Pomegranate Jelly

Pomegranate jelly is incredibly special.  It is both tangy and sweet and has the colour of a jewel when in a pretty jar.
I traditionally make this after Rosh Ha'shana when pomegranates are abundant.

There are a couple of ways to get the juice - you can use a colander and squeeze out the juice of a gazillion ripe pomegranates or you can cheat a bit like Chloe and I did and purchase a jar of pure pomegranate juice - check the label - often it will say pomegranate juice on the front but really be apple juice with pomegranate in it - get the pure stuff in a kosher shop - We found ours for about $4 but as we could not find an abundance of ripe fruit this year, it worked well.
Normally, cracking and then cooking down the fruit, then running it through a food colander and then squeezing the juice out through several layers of cheesecloth is the way it is done.  If you can find excellent quality and very inexpensive or free pomegranates then I believe it is worth the work.


Ingredients:
4 cups pomegranate juice (We used a 32 ounce jar of pure juice and got eight half-pints of jelly)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 package powdered pectin
5 cups white cane sugar
1 tsp plain oil (like crisco, vegetable, etc)

Equipment: Heavy bottomed pot
Spoon
8 or 9 4oz Jelly jars, lids and rings
sterilised funnel to help with the filling of the jars
Paper towel to help wipe mouths of jars clean in case you spill
TIMER
Ladle to help pour jelly into jars

Method:

Prepare half-pint or jelly sized canning jars according to manufactures instructions.  I usually wash them in hot, soapy water, rinse well and then heat, upside-down, in a large flat-bottomed pan.  I put the clean self-sealing lids in a pan of water and allow to simmer.  Watch that these don't boil dry. 

Follow directions in the powdered pectin recipe or do the following;


Put the pomegranate juice and lemon juice in a heavy bottomed pan. Add the entire package of powdered pectin. Stir until it is COMPLETELY dissolved. It might look a bit cloudy but that will disappear with the boiling.

Measure into a bowl the 5 cups of sugar. Set to the side of where you will be cooking.

Get all your equipment ready and then begin heating up the juice/pectin mixture. One it is just near to boiling, carefully pour in the sugar. Stir in well and begin heating so it will boil.
This is the time you should add the OIL - it helps the jelly not to foam up - really nice trick.

Stir constantly until the jelly gets to a full boil and begin timing - A full rolling boil is when even with stirring, the bubbles do not disappear - Stir constantly at a full boil for 2 minutes - use a timer for this.

Once the 2 minutes are up, turn off the heat and begin ladling the jelly into the jars, putting on the lids and then the rings. It will appear to be liquid but the next day you will see that your jelly has completely set and is the clear, bright colour of a ruby. Tangy/sweet and so special

Enjoy!

K (P)

Zucchini Relish - Preserving your garden's bounty

This year we had so many zucchini that in the end we could not even ninja it over to the neighbour's and stash it in their shrubbery.  Good friends were suspected to be in hiding, drapes drawn, hoping that we would not hang a bag of summer squash on their doorknobs.

It was a good year and this is the time for preserving the bounty.

A dear friend of mine, Joyce Kling, shared her grandmother's recipe for zucchini relish.  I knew her grandmother and had always enjoyed anything she cooked so my daughter, granddaugher and I gave it a try.  It is delicious. It is easy and fun to make.  I doubt I will ever eat cucumber pickle relish again. 

You will need to begin this recipe the evening before you cook and can it up.  Having a food processor for the shredding was a bonus.  It also helped with the chopping of the onions and the chillies we tossed in.  If you do not have a food processor, a box grater will work just fine. 

My thanks to Joyce Kling for sharing her family recipe and may her grandmother's memory be for a blessing

Zucchini relish

Ingredients:
10 Cups grated zucchini (about 5 lb)
4 Cup chopped onion (We used Walla Walla Sweet - Other sweet varieties would work well)
4 chopped mild red chillies - we used ripe (red)  Piquillo peppers (optional but pretty)
1/4 Cup salt

5Cup Sugar
2 1/2 Cups of white vinegar (5% acidity)
1Tbs Celery Seeds or powder if you cannot find seed
1Tbs Turmeric
1Tbs Mustard seed

Method

Evening:
Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl.
Cover & refrigerate over night.
Next morning drain in colander & rinse with cold running water.
Drain well & press between paper towels.

Morning:
Prepare half-pint or jelly sized canning jars according to manufactures instructions.  I usually wash them in hot, soapy water, rinse well and then heat, upside-down, in a large flat-bottomed pan.  I put the clean self-sealing lids in a pan of water and allow to simmer.  Watch that these don't boil dry.
 
In a heavy bottomed pot, combine zucchini mixture, sugar, and all other ingredients.  Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat & simmer 30 minutes, stirring often.

Pack in jars and process in boiling water 10min.

Makes 9 half pints.  We used tall jelly jars - very pretty. 

K (P)

Apple Butter - Regular and Cinnamon Red Hots

This is an easy and delicious way to use up a bounty of fall apples from the orchard or your local fruit stand.  I am making some with the cinnamon candies and some without.  Enjoy!

Wash and quarter apples. Discard any that are infested.

In a large stock pot add the prepared apples along with enough water or apple cider or apple juice to keep from scorching and cook the apples until they are soft.  Stir frequently.

If you may get distracted or need to leave the house for the day, you can also cook the apples down using a crock pot or slow cooker.  I have personally never tried this method but I do know a few people that make applesauce this way.

Cool apples completely! 

Push cooled apples through a colander to make applesauce. Return to large stock pot.

To make apple butter:

For every 16 cups of applesauce add
8 cups sugar
3 t. cinnamon
3/4 t. ground cloves
1/2 t. allspice (if you have it - good but not necessary)
1/2 c. Red Hots™   candy - The Red Hots are optional, but they do give the apple butter a pretty colour and enhance the flavour.
If if the apples are very sweet add about 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar  

SLOWLY Cook this mixture down, uncovered until thick enough to spread.
This could take 1 1/2-2 1/2 hours, depending on how much you are making. Stir frequently to prevent scorching.

Prepare pint,  half-pint or jelly sized canning jars according to manufactures instructions.  I usually wash them in hot, soapy water, rinse well and then heat, upside-down, in a large flat-bottomed pan.  I put the clean self-sealing lids in a pan of water and allow to simmer.  Watch that these don't boil dry. 
                             
Pour into 1/2 pint or pint jars, leaving 1/4" headspace, and seal. Process 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner.