Cinnamon-y Pear Sauce

This recipe is, like many of my preserving recipes, is pretty simple to make. Please feel free to use whatever type of pear you like (or a mixture of pears.) You could also make this with cooking apples. The cinnamon can be increased or left out. The sugar can be reduced or increased. Taste it as you go along, and let your palate be your guide.

Just don't reduce the lemon juice; you need the acidity of the lemons because it acts as a preservative.

Bonus: Your house will smell incredible while this mixture of pears, sugar and cinnamon is simmering away on your stove!

Makes ~ 3 pints

• 7 large pears, peeled, quartered & cored* (~ 5 pounds) 
• 1 juicy lemon, zested and juiced (You need 3 Tablespoons of juice.)
• 3/4 cup water
  
• 1/4 - 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1.) Prepare the canning jars and keep hot until ready to use; prepare lids according to the manufacturer's instructions. 

2.) *Combine water and lemon juice & lemon zest in a large, heavy-bottomed, non-reactive pan and drop the pears into them as you cut them up to prevent browning.

3.) Heat the pears and water/lemon mixture to a strong simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the pears become tender. At this point, gently smash the pear quarters with a potato masher.

4.) Simmer for 10 more minutes, then break out the immersion blender. (If you don't have one, get one! You will use it for pureeing soups, gravies, sauces, fruit butters and preserves, and wonder how you lived this long without one.)

Note: If you don't have animmersion blender (aka "hand blender") you can let the mixture cool a little bit, and run it through a food mill, or let it cool to room temperature and puree it in a food processor.

5.) When the mixture is smooth, continue to simmer, adding 1/4 cup of sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon of good quality ground cinnamon. (You can leave the cinnamon out too...it will still be delicious.) As the mixture cooks, it will reduce, and the natural sweetness of your pears will really shine.

6.) You might not need any more sugar or cinnamon; it's all a matter of taste. I have made this with no sugar, or as much as 3/4 cup of sugar. It all depends on the pears used, so just taste it as it cooks and adjust accordingly.

7.) Simmer until it's reached your preferred thickness, stirring often to keep the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

6.) Ladle jam into clean hot jars, leaving 1/4" headspace.

7.) Using a chopstick or plastic knife, pop any air bubbles you might see in the Monkey Butter.

8.) Wipe rims spotlessly clean and place a sealing lid on top the jar. Next, screw a band onto the jar until it's "finger-tight".

9.) Process jars in a Boiling Water Bath for 10 minutes (half pints) and 15 minutes (pints).

> If jars lid seals it will easily keep for one year in a cool, dark place. If jar doesn't seal, place it in your refrigerator and eat within 3 months, or within one month of opening.

If you'd rather not seal the jars, just place the finished Pear Sauce in a container with a tight-fitting lidding, and store in the refrigerator for a month, or in the freezer for 6 months. Remember, if freezing, to leave an inch or so for expansion.

Dilly Pickled Onion Slices

This is the best of both worlds: the flavors of a dill pickle and the convenience of a pre-sliced onion, just waiting for you in a jar in your fridge.

These onion slices have no bite...the compounds that make onions sharp or hot tasting are cooked out. You are left with an almost sweet, but still crunchy pickle that is great on sandwiches of any type, including burgers, or on broiled or grilled meats and fish. Add a few to an antipasti platter and watch people's eyes light up when they bite into these fun-nions.

Note: These can be made spicy, if you like, by adding a few red pepper flakes when you make the brine.

Makes 1 pint jar

• 2 medium yellow onions
  
• 1 cup distilled white vinegar (or any kind, as long as the label says"5% acidity") 
  
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon pickling, kosher or sea salt
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 teaspoon dill seed
• Optional: 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1.) Cut the ends off of the onions, then cut in half (end to end). Peel off onion skin and tough outer layers. Place each half of onion cut-side down on a cutting board and slice into 1/2" slices. Set the onions to the side.

