This One Fought Back

Basket after basket of peaches and this was the last day that I could really do them and still call them fresh (in fact, one of them didn't make the cut).

I started this way too late in the evening but, even though it was a long boil recipe, it should only have taken 15 minutes to gel (after the 10 minutes of cooking just the peaches and spices).

I started too late and also didn't realize until after I had started mashing all of the peaches that I didn't have anymore pectin hence the long boil recipe. Plus I'm a sucker for recipes involving cheesecloth.

Spiced Peach Jam
8 cups peeled, pitted, crushed peaches
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup water
6 cups granulated sugar

Tie 1 tsp whole cloves, 1 stick cinnamon an 1/2 tsp whole allspice into a piece of cheesecloth (YIPPEE!) and add it to the fruit, lemon juice and water in a large stainless steel pot. Cook gently for 10 minutes then add the sugar.

Bring mixture to a boil slowly, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat and boil vigorously and did it ever! I have a tiny burn right between my eyes because this jam spit it at me. Every time I stirred it, it would rage up and start spitting again. Let it boil like that for 15 minutes or until it gels. (This is where things started to get a little hinky for me. It was nowhere near gelling after 15 minutes so I had to let it continue. I still don't know if it gelled but I had to take it off because everything was starting to caramelize. You should see how dark this jam is, with the spices and the darker undertones, I think it's going to be something special).

Ladle into hot jars leaving 1/4" headspace and heat process for 10 minutes.

I'll have to let you know about the flavour... and the gel of course.

What Have I Done...

...to the cherries? Isn't that picture positively gruesome? In reality, my hands looked much purpler. I spent the better part of my morning pitting cherries and, unless you want to see that on a regular albeit annual basis, Joe, I'm thinking that this little guy might like to join the crew here... maybe somewhere around Christmas time... am I being too subtle?

It was a good way to spend the morning and once you get used to that horrid sticky tacky feeling on your fingers and just start plowing through, it's not so bad. This is a recipe from a Bernardin leaflet that came in one of the boxes of jars. I can't wait to try it.

Sweet Cherry Preserves (says 6x250 mL but I ended up with 6 properly canned and then 500 mL just shut in a jar that I'll have to refrigerate)
4 c pitted sweet red cherries, cut in half
5 c granulated sugar
1/2 c dry red wine
3" stick cinnamon
1/4 c lemon juice
1 pkg BERNARDIN Original Fruit Pectin
1 1/3 c unsweetened pomegranate, cherry, grape or other "red" juice (their quotes, not mine)

In a large deep stainless steel saucepan, combine cherries, sugar, red wine and cinnamon stick. Let stand at room temp for 3-6 hours.

Add lemon juice and 1/2 tsp butter or margarine (to reduce foaming) to cherries and bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring frequently. Simultaneously, in a separate small saucepan, whisk pectin into unsweetened juice. Stirring constantly bring pectin mixture to a boil and then add to the cherry mixture. Bring the combined mixture to a boil that can't be stirred down over high heat. Boil hard for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, discard cinnamon stick and skim foam.

Ladle hot preserves into hot 250 mL jars leaving 1/4" headspace and then heat process in boiling water for 10 minutes. Cool and check seals. Store in cool, dark place up to 1 year.

Next Canning Adventure - Long Boil Gingered Rhubarb Jam

Okay, I'm getting some serious recall on all of those university chemistry classes and I would love to teach a class in this someday because it's really cool and everyone should try it at least once (but I always say that.

Again, straight out of the Bernardin book but I think I might can wee jars of this too, I see some serious potential.

8 cups rhubarb cut into 1/2" pieces into a deep saucepan. Wash and grate the peel on two oranges and one lime then juice them to measure 3/4 c (add a little water to bring the level up if you have to and don't forget to bruise the fruit a little to get every last drop of the juice out (just roll it firmly against the countertop)). Add the juice and rind to the rhubarb with 2 tsp grated fresh ginger.

Bring it to a boil slowly and then jack the heat a little until it's boiling vigourously (remember, it's got a lot of sugar so it'll get there fast, don't walk away!) Boil it for 30-35 minutes with as much stirring as you can do, especially toward the end. It gets this deep, brown-y colour as the sugar caramelizes and the ginger and citrus smell SO GOOD!!!!

Then I got to do a gel test for the first time. I didn't really get the spoon version so I had chilled a couple of saucers in the freezer and did it that way. Very cool. The best part was that I got to keep licking my finger and this is some serious jam. After that it's just regular hot water canning and I won't go into that again but will instead refer you again to tigress in a jam.

I also did some plain rhubarb and strawberry rhubarb jam as well (I think I prefer the plain rhubarb one).