Blueberrry Jam

How can you not fall in love with that color?

Paying $1.99 for a pint of blueberries last week got me pretty excited. Berries tend to be a bit of an expensive treat for my single income household. They were so delicious too! Usually if we do buy blueberries, you get some that are way too tart. This is an added price you pay for purchasing fruit that is not in season. In keeping with my new motivation to eat fresh and local, as well as my new canning adventure, I decided I would make blueberry jam. Especially since it was one of the only jam recipes I have come across that did not need added pectin.


I was told one of our local farms had started harvesting their fresh blueberries. Since I wanted to stick with local fruit, I made the half hour drive to the farm on Sunday morning to get my berries to use in the jam. Unfortunately they did not have any homegrown berries for me, but they did have pints shipped out of New Jersey. I guess that was better than the California berries that are on sale at the supermarket. I was also disappointed in the price. $3.99 a pint!! Not so cheap, but I already my heart set on making jam. The recipe called for 8 cups of blueberries, so I spent almost $16 on blueberries alone. Next time I will try and check some pricing before I decide what I'm making. The whole point of my canning adventure is to have fruits and veggies purchased during their peak (cheap) season last me through the winter. I did get some fresh homegrown strawberries for a low cost that I plan on drying tonight.
 **I went shopping Monday night, before I published this post, and found blueberries for $1.49 a container. Sadly, they were from California so they were not ideal, but I couldn't let that price go to waste! I bought another 4 pints to make another batch tonight.

This recipe is in a two part process. First you need to make the jam, then you need to can it if you do not plan to use it right away. If you are canning your jam, I suggest setting up your canner before you start making the jam. You will need to put your jars in the canner and fill it with water to 2 inches above the jars. Cover (do not lock lid) and bring to a rolling boil.

To make Blueberry Jam:

• 8 cups blueberries
• 1 cup sugar*
• 1/4 cup bottled lemon juice 

 Put all blueberries in a medium sized saucepan. Using a hand potato masher, press the blueberries to release their juices. Slowly bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Stir in sugar, then stir in lemon juice. Continue to boil until jam reaches desired gel (see gel test below), stirring frequently. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir a few times during this 5 minutes to help any bubbles escape.

*the original recipe I followed called for 2 cups sugar. I was unaware that my sugar supply was low and did not realize until I had already started to cook the berries. With only 1 cup left, I used what I had and hoped for the best! Some of the jam recipes I've read state the correct amount of sugar is necessary for the jam to gel properly. My jam turned out great, so I adjusted the recipe I'll use from now on to 1 cup. Why add the extra cup of sugar if it is not needed?

It was so interesting watching my pot of blueberries turn into jam. The color transformation was amazing. It went from being the typical blue of the berry, to a pink/fuchsia, then to a deep purple. Boiling down to a gel was a bit more time consuming and messy than I had expected. Occasionally the bubbles from the boil would burst and send drops of jam into the air, which landed on my stove, walls, and arms if I was stirring. Luckily my limbs survived, but I am pretty sure some of the droplets of jam stained the paint on my walls. It is not very noticeable, unless you are looking very closely. I am baffled at how to prevent this from happening. Putting a lid on the pot may cause it to not reduce down to a gel. The only idea coming to me at the moment is to take up some sheets of tin foil on the walls surrounding the oven. Maybe next time. Please leave a comment if you have any other ideas that may help!

To Can Using the Boiling Water Method:

The recipe I followed suggested using the boiling water method of preserving. Some of my research said this method is archaic and should not be used. The recipe came out of a book that lists both the boiling water method and pressure cooking method as good systems of preservation, depending on the ingredients canned. Seems to me some foods, such as greens and meats, need specific pounds of pressure to ensure the integrity of the food stays intact. Other foods can be canned using the boiling water method safely. I am a newbie, so I plan on following the directions on specific recipes and hoping for the best! One day I hope to be able to speak with more knowledge on the subject.

