roast the toast: wild apple pie

i haven't mentioned this to you yet:

wild green apple jelly. (this one with thyme)

i made a few small jars at the end of summer 2008 - all the rest of them vanished pretty quickly and this one, even though it's been on the shelf for quite some time...

i wouldn't quite say he's settled in. in fact lately

he's been getting loud every time i walk in the larder.

yelling & shizzle, jumping up & down, rattling even. i swear the other day i thought he was going to throw himself at me in desperation when i went in to get some other such jam filled jar.

could you imagine?

i get bonked on the head by a flying agro jar, then we're both laying there on the larder floor when M walks by - a sticky, apple-y mess?

:)

all this in an effort to try and persuade me to open him up and have him over toast and homemade butter. i mean,

like i can be swayed by that?

first off, mr. wild jelly, someone should have informed you that you catch more tigresses with honey. (in this case raw sugar, but never mind)

i think you would have had a better chance with that attitude, but the point is mute because

i've had much bigger plans for you all along.

wild apple pie

when it comes to pie crust i've come to the conclusion that it's best not to mess with martha. (that's probably good advice all around, no?) her pate brisee is my staple no matter what fruit pie i am making. i do mess with the flour a bit, i like to add whole wheat pastry flour because it adds a bit of nutty flavor and a heartier texture. for this recipe i substituted 1/2 cup of it for the all-purpose white. i've gone up to a full cup substitution with great results.

1 recipe pate brisee (watch the video too, it's as much about technique as it is ingredients)
4 lbs fall fresh apples of mixed variety, cored & peeled & cut into 1/4 inch slices
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, if you can ground 1/4 of a small stick in a spice grinder - do it!
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly ground or grated
scant 1/4 cup sugar, (i use raw)
1 & 1/2 tablespoons butter
9 or 9 1/2 inch pie plate
2-3 tablespoons apple jelly (i used wild green apple with thyme)

1. first, rearrange your fridge so that you can fit the pie dish and an additional large flat plate in the fridge. then roll out both discs of dough to a 12 inch round. this can be approximate, make sure to use flour on the board and rolling pin, brush off any excess before placing rounds on plates. ideally one disc should be slightly larger, use that for the bottom of the pie. when fitted in pie dish you should have about 1/2 inch overhang. place the second round on a large flat plate and place both in the fridge to firm. about 30 minutes.

2. while dough is firming, in a large bowl mix together sliced apples, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and lemon juice.

3. take the bottom shell out of fridge and place apple mixture in. break the 1 & 1/2 tablespoons of butter up into 5 or so pieces and dot the top of apples.



4. place the top round over and gently press to cover apples. press top and bottom edges together to seal. if there are places where there is too much dough coming together, remove excess. once all the edges are pressed together go around once more and crimp with thumb and fingers.

5. brush a light coat of apple jelly (wild or otherwise) over top of pie, including all of the crimped edges, and every nook & cranny.



6. cut 3 slits on top of pie to allow steam to escape. place pie in freezer ideally, back in fridge if your freezer doesn't have space and freeze or chill until firm. about 30 minutes. while pie is firming, place oven rack in lower 3rd of oven, and preheat to 400 degrees.

there are two things that deserve recommending: a baking stone and a pie shield. i keep my baking stone in the oven pretty much at all times, besides ensuring that the bottom crust gets crisp not soggy, there is a whole lot of other baking (scones, biscuits, bread, pizza, etc) that is done right by a stone. the pie shield is infinitely more handy than trying to cover a burning pie edge with foil. plus you can use it over and over again, which is so much better than throwing more foil in the trash.

7. place pie on the preheated baking stone, or on a baking sheet. bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. turn heat down to 350 and bake for another 25 minutes. rotate pie to get the top evenly golden, and bake for a final 20-25 minutes at 350. if the edges look like they are getting too dark at any time use shield or foil to cover.

8. the pie is done when you can see through the slits that the juices are bubbling and slightly thick. the top will be dark golden brown and the baked jam will render it slightly brûlée-esque. by that i mean crispy & sweet, and with a whole lotta apple punch.

