# Jam on it!



## Jericurl

Well, it's that jam time of year.

Post your jams, jellies, marmalades, and sauces, people! 

Currently I've got my first two batches macerating in the fridge right now.

4 lbs of apricots, 2 cups of sugar, one scraped vanilla bean, and a splash of lemon juice. When I start cooking I'll add another cup of sugar, a bit more lemon juice, and some lavender extract. This jam is so good. And it makes me feel fancy and french. Oooo la la!

My second batch is an experiment for me. 3 lbs of blackberries, 1.5 cups of sugar, and a half a cup of pinot noir. I'm going to let this sit for a couple of days, then I'll mash it, shove the pulp through a strainer to remove the seeds, cook it, then add about 1/4 tsp of mahlab. If it turns out decent I'll call it Blackberry Noir or Paris Nights or something equally pretentious.


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## Julie

I'll post up my peach butter tomorrow, good idea on the thread Jericurl!


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## the_rayway

Rhubarb is ready, and I'm in for some more of the Rhubarb Vanilla with Earl Grey Jam. Yum!


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## montanaWineGuy

I make jam every other year. 1/2 Elderberry + 1/2 Rhubarb. It takes me 2 years to consume the many jars I make, and I eat jam/peanut butter/toast almost every morning.


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## Jericurl

It's that time of year again! 

Yesterday we canned our pickled onions. We are keeping it a secret for now because we don't want everyone beating the door in wanting some. I'll hit up our onion guy at the Farmer's Market on Saturday to get more onions and we will do it again next weekend.

Today I will be making mead jam. I bought a bottle of mead from my honey supplier and we don't like it. So I will see if it translates into jam a little better.

Last year's pear/cardamom jam was a hit, as was the tomato jam (mixed with whiskey it makes a fantastic topping/marinade for pork...or put it plain on top of meatloaf, omg!), so I will definitely be doing those again when I can get my hands on fresh local produce.


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## PierreR

I made a red wine jelly a few years ago. Anyone else done this?


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## Jericurl

Yes...I've made a batch of red wine jelly every year for the last few years.


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## barbiek

Jericurl care to share the recipe for the tomato jam? When you first mentioned tomato jam I thought meatloaf! then you said how great it was on meatloaf!And am also thinking on a bagel yum thanks!


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## JohnT

PierreR said:


> I made a red wine jelly a few years ago. Anyone else done this?


 
My wife pilfers my cellar each year for wine jelly. She is lucky she is so cute or I might have a word to say about it.

I plan to put up two batches of strawberry jam on Saturday.


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## Julie

PUMPKIN BUTTER

INGREDIENTS
1 (29 oz) can pumpkin puree
¾ cup apple juice
2 tsp ground ginger
½ tst ground cloves
1 ½ cup white sugar (I use 3/4 cup Truvia)
2 tsp ground cinnamon 
DIRECTIONS
1.	Combine pumpkin, apple juice, spices, and sugar in a large saucepan; stir well. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes or until thickened. Stir frequently.
2.	Store in the refrigerator or freeze.


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## the_rayway

I just did up a batch of an experimental 4-Citrus/Vanilla Marmalade. I hate marmalade. But this recipe sounded interesting as it only uses the zest and not the pith. The vanilla bean was my addition . I used 1 grapefruit, 3 oranges, 4 lemons, and 2 limes.

So far so good. It's very sweet, but didn't come to nearly the volume the recipe said it would. I'm blaming some sub-par limes and lemons on that. I feel like it's going to be really good on pork and chicken BBQ!

I think next year I might give it a go with better fruit, and only one vanilla bean. 

On to Rhubarb next!


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## Jericurl

barbiek said:


> Jericurl care to share the recipe for the tomato jam? When you first mentioned tomato jam I thought meatloaf! then you said how great it was on meatloaf!And am also thinking on a bagel yum thanks!



Here you go: http://foodinjars.com/2010/09/tomato-jam/

I usually add in some extra red pepper or some harissa (or equally spicy blend).


