Category: Preserves and Canning

Homemade Curry Ketchup

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Ketchup gets a bad rap. People abuse it to mask sub par food, or load it onto junk food. I mean can you imagine a burger without it? And lets not even mention the sugar content or high fructose corn syrup in most commercial brands. I have always liked ketchup, but wasn’t the type to quickly reach for it to drown everything on plate.However , when Certain Someone first took me to his house in Germany, I fell in love with Curry Ketchup. It’s a German thing and when you go, you must have a Currywurst. Your taste buds will thank you. Needless to say every time we go, or Certain Someone goes, I bring back huge bottles of the stuff.

The other day I catered an event and still had a few leftover very ripe  tomatoes that needed to be used quick. In addition, my organic delivery service gave me a large bag of tomatillos, those small green tomatillos that are covered in a protective leaf covering, and used in Mexican food. I wanted to use them all together and immediately ketchup came to mind. Now if you cant get tomatoes, don’t worry, just use the tomatoes you have on hand, or add some regular green tomatoes for a kick.  Enjoy the freshest, natural taste you can imagine making your own ketchup. Your body will be grateful and your loved ones will appreciate the taste and effort.


Homemade Curry Ketchup
 
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A ketchup with a spicy curry kick.
Author:
Recipe type: condiment
Ingredients
  • 2-2½ pounds ripe tomatoes ( can mix red, green, tomatillos) cut into quarters. Do not peel.
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar
  • 1 inch fresh ginger peeled and chopped
  • 2 tablespoons curry powder
  • 2 Black Cardamon pods
  • 3 Star Anise
  • 3-4 cloves
  • 2 dried Thai Chilies
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • Salt to taste
Instructions
  1. In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, add quartered tomatoes, and all the spices, vinegar.
  2. Turn heat to medium high to get a simmer.
  3. Reduce heat to lowest setting and slowly cook for approx 1 hour . The ingredients should break down and start to liquefy. Be sure to stir often to prevent sticking and burning.
  4. Take a fine wire mesh strainer or a food mill and strain the mixture into a bowl. Be sure to press and extract all the liquid and pulp, while leaving the skins, and spices the strainer.
  5. You should have a thick like sauce. If not thick enough add the strained sauce to a sauce pan and continue to reduce until thickened to the right consistency. Be sure to stir often.
  6. Pour into a clean glass jar and allow to cool.
  7. Refrigerate and use within 2 weeks.
  8. Make approx 2 cups.
Notes
Keeps 2 weeks refrigerated. You can adjust the spices to make more or less heat and spice according to your tastes.
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Fermented Dill Pickles…Experiments in the Kitchen

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I’m positive my readers are sick of my preserving posts. I cant help myself, forgive me. Preserving ,like baking is a science.Maybe my long dormant genetics of coming from a long line of scientists and doctors, is coming up and revealing itself and manifesting itself in the kitchen. I have always embraced the artistic and creative maternal side. What I do know is that my kitchen is becoming a laboratory of sorts with crocks fermenting, bottles of this and that brewing, and I love it!
I have always loved a good sour Kosher Dill pickle. A childhood treat would be my parents allowing me to pick one from a  wooden barrel to eat. That crispy crunchy pickle with flavors of garlic and dill were a taste bud treat for my little mouth. It wasn’t until years later I found out that the taste and process is through lactic acid fermentation. Sauerkraut,pickles, kimchee,cheese, yogurt, wines, beer, etc all get their unique flavors as acidity increases thereby causing the flavors, colors to change and develop over a period of around three weeks. The beauty of science! If you want to know more about wild fermentation , this is an excellent resource.

Now once you have your product you can take one of two routes. As the lactobacilli which are produced are considered healthy for us and our bodies, to process it would be to kill those beneficial properties.Fully fermented products can be stored in original container in the refrigerator for 4-6 months.However if you can process the product and retain the flavor and extend the life. As its just the two of us , I was worried on being able to consume my batch of pickles during that time frame, I took the canning route.Plus I want to give some away, so canning was the better option for me. However one day when time permits, I will keep a batch ‘live ‘ and consume.

