Cake and Commerce

November Pear Preserving Challenge: The recap

While most people in the Northeast have put away their boiling water canners, a few indefatigable preserving mavens burned the late October oil to participate in this month's preserving challenge: Pears.

Here's a roundup of the participants this month:

From Annabelle of Calamity Shazaam in the Kitchen:

  

Pear Confit made with Cava

And Hungry Bruno submitted this lovely and inspired pear, port and thyme conserve:

  

Pat from the aptly named Kitchen Jam made a wonderful Pear and Honey Preserve

Tania from the Musing Bouche answered the call with her delicious Pear Butter. I can almost smell the aroma of sweet pears:

 

Because our numbers have dropped so dramatically from last challenge to this one, we'll suspend our Can-o-rama challenges until strawberries come back into season in the spring. I know that's a long way away, but trust me...once we get going again, we will have weekly challenges and fruit comes in and goes out of season.

In the meantime, enjoy your marmalades, your chutneys and all your tropical fruit preserves!

See you in the spring!

xoxo linsey

Can-o-rama the Next! RSVP to join our preserves exchange and demo November 15th

And now...announcing...our next celebration of the art of preserving!

We have the place. We have the time. Now we need YOU!

What: Can-o-rama Preserves Exchange and Holiday Recipe Demo
Who: You, canner, preserver, enthusiast
When: Sunday, November 15th
Time: 1-5 pm
Location: A beautiful apartment overlooking Chinatown, on Hudson St - address will be confirmed once you confirm! 5 minute walk from South Station, 5 minute walk from Chinatown Orange Line. Free parking on street and nearby lots (expensive and crowded on Sundays!)
What you bring: 6 jars of something* you preserved yourself for exchange, preferably 6 of the same thing. And an extra to sample.

*This may include liqueur, lactofermented foods, fruit leather, fruit jelly candies, jams, jelly, sauces,  marmalades, confits, mustard, pickles etc - the limit is your creativity. And, of course, tastiness is a factor!

Demos: Yvette The Queen of the Pantry will show us how to make some delicious holiday condiments (yay). Is there something you'd like to share? If so, email me and I'll add you to the list. I'm going to demo mustard. Anything goes as long as it is 1. in season and 2. festive!
Cost: $5 -suggested donation -  to defray cost of event (refreshments plus demo supplies). If you come on your own (and not in the company of  a preserver) and do not bring preserves, the suggested donation is $15 (and, sniff, you don't get to bring home any preserves). If you are bringing preserves and a non-preserving friend/spouse/partner etc, you both pay $5 each. So bring some preserves to exchange.

To RSVP: Send an email to cakeandcommerce AT gmail  with your name, your guest(s) if any, and what you would like to demo (if you so desire). Also - if you don't plan to be part of the exchange, let me know that too.

I'll collect your suggested donation at the door on November 15th.

Please feel free to forward this to anyone you think would like to attend.

Can't wait to see what you've been up to!

Also - if you would like to participate in this month's canning challenge, the recipe and instructions are here: http://www.cakeandcommerce.com/cake_and_commerce/2009/10/canoorama-challenge-2.html

Summer-in-a-bottle - Can-o-rama Challenge 1: Peach Jam!

Somewhere near Northampton, Massachusetts....

From tree...

To Wade's hand...

To home.

I weigh the peaches before I peel them and core them.

After the peaches have been pitted and skinned, I weigh them again and  half as much sugar is added. The ratio is 1 part sugar to 2 parts fruit.

The sugar and peach mixture is brought to a boil. A half teaspoon of citric acid - it helps prevent oxidation and adds acidity - is added.

The mixture is brought to a boil. Two apple peels are added for pectin. The scum - though pretty and tasty - is skimmed off.

The mixture is boiled. And boiled.

I check for sheeting. When it sheets - or 'flakes' - I know it is close to done. I like a slightly softer, less-set jam. I usually take it off the heat after the temperature reaches 218, not 220 (which is the set point for jam).

And then I add fresh verbena. I let it macerate for a few minutes, then I carefully squeeze the verbena leaves dry to extract as much flavor as I can from the leaves without getting leaves - which are tough - into the jam. At this point I also remove the apple peels.