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## Mismost

Jericurl said:


> Here you go: http://foodinjars.com/2010/09/tomato-jam/
> 
> I usually add in some extra red pepper or some harissa (or equally spicy blend).



After i got through gagging at the words tomato and jam used together and read the recipe...this does sound really good....and the tomatoes are fixing to flood the house!

I thought the same thing about the pepper, needs more I bet. Was also wondering about Italian seasonings...you eaten it, what do you think?


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## Jericurl

> I thought the same thing about the pepper, needs more I bet. Was also wondering about Italian seasonings...you eaten it, what do you think?



Written as is, with just some additional hot peppers added, I think this jam pairs really with African, Indian, and Middle Eastern type foods.
The nearest taste equivalent would be a hot and spicy bbq sauce...without the bbq smokey woody taste, if that makes sense. Manthing thinks it is similar to certain sun dried tomato type sauces.

Now you can omit all those spices and come up with your own Italian blend, similar to what would be used in sweet Italian sausage and I think it would do very, very well. Just don't change your sugar or acid amounts.


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## Jericurl

> She is lucky she is so cute or I might have a word to say about it.



Lol.....she knows what she can get away with!


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## the_rayway

Jericurl said:


> Here you go: http://foodinjars.com/2010/09/tomato-jam/



I'm a major fan of her stuff!


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## Mismost

Jericurl said:


> Written as is, with just some additional hot peppers added, I think this jam pairs really with African, Indian, and Middle Eastern type foods.
> The nearest taste equivalent would be a hot and spicy bbq sauce...without the bbq smokey woody taste, if that makes sense. Manthing thinks it is similar to certain sun dried tomato type sauces.
> 
> Now you can omit all those spices and come up with your own Italian blend, similar to what would be used in sweet Italian sausage and I think it would do very, very well. Just don't change your sugar or acid amounts.



Exactly what I was thinking...fennel and anise and red pepper flakes. Oh, thanks for the stuffinjars or whatever link....that lady is hoot to read and a fearless pickler


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## Jericurl

the_rayway said:


> I'm a major fan of her stuff!



I LOVE her!


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## Jericurl

She really is great. I could never be a food blogger.
The people who comment....OMG. They drive me nuts.

"Um....I changed everything about this recipe but it didn't set up properly. This recipe sucks!"

"Um...my country uses different measurements, can you post a recipe using measurements for my country?"

"I haven't made this recipe, but let me tell you my thoughts on it....."

"I can't find any tomatoes, can I substitute apples instead?"


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## Mismost

Jericurl said:


> She really is great. I could never be a food blogger.
> The people who comment....OMG. They drive me nuts.
> 
> "Um....I changed everything about this recipe but it didn't set up properly. This recipe sucks!"
> 
> "Um...my country uses different measurements, can you post a recipe using measurements for my country?"
> 
> "I haven't made this recipe, but let me tell you my thoughts on it....."
> 
> "I can't find any tomatoes, can I substitute apples instead?"



Yeah BUT....how many times have you read a recipe, gone in the kitchen and found out you don't have half of what you need, so just start slinging stuff together and it turns out amazing (ok sometimes disgusting) and always fun??!!

I love the create and eat parts...writing, not so much! She is just a good story teller...you can just see her getting tipsy and stuffing zucs in jars!


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## barbiek

Thanks Jericurl I know where my tomatoes are going only 1/2 go to salsa and I'll be sure to make this!


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## Jericurl

Here is the link for my pickled onions. This things are a huge hit served over bratwurst, or just with cheese and crackers. I've been known to open a jar and pour it in with a roast that I'm slow cooking in the crockpot as well.


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## the_rayway

Lol! The "commenters" are the absolute worst!! Everyone has an opinion (obviously), but that doesn't mean you should share it if you're an idiot!

I'm totally in love with her dilly beans. To die for! I add extra hot pepper flakes.


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## JohnT

*What do you get??*

So what do you get when you mix..

