Smoky Paprika Tomato Jam...

Mother Nature is still serving up beautiful tomatoes for us, so I put up a beautiful batch of Smoky Paprika Tomato Jam yesterday. The result was ten jars of goodness and it only took about three hours, start to finish.

This recipe came from Marisa McClellan's cookbook, Preserving By The Pint. I purposely kept the jam slightly on the liquid side, because we use it as barbeque sauce. It's smoky, sweet, full a flavor, with just a touch of heat. Marisa's recipe calls for cherry tomatoes, but we used regular tomatoes and cooked them longer to reduce the liquid. It was perfect.

She also has a great recipe for green tomato salsa, so I know what I'll be doing with any of my tomatoes the fail to ripen before the weather turns.

If you do canning, Marisa caters to people who live in small spaces, or who don't have a lot of storage area. Sometimes you just want a pint or two, and her recipes are geared to small batch canning. HERE's a link in case you're interested in getting your own copy, (or you can click on the book title above to get to the same page).

Handsome let me know it's time to bake bread again. He's really helpful these days, lifting my big flour container so I can measure out a batch, and then helping lift the big proofing bowl in and out of the oven. He also dumps the dough onto the island so I can turn and fold, and then he puts it back into the oven until the timer signals it's ready to repeat. Once I get the dough into the bread pans, he can go on break, but I really couldn't bake bread in the usual quantities without him.

I'm also working on a new embroidery that I'll share tomorrow, and I'll debut the giveaway information on Saturday, so be sure to come back so you can enter.

A Gift...

It's easy to forget how blessed Handsome and I are to live where we do. Then, one day, you find a veritable bounty right outside your door. Such was the case this weekend. 

I was walking around the yard with my leashed Corgi at my side. He'd been dragging me all over tarnation and I was beginning to get a little cross with him. He really wanted to run, but the leash kept him in check. I figured the least I could do was let him explore to find just the right spot. He pulled me over to the old apple tree, and I'm so glad he did!

I've been neglecting the planting area between the apple tree and the large lilac bush for the past few years. I tell myself I need to cut back the weeds and tidy it up, but now I'm happy about that. If I'd been keeping it open, the birds wouldn't have planted seeds of their own, and I wouldn't have a volunteer black raspberry patch! It's abundant, too!

I stopped to pick and taste a few berries and found them to be very tasty, so after Tag was through with his meanderings, I took him back to the house and grabbed a bowl. I proceeded to pick until the bowl was full, and then went inside to see about a recipe for preserves.

I have a great cookbook I've told you about before called "Preserving By The Pint" by Marisa McClellan. I was tickled to find that she, indeed, had a small batch recipe for Black Raspberry Preserves. Based on the weight of the ripe berries I'd harvested, I can make two half-pint jars of preserves.

They've been cleaned and dried, so this morning, I'll make up the small batch while I'm waiting for my bread dough to rise. It won't take that long to make the preserves and I can water bath the jars between "stretching and pulling" my dough. Handsome has a concert in the park tonight, so I'll get everything done with time to spare.

By the end of the day, I'll have fresh loaves of bread, and preserves to spread on a few slices! The best part is that there are still lots of berries to ripen, and I'll be able to make more jam, while still leaving some behind for my feathered friends. After all, it's because of them that we have these beautiful berries in the first place.

Smoky Paprika Tomato Jam…

Brynwood Needleworks - Eight Pounds of Chopped Tomatoes

Sunday was a productive day. Lawn mowed, and then I chopped eight pounds of beautiful Roma tomatoes (grown in Shelley’s and my gardens) to make a double batch of Smoky Paprika Tomato Jam. (The recipe is in Marisa McClellan’s “Preserving By The Pint” cookbook.)

I made this recipe last year, and had to do it again. It’s a simple recipe, calling for tomatoes, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, salt, sugar, ground ginger, red pepper flakes and (optional cayenne pepper, which I leave out). 

Brynwood Needleworks - Five Hours Later

Once all the ingredients are well mixed in the pot, they go on the stove to cook down to a jam consistency. The recipe calls for 45 minutes, single batch, cooked in a metal pan. As mine was a double batch, I used my jam pot, and it took five hours to cook down. Her recipe calls for cherry tomatoes, so I’m figuring our Romas accounted for the increased juice/cooking time. 

