The Canning Kitchen (12 page)

Scoop the pouch into a fine-mesh sieve and press on it with the back of a spoon to release the pectin-rich juices back into the pot. Discard the pouch. Stir in the sugar. Bring to a foamy boil over highest heat, stirring frequently. Maintain a full boil, still stirring frequently, until it reaches the gel stage, which should take about 20 to 25 minutes (see “How to Test a Gel Set” on
page 7
). Remove from the heat.

Ladle into 6 clean 250 mL (1 cup) jars, leaving a ¼-inch (5 mm) headspace. Process in a boiling water bath canner for 15 minutes using the Processing Checklist on
page 17
.

TIP
Pineapple holds its shape when cooked, so whatever size you dice your pineapple is the size it will be in your finished marmalade.

R
UBY
R
ED
H
OT
M
ARMALADE

This sweet-with-heat marmalade will tickle your sweet tooth and wake up your taste buds at the same time. Try it with aged cheese on toasted pumpernickel or mix with a little rice vinegar and brush over juicy grilled chicken breasts.

MAKES SEVEN 250 ML (1 CUP) JARS

3 lb (1.4 kg) Ruby Red grapefruit (or any red or pink variety)

7 cups (1.75 L) water

4 bird’s-eye chilies, thinly sliced

6 cups (1.5 L) granulated sugar

Scrub the grapefruit under cool running water. Slice in half crosswise and juice thoroughly, pouring the juice into a large, heavy-bottomed pot and reserving the seeds in a medium bowl. Using a metal spoon, scrape out the membranes from the grapefruit halves and add to the seeds. Slice off the stem and blossom ends and add to the seeds. Slice the peels into very thin strips until you have 2 cups (500 mL).

Add the sliced peel and water to the pot. Place the reserved seeds, membranes, stem and blossom ends and any remaining peel on a double-layer square of cheesecloth. Bring up the edges and tie with kitchen string to form a secure pouch. Nestle the pouch in the pot. Bring the works to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 90 minutes.

Scoop the pouch into a fine-mesh sieve and press on it with the back of a spoon to release the pectin-rich juices back into the pot. Discard the pouch. Stir in the chilies (including the seeds) and sugar. Bring to a full foamy boil over highest heat, stirring frequently. Maintain a full boil, still stirring frequently, until it reaches the gel stage, which should take about 15 minutes (see “How to Test a Gel Set” on
page 7
). Remove from the heat.

Ladle into 7 clean 250 mL (1 cup) jars, leaving a ¼-inch (5 mm) headspace. Process in a boiling water bath canner for 15 minutes using the Processing Checklist on
page 17
.

TIP
Ruby Reds are sometimes labelled Texas Red, Rio Red or Rio Star. They all make very tasty marmalade. The perfect grapefruit should be heavy (an indicator of juiciness) and look like it’s about to burst through its skin. Want it scorching hot? Try using a little habanero or Scotch bonnet pepper in your marmalade. Want it less spicy? Choose a jalapeño, or leave the pepper out altogether for a straightforward grapefruit marmalade.

P
ICKLES AND
R
ELISHES

Pickles are about memories, childhood and traditions that comfort us. We might not remember exactly what went into grandma’s dill pickles, but we remember how they made us feel. Every bite, every new jar opened, brings us back to grandma’s table and fills us with the satisfaction that we can carry on the tradition of pickling in our own canning kitchen. Some of my favourite pickles are made with the humblest vegetables, such as beets and beans in a simple brine. My kids never seem to get enough of homemade Crunchy Dill Pickles (
page 105
)—we go through about 40 jars a year!

Relishes are sometimes thought of as a canning category of their own, but they are really chopped pickle mixtures. Relish has a long history in home canning as a way to safely preserve chopped vegetables like cucumbers, zucchini and peppers by adding acidic vinegar. The satisfyingly sour result works as a jumping-off point for a spectrum of other flavours such as spicy, smoky and sweet. Largely used as a condiment, relish is also one of the handiest preserves to use in home cooking. Add a few spoonfuls of any relish to picnic salads like potato or pasta salad, spoon corn relish onto tacos or fish, add zing to pasta dishes with a little tomato relish, and mix sweet green relish with mayonnaise for a quick tartar sauce for fish that’s better than anything you’ll find in stores. Relish is the friend of any dish that could use a little brightening.

