Apple butter and pear butter is a spreadable topping, made essentially by reducing seasoned applesauce to a thick paste. When cooked until thick, pome fruits such as apples and pears reveal earthy, plum-like flavors that are heightened with warm spices and a touch of sugar or honey. There’s no butter in it; it spreads like butter. Hence, the name. Compared to… …click to read more…
You can preserve cranberries by the same food preservation methods as other berries: freezing, canning, and drying. Drying and canning food preservation methods produce shelf-stable products that are safe for storage at room temperature. When canning, be sure to use tested canning recipes. If you don’t want to can foods, cranberries are easy to freeze. While most other berries are in season… …click to read more…
Use this simple recipe to make homemade fruit pectin from apples or oranges. Pectin helps jams and jellies thicken, especially when you want to make old-fashioned cooked jam or jelly using fruits and fruit juices that are naturally low in pectin. Low pectin fruits include apricots, sweet cherries, figs, kiwis, pineapples, rhubarb, strawberries, or any type of fruit that is… …click to read more…
This article offers a brief overview of some of the best methods for preserving fresh red or green table grapes. You can preserve fresh table grapes and grape juice by freezing, canning, pickling, drying, or fermenting into wine or vinegar. One pound of fresh grapes is equivalent to two dry pints (four cups whole), three cups halved, 2½ cups purée,… …click to read more…
This sweet-and-sour salad is one of my favorite pantry staples. It can garnish smoked salmon and crackers, quickly season a cabbage salad, accent bean soups or burgers, and accompany grilled or roasted meats. A row of this sunny yellow relish in your pantry brightens dark days throughout the year and brings the sweet scent of summer to winter meals. For more information… …click to read more…
This smoked pepper and eggplant relish, known as ajvar (pronounced EYE-vahr) is a salsa-like staple in southeast European countries including Croatia, Serbia, and Turkey. There are several styles of ajvar, some using red and others using green peppers. Some recipes simply chop and boil the vegetables, while others roast the peppers to bring out spectacular flavor. This recipe uses roasted sweet… …click to read more…
This grilled and pickled eggplant is spicy and well flavored with ginger, garlic, and spices typically used in Indian cooking: cumin, mustard, fenugreek, and turmeric. I find the flavors quite addicting. This eggplant pickle makes a delicious accompaniment to chicken or lamb dishes, or alongside a vegetarian meal of grains and vegetables. If you have no eggplant, use any firm zucchini or… …click to read more…
If you love crunchy pickles, be sure to try this recipe for Half-Sour Pickles, which are extra crisp, refreshing, and not too salty. So why are they called “half sour”? To make pickles by the traditional method, a weak brine of about 6% is used and the cucumbers are allowed to fully ferment, a process that takes 1 to-4 weeks.… …click to read more…
Pickled peppers have a multitude of uses. Pickled pepper rings can go on sandwiches, burgers, and tacos. Sprinkle them over salads or chop them with onion and add to mayonnaise for a quick tartar sauce. Serve them with vegetarian meals (such as rice and beans) to add interest to grain dishes. Or serve them with smoked fish or cheese on… …click to read more…
Once you’ve eaten dried melon, you may be inclined to agree with Marco Polo that it is “sweet as honey”. When you dry slices of watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew or other melons, the flavors intensify. It certainly tastes better than any candy I’ve ever had. White or light green melon flesh may turn slightly brown when dried, especially if sliced thin and… …click to read more…