9. let it cool on a wire rack and if you didn't make sure you had vanilla ice cream in your freezer before you started this whole thing then you better giddy up!




note: roast the toast is a new feature that you'll see here every now and again, because hey, delicious jam on top or no, a tigress can't live on bread alone...

carrot & coconut mutney

it's a dirty job

but somebody's gotta do it.

i can't help it.

when the days get shorter, and colder, i become a serial
citrus shredder.

i luv me my lemons, limes, grapefruits, tangerines, tangelos, clementines, oranges, blood or otherwise...

and i'll slice 'em up any chance i get.

the two sourpusses up there, they never had a chance

not with all these accomplices

let me tell you, they had nooo trouble jumping right in - in fact these wise guys, they couldn't wait to feel the heat.

to get in the mix


know what i'm sayin?

they were in like flynn-

and in no time i had a few of these sealed up and


buried in the back of my larder.

now forget we ever had this conversation.

carrot & coconut mutney

adapted from well preserved by mary anne dragan

2 lbs carrots
1 orange
1 lemon
1 1/2 cups dark or demerara sugar
3/4 cups cider vinegar
1/2 cup dried coconut (not the kind with added sugar)
1/4 cup chopped dried apricots
1 tablespoon ginger, grated
1/2 tablespoon black or brown mustard seeds
1/2 tablespoon dried chili flakes
1 pinch cayenne
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 very thin 3 inch piece of cinnamon
3/4 half pint canning jars

1. peel and slice the carrots into uniform slices. cook them in boiling water until very soft, drain and mash them until quite smooth. you should have about 2 and 1/2 cups of mashed carrots, if you have more save the rest for another use.

2. peel the zest of orange and lemon, trying to take away only the outer skin and leaving as much of the white pith on the fruit. once you have the outer skin off the fruit slice it into thin shreds. :)

3. slice off all of the white pith from the fruit and discard. slice and then chop the meat of the fruit, taking care to capture the juice. discard the seeds.

4. in a non-reactive (no iron or aluminum) pot add sugar, vinegar, and citrus zest. heat on low until all the sugar dissolves and then turn the heat up to bring to the boil. cover and turn down heat to keep at a steady simmer for 5 minutes.

5. add the mashed carrots, dried coconut, chopped dried apricot, chopped citrus, and salt & spices to pot. turn heat back up to medium and bring back to a simmer.

6. simmer for approximately 40 minutes, until it thickens. stirring constantly toward the end so it does not burn or stick to the bottom of the pot.

7. while the chutney is cooking prepare the jars and lids, process filled jars for 10 minutes in a hot water bath.

this really is a cross between a marmalade and a chutney because it is very citrus-y, with chunks of dried fruit and (coco)nut. it taste equally as good as a condiment to an indian or south asian meal as it does on toast with butter, or even with a triple creme! go figure!

(blogger's note: i couldn't decide if i should call it a mutney or a charmalade. charmalade rolls off of the tongue quite nicely, but i thought mutney sounded more fittingly post noir, no?)

oh, and i am so excited i can hardly cantain myself! so far there's 15 bloggers on for the jam and a handful of non-bloggers too! there's gonna be a whole lotta cannin' going on in 2010!

if you don't yet know about the jam, click on this for the full dish!

tigress' can jam: a food blog challenge!

this past few months we've talked about the trend of canning, witnessed the beginning of the canvolution and a rise in the blogosphere of a plethora of bloggers who, like me, can't resist the urge to share about pickling, jamming, mason jars and the like. from fellow preservationists' blogs devoted mainly to the craft, like food in jars, saving the season, consider the pantry, well preserved, put up or shut up! and doris and jilly cook (whew!) to other crafty cats that count canning high on their list of homesteading and/or cooking skillz, like small measure, urban hennery, gluten free girl & the chef, straight from the farm, etc., etc!

what can i say?

i like this!