2.) In a saucepan large enough to accommodate the sliced onions, combine the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt (and red pepper flakes, if you are using them). Bring to a boil and stir just long enough to dissolve the sugar and salt.

3.) Add the onion slices to the mixture and stir well to combine. Cook over medium-high heat, until the mixture boils. The onion slices should start to soften fairly quickly, and as soon as they do, shut the burner off.  You don't want the onions to become mushy, translucent, or lose their crunch, but you do want them to be flexible.

4.) Using a canning funnel, if you have one, and tongs, transfer the onion slices to a pint jar, packing them in fairly tightly. (Depending on the size of the onions used, they might not all fit into one pint jar. You might need to step up to a bigger jar.)

5.) Sprinkle dill seeds and chopped garlic over the top of the onion slices, then pour hot brine (vinegar mixture) over the top of the onions and cover with a tight fitting lid. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate, consuming within a month or so. 

Note: Let the brine cool first if you are opting to use a plastic container. 

If you want to process this mixture so that it's shelf-stable:

6.) Ladle the onions into a clean, hot jar then pour hot brine over the onions leaving 1/2" headspace.

7.) Using a chopstick or a plastic knife blade, remove any trapped air bubbles. Wipe rims, clean with a damp paper towel, then place lids on jars. Screw bands onto jars until finger-tight and process for 10 minutes in Boiling Water Bath. 

8.) After processing, set jars aside to cool undisturbed for 24 hours. Check seal, and it it's concave, store in a cool dark place for one year. If seals didn't take (or if they pop back up when you press down on them) just stick the jar in the fridge. The vinegar will keep them preserved as long as you keep them cold.

Remember, if they don't all fit in one pint jar, you can always just eat the extra slices right then and there. I have been known to do that even if it's 8:00 a.m. They are addictive, any time of the day OR night.

Evergreen Syrup

Feel free to use the fresh tips of any type of evergreen tree that has needles, like Douglas Fir, White Pine, or Blue Spruce.

Just use common sense. Make sure the branches are high enough on the tree that they haven't been exposed to the habits of neighborhood dogs, that they aren't so close to a main thoroughfare that the needles are coated with car exhaust, and that you are familiar enough with the area that you know the trees haven't been sprayed with any kind of pesticide.

Use the syrup in cocktails or mocktails, or experiment with the syrup when baking. Try adding a touch to buttercream frosting or bundt cake glazes.

If you want your syrup to be REALLY green in color, try pureeing some chopped parsley with the mixture during the blending phase.

Adding 1/2 ounce of vodka to the syrup will act as a preservative, enabling you to keep it fresh (in the refrigerator) for a few more weeks at least.

Makes about 2 cups   

• 1 cup evergreen needles, stripped from a fresh evergreen branch, which has been thoroughly washed and allowed to dry
  
• 2 cups water
  
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley, for color (optional)
• 2 TBS vodka, as a fixative (optional)

1.) Add water and sugar to a saucepan, and bring to a boil while stirring over medium-high heat. When sugar has dissolved, add the evergreen needles, and boil for approximately 10 minutes.

2.) Remove from heat and let cool.

3.) Pour contents of saucepan into a blender, along with parsley, if using, and puree for a minute or two, until evergreen needles are finely chopped.

4.) Place a damp coffee filter or cheesecloth into a funnel and strain mixture into desired container...something like a bottle or decanter that has a tight-fitting lid. This might take an hour or more, depending on how thick the mixture is. Sometimes it is easier to carefully change to a new filter while straining.

5.) Add the vodka to the syrup if you want it to stay fresh longer. Otherwise use it up within a week. Store in refrigerator either way.

 

Pickled Cauliflower (with a few assorted veggies)

These can be made spicy, if you like, or leave the red pepper flakes out altogether. The other spices, along with apple cider vinegar, sea salt, and a touch of sugar, still pack a wallop of flavor. (Toasting the whole spices makes a big difference.)

