Friday, August 24, 2007

En Chine


Jam projects are on hold for two weeks while I'm in China, eating more pork products than a person ought. XLB, braised pork ribs and sesame BBQ pork puffs? Yes, yes and yes.

Back in September with fig jam, based on a recipe from the lovely Sean of Hedonia.

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Saturday, August 11, 2007

How to gut a chicken


Some days shopping at the market is the best part of jam making. Other days it's the transit to and from, as was the case today.

The scene: the 23 Monterey bus stop behind the market, a few feet from a truck-full of caged chickens, pheasants and rabbits awaiting their doom. A woman waiting at the stop noticed me watching the stall owner grab a chicken by the feet and move toward the back of the truck, his other hand grasping a long metal implement.

"I don't even remember how to gut a chicken," the woman said.
"Mmm," I assented.
"It's been some time. Twelve years?"
"You could buy a book, probably," I offered.
"Or look it up on the web," she said. "My husband and brother hunt for turkeys in the fall. They looked up on the web how to clean 'em. I never ate that turkey, though. I said, 'If you had to look it up on the web, you probably did it wrong."

I got peak season O Henry peaches, $1/lb (organic), at the Ferrari stand. A recipe tomorrow...

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Sunday, August 5, 2007

Blackberry-Plum Jam

I went early to Rainbow to load up on more half-pint jars (back in stock!) as well as some other supplies. In the bulk foods aisle, I tried to find a larger plastic bag to contain all the white sugar I needed, impervious to the flyers posted around the store advertising a food lecture:


Kick the sugar habit!

Are you tired of the sugar rollercoaster?
Do you want to reclaim control of your diet?


No and no. I picked up some "Flavor King" red plums to compliment the blackberries, which macerated in 1/2 c of sugar for about two hours.

Blackberry-Plum Jam

1 quart blackberries, rinsed and picked over

4 red plums

2 lemons, squeezed

1/2 c plus 1 1/2 c white sugar


After joining the peeled, sliced plums in a pot with the berries and accumulated juice, mix in the additional sugar and lemon juice. Bring the fruits to a slow boil, scraping off foam that rises to the top. Boil until fruits release liquid, then boil down and pass the freezer plate test for desired consistency.

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Saturday, August 4, 2007

Late-season berries

Clearly I've found the digital macro setting on my new camera. This morning I went to the farmer's market with a special guest non-jam-maker, where I picked out blackberries ($5/qt)and blueberries ($8/qt).

Tonight the blackberries will macerate; tomorrow I'll go to Rainbow to buy new jars and then cook down the fruits. I hope my half-pint Masons are back in stock...

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