The Canning Kitchen (26 page)

C
HERRY
S
ODA
S
YRUP

Stretch out the short sour cherry season all year long with this delicious and natural soda syrup. Mix with sparkling water or use the syrup to add a shot of cherry flavour and colour to your cocktails.

MAKES SIX 250 ML (1 CUP) JARS

1½ lb (675 g) sour cherries

5 cups (1.25 L) water

4 cups (1 L) granulated sugar

Rinse the cherries under cool running water. Pluck off and discard the stems. Add the cherries, pits and all, to a large pot. Cover with the water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and continue cooking for 15 minutes.

Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the cherry pulp and pits.

Return the liquid to the rinsed pot. Stir in the sugar. Bring just to a boil over high heat. Remove from the heat.

Ladle into 6 clean 250 mL (1 cup) jars, leaving a ¼-inch (5 mm) headspace. Process in a boiling water bath canner for 15 minutes using the Processing Checklist on
page 17
.

TIP
For a classic cherry soda, pour ¼ cup (60 mL) of soda syrup over ice and top with about 1½ cups (375 mL) of sparkling water, or play around to find the ratio you like best.

T
HANKS

Two important ingredients went into making this book: love and support. My deep gratitude to Rueben for his unwavering encouragement, extra time with the kids and for never complaining about the hundreds of mason jars in the house. Rowan and Jasper, you’re just little now but you’ve been so good about Mommy’s long hours in the kitchen. To my mom for her constant support, deep tea towel collection and the loan of family heirlooms for photographs. To the biggest fan of preserves I know, my dad, who has been training his entire life to taste-test this book. To my friends and neighbours who came home to find jars on their doorsteps and accepted preserves whenever they were offered, your enthusiastic taste-testing skills and thoughtful feedback inspired many recipe tweaks along the way. To Keri Coles for making me look good. To my food blogging sisters Julie Van Rosendaal, Jan Scott and Renée Kohlman, thank you for cheering me on. To Dan and Micayla at The London Chef for believing in me and always making room in your kitchen for simple, good home cooking. To my copy editor, Shaun Oakey, thank you for your careful eye and helpful nudges. To the talented Andrea Magyar and her team at Penguin, thank you for seeing something in me and bringing this wonderful project into my life. All of you are in the pages of this book.

I
NDEX

A

altitude

effect on canning process,
9

apples

applesauce fruit blends,
197

butter,
202

chipotle barbecue sauce,
165

chutney, curried,
145

cinnamon brown sugar

applesauce,
198

Four-Orchard Chutney,
149

garlic rosemary jelly,
62

pie filling,
205

pie jam,
22

red wine cherry chutney,
150

spiced topping,
201

tart green, jelly,
61

apricots

halves,
225

jam,
46

and lemon marmalade,
90

asparagus

pickled,
113

B

balsamic vinegar

and strawberry jelly,
73

barbecue sauce

Bing cherry,
162

chipotle apple,
165

smoky peach,
166

sweet chili,
161

beans (green)

dill pickled,
106

hot and sour pickled,
109

beer

grainy mustard,
185

beets

pickled,
110

berries

triple jam,
34

bird’s-eye chilies

and grapefruit marmalade,
98

sweet Thai chili chutney,
157

blackberry

vanilla jam,
30

blender,
13

blueberries

applesauce fruit blends,
197

and lime jam,
33

and orange marmalade,
94

sauce,
218

triple berry jam,
34

boiling water bath canning

about,
5

equipment for,
11

safety of,
5

botulism,
5

bread and butter pickles,
102

bubbles

removing,
16
,
17
–
18

butters

apple,
202

salted caramel pear,
206

C

cabbage

and red onion pickle,
114

canning rack,
11
–
12

cheesecloth,
14

cherries

Bing, barbecue sauce,
162

sour, jam,
41

sour, soda syrup,
233

sweet, Four-Orchard Chutney,
149

sweet, red wine chutney,
150

sweet, sunrise jam,
38

chili peppers

and pineapple jelly,
69

chocolate.
See
cocoa

chutneys

cumin-scented mango,
141

curried apple,
145

five-spice plum,
153

four-orchard,
149

peach, with garam masala,
146

red wine cherry,
150

rhubarb raisin,
154

spiced pear cranberry,
142

sweet Thai chili,
157

cocoa

and raspberry jam,
53

coconut

and lime marmalade,
93

corn

southwest relish,
13

cranberries

and orange sauce,
214

and pear spiced chutney,
142

cucumbers

bread and butter pickles,
102

dill pickle relish,
122

dill pickles,
105

green relish,
121

Hot Dog Relish,
125

currants

jelly,
74

cutting board,
12

D

dill

bean pickles,
106

and lemon mustard,
182

pickle relish,
122

pickles,
105

E

elevation

and canning process,
9

equipment,
3

blender,
13

boiling water bath canner,
11

bubble remover,
16

canning rack,
11
–
12

cheesecloth,
14

citrus juicer,
15

cutting board,
12

food mill,
15

food processor,
15

funnel,
15

headspace measuring tool,
16

jar lifter,
16

jelly bag,
14

kitchen scale,
16

kitchen string,
14

knives,
12

ladle,
12

lids,
13

magnetic lid lifter,
16

masher,
14

Mason jars,
12

measuring cups and spoons,
13

peeler,
14

pot,
13

wooden spoon,
15

F

fennel

and thyme relish,
137

food mill,
15

food processor,
15

freezer plate test,
7

fruit types: frozen and overripe,
8

funnel,
15

G

garlic

pickled,
193

and rosemary apple jelly,
62

ginger

and mandarin orange marmalade,
86

and pear jam,
45

sliced pickled,
190

grape

jelly,
58

grapefruit

and chili marmalade,
98

green peppers

corn relish,
134

green relish,
121

Rainbow Pepper Relish,
133

tomatillo salsa verde,
177

and tomato salsa,
174

and zucchini sweet relish,
126

H

habanero pepper

and orange jelly,
66

headspace

checking,
17

measuring tool,
16

honey

grainy mustard,
185

hot peppers.
See also
bird’s-eye chilies; chili peppers; habanero pepper; jalapeño pepper

pickled,
118

J

jalapeño pepper

corn relish,
134

and mango jelly,
70

spinach and herb chimichurri,
178

tomatillo salsa verde,
177

jams

apple pie,
22

apricot,
46

blackberry vanilla,
30

blueberry lime,
33

ginger pear,
45

kiwi,
42

lemon raspberry,
54

nectarine vanilla bean,
49

peach,
50

raspberry cocoa,
53

red plum,
37

rhubarb,
29

sour cherry,
41

strawberry,
25

strawberry rhubarb,
26

sweet cherry sunrise,
38

triple berry,
34

jars

filling,
17

lifter for,
16

lowering into canner,
18

Mason,
12

removing from canner,
19

reusing,
4
–
5

sterilizing,
4

storing,
5

wiping rims,
18

jellies

Coronation grape,
58

currant,
74

garlic rosemary apple,
62

mango jalapeño pepper,
70

mint,
78

orange habanero,
66

pineapple pepper,
69

pink lemonade,
81

pomegranate,
77

red pepper,
65

strawberry balsamic,
73

tart green apple,
61

jelly bag,
14

juicer,
15

K

ketchup

tomato,
173

kitchen scale,
16

kitchen string,
14

kiwi

jam,
42

knives,
12

L

labelling,
19

ladle,
12

lemonade

green tea concentrate,
230

pink, jelly,
81

lemons

and apricot marmalade,
90

and dill mustard,
182

Meyer, marmalade,
89