Strawberry and Cherry Jam

Cherries bring body and extra sweetness to this jam.  It has been my "go to" jam for over a decade.


Makes six 250ml jars.

Ingredients:
1 kg         strawberries, cleaned, hulled and halved
i kg         cherries, cleaned, pitted and chopped
625 gr     sugar
125 ml    lemon juice

Directions:

In a large non-reactive bowl, gently toss together the strawberries, cherries and sugar.  Cover and let stand at room temperature for about two hours.

Transfer the fruit mixture to a large saucepan and add the lemon juice.  Bring to a boil over medium- high heat, then cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently.  Remove from the heat.

Use 1 tsp jam and a chilled plate to test for readiness.

Ladle the hot jam into jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.  Wipe the rims and place the lids on the jars.

Process for ten minutes in a steamer canner (or boiling water bath).  Let the jars sit in the canner for approximately 10 minutes, then set aside for 24 hours.  Label and store in a cool, dark space for up to a year.

Pickled Garlic Scapes

Many thanks to Barb and Don for sharing a bag of freshly picked garden scapes from their extensive garden.  I had the pleasure of spending a splendid Saturday morning making garlic scape pesto with pistachios and basil fresh picked from my garden (the basil, that is) and the pickled garlic scapes.  Can't wait to get into the jar!




This recipe will make about 3 500ml jars

Ingredients
1.5 lbs      fresh garlic scapes
3 cups      apple cider vinegar (5% Acetic Acid)
3 cups      water
3 tbsp       pure sea salt or pickling salt (salt must not have anti caking agents)
1/4            cup sugar
12             peppercorns (four per jar)
6 sprigs    fresh dill weed (one or two per jar)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (per jar - optional)


Directions
Trim the garlic scapes- cut off bottom woody part and cut the pod from the "curly" part.  The curls line the jar and the pod was cut to fit into middle of the jar.  Or, you can cut the scapes into the length that fit the jar (and leave the proper headspace) and place tightly in the jar.

Mix your brine in a pan (vinegar, water, salt, sugar). You will want it hot but not boiling. Taste and adjust the brine according to your taste.

Add the garlic, dill and pepper flakes to each jar. Pack the garlic scapes tightly into the jars leaving 1/2" headspace.

Process in a water bath canner or steamer for ten minutes.  Wait one week before opening the jar.

Garlic Scape Pistachio Pesto

I was blessed with a bag full of garlic scapes this week.  What to do with these delicious beauties?  Well, I combined them with fresh garden basil and parsley to make this pesto and pickled the rest.  For pesto, feel free to substitute the pistachios with pine nuts, walnuts, almonds or whatever you have in your pantry.

This pesto is great with pasta, or add a dollop to smashed potatoes or roasted fresh garden tomatoes- a marriage made in heaven! Oh yeah- makes a great salad dressing....

Garlic scapes blended with pistachio nuts, basil, and parsley. This seasonal pesto freezes well.


This recipe makes about 2 cups and easily doubles.

Korean pickled spring garlic

I rarely see green/spring garlic at the market.  Probably because it gets snatched up as soon as it's out. This year was different yay!  Now, to preserve it.  This recipe is from the Joy of Pickling by Linda Ziedrich.  It's easy to make.

Three days on the countertop

This recipe makes about 1 litre- depending on the amount of garlic you have to pickle.  You want enough brine to cover the garlic.

Asparagus Relish- great use for stalks

This "Batch" recipe provides a great way to use up asparagus stalks when canning the spears.  I also like to use local honey, instead of granulated sugar in this recipe.  Remember to wait a week or so after processing, to open your jars!

 Makes four 250 ml jars

Pickled Asparagus with Tarragon and Green Garlic

This recipe comes from Kevin West's Saving the Season. Thank you Kevin for the plethora of amazing canning recipes I have enjoyed making successfully over the past few years.

I spied a bag of fresh green garlic as I checked out the local farm stand.  What to do with this beautiful, young garlic?  Kevin's pickled asparagus recipe led my 2020 canning season with great success.

Preserving asparagus usually involves cutting away a good portion of the stalk because of the height of the jars and the woody ends.  This year, I am using these pieces to make asparagus relish- no waste.

This recipe makes two 750ml jars or three 500ml jars.