Best Part of Summer...Jam!

I thought this blog needed a sunnier, brighter, yummier post after the last couple.  Now I know that those of you following me to keep up with the girls (or eosinophilic disease in general) are probably waiting for an update on Chloe's recent hospitalization, but it's time to throw my recipe followers a bone!  It all ties in anyway.  On days when everyone was feeling well several weeks back, we went cherry picking at local orchards, which I mentioned at the end of this post.  We picked buckets full of red and yellow sweet cherries.  Some we ate fresh, some became beautiful sweet cherry pies, some were transformed into bubbly warm cherry crisp.  And some, perhaps my favorites, were put up as jar after jar of cherry jam.  We made small 4 ounce jars as thank you gifts for Cassidy's teachers and other special school staff.  We made basic cherry jam, some of which we shared with friends.  Then, in an effort to use up some other fruit before it was past it's prime, I whipped up a batch of spiced cherry grapefruit jam.  And it is nothing short of amazing.



I thought it would be nice to share my cherry jam recipes with you today.  For those of you new to canning, I'll go through the process that I use step by step.  The purpose of processing jam in a boiling water bath canner is to make it shelf stable, meaning that you can store it safely in the pantry rather than the refrigerator for at least a year.  If you would rather just keep your jam in the fridge, skip the processing step, and once the jam is ready, just fill the jars with it and pop them in the refrigerator where they will keep for at least 3 months (if it lasts that long!)

If you do decide to process the jam and the whole thing is brand new to you, you do not need to invest in tons of fancy equipment.  You can process the jars in any stock pot (with a lid) large enough to cover the jars with at least one inch of boiling water.  A large stock pot is generally large enough to accommodate standard jelly jars.  You will need something to keep the jars from resting directly on the bottom of the pot.  You can simply fold up a dishtowel and place it in the bottom.  Finally, you will need a way to get the hot jars out when they are finished processing.  So to recap, stock pot, dishtowel, tongs, canning jars.  You probably have everything except the jars, which you can buy in cases of 12 for around $12 at big box stores, kitchen supply stores and many grocery store, especially during the spring and summer.

Accessory Set

Canner with jar rack

If you decide you want to go ahead and jump in to canning, spend a little cash and just buy a canning starter kit.  You can buy the canner with jar rack and accessory set (everything you need except the jars) for about $40.  There are also a variety of options out there in a variety of price ranges, such as the accessory set only (this includes a jar lifter, a lid lifter, wide mouth funnel and a few other things, and is very helpful) for around $10-$15, and I believe the Ball company makes a home canning "Discovery Kit" made to use with a stock pot, which includes a silicone lift out jar rack.  So there are a variety of options in a variety of price ranges depending on your comfort level and what you are willing to spend.  I can a great deal, so I have a big canner and an accessory set.  But the equipment that I have, while good quality, is basic and without bells and whistles so to speak.  I prefer it that way, and it works just fine.


 First, my disclaimer: I have attempted to share safe preserving methods. However, I make no promises. You alone are responsible for your health. Be aware of current safety recommendations. There is a wealth of information from licensed sources about current canning standards available for free on the internet. This is the way that I can for myself and my family. You alone are responsible for your health!

Let's get started!

 1. Wash the jars and lids.  I put my jars in the canner while the water is heating to boil, to make sure they are sterile.  The lids are made up of a ring and a flat lid piece.  Set the rings aside and put the flat lids in a small sauce pan with water.  These you need to warm to just below a simmer, over really low heat.  Do not boil them!  This primes the sealing compound around the edges.






2. Fill the canner or stock pot with enough water to cover the tops of the jars by 1 inch once they are full, and put it on the stove to boil.  This is when I stick my clean, empty jars in, but if you have washed the jars, I feel that this step is probably optional for jam.


 Now for the jam! Because Cassidy is allergic to apples and most commercial pectin is from apple peels, this is a pectin free jam recipe.

