Recipe: Grapefruit Blood Orange Jam

I honestly had no intention of sharing this recipe with you guys.  I love everything grapefruit, but I truly thought that the rest of the world wasn't as thrilled about this bitter citrus.  Maybe they aren't, but this jam has been taste-tested by quite a wide demographic and given hearty approval by all who've tasted it.

Here's the breakdown of people who've given the "thumbs up":

• 10 month old baby
• 7 yr. old boy
• a variety of our adult friends
• Handsome
• Handsome's brother (who I would consider a foodie, and isn't afraid to tell me when I've made something nasty)
• ME :)

I guess shouldn't hide this treasure in jars of glass!

The back story:

I cannot resist a bag a Blood Oranges when I see them at the grocery store.  If you've never seen/experienced them, they are similar to Navel oranges, but slightly smaller, sweeter, and usually have a mottled flesh that ranges anywhere from a light pinky-orange to blood red (hence the name).  So, apparently the grocer had blood oranges and also had grapefruits on sale at the same time.  The end.  (No one ever accused me of being good at telling stories guys, okay?)

My bonus jar -- it was gone very quickly.

Grapefruit Blood Orange Jam

By Molly Blue
makes 3 pints + a bonus jar (process in pints or 1/2 pints)

Ingredients

4 Grapefruit
8-10 Blood Oranges
a small amount of orange juice or lemon juice

4 c. white sugar
4 T. powdered pectin

Instructions

1. Supreme the citrus fruit over a large measuring cup to collect the juices, drop in the fruit pieces as you cut them out, and squeeze the leftover membrane to get all the juice you can.  You need 5 cups of fruit + juice, if you have more than that, then pour off the excess and drink it (yum!), if you have less than that, add orange juice or lemon juice to reach 5 cups.
2. Combine fruit + juice and pectin in a large non-reactive pot (make sure there are no pectin clumps), and mash the fruit pieces a bit with a potato masher or spoon.
3. Bring juice to a hard boil that cannot be stirred down.
4. Add sugar all at once, return to a boil and boil hard, stirring constantly, for one minute.
5. Ladle hot jam into jars, leaving 1/4" headspace.  Wipe rim & center (simmered & softened) lids on jar.  Screw on bands.
6. Place jars in cannner, making sure they are covered by 2" of water.  Bring canner to a boil and process for 10 minutes at sea level (I am above sea level, so I process for 15 minutes).  Turn off heat (and move the pot if you can do it safely) and cool 5 minutes in the water bath.  Remove to a folded towel and cool.  Refrigerate any unsealed jars after 24 hours of cooling.

Disclaimer:  If you have not canned before, see freshpreserving.com before making this recipe.  I am not responsible if you do something crazy like not following government approved safe canning methods.

Recipe: Poblano Peach Jam

Note: I wrote this last summer and promptly forgot about it.  Sorry to post it out of season, but I thought this would give you time to get your Poblano plants going this spring.

"Okay, fine, you can pick one weird one for us to plant."

So I carefully examined the choices, and with visions of chile rellenos dancing in my head, I grabbed a Poblano pepper plant, "THIS one!"

Chipped nails, don't care.

This past spring we planted the Spare communal garden at Handsome's parent's house out in the country.  We had the usual suspects:  tomatos, bell peppers, jalapenos, zucchini, squash and cucumbers.  AND, with my sweet-talking skills and promises of culinary adventure, we also planted Garden Salsa peppers and a lone Poblano pepper plant.

Is it August yet, so I can get my peaches?

Turns out that Poblano pepper plants love the sandy soil and the cooler summer weather we had this year, so we have been inundated with these little guys.  No one else really knows what to do with them, so I have taken most of the bounty home with me.  And, I never though I'd say this, but there are only so many cheese-stuffed Poblanos that a girl can eat.

I need to stop taking these pics with my phone... sorry about the color situation.

