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I made this once and it was perfect. Another time it never did set and made a splendid pancake syrup.
- 3 cups kumquats
- 3 cups water
- 5 cups sugar
- 1 envelope Certo Liquid Fruit Pectin
Put kumquats through food processor until chopped fine. Combine fruit with water and let stand overnight. In a large saucepan bring to a boil and let simmer for half hour. Add sugar and bring to a full rolling boil for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add Certo. Stir and skim off foam. Ladle into jars. (Sorry I didn’t note on my recipe card the yield. Use your own best guess.)
Wipe the rims of the jars and screw on the lids. Turn the jars upside down for at least thirty minutes (or as long as hours and hours–doesn’t matter). If the fruit is floating, give the jars a shake every once in awhile. Turn the jars right side up and let cool completely before marking and storing.
Many times it can take more than a day for the jam to set. Try not to worry. If it really does not set, then you have a nice batch of syrup or you can try to process it again. I have never done that, I just go the syrup route. C’est la vie.
I usually, not always, use Certo Liquid Fruit Pectin for my jam. The recipe booklet that I use is from 1975 when the liquid pectin came in bottles. Now the pectin comes in sealed envelopes and each envelope is equivalent to one half-bottle. As you can see, my recipe booklet is falling apart. The new recipe sheet that comes inside the packages now isn’t as comprehensive as the old one. I do not water-bath can my jam. There is enough sugar in it to act as a preservative. Using canning lids keeps air from getting in. When I was a child, my mother only used paraffin to cover the jam and many people still do it that way.
- This is how I prep for a jam-making session
- Set out enough sanitized jars and rings to match the yield of the recipe, either pints, cups, or half-cups.
- Put the appropriate number of lids into a small saucepan of water over low heat.
- Set out my canning funnel, a ladle, metal serving spoon, and small dish.
- Cut open the envelope of Certo and set it in the small dish.
- [The small dish is for the foam (which is just as delicious as the jam, only foamy)]
There is nothing better than orange marmalade on a toasted English muffin to start a wintry morning.
- Orange Marmalade
- Yield: 5-1/2 cups (3-1/2 lb.)
- 4-1/2 cups prepared fruit (3 medium-size oranges, 2 medium-size lemons)
- 1/8 tsp. baking soda
- 5 cups (2-1/4 lb.) sugar
- 1 envelope Certo Liquid Fruit Pectin
First, prepare fruit. Remove skins in quarters from oranges and lemons. Lay quarters flat; shave off and discard about half of the white part. With a sharp knife or scissors, slice remaining rind very thin, or chop or grind. Add 1-1/2 cups water and baking soda to rind; bring the mixture to a boil and simmer, covered, 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Section or chop the peeled fruit; discard the seeds. Add this pulp and juice to the undrained cooked rind. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes longer. Measure 3 cups fruit mixture into a very LARGE saucepan. Stir in sugar and mix well.
Place over high heat, bring to a full rolling boil and boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; at once stir in Certo. Skim off foam with a metal spoon. Ladle into jars, leaving 1/2″ headspace.
Wipe the rims of the jars and screw on the lids. Turn the jars upside down for at least thirty minutes (or as long as hours and hours–doesn’t matter). If the fruit is floating, give the jars a shake every once in awhile. Turn the jars right side up and let cool completely before marking and storing.
Notes: I usually, not always, use Certo Liquid Fruit Pectin for my jam. The recipe booklet that I use is from 1975 when the liquid pectin came in bottles. Now the pectin comes in sealed envelopes and each envelope is equivalent to one half-bottle. As you can see, my recipe booklet is falling apart. The new recipe sheet that comes inside the packages now isn’t as comprehensive as the old one. I do not water-bath can my jam. There is enough sugar in it to act as a preservative. Using canning lids keeps air from getting in. When I was a child, my mother only used paraffin to cover the jam and many people still do it that way.
- This is how I prep for a jam-making session
- Set out enough sanitized jars and rings to match the yield of the recipe, either pints, cups, or half-cups.
- Put the appropriate number of lids into a small saucepan of water over low heat.
- Set out my canning funnel, a ladle, metal serving spoon, and small dish.
- Cut open the envelope of Certo and set it in the small dish.
