Dad used to love heading out on vacations in the wee hours of the morning. He’d pack up the family in the sleepy darkness and point the nose of our beloved Ford station wagon into the next adventure, breaking the bonds of his workaday world just as the first magenta rays of sun crept over the horizo
n.
As we head into our annual six-month celebration of capturing the seasonal bounty, I want you to have the same sort of pulse-quickening, grin-inducing, yee-haw feeling when you step into the kitchen. Honestly, cooking can be like that when everything’s clicking, or even when it’s not.
Along the way, I’ll be arming you with the kind of technical knowledge that will bolster intuition so you can ask good questions and lock safety and spectacular quality into your jars.
Bringing the local harvest into your kitchen and wrestling it into shiny little jars offers layer upon layer of rewards. For one thing, the food is wholesome and delicious. Plus, at a time when the economy’s not so great and people are looking for ways to maintain a strong sense of family, preserving can be the answer.
Your understanding of our inescapable connection and dependence upon the land is enhanced. And when you share the process with your children, then the future becomes a more hopeful place to look.
I always start off slow at this stage of the growing season. Pacific Northwest rhubarb has hit the market, though, and it’s as beautiful as ever. In just a few weeks — weather permitting — the local strawberry harvest will begin as well.
My first recollection of the traditional “pie plant” is centered around my grandmother’s kitchen. To keep from being under foot while she prepared a pie I was pacified with a stalk of the mouth-puckering plant and a bowl of sugar. As she rolled and crimped, I dipped and chewed.
It was my introduction to rhubarb and made me a fan for life. But I realize that this particular piece of produce tends to pull people down off the fence. You either love it or you hate it.
Of course, some people THINK they love it (or hate it) because of the copious amounts of sugar generally associated with its preparation. The best way to find out how you really feel is with my “dip and chew” treatment because the genuine flavor can’t be masked by the thin layering of sweetness.
One of its most marketable qualities is that it takes so little fussing to turn rhubarb into a meal. No peeling, pitting, coring or stemming.
Simply cut the lovely red stalks into chunks and proceed with your recipe. Pile it into a pie crust with some sugar and cinnamon, or cook it down into a potent puree with a splash of water and sugar to taste.
Just in case you aren’t geared up for canning yet, here’s a delicious freezer sauce that can get help you take advantage of the local rhubarb crop. A terrific topping for fresh fruit, ice cream and cakes.
Rhubarb freezer sauce
2 cups orange juice
1 cup honey
1/2-1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/2 cup golden raisins
Bring the orange juice, honey, and cinnamon to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the rhubarb and raisins. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until the rhubarb is very tender and the liquid is syrupy.
Let cool, then pour into small freezer containers and freeze, leaving 1/2-inch head space. To serve, partially thaw the frozen sauce in the refrigerator. Transfer to a saucepan, cover, and simmer over low heat until heated through, stirring occasionally.
Makes about 4 cups.
Adapted from “Preserving Summer’s Bounty,” edited by Susan McClure and the staff of the Rodale Food Center
Rhubarb and dried cherry chutney
2 pounds fresh rhubarb
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
1 tart green apple, peeled, cored, and finely chopped
1 1/2 cups dried cherries
1 3/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
2-4 jalapeno peppers, seeds and veins removed (4 jalapenos will produce a very hot chutney)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons finely minced or grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons brown or yellow mustard seed
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon each paprika, ground coriander
2 cups cider vinegar
1/4 cup corn syrup
Wash 7 half pint jars. Keep hot until needed. Prepare lids as manufacturer directs.
Prepare the rhubarb by washing, trimming, and cutting into 1/2-inch dice to measure 6 to 7 cups. In a large, nonaluminum pot, combine the rhubarb with the onion, apple, cherries, brown sugar, jalapeno peppers, garlic, fresh ginger, mustard seed, salt, paprika, and ground coriander. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring to mix well. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until the onion becomes translucent and very tender, about 30 minutes.
Stir in the vinegar and corn syrup, return the mixture to a simmer, and continue cooking, uncovered, over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until the chutney becomes thick enough to mound slightly in a spoon (about another 20 to 30 minutes). Remove from heat and adjust the seasoning, adding additional salt if necessary. Ladle the preserves into individual containers for storage in the refrigerator or freezer.
