You know those big jars of vegetables you see in Italian markets and gourmet stores? With the onions, carrots, peppers and other gifts of the gardens tightly packed and neatly layered? That pretty relish they call Giardiniera, or verdura sotto aceti? So simple, mixed pickled vegetables packed into jars -- how hard can that be? Far harder than one might imagine. So … [Read more...]
RASPBERRY PEAR JAM
Pears and raspberries play nicely in this hot-buttered-toast-ready jam. The sweet fruity flavor is reminiscent of Hawaiian Punch in the best possible sense. Don't have a moment's worry about using frozen raspberries. Whether fresh or frozen, all raspberries subjected to this jam-making treatment turn out exactly the same: delicious! These blue jars (click to buy) are … [Read more...]
TANGO PEACH JAM
Ah the power of marketing. Over at Balsam Farms, snuggled up next to the deliciously sweet flying saucer-shaped donut peaches were these little lookalikes, tagged TangO peaches. The only discernible difference was the golden skin of the TangOs, which actually made them a mite less appealing than the flushed pink and orange fuzzed donut peaches. What's the difference … [Read more...]
Beach Plum Jelly – Reduced Sugar Recipe
It's been a banner year for wild beach plums. We returned to Maidstone Beach up in Springs where the pickin' was easy, more so than ever. In this case foraging seems too austere a word to call harvesting nature's wild bounty. The bushes were laden with plump plums. Clear sky, gentle breeze, boats on the bay, perfect. We gathered twice the amount of beach plums in half the time … [Read more...]
BLACKBERRY GRAPEFRUIT JAM
Spectacularly Delicious. Not the blog -- I'm talking about this Blackberry Grapefruit Jam. From out of the blue this recipe takes its place in the highest tier of favorite jam combos. Its winning characteristics: A juicy, ripe fruit flavor with the berries and grapefruit working in harmony. Both are tamed somewhat, with half of the blackberry mash getting sieved for seeds … [Read more...]
SOUR CHERRY JAM
Fresh sour cherries are a rarity here on Long Island as well as back in the city. I imagine they can be found at certain times, in certain markets, but I've never come across them. Being more fragile and having a shorter shelf life than the popular grocery store varieties, sour cherries can't travel far from home without first being canned or frozen. Delicacy … [Read more...]
RED CURRANT JELLY
How often have you seen red currant jelly specified in a recipe? I've seen red currant jelly called for literally countless times over the years, most often (but not only) as a glaze for fruit tarts. For these my go-to red currant jelly stand-ins are my beach plum and pomegranate jellies, which have been better than adequate, thank you. And yet... Wouldn't it be nice to … [Read more...]
JOSTABERRY JAM
What's a Jostaberry? I didn't know either. The Balsam Farms guy said it was like a gooseberry, which was information enough for me to make this sweet-tart Jostaberry Jam recipe. My extensive research (the first Wiki page that popped up) revealed the Jostaberry is another modern miracle of German genetic sciences. - The Jostaberry is a hybrid of black currant, American … [Read more...]
CARA CARA PINEAPPLE MARMALADE
Cara Cara oranges take their name from their Venezuelan birthplace, Hacienda Cara Cara. These plump, seedless pink-on-the-inside oranges have a sweet tang and a heady fragrance uncannily reminiscent of a grade school cafeteria. A winter-only citrus treat, jam makers would are wise to lay in a store of Cara Cara marmalade now. Why pineapple you ask? This tropical mash-up … [Read more...]
PINK GRAPEFRUIT CAMPARI MARMALADE
Just in time for Valentine's Day, this rich Pink Grapefruit Campari Marmalade is the very color of modern love. A passionate pink shaded with vibrant orange, its declared sweetness nearly - but not quite - conceals traces of bitterness. This chunky grapefruit marmalade has a one-of-a-kind flavor as remarkable as your own true love. The sweet-bitter balance of Campari, … [Read more...]