Summer in a Jar

Royal Blenheim Apricot Jam

Preserving summer...

A few weeks ago, I captured summer in a jar with my first summer preserving project, Royal Blenheim Apricot Jam.  The recipe I used is by Bay Area jam expert, Rachel Saunders and can be found in her Blue Chair Jam Cookbook.   Since the recipe called for Blenheim apricots, I learned a thing or two about them, in the process. 

The Blenheim Apricot

 The beloved Blenheim apricot is an old heirloom variety and said to be the tastiest of all apricots.  It's name hails from Blenheim Palace in England where these apricots flourished in the gardens there and in Europe.  They arrived in California back in the late 1800's.  Today, they are considered a rare crop since many growers have abandoned them because they are fragile and difficult to ship. 

 A few weeks ago, I lucked out and picked-up a lug of Blenheim's from a nearby farm.  Then I made apricot jam.

Apricot Almonds

Rachel's Royal Blenheim Apricot Jam recipe calls for 5-10 apricot kernels.  I've eaten apricots my entire life and had never heard of apricot kernels before.  Well now I know, if you crack open an apricot pit (gently with a hammer) there is a kernel inside.  And, the kernel looks and smells just like an almond.

Eager to learn more about the kernels,  I consulted a few of my cookbooks, including my French jam book, Mes Confitures.  I learned that the French call them apricot "almonds".  And, it is an old French technique to put one or two apricot "almonds" into each jar of apricot jam before sealing.

***A word of caution though:  Use apricot kernels at your own risk.  The kernels contain a compound which eaten in excess, may produce symptoms of cyanide poisoning.  Yikes!

Making Jam

Equipped with my French copper jam pan, I decided to follow Rachel's recipe just as written.  I cracked opened about 10 apricot pits (chopped up a few) and filled a metal tea ball infuser with them. Being of French heritage, I liked the old tradition of using the apricot "almonds" in jam making.  I did feel a bit more at ease though, using them Rachel's way to infuse the jam rather than putting an entire kernel or two into each jam jar as my French ancestors probably did.

You may be wondering, do the apricot "almonds" really make a difference in the jam's taste?  They must because this was perhaps the most delicious jam, I have ever made!

Petit Dejeuner
(Breakfast)

And Rachel says it best:

"Royal Blenheim apricots make a stellar jam.  The key is to use as little sugar as possible so as best to showcase this apricot's extraordinarily sumptuous flavor.  Among the many plain apricot jams I have tasted, the one is the best."

I agree!


(In the photos:  La Parfait jam jar, Spode Penny Lane, Honeywall Light pattern plate and Laguiole spreader.)

Let's Make Candied Peel

 Candied Peel

When your grocer doesn't have candied peel

what do you do...

make your own!  

  I went to the market yesterday with a grocery list for Easter baking.  

On my list was candied peel.

Naturally most grocers (at least in the States) only carry candied peel 

and candied fruits during the holiday season for fruitcakes, etc.

Instead of driving 30 miles to a specialty grocer,
I decided to make my own.

I researched British, American and French recipes 

and they all virtually use the same method.  

Here's a quick method of how I made my Candied Peel:

Candied Peel

 1)  Wash the citrus fruit.  

Use a sharp vegetable peeler and peel the fruit in long peels 

leaving the white pith on the fruit. 

 2)  Julienne in to strips or leave as whole peels.

 3)  Cook peels until tender in a boiling pot of water. 

This takes about 10 minutes. 

 4)  Transfer peels with a slotted spoon to a wire rack 

to dry for about 15 minutes.

 5)  Bring to boil equal parts water and sugar 

and boil over high heat to dissolve sugar. 

Add peels and simmer until peels turns translucent and 

the syrup thickens.  This takes about 10 minutes. 

6)  Transfer peels with a slotted spoon to a wire rack 

placed on a baking sheet.  Separate the pieces as needed. 

Let peel dry for 1 hour and dust in sugar to coat. 

I made a small batch of candied peel using just one orange and one lemon.  

I used Martha Stewart's recipe for Candied Citrus Peels 

as my recipe guide. 

Now tomorrow, 

 I'm ready to bake some Easter treats!

Orchard Quince Jam

 Petite Dejeuner

This fall,

 we've been enjoying the fruits of my labor...

thanks to my new French jam book

Mes Confitures
by Christine Ferber.

 Marmelo

Christine says it best

in her jam book's introduction...