You will need:

Sweet Cherry Jam

5 cups of washed, pitted sweet cherries
3 cups of sugar
2 lemons

1. Cut the cherries in half or quarters or both, whatever you prefer.  Toss them into a non-aluminum pot with the juice and zest of the lemons.

2. Cook over medium low heat stirring frequently until they simmer and soften. Put a small plate in the freezer, you will use this to test for jelling shortly.

3. Turn up the heat to medium high and add 3 cups of sugar; stir until evenly mixed.  Keep stirring frequently so that it doesn't burn on the bottom.  Keep this up until the jam starts to thicken.




4. Once it looks like the jam is thickening up and starting to gel, you can do a plate test.  Grab that frozen plate from the freezer and spoon a little jam onto it.  Stick it back in the freezer for a few minutes.  Make sure you keep stirring the jam while you wait, since it is cooking quickly and at a higher temperature at this point.  You don't want to burn it!

5. When you take the plate out again, push your finger slowly through the cooling puddle of jam.  If it wrinkles up across the surface when your finger pushes into it, turn off the burner!  It's ready to go into the jars.  If not, continue to cook and stir for a little longer, then test again.  Be careful not to leave it unattended, or it can overcook quickly.  If that happens it won't taste as good.

 ***If you are making refrigerator jam, you can just fill jars with the hot jam, put lids on them and pop them in the fridge, where they will stay good for 3 months, probably even longer if they last that long!  If you want the jam to be shelf stable, go on to the next step.***



6. When the jam is ready, ladle it into the hot, empty jars (remove them from the boiling water and empty the jars, but leave the water in the pot, on the stove and boiling for processing!).  Fill them to 1/4 inch from the top. The wide mouth funnel comes in handy here if you have it!

7. With a clean, damp cloth, carefully wipe the rim of the filled jars so there is no jam or residue on them. 

8. Adjust the 2 piece canning lids, which have been prepping in hot water.












9. Put the jars on the canning rack and slowly lower them into the water. The water should cover the lids by an inch or two. Put the lid on the pot.

10.Once the water has come to a full boil again, set a timer and process the jars for 10 minutes.

11. After 10 minutes, turn off the burner and carefully lift the jar rack up.  Transfer the jars to a spot where they won't be disturbed, I put them on a towel along the back of the kitchen counter.  Let them cool completely, which may take overnight.

It's a good idea to label the jars with the date and contents.  You can use cute labels, or just write on the top of the lid with sharpie.  The lids are not reusable for canning anyway.

For more information on safety in food preservation, please go to The National Center for Home Food Preservation.


For Spiced Cherry Grapefruit jam, omit the lemon, but add the juice and pulp of 2 grapefruit, and the zest from just one of the grapefruit.  Also stir in 2 teaspoons of cinnamon while the jam is simmering.  The rest of the process is the same.

You could probably substitute most fruits for the cherries in this recipe.  Higher pectin fruits, like blueberries, will result in a thicker jam than low pectin fruits like strawberries.

Bagels Every Sunday

In our family, Sunday is the ONLY day that NONE of us have work, school, activities or anything else.  It is our official family day, and we are pretty stingy with it.  Most Sundays we spend at home just enjoying not having to go anywhere.  Depending on the weather and season, sometimes we garden (while the kids play outside or help, their choice), sometimes we spend the afternoon canning stuff from the garden, sometimes we do crafty stuff, sometimes we sit around all day and don't do a darn thing. 

Regardless of what we spend the bulk of the day doing, I almost always make fresh bagels. While it is a 2 step process, they are not difficult, and they are easy to make without any of Cassidy's allergens. Since they also freeze well I've started making 2 batches so we have a couple of different flavors, although by Tuesday we have yet to have any left over to freeze!  As far as Mark and I, our current favorite is jalapeno cheddar, but we like them pretty spicy, so the only kid that will eat them is River.  I'm on the last jar of jalapenos that we canned last summer, though, so in another week or two I'll have to try something new.  As for the minions, they really like fruit bagels. Sometimes we make cinnamon raisin, and 2 weeks ago we had fresh blueberries so we used those which they loved.  But the current favorite is cherry vanilla.  Someone told me that Panera has a cherry vanilla bagel, but I have never had one so I don't know how my recipe compares.  Regardless, I'd love to know what you think if you try any of my bagel recipes!