I did not use whole cucumbers, but chose the riskier option of making dill chips. The risk is that slicing can result in a soggier product. I found my slices were not too soggy and acceptable.I did go a little heavy on the salt, erring on the side of caution. But they were still good. Next time I will slightly reduce the salt, as I used  to about 1/2 cup for 3 large cucumbers sliced.  I threw in some garlic cloves from  my Wisconsin grown garlic, some dried chilies, dried dill( fresh is even better!),mustard seeds, and my favorite whole allspice. The seasoning mix is up to you. The following is my process, however be sure to read this great link as well.

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Fermented Dill Pickles

makes approx 4 pints

*adapted loosley from the “Complete Guide to Home Canning,” Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA, revised 2009.

makes approx 4 pints depending on amounts of cucumbers used

  • 3-4 lbs whole 4 inch organic and unwaxed pickling cucumbers or about 3 large thickly sliced( as I used)
  • 2 tbsp dried dill or several fresh sprigs of fresh dill weed
  • 1/2 cup Kosher salt or Pickling Salt. Do not used iodized salt!
  • 1/4 cup white vinegar with an acidity of 5%
  • water to cover weighted vegetables in a crock or food grade container

Seasonings:

  • 4 whole cloves of garlic
  • 4 dried chili peppers
  • 2 tbsp hot mustard seeds
  • 2 tbsp whole allspice
  1. Wash cucumbers and slice (optional).Be sure to cut of 1/16 end of blossom slice and discard. This part is toxic, so its important to remove.
  2. In your crock or food grade container, place  your seasonings.
  3. Add thickly sliced cucumber.
  4. Dissolve salt and vinegar. Add enough water to cover( depending on size of crock).
  5. Cover cucumbers  with a saucer,or plate that fits within the crock.
  6. Weight down the plate, with another type of cylinder container (filled with water and lidded).
  7. Cover Crock with  plastic bag or cheese cloth.
  8. Place aside for 3 weeks, checking a few times each week.
  9. Ideal temperature for storage are 70 -75 degrees  thereby only needing 3-4 weeks of fermentation.
  10. Lower temps of 55-65 degrees require a longer fermentation of 5-6 weeks
  11. Any excessive temperature of over 80  degrees will result in a soft pickle and bad fermentation
  12. Check surfaces for any mold or scum that may form. If this occurs remove. I have never developed any mold on my few projects.
  13. If pickles become too slimy, soft or have a bad order, discard immediately and do not consume.
  14. After full fermentation store in original crock in the fridge in its brine for 4-6 months.

or

  1. Heat brine and its spices.
  2. Pack pickles in sterilized jars  with a bit of the garlic and chilies from the brine.
  3. Pour hot brine over pickles.
  4. Seal lids.
  5. Process in water bath for 10 minutes in sterilized jars.
  6. 15 min for high altitudes for extended shelf life.
  7. * note processing may contribute to  some additional softness.

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Various Pickled Peppers and Scuppernong Fail… Ideas for Meatless Monday

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Food Blogs are full of culinary success stories. Few of us own up to our failures. As you know I’m on a canning kick this summer,but have failed miserably with my confitures. Now my pickles have been exceptional! No jam or jelly I have attempted this year has set properly. Yes I used pectin and still fail. I don’t know about you but the thought of remaking and reprocessing doesn’t appeal to me at all. A peach brown sugar /balsamic jam turned into a lovely glaze for pork and chicken. So not a complete fail. I read one high brow blogger in her air of superiority claim

Pectin was for the timid…

Well color me timid, because if it doesn’t work with pectin, its not going to work for me without pectin. And some fruits need that Pectin push more so than others due to natures genetic makeup.

