Preserving | Simple Bites

by Marisa on April 10, 2013 • 20 Comments Preserving

Preserving Spring: Spicy Pickled Asparagus

pickled asparagus Written by Marisa of Food in Jars.

When I was a brand new canner, pickled asparagus was one of my very first projects. Asparagus has long been one of my favorite vegetables and so, when it went on sale in mid-spring, I bought several bundles, consulted a multitude of cookbooks and set to work.

I quickly learned that pickling asparagus was a task well worth doing (particularly since commercial versions can cost as much as $12 a jar) and added it to my list of mandatory yearly recipes. I have since made at least 100 jars and every year, I still run out well before asparagus season arrives again.

[Read more...]

by Aimee on March 18, 2013 • 46 Comments Preserving

Five ideas for preserving Meyer lemons (recipe: Meyer Lemon Finishing Salt)

Winter is spilling over into its sixth month, bringing snow and freezing temperatures once again to our northern city. At dinner yesterday I tried to look on the bright side: “At least we don’t have to mow the lawn”, then slumped back into my chair, sighing over the elusive spring and her warm winds.

Last month I collected myself and resolutely embraced winter salads, but early March found me longing for fruit other than lackluster apples. Spurred on by fellow home preserving enthusiasts, Marisa and Autumn, I treated myself to a box of Meyer lemons from Lemon Ladies Orchard in California.

In record time the lemons arrived in good shape, and opening the box was better than unwrapping a Christmas present. The sweet smell perfumed my kitchen instantly and almost as quickly, my head began to swirl with ideas.

I was smitten.

[Read more...]

by Marisa on February 13, 2013 • 25 Comments Preserving

Spiced Preserved Lemons

Written by Marisa of Food in Jars.

In 1988, my family packed up our station wagon and migrated north from Los Angeles to Portland, Oregon. I went from being a kid who’d never seen snow to one who was intimately familiar with mittens, scarves and moisture-wicking rain jackets.

Since then, I’ve always made the choice to live in climates that feature four distinct seasons (my younger sister went the opposite way and fled to Austin, Texas as soon as she was able). While I continue to be entirely pleased with my chosen city and its weather, I do find that come January, I need a little help dealing with the short, dark days.

Where most people might choose sun lamps or strategically timed visits to points south, I ward off the effects of the winter blahs with prodigious doses of citrus. I buy clementines by the box, fill cellophane bags with navel oranges and once a season, splurge on a ten pound shipment of Meyer lemons from the Bay Area.

I make marmalade, curd, jelly, caramel sauce, infused sea salt, flavored olive oil, dried slices and salt preserved lemons. All told, I spend nearly two full weeks celebrating the fragrance and flavor of these sweet, thin-skinned lemons.

[Read more...]

by Marisa on December 26, 2012 • 11 Comments Preserving

Quick Pickled Carrot Spears

Written by Marisa of Food in Jars.

In the past week, I’ve cooked and baked my way through at least five pounds of butter. There’s been toffee, cookies, biscuits, yeasted breakfast breads, apple crisps, and a turkey dinner with half a dozen sides.

Though it has been deeply satisfying to eat everything in my path, now that the holiday is over, I am ready for a palate cleanser that isn’t oozing with butter. And to my tastebuds, nothing tastes better when I’ve overdone it than a crisp, simple pickle.

Though I typically have a few varieties of pickles on my shelf from a summertime of canning, right now I’m hungry for a quick pickle. More often than not, this is when I turn to carrots.

[Read more...]

by Aimee on November 5, 2012 • 31 Comments Preserving

Cranberry Pear Conserve with Ginger recipe and a canning swap

I can think of fewer places I would rather be on a chilly November afternoon than sipping tea and chatting with girls who have gathered together to swap jam, jellies and preserves.

That was how I spent part of my Sunday past, enjoying the warm hospitality of my good friend Melanie, while the boys stayed home to rake leaves. Clara came too, sitting primly on the sofa in her party dress and nibbling crackers so neatly that my heart swelled with emotion at the thought of all the tea parties we have ahead of us.

It was delightful to be a guest for once, and the practical aspect of the swap made it a not-to-be-missed event on my calendar. Read on for a few photos from the swap and a recipe for Cranberry Pear Conserve with Ginger, my contribution to the table.

[Read more...]