IMO canning is catching on because even though it harks back to old foodways, it is so right now-

local - i think many of us became interested in canning as an outgrowth of the locavore movement. preserving fresh produce grown in your area is the logical progression. and when you grow your own, and a glut is on, it can become a necessity!

organic - in an effort to control what we eat, be it produce, sweeteners, flavors, etc., when we make it ourselves we know what went into it, and we know how we like it. it's having a real choice about what we consume.

in season - canning produce in season in a way, keeps it in season all year. ergo a much tastier interpretation of eating seasonally than abstaining altogether but once a year!

humane - i heard tell that veggies get a kick out of being pickled, and fruit, well, who among us canners has not witnessed that barely audible exclamation of fruit about to be jammed, "sweet!"

so in an effort to spread the jam, have some fun, kick-start the 2010 season (because who can wait really?) and inspire even more peeps to get off their cans and get on canning, this is the launch of the first ever tigress' can jam!

now you understand that this is more about the jam of the can than the can of the jam. meaning, what i am proselytizing about here is canning, namely hot water bath canning so by definition that means that the canning can contain anything that can safely be preserved by the hot water bath method. so i'm talkin' about sweet or pickled preserves.

here let me explain in more detail:

tigress' can jam

start: january 1, 2010

end: december 29, 2010

scared?
me too!

the basics

• each month we'll focus on one fruit or vegetable to preserve. recipes may include other fruits or veggies but the food of focus must be integral to the preserve, and the recipe must include hot water bath canning.
  

• the month's produce of focus will be announced the last friday of the prior month. (we will rotate the choosers by order of sign up) the focused food cannot be repeated in subsequent months.
  

• bloggers will post their recipes on their blogs by midnight friday on the 3rd week of the month.

• on the last wednesday of the month i will post a round-up here or here and direct you to the blogger who will announce the next fruit or veggie of focus. said blogger will have until that friday of that last week of the month to announce new focus.

pretty simple huh?


there are a couple of other important guidelines:

the local intention

• though this is not an 'eat local' challenge it is understood that in the spirit of the movement the fruit or veggie of focus should generally be in season at that time - at least for the blogger that is choosing that month. my hope is that it will mean that it is in season for many if not most of us.

• substitutes of food in focus is acceptable only if it really is not in season where you are and you would rather use a fruit or veggie that you can source locally. in this case, effort should be made, if possible, to choose a substitute that is closest to the focused food. and please, don't let this stop you! we're learning about canning here people! so can what you can!

• copy & paste for the 'leaner' months. this is a year long challenge and i know that jan, feb, & dec especially pose a problem for many of us in finding local produce. so even if you are the chooser it is understood that there may be months where the choice won't be local - say citrus in december - but perhaps in season in many parts of the world. (and a fine time to can citrus i may add!)
  

not for bloggers only

• no blog, no worries! you can still participate by following along every month, trying one of the posted recipes or use the fruit or veggie of focus as a jumping off point to finally try your hand at jamming & pickling, or to hone your skills. don't forget to post your experiences in the comment section on the monthly round-up post on the last wednesday of each month. and hey, come to think of it, give a shout out in the comment section below and state your intention to join in the fun!
  

other stuff

• it is my sincere hope that i've been compelling enough to inspire some of my fellow canning bloggers to join so that we can inspire each other in the art of canning, share ideas & techniques to improve our craft, and in so doing inspire other food bloggers and those at home who have been intrigued by all those gorgeous photos of jewel-toned jars & glass filled larders to join in the fun!

• it is also my intention to add some excitement to the mix by bringing in some guests - interviews with experienced canners, question & answer sessions, and you know, maybe a give-away here and there (we like those).

• oh, and in case you're asking, "why can all year?" - because it's a challenge people! and because it's fun, and by the time summer's overflowing we won't feel like lucy & ethel in that famous chocolate factory scene, nope, not us. we'll be lean, green, cannin' machines - able to can bushels of produce in a single bound!
  

gettin' jiggy widgit

• if you would like to help spread the jam please copy & paste the html code below to place the tigress' can jam widget on your blog (the graphic will show on your blog and it will link back to this post).
  

<A href="http://tigressinajam.blogspot.com/2009/11/tigress-can-jam-food-blog-challenge.html"><IMG src="http://tigressinajam.com/images/canjam01.gif" alt="Click for tigress can jam food blog challenge" border="0" /></A>

sign up

• deadline for sign up is december 22nd, 2009

• sign up by sending an email to: tigressinajam(at)ymail(dot)com please put tigress' can jam as the subject and include your name and blog url.
  

