…of preserves that is! Far too much attention is focused on these arbitrary dates on food. Most of these terms are at the discretion of the food processor and have no hard and fast rules.
I place an ENJOY BY date of one year from the date I produce my jams and preserves. And this is for one simple reason – I recommend enjoying them within one year of the date of production because this is the time frame where I believe the quality is the best. It is not a comment on the safety of my jams and preserves.
Jam doesn’t have some invisible expiration device built in that goes off once it’s been on the shelf for 12 months. In fact, I am quite comfortable stating that my jams and preserves will be delicious and safe for 6 or more months beyond the enjoy by date. After one year you may see a bit of darkening, it is just natural oxidation. It’s not dangerous, but it does occur on older preserves. Some of the flavor nuances of certain spices may also mellow as a jam ages, as may the heat of a spicy jam.
In my Farro Salad with Balsamic Fig Dressing I use Balsamic Fig Preserves as the base of a lovely, hearty vinaigrette to toss with salads that have a lot of structure – think grain based salads (farro, quinoa, brown rice). I took that same recipe recently and decided to throw it all in the blender to see how different the consistency would be and if its applications could be expanded. By pureeing all of the ingredients together you end up with a thick, rich dressing that can readily be used as a spread on sandwiches. It seems to pair especially well with roast chicken or turkey breast so it could be an amazing addition to your Thanksgiving leftover turkey sandwiches! Mix some with mayonnaise to dress a potato salad. It can be tossed with roasted vegetables as well. My Apricot Rosemary Jam works wonderfully as the base of a marinade for chicken or a glaze for salmon. Two recipes using Apricot Rosemary Jam follow.
BALSAMIC FIG DRESSING INGREDIENTS:
1/2 CUP BALSAMIC FIG PRESERVES
2 TBSP BALSAMIC VINEGAR (OR MORE TO TASTE)
2 TSP DIJON MUSTARD
1/2 TSP KOSHER SALT
1/2 TSP GROUND PEPPER
1/2 CUP OLIVE OIL
Process all ingredients EXCEPT THE OIL in a blender or food processor. Once pureed, gradually add the oil with the blender or food processor running to make an emulsified mix.
This dressing is quite thick so if you want to thin it out to make it easier to toss with grains or veggies slowly add water to the blender or food processor while running, a teaspoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.
APRICOT ROSEMARY RECIPES
#1 INGREDIENTS:
1 CUP APRICOT ROSEMARY JAM
1/4 CUP RICE VINEGAR
1/4 CUP WATER
1 TSP SOY SAUCE
2 CLOVES GARLIC, ROUGHLY CHOPPED
OPTIONAL: 1 TBSP SRIRACHA OR CHILI GARLIC PASTE
Process all the ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Marinate chicken for 30 minutes (skin-on chicken thighs or chicken wings would work beautifully for this!) then bake in a 400º oven until done. While they are baking place the remaining marinade in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, remove chicken from the oven and switch oven to broil. Brush the chicken with the marinade and cook under the broiler until the marinade is caramelized and the skin is crispy.
#2 INGREDIENTS:
1/2 CUP APRICOT ROSEMARY PRESERVES
4 TSP BALSAMIC VINEGAR
1 TSP KOSHER SALT
1/2 TSP GARLIC POWDER
Rub salmon filets with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil filets on upper rack until surface is spotty brown and outer 1/2 inch of thick end is opaque when gently flaked with a paring knife. Remove filets from oven and spread the apricot rosemary glaze evenly all over the salmon. Return the salmon to the lower rack of the oven and continue broiling until the glaze is bubbly and starting to caramelize.
Let me know if you come up with any other good ideas for these recipes!
These are quick and simple buttery tea cakes that are perfect to serve with afternoon tea or as lunch or brunch treats. Enjoy them with a cup of Earl Grey tea or hot coffee. They come together very quickly in one bowl and the Orange Ginger Marmalade I make works perfectly! This recipe makes 24 tea cakes.
