Food in Jars (15 page)
Authors: Marisa McClellan
Put the double boiler back together and drop in the cubes of butter. Switch to a silicone spatula and stir continually as the lime curd cooks.
Using a candy thermometer, monitor the temperature of the curd while you stir. As it approaches 190° to 200°F/90° to 95°C, it should start to thicken. One sign of doneness is that it will coat the back of your spatula without running or dripping.
If it is slow to thicken but is approaching 210°F/100°C, remove the top portion of the double boiler and let it cool for a moment before returning to the heat for an additional minute or two of cooking. It typically takes 6 to 9 minutes for a curd to cook through.
When the curd has thickened to the consistency of sour cream, it is done. Remove the top half of the double boiler and stir off the heat. During this time, it will continue to thicken a bit.
Strain the curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a 4-cup/960 ml measure. The straining removes both the zest (which will have imparted a great deal of flavor to the curd during cooking time) and any bits of scrambled egg.
Pour the curd into the prepared jars, leaving a generous ½ inch/12 mm of headspace. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath canner for 25 minutes (see
page 11
).
When the time is up, remove the canning pot from the heat and remove the lid. Let the jars sit in the pot for an additional 5 minutes. This helps to prevent the curd from reacting to the rapid temperature change and bubbling out of the jars.
Note:
If you prefer a curd shot through with flecks of zest, reserve half the zest at the beginning. After the curd is finished cooking and you've worked it through the sieve, add the reserved zest to the finished curd and stir to combine. This can be done with any of these curd recipes, but is particularly nice in the lime curd, as the green flecks gives a visual cue that you should expect the flavor of lime.
O
KAY CREAMSICLE LOVERS, THIS ONE IS MOST DECCIDEDLY
for you. It recalls the frozen treats of our collective youth and transforms them into something best spread on homemade biscuits or a toasted English muffin. Because this recipe has a touch more liquid in it than the previous curd recipes, it will take just bit longer to thicken. Stick with it and keep stirring: You'll be well rewarded.
1¼ cups/250 g sugar
¼ cup/80 g orange zest (from about 3 oranges)
1 vanilla bean, split, scraped, and cut into ½-inch/12 mm pieces
4 large egg yolks
2 large eggs
½ cup/120 ml freshly squeezed orange juice (from about 3 oranges)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
6 tablespoons/85 g cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
Prepare a boiling water bath and 2 half-pint/250 ml jars according to the process on page 10. Place the lids in a small saucepan, cover them with water, and simmer over very low heat.
In a small bowl, combine the sugar with the orange zest and vanilla bean and seeds. Rub the zest and vanilla into the sugar until it is fragrant and fully combined. Set aside.
Set up a double boiler, add 2 inches/5 cm of water to the bottom pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Alternatively, set a heatproof mixing bowl over a medium saucepan filled with 2 inches/5 cm of water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the surface of the water. Keeping the top half of the double boiler off the stove, add the egg yolks and whole eggs to it and whisk them together. Add the zest and sugar combination and whisk in. Finally, add the orange and lemon juices and stir until blended.
Put the double boiler back together and drop in the cubes of butter. Switch to a silicone spatula and stir continually as the orange curd cooks.
Using a candy thermometer, monitor the temperature of the curd while you stir. As it approaches 190°F to 200°F/90°C to 95°C, it should start to thicken. One sign of doneness is that it will coat the back of the spatula without running or dripping.
If it is slow to thicken but is approaching 210°F/100°C, remove the top portion of the double boiler and let it cool for a moment before returning to the heat for an additional minute or two of cooking. It typically takes 10 to 12 minutes for this curd to cook through.
When the curd has thickened to the consistency of sour cream, it is done. Remove the top half of the double boiler and stir off the heat. During this time, it will continue to thicken a bit.
Strain the curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a 4-cup/960 ml measure. The straining removes both the zest (which will have imparted a great deal of flavor to the curd during cooking time) and any bits of scrambled egg. Pour the curd into the prepared jars. Wipe the rims and apply the lids and rings.
Because this curd is lower in acid than the others, you must keep this one stored in the refrigerator or freezer instead of putting it through a boiling water bath process. It will keep for up to a year in the freezer.
T
HIS CONSERVE WAS ORIGINALLY INSPIRED BY
charoses, a customary element of the Passover meal. No Passover Seder is complete without this salad of apples and walnuts, bound by honey and a splash of red wine. This version takes those traditional elements and translates them into a satisfying, not-too-sweet spread. What's more, you don't have to be Jewish to enjoy it. Try it with roasted meat or a side of runny cheese.
8 cups peeled and chopped apples (about 4 pounds/1.8 kg apples; see note, page 000)
1½ cups/360 ml 100-percent grape juice (no sugar added)
1 cup/240 ml honey
1 cup/200 g granulated sugar
2½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ cup/70 g almonds, toasted and chopped
Prepare a boiling water bath and 5 half-pint/250 ml jars according to the process on page 10. Place the lids in a small saucepan, cover them with water, and simmer over very low heat.
Combine the apples and grape juice in a large, nonreactive pot. Cook over high heat for about 15 minutes, until the apples are tender and the liquid has reduced. Using an immersion blender or a potato masher, blend or mash about two-thirds of the apples. Leave the remaining third in chunks to give the finished conserve some texture.
Add the honey and sugar and continue to cook on high heat until it reaches 220°F/105°C, about 10 to15 minutes. This is a splattery recipe, so make sure to take care while cooking that you don't burn yourself. A mesh splatter screen is useful here.
When the conserve has reached 220°F/105°C, remove the pot from the heat and add the cinnamon and nuts. Stir to combine.
Ladle the conserve into the prepared jars, leaving a generous
½
inch/12 mm of headspace. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes (see
page 11
).
T
HIS CONSERVE IS THE FIRST COUSIN OF THE PEAR
Ginger Jam on page 46. The addition of chopped orange rind and walnut transforms it into a preserve that has a bit of kick and chew which complements a variety of cheeses. It also happens to be a divine spread on a slice of raisin-nut bread.
6 cups cored and chopped Bartlett or Anjou pears (about 3 pounds/1.4 kg)
1 whole orange, seeded and finely chopped
3 cups/600 g granulated sugar
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger (from about one 2-inch/5 cm piece)
¾ cup/85 g chopped walnuts
Prepare a boiling water bath and 2 regular-mouth 1-pint/500 ml jars according to the process on page 10. Place the lids in a small saucepan, cover them with water, and simmer over very low heat.
In a large nonreactive pot, combine the pears, chopped orange, and sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add the lemon zest and juice and grated ginger and stir to combine.
Increase the heat and bring to a boil. Cook until the syrup turns translucent and the pears are soft enough that you can crush them with the back of your spoon, about 15-20 minutes.
Stir in the chopped walnuts and cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Remove the pot from heat and ladle the conserve into the prepared jars, leaving
½
inch/12 mm headspace. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes (see
page 11
).
Pear-Ginger Conserve & Apple-Pear Chutney
