I love berries of all kinds, and am lucky to live where lots of them grow. Recently I bought some freshly picked blueberries at a farm stand: they were delicious! Some went into muffins, some on cereal, some were just eaten as a snack.
You don’t have to make huge batches of jams or pickles. Take this example: in a small batch, Strawberry-Vanilla Butter uses only 1½ quarts of berries, and yields 3 half-pint jars (plus a bit extra for toast or snacking.) You may double the recipe,
Let me just say this: I miss New England, especially the chowder! Local prices for ocean fish are sky-high: only to be expected in Michigan, but a problem for a frugal cook. Bottled clam juice just doesn’t have the flavor of a great fish-based stock.
If you cook for vegetarians, you will need vegetable stock on hand: so many dishes are improved by substituting stock for water. It’s hard to find the good stuff at the grocery store, so make your own at home.
So you’ve decided to host your own tomato crush, hm? It’s a good idea to tackle a big project with many hands; you’ll get the job done and have fun along the way. This post is meant to pass on tips and tricks for holding a fabulous group canning day of your own.
Canning tomato sauce: it’s my end of summer ritual. I’ll do anything to prolong tomato season! Fortunately, I have a lot of friends who agree with me, and we get together each year for a Big Tomato Crush work party –
This smooth pear preserve with a tang of ginger is excellent with toast or scones, would be perfect with gingerbread, and delightful with shards of chocolate in an autumn crostata. The only word that properly describes it is a ‘butter’
This peach butter with subtle notes of oolong tea is excellent with toast or scones. I wanted to capture the taste of peach-oolong jelly with a thicker texture. This one’s a winner! The only word that properly describes it is a ‘butter’
I first learned it by reading Theresa Loe’s blog at livinghomegrown.com: the Jarden Company, who make lids for Ball canning jars, advise new procedures for using canning lids.
It has to do with the red gasket on the inside of the lid.
Making jam doesn’t have to take over your kitchen and fill the day. Using 1.5 lb fruit, put up a quick few jars. Start to finish, this takes less than an hour.
Here’s how to make a small batch when you’re pressed for time or just want less.