For long-term storage at room temperature: Have 7 half-pint canning jars washed and ready for filling when the chutney is through cooking. Prepare canning lids as manufacturer directs. While it is still hot, ladle into one clean and hot canning jar at a time, leaving 1/4-inch head space. Wipe jar rim with a clean damp cloth. Attach lid. Fill and close remaining jars. Process in a boiling-water canner for 10 minutes (at 1,000 to 3,000 feet, process for 15 minutes; 3,000 to 6,000 feet, for 20 minutes; above 6,000 feet, for 25 minutes).
Makes about 7 half pints.
Rhubarb marmalade
2 1/4 pounds rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces to measure 8 cups
4 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 oranges
1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon butter (optional; helps reduce foaming)
1/4 cup finely chopped candied ginger
In nonaluminum bowl, combine the rhubarb with the sugar. Cover and let stand overnight at room temperature.
Remove the zest (outer peel) from the oranges and lemon. The easiest way to do this is with a zester. Working from stem to blossom end, glide the zester down the side of the fruit. Use a light pressure to remove several thin strips of peel at a time. If you don’t have a zester, use a sharp paring knife to carefully cut only the colored part of the peel from the fruit. A swivel-bladed vegetable peeler may also be used to remove the zest. Be sure and remove all of the white pithy membrane from the back of the peel, otherwise it will make the marmalade taste slightly bitter. Slice the peel into very thin strips of an even width no more than 1/8-inch wide.
Place the zest pieces in a small pot, cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until tender; drain and set aside.
Remove the white pith layer from the oranges and lemons. The easiest way to do this is to cut a slice off the top and bottom of each piece of fruit. Stand the fruit, bottom-side down, on a stable cutting board. Using a sharp knife and starting at the top, cut the remaining white pith and the membrane just beneath it from the fruit in strips. Be careful not to cut away too much of the fruit.
Finely chop the prepared fruit and remove any seeds. Place the prepared oranges and lemon in a heavy pot, along with the rhubarb and sugar mixture, and the butter. Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil over medium high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to a slow boil and continue simmering, stirring frequently, until the mixture has reached the jelly stage (220 degrees from sea level up to 1000 feet; 216 degrees at 2,000 feet; 214 degrees at 3,000 feet; 212 degrees at 4,000 feet; 211 degrees at 5,000 feet; 209 degrees at 6,000 feet; 207 degrees at 7,000 feet; 205 degrees at 8,000 feet), stirring constantly, about 8 minutes to 10 minutes.
Remove from heat, add ginger and rind. Let sit for about 2 minutes, then skim off any foam that has accumulated. Ladle the marmalade into individual containers for storage in the refrigerator or freezer.
For long-term storage at room temperature: Have 7 half-pint canning jars washed and ready for filling when the marmalade is through cooking. Prepare canning lids as manufacturer directs.
While it is hot, ladle into one clean and hot canning jar at a time, leaving 1/4-inch head space. Wipe jar rim with a clean damp cloth. Attach lid. Fill and close remaining jars. Process in a boiling-water canner for 10 minutes (at 1,000 to 3,000 feet, process for 15 minutes; 3,000 to 6,000 feet, for 20 minutes; above 6,000 feet, for 25 minutes).
Makes about 7 half pints.
Jan Roberts-Dominguez is a Corvallis, Ore., food writer, artist, and author of “Oregon Hazelnut Country, the Food, the Drink, the Spirit,” and four other cookbooks. Readers can contact her by email at janrd@proaxis.com, or read her blog at www.janrd.com.
Gearing Up for the Caning Season
Thanks to a resurgence in food preserving, canning supplies are available at a variety of places. Certainly, at First Alternative Cooperative and market of choice. Additionally, a good selection can be found throughout the canning season at the local Bi-Mart stores, Fred Meyers, Winco, Albertsons, Safeway, and my favorite local independent hardware store, Robnett’s, in downtown Corvallis. Here’s a general list of what to have on hand:
Canning jars and lids: Made from sturdy, tempered glass designed to withstand the heat and jostling of a boiling water canner, canning jars are essential. It’s a false economy to substitute recycled mayonnaise or commercial jam jars, which are more likely to break and not form seals during the process of canning. However, you can find used canning jars at garage sales at a fraction of the price, which makes them a bargain, as long as you’ve given each jar a thorough examination for cracks and chips. If you buy the jars new, they will come with their own set of two-piece canning lids. The two-piece lids are comprised of a flat, round lid or “insert” that comes with a rubberized “sealing compound” around its edges. The second part of the two-piece lid is called the “ring” or “metal screw-band,” designed to hold the lid in place. The flat, round lid should only be purchased new so that you are assured that the rubberized sealing compound is fresh. The rings, on the other hand, are reusable, so if you encounter them at a garage sale, and they aren’t rusted or dented, go for it!