I find my inspiration to blog from the grocery aisles , travels,dining out, and markets. I saw these ugly yet beautiful Scuppernongs in the new market around the corner. I have always been fascinated with name Scuppernong. It resounds in my mind and I can’t place the origin. Scuppernong are a form of muscadine that’s prevalent in the Southern states, particularly North Carolina. Wines and jellies are common culinary applications . Scuppernongs have thick skins and seeds, but yield plenty of juice. After mashing , cooking , and straining, my beautiful golden jelly did not set. They still sit sealed , as I wonder what to do with them. Perhaps a pate fruit? I hate waste.

I have had some success over the past month. They are proving popular as I give them away to friends.

I love pickled onions. And I love heat. Playing around with various peppers I came up with the this great pickle to use atop sandwiches or serve up with greens. Use your imagination.

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Pickled Onions and Peppers

* I’m not exact giving measurements , as that would depend on your batch. But this roughly makes 6 pint jars. Vary your peppers according to taste and heat sensitivity.

  • 2 large red onions, sliced
  • 2 Habenero Peppers
  • 6-7 Serrano
  • 2 Cubannelle or other sweet pepper
  • 2-3 whole all spice
  • 1 teaspoon hot mustard seed
  • 4 cloves fresh garlic sliced into slivers
  • 1/4 cup Coarse Kosher Salt
  • White Vinegar
  1. Slice your peppers. Leave the seeds in the Serranos, but seed your Cubanelles and Habenerros.
  2. In a lidded food grade container, place your sliced onions, and peppers.
  3. Cover with salt and add water to cover.
  4. Let soak overnight in the refridgerator.
  5. Drain salt water off the onions and peppers.
  6. Sterilize jars and lids.
  7. Heat White Vinegar and all spice to a boil.
  8. Pack the onions and peppers tightly with some garlic slivers for each jar.
  9. Pour hot vinegar solution over the vegetables leaving slight head space.
  10. Cap and Seal.
  11. Process for 10 minutes in a water bath.
  12. Let flavors settle in jar for at least 2 days .

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This recipe follows the same principle as above. I was walking with my friend Beth last week at the Logan Square Market and knew I had to pickle these babies. I added fresh basil and local Wisconsin garlic to the mix. Pickled whole, they will be beautiful on and Antipasti or relish tray for the heat lover.

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Pickled Michigan Cherry Pepper Poppers

* makes 4 pint jars

  • 1 pint/punnet of pepper poppers or cherry peppers.
  • White Vinegar to cover
  • 1/4 cup Kosher Salt
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • Fresh Basil Leaves
  • Dried Italian herbs
  • 2-3 cloves whole garlic
  1. Stem and soak whole pepper with seeds intact in salt and water solution.They may float so you can weight down with plate. Soak for 4-6 hours.
  2. Drain.
  3. Sterilize jars and lids
  4. Heat Vinegar , sugar, and dried herbs to a rolling boil.
  5. Pack whole peppers, basil, and garlic in jars tightly. They may crush a bit and that’s OK.
  6. Cap and seal.
  7. Process in water bath for 10 minutes.
  8. Let set for 2 days in the jar.

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I suggest you consider these pickled vegetables to jazz up your Meatless Monday Fare. Think Falafel sandwiches!

How to Make Sauerkraut

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There is a blog I check in with from time to time written by Rural Rose. She has a farm in British Columbia, and is a font of common sense practical information on her Life Through the Cracks blog. It was there I saw a post on how to make sauerkraut. Who knew it was so easy! Then on various catalogs I’ve been seeing ceramic crocks for fermenting for sell. So last month I ordered the smallest size ,1 gallon, and began the task of making my own Sauerkraut.

