A couple years ago, Greg's friend G was out garage saling and came across a 1953 version of The Joy of Cooking. Well, actually he came across 2 copies, so he kept one for himself, and gave the other to me. I haven't used the cookbook a whole lot, but have referred to it occasionally as well as cooked from it occasionally. It boasts nearly 1000 pages of recipes, tips and menus from the very plain to very elaborate. It is certainly a wealth of information on cooking, of which I am always wanting to learn more.
Fast forward a few years. New produce place opens in town. Selling Meyer lemons. I've heard they are simply amazing, so I buy a few with good intentions. They sit there for a little longer than they should, (as I'm waiting for the perfect thing to do with them) and they are overripe, on the verge of not edible any more. I look online for recipes, and find one for lemon marmalade. The author notes that she got her recipe from the Joy of Cooking. So, I pull out my book, and there it is. Not only a recipe, but one calling for just lemons and sugar. No pectin. Hmm. I had never heard of not adding pectin, but I didn't have any on hand, so was eager to try. Note: I did know that fruit had pectin already in it, but had never seen recipes as such. :)
In the Joy of Cooking book that I have it says that "no recipes for jams or jellies made with commercially prepared pectin are given, because a much greater proportion of sugar to fruit is required and because special instructions invariably accompany the purchase of this product." I found that to be a funny statement, because most people my age likely don't even know (as I didn't) that you can make jams and jellies without adding commercial pectin. It's just the thing you do!
Well, I whipped up a batch of Meyer Lemon Marmalade, and it was fabulous. I can't even describe the amount of flavor that stuff had. On whole grain toast. Oh yes, positively yummy! So, then yesterday Greg brought home a few pints of very ripe strawberries (remember, he has a coworker whose parents own a fruit/veggie farm and supply us with lots of goodies all summer) and I looked in my old faithful book and there was a recipe for me for strawberry preserves. Not seeing a recipe for jam, I went ahead with it. I was wondering what the difference was, and found this for a definition. "The difference being that preserves still contain chunks of fruit, whereas jam is more like a fruit puree." While it's cooling and jelling right now (and seems to be doing just fine, as I licked the bowl it was in), I did find a recipe for jam and it called for pretty much the same ingredients (berries, sugar, lemon juice for acidity) and same instructions.
So, if you are like me and happen to love reading cookbooks, look for an old copy of The Joy of Cooking and pick it up. You'll be doing yourself a great favor! I have learned so much from it, as it explains the 'why's' more than just the method. (My aunt used to read cookbooks before bed every night and I thought that was THE lamest waste of time. Now I do the same thing. It seems that pretty much everything I've said I'd never do, or say, or be...I happen to find myself doing, or saying or being!)
Thanks, G!
Strawberry Preserves
Wash and stem and mash 4 cups of strawberries.
Add 3/4 c. sugar per 1 c. berries (3 c.)
Sugared fruit is permitted to stand 3-10 hours before cooking. Heat very slowly with as little stirring as possible until all the sugar is dissolved. Boil the preserves rapidly for 15-20 minutes, taking care to prevent burning. 2 minutes before taking preserves from stove, you may add 1/3 c. lemon juice. Pour into sterilized jars and hot water bath to seal (as you can other jams).
I'm going to freeze them once they cool so I don't have to can them. This gave me 5-1 c. jars of preserves. Once you hit the 15 minute mark boiling, the jam starts to get more clear (as opposed to foamy), that was when I added the lemon juice. I also used a splatter shield while stirring the boiling mixture, as it burns when it splatters (even in a big pot). The lemon juice aids in the jelling process, and is necessary for 'low acid' fruits.
Fast forward a few years. New produce place opens in town. Selling Meyer lemons. I've heard they are simply amazing, so I buy a few with good intentions. They sit there for a little longer than they should, (as I'm waiting for the perfect thing to do with them) and they are overripe, on the verge of not edible any more. I look online for recipes, and find one for lemon marmalade. The author notes that she got her recipe from the Joy of Cooking. So, I pull out my book, and there it is. Not only a recipe, but one calling for just lemons and sugar. No pectin. Hmm. I had never heard of not adding pectin, but I didn't have any on hand, so was eager to try. Note: I did know that fruit had pectin already in it, but had never seen recipes as such. :)
In the Joy of Cooking book that I have it says that "no recipes for jams or jellies made with commercially prepared pectin are given, because a much greater proportion of sugar to fruit is required and because special instructions invariably accompany the purchase of this product." I found that to be a funny statement, because most people my age likely don't even know (as I didn't) that you can make jams and jellies without adding commercial pectin. It's just the thing you do!
Well, I whipped up a batch of Meyer Lemon Marmalade, and it was fabulous. I can't even describe the amount of flavor that stuff had. On whole grain toast. Oh yes, positively yummy! So, then yesterday Greg brought home a few pints of very ripe strawberries (remember, he has a coworker whose parents own a fruit/veggie farm and supply us with lots of goodies all summer) and I looked in my old faithful book and there was a recipe for me for strawberry preserves. Not seeing a recipe for jam, I went ahead with it. I was wondering what the difference was, and found this for a definition. "The difference being that preserves still contain chunks of fruit, whereas jam is more like a fruit puree." While it's cooling and jelling right now (and seems to be doing just fine, as I licked the bowl it was in), I did find a recipe for jam and it called for pretty much the same ingredients (berries, sugar, lemon juice for acidity) and same instructions.
So, if you are like me and happen to love reading cookbooks, look for an old copy of The Joy of Cooking and pick it up. You'll be doing yourself a great favor! I have learned so much from it, as it explains the 'why's' more than just the method. (My aunt used to read cookbooks before bed every night and I thought that was THE lamest waste of time. Now I do the same thing. It seems that pretty much everything I've said I'd never do, or say, or be...I happen to find myself doing, or saying or being!)
Thanks, G!
Strawberry Preserves
Wash and stem and mash 4 cups of strawberries.
Add 3/4 c. sugar per 1 c. berries (3 c.)
Sugared fruit is permitted to stand 3-10 hours before cooking. Heat very slowly with as little stirring as possible until all the sugar is dissolved. Boil the preserves rapidly for 15-20 minutes, taking care to prevent burning. 2 minutes before taking preserves from stove, you may add 1/3 c. lemon juice. Pour into sterilized jars and hot water bath to seal (as you can other jams).
I'm going to freeze them once they cool so I don't have to can them. This gave me 5-1 c. jars of preserves. Once you hit the 15 minute mark boiling, the jam starts to get more clear (as opposed to foamy), that was when I added the lemon juice. I also used a splatter shield while stirring the boiling mixture, as it burns when it splatters (even in a big pot). The lemon juice aids in the jelling process, and is necessary for 'low acid' fruits.