- [The small dish is for the foam (which is just as delicious as the jam, only foamy)]
This makes a massive quantity, but it’s a good way to use all parts of the apple. And nothing smells better than Apple Butter cooking on the stove.
- Apple Jelly and Butter or Crab Apple Jelly and Butter
- Yield: 8 cups (6 lb.) jelly and 9-1/2 cups (6 lb.) butter
- 4 lb. fully ripe apples
- 6-1/2 lb. sugar
- 2 Envelopes Certo Liquid Fruit Pectin
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. allspice
First, prepare fruit. Remove blossom and stem ends from about 4 pounds fully ripe apples; cut in small pieces. Do not peel or core. (With soft, very sweet apples, add 2 Tablespoons lemon juice.) Add 6-1/2 cups water; bring to a boil and simmer, covered 10 minutes. Crush with a masher and simmer, covered, 5 minutes longer. Place in a large sieve lined with a double thickness of cheesecloth. Drain. Use 5 cups juice to make the jelly and use the fruit pulp in the sieve to make the butter.
- Apple or Crab Apple Jelly
- Yield: 8 cups (6 lb.) jelly
- 5 cups juice (as prepared above)
- 7-1/2 cups (3-1/4 lb.) sugar
- 1 envelope Certo Liquid Fruit Pectin
Mix juice and sugar in very LARGE saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. At once stir in Certo. Then bring to a full rolling boil and boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, skim off foam with metal spoon, and pour quickly into jars, leaving 1/2″ headspace.
Wipe the rims of the jars and screw on the lids. Turn the jars upside down for at least thirty minutes (or as long as hours and hours–doesn’t matter). Turn the jars right side up and let cool completely before marking and storing.
- Apple or Crab Apple Butter
- Yield: 9-1/2 cups (6 lb.) butter
- 5 cups fruit pulp (as prepared above)
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. allspice
- 7-1/2 cups (3-1/4 lb.) sugar
- 1 envelope Certo Liquid Fruit Pectin
Put fruit pulp through sieve. Measure 5 cups into very LARGE saucepan. Add spices. Stir in sugar and mix well.
Place over high heat, bring to a full rolling boil and boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; at once stir in Certo. Skim off foam with a metal spoon. Ladle into jars, leaving 1/2″ headspace.
Wipe the rims of the jars and screw on the lids. Turn the jars upside down for at least thirty minutes (or as long as hours and hours–doesn’t matter). If the fruit is floating, give the jars a shake every once in awhile. Turn the jars right side up and let cool completely before marking and storing.
As is our habit when traveling, we found a small bar near the port of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and ordered local beer. It was accompanied by chips and salsa. The salsa was one of life’s more memorable foods. Unbelievably tasty! Just the right amount of spice for my palate. Perfect saltiness. The recipe below is the nearest approximation to that dish of perfection on that day at that place.
I have made this many times since that day in Puerto Vallarta. Last week when we went to pick up our grocery order, instead of a beefsteak tomato for use, sliced, on sandwiches, we had a 2 lb. locally-grown greenhouse tomato. What on earth was I going to do with that! It was a hard decision to chop it up, but it wouldn’t last forever, so a decision had to be made. Bye-bye monster tomater! Hello pico de gallo! I ended up using about 2/3 of it in the pico.
- Ingredients
- 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 3 jalapenos, seeded and sliced
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
- 1 tsp. salt
- 4-5 Tbsp. lime juice or juice of two limes
- Tortilla chips
Into a food processor, fitted with the S-blade, place chopped tomatoes, seeded and sliced jalapenos, chopped onion, minced garlic, chopped cilantro, salt, and lime juice. DO NOT OVER-PROCESS! Just give it a whirl, scrape down the sides, and give it another whirl. One more may be necessary, but DO NOT OVER-PROCESS! Starting with chopped vegetables will get you to the consistency you want without big chunks. If you like big chunks, then do it the way you want. I like to eat this outdoors at room temperature. Serve with tortilla chips. And cold beer.
I usually, not always, use Certo Liquid Fruit Pectin for my jam. The recipe booklet that I use is from 1975 when the liquid pectin came in bottles. Now the pectin comes in sealed envelopes and each envelope is equivalent to one half-bottle. My recipe booklet is falling apart. The new recipe sheet that comes inside the packages now isn’t as comprehensive as the old one. I do not water-bath can my jam. There is enough sugar in it to act as a preservative. Using canning lids keeps air from getting in. When I was a child, my mother only used paraffin to cover the jam and many people still do it that way.
