A Life in Food
Loquat jam is sweet and tart, slightly floral and absolutely delicious. Loquats are more commonly referred to as “Japanese plum” and they are high in pectin, which makes them ideal for jams.
Three months after I moved to Florida, I went to visit my aunt and uncle who live here part of the year. My Aunt Ramona made loquat jam and asked if I would like to try it. Of course I replied with a resounding “YES”, as I am never one to refuse food.
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I met Rebecca Lindamood a few years ago at a food blog conference in Orlando. One day, we were talking about trading goods with each other (local food for local food). A few weeks later, much to my delight, a quart of Grape Pie Filling (p.31) shows up on my doorstep. I had never tasted grape pie filling before, so I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. I was in for gastronomic bliss of epic proportions. If you pay attention to things I swoon about, you know THIS is at the top of my list. Think of the juiciest, “grapiest”, most luscious grape you’ve ever had. Now multiply that by 10. That’s Rebecca’s grape pie filling.
When there was talk of this book happening, I was beyond thrilled for my friend. Her food is amazing and creative. It is beautiful and yet, practical. As a former cook and Mom of 5 boys, she knows a thing or two about feeding people. I couldn’t wait to get this book and review it because I knew it was going to be one of my “go-to” guides for canning. I’ve made chutneys and jams, pie fillings and pickles, chow chow and pickled beans… and then they sit there. Sometimes I get around to actually using them and sometimes, I give it all away because I can only eat so much of it. Here’s where Rebecca saves the day: there is a corresponding recipe for all of the things you’ve just canned!!! I can’t even begin to explain my excitement about that!
After all, a beautiful jar of something sitting on the shelf doesn’t do anyone any good unless you know how to use it! -Rebecca Lindamood
If you or someone you know enjoys canning, get this book! There is something for everyone. It would make a great present for any occasion. Or just because it’s Tuesday. I can’t recommend it enough. It’s written in a way that makes it accessible for beginners and at the same time, appeals to experienced canners as well. The recipes are unique and so varied! Everything from the aforementioned grape pie filling to cardamom extract. Make the cherries in red wine syrup this weekend (while you can still get this little ruby fruit) and enjoy the fruits (see what I did there ;)) of your labor in the fall or winter when you use those cherries to make Filet Mignon with Red Cherry Wine Sauce! Make a batch of Ginger Peach Butter now, enjoy Peaches and Cream Baked Oatmeal later! The entire book is like this!!! Can you tell how much I love that? It’s brilliant!
My dream pantry is lined top to bottom with beautiful jars containing their jewel colored treasures. This book has me on my way to achieving that dream. Thank you Rebecca, for reintroducing me to my love of canning.
Here is an affiliate link to Amazon to make getting your book even easier!
Happy Canning!
I’m on a serious cherry kick lately. I can’t get enough of them… We have gone through almost 10 pounds in the last month because they always seem to find their way into my cart. You know, just in case I need more. I’ve been putting them in everything from cakes to oatmeal and this week, I decided to go a savory route. 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. It’s a great condiment to use with grilled meats or vegetables and this chutney went splendidly with a grilled flank steak.
This chutney was paired with grilled meat, but it can also be a great addition to a cheese board or a charcuterie platter or even as a tasty spread on a hearty sandwich.
Cherry season is nearly over, so don’t wait too long to grab a couple of pounds. I’ll be making another big batch before the summer is over to put up on the shelves so I can enjoy them long after they disappear from the stores.
I have been waiting for this supposed “cauliflower shortage” to work itself out because I have been craving these pickled vegetables and I was not about to pay $7 for a head of cauliflower… Call me crazy.
I had completely resigned myself to the idea that I was not going to fulfill my craving anytime soon because the price of cauliflower was not budging and i just could not bring myself to pay three times the normal price. However, that little (ever-present, annoying, extremely loud) nagging voice in the back of brain said “Hey, let’s just walk over there and check”. Gah, I hate when she’s right… well, maybe just this once it’s okay.
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I was spending my birthday weekend in the Clearwater area and it just so happened to coincide with the Strawberry Festival in Plant City. I was ecstatic because I happen to know that A LOT of strawberries come out of that area and are shipped all over the east coast.
When I was still cheffing (yes, that’s now a verb) in NYC, all of the strawberry flats were from Plant City so I knew there were good berries to be had. Slathered in sunscreen for a day of walking around in the blistering sunshine, we got in the car and drove an hour to have our fill of strawberry everything… or so we thought.
Perhaps it was my own fault, I envisioned strawberry pies, strawberry jams & jellies, strawberry malts, strawberry pastries, strawberries in every way imaginable and I was practically frothing at the mouth in anticipation. I was looking forward to the creativity of locals, presenting strawberries in ways I had never thought of, I was so ready to have my mind and taste buds blown! One would assume if it’s a “Strawberry Festival”, that’s exactly what you’d find, no? The short answer: no.
There were 2 places to get strawberry shortcake, each with a line at least 100 deep and a handful of other booths were strawberry items could be purchased. It was quite a let down, but there is a BIG silver lining!
Local farms were set up in tents, like a farmer’s market, along the streets leading into the festival. I scored an entire flat (that’s about 12 pounds) of the most gorgeous, bright ruby red strawberries you’ve ever laid your eyes on for… wait for it…. seven dollars! Seven. Dollars. I was over the moon! I happily lugged that box all the way back to the car. I also had a glazed doughnut roughly the size of a baby’s head fresh from the oil, so it wasn’t a total loss 😉
Would I go to that festival again? Probably not. Would I drive the hour to buy 12 pounds of perfect strawberries for $7.00? You bet.
Recently I found myself with about 7 pounds of pears that were ripening faster than I could consume them. Normally, this would never happen as pears are one of my favorites and generally don’t last long enough to even get mushy, yet here we are.
There were ideas swirling around in my head as to what I could do with them, but none of them really thrilled me so I put out a call on the Facebook page for ideas. Sometimes you just need to get out of your own head, you know? Get some fresh ideas and perhaps learn a thing or two… As usual, my friends came through. I had a dozen great ideas in under 5 minutes. It pays off to have “foodies” for friends! Then, my “wish-she-were-really-my-sister” came through with “you could use this as a filling for sweet rolls”. Well, that girl knows just how to get to me. From that point on, it was all I could think about.
I rushed to make it, take photos and write the recipe; then life got in the way and it took me two weeks to write it up. So much for planning… I am still swooning over the idea of this being used as a filling for sweet rolls. (That Jenni is a bit of an evil genius)
Now that I had decided on the fate of the pears, it was time to get everything set up for canning. Let me preface this by saying it is not imperative to can the pear butter. Feel free to store it in the refrigerator if you are certain it will be consumed within a week or two. I happen to get giddy over that “ping” of the lids sealing and thus am drawn to canning like a moth to a flame. It adds 15 minutes to the process and I can leave them in the cupboard or give them to friends as gifts, well worth an extra fifteen minutes if you ask me and your friends will be impressed with your kitchen prowess… they needn’t know it wasn’t all that difficult.
It’s bacoooon! Who doesn’t love bacon?! (besides vegetarians and even some of them come to the dark side for the love of the slab)
My Mom had come across a recipe for bacon jam and being the good Midwestern woman she is, promptly got my Dad to make it. When she called raving about how delicious it was, I knew it had to be shared.
I will forewarn you that while the bacon jam is simmering away in the crock pot you may want to focus your energy elsewhere. The smell is incredible and the hours waiting for it to be done feel like years.
This is something that would make a great gift sealed in pretty glass jars or a topping for crostini for a holiday party. I took my Mom’s lead on how I chose to enjoy my bacon jam…
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