Please note that while I really don't care for instant yeast for making bread, I do use it in my bagel recipes.  ALWAYS make sure you are using the kind of yeast that a recipe calls for, or things will usually not turn out as planned :)

Let's start with one for the kiddos, just scroll down for the jalapeno cheddar variation.

Cherry Vanilla Bagels (dairy, egg and nut free!)
yield: 8 bagels

Ingredients:

4 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tsps salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tsps instant yeast
about 1/2 cup of dried cherries, coarsely chopped
1-1/4 cups of warm water

Dump everything into a mixing bowl and combine until it all comes together to form a stiff dough.  If it is too sticky, add a little flour, or if it is so stiff that you cannot get all of the flour mixed in, add a little more water. 
Turn the dough out onto a clean counter and knead for 10 minutes or so until it is smooth and uniform in texture.
Divide dough into 8 even dough balls, and set them aside for about 20 minutes. 
Once the dough has rested, put a large pot of water on to boil.  I use a stock pot because I can fit more bagels in it at once, but you could use a saucepan and just do fewer at a time.  Some people even use a deep frying pan with just a few inches of water in it.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and grease a large cookie sheet generously with vegetable oil. 
Take each dough ball and use your thumbs to make a hole in the center, stretching it gently to be about an inch in diameter.  Some people prefer to hand roll bagels, but this method works just fine for me. 
Set the bagels aside on the counter for another 15-20 minutes.  By the end of this time, they should look a little puffier, and the water should be boiling. 
Carefully drop the bagels into the water one at a time, you'll have to do this in batches. Don't over crowd them! The bagels should float. 
Boil them for 2 minutes,then flip them over with tongs and boil for another minute or two. 
Take them out and set them on a plate to dry a little. 
Go ahead and add the next batch to the water, and after you turn them, move the first batch over to the prepared cookie sheet and dry the plate so the ones boiling have a place to dry.
 Continue this until all of the bagels are on the cookie sheet, then pop it in the oven for 22 minutes.  Since ovens vary, you might want to peek at the bottom of one after 20 minutes to make sure they aren't getting too dark. 
Take them out and let them cool for another 20 minutes. 
We love these with plain cream cheese, but I bet if you mixed some cherry preserves into plain cream cheese it would also be good.  For Cassidy, since she is allergic to dairy, we use Tofutti dairy free cream cheese substitute.


Jalapeno Cheddar Bagels  **Please note that these DO contain DAIRY!!**
yield: 8 bagels

Ingredients:

4 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 tsps salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tsps instant yeast
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
about 1/8 cup chopped jalapeno slices, more or less to taste (use the kind that you buy in a jar, we use the ones we can from our garden)
1-1/2 cups of warm water

 Combine everything in a mixing bowl until it forms a stiff dough. Add a little more flour if it is too sticky, a little more water if you can't get all the flour worked in. 
Turn the dough out onto the counter and knead it until it is smooth and a uniform texture. Take care not to touch your face until after you have washed your hands, the hot peppers can burn your eyes.  Divide the dough into 8 equal balls and set aside for 20 minutes.
 Once the dough has rested, put a large pot of water on to boil. 
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and grease a large cookie sheet generously with vegetable oil. 
Take each dough ball and use your thumbs to make a hole in the center, stretching it gently to be about an inch in diameter. 
Set the bagels aside on the counter for another 15-20 minutes.  By the end of this time, they should look a little puffier, and the water should be boiling. 
Carefully drop the bagels into the water one at a time, you'll have to do this in batches. Don't over crowd them! The bagels should float. 
Boil them for 2 minutes,then flip them over with tongs and boil for another minute or two.  Take them out and set them on a plate to dry a little. 
Go ahead and add the next batch to the water, and after you turn them, move the first batch over to the prepared cookie sheet and dry the plate so the ones boiling have a place to dry.  Continue this until all of the bagels are on the cookie sheet, then bake for 22 minutes. 
Since ovens vary, you might want to peek at the bottom of one after 20 minutes to make sure they aren't getting too dark. 
Take them out and let them cool for another 20 minutes.