1. Prep your jars. This is what I suggested to do before you started cooking the jam. Your canner will take a long time to boil and you do not want the finished jam sitting around (aka collecting bacteria) waiting for the jars to be ready. Fill the canner with jars. You want as many that will fit in the pot, no matter what your expected yield. They are going to be processed with rolling boiling water and having a filled pot will prevent them from falling over. Fill the jars and pot with water, covering the jars with at least 2 inches of water.
2. When jam is ready, remove a jar with jar tongs and dump water into a bowl with jar lids. The hot water will prep the lids by softening the seal. Stand jar on a laid out towel on your counter. 
3. Spoon jam into jar, leaving 1/4" head space. Be sure to remove all bubbles from jam. 
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until you run out of jam. 
5. Use a damp cloth and wipe the edges of the jars. To ensure a proper seal, nothing can be between the lid and the jar.
6. Lift a lid out of the hot water bath with a magnetic wand and center it on top of your jar. Repeat  for all jars. 
7. Fasten rings on jars to finger-tip tight. Basically, when you start to feel resistance, stop. You do not want the rings tight at all. 
8. Lower jars back into pot and return to a rapid rolling boil. Once the boil is rolling, set a timer for 10 minutes. 
9. Turn off heat and let jars sit for 5 minutes before moving out of water.
10. After 5 minutes, remove jars and set on a towel that is laid out on the counter. You will have a little pool of water on top of the lid. Resist the urge to tip jar and pour off. The cans are not sealed yet. Tipping the jars could hinder the sealing process. You will hear the lids make a pop sound. That is the happy sound of your lids sealing.
11. Let jars cool overnight.
12. Check seals by gently pressing up on the edge of the lid. A sealed lid will not budge

I think I did a good job pressuring these half-pints. There seemed to be no signs of a faulty seal. One jar did seem to have a few droplets of water on the inside of the lid. Not sure if this is a bad sign or not, but I will definitely be keeping an eye on it. One of my jars wound up being opened the very next morning. I was packing a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, which is my go-to lunch option when I have nothing already cooked up on Monday's, and realized I had no open jelly. Even though I had a jar of store bought grape jelly in the cabinet, I could not resist using the new blueberry jam. It was delicious! Sophia tasted the jam as soon as it was finished cooking and said she didn't like it. I still packed her a peanut butter and jam sandwich for lunch at school and she came home with no complaints. She must not have realized she was trying something new when it was disguised as a typical pb&j.

Gel test:

Stick a plate in the freezer. Drip a small amount of jam onto cold plate and let cool. Using your finger, attempt to push the jam across the plate. If the blob of jam wrinkles, it is ready. If it smears, continue to let it cook.

Adventures in Veggie Land

This year I am on a health kick, or at least I try to be. I definitely have stepped up my game with my eating habits. A girlfriend and I decided to split a CSA share at one of our local farms. CSA=community supported agriculture. Basically you buy a share of the farm as kind of an investment. Each week you can go pick up your share of whatever the land produced that week. You go and they tell you how much of what produce you can take. It is a great way to eat local and fresh goods, while trying some new things that you may not have thought to pick up at the market. Our CSA program started last week and ran through November. We did not split up the share last week, since I was away on vacation. This week is my first week with my pile of veggies. Next week it will be my turn to visit the farm and pick up our load.

When we signed up, the farm provided a list of which foods we could hope for. Spring time yields an abundance of leafy greens:

• Broccoli
• Scallions
• Chard
• Asian Greens
• Escarole
• Lettuce
• Turnips
• Radishes
• Spinach
• Peas
• Beets
• Dill
• Cilantro
• Fennel

This week we received: Broccoli, scallions, swiss chard, romaine lettuce, red leaf lettuce, radishes (with greens attached), fresh basil, turnip greens, and swiss chard.

I have a feeling my broth bags will be filling up very rapidly during our time with this CSA. Hopefully I can use as much of these veggies as possible. I definitely don't want to have any go to waste. I don't know have plans yet for my entire veggie load, but I do have some things figured out. For lunch tomorrow; I made a salad with radish greens, romaine lettuce, a sliced radish, and a tomato. I diced up all the scallions and stuck them in the freezer. They will keep for up to 6 months. I found a recipe for swiss chard and mushrooms that I would like to make for Meatless Monday. Having 3 heads of lettuce could be a problem for me, since I am not a huge fan of lettuce based salad. I may need to make lettuce wraps one night for dinner.