 

While the jam is still piping hot - just below 220 degrees F, I ladle it into hot, sterile jars.

And then plunge the jars into boiling water for a 10 minute processing time.

The processing time begins when the water comes to a boil, not when the jar is placed in the water:

After 10 minutes, the jars are removed and placed on a tea towel to cool.

It is a chunky, sweet, not all-too-thick jam. I like jam that spreads easily. The added pectin from the peels don't create the 'hard' mouthfeel and texture created by boxed and bottled pectins.

The bright peach color is such a treat - a reminder of summer during the cold months.

(as an aside...here's a visual of the difference between using citric acid and not using citric acid).

Can-o-rama Challenge #2: It's all about the pears

pear confit...one of this month's challenges

It is October and the pears are out across much of the US. Bosch pears. Lady pears. Seckel pears. Anjou pears. Bartlett pears. Mmmmm, Bartletts....

So what are we going to do with all these pears? Glad you asked.

This month is our Can-o-rama Pearluxe!

As before you have options. You can make jam AND/OR liqueur. It is your choice.

Our Jam recipe this month? A delicate "Poire William" and white wine confit

And for liqueur we have the infused version of the distilled classic Poire William: Bartlett Pear Liqueur

Again, we recommend you pick these up from a local farm or at the farmers market. If you can't find Bartlett pears, feel free to use another variety. We've chosen Bartletts because they're big, juicy and flavorful - something we need in infusions AND in jams. The key isn't texture but flavor. If you do choose another variety, taste it first and make sure it bursts with pear-y goodness. If it passes your taste test, feel free to use it.

POST DATE ON YOUR BLOG: SUNDAY NOVEMBER 1st

make sure you add the link from your Pear Post to the below comments section on Sunday!

For rules and other information, see this post.

Bartlett Pear Liqueur aka Very Poor William

Time: Approximately 3 months

Yield: 1 Quart Pear Liqueur

• 1.5 lbs Bartlett Pears, peeled, sliced and tossed in 1T lemon juice to prevent browning
• .5 lbs sugar
• pinch of salt
• 3.5 C Vodka or Grain Neutral Spirits or Eau de Vie
• Peel of one organic orange or lemon, pith removed
• Optional: 1 inch ginger, fresh, peeled and sliced into disks
• Approximately  up to 1 T your choice of spices:
• • cinnamon stick
  • cardamom pod
  • clove
  • anise seed
  • nutmeg - in large pieces
  • allspice
  • coriander
  • black peppercorn
  • chili pepper
  • etc

Procedure:

In a sterile quart-sized mason jar or other large, non-reactive glass jar, place the sugar, pear pieces, peel and spices. Cover completely with alcohol. Seal with lid and leave on sunny windowsill for 1 month. 

Check flavor. Strain and filter mixture and return to mason jar. Add more pear, lemon juice, or sugar to balance flavor. The strained pears can be used in your favorite pear recipe now. Just store in the refrigerator.

Continue to steep on window sill for another 3 weeks. 

Repeat flavor test,  straining and filtering.

Pour into bottles. Store in a cool dark place for 30 more days. Will be ready in one month.

Use in cocktails or drink as a digestif.

White Wine and Bartlett Pear Confit (it's really jam, but 'confit' sounds so good)

Yield: approximately 6 cups

Because this recipe has no added pectin, it will take a considerable amount of cooking time to set. Feel free to add pectin if you want to shorten the cooking time and keep the color lighter or use less sugar. Follow manufacturer's instructions for pectin.

