Foodie Friday: Tomatillo Green Chile Ketchup

You may be asking yourself: just what exactly is a tomatillo? If you are unfamiliar with this mysterious fruit, they look like this:

They are actually not related to tomatoes. Sometimes referred to as a husk tomato, they are cousins of the lowly ground cherry. Tomatillos are a bit tart and kind of lemony, except not. Boy, I'm destined to become a food writer aren't I? They are great fresh in salsas, in a stew, or made into ketchup. What!? Yes, it sounds weird but it is terribly delicious. I recently stumbled upon a recipe for Tomatillo Green Chile Ketchup, from Marissa McClellan. She writes a great canning blog called Food In Jars, and developed this recipe for Saveur magazine. I knew I had to try it. I doubled the batch (that's how optimistic I was) and it was really, really good! So good I have since made another double batch of it.

Tomatillo Green Chile Ketchup

• 2 lb. tomatillos, chopped (I skip the chopping)
• 1 cup distilled white vinegar
• ½ cup minced onion (or rough chop, if you're me...)
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. freshly grated ginger
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 (4-oz.) can roasted green chiles (I used fresh roasted green chiles, poblanos and anaheims to be exact)
• 1 garlic clove, chopped

Put all ingredients in a large pot and simmer til softened. Use an immersion blender to puree til smooth (see...that's how you can skip all the chopping!). Simmer til thickened to your liking. Keep in mind it will thicken a bit more as it cools also. If you'd like, it can be processed in a water bath for 15 minutes, or just store in the refrigerator. Makes 3 cups. 

Foodie Friday: Jasmine Infused Peach Jam

Hello. My name is Megan and I have a problem. I can't walk through a farmer's market without buying a bushel basket (or two) of something. Now I feel better, because admitting it is the first step. So, what to do when you are swimming in peaches? Not to mention the tomatoes, plums and peppers that found their way home with me! To deal with the peaches I came up with a new recipe for Jasmine Infused Peach Jam. A while back I stumbled upon a lone bag of Trader Joe's Jasmine Green Tea, lost in a sea of Lipton in the basket at church. I snatched it up and loved it! Jasmine really adds a nice floral note that is not overbearing. Skip forward a few months and I found a recipe for Jasmine Rhubarb popsicles in The People's Pops. Also delicious! So I figured why wouldn't it go well with peaches? And it does. Here's the recipe:

Jasmine Infused Peach Jam

4 C. peeled, chopped peaches

1 C. sugar (or to taste)

1/4 C. bottled lemon juice

3 TBS. dried jasmine flowers (I got mine from a seller on Etsy)

Pomona's Universal Pectin*

In a small square of cheesecloth, tie jasmine flowers. Simmer in a small saucepan with 3/4 C. of water for 10 minutes, or til the flavor is strong enough. It should seem slightly strong, because it will be toned down with the additional ingredients. (While that is cooking, mix the sugar and 3 tsp. of pectin in a small bowl and set aside.) In a heavy bottomed pot, add fruit, jasmine water, lemon juice and 4 tsp. of calcium water. Over medium high heat, bring to a boil stirring often. When mixture just comes to a boil, stir in sugar mixture and stir vigorously 1-2 minutes. Bring back to a boil and pour into hot, sterilized jars leaving a generous 1/4 inch headspace. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. 

*I use Pomona's because you get to choose the amount and type of sweetener you want to use. Commercial pectin requires up to 7 cups of sugar PER BATCH to gel!! With this stuff, I usually only use 1/2 to 1 cup of sugar, and you can actually taste the fruit.

Strawberries!

We are members of a CSA and this year the strawberries have done very well! While it is oh, so tempting to eat them all in one sitting, I remind myself that winter comes every year, and it is really nice to break out a jar of strawberry-something in those cold days. We have been getting several quarts each week, so we have been able to eat them, and can them. I now have Strawberry Vanilla Bean Jam, Strawberry Vanilla Bean Syrup, Strawberry Rhubarb Jam, and Strawberry Maple Syrup sitting in my pantry. Shhhh! Don't tell my brother-in-law. I don't want him to come and raid my stash. At least I know what to get him from now until eternity: JAM!

Strawberry Maple Smootch, Mango Vanilla Bean Jam, Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

Food

Since I haven't done a whole lot of sewing lately, I'll show you pictures of my latest 'project.' I got a whole passel of rhubarb, and after freezing a bunch of it, I got out my canner. So far, I have made Rhubarb BBQ Sauce, and Bluebarb Jam. Here is the recipe for Bluebarb Jam, using Pomona's Universal Pectin (you can use honey or sugar, and a lot less of it than commercial pectins)

Bluebarb Jam

4 C. blueberries
4 C. rhubarb
1/4 C. lemon juice
2 to 3 C. honey or sugar
5 tsp. pectin powder
4 tsp. calcium water

Cook rhubarb in a small amount of water till soft. Add blueberries, lemon juice and calcium water. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. In the meantime, combine sweetener and pectin powder in a small bowl til thoroughly combined. When fruit comes to a boil, add sugar/pectin and stir vigorously for 1-2 minutes. Return to a boil and remove from heat. Pour into hot canning jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Add lids and process in a boiling water canner, 5 minutes for half pints, 10 minutes for pints. (Recipe makes 9 half pints)

Here are a few of the things that I have made in the kitchen recently: Sweet and Sour Pickled Red Onions, Caramel Apple Jam, Okra Pickles, Pickled Jalapenos. I've had fun trying a lot new recipes this year, and I look forward to cracking open these jars come winter.

Food Crafting

In the last week or so, I was able to make double batches of Blackberry, Kiwi, and Blueberry Lime jams. Mmmm! By the end of summer, we just may have enough jam to last from now into eternity.

Crafty?

Rachel was harassing me about needing to post, but I haven't done any sewing since we got back from vacation. While that problem is being remedied, here is a somewhat crafty project I did accomplish. The kids and I picked strawberries yesterday, and during their naps I was able to make nine half-pints of Strawberry Rhubarb Jam with Honey. Mmmmm.