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Fun with Food Preservation
Spring and summer not only bring warmer days, but the availability of fresh, garden produce. Even if you are unable to grow your own, the popular farmers markets that have popped up over the past decade allows you to bring all sort of wonderful fresh fruits and vegetables to your table.
And while it is absolutely delightful to enjoy your garden produce in season, we certainly don’t want to let any go to waste. How to preserve these treasures to enjoy later is certainly something worth learning. And this learning never ends. Learning the best ways to preserve food has been something I have enjoyed for many years.
Canning and freezing tomatoes, green beans, corn and peas from our garden was always a joy. It certainly required time and effort but the rewards were worth it. Being able to enjoy the fruits of our labor well into the winter months made meal planning a breeze.
We are so happy to have Sherri Sylva back this summer to teach another canning class. Whether you are new to canning or have experience, Sherri will help you feel more comfortable with the process of both water bath and pressure canning.
If the idea of canning seems intimidating to you, a great place to start is with some simple jam and jelly recipes. No special equipment is really needed but you will definitely want to check out using Pomona’s Pectin for jelly and jam making. Pomona’s Pectin is a must have if you want to make jam and jelly without the use of so much sugar. Pomona’s pectin is an all-natural citrus pectin.
Most commercial pectin products depend entirely on using a large quantity of sugar to gel as well as the correct amount of acid. Jam and jelly recipes using these commercial products often require 5-9 cups of sugar per batch, with no deviation, resulting in jams and jellies that are 55-85% sugar.
Not so with Pomona’s Pectin. It depends on calcium and not sugar. Each package of Pomona’s Pectin comes with a small package of calcium and a larger package of pectin. You will mix the calcium powder with water to use in all your batches of jelly per the included instructions. With Pomona’s pectin you can sweeten your jam or jelly with as much of almost any type of sweetener you desire without affecting its ability to gel. Honey, fruit juice, honey granules, maple syrup, agave nectar, xylitol, stevia and more are all sweetening choices. You can even make your own 100% fruit juice “jello”.
We carry 2 sizes at Bread Beckers – a 1 oz box or a 16 oz bag. It never expires!
https://www.breadbeckers.com/store/pc/Pomona-s-Universal-Pectin-1-oz-38p2360.htm
https://www.breadbeckers.com/store/pc/Pomona-s-Universal-Pectin-16-oz-BAGGIE-38p4990.htm
The choice is yours – and what better to spread on a warm slice of bread and butter than your own delicious homemade jam or jelly. One of my favorites is the Easy Raspberry Jam. You can substitute your favorite berry, such as strawberries, blueberries or blackberries, for the raspberries if you want. You can find the recipe here as a delicious topping for my favorite chocolate cake.
https://www.breadbeckers.com/blog/category/recipes/
And if fresh fruit isn’t readily available in your area just yet, I thought I would share with you one of my favorite recipes for you to try. This Sangria Wine Jelly is so delicious served over Garlic Cream Cheese (recipe included) with your favorite cracker as a delicious appetizer or snack. All you need is a couple of oranges and limes, a bottle of wine and of course, Pomona’s Pectin.
For even more delicious recipes and ideas, check out the Pomona’s Pectin cookbook
https://www.breadbeckers.com/store/pc/Preserving-with-Pomona-s-Pection-by-Allison-Carroll-Duffey-44p3611.htm
or our Jam and Jellies and Basic Canning video class.
https://breadbeckers.regfox.com/jamsjellies20230608b
Enjoy!
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