    This crunchy pickled vegetable mixture is great on an antipasti platter, eaten with cheese & crackers, served with hummus, or chopped up a bit and eaten on a burger.

    This makes a nice big batch, but you'll be glad you made a big batch when you taste it.

NOTE: Ground turmeric gives the brine a slight yellowish tint and can make it a tiny bit cloudy sometimes too. If you want a perfectly clear brine, omit the ground turmeric. The pickled veggies will still be delicious, but the flavor will be a bit less complex.

Yield: 3 or 4 quarts, or approx 7 pints. (Amount varies due to size of vegetables used.)

• 1 head cauliflower - cored, then broken into 1 to 2-inch florets
  
• 6 carrots - peeled and sliced diagonally 1/2 inch thick
  
• 1 red bell pepper - cored and cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 yellow onion - peeled, then sliced into 1/2 inch thick slices
• 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• 2 teaspoons mustard seeds (brown or yellow or a mixture)
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 6 cups apple cider vinegar
• 3 cups water
  
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced 1/4" thick
  
• 1 cup white sugar
• 4 TBS sea or kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric (optional, see note above)
• 1/2-1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

1.) Layer the cauliflower, carrots, bell pepper and sliced onions in a large glass container or jar, or several smaller jars*. 

2.) Toast the whole seeds (cumin, coriander and mustard) over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally, until fragrant and slightly darkened, about 2 minutes. Add the vinegar, water, garlic, ginger, sugar, salt, peppercorns, turmeric, red pepper flakes, to the toasted spices. Bring to a boil, stirring, long enough to dissolve sugar and salt. Turn off heat and let brine cool to room temperature. 

3.) Pour the cooled brine over the vegetables.

4.) Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 days, and up to 2 or 3 weeks.

OR

5.) If you want to process this mixture so that it's shelf-stable, layer the vegetables into clean, hot pint jars. Pour the hot brine over the vegetables, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.

6.) Remove any air bubbles with a thin plastic knife blade or a chopstick, wipe the rips perfectly clean and place the seals on the jars, then screw the bands on fingertip-tight. Process in a Boiling Water Bath canner for 15 minutes.

7.) Remove jars from canner and let sit on the counter for 24 hours. Store in a cool dark place, and be sure to refrigerate after opening.

*If planning on processing in a Boiling Water Bath for shelf-stability, you'll want to use canning jars.

Ginger Syrup AND Candied (Crystallized) Ginger - one recipe!

     How often do you start out making one recipe and end up with two separate treats?

    Ginger Syrup can be added to soda to make Ginger Ale, or added to sparkling wine or cocktails to give them more zing. The truly adventurous pour it over pancakes & waffles with abandon.

    Candied Ginger is used in baking, chutneys, and/or munched on like, well, candy. It is especially decadent when dipped in chocolate. Try putting some candied ginger, chocolate-dipped or not, on a cheese plate. Trust me, it's wonderful.

    Candied, or Crystallized Ginger, as it is often called, is also a well-known remedy for nausea, motion-sickness and morning sickness.

    What's not to like? 

      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

• 1 cup fresh ginger, peeled and sliced 1/8" thick
• 3 cups water
• 3 cups sugar

1.) Combine water and sugar in a large heavy-bottomed pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil for about 45 minutes.

2.) Strain ginger slices -- they should be tender -- and reserve the ginger syrup for other uses.

3.) Place ginger slices on a drying rack, and allow to dry. It might take an hour, it might take 24. (The humidity and room temperature will affect the way the ginger dries.)

4.) Spread sheets of waxed paper* on counter and place rack with ginger slices over it. Toss ginger slices, a few at a time, with sugar until they are coated and place them back on the rack to dry again.

5.) Store candied ginger for months in an airtight container. 

6.) Store ginger syrup in a tightly-sealed container and use within 2 weeks.

*I like to save the sugar that falls off of the ginger while it's drying. That's why I put the wax paper underneath the racks. The ginger-y sugar is delicious in tea!