- This is how I prep for a jam-making session
- Set out enough sanitized jars and rings to match the yield of the recipe, either pints, cups, or half-cups.
- Put the appropriate number of lids into a small saucepan of water over low heat.
- Set out my canning funnel, a ladle, metal serving spoon, and small dish.
- Cut open the envelope of Certo and set it in the small dish.
- [The small dish is for the foam (which is just as delicious as the jam, only foamy)]
- Raspberry Jam: Yield 8 cups (5 lb.)
- 4 cups prepared fruit (about 2 qt. fully ripe berries)
- 6-1/2 cups sugar
- 1 envelope Certo Liquid Fruit Pectin
First prepare fruit. Crush completely, one layer at a time, about 2 quarts fully ripe berries. (If desired, sieve half of pulp — or all the pulp — to remove seeds. It just depends on your tolerance — I take out all the seeds.) Measure 4 cups into a very LARGE saucepan. Stir in sugar and mix well.
Over high heat, bring to a full rolling boil and boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; at once stir in Certo. Skim the foam off with a metal spoon. Continue to stir and skim. Ladle into jars, leaving 1/2″ room at the top.
Wipe the rims of the jars and screw on the lids. Turn the jars upside down for at least thirty minutes (or as long as hours and hours–doesn’t matter). If the fruit is floating, give the jars a shake every once in awhile. Turn the jars right side up and let cool completely before marking and storing.
Many times it can take more than a day for the jam to set. Try not to worry. If it really does not set, then you have a nice batch of syrup or you can try to process it again. I have never done that, I just go the syrup route. C’est la vie.
This recipe is based upon Exotic Fruit Jam from the beautiful artsy cookbook Preserving by Oded Schwartz (DK Publishing, 1996). I have made this jam many, many times. Fresh pineapple, reasonably priced, has been readily available in Anchorage since the 1990s. I liked to use apples from a local orchard. The original recipe calls for litchis, but I don’t even know what those are, so I’ve never added them. This jam provides a bit of bright sunshine taste in the fall when it starts to get dark.
- Pineapple Jam
- Yield: 2-3 pints
- 1 medium pineapple (about 2-1/2 lb.)
- 2 lb. cooking apples, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped (when using the little apples from the local orchard I did not peel them)
- 1 cup water
- Rind of 1 lemon
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 5 cups sugar
Peel, core, and chop the pineapple. Process in a food processor with the apple until finely chopped.
Transfer into a very LARGE saucepan and add the water, lemon rind, and lemon juice. A spatter guard will come in very handy at this point. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20-25 minutes, or until the apples are disintegrated and the pineapple is soft.
Add the sugar to the pan, stirring until it is dissolved. Return to a boil and boil, stirring frequently, for 20-25 minutes, or until the jelling point is reached (220 degrees F on candy thermometer). Remove from heat and skim off foam. Ladle into jars.
Wipe the rims of the jars and screw on the lids. Turn the jars upside down for at least thirty minutes (or as long as hours and hours–doesn’t matter). Turn the jars right side up and let cool completely before marking and storing.
I haven’t made this one in many years because I’m allergic to fireweed pollen and it’s tough to go out and gather the blossoms. This is the most beautiful jelly! It turns a deep magenta color as soon as the lemon juice is added. Give it a try!
- Fireweed Jelly
- Yield: 3-1/2 cups
- 1-1/2 cups tightly packed fireweed blossoms
- 2-1/4 cup water
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 3-1/2 cups sugar
- 1 envelope Certo Liquid Fruit Pectin
Bring blossoms to a boil in water and simmer until petals lose their color. Drain and measure 1-3/4 cup juice into a large saucepan. Stir in lemon juice. Stir in sugar and mix well.
Bring to a boil over high heat and stir in Certo. Boil, stirring constantly, for one minute. Remove from heat, skim off foam, and ladle into jars.
Wipe the rims of the jars and screw on the lids. Turn the jars upside down for at least thirty minutes (or as long as hours and hours–doesn’t matter). Turn the jars right side up and let cool completely before marking and storing.
Many times it can take more than a day for the jelly to set. Try not to worry. If it really does not set, then you have a nice batch of syrup or you can try to process it again. I have never done that, I just go the syrup route. C’est la vie.