• final participant list will be announced on january 1st, 2010 along with the first month's fruit or vegetable in focus.
  

12 months, 12 cannings, it's a can jam people!

get your jars ready & screw your lids on tight - 'cause we're gonna have a ball.

it's the first ever

tigress' can jam

pumpkin marmalade

first things first: chloe from naturally frugal won the birthday jar of straight up greengage jam! congrats chloe - hope you enjoy!

can i just tell you?

it's 7:30am on a gorgeous sunday morning in october and i've been up for a while...

believe it or not i love early weekend mornings, especially this time of year. on most eeeeearly mornings up here in the berkshires, when the sky is still dark, i can see a gazillion stars in the sky.

a gazillion.

i turn the heat up, or better yet, start a fire in the wood stove and listen to the wind whip around through the trees. before i can actually see the sun come over the ridge, there is a gradual, monotone lightening of the sky and the frost-covered grass. a graveyard gray sweeps over the landscape. slowly & silently.

sitting at my kitchen table with a cup of tea watching the sun come up in the fall is like,

the ultimate in coziness.

as the sun gets closer to revealing itself above the horizon of trees the sky starts to reflect wisps of pink, orange, & blue.

photoshop ain't got nuttin' on MN.

when the sun finally hits the leaves of the trees, it's an explosion of autumnal colors above the still deep green of the field. and in the middle of it all the serenity of the dozen or so hay bales laying-in-waiting for the farmer to haul them away.



eventually the whole thing just becomes too ridiculously gorgeous to even contemplate.

know what i mean?

the preciousness of all of this is that much more acute because we all know

it's fleeting.

soon the graveyard gray will come earlier, and stay longer. the wind will whip harder and for us (M & me) it means that we are packing up two cats


who don't particularly like to travel,

some cookbooks i can't live without, 1/2 a larder full of jams, pickles, and a myriad of other preserves, a bunch of work files, 2 laptops and whatever other sundries we deem necessary for the next 6 months that we park ourselves fairly permanently in LIC.

and like those little seed garlic cloves that got pushed in the ground at just about every farm and garden plot in these parts this weekend.

my desire to be back up in the berkshires is buried, but not necessarily dormant, until spring.



pumpkin marmalade
adapted from well preserved by mary anne dragan

1 small pumpkin or winter squash (about 3 lbs)
2 lemons (preferably organic)
1 orange (preferably organic)
4 cups sugar (i use raw)
pint jars or smaller

yields approximately 1 1/2 pints

1. slice the orange and lemons in half lengthwise, take the pits out and save to the side. place cut side down on counter and cut off the tip of each citrus end. discard ends.

2. very thinly slice the the oranges and lemons. then cut each slice in 3 or 4 pieces. basically you want very small pieces of citrus with the skin very thin and the meat still on. i had some luck with stacking the slices once i sliced one half fruit. and then cut the stacks in 3 to 4 pieces. it can get a little sloppy and

that's ok. just make sure the peel pieces are small and thin.

3. place the pits in a little piece of cheese cloth & tie with twine. i use a cloth reusable tea bag for this purpose. i also sometimes use a stainless tea ball which works quite well.

4. add cut & sliced citrus pieces, seeds in cloth, and 3 cups water to a non-reactive pan (no iron or aluminum) and bring to the boil. once boiled turn it down to a low simmer and cover. simmer for approximately 30 minutes or until the peels get soft.

5. while the citrus is simmering peel and chop pumpkin. you want to cut the pieces into approximately 1/2 inch squares about 1/8 of an inch thick. this does not have to be exact but you do want them to be about this size and all similar in shape. you want about 8 cups/2 liters pumpkin once it is chopped.

6. when the citrus peel is soft remove the pit bag and squeeze out any excess juice into pan. keep the heat low, add the 4 cups sugar and let it dissolve slowly. this will take about 5 minutes.

