The Start of Canning Season

I love this time of year; not only because of the fun we have spending time with family and on the lake, but also because it's high season for summer produce.  The canning season, at least for me, has begun :)

My kitchen was buzzing with activity this past week.  Always a happy time for me.  This past week I made six different types of jams/preserves and my first batch of tomato sauce.  That's about 30+jars of jams and seven pints of tomato sauce to stash in my pantry.  Not bad for an early start to the season.

So,  let's see...(from right to left) I made Plum/Orange/Cardamom Preserves, Onion Jam with Thyme and Maple Syrup, Cherry/Port Preserves, Brandied Apricot Preserves with Lemon, Honeyed Apricot Jam with Jalapeños, Spicy Dill Relish and Farm Stand Tomato Sauce.  Not bad for a week's work, eh? :) 

It's always amazing to me how you start with six pounds of candy sweet onions (which looks like an enormous amount!) and with a little butter, extra virgin olive oil and a little time (about an hour)...

...you end up with a gorgeous pile of caramelized goodness.  And to this I added about 1/2 cup maple syrup, a couple of tablespoons of fresh thyme, a tablespoon of excellent balsamic vinegar, put in 1/2 pint jars, and processed in a water bath for 10 minutes and voila, you have onion jam with thyme and maple syrup.  So easy and SO yummy!  It's a great base for so many dishes throughout the year.

Last week at the Farmer's Market, the plums were just beginning to make an appearance so I bought four pounds of these beautiful little jewels.  I found a great recipe in one of my favorite jamming books, Les Confitures by Christine Farber, and made the Plum with Oranges and Cardamom Preserves.  So delicious!

And next came the tomatoes (and they are just beginning to come in).  I made this Farm Stand Tomato Sauce (in my crockpot no less!) with onions, tomato paste, bay leaves, red wine, tapioca as a thickener and cooked it for 8-9 hours.  It turned out SO good and it made seven pints...way more than I expected the recipe to yield.  And it is delicious!  I think I've found my go-to tomato sauce recipe for this season.  

And the last thing I made this week was Spicy Dill Relish.  This is my 3rd year of making this relish and it is one of my absolute all time favorites.  I use it all year long to make a dressing for egg salad or chicken salad; I use it to make a killer homemade tartar sauce and it spices up just about any dressing/sauce that needs a little umph or crunch.

So as you can see, I had a very productive week in my Michigan kitchen.  And I look forward to many more weeks like this as the season marches on.

I've said it before and I'll say it again...I love Michigan and I am so very  happy when I am here.

Seasons' Bounty

Think I'm ready for winter? :)

As you can see, I was pretty busy this season, trying to preserve the best of the summer produce.  And I think I was quite successful.  All the fruit and vegetables for these little jewels of yumminess came from Wiley Farms--a small family farm about three miles from my house.

Seeing that this is only the second year I've done any canning in my life, I think my pantry looks pretty good for the winter ahead.  And I had so much fun doing this.  I canned 30 quarts of fresh tomatoes, 22 quarts of several different types of tomato sauces, and over 50 jars of assorted jams, preserves and conserves.  Some of them are pretty unique such as basil/peach jam; nectarine/saffron jam; tomato and caramelized onion conserve; blueberry mojito jam; savory peach chutney; spicy dill relish and the list goes on.  I have given away many jars already and will gift more for Christmas presents.  My family and friends seem to appreciate getting them and I love making them and giving them away.  And of course my husband loves sampling each new jar that I open.  I've had a few people suggest that I make this a small business and sell them.  But that would make it too much like work and take all the fun out of it.  I think I'll just keep making them and giving them away.  Any takers? :)

Saving the Season

The bounty of produce in rural Southwest Michigan is amazing!  I had never seen anything like it, so last summer I wasn't prepared to preserve it and "save the season."  But this year I was armed and ready.

The two books that were (are) my guides for preserving the season's bounty are:  Mes Confitures: The Jams and Jellies of Christine Ferber, a gift from my dear friend Linda; and Saving the Season by Kevin West.  Both books are solid in their approach to canning and preserving.  And Kevin West's book is a great read as well.  

Here is a small sampling of what I was able to preserve this season, and this picture does not include the dozen or so jars of jams that I gave away to my family and friends and the 10+ jars that are still in my refrigerator:  

I preserved:  24 quarts of tomatoes, 13 quarts of tomato sauce, 10 pints of tomato paste, and an array of artisans jams and jellies such as Zucchini with Peppers, Pine Nuts and Spices; Savory Peach Chutney; Spicy Dill Relish; Apple with Lemon and Cinnamon; Pumpkin with Vanilla; Pear Jam with Vanilla Bean and Honey; Apple with the Flavors of Alsace; Dill Zucchini Spears; Confetti Relish; Wild Blueberry Jam; Strawberry Preserves; Vineyard Peach and Pear with Grand Marnier; Strawberries with Pinot Noir and Spices; Spiced Brandied Cherries; Cherry Preserves; Cantalope with Citrus and  Candied Ginger; and a huge batch of pesto.

You get the picture :)  

Also in my freezer are 10 pounds of blueberries, the blanched kernels off two dozen ears of corn, raspberries and strawberries. 

I had so much fun this summer learning how to can and preserve this amazing produce at the peak of its freshness and flavor.  And I'm not done yet :)  I brought back to Texas with me a couple of pie pumpkins, a peck of Ida Red Apples and a peck of Honey Crisp Apples.  No...I am definitely not done ;)

Michigan tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste