New recipes!
We are into our growing season in East Central Indiana now. I’m so excited by how many yummy tomatoes are ripening on the branches of my plants. I’ve already made some salsa and I will can some plain tomatoes soon.
But, as the tomatoes were coming up, I realized that I wanted something new and different to can. Does that ever happen to you? The same ol’ thing is good, but sometimes we need to change it up. So, I started looking for some new recipes—not just for tomatoes—but for other items that are in season as well. I’ve found three that I’d like to try. I will share them below for you to see if you’d be interested in trying, too.
I found them in one of my favorite canning books, Food in Jars: Preserving In Small Batches Year Round by Marisa McClellan. She adds different flavors to her recipes and I like to grab this book when I’m looking for something interesting. These and other recipes can also be found online, including McClellan’s website at foodinjars.com.
Cantaloupe Jam with Vanilla
2 1/2 cups chopped peeled cantaloupe (about 2 pounds)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice
1 packet (3-ounce/85 ml) liquid pectin
Prepare a boiling water bath and three 8-ounce jars.
Combine the cantaloupe, sugar, and vanilla bean pod and seeds in a non-reactive pot. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 8 to 10 minutes.
Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and the packet of liquid pectin. Return to a vigorous boil. Cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes, until the bubbles look thick. Remove the vanilla bean pod and discard.
Remove the pot from heat and ladle the jam into the prepared jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe the rims. Apply the lids and rings. Then, process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
*Adapted from Food in Jars: Preserving in Small Batches Year Round by Marisa McClellan.
Slow Cooker Blueberry Butter
8 cups pureed blueberries (about 3 dry quarts)
2 cups granulated sugar
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
Put the pureed blueberries in a 4-quart capacity slow cooker.
Cover and turn it to low. After it has cooked for 1 hour, remove the lid and stir. From this point forward, leave the lid cracked open so the steam can escape.
This butter will need 4 to 8 hours in the slow cooker. The time varies depending on how hot your slow cooker cooks. Check the butter at least once an hour to track progress.In the final hour, add the sugar, lemon zest and juice, and spices. To speed up the process, remove the lid and turn the cooker up to high. If you do this, make sure to stir the butter approximately every 10 minutes to prevent scorching.When the butter is nearing completion, prepare a boiling water bath and three regular mouth pint jars. Turn the slow cooker off and ladle the butter into the prepared jar leave 1/2 inch head space. Wipe the rim. Apply lids and rings. Then, process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
*Adapted from Food in Jars: Preserving in Small Batches Year Round by Marisa McClellan.
Amy’s Tomato Jam
5 pounds tomatoes cored and finely chopped
3 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
2 teaspoons grated, peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
Combine all ingredients in a large, nonreactive pot. Bring to a boil over high heat and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer the jam, stirring regularly, until it reduces to a sticky texture. This will take between 90 to 120 minutes.
When the jam is nearly done, prepare a boiling water bath and four pint jars.When the jam has cooked down sufficiently, remove the pot from the heat and ladle the jam into the prepared jars leaving a 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe the rim. Apply the lids and tings. Then, process in a boiling water bath for 20 minutes.
*Adapted from Food in Jars: Preserving in Small Batches Year Round by Marisa McClellan.
These are three recipes I’d like to try this summer. Some of the other canners at Minnetrista have been trying some new things too. Be sure to stop by the Canning Experience booth during the Farmers Market at Minnetrista on Saturdays. You can see what they’ve been trying out.
Tell me, what have you been thinking of jarring this summer?
