It's that time of year again...I feel like I say this a lot. But, I guess "there is a season, turn turn turn" holds pretty true, and summer seems to be a time chock full of purposes. First there's the plethora of fresh fruit and veg at their ultimate sweetness and perfection that demands to be eaten immediately, then theres the grilling and the beer pairing, then there's dusting off the ice cream machine, and then, finally, there's the canning. I inexplicably love canning. Jars clutter the top shelf of my fridge from last year, and yet, like some crazy lady from Hoarders, here I go again adding to the pile. Even worse, I've since picked up pickling, so there's double the amount of jars fighting for space. My new strategy is to gift these little jars to all of my favorite people: friends, bartenders, baristas, kindly strangers. Anyone who wouldn't be creeped out by my offering of summertime cheer. Hoping you get bitten by the summer loving bug too, here are the recipes I've been messing around with recently: Mayfire Nectarine Pickles; Flavorosa Pluot Pickles; Fennel Pickles; Apricot, Pluot and Rosemary Jam; and Burnt Apricot, Yellow Peach and Orange Peel Jam. Try adding the fennel to your favorite sandwich, or piling the pluots on your pork chop. These bright flavors are wonderful in unexpected ways. Enjoy!
For Sweet Pickles
2 chiles
3 cloves
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 star anise
1 orange peel
- 1 cup rice vinegar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup hot water
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 lb stone fruit, pitted and sliced (halved if cherries, cut into sixths or eighths depending on size)
- The pits, smashed with a hammer and placed in a cheesecloth
Combine the hot water, sugar, vinegar and salt and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Meanwhile, sterilize your jars and lids by boiling them for at least 12 minutes and setting them aside on a clean kitchen towel. Add the spices to the hot mixture. Fill the jars with fruit (don't pack them in too much, give them a little room to float around) and pour the mixture over it. Divide up the spices evenly among the jars. Let them come to room temperature and then pop in the fridge. These pickles are best in the first week or two.
For Savory Pickles
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 chile
1/2 star anise
1 tsp black pepper corns
1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 cup rice vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 lb vegetables (in this case, thinly sliced fennel)
Combine the hot water, vinegar and salt and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Meanwhile, sterilize your jars and lids by boiling them for at least 12 minutes and setting them aside on a clean kitchen towel. Add the spices to the hot mixture. Fill the jars with vegetables (don't pack them in too much, give them a little room to float around) and pour the mixture over it. Divide up the spices evenly among the jars. Let them come to room temperature and then pop in the fridge. These pickles are best in the first week or two.
For the Jams
Apricot, Pluot, and Rosemary
1 lb apricots
1 lb pluots
1 large rosemary sprig
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 lemons, juiced
Slice the apricots and pluots, cover with the sugar and lemon and let them sit for an hour or two, or overnight if you can. Meanwhile, sanitize the jars and caps by boiling them in water for at least 12 minutes. Set them aside on a clean kitchen towel. In a large pan over medium heat, pour out the juices from the apricots and pluots, add the rosemary, and heat until it forms a syrup. Add the rest of the fruit and continue cooking for about 30 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes. Once the mixture clings to the back of a spoon and takes a second or two to ooze together after you stir through it, the mixture is ready to jam. Remove the rosemary stem. You don't want to overcook it, so remember, it should like melted...jam. Pour it into the jars, seal tight, and turn upside down. Once the jar as come to room temperature, store the jars in the fridge.
Burnt Apricot, Yellow Peach, and Orange Peel
1 lb apricots
1 lb yellow peaches
1 large orange, peeled
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 lemons, juiced
Slice the apricots and peel and slice the peaches (to make this easier, I boil the peaches for a minute or two and the skin peels right off); cover with the sugar and lemon and let them sit for an hour or two, or overnight if you can. Meanwhile, sanitize the jars and caps by boiling them in water for at least 12 minutes. Set them aside on a clean kitchen towel. In a large pan over medium heat, pour out the juices from the apricots and peaches, add the orange, and heat until it forms a syrup. Add the rest of the fruit and continue cooking for about 30 minutes. The "burnt" thing turned out to be a happy accident where I didn't stir often enough and burnt the bottom of the jam. Luckily, it tasted awesome, so I went with it. Allow the jam to toast a little on the bottom once, and then keep stirring diligently. Once the mixture clings to the back of a spoon and takes a second or two to ooze together after you stir through it, the mixture is ready to jam. You don't want to overcook it, so remember, it should like melted...jam. Pour it into the jars, seal tight, and turn upside down. Once the jar as come to room temperature, store the jars in the fridge.
:.