Some recipes in this chapter call for pickling vinegar, which is 7% acetic acid and stronger than distilled white vinegar. Large jugs of pickling vinegar can often be found wherever canning supplies are sold. For all other pickling recipes, be sure to use vinegars that are at least 5% acetic acid for safe preserving.

Use pickling salt where it is called for in these recipes. Unlike table salt, coarse pickling salt is pure and doesn’t contain iodine or anti-caking agents that could cloud your brine. Pickling salt is sometimes labelled canning salt or preserving salt. If you can’t find pickling salt, pure sea salt or pure kosher salt are good alternatives.

B
READ AND
B
UTTER
P
ICKLES
•
C
RUNCHY
D
ILL
P
ICKLES
•
D
OUBLE
D
ILLY
B
EANS
•
H
OT-AND-
S
OUR
P
ICKLED
G
REEN
B
EANS
•
P
ICKLED
S
LICED
B
EETS
•
P
ICKLED
A
SPARAGUS
S
PEARS
•
T
RIPLE
R
ED
P
ICKLE
•
P
ICKLED
P
EARL
O
NIONS
•
H
OT
P
ICKLED
P
EPPERS
•
S
WEET
G
REEN
R
ELISH
•
D
ILL
P
ICKLE
R
ELISH
•
H
OT
D
OG
R
ELISH
•
Z
UCCHINI
S
WEET
R
ELISH
•
T
OMATO
R
ED
O
NION
R
ELISH
•
C
HIPOTLE
C
HERRY
T
OMATO
R
ELISH
•
R
AINBOW
P
EPPER
R
ELISH
•
S
OUTHWEST
C
ORN
R
ELISH
•
F
ENNEL
T
HYME
R
ELISH

B
READ AND
B
UTTER
P
ICKLES

A classic in any canning kitchen, these bread and butter pickles make for a sweet-and-sour treat on the side of a sandwich plate or tucked under a burger bun.

MAKES SIX 500 ML (2 CUP) JARS

6 lb (2.7 kg) pickling or English cucumbers

2 cups (500 mL) thinly sliced white onion

⅓
cup (75 mL) pickling salt

2 cups (500 mL) pickling vinegar (7% acetic acid) 2 cups (500 mL) water

1½ cups (375 mL) granulated sugar

1 tbsp (15 mL) whole allspice

1 tbsp (15 mL) mustard seeds

1½ tsp (7 mL) celery seeds

½ tsp (2 mL) turmeric

Scrub the cucumbers under cool running water. Slice the cucumbers ¼ inch (5 mm) thick, discarding the tips as you go. Toss the cucumbers and onions with the salt in a very large bowl or pot. Let stand for 3 hours to allow the salt to draw excess moisture from the vegetables.

Drain the veggies and rinse well. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, combine the vinegar, water, sugar, allspice, mustard seeds, celery seeds and turmeric. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add the veggies to the hot liquid and return to a boil. Remove from the heat.

Using a slotted spoon, scoop the pickles into 6 clean 500 mL (2 cup) jars. Top up with the pickling liquid, leaving a ½-inch (1 cm) headspace. Poke a non-metallic utensil inside each jar a few times to remove any air bubbles, topping up with the pickling liquid if necessary. Process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes using the Processing Checklist on
page 17
.

TIP
Whereas pickling cucumbers are usually available only mid to late summer, seedless English cucumbers are available year-round and make a great choice for bread and butter pickles. Try adding or substituting other spices in your pickling liquid, such as 1 tsp (5 mL) of whole cloves or coriander seeds. For best flavour, wait 2 to 3 weeks before opening.

C
RUNCHY
D
ILL
P
ICKLES

The irresistible dill pickle is a canning classic and a fun project for first-time canners. Preserve them sliced for sandwiches and burgers, cut into spears for the side of your plate, or left whole for scrumptious hand-held snacks straight from the pickle jar. My kids love these so much, I make about 40 jars a year to get us through until next pickling-cucumber season.

MAKES EIGHT 500 ML (2 CUP) JARS

5 lb (2.25 kg) pickling cucumbers

16 garlic cloves, peeled

1 large bunch of fresh dill

4 cups (1 L) water

2¾ cups (675 mL) pickling vinegar (7% acetic acid)