"With time and practice, you will refine your own technique."

She says, "Remind yourself that no two jams are ever the same. 

From one year to another,

one batch to another, a little thinner, a little thicker, each is different."

So recently, I made my first batch of her

Andree's Orchard Jam and it turned out quite thick,

probably from over cooking. 

It seemed more like marmalade than jam to me.

Well, no wonder...

I did a little research and it turns out the term "marmalade"

originally meant quince jam

and derives from the Portuguese word "marmelo"

which means quince.

No worries,

I turned my very thick marmelo

into a delicious glaze for pork tenderloin. 

Orchard Quince Jam

Batch # 2 of my Andree's Orchard Quince Jam

turned out perfect!

Since I had to cook Batch # 1 so long to soften up the quince,

I decided for Batch # 2 to pre-cook my quince for two hours

before I turned it into jam.

Pre-cooking the quince, produced wonderful results

and a very spreadable jam.

It's delicious for a "petite dejeuner"

on a croissant!

 More Quince

My husband and I love my quince jam.

Quince jam is sweet and fruity and

reminds us a bit like applesauce.

The recipe yielded a small batch

so I set out to find more quince
for fall canning.

This time I found larger quince

grown locally at another foothill farm

and decided to experiment with a few other quince recipes.

 Quince Preserves

I canned quince slices and

used Martha Stewart's recipe for

Spicy Quince Preserves

in her book

The Martha Stewart Cookbook.

We haven't tried them yet.

I'm planning to use them with

a pork tenderloin or pork roast.

Paradise Chutney

My last quince project was chutney.

When I read the recipe for Paradise Chutney

in Nigella Lawson's book

How To Be A Domestic Goddess

I knew I had to make it.

Nigella was inspired by an old recipe using

apples, quince and cranberries.

She turned the old jelly recipe into a chutney for the modern kitchen.

I love the recipe but do find it a bit tart.

The next time I make it,

I am going to use less vinegar.

The Paradise Chutney is a great accompaniment on
turkey sandwiches and
I can't wait to use it with Christmas leftovers!

So now, you have an idea where I have been the last month or so.

I've been busy in my kitchen and ,of course,

 busy knitting,too.

I still have a few pounds of quince left...

so I'm off to make more jam.

This time I am going to make Christine's

Quince Jam with Christmas Flavors! 

Quince

Quince

My latest obsession has been the

quince. 

You haven't seen me for awhile

because I've been busy in my kitchen.

Otow Orchard

My Dad suggested a trip to visit a local farm Otow Orchard

and so began my obsession with the quince.

Before our visit to Otow Orchard I started researching the quince. 

I found out that quince is an old fashioned fruit related to the apple and pear. 

It used to be a popular tree found in many backyards and farms. 

Quince is not edible raw. 

It is hard and very sour. 

It is mainly used in jams, jellies and puddings.

Quince also have a fuzz on them

that you rub off with a towel to remove

 before you peel them for cooking.

Farm Fresh

My parents and I had a wonderful visit at Otow Orchard.

Owner Tosh Kuratomi gave us a tour of the orchard

and showed us what quince trees look like. 

He told us that it hadn't been a good year for quince

and they had a very low yield.

I purchased the few pounds of organic quince they had left

so I could experiment making quince jam. 

Let's Make Jam

Making jam and canning remind me of my Grandma Margaret.

My Grandma Margaret did a lot of canning

on the 100 acre family farm in Pennsylvania. 

My Dad says,

"The cellar was always full".

I am lucky to have my Grandma's blue farm bowl

and her Hardware store cookbook from the 1930's. 

I'm thinking there may have been quince trees on the farm

because there are sure a lot of splatters

on the page for apple or quince jelly in her cookbook!

 Andree's Orchard Quince Jam

It's been over 10 years since I've made jam

but I still had all the necessary supplies for canning.

I did update my supplies though and splurged

 on a French copper confiture (jam) pan

that the "jam queens"
 Christine Ferber from France

and

Rachel Saunders from The Blue Chair Fruit Co.
of California use.

For my first attempts at quince jam,

 I followed Christine's recipe in Mes Confitures for

Andree's Orchard Quince Jam. 

So...

I've been busy the last month or so

in my kitchen

 practicing making quince jam and other quince goodies.

I'll be sharing the results in my next post.

One thing is for sure...

quince is a delicious fall fruit with a sweet floral and fruity taste.

I'm hooked on this old fashioned fall fruit!