• 6 lbs (NET) Bartlett Pears, peeled, cored, and chopped finely then tossed with lemon juice 
• juice of 1 lemon, or 2T lemon juice
• 2.5 lb sugar
• 2-1/2 C white wine, un-oaked, or Champagne or sparkling white wine
• Pinch of Salt
• 2 apples, peeled and cut into small pieces. Reserve peel for pectin boost.
• OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS
• • 1/4 t citric acid, optional
  • and any or all of the following, for a 'spiced' jam
  • stick cinnamon
  • star anise
  • 1" fresh ginger
  • 2 T chopped candied ginger

Combine sugar, salt, optional spices and wine in large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add in pear pieces, apple pieces, and apple peels. Bring to a simmer or gentle boil and cook for approximately 1.5 hours or until volume is reduced by half and the fruit is translucent and jam flakes or sheets off a spoon, reaches 218 degrees, or almost passes the wrinkle test. Remember to remove spices and peel. For a firmer jam, bring temperature to 220 degrees before canning. The color will be a deep caramel if you do not use pectin. Boiling water process for 15 minutes.

Note: When I made this, I separated out some of the liquid and cooked it down rapidly in a separate sauce pan. This sped up cooking time by a few minutes.

For a lighter colored and less sweet jam, use pectin, reduce sugar, and follow manufacturer's directions.

Canning at home: Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Jam

The market at Verrill Farm is pushing out past its walls. Tables loaded with colorful produce multiplied daily over the last month: the harvest is peaking now, as summer and fall produce intersects for a few brief weeks.

One crop I've been waiting for - waiting because our cruel New England weather punished us for most of the summer - is the red pepper. For weeks we've had jalapenos and anaheims and all sorts of heirloom red peppers (lipstick, round of Hungary, etc) but three days ago, red shishito and a number of hot reds (of provenance unknown to me) suddenly appeared, coincidentally on the same day that I had tasted a truly sublime Red Pepper Jelly made by Bonnie Shershow.

So I knew what I wanted to make: Red Pepper Jam - with a refinement. Instead of using raw red peppers, which produce quite a bit of moisture and have skin with a texture I don't really like, I decided to roast the peppers. It adds flavor, reduces cooking time, and makes for a finer-textured jam. The results were delicious. "This will taste great on a bagel with cream cheese!" said my mom, though I'm more partial to using it as a condiment for cheese.

If you prefer to use pectin instead of thickening the jam by cooking it down slowly, you can use 1 bottle of pectin and use it according to manufacturer's directions after the jam has cooked for 10 minutes or so. I don't like using pectin, so I can't tell you exactly how this will come out. If you do use pectin, let me know how it works out for you - just curious is all.

Enjoy!

Cake and Commerce's Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Jam

yield: 8 4oz jars

• 3 lbs Sweet Red Peppers, any variety available
• 1 lb Hot Red Peppers, mixture of types, from mild to hot (don't overdo the hots or the jam will be inedible)
• 4.5 C Sugar
• 2 C White Vinegar
• 1/2 C Cider Vinegar
• 1 C Lemon Juice (substitute Cider Vinegar if lemon juice unavailable)
• 2 Apples, peeled (reserve peels)
• 2 t Salt
• 1/4 t citric acid (optional)

Wash peppers. Place in roasting pan and roast at 375 F until skins brown, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven, place peppers in plastic bag or plastic container and allow to steam until cooled. Once cooled, remove skins and seeds from peppers. Wear gloves for hot peppers unless you don't mind the burn on your hands.

While the peppers cool, combine sugar, vinegars, lemon juice and salt in large saucepan. Bring to a boil.

In bowl of food processor, combine peeled apple pieces and peeled peppers. Process until the peppers are a smooth paste.  Add to sugar/vinegar mixture.

As the mixture boils, stir to prevent burning on the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to a gentle boil (a rolling boil will splatter too much).

Add apple peels - the pectin in them will help set the jam.

Skim the foam from the jam. You can eat this or throw it out, but keep it separate from your jam.

At the 30 minute mark, remove the apple peels. Continue to cook until thick -about 10 minutes more or 40 minutes in total. I prefer my jam a little soft and runny, so I heat it to only 218 degrees F. If you like a thicker, more set jam, heat to 220F, the temperature at which jam sets. If you don't have a candy thermometer, use the plate test or the flake test to test for proper set and gelling.

Process immediately in a hot water bath for 10 minutes (begin timing the processing time once the water returns to a boil). Remove from water and allow to cool for 24 hours. Check seals. Refrigerate any jams that have not sealed properly.

Store in a cool, dry place. Use within a year.