***UPDATE 6/8/12 I do not recommended making a salad with radish greens. I read this suggestion on some website. I really wish I could remember the website, because I would leave a comment telling them how horrible the idea is! Radish leaves are pokey, which I did not realize until I had them in my mouth. UGH! Trial and error is a great part of cooking, except when you bring something to work for lunch that is horrible and you have no other food to fill your belly!

This is very exciting for me. Hopefully the CSA works out well for us this year. I love having a fresh stocked kitchen!

An Introduction to Pressure Canning

 

As my regular readers (do I have any?) know, I am a huge supporter of homemade broth. It was one of my first proactive steps into being more eco-friendly. I love that it helps save money in multiple ways. By using the parts of the vegetable that is not normally cooked, I squeeze every penny out of my produce purchases. Then whenever I want to make soup, I do not have to pick up store bought (aka processed) broth. I usually always have some on hand. Since I started making my own broth, I have come to make total use of my freezer. Lately, I have been eating much healthier which means my veggie scrap bags were filling up faster than I could make and store broth. The last batch of broth needed to be used up almost completely before I could even think about adding more jars to the collection. My freezer wound up being so packed with jars and veggie scrap bags that I had to buy small bins to organize everything else. Before I put the bins in place, things were falling out every time I opened the door. Pretty soon, investing in a second freezer began sounding like the best next move. Purchasing a new major appliance would have been too much of a burden on my already tight budget. Luckily my mother, offered up the freezer she has kept in her basement since I was a little girl. This seemed to be my solution. With all my new frigid storage space, I could jump into storing more soup, making homemade tomato sauce, make more broth, and who knows what else! All while leaving my kitchen freezer free to use for more daily functions. Great plan!

...Until I thought about the spike this might cause in my electric bill. The spike in the electric bill would be due to a large amount of added energy my household would start using. I make my own broth to be more green. Adding a major appliance seemed to be going backward. Back to the drawing board...

I really don't remember how I stumbled upon the idea of canning. It had nothing to do with storing my broth though. Somehow I managed to get interested and ordered a canning recipe book from Amazon. Funny - I can remember so many tiny little details of my life, but I can't remember how I got interested in my newest culinary adventure. So I bought this book and I have had a nice collection of mason jars for a while now, but I still was not completely sold. The idea of preserving fruits and veggies while they are in season (aka CHEAP) was majorly appealing. The whole process just seemed like a crap load of work though. Plus the risk of botulism seemed pretty scary. I could spend my time, energy, and money canning all this stuff that could make us sick? Oh No! Still, I kept doing my research on the process. Apparently using a boiling water bath is the dangerous method, but pressure canners are more safe. Problem is, pressure canners are a bit costly. The cheapest one I found was $80. For a few weeks, I debated whether it would be worth making the investment. Then, I stumbled upon someones blog post discussing canning homemade broth and I was sold! A one time payment of $80 is much cheaper than the monthly costs of a raised electric bill. The smaller environmental impact is also a huge bonus. Now I sound like an infomercial. 

She is a monster!

The canner is now mine! I have big plans for the summer of canning. "Putting up" all those in season veggies can get me through the the winter months; when the prices of fruits and veggies seem to always skyrocket. I can maximize my consumption of local fresh veggies and minimize my carbon footprint. Buying vegetables in the winter often means they had to be shipped long distances to get to you. They are definately not as fresh as they could be and just think about the amount of fuel it took to get that food to your kitchen. The distance and amount of fuel used to ship food is known as food miles. Focusing on eating local will cut down the food miles needed and also help your local economy. What's not to love? Maybe the extra work that is needed. Ill have to set aside some hours specifically for my canning activities. Last night sure was an adventure while I tried out the canner for the first time! Sometimes it is probably better that I live with just my child. As I make my way through any recipe, I tend to make loud sound effects and talk to myself. Throwing in a large heavy duty piece of kitchen artillery to the mix made for some interesting scenes.

