Archive for October, 2008

Quince Jelly, Yum!

Thursday, October 30th, 2008
  • Quinces
  • Water
  • Sugar
  • Lemon

Cut up and slice the unpeeled quinces thinly and place in a large non-reactive pot.  Add enough water to cover.  Bring to a hard boil, turn down heat to a simmer.  Cook until not quite mushy.  Turn out entire contents of the pot into a large chinoise or strainer over a large pot and leave overnight to drain.  To keep the jelly more or less clear, don’t force the pulp through the strainer.  Just let it drip.

Measure the liquid and add 3/4 its volume in sugar and return to heat.  Add lemon juice to taste.  Boil and skim until the Jelly is ready – 220°F at sea level (8°F over boiling water) – or when it passes the spoon or plate tests to your liking.  Fill jars leaving 1/4″ air gap, seal and process for 6 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Three and a half pounds of quinces yielded 10 half-pints of delicious, floral, quince jelly.  Perfect for serving with pate!

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Puzzle (Enigma, #2)

Saturday, October 18th, 2008
  • 3# San Marzano Tomatoes, milled whole
  • 7 small ripe Serrano Chillies, milled whole
  • 3 Shallots, minced
  • 4 cups sugar
  • 2T red wine vinegar
  • 1T crushed red pepper
  • a couple of pinches of salt

Combine everything in non-reactive pot and bring to a boil.  Cook for about 30 minutes skimming the foam as it comes up.  Turn off the heat and let sit, covered, overnight.  It’s a good time to taste it and add more chillies if needed – this batch wasn’t spicy enough.  Bring back to a boil and reduce to a medium heat, skimming and stirring frequently, cooking until it passes the plate test.  Ladle into prepared jars and process for 6 minutes.

I like this batch with the shallots distinctly less than the batch with only tomatoes and chillies.

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Enigma

Monday, October 6th, 2008

Tomato Serrano Jam

  • 2# San Marzano Tomatoes, peeled
  • 3 Serrano Chillies, sliced
  • 3 cups sugar
  • Juice of one lemon
  • a couple of pinches of salt

Puree half of the tomatoes and dice the rest.  Combine everything in non-reactive pot and bring to a boil.  Cook for about 30 minutes skimming the foam as it comes up.  Turn off the heat and let sit, covered, overnight.  It’s a good time to taste it and add more chillies if needed – three is a little short of where I’d like it but isn’t too spicy for my children to enjoy it.  Bring back to a boil and reduce to a medium heat, skimming and stirring frequently, cooking until it passes the plate test.  Ladle into prepared jars and process for 6 minutes.

Great with cheese, even better with peanut butter, bacon and bannanas.

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