We also like these with plain cream cheese, or jalapeno cream cheese.  They also make excellent pizza bagels!  Just slice them in half and top with pizza sauce, pepperoni and mozzerella and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or so, until the cheese is melted and slightly brown on top.  Yum!

Now that I think of it, maybe my next creation will be a pizza flavored bagel, with the sauce, mozz and pepperoni baked right in...stay tuned, if it works out I'll be sure to share!

Mmmmm...Muffins!

On Monday mornings, I like to get up and make fresh muffins before I pack Cassidy's lunch.  It's nice to start the week with a fresh, warm breakfast for the kids, especially when we all still want to stay in bed a little later, like we did over the weekend.  Also, they are easy to grab and take in the car for Mark and I, so we don't end up buying a $5 muffin at some coffee shop during our morning errands!  If they are cool enough, Cassidy loves them packed in her school lunch, and all 4 oft he kids like to have the leftovers for a snack after school, so with 6 of us, a batch of 12 muffins is perfect!  Somehow, I've gotten out of the habit recently, including this week.  But I needed to bake bread for the week on Monday afternoon, and I found myself really wishing that I had a muffin to snack on while I was waiting for the dough to rise. I promised myself that I would get back into the swing of things, so this morning I baked up a batch.

Among the recipes that I use frequently for muffins, the kids have 3 favorites. In no particular order, they are: oatmeal-chocolate chip, cinnamon french puff and classic blueberry (or really, any berry that we have in the fridge that needs to be consumed).  Today, we didn't have an berries left to use up, and I didn't drag myself out of bed early enough to make french puff muffins.  They only take about 15 extra minutes, but I was already cutting it pretty close, so oatmeal-chocolate chip won this round.  Mmmmm...don't they look good?

Sometimes, I find oatmeal bread or muffins to be a little on the dry side.  Trial and error with  ingredients usually in my pantry eventually created this recipe.  For those of you with food allergies, like my daughter, this recipe is free of dairy, eggs and nuts (provided you use allergen free chocolate chips).  If food allergies are not a problem in your house, you can make them just the same, using regular milk and whatever chocolate chips you usually use.  There is a slight crispness to the outside from the brown sugar in the batter, and the inside is moist enough that no butter is needed, which is a bonus if you are grabbing one on the go.  You would never know that they are allergen free!

What you need:
(makes 12 muffins)

1 cup of flour
1 cup of oats (old fashioned or quick cooking, either will be fine)
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup chocolate chips (allergen free, if you need them, or whatever you usually use)
3/4 cup soy milk (or dairy milk, if that works for you)
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla

Spray a 12 cup muffin pan with non stick spray.  I like Pam baking spray, it is allergen free for us, and has never failed me. Muffin or cupcake papers are ok, but if you use them, be aware of the fact that the delicious crisped crust will only be on top.  With baking spray, it will be on the sides and bottom too...yum!

Combine the flour, oats, both sugars, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and chocolate chips in a bowl with a whisk until well blended.

Add the milk, vegetable oil and vanilla and stir until just blended.  Just use a wooden spoon, and don't over mix!

Divide evenly into the prepared muffin pan.  For me, a 1/4 cup measuring cup is the perfect scoop for this particular recipe.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Let them cool for 10 or 15 minutes before removing from the pan, then dig in!

Let me know what you think.  These are definitely a family favorite for us, and one of my own staple allergy friendly recipes.