Expanding My Canning Skills

I have been a huge blog reader for years and years. I love blogs....cooking/baking blogs, craft blogs, knitting/sewing blogs, tech blogs, ed reform blogs and list goes on. My Feedly subscription list is long and can take an extended period of time to read. One of my favorite blogs is Food in Jars which is based in Philadelphia. On my recent trip to Philly to visit the Doctors, I was able to watch a canning demonstration by the writer of this blog, Marisa McClellan. She was making apricot jam at a Williams Sonoma store as well as selling her canning book, Food in Jars: Preserving in Small Batches Year Round. 

Needless to say, I purchased the book and it motivated me to try some new canning recipes along with my usual recipes.

 Such a pleasing sight to behold. Love it! Check out her blog and her book. Maybe it'll inspire you to do some canning.


Enjoy...

Snapshot of Summer

Summer arrived finally after a very unusual cool spring and yet it is coming to a quick end. Besides surviving a unusual wet summer, my time off has included traveling,

visiting with family and friends to celebrate a residency graduation (so proud of Kelli), an engagement (love it!) and a birthday,

 assisting on a Habitat House,

enjoying the food and music at the Festival of Discovery (BBQ festival),

 canning and freezing,

and of course trying many new recipes.Here are a couple of winners we have tried this summer.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
Barbequed Shrimp
2 lbs shrimp, cleaned
1 cup oil
1/4 cup chili sauce
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons lemon juice

 Mix the ingredients except the shrimp, Marinate the shrimp in the mixture for one hour at room temperature. Spear shrimp on skewers and grill 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

 Balsamic Glazed Chicken (adapted from Grill It)

1 whole chicken
1/2 cup honey
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper

1.Mix together the honey and vinegar and set aside.

2.Cut chicken into halves and generously salt and pepper the chicken on both sides.

3.On the hot side of the grill, sear the chicken skin side down for 5 to 1o minutes being careful not to burn the skin.

4.Flip the chicken and brush with the honey mixture and move to cooler side of the  grill. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Continue to flip the chicken, baste with the honey mixture, cover and cook for 10 minutes repeatedly until chicken is done.

Enjoy...

Crispy Fall Morning

 There's a crisp bite in the air as fall begins to makes its presence known.

And on a crispy fall morning, I love biting into a warm buttery piece of toast slathered in Caramel Pear Butter. Yum, Yum!

Caramel Pear Butter (adapted from Isn't Everything in the Kitchen Trial and Error)

3 tablespoons apple juice

4 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided

5 pounds pears, peeled, cored and cut into chunks

1 ¼ cup brown sugar

¾ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1. Combine apple juice and 3 tablespoons lemon juice in a large pot. Add pears  and toss to keep pears from turning brown.

2.Cook over medium heat until pears start to boil, about 15 minutes. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook about 20 minutes or until pears are tender. Stir every 5 minutes making pears do not scorch.

3.With a potato masher, mash pears leaving some chunks of pear.

4.Add remaining lemon juice and remaining ingredients. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and stir to ensure sugar has dissolved. Reduce heat to low and simmer until thickened about an hour. Ladle into prepared jars, rings and lids. 

 

Enjoy...

 

Jammin' Good Time

We be jammin' in this kitchen.

Blueberry Lime Jam (from Food.com)

4 ½ cups blueberries

1 pkg dry pectin

5 cups sugar

1/3 cup lime juice

1. In a pan crush blueberries one layer at a time.

2. Add pectin and stir.

3. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.

4. Add sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

5. Stir in lime juice.

6. Return to a rolling boil and boil for one minute. Stir constantly.

7. Ladle into hot jars, add rings and seals.

8. Process 15 minutes in hot water bath.

Peach Raspberry Jam (from Taste of Home Canning and Preserves Magazine)

2 2/3 cups crushed peaches

1 1/2 cups crushed raspberries

3 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon bottled lemon juice

 

1. In large pan, combine all ingredients. 

2. Cook over low heat until sugar dissolves and mixture is bubbly, about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.

3. Bring to a rolling boil. Boil for 15 minutes, stirring constantly.

4. Remove from the heat, skim off foam and ladle into jars. Add rings and seals.

5. Process 15 minutes in hot water bath.

Enjoy...