any attention to myself, I dug right in but in my head was this little voice shouting “are you nuts?!”.
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Bread and butter pickles are a great gateway into canning your own pickles. It is an easy, straight-forward recipe that is perfect for beginners. Another simple recipe is my pickle vegetable, or curtido, recipe.
In the Midwest, and certainly other parts of the country, the end of summer marks canning season at it’s height. This is when the air smells of ripe tomatoes being “put up”, jars of preserves and jams lining the kitchen counter like a glass army of winter provisions… cabinets and cellars receive the summer’s bounty before colder temperatures bring the first frost.
Canning may be a lost art form in other parts of the country, but if you’re near an agricultural area you are very familiar with the process.
My step-dad & I used to do this as a two man operation… It was a bit of an elaborate set-up. There were two stoves working simultaneously, I was at one cooking the fruit and he was at the other sterilizing jars.
We’d meet at the halfway point for the hand off:
He’d sterilize the jars, bring them to me piping hot, I’d fill them and put the lids on then take them back out to him to process and seal. We ran our operation like a well-oiled machine (he IS German, so there’s really no other acceptable way).
Bread and butter pickles have always been my favorite. They are sweet and yet have a little bite from the vinegar and they remind me of my Grandfather, they were his favorite too. I sometimes feel obligated to “Chef” it up a bit, but at the end of the day I’m just a girl from Ohio and the simple, familiar things are what I crave.
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