INGREDIENTS:
1.5 CUPS AP FLOUR
1/2 TSP BAKING POWDER
1/2 TSP BAKING SODA
1/8 TSP KOSHER SALT
1/2 CUP UNSALTED BUTTER, SOFTENED
1/2 CUP GRANULATED SUGAR
1 LARGE EGG
1/2 CUP PLAIN GREEK YOGURT
1/2 CUP MARMALADE
1 TSP VANILLA
1/4 CUP CONFECTIONER’S SUGAR (FOR GARNISH)
Preheat oven to 350º and line 24 mini muffin tins with paper cups.
In a medium bowl whisk together the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment beat the butter until it is creamy.
Add the granulated sugar and beat well.
Add the egg, beat until combined (it will not be smoothly mixed in). With the mixer on low, add the yogurt, marmalade, and vanilla. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until combined.
Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 2 additions, mixing on low after each addition until just blended.
Using a small scoop (1.5 Tbsp size works very well), divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.
Bake tea cakes for 18-20 minutes, until golden brown and the tops spring back when lightly pressed with your finger. Cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to coo completely.
Dust the tea cakes with powdered sugar before serving.
Store in an airtight container for up to one week.
Linzer cookies are a popular Austrian cookie often made during the holiday season. The cardamom in these cookies adds a layer of warmth and just brings everything holiday to mind. One of the first jams I developed was a Spiced Strawberry Rhubarb that is, you guessed it, spiced with cardamom and a touch of cinnamon, just like these cookies. It is an excellent choice to fill these cookies, but any of your favorite jams will do. If your jam is very chunky I do recommend giving it a run through the food processor to make it smooth. You want a thin layer of jam and flat, sandwiched cookie, so smooth is best. This is a dough that needs to be refrigerated before being rolled and cut so plan accordingly. Thanks to Bake from Scratch for this wonderful twist on linzer cookies. This recipe will make at least 24 sandwich cookies (so you will need to cut out 48 cookies). You can re-roll the dough scraps once.
INGREDIENTS: (HAVE ALL AT ROOM TEMPERATURE)
2.5 CUPS AP FLOUR
1 CUP ALMOND FLOUR
1 CUP UNSALTED BUTTER, SOFTENED
1.5 CUPS CONFECTIONER’S SUGAR
1 LARGE EGG
1 TSP GROUND CARDAMOM
1 TSP VANILLA
1/2 TSP KOSHER SALT
1/2 TSP CINNAMON
1/2 CUP JAM OR PRESERVES OF YOUR CHOICE
CONFECTIONER’S SUGAR FOR GARNISH
Whisk together two flours in a medium bowl, set aside.
Place butter and confectioner’s sugar into a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and beat until pale and fluffy, 2-3 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. *Start mixing on low speed so the sugar does not fly all over the place! Ummm…just a tip, not that I am speaking from experience…
Mix in the egg, cardamom, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon until combined.
Gradually add the flour mixture on low speed and mix until just combined.
With lightly floured hands, divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a 1/2 inch thick disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
Once the dough has chilled, preheat your oven to 350º and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Remove the dough disk from the refrigerator and place onto a lightly floured surface. Roll each disk into a 1/4″ thick circle.
Using a 2″ fluted round cutter, cut the dough and place 1″ apart on your baking sheets. Using a small 1″ cutter (a holiday one if you have it!) cut the centers from from HALF of the cookies. At this point you can re-roll the scraps once.
Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time to insure even baking. Look for lightly golden edges.
Transfer cookies to a cooling rack and cool completely.
Once cool, flip over the solid cookies so the flat side is facing up. Spread about 1 tsp of jam on the flat side. BEFORE you top the solid cookie with the cutout cookie, sprinkle confectioner’s sugar over the cutout cookies. Do this before placing on top of the solid cookie so once sandwiched you can see the pretty jam peeking out of the cutout.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature. These are best within 2-3 days of the day you made them. The cookies start to lose their crispness after this. They still will taste great though!
I came across this idea from a canning book I was leafing through. I though it was a great way to utilize jam and had some added elegance so it could be served at a dinner party or brunch get together. After having made it three times in one week to prepare for a live demonstration, I definitely learned a few things! This cake does have a couple of separate components that can be made ahead of time. Assembly can be done the day of consumption.
