Wine Jelly

I cannot even describe how fantastic this jelly is. It practically sings with grape, wine, and sweet goodness. It's like grape jelly for grown-ups. I made this with a fairly inexpensive bottle of Syrah, Smoking Loon, if you really care, and it has everything I like about the wine--lots of fruit, beautiful color, along with a healthy dose of sugar, which makes it palatable for a jelly. The picture doesn't show it, but it really sparkles in the jar, like a garnet.

It's also the simplest jelly I've ever made, as well. Usually, the most difficult part of making jelly is extracting the juice from whatever fruit you've chosen. With wine jelly, though, this has already been done for you! If you're a beginner at the whole preserving game, I'd start with jam (much more forgiving), but if you're ready to move to jelly, I'd start with this. It produced a sparkling, clear, easy-set jelly. My enameled cast-iron pot also came in really handy with this recipe: it kept the jelly hot while I ladled it into the jars. This is really important, because if you've made it right, the jelly should start to set (and get a skin on top of the liquid) as soon as you start putting it into the jars. Having the hot pot helped delay that process a bit.

You can use any wine you want, but I'd pick something fairly cheap. Do choose something you'd be willing to drink, but save the really nice stuff for, well, drinking. I'd love to try this with a nice French Sauvignon Blanc next (not a Sancerre--that's one I'd save to drink). If you're wondering how to serve it, there are several ways I can think of: first, with cheese on crostini, for an easy and elegant hors d'oeuvre. It's sweet enough that I could just use it as a regular jelly on toast. It could also be used as a glaze for meat, especially meatballs or a roast with the red.

Wine Jelly
(Adapted from the Ball Blue Book, which you should all buy if you're at all interested in canning)

3 1/2 cups wine (a whole bottle, sadly)
1/2 cup lemon juice (about 2-3 lemons)
1 pkg powdered pectin (I would use the Ball pectin--it has a little more pectin in the box by weight)
4 1/2 cups sugar

Put lemon juice and wine in nonreactive saucepan (again, I highly recommend an enameled cast-iron pot here); add powered pectin and stir to dissolve. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring frequently so it does not stick to sides or bottom of pan. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Return to rolling boil, stirring frequently to avoid sticking (and burning). Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, skim foam. Move quickly! Ladle hot jelly into hot jars; process 10 minutes in hot water canner.

Pineapple Honey

First, let me say that this is delicious. Next, let me say that it's probably not what you'd expect from the title. The texture (and taste) is probably closest to sweetened crushed pineapple...but thicker. It's not gelled like a jam, but it's not as smooth as honey. So far, it's been fabulous with cream cheese on bagels, and I'm sure it would be wonderful on ice cream (if I had any). I bet it would also make a great quick cake filling, if drained slightly first. EDIT: It was also suggested to me that this might make a good quick "salsa" for seafood or chicken, and I think it would also be fantastic with ham. See? Once you get started, it's amazing how many different ways you can think of to use a certain item. I'm sure you all could think of others.

This was quick and easy to make; I simply took a fresh pineapple and ran it through the food processor until it was fairly smooth but not pureed. Next, I chucked it into my trusty Le Creuset dutch oven along with sugar, lemon juice, and a little water. See the recipe below for the actual amounts. Most of the labor here is in prepping the pineapple; after that, you just need to stir it when it's all simmering happily away.

Pineapple Honey
Yield: about 5 half pints, plus a little left for the fridge

1/2 cup water
1 lemon, juiced
2 cups sugar
1 pineapple, ground or crushed

Place all ingredients in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil 25 minutes, stirring very often. Ladle mixture into hot 1/2 pint jars or jelly jars while hot, leaving 1/4" headspace. Process 10 minutes in hot water canner.

Next up: Wine Jelly (I know, wine + stuff to spread on bread. Best idea ever, and I applaud whoever came up with this idea to begin with).

Comfort Food

Today, I bought my own hot water canner. I used one growing up; preserved foods were my first introduction to the kitchen. I chose preserved foods over baked goods in 4H because I liked to win and I liked to get things done in advance. They offered me a smaller competition pool and more time to get things absolutely perfect. Just ask my mother about the cases of jelly we made my last year. She's probably still eating jelly, but I certainly did get my two absolutely flawless jars.

Now, though, going through the ritual of preserving foods isn’t just about winning a ribbon. For me, it’s a connection to the past, a way to get to know family members that I never had a chance to meet. It’s an old art, and though the local food trend may have brought about a small renaissance, it’s still a bit of a dying one. I don’t want these kinds of traditions to end with me.

Tomorrow, provided I can find the time, I’m going to try my hand at “Pineapple Honey.” I’ve never made it, but it sounds amazing. Hopefully, it will be good on toast or for ice cream topping. (Any other ideas?) The recipe is my great-grandmother’s—the woman I’m named for but never met. Seeing her handwriting, hearing about her cooking, making her recipes—it’s the very definition of comfort food.

And so it begins...

I talked about starting a blog during my time in culinary school before I ever moved out here, which was over six months ago. I've just now gotten around to it, so here goes!