Brynwood Needleworks - Three Jars of Smoky Paprika Tomato Jam

I managed to fill three pint jars and then processed them in a fifteen minute water bath. The farmhouse smelled great, and now we have homemade barbecue sauce or a tasty topping for hamburgers, brats, hot dogs, or anything you’d like to have a smoky barbecue flavor.
Tag will be back tomorrow, and I’ll see you again Wednesday. It’s going to be a busy week. After coffee, I’ll be off and running. See you later…

It's That Time Again...

Brynwood Needleworks - Saturday Canning

 

The local farmer's markets are back in full swing again, and Shelly's garden is yielding some whopper zucchini. She gave us some of her harvest, and we opted to can more of our favorite relish. (The recipe is in Marisa McClellan's book, Food In Jars.)

 

Brynwood Needleworks - Zucchini and Pepper Relish

 

The two large "zukes" weighed in at a whopping six pounds each! My job was to grate the veggies the recipe wanted grated (zucchini and onion), and Handsome chopped the red, yellow, and green bell peppers. My big Cuisinart™ food processor was a life saver for that task!

 

So, I cut and grated twelve pounds of zucchini, and then grated seven huge sweet onions, while Handsome chopped his way through twenty two peppers. The rest of the ingredients were added, as called for, into my big Kilner jam pot, and the relish was processed in batches.

 

Brynwood Needleworks - 26 Pints of Delicious

After about seven hours, Handsome and I took the last jars out of my electric Ball jar canner. We ended up with twenty six (26) pint jars filled with this deliciousness. 

 

In case you're wondering, we use this relish on all kinds of sausages (brats, Italian, hot dogs...) and hamburgers. Actually, it's so darn good that we even put some into a dish on snack trays. It's tasty on top of crackers and cheese!

 

Our ancient apple tree has been tossing fruit for about a week, too. Handsome and I sorted through all of them, and ended up with fifteen gallons of usable apples. Guess what we're doing today. I'll give you a hint...

(Applesauce)

After the dogs are fed...and I get a cup of morning coffee.

We Make A Great Team...

Brynwood Needleworks - Smoky Paprika Tomato Jam

 

My productive weekend never would have happened without the help Handsome gave me. Before my surgery, we went to the Oshkosh area and purchased a bushel of tomatoes at a great price. Nearly fifty pounds of these red beauties yielded half a shelf of crushed tomatoes, many jars of tomato ketchup, and multiple jars of salsa. It was so nice to see all that goodness in our pantry, but only half of the tomato shelf was filled.

Brynwood Needleworks - Crushed Tomatoes In Pantry

 

One week post-op, I asked Handsome if he would help me with another bushel so that shelf would be full as we head into the cold weather. He agreed, so I contacted the same seller and we went back for another bushel on Friday morning. I need his help whenever anything over five pounds needs to be lifted, as that's my biggest restriction for a month after the surgery.

He lifted every single thing I needed all weekend (and beyond). He brought all the canning supplies I needed upstairs from my storage area in the basement, he measured all the tomatoes (20# per batch), and helped me load and unload my pots and the canner all day.

Brynwood Needleworks - Marisa McClellan's Canning Book

By the end of the day on Saturday, we'd processed just over forty pounds of red goodness, and added fifteen quarts of crushed tomatoes, plus two quarts of "mostly juice" (for soups or to add to roasts). Not only did we fill the rest of that shelf, but I had to move into another shelf space for the rest.

Sunday, I took four pounds and made a recipe I've been thinking about for months. I belong to the "Food In Jars" Facebook group, founded by Marisa McClellan, and they've all be raving about this recipe. I had to try it! I made her Smoky Paprika Tomato Jam (included in Marisa's Preserving By The Pint cookbook).

Now I know what all the other canners who've made this recipe know. It's delicious! Four pounds yielded four half-pints (one jar missing in the photograph, because that one was actually our test jar at dinner time last night) of tasty, smoky/sweet jam.

In case you're wondering, this jam can be used on a charcuterie tray as a condiment, on hamburgers or sausages, and after tasting, I can't wait to use it as a sauce on baby back ribs! Ladies in the group say it makes a great pizza sauce, too. So many applications!

So, we went through all those tomatoes, and I admit I'm tired. But, I can say, I'm not hurting, and Handsome was my hero as we did this project together all weekend. I'm feeling pretty chuffed at our shared accomplishments. We make a great team.

Creating In The Kitchen...