LEMON CURD
I filled the cakes with a combination of jam folded together with lemon curd. This is an excellent, super tasty combination, but I do need to warn you it will not become totally set, although letting it refrigerate overnight does help. This means your slices may ooze out some filling and will most likely not be completely flat. If aesthetics are really important to you and you want a very cleanly sliced cake, I recommend substituting the lemon curd for something that firms up better upon refrigeration. Some alternate ideas could be a sweetened cream cheese filling mixed with jam, mascarpone cheese and jam, or even sweetened ricotta cheese filling and jam.
However, I will still include a lemon curd recipe here because who doesn’t need a good lemon curd recipe?!
INGREDIENTS:
1.5 CUPS GRANULATED SUGAR
5.5 OUNCES UNSALTED BUTTER, CUT INTO 1″ PIECES
6 WHOLE LARGE EGGS
2 LARGE EGG YOLKS
1 CUP LEMON JUICE
1/2 CUP LEMON ZEST
Set up a double boiler by bringing an inch or two of water to a simmer in a large saucepan—a boil is not necessary here because you’re going for gentle heat—and then place a bowl that fits snugly, without touching the water, on top of the pot. Place all your ingredients in the bowl and gently whisk the ingredients until the butter has melted (You can skip the whisking step by gently beating the eggs prior to adding to the bowl). Switch to a wooden spoon or rubber spatula and cook the curd, stirring often, until it coats the back of your spoon and a line drawn through it remains without the edges running together. You can do this in a saucepan directly over the heat, but keep the heat on LOW and do not walk away once the butter has melted. Stir often to prevent sticking. For either method, once the curd is at the proper consistency, pour it through a fine mesh strainer to remove the zest and any cooked egg bits. Place plastic wrap directly on top of the curd to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate until completely cool, preferably overnight. Keep your curd refrigerated, it should last for 4 weeks. You can also freeze curd! Place in containers with at least 1/2 inch of headspace, press plastic wrap onto the surface of the curd, put lids on tightly and freeze for up to one year. Defrost in the refrigerator and use within one month.
Cooking some curd
CREPES
Crepes may seem a bit daunting, but I assure you that if you follow the directions they are surprisingly easy. Crepes are very versatile and can be filled with both sweet and savory ingredients. They can also be frozen for future use. When you freeze them, stack the crepes with a piece of parchment or waxed paper between each one. Place in a zipper bag, squeeze out the excess air and freeze for up to 3 months. Now to actually how to make them!
Crepes ready to be stacked and go in the freezer
INGREDIENTS: (This recipe is from America’s Test Kitchen and makes approximately 16 10″ crepes)
2 CUPS AP FLOUR
2 TSP GRANULATED SUGAR
1/2 TSP KOSHER SALT
1/2 TSP VEGETABLE OIL
3 CUPS MILK (2% OR WHOLE WORK BEST)
6 LARGE EGGS
4 TBSP UNSALTED BUTTER, MELTED AND COOLED
Some tips before you start: Crepes will give off steam as they cook, but if at any point the skillet begins to smoke, remove it from the heat immediately and turn down the heat. As you finish cooking each crepe, place on a wire cooling rack. This allows excess steam to escape so they won’t stick together and you can stack them as soon as they are cool. Always allow yourself permission to practice! Invariably the first couple of crepes will not work, that is totally okay, there is plenty of batter to make a delightful finished cake.
Place oil in a 10″ nonstick skillet and heat over low heat for at least 10 minutes.
While the skillet is heating, in a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt.
In a separate bowl whisk together milk and eggs.
Add half of the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk vigorously until completely smooth.
Add the melted butter to the mixture and whisk together until incorporated.
Whisk in the remaining milk mixture until smooth.
Using a paper towel, wipe out the skillet, leaving a thin film of oil on the bottom and sides of the pan. Increase the heat to medium and let the skillet reheat for 1 minute. After 1 minute test the heat by placing 1 tsp batter in the center and cook for 20 seconds. If the mini crepe is golden brown on the bottom the skillet is properly heated. If it is too light or too dark, adjust heat accordingly and retest.