Notes: I usually, not always, use Certo Liquid Fruit Pectin for my jelly. The recipe booklet that I use is from 1975 when the liquid pectin came in bottles. Now the pectin comes in sealed envelopes and each envelope is equivalent to one half-bottle. My recipe booklet is falling apart. The new recipe sheet that comes inside the packages now isn’t as comprehensive as the old one. I do not water-bath can my jelly. There is enough sugar in it to act as a preservative. Using canning lids keeps air from getting in. When I was a child, my mother only used melted paraffin to cover the jelly and many people still do it that way.
- This is how I prep for a jelly-making session
- Set out enough sanitized jars and rings to match the yield of the recipe, either pints, cups, or half-cups.
- Put the appropriate number of lids into a small saucepan of water over low heat.
- Set out my canning funnel, a ladle, metal serving spoon, and small dish.
- Cut open the envelope of Certo and set it in the small dish.
- [The small dish is for the foam (which is just as delicious as the jelly, only foamy)]
Here is another one based upon a recipe found in Oded Schwartz’s Preserving (DK Publishing, 1996). I had a hard time waiting the month called for in the recipe, because it was SO good right out of the pan.
- Peach Marmalade
- Yield: 2 pints
- 2-1/2 lb. firm, just ripe, peaches
- 4 cups sugar
- Juice of 2 lemons
Peel peaches, remove pits, and cut into thick slices. Put the peach slices in a LARGE saucepan and stir in sugar and lemon juice. Mix well. Cover the pan and let stand for 2-3 hours.
Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes, or until the peaches are just soft.
Return to a boil and boil rapidly, stirring frequently for 20-25 minutes, or until jelling point is reached (220 degrees F on a candy thermometer). Remove pan from heat and skim off foam. Ladle into jars.
Wipe the rims of the jars and screw on the lids. Turn the jars upside down for at least thirty minutes (or as long as hours and hours–doesn’t matter). If the fruit is floating, shake the jars to redistribute. It’s okay to do this several times over a few hours. Turn the jars right side up and let cool completely before marking and storing. This makes a soft-set marmalade that is ready to eat in about one month, but improves with age.
I usually, not always, use Certo Liquid Fruit Pectin for my jam. The recipe booklet that I use is from 1975 when the liquid pectin came in bottles. Now the pectin comes in sealed envelopes and each envelope is equivalent to one half-bottle. As you can see, my recipe booklet is falling apart. The new recipe sheet that comes inside the packages now isn’t as comprehensive as the old one. I do not water-bath can my jam. There is enough sugar in it to act as a preservative. Using canning lids keeps air from getting in. When I was a child, my mother only used paraffin to cover the jam and many people still do it that way.
- This is how I prep for a jam-making session
- Set out enough sanitized jars and rings to match the yield of the recipe, either pints, cups, or half-cups.
- Put the appropriate number of lids into a small saucepan of water over low heat.
- Set out my canning funnel, a ladle, metal serving spoon, and small dish.
- Cut open the envelope of Certo and set it in the small dish.
- [The small dish is for the foam (which is just as delicious as the jam, only foamy)]
- Blueberry Jam
- Yield 9-1/2 cups (6 lb.)
- 4-1/2 cups prepared fruit (about 1-1/2 quarts fully ripe blueberries)
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 7 cups (3 lb.) sugar
- 2 envelopes Certo Liquid Fruit Pectin
Thoroughly crush, one layer at a time, about 1-1/2 quarts blueberries. Measure 4-1/2 cups into a very LARGE saucepan. Stir in lemon juice. Stir in sugar and mix well.
Over high heat, bring to a full rolling boil and boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; at once stir in Certo. Skim the foam off with a metal spoon. Continue to stir and skim. Ladle into jars, leaving 1/2″ room at the top.
Wipe the rims of the jars and screw on the lids. Turn the jars upside down for at least thirty minutes (or as long as hours and hours–doesn’t matter). If the fruit is floating, give the jars a shake every once in awhile. Turn the jars right side up and let cool completely before marking and storing.
Many times it can take more than a day for the jam to set. Try not to worry. If it really does not set, then you have a nice batch of syrup or you can try to process it again. I have never done that, I just go the syrup route. C’est la vie.
Foods Passion 