Processing pot/boiling-water canner: If you’re going to can fruits, pickles, relishes, jams and jellies and store them at room temperature, then they need to be “processed” in a boiling water canner so they can be safely stored at room temperature (Just trust me on this one — we’ll get into details down the road!). They are typically made from lightweight aluminum or enameled metal, but you can use other large, flat-bottomed pots. You may already have such a pot in your possession. To determine if the pot in question is large enough, place a canning jar inside, then measure the head space. A canner should be at least 4 inches taller than the canning jar, so there’s room to set the jars on a rack, have the jars covered by 2 inches of water, and still have at least 2 inches of air space to permit boiling without spill-over.
Jar funnel: Every canning kitchen needs a canning funnel, because you’ll fill your jars fast and neatly by using one. Besides, they’re cheap, so there’s no reason not to have one. It doesn’t have to be new, so if you can find one at a thrift store or garage sale, it’ll be even cheaper than cheap.
Jar lifter: This essential yet low-cost item is designed to grip a jar securely around its neck for placing and removing it from a boiling-water canner.
Lid lifter: One of the canning world’s most elegant and simple tools. It’s nothing more than a 6-inch long “wand” with a magnet embedded into the business end. You use it to remove the metal lids from the hot water before placing them on the filled jars. Another really cheap item, so do yourself a favor and get one.
Rack: Keeps jars off the bottom of the boiling water canner during the processing. It also keeps jars relatively calm so they won’t bump into each other, which can lead to breakage. Available where canning supplies are sold.
Thermometer: A useful piece of equipment for making jams and jellies. There will be times when you will need to know when a boiling pot of fruit and sugar has reached the “gel point” (which is 8 degrees above the boiling point of water). A candy thermometer will work just fine.
Book on canning: You will need at least one basic guide. Number one on my list would be the “Ball Blue Book — Guide To Home Canning, Freezing & Dehydration,” by the Altrista Corporation. For under $10, it’s an excellent resource. The Blue Book folks have maintained their readership by offering basic and reliable information that conforms to all of the wishes and recommendations of the USDA. You can find it in a used bookstore, but do not buy an edition published earlier than 1988, which is when tomato handling guidelines were revised dramatically.
Beyond the basics:
Food Dehydrator: From dried apricots to fruit leather to dried tomatoes and peppers, food drying is a dandy way to capture the fruit and vegetable harvest this summer. Although you can use your oven and even the sun (when we get a run of sunny weather), a good-quality factory-made dehydrator is a worthy investment. It’s more reliable and less demanding on the rest of your life. Make sure that the model you purchase has an adjustable thermostat, a fan or blower (which removes moisture as it evaporates from the food), and an efficient heat source that’s large enough for the drying area.
Pressure Canner: For home canning activities involving the making of jams, jellies, relishes and other high-acid preparations, the boiling-water canner is an adequate piece of equipment for processing the filled jars. But if you want to get into the preserving of low-acid foods like vegetables, meats, poultry and fish, then you’ll need a pressure canner. Newer models are much lighter and easier to operate than the ones built in your grandparents’ day. Depending on the brand, they are fitted with either a weighted gauge or dial gauge. It’s an expensive piece of equipment, but the larger sized ones can double as a boiling water canner. The most popular sizes are 16-quart (which actually can handle 7 quart jars or 9 pint jars), and 22-quart (designed to handle 7 quarts or 18 pints in two layers, or 34 half-pints stacked in three tiers).
Sauerkraut-making equipment: You have plenty of time to contemplate this wonderful and rewarding activity since it’s an autumn pursuit. But since the equipment might be available at garage sales this summer, you can be on the lookout. Another valuable resource is the internet:
A shredder: For shredding the heads of cabbage. Look for a 2 or 3-bladed shredder (also called a “kraut board”), which is basically a large-scale grater, designed to accommodate the width of a very big head of cabbage.
A stomper: Used to encourage the juice from your shredded cabbage. Look for the genuine article in garage sales or antique stores, or substitute a wooden potato masher or a solid (not chemically treated) 2-by-4.
A crock: The old fashioned ceramic crocks are ideal because they’re tough enough to stand up to the “stomping,” and the nice thick walls help keep the cabbage at a steady temperature during fermentation. They’re making a comeback, so you’ll likely encounter a variety of sizes at a number of sources; check well-stocked hardware stores and stores where beer and home brewing supplies are sold. However, food-grade tubs or large glass jars are good substitutes, at a fraction of the cost.
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