When heat is just right, pour 1/4 cup batter into the middle of the pan and swirl around until the batter evenly covers the bottom of the pan.
Cook the crepe without moving it until the top surface is dry and the edges start to lightly brown. Loosen the crepe from the side of the pan and gently slide a thin spatula underneath the edge. Grasp the edge with your fingertips and flip the crepe.
Cook until the second side is lightly spotted, which will take less time than the first side.
Transfer cooked crepe to wire rack, inverting so the spotted side is facing up.
Repeat until you have used all the batter.
ASSEMBLY
And now for the fun part! For assembly you will need approximately 2 cups of jam folded together with 2 cups of lemon curd. Or 2 cups of whatever your alternate filling choice is.
Begin by placing a crepe onto a serving platter. Spread the crepe with 3 Tbsp of your jam mixture. You may want to use a bit less for a looser filling, like one with lemon curd, or a bit more for a filling that will become firm, like a sweetened cream cheese.
Repeat until all the crepes have been used and spread the filling on the top of the cake to finish.
Chill to set, then slice and serve.
Sliced cake. Notice with a lemon curd the filling is still somewhat loose
These are absolutely delicious bars that remind me of a combination between oat streusel and shortbread. They are a great way to utilize open jars of jam or those jars in your pantry that you just have not been able to find a use for. This is an excellent, quick weekend baking project that uses only one bowl. They take 10 minutes to mix, 45-ish minutes to cook and much too long to cool before you can dig in!
INGREDIENTS:
1 CUP (115G) NUTS OF YOUR CHOICE, COARSELY CHOPPED
1.5 CUPS (190G) AP FLOUR
1.25 CUP (115G) OLD FASHIONED ROLLED OATS
3/4 CUP (170G) UNSALTED BUTTER, MELTED
1/3 CUP (65G) GRANULATED SUGAR
1/3 CUP (75G) PACKED DARK BROWN SUGAR
1 TSP KOSHER SALT
1/2 TSP BAKING SODA
1 CUP JAM OF YOUR CHOICE
Preheat oven to 350 degrees with a rack in the center. Once oven is hot, place your nuts on a baking sheet and toast for 5-7 minutes until lightly browned and fragrant. Let the nuts cool.
While the nuts are cooling, grease an 8×8 baking pan and line with parchment, leaving an overhang to make removing the bars easier once they are cool.
Leave parchment overhang
In a large bowl, whisk together the nuts, flour, oats, both sugars, salt, and baking soda until evenly incorporated. Add the melted butter and use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to fully combine. Press 2/3 of the oat mixture (about 3 cups/470g) into an even layer in the bottom of the baking pan. Using an offset spatula, spread the jam over the oat base, leaving a small border around the edge, about 1/8 of an inch. The jam will melt and spread closer to the edges as it bakes. Evenly sprinkle the remaining oat mixture over the top of the jam, do not press down. Bake until the top is golden brown, 40-50 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time to insure even cooking. Let the bars cool completely in the pan on a cooling rack. This may take up to 3 hours! You have permission to cut into the bars before they are completely cool, they will just be more crumbly. Once cool, use the parchment overhang to remove the bars to a cutting board and cut into 2×2 inch squares. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks (I would be really surprised if they lasted that long!)
I like to be prepared. And I like to harvest as much of my jam ingredients while they are in season. I also want to have enough ingredients on hand so I can make jam year round. This leads to some very full freezers this time of year! One of the last items I needed to round out my ingredients this summer were jalapeños. There are delicious, local, spicy jalapeños being grown here right now and I did not want to miss out. So I bought a box, geared up, and prepped them for the freezer. Which got me to thinking that maybe knowing you, too, could freeze jalapeños for future use would be helpful!
It is really very simple:
Wash jalapeños
Cut stems off and chop remaining pepper into 2-3 pieces.
Process jalapeños in food processor until they are the size you desire.
Vacuum seal jalapeños.
Freeze!