7. add the pumpkin and turn up the heat to come to a rapid boil. it will take about 30 minutes to gel. after about 15 minutes you will want to turn the heat down a bit and to stir often to prevent sticking.

you can use the frozen plate method to test the set. but you will be able to see when it is thickening quite easily.

so here is the deal with preserving method; this recipe comes from the 3rd and very updated edition of well preserved. mary anne dragan is a respected canadian canner. in the book she states that all of the recipes are sufficiently acidic enough to render them safe for hot water bath canning. but the usda says this and this about canning pumpkin and winter squash.

so fridge or freeze it is, it will last for weeks in the fridge, and months (and months) in the freezer. you decide.

i can tell you that it's worth the real estate, and i know without a doubt, when i am sitting at my kitchen table one early winter morning in LIC watching the sun come up over the train tracks,

a just-warmed slice of toast slabbed with butter and pumpkin marmalade will be the next best thing to being there.

october love - and a birthday give away!

i am not the only one around here that loves october.
this guy thinks october means

cuddle me now it's cold in here.

he's lucky he always gets what he wants.

ok, so there's another reason why i love october

...it's my birthday month!

now, let's face it, what grown-up doesn't have some remnant of that kiddy feeling of excitement on their birthday month?

but a birthday in october when you're a kid? it's one hot cake & candy (halloween) filled mess of a month. it was great!

come to think of it, it's still great! bring on the cake & candy!!

ahem.

actually, what i came on here to say is that

it's m' birthday, it's m'birthday, it's m'birthday,
and i gots one weck jar full of straight up greengage jam to give away!

so respond by midnight on my birthday - october 22nd (this thursday) and i'll use that trusty random number generator to pick the winner of this:


don't forget to leave your email address so if you are the winner i can contact you for your snail mail. ...and also unfortunately i think i need to limit this to the usa because of customs and shizzle.

...and bonne chance!

plum hot jelly!

this weekend went by very fast! up here in the southern berkshires we had our first frost

the leaves have been whipping around and their colors...

...oh my, their colors!

i'm talking b-e-a-u-t-y folks.

and since we are talking about beautiful colors...
(we are, aren't we?)

this jelly holds one of the most beautiful colors i've yet witnessed in a jar.

ruby red to be exact.

but it's not because of it's color that i am writing to you about this,

or because of it's tingling flame-like heat
(that pairs superbly with any cheese - yes, i did just say any cheese).

although both of those attributes are enough to make me plumb hot excited about this jelly (i'm writing home about it as we speak)!

what i really love about this jelly is it tastes like october in a jar.

that is if your october has that one farmer at last saturday's market with a table full of heirloom tomatoes spread out like an antiques collector displaying his wares.

that is if your october has your local farmstand or organic market with a last wooden barrel, or possibly two, whittled down to the bottom of this year's plums and all the rest of them bulging to the brim with just picked apples.

all types.

that is if your october's garden not only has a bunch of root veggies waiting to be pulled from the ground quite expectantly, but also has in one corner a bevy of little hot chile plants that finally pulled through and have some red, purple & green orbs and trinkets hanging in it's leaves just ready to be plucked.

you see, i'm not quite ready for the cinnamony, clove-scented stuff that winter is made of. i want more of this mixed up beautiful month. i want to make it last...

and this my friends, is it.




plum hot jelly!
adapted from in season: cooking with vegetables and fruits by sarah raven

there are a couple of things that need to be said before we get on with this recipe; one is that in season: cooking with vegetables and fruits is a beauty of a book. sarah is a master gardener and a masterful cook. it is a treasure of simple, delicious recipes organized by season. i know that is nothing new at the moment but this book is most definitely a cut above.

second is that you need one of these:


trust me. i know we all be jammin' and who am i to complain but
when it must be jelly 'cause jam don't shake like that

well then all that gorgeous fruit needs to be strained. so i do suggest a jelly bag and strainer as it keeps it all neat and tidy and the bag is reusable. there are other ways to drain jelly - if you have butter muslin or really good, tight weaved cheese-cloth and can devise a way to hang the filled pouch over a large bowl then you are in business.

