Food in Jars (27 page)
Authors: Marisa McClellan
Add 1½ tablespoons of bottled lemon juice to each prepared jar. Pour the hot tomato sauce into the jars, leaving ½ inch/12 mm of headspace.
Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 35 minutes (see
page 11
).
W
HEN I WAS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, ESPRESSO
culture hit the Pacific Northwest. Suddenly coffee shops, cafés, and drive-thru coffee shacks were everywhere. At that point, my parents still believed that I was too young to be drinking coffee and so said no to my repeated requests for iced lattes and mochas. However, once in a while they'd relent and let me order the only kid-friendly alternative, the Italian soda. I thought it was the height of sophistication. In actuality, it was nothing more than sparkling water with a shot of highly sweetened syrup stirred in.
Though I eventually became a coffee drinker, I'm still a big fan of the Italian soda concept. I make mine at home these days with sparkling water from my seltzer maker (I love this thingâit is so much better than hauling bottles of sparkling water up to my apartment from the grocery store) and a bit of homemade fruit syrup.
But even if you're not a fan of slightly sweet sparking water, don't assume that you should skip this section. Homemade syrups can do more than sweeten beverages. For example, you can whisk the Blueberry-Lemon Syrup into a basic vinaigrette for a sweet-tart salad dressing. The Rhubarb Syrup makes an excellent glaze for cakes, muffins, and scones. Stir a bit of cornstarch into the strawberry syrup and heat for a tasty pancake syrup. If you've had a hard day, stir the cranberry syrup together with some vodka and a bit of sparkling water; as a canner, I get the maximum satisfaction when I serve it over ice in a wide-mouth pint jar.
T
RADER JOE'S HAS PLAYED A SIGNIFICANT ROLE
in my life. In recent years, the specialty grocery has expanded across the country, but when I was a kid it was still just a regional chain local to California. We had one two blocks from our house. I grew up on their peanut butter-filled pretzels, juices, and popsicles. When my family moved to Oregon in 1988, one of the hardest things was leaving Trader Joe's behind. Twice a year, my dad would drive to visit family in the L.A. area and would fill the car with Trader Joe's products for the return trip. Of all the goodies he'd bring back, it was the Sir Strawberry juice that I looked forward to the most. This strawberry syrup reminds me so much of Sir Strawberry.
2 pints/715 g strawberries, hulled and chopped
2 cups/400 g granulated sugar
Prepare a boiling water bath and 4 half-pint/250 ml jars according to the process on page 10. Place the lids in a small saucepan, cover them with water, and simmer over very low heat.
Combine the strawberries with 3 cups/720 ml water in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the strawberries are soft and have given most of their color to the liquid, about 15 minutes.
Place a large fine-mesh sieve over a large bowl and strain the berries and their juice through the sieve. Let the berries drip undisturbed. Do your best to resist the urge to press the strawberry bits as this will result in a cloudy syrup.
Discard the solids in the sieve and return the strained juice to the pot. Add the sugar and bring to a boil, skimming any foam that appears on the top.
Remove the pot from the heat and pour the hot syrup into the prepared jars, leaving ½ inch/12 mm of headspace. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes (see
page 11
).
A
FTER YOU'VE MADE THE VANILLA-RHUBARB JAM
(page 22), the Rhubarb Jelly (page 68), and the Rhubarb Chutney (page 103), make sure to take this syrup for a spin. It is a vivid pink and brightly tangy on the tongue. Add a splash to a flute of Prosecco or drizzle a bit over cut melon to brighten the flavors.
1½ pounds/680 g rhubarb stalks, coarsely chopped
2½ cups/500 g granulated sugar
Prepare a boiling water bath and 4 half-pint/250 ml jars according to the process on page 10. Place the lids in a small saucepan, cover them with water, and simmer over very low heat.
Combine the chopped rhubarb with 3 cups/720 ml water in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the rhubarb is soft enough to be easily mashed with a wooden spoon, about 15 minutes.
Place a large fine-mesh sieve over a large bowl and strain the rhubarb and its juice through the sieve. Let the rhubarb drip undisturbed. Do your best to resist the urge to press the rhubarb pulp to help it release its liquid as this will result in cloudy syrup.
Discard the solids in the sieve and return the strained juice to the pot. Add the sugar and bring to a boil, skimming any foam that appears on the top.
Remove the pot from the heat and pour the hot syrup into the prepared jars, leaving ½ inch/12 mm of headspace. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes (see
page 11
).
D
URING THE SUMMER, I OFTEN MAKE BLUEBERRY-
studded pancakes. I make them only for myself since my husband had a bad encounter with blueberries as a child and won't touch them now. To turn this syrup into the perfect pancake topping, add a little cornstarch slurry and heat just until it thickens. For some reason, despite his aversion to the whole berry, Scott is happy to top his pancakes with this fruity syrup.
3 pints/890 g blueberries
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1¾ cup/350 g granulated sugar
Prepare a boiling water bath and 4 half-pint/250 ml jars according to the process on page 10. Place the lids in a small saucepan, cover them with water, and simmer over very low heat.
Place the blueberries in a medium pot and crush them with a potato masher. Add 3 cups/720 ml water and the lemon zest. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the blueberries are soft and the liquid is a vivid purple, about 15 minutes.
Place a large fine-mesh sieve over a large bowl and strain the berries and their juice through the sieve. Let the berries drip undisturbed. Do your best to resist the urge to press the blueberry bits as this will result in a cloudy syrup.
Discard the solids in the sieve and return the strained juice to the pot. Add the lemon juice and sugar and bring to a boil, skimming any foam that appears on the top.
Remove the pot from the heat and pour the hot syrup into the prepared jars, leaving ½ inch/12 mm of headspace. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes (see
page 11
).
