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Thinking Outside the Jar: Rhubarb Preserves

14 Jan

No Scurvy Here!

Last spring, I had about 30 lbs of rhubarb donated to me and not wanting to waste anything, I froze a quarter, made rhubarb syrup with a quarter and made rhubarb preserves with the remainder. Some of it was preserved in a simple syrup and some with vanilla bean.

Well, it’s been over 6 months since I made it and let me tell you, it’s delicious. Add in some apples and the fruit I froze over the summer and you’ve got yourself a delicious fruit salad that is deliciously local (OK, minus those oranges, but it *is* citrus season and I can’t resist).

Added bonus is the syrup. While it’s a tasty base for the fruit salad, it also makes a killer drink.

Rhubarb Vanilla Syrup

While I’m sure it’s noon somewhere and it’d be a delicious martini, I decided to opt for a morning mimosa-style by adding club soda to the syrup and grabbing a fancy flute and pretending I was somewhere warm and sunny. Besides, nothing starts off a Saturday morning quite like sipping something sweet with the extravagence of real vanilla bean floating in your flute.

Have a happy Saturday!

Strawberry Season Has Arrived!

3 Jul

The Quintessential Summer Fruit

Turns out, the Maritimes are having a lousy year for strawberries; too much rain and not enough heat in the spring to really kick off a good strawberry season, so it feels great to be able to pick anything at all, let alone fourteen pounds of strawberries.

 

While about 2 lbs are destined for a strawberry wine and at least 4 lbs for the freezer to help us through the winter in case we undertake another 100 Mile Challenge, there was plenty of strawberries to go around and lots of strawberry preserves destined for the Sackville Market and online market. We have:

Chipotle Strawberry Jam
Strawberry with Vanilla Bean
Strawberry Jam (made in the French style of slowly drawing out the juices and keeping the berries whole)
Strawberry Margarita Jam

 

Vive La Fraise!

 

*Guess the Jelly Contest*

29 Mar

Can you guess the specific type of jelly I’ve made with the following ingredients? It’ll be tempting to name the predominant flavour, but the key is the supporting players that are adding a unique and specific type of flavour. Guess the correct jelly and you might win a jar! Please note: lemon and orange rind couldn’t attend the photoshoot, but are present in the jelly.

Those that guess correctly will be entered into a draw for a jar.

Guess the Jelly

Guess the Jelly

Winner will be announced next Tuesday, April the 5th. Contest limited to residents of  Canada and the U.S.

Marroni Al Liquore

22 Dec

Marroni Al Liquor

My lovely friend and blogger Alyson at Dates and Quinces made this a few weeks back. The photos and descriptions made it irresistible. Basically, it’s chestnuts in brandy. Once the chestnuts are roasted and prepared, it’s actually a breeze to make. I scored the flat side of an Italian chestnut, roasted at 400 degrees for 35 minutes. Give it a toss every 10 minutes or so and once cooled, peel. In case you’re confronted with options,  Alyson explains the difference between Korean and Italian chestnuts.

One of the best parts of this liquored-up chestnut preserve is that the high alcohol content gives it a long fridge life. So if your life is hectic and preserves tend to kick around for a while, this one will feel right at home!

As for the taste,  I’m sure after the two weeks marinating process, it’s going to taste like heaven. I can attest to enjoying the dregs. Yum!

If you need a last minute holiday gift, this and the vanilla sugar make an excellent combo. Happy Holidays!

Marroni Al Liquore
Copyright: Canadian Living

Ingredients

    1-1/2 cups (375 mL) granulated sugar
    1 cup (250 mL) water
    4 whole allspice
    2 cloves
    2 bay leaves
    1 half vanilla beans, split lengthwise
    2-1/2 cups (625 mL) prepared chestnuts
    1 750 mL bottle brandy

Preparation:

In wide saucepan, bring sugar, water, allspice, cloves, bay leaves and vanilla bean to boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved. Stir in chestnuts; reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. 

Stir in brandy and bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Skim off any foam. Discard allspice, cloves, bay leaves and vanilla bean. Using slotted spoon, divide chestnuts among six 1-cup (250 mL) canning jars. Pour syrup over top. Seal jars with lids; let stand in cool dark place for 2 weeks before using. (Make-ahead: Store for up to 2 months.)

 

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