the arugula files

Canned Peaches

 

I don't like being the bearer of bad news, but you know those peaches you are enjoying from the farmers market?  They won't be there for long.  By all means, buy as many as you can.  Stuff them in sandwiches and put them on pizza.  What about saving some for later?  Canned peaches are certainly not as tasty as fresh peaches, so don't eat them side by side.  But in the dead of winter, when snow has blanketed the streets, there's nothing better than eating a bowl of peaches with light, sweet syrup.  You can top them with chocolate sauce, or add more wood to your fireplace and serve them over vanilla bean ice cream. 

Pickling Onions: One Jar at a Time

Someone failed to send me the memo that I could pickle onions one jar at a time and, more importantly, that they could be ready in less than a few hours.  Hello, how did I miss this?  Pickled onions can make the difference between a lackluster meal and a memorable one.  Take our dinner the other night as an example. I was planning on making chorizo tacos, which sounded ok until, after some online searching, I figured out I could pickle onions and have them ready for dinner.  Now we're talking.

Peach and Blackberry Jam

I'm really enjoying having homemade jam around; it transforms boring breakfast toast into a wonderful morning treat. I turned my white peaches into pink jam by adding a few handfuls of blackberries, some lemon juice, and sugar.  

Crisp Bread and Butter Pickles

 

It's that time in the season to make pickles.  From the archives: crisp bread and butter pickles.

Remember a gazillion years ago when I promised a canning demonstration? I was all "Of course, I can!"  Well here it is...long overdue.  It took awhile to get motivated, plus, I needed to wait a few weeks so that I could actually try the pickles before passing the recipe on. This project was directed by my sister, Noel, and documented by my boyfriend, Marcus.  This is really their creation.  Mostly, I stood around and periodically asked questions about botulism.

Honest Blueberry Jam

Recently I've heard a few people use the word "honest" to describe food.  My first reaction was, what an absurd adjective to describe food!  Those copywriters have lost their blueberries.  As if food can lie to you.  The more I thought about it, though, the more it made sense.  Undoubtedly, there is a lot of food out there, all produced by that evil monolith known by some as “Big Food,” that is lying straight to my face.  As Food Inc. notes, meat producers proudly brand their pork products with idyllic photos of the family farm, when the pork product really comes from places that would most certainly curb your craving for bacon and eggs.

Back to the blueberries: if there is such a thing as honest food, it's this here jam.  I picked the blueberries myself, then made the jam on my own stove.  Take that, Big Food.

Habanero Gold Jelly

Winter canning is well worth the effort.  A few days ago, after waiting two weeks for the flavor to set in, I opened my first jar of Habanero Gold jelly.  I think I've found my calling.  I'm going to become a jelly maker. Move over Smuckers, here comes arugula files.  This jelly is sweet and hot--a perfect date for sharp cheese, like cheddar, or something creamy, like brie. Serve with cheese on salty crackers and your eyes will roll to the back of your head.

You can find the recipe and directions on how to prepare the jars so that you don't kill anyone right here.  Next up: ginger and plum marmalade.

Winter Canning

 

It sounds absurd doesn't it? Canning during the winter.  What would we make --icicle and brown leaf marmalade?  What about hot pepper jelly made from dried apricots, jalapenos, and habanero peppers?  Sounds good, doesn't it?  Sounds like the perfect jelly to serve with baked brie.  Sounds drop dead delicious, is what it sounds like.  And that is what it is.  Drop dead delicious. 

Crisp Bread and Butter Pickles

Remember a gazillion years ago when I promised a canning demonstration? I was all "Of course, I can!"  Well here it is...long overdue.  It took awhile to get motivated, plus, I needed to wait a few weeks so that I could actually try the pickles before passing the recipe on. This project was directed by my sister, Noel, and documented by my boyfriend, Marcus.  This is really their creation.  Mostly, I stood around and periodically asked questions about botulism.

Ingredients

36 pickling cucumbers (the small ones)
1 large onion
1 1/2 ts turmeric
1/2 cups pickling salt
5 cups of sugar
1 ts celery seed
1 tb mustard seed
5 cups of cider or white vinegar (we used white for this recipe)

Equipment

6 mason jars
New canning lids
Canning jar lifter
Big stainless steel pot
Crinkle cutter (optional)
Funnel