Canning is kind of a long process. Once I get the hang of it, hopefully I will become a bit more efficient than I was last night. The freezing method is much faster. Since I started with broth, I am going to share the directions for canning broth. I have only done this once, so I am not sure if the directions would be the same for any other recipe. Actually, I am pretty sure the amount of pressure length of cooking time needed will vary depending on specific ingredients. I don't know much, but I am learning and I promise to share whatever I learn with you.

Here is the directions I found that convinced me to get started with canning: http://www.culinate.com/mix/dinner_guest/how_to_pressure_can_stock Since this is not a subject I know much about and it seems to be an exact science, I am going to share her directions with you along with my notations and experiences.
**I learned a long time ago to always site your sources. No plagiarism, kids!

1. Place your stock in a large pot and bring it to a simmer.If you make your stock in the crock pot, like I do, I don't think this step is necessary. I did do this last night, but read that this extra heating process can make the stock cloudy and effect the taste. I think you can drain the veggies from the broth and keep it in the crock pot on either the low or warm setting until you are ready to fill your jars.
2. Put the necessary number of jars (either pints or quarts) in the pressure canner. Fill the pot with three to four inches of water and put enough water in the jars to keep them from floating. Put the lid on the canner (you don’t need to lock it into place at this point) and bring it to a boil.
3. Put the canning lids in a small saucepan, cover them with water, and place the pan over very low heat, in order to soften the sealing compound.
4. When the jars are hot and the stock is simmering, remove one jar from the pot. Empty the water into the sink and carefully fill it with stock, leaving a generous inch of space between the surface of the stock and the top of the jar. Do this carefully!! If you are serious about canning, you may want to buy a set of jar tongs. I do not have my jar tongs yet, so it was very awkward with my regular tongs and oven mitt trying to get the hot jars out of boiling water and then pouring them out.
5. Wipe the rim of the jar with a cloth dipped in white vinegar (to help cut any grease), apply a warm lid, and screw on a ring band. I read a tip somewhere that it helps to pour 2 Tbsp of vinegar into the pot water to cut down on the water marks left on the jar. I did this. My jars still have water marks and now I have to scrub the smell of vinegar out of my canner. Great tip :(
6. Place the filled jar into the pressure canner and repeat the process until all your jars are filled and the stock gone.
7. Put the lid on the pressure canner and lock it into place.
8. Bring the heat up and let the canner run with an open vent for 10 minutes. You want to get as much air out of the canner as possible.
9. When the stream of steam coming out of the vent lessens, put the vent weight on the port. If you’re using a weighted pressure canner, choose the 10 pounds of pressure side of the weight.I waited 20 or so minutes and the steam stream only lessened slightly. Be careful putting the weight on the port!!! That steam is hot and we do not need any burns! I looked lovely trying to get my weight on my pot. I had my hands covered in oven mitts and used a long set of tongs.I dropped the damn thing 3 times before I managed to get it on the pot!
10. If you’re using a gauged pressure canner, watch your gauge. You need it to reach 11 pounds of pressure.
11. Once the weight is jiggling the appropriate number of times per minute, or the gauge has reached 11 pounds of pressure, set a timer for 25 minutes.
12. Keep tabs on your pot to ensure that the jiggles or gauge number don’t drop below their prescribed levels. You may need to reduce the heat to keep the pot where it should be, pressure-wise. If it goes higher than 11, lower your heat. If it goes lower than 11, raise your heat. Simple enough.
13. When the time is up, turn the heat off under the pot and let it cool completely before touching. I tend to do my pressure canning right before I go to bed, so that I can leave it to cool all night long.I waited a few hours and got antsy. The pressure was all the way down and the jars were warm, yet not too hot to handle.
14. When the pressure is totally down and the jars are cool enough to handle, remove the jars from the pot. Wash them (the stock often leaks a tiny bit during processing, which can make the jars a little grungy) and remove the rings.
15. Label with the contents and date and store in a cool, dark place. Masking tape!
16. Pressure-canned stock will keep up to a year on the shelf.