So, I came up with this recipe.  And it is tasty.  Normally I don't eat hot pepper jelly on toast, but I might make an exception for this one.  It is sweet from the peaches and has a medium heat-level.  In addition to toast, this would be great with crackers and soft cheese or as a glaze on grilled or roasted meats (chicken, fish, maybe even pork or beef).

It really does taste good, even though it looks like alien goo.

Poblano Peach Jam
by the Spares

3 c. Chopped Peaches (skins removed)
1 c. Minced Poblano Peppers (leave most of the seeds in)
3 T. Bottled Lemon Juice
1 T. Cider Vinegar (5% acidity)
4 T. Powdered Pectin
3 c. Sugar

Instructions:

1. For Canning:  sanitize jars, place in canner (if you didn't sanitize them in the canner) to warm.  Place lids in small pot and soften according to package directions.
2. Mince Poblanos (with most of the seeds) in a food processor with the vinegar.
3. Add Poblanos to a non-reactive pot with the peaches, lemon juice and pectin.  Stir to combine.
4. Bring mixture to a boil (that cannot be stirred down), stirring constantly.
5. Add sugar all at once.  Stir to dissolve and bring again to a boil (that cannot be stirred down).  Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly.
6. Remove jam from heat and cool 5 minutes.  Stir and put into jars.  (Wipe rims, center lids, adjust bands to fingertip tight, etc., etc.)
7. Process jars 15 minutes (for altitudes 1,001 to 3,000 ft.).
8. Cool jars in canner 5 minutes before removing to avoid siphoning.
9. Place jars on a folded towel or cooling rack in a draft-free place to cool for 12-24 hours.
10. Refrigerate and use immediately any jars that did not seal.

Note:  This recipe follows the instructions on the Ball Pectin jar and is not just made up from nowhere.  If you have not canned before, see freshpreserving.com before making this recipe.

Yeah, I did.  So what?

Recipe: Strawberry/Blackberry Chia Seed Jam (Or How to Dye Your Wooden Spoon in 15 Minutes)

Pinterest is one of the coolest inventions of this century. I find the most interesting things while browsing--things I never would have thought of otherwise! A more recent discovery was Chia seed jam. Now, historically, I have not been a jam person. "I'll take a PB&J, please, hold the J." It's usually very sweet, contains no recognizable fruit, and has a strange consistency (I get freaked out by things that hold their shape when they come out of their container). BUT, this recipe had Chia seeds in it, and if you don't know, they have this strange property where when they're exposed to water, they swell and form a gelatinous outer layer. This makes them incredibly cool (in a science experiment-y kind of way) aaaaaand perfect for instant jam!

Now, as far as I know, you shouldn't try to can this recipe. It's more of a freezer-jam-style recipe (although I haven't frozen it yet, so I don't know how well that would work). Contact your local Extension Agent before you try canning this to make sure it's safe.

I stuck pretty close to the original recipe, but then again, that's easy to do when there's only four ingredients! And it's hard to mess up when there's only four ingredients!  And there's no worry about the perfect sugar/pectin ratio.  I'm pretty sure this jam will set every time.  Every. Time.  (Can I get a Hallelujah?)  Oh yes, aaaaaaaand it tastes like REAL FRUIT!  (Hallelujah!)

Strawberry/Blackberry Chia Seed Jam

By the Spares

Adapted from Magical Blueberry Vanilla Chia Seed Jam by Oh She Glows

16 oz. Fresh Strawberries, chopped in 1/4" pieces
12 oz. Fresh Blackberries
1/4 to 1/3 c. Sugar (depending on the sweetness of your berries)
2 T. Chia Seeds

Combine fruit and sugar in a medium pot on medium heat.  Smash berries with a wooden spoon and cook until juice comes to a low boil.

Stir in Chia seeds and simmer for 15 minutes, until jam is thick.

Notes:
1. Store in an airtight container.  Lasts 1 week in the fridge.
2. I like to enjoy this on buttered toast or stirred into plain Greek yogurt! (Hallelujah!)
3. I found a big bag of Chia seeds at my local organic food supply store.