2 lbs tart or crab apples
2 lbs any variety plums (i used a damson variety)
3/4 cup cider vinegar
approximately 8 cups sugar (i use raw)
chiles (i used 6 one-inch long hot firebird chiles, you can use 3 two-inch long thai or cayanne, or even 3 jalapeno if you don't like the bite too hot).
6 1/2-pint canning jars, or more smaller jars

yields approximately 3 pints

day 1
1. pit plums and coarsely chop unpeeled apples. place them in a large non-reactive (no iron) preserving pan and 7 cups water. bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 1 hour. add the cider vinegar and boil uncovered for 5 minutes.

2. while this is happening take your jelly bag and boil for 10 minutes in a little pot all its own.

3. place the jelly bag on its holder set over a bowl and use a ladle to transfer the apple/plum mixture to the jelly bag

4. let the fruit drain on its own for 8 hours or overnight. important: do not press the bag or you will have cloudy jelly. depending on how large a bowl you used you may need to do some transferring, so keep an eye on it.

day 2
1. place 8 cups of sugar in a large bowl in a very low oven (about 120 degrees) for 30 minutes.

2. place water-filled jars in your canning pot and bring to the boil, boil for 10 minutes to sterilize. place 3 or even 4 small plates in the freezer to test set later on.

3. cut chiles in half and slice very fine. you can leave the seeds in or out, depending on how hot you like your jelly.

4. measure the jelly juice and for every 2 1/2 cups of juice you'll need 2 1/2 cups of sugar.

5. pour juice and warmed sugar in preserving pot and over low heat continue stirring until all the sugar has dissolved. once the sugar has completely dissolved add the chiles and turn the heat up to a vigorous boil.

important: do not stir. the key to successful jelly making is to get to the jelling point as quickly as possible to save as much of the fruity flavor. over-cooking means lack of flavor. if you stir you will most likely need to cook longer to get to the jelling point. of course adjust the heat if you need to, but keep it at a strong boil.

6. you should come to the jelling point after 15-20 minutes of boiling. check the set by placing 1 teaspoon of jelly on a frozen plate and placing plate back in freezer for one minute. then slide your finger through jelly and it should wrinkle underneath your finger. you may need to try a couple of times, if you think you are getting close turn the burner off while you do your testing.

7. let jelly stand for 15 minutes and then give it a stir to distribute chiles evenly.

8. place jelly in jars and process in a hot water bath for 5 minutes.

there you have it - october - all year long!


one last thing, cause i know you'll all be askin' about these very cute old fashion jars.
yes they are vintage jars, yes i used weck rubber rings, yes i am now addicted to ebay and...

i owe it all to marisa at food in jars and her fateful post.

thanks marisa!

good stuff grows on trees

i can't complain. i've spent the last week in favignana, sicily.

still here actually.

much as i love living in the northeast of the US. love all the wonderful apple, peach, plum & pear trees...

i can't help when i am in a different clime (ok, especially the med) to get very excited about what grows on trees!

lemons! (these are babies)


pomegranates! (not quite ripe yet)


and these:

prickly pears!

ok, so i guess they don't technically grow on trees, but if ever there was such a thing as a cactus tree, this would be it:

and they are everywhere here!

this is apparently prickly pear season in favignana because they are literally falling off the 'trees'.

CONFESSION: the name of this post was supposed to be prickly pear jelly and i had big plans to give you a really great recipe for this exotic preserve that you could use if you ever found yourself somewhere in the mediterranean around this time of year and there were tons of prickly pears falling off trees.

that said,

5 minutes and 3 splinters later i harvested these:


gorgeous huh?

they're a little bit mean though. :(

even if i can't give you a good prickly pear jelly recipe i can tell you

wear rubber gloves.

and drop them in boiling water for a minute, when you take them out most of the pricklies will be off and you can use a small knife to get the skin off.

here's a couple more things-


1. a food mill is much easier.
2. you definitely need added pectin. (which can be impossible to find on a little sicilian island in the middle of the med apparently).

but please don't think i didn't have plans for you.

and

regardless of my failed attempt at prickly pear jelly the larger point here is

good things grow on trees!



what's happening on trees right now in your part of the world?