So I tried to can 3 quarts of broth. Two of my jars sealed perfectly, while the third (on the right) was kind of questionable. The rubber seal around the lid seemed completely sealed, but the center of the lid bubbled up a little. The two jars that sealed properly were very smooth and almost seemed sunken in a little. Canning recipes say if you do not get a proper seal, you can refrigerated the product and use it within a week usually. I left my jars out on the counter overnight. I am almost positive now the third jar did not have a proper seal. The color turned much darker than the other two jars. Leaving it out without the proper seal must have done something to the broth so I dumped that one. It is a shame I left it out instead of putting it right in the fridge, but it was all a learning experience. At least now I know some signs to recognize an improperly sealed jar.

For my first canning experience, I think a success rate of 2 out of 3 is pretty good!

One Pot Wonder

Talk about a quick easy dinner. I used one of my mother's favorite techniques of throwing random food and chicken in a pot and letting it cook. Unfortunately my mother and I do not see eye to eye on food preparation, so instead of her usual butter, Alfredo (or cream of chicken soup), chicken, and veggie concoction; I created a healthier one pot wonder. Having no idea what to do for dinner yesterday morning, I pulled out some chicken to thaw and contemplated the meal while I was working. Again, with the American mindset of meat = dinner. Bad habits are hard to break! As much as I like to stay away from processed foods, I do have some of those Lipton flavored rice packets in my cabinet. I very rarely use them, but they are a quick fix when I am all out of meal ideas. My dinner was in peril of becoming a processed flavored rice mix, baked chicken, and steamed veggies. How boring!!

After work, I went to the gym and worked my butt off. I really needed that post vacation workout to get my body back on track after the vacation food bender. At least we did a lot of walking while we were away. After 45 minutes of intensive cardio, there was no way my body wanted that salty, processed, and dehydrated crap. Luckily I had some fresh veggies on hand, because a brilliant idea hit!

You could prepare this recipe with any assortment of veggies you have on hand. All you need to know is their cooking times to make sure you dont over-do one type while not completely cooking another. The recipe I am providing is simply what I used. Use more or less of whatever you want. You can even change it up completely.

• 1 bunch kale, ribs removed and leaves torn into bite sized pieces
• 2 potatoes, sliced
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 chicken breast, diced
• 2 cups veggie broth
• 8 mushrooms, quartered
• Just a dash of garlic powder

Put all ingredients, except mushrooms, in a large pot.Cover and simmer on medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Add mushrooms. Cover and simmer for another 5-10 minutes. Make sure the chicken pieces are fully cooked. Add garlic powder and serve.

At first this meal was a little bland for my taste buds, so I added a dash of ground pepper. After a bite or two, I really did enjoy this quick and easy meal. As an added bonus, I felt very full after just one bowl. I didn't have to eat a lot to be satisfied. Must have been the kale! I didn't put too much kale in Sophia's bowl. It does have a strong and unusual flavor, so it is one I am slowly introducing to her. Her bowl was filled with chicken, onions, mushrooms (which she instantly picked out), and potatoes. My child may be the only one in existence that does not like french fries, but she sure does like cooked onion. Which brings me to a thought....

Many people consider me strict when it comes to meal times. I'll admit that I am. I have my reasons though. A friend of mine complained just last night that she has to get up from her meal multiple times at dinner to retrieve something for her indecisive child. I would never judge a mother on how she runs her household, but that is something I just couldn't do. A lot of times, sitting down to a meal is the only break in the day I get. Heck, sometimes it is not even a break, since I work through a lot of my lunches. I make sure Sophia has everything she needs to enjoy her dinner (sometimes I forget the ketchup, but she can reach that herself if she wants it). What I serve is what's for dinner. Very occasionally, when I try a new exotic or spicy recipe, I will make her something else - but only after she tries at least 3 bites. A child will usually eat what is provided for them, especially when they know it is the only option. I believe that my child is not a very picky eater is directly correlated with not giving her the option. If she wants to eat, she eats what she is given. No snacks if she doesn't eat enough and definitely no snacks immediately after dinner when she does not finish her plate. My child eats and enjoys just about every vegetable that I serve. Some days she may not like something, but I continue to serve it to her. On more than one occasion, she liked it a second or a third tasting. I also do not tell her the name for some of the more questionable veggies on her plate. Instead of letting her brain decide what she likes, it forces her taste buds to decide. That has been my best method in getting her to like something she previously was not a fan of. My way may not work for everyone, but I think it is a good way to be. Believe me, it would be much easier to pop in some microwavable (processed) chicken nuggets each night instead of listening to her whining and compromising on how much she is supposed to eat. Sometimes the better choice is not always the easiest...

