Canning seems to be all the rage in the food world. Everywhere I turn I see articles and recipes appearing for homemade jams, jellies, preserves, marmalades and the like. “Go green!” the magazines shout. “Recession-friendly!” the headlines read. But the thing is, Southern cooks have been doing it all along. With so much fresh produce available south of the Mason-Dixon, along with personal gardens in folks’ backyards, one has to do something with all those leftovers.
Sadly it seems, “not wasting” is the latest food trend. When did it take an economic downturn to convince Americans to be resourceful? It should be a given. But I’m not going to talk from a pedestal here. I’m learning just as much as the rest of you. Baby steps, you know. So with the incredible farmers’ markets and fresh fruits and veggies available to me, I decided to get in on the action by attending a jam-making class at the fabulous BREADBAR in Santa Monica. It seemed like a perfect opportunity to learn such a time-honored craft, while mingling with fellow foodies alike.
About 50 of us packed in to watch Chef Rogelio Marhx and Daniela Galarza work their marmalade magic. The demo itself was fast paced and slightly chaotic – multiple pots were bubbling over and no actual recipe was explained in a comprehendible manner (Chef Marhx doesn’t really seem to like having to follow his own written instructions). Despite all this, I took home some valuable lessons for preserving in my own kitchen.
The process of canning isn’t all that hard, you just need farm fresh fruit, a few special utensils and a little bit of time. It doesn’t hurt to have a few helping hands, either. Jam-making is a chance to be endlessly creative with new fruits and interesting flavor combinations. We tried strawberry, rosemary and rhubarb jam; gingered apple butter; tangerine marmalade; and vanilla kumquat marmalade, all of which were equally scrumptious. The possibliities seem endless!
All in all, preserving is a great tradition to pass down to your kids, or a fun project for you and your friends. It really is green, economical and fun. Does it get much better than that? So what are you waiting for…Get to your local farmers’ market and get jamming! For more information about preserving, including detailed ‘how-to’, additional recipes and where to buy equipment, check out www.freshpreserving.com or www.canningpantry.com.
STRAWBERRY, ROSEMARY AND RHUBARB JAM
Source: BREADBAR
5 pounds of strawberries, stemmed
1 pound of rhubarb, chopped
5 pounds of sugar (you can substitute with honey or agave syrup, if desired. Consistency will be runnier)
3-4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
Grated zest of 3 Meyer lemons
5 ounces bottled organic lemon juice
Combine fruit, sugar and lemon zest in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Mash berries and rhubarb with potato masher or slotted spoon. Add rosemary. Simmer until the sugar dissolves. Remove rosemary.
Add lemon juice and bring mixture to a boil. Cook until conserve reaches 220 degrees F or is thick enough to completely coat a spoon. Jar while hot.
