A word on mincemeat...

We just finished eating most of the holiday goodies, and as usual, we have had the annual discussion around here regarding mincemeat.  I love mincemeat,especially when it tastes boozy.  My mom never made her own mincemeat, but she doctored up the store bought stuff with spiced rum, brandy and a grated apple.  I always make mincemeat tarts every Christmas even though some people wrinkle their nose when they see it.  I love it, and it seems to be a dying tradition, whenever we have people over for the holidays there are at least a few people that become converts!  (such as my nephews, who are 7 and 9!) 

Last year I made green tomato mincemeat, and I do like the consistency of homemade mincemeat better than the store bought.  And there is no fixing it up because then you can add your own preferences in terms of booze and fruit.  This stuff I can eat out of the jar.  (and do!!)

Someone at the farmer's market once told me that you should never eat this years mincemeat, but let it rest for next year.  So I tried that this year and although there is a subtle taste difference, I don't think it will stop me from eating the fresh stuff as well.

Happy Holidays from the Fruition Kitchen! 

Gypsy Tea and keeping warm in Ukraine

A lifetime ago, I lived in Ukraine with a wonderful family.  I learned so much about preserving and canning food there, where it is a necessity if you want to have fruits and vegetables year round and you cannot depend on the grocery stores! 
My best food memory in Ukraine was something my host called "gypsy tea". Canned sour cherries in sweet strong black tea.  We drank this every day after work.  It lifted our spirits and warmed us up!  I've started making my own version of canned sour cherries in memory of those cherries in Ukraine, and it seems I was doing it right!  I just found the recipe for those cherries - which are called "cherry varenya", by the way.  Here's the link:


http://mennonitegirlscancook.blogspot.com/2011/04/cherry-varenya.html

ok, I'll make chutney...

It seems that every year I branch out and try something new in canned products. Strangely, it's usually something that I was dead set against the year before! So, to all of you who asked me last year if I made chutney, and I told you that was something I would never EVER make, my apologies, because I've now made two chutneys. And I have to say, I am a believer.
Wow! I have never tasted anything so decadent with a cheese and cracker snack. And I thought just savoury jam was enough. I was so wrong. So I'm sorry. But incredibly happy to have simply delicious Sour Cherry Chutney and a mouth watering Nectarine Chutney.
I should also mention that I broke down and made saskatoon berry jam instead of jelly this year, even though I swore up and down and saskatoon berry jam is nowhere near as good as it's counterpart, jelly. I still believe that, but I had ALOT of people asking for jam.
Conclusion to this post - if you want me to make something, just ask alot and wait for next year!
Happy harvesting!

summer fruit season... and the canning-fest begins!

The summer fruit is coming to an end, and I have been busily trying to keep up with the fresh fruit! We've got lots of saskatoon berry and sour cherry products on the go now - jams, jellies, sauces, and granola.

We've also got chokecherry syrup and jelly, and spiced crabapples. I will be making my favourite jelly ever = spiced crabapple - it's got a real bite to it!

It's Pickle Time!

Well, the fruit isn't ready yet, so my jam making frenzy hasn't yet begun, so I have tried some new pickle recipes this year to take advantage of the fresh herbs I have on hand and the greenhouse vegetables from Grandora Gardens!

I've got gurksalat now at the farmer's market - a fresh tasting cucumber vinegar pickle with red onion and dill, crunchy and refreshing!

Have you ever tried or heard of watermelon rind pickles? Someone must have been very poor and very hungry to come up with this recipe, but it is in every canning book I have. I had to try it. It is interesting - sweet and sour, with a bit cinnamon and nutmeg, I can't imagine what you would eat it with, but it is quite tasty on its own! I'm sold out after one week, but will make more for next weekend's market.

Another cucumber pickle to try with fennel from a new favourite blog, www.cottagesmallholder.com. It will be ready for this weekend!


Also, pink radish pickles, earthy and spicy tasting. I found the recipe in that free magazine you can find at the liquor store!

Fool!

Here's the easiest ever fancy dessert using any kind of fruit you can find. The great thing about Fool is you can take the weirdest, most sour, odd kind of fruit you can find and it is going to taste decadent. Perfect for gooseberries and currants and honeyberries! Or, you can use any kind of jam you have on hand. A perfect light dessert after a heavy meal.
Here's how easy it is:
If your fruit is not soft and won't mush up when you stir it (like kiwi or strawberries) puree them in the food processor.
1 cup pureed/stirred fruit (add a bit of sugar to fresh fruit if you don't want it too sour) OR 3/4 cup jam
optional - 1Tablespoon of rosewater added to the fruit (especially good with currants!)
1 cup whipping cream
1 1/2 cups white sugar
Whip the cream until soft peaks form, add sugar slowly while whipping until hard peaks form.Fold in the fruit... not necessary for it to be completely uniform - it looks nice with streaks! Spoon into a fancy glass or dessert dish. Stick it in the frig for a few hours. Garnish with a few pieces of fresh fruit. Makes four servings.
Also, no baking!

Foraging for Preserves

Dandelion Jelly, Lilac and White Wine Jelly, Rosehip Jelly, wild mint jelly...

Sometimes I wonder how people come up with some of these recipes, but I'm glad they did, because I love being able to forage edible plants for jams and jellies. I've made a wild rose petal jelly in the past, with rose petals we collected in the rain when we were at our cabin. We also got some rose hips and made them into Rose Hip and Green Tea jelly. (Yes, when we go to the lake to relax, we pick wild berries, rose petals and rose hips!)

The girls said they would pick the dandelions for me, so I'll see what concoction I can come up with using dandelion tea!