I must say, it was really nice not having to slave over the stove for dinner. I was able to get some other things done around the house while dinner was cooking. As a single mom, I don't always have that luxury!

Potato Onion Soup

I've come to realize, even as infrequent as my posts have become (being a single mom is busy business), I am mostly only posting vegetarian recipes. I do not want to give the impression that I turned full on vegetarian, though I would love to have that sort of commitment. It's just the only new recipes I have been interested in are vegetarian. One of the big obstacles keeping me from going vegetarian is the typical American mindset. We were born and raised to think dinner is meat. Deciding what to make for dinner, especially quick easy meals during the week, is so hard if I don't have meat as the main course to build from. Lots of vegetarian dishes seem so much like side dishes, I have a hard time making them my complete meal. I've been working on it. I love the idea of making vegetarian soup, since the leftovers make for a couple nice and easy work lunches. Pasta's are an easy vegetarian fix, but I do not want to rely on them too much. I am always on the lookout for my bulging waist line. The mommy muffin top is going down, but is not gone completely! So, that is the explanation of why most of my recipes seem geared towards vegetarian. The health and environmental benefits of going meatless are astronomical, so learning to cook with little to no meat is a major interest of mine lately!

Figuring out a meatless meal for last night's Meatless Monday was a bit of a challenge. We just came back from a week vacation and the fridge was close to empty. I stayed meatless for the Monday on vacation, but cannot claim to have eaten healthy for the rest of the week. I even drank SODA a couple times ::gasp:: Well, now we are back to reality and a whole 7 lbs heavier. While I was planning to stop at the market to gather up some fruits and veggies to stock our fridge, keep in mind I was also having to work with a post-vacation budget. Before vacation, I cleared out all the veggies that would not last the week away. All I had left in my kitchen was onions, potatoes, carrots, and garlic. By googling recipes containing onions and potatoes, I stumbled upon a great soup.Luckily I had some homemade veggie broth in the freezer.

• 4 onions, sliced thin
• 7 potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed and sliced
• 4 - 5 cups vegetable broth
•  2 Tbsp oil
• 3 Tbsp milk **optional. I used soy, but regular milk could work as well.

One think I loved about this recipe is the prep work can be done as you go.

Slice the onions and put into a large pot with the oil and cook on low heat. Slice up the garlic and add to pot. Continue to cook on low until onions start to soften. Peel and dice potatoes, then add to pot with onions. Stir to coat all ingredients with the oil. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add broth. Bring to a boil. Cook until potatoes are very soft. Stir in the milk if you are using it.
Mash with a hand masher or let cool to process in a blender, depending on your desired consistency. I was really hungry, so I just used a hand masher.

This recipe took about an hour to create. A little long for during the week, but the second half hour is not very hands on. If you are short on time, most soups can be made ahead and frozen! A quick defrost could set you on your way to a nice delicious soup.

Another thing I love about this recipe is the simplicity. There are no herbs, salt, or pepper and it works wonderfully. Since I used my homemade broth, the sodium is minimal. This is a great recipe to have on hand when you are low on ingredients or cash. I also had carrots on hand, but decided not to use them. Next time I definitely would. The more veggies, the better!

Sophia has been having a hard time eating lately. For a while, she was doing much better. She was eating everything on her plate and was very proud of herself! Lately, she complains that her stomach is hurting at just about every meal, yet she never complains of these pains at any other time. I am sure this is because she does not want to sit through the boring task of eating a real meal when she would rather be having snacks instead. She very rarely complains about the taste of a dish, but it's the actual eating that seems cumbersome. Last night she did not want to eat her soup, but she also was not saying it taste bad. I managed to get her to eat half the soup along with a slice of buttered bread. Since she did not complain about the taste, I will definitely be making this again.