Peanut Butter Bars Image and Recipe via OurBestBites.com

 

This weekend will be spent in the kitchen. I'm making this recipe for Reese's Peanut Butter Bars from OurBestBites.com. I've made this recipe multiple times and it's a huge hit with everyone who's tasted it. It's become our new favorite.

I'll also be making multiple loaves of my Banana Nut Bread recipe. I shared this recipe with you before HERE. I have bananas just waiting to reach their full potential in my bread. (translation: they're so ripe, they're almost slipping out of their skins. Perfect for my recipe!) I also use our tasty hickory nuts in the batter.

We also need bread, now that Handsome is feeling better. There will be fresh, homemade bread in the kitchen, too, this weekend. My sandwich bread recipe yields two loaves, and will hold us over to next weekend.

I love this time of year because cranberries go on sale. I picked up jalapenos, so I'll be making up a batch of Cranberry-Jalapeno Jam from a recipe I found HERE.

Finally, I've only got one or two bottles of Hickory Hill Farm Hickory Syrup left from Thursday's batch, so I'll brew and bottle more for stock (and personal use!) today or tomorrow.

Next weekend is my niece's annual holiday cookie exchange, so next week, I'll be making cookies to take to the party. Last year I made White Wing Dove cutout cookies. I've got something in mind for this year, but won't lock in my decision until later next week. Check back later, so you can see what I'm making.

So, you can see I'm going to be busy in the kitchen. Oh, and our new freezer arrived yesterday! We're really happy with it. It's a Frigidaire upright, and we can see it's going to really come in handy. We won't need to worry about running out, if the weather is too "Wisconsin-y". lol

Our turkey dinner was delicious yesterday. Day late or not, it was exactly as we'd planned...and the leftovers will be just as tasty. Hmmm. Would it be bad to have a turkey and dressing sandwich for breakfast?

 

Filling The Pantry...

Liljegren's Hickory Hill Farm Canning

 

Yesterday ended with an additional ten pints of Zucchini & Pepper Relish and six more pints of Salsa. Handsome and I are going to the Farmer's Market this morning, and who knows what goodness will come home with us? 

I hope you have a great weekend, friends!

A Productive Day...

Hickory Hill Farm Zucchini Pepper Relish

Friday turned into quite the productive day. The one zucchini Shelly gave me weighed four pounds before I took off the ends and removed the seeds! It was huge! As we don't have a basement freezer yet, I wanted to find something to make that didn't have to be frozen.

I decided on a recipe from Marisa McClellan's book, Food In Jars. It's called "Zucchini Pepper Relish", and I had all the ingredients. The main components are three pounds of grated zucchini, six pounds of chopped peppers (which I grew in our garden), and two grated sweet onions. Thanks to my Cuisinart™food processor, grating the zucchini and onion was a breeze. It was easy to chop the six cups of green and red peppers.

Hickory Hill Farm Zucchini Pepper Relish

I followed the rest of the recipe, and ended up canning a gorgeous batch of relish. I canned them into pint jars, and had enough left in the pot for the "cooks portion", so Handsome and I could try some at lunchtime. It was delicious!

Hickory Hill Farm Crab Apple Jelly

 

I also put up the last of the crab apples into jelly, too. I have Lavender Jelly and Grape Jam to put up yet, and then I'll be finished with the jams/jellies for this season. 

 

Shelly and I are going to the farmer's market this morning. Who knows what will come home with us?  I can see a fun weekend in my future.

 

Back In The Saddle...

Pomegranate Jelly

I'm finally feeling fit again, so of course, I headed to the saddle kitchen. While I was lying around, I was reading my canning cookbooks and came across three recipes I had to make!

The first one I made is a fabulous pomegranate jelly that starts with pomegranate juice! There are only three ingredients...juice, sugar and Sure Jel™. This jelly is seriously delicious!

Yesterday's yield was nine 4 ounce jars and two 8 ounce jars. I know I'll be making more.

Tomato Jam

 

My second recipe is called "Amy's Tomato Jam" from Marisa McClellan's book Food In Jars. This recipe calls for sugar, freshly grated ginger, lime juice, cinnamon and cloves. It can be eaten as traditional jam, or as a condiment. This one took hours to cook down, but it's so wonderful! It was worth the effort. Five pounds of tomatoes yielded eight 4 ounce jars.

 

Yes, I mentioned three recipes, but only have two photographed. The third is being made today. I'm making Christmas Jam. I'll tell you all about that one tomorrow. Man, it's great to be feeling good again!