1 - bored husband driving home
+ 1 - roadside "U-PICK" strawberry stand
+ 1 - Saturday night with nothing slated
+ 1 stop off at a grocery store?

A triple batch of strawberry jam (16 jars total) 

I love the stuff, especially in winter! 

The wife told me that, for some reason, strawberry jam has trouble setting. I used 10% more pectin and the jam set just fine.


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## Jericurl

Oh man! Those look gorgeous. Do you leave it straight strawberry or do you add any spice to it?


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## JohnT

Jericurl said:


> Oh man! Those look gorgeous. Do you leave it straight strawberry or do you add any spice to it?


 

I kept it very simple.. 

6 cups of mashed strawberries, 
6 tbsp of lemon juice, 
12 cups of sugar, 
pectin.


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## JohnT

I do have 1 question.. 

I am a beginner when it comes to jam. I notice that when I made my strawberry jam, all of the fruit chunks gathered at the top. Is there any type of trick where you can get the chunks of fruit to stay mixed throughout the jam?


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## Julie

JohnT, I make freezer jam for my strawberry, this way I can use Truvia. But the other thing I do is put the jam in small containers, I think this helps with the head space.


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## CheerfulHeart

@Jericurl: Thanks for that link! I NEED to make those pickled onions, the first recipe. Pickled onions and roast...oh yum!


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## Mismost

Jericurl said:


> Written as is, with just some additional hot peppers added, I think this jam pairs really with African, Indian, and Middle Eastern type foods.
> The nearest taste equivalent would be a hot and spicy bbq sauce...without the bbq smokey woody taste, if that makes sense. Manthing thinks it is similar to certain sun dried tomato type sauces.
> 
> Now you can omit all those spices and come up with your own Italian blend, similar to what would be used in sweet Italian sausage and I think it would do very, very well. Just don't change your sugar or acid amounts.



Made it today.
WOW...made it pretty much straight up except I chopped up a red onion because I can't cook tomatoes without onion, just can't! Like spicy so doubled the red pepper flakes. This stuff is amazingly good...I actually licked the pot, spoons, and canning funnel clean.
Wife took one tasted and started digging in the freezer and pulls out a package of smoked pork butt. Pork on sourdough with tomato jam...OMG!

We going to start pitching tomatoes in the freezer during the week to make more of this stuff...and hot sauce and tomato sauce. I am going to try and figure out a Crockpot way to prep this jam. It is a real winner. Thanks for the link.


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## JohnT

Got the sugar and the blueberries. I just need to get the free stone peaches for a batch of peach / blueberry jam. I plan on doing this on Sunday. 

I do have some cucumbers and may do a batch of my dill pickle chips too!


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## Jericurl

Mismost said:


> Made it today.
> WOW...made it pretty much straight up except I chopped up a red onion because I can't cook tomatoes without onion, just can't! Like spicy so doubled the red pepper flakes. This stuff is amazingly good...I actually licked the pot, spoons, and canning funnel clean.
> Wife took one tasted and started digging in the freezer and pulls out a package of smoked pork butt. Pork on sourdough with tomato jam...OMG!
> 
> We going to start pitching tomatoes in the freezer during the week to make more of this stuff...and hot sauce and tomato sauce. I am going to try and figure out a Crockpot way to prep this jam. It is a real winner. Thanks for the link.



Glad you guys liked it. We are going to get a ton of tomatoes from the Farmer's Market and make it this next weekend. I love that stuff!


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## Jericurl

JohnT said:


> I do have some cucumbers and may do a batch of my dill pickle chips too!



Dill chips? You have my attention.
Do they stay crisp?
Recipe?


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## JohnT

I use Mrs Wages. Cheating, I know, but they are very yummy and 12 jars did not last through the fall...


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## JohnT

I did a whole bunch of canning this weekend.. 

1 batch of dill pickle chips, 
1 batch of blueberry jam, 
and one batch of strawberry jam (my second this year) 

Here is a group photo..


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