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...

Heat in the Kitchen

On one of the hottest days of the year (been in the triple digits for 2 days), I decide to heat up the kitchen. I have never made jelly before and tried it earlier this week with some blackberries and apples. Turned out beautifully. Some leftover blackberries were crying out to be made into some more jelly this afternoon.

The recipe called for apple juice from fresh apples. I didn't have any more apples so after researching using bottled juice, I gave it a try. The end result was wonderful. 

Blackberry Apple Jelly (adapted from Taste of Home Canning magazine)
2 1/2 quarts blackberries
1 1/4 cup water
Bottled apple juice
1/4 cup bottled lemon juice
8 cups sugar
2 pouches liquid pectin


1.In large pot, bring blackberries and water to a boil. Reduce and simmer for 5 minutes. Line strainer with four layers of cheesecloth and place over a bowl. Place berry mixture in strainer and let it drain for 30 minutes. Discard the pulp.
2. Measure the blackberry juice and add enough apple juice to equal 4 cups.
3. Return juice to pot and add lemon juice and sugar. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Stir in pectin and return to full rolling boil. Boil for one minute, stirring constantly.
4. Remove from heat, skim off foam and carefully ladle into hot sterilized jars leaving 1/4 headspace. Wipe rims and adjust lids. Process for 5 minutes in a water bath.


And then for supper I decide to fry some corn fritters. What was I thinking? Apparently, the heat has damaged my thinking. 


Enjoy...