You can, of course, hand chop jalapeños into desired size, or even freeze whole. Just remember that firmness is always compromised when frozen so going this route is best for jalapeños that will be chopped and added to salsas, soups, etc. Also, vacuum sealing is best (or a zip top bag that you have pushed all of the air out of) in order to make sure jalapeños don’t get freezer burn and to keep them from giving anything else in your freezer off odors.
This method can work for all sorts of chilies, not just jalapeños. Freezing will not affect the spiciness of your chilies, so stock up on local produce and add some zest to your dishes all winter long!
This recipe appeared in my Instagram feed from the wonderful Marisa McClellan of @foodinjars at a time when I had far too many half full jam jars in my refrigerator. I had always made jam with honey – well no more! This is a most excellent way to use up those bits of leftover jam, feel free to mix flavors. My last batch used mostly my Marionberry Cinnamon Jam and it was heavenly. Add to some yummy Greek yogurt or enjoy with milk, your favorite milk alternative, and fresh fruit. Doubles easily, but definitely use a high sided roasting pan if doubling!
2 CUPS ROLLED OATS
3/4 CUP CHOPPED NUTS OF YOUR CHOICE (I LOVE PECANS AND WALNUTS)
3/4 CUP SEEDS (A MIX OF PUMPKIN AND SUNFLOWER WAS DELICIOUS!)
3/4 CUP JAM OR FRUIT BUTTER (PUREE SMOOTH IF VERY CHUNKY)
1/4 CUP NEUTRAL OIL OR MELTED BUTTER
3/4 CUP DRIED FRUIT
Heat oven to 325º. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix together oats, nuts, seeds, jam, and oil or butter. Pour mixture into a roasting pan with high sides. I recommend a roasting pan since the sides help prevent spillage when stirring. However, you can also use a baking sheet lined with parchment. Roast until golden brown, stirring often. The timing will vary depending on the amount of sugar in your jam(s), so watch closely. Remove from oven, stir in dried fruit while granola is still warm. Let cool completely, stirring occasionally as it cools. Store in an airtight container for up to a month.
The 2019 Farmers Market season is rapidly approaching and it is going to be a busy one for me! I am gearing up to sell at 5 markets this year. Luckily the schedule works out in such a way that I will not actually be attending all 5 in one week – that would be a bit much… I am really looking forward to meeting new customers and giving my existing customers more opportunities to find me.
Here is a short post for a delicious, perfectly autumnal, Farro Salad using my Balsamic Fig Preserves as the base of a hearty vinaigrette that I recently demonstrated at the Farmer’s Market. With added kale, dried cranberries, and goat cheese, this salad is a healthy meal option on its own or when added to some grilled chicken or salmon. The salad is vegetarian, to make vegan, just omit the cheese!
All of the products used in this salad can be sourced from Oregon! Although not pictured, Bob’s Red Mill has a Farro.
FARRO SALAD WITH BALSAMIC FIG VINAIGRETTE SERVES 6-8
2 CUPS PEARLED FARRO (Pearled Farro, as opposed to whole farro, cooks in much less time without the need for soaking)
1/2 CUP BALSAMIC FIG PRESERVES
2 T. BALSAMIC VINEGAR
2 T. OLIVE OIL
1 TSP DIJON MUSTARD
1 CUP DRIED CRANBERRIES
4 CUPS CHOPPED ORGANIC KALE
8 OUNCES GOAT CHEESE, CRUMBLED
Cook the farro using the Pasta Method – Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add the farro, cook until al dente, 15-25 minutes. Drain the farro and set it aside, do not rinse. While the Farro cooks, prepare the rest of the ingredients. In a large bowl whisk together the Balsamic Fig Preserves, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and dijon mustard until well blended. Add the chopped kale and massage until slightly wilted and tenderized. Stir in the farro and the dried cranberries until it is all coated. Fold in the goat cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. This salad is best when consumed the same day, served at room temperature.
Spinach can be substituted for the kale, as pictured here, before the goat cheese has been added.
All of the products used in this salad can be sourced from Oregon! Although not pictured, Bob’s Red Mill has a Farro.
Spinach can be substituted for the kale, as pictured here, before the goat cheese has been added.
Small Batch Artisanal Preserves 