I researched various methods to ferment. The key is salt, plenty of it, and keeping your shredded cabbage sealed and weighted underneath the brine which forms as water is drawn out the cabbage. You also want to be careful of your temperatures as it ferments at room temperature. Not to hot or cold. You never want your environment to be over 75 degrees as the cabbage will become soft and not ferment properly. I found this link to best most comprehensive How to ferment sauerkraut. I liked this link because its comprehensive , addressing temps, altitudes for canning, etc.Don’t be alarmed if you see a scum during fermentation. You can carefully remove that.Some people wont get that at all. The cabbage is protected underneath the brine. Make sure your utensils and vessels are clean. Keep your edges clean as you weight your cabbage with a plate that fits inside. Then add a salt water filled plastic bag or water filled jug on top top weigh the plate down and keep the cabbage covered and air tight. A brine filled bag is good in case your water leaks. The total amount of salt varies, but use NON IODIZED Kosher or Sea Salt. Most people give a guideline of 3 tablespoons of salt to 5 lbs of cabbage. In addition the salt keeps the cabbage crunchy.

There are those that will argue the decision to can or not. As sauerkraut is formed through lactic acid fermentation, it is quite healthy with pro-biotic benefits. However processing your sauerkraut will kill the beneficial nature of fresh sauerkraut, and leave you with just a tasty treat . Wild Fermentation has an excellent post on this. The choice is yours . If you keep it fresh and raw , it will keep in the refrigerator for months after the fermentation period which ranges from 1-3 weeks depending on climate. If you process it in a water bath , the shelf life is longer and can kept at room temperature. For this first trial, I went the canning route to give as gifts and just to put up.

Be creative. Use red or green cabbage. I used both. Combine with other shredded vegetables or apples even. I threw in some caraway seeds and juniper seeds while fermenting to flavor.

As Autumn approaches you will have an enjoyable side to compliment your sausages and roasted meats and vegetables. Wash it all down with a cold beer.

Tastes of Summer…Cherry and Apricot Ideas

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Most of us in this hemisphere are reveling in the beautiful bounty of summer. I don’t know about you but my eyes get bigger than my stomach and I want to buy up the whole  farmers market, yet can’t  eat the produce quick enough. Here are some ideas for summer fruits. Enjoy!

Apricots in Brandy

Brandied fruits were and still are considered a delicacy. Alcohol paired with sugar preserve the fruits year round.Peaches, berries, plums all work well. Use your imagination. The longer the period to ripen and mellow (a few months), the better. So start now.

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Apricots in Brandy

Makes 2  1/2 liters

  • 2 punnets of apricots halved and stoned ( peeling or unpeeled optional)
  • 1 1/2 cup of sugar
  • 3/4 cup of Water
  • Brandy  to fill half of each jar
  1. Prepare and sterilize your jars and lids.
  2. In a heavy sauce pan  make a heavy syrup of sugar and water. Boil and reduce a bit .
  3. Neatly pack apricot halves decoratively in sterilized jars.
  4. Pour brandy until it comes up half way.
  5. Pour in hot sugar syrup to fill the other half. Make sure apricots are covered .
  6. Seal with lids.
  7. Process in a water batch for 10 minutes.
  8. Allow to cool and store.

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Michigan Sour Cherry Syrup

Confession. This was a delicious mistake. My intent was to make a pectin free cherry jam, as I could not find any pectin, nor had any apples laying around. I used the method of lemon juice and sugar,  yet couldn’t get it up to jelling stage for various reasons ( too much water mainly). I didn’t want to waste my beautiful Michigan cherries that were bursting with ripeness.  So a syrup was born. It is on the sweet side with a huge sugar content. But goes well mixed with fresh blueberries on pancakes. I also suggest adding a spoon or two to your next vodka or bourbon based cocktail. Ice cream, cheese cakes, the possibilities are endless.

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Michigan Sour Cherry Syrup

  • 2 punnets of cherries, washed and pitted
  • 2 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1  cup water
  • Brandy or Rum optional
  1. Bring cherries , water, and sugar to boil.To about 210 degrees.
  2. Pack into sterilized jars.
  3. Top with brandy or rum *optional
  4. Seal.
  5. Allow to cool.
  6. Store.

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