Kristen's Recipes

Sweet and Spicy Canned Onion Marmalade

2 pounds onions preferably sweet or a mix of sweet and regular

1 C. apple juice

1/2 C. cider vinegar

2 teaspoons fresh minced garlic

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground mustard

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

3 T. Low or No Sugar Needed pectin – flex batch equals 1 box

1/2 teaspoon butter or oil optional to reduce foaming, but I always use it

1 C. honey

1/2 C. brown sugar

Prepare water bath canner, 6 half pint jars & lids, keeping warm until needed. Cut ends off onions and peel; slice in half and cut each in half again, lengthwise (or in thirds if onions are big). Turn halves and cut into 1/4 inch slices widthwise. Place slices in an 8-quart measuring C. – you should have 6 C. of onion slices. Add prepared onions, apple juice, vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper, mustard and red pepper flakes to an 8-quart stockpot. Gradually stir in pectin and then add butter if using. Bring to a boil that can’t be stirred down over high heat, stirring constantly. Add honey and sugar; return to a full boil and let boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat (skim foam if needed). Ladle hot marmalade into prepared half pint jars one at a time, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe rims, attach lids, and place in canner. Place lid on canner and bring to a gentle, steady boil – process for 10 minutes, maintaining steady boil the entire time. Turn off heat and let jars cool in canner 5 minutes before removing jars to a towel lined surface to cool for 24 hours. Check lids for seal before labeling and storing in a cool, dark place (with rings removed). Notes: *You don’t have to can this – it will keep for 2-3 months in the refrigerator.

• Use as a glaze for meats like chicken, ham and pork, as well as seafood (my favorite is shrimp).
• Top grilled steak, pork, chicken and seafood.
• Add on top of Boursin cheese or cream cheese as an appetizer.
• Mix into sour cream as a dip for crackers, pretzels, or chips.

Cherry-Vanilla Jam Recipe

2 pounds cherries, pitted

2 scant C. sugar

1/4 tsp. vanilla powder

Wash, stem, and pit the cherries. If desired, chop them down more finely.  In a large nonreactive pot, combine the cherries, sugar and vanilla powder. Macerate for several hours or overnight in the refrigerator.  Put the pot over medium heat. Heat the macerated fruit, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is fully dissolved. Turn the heat to high, and cook, stirring only to prevent scorching, until ​the gel point is reached.  Pour the jam into clean, heated jars and process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude.

Grapefruit and Vanilla Bean Jam

5-6 large pink grapefruits about 5-6 pounds, you can also use Ruby Red grapefruit

1 1/2 C. sugar or more to taste

2 vanilla beans

Remove the rind from the grapefruits. Thickly slice the fruit and then cut or break apart into pieces. Discard any seeds. Puree the fruit in a food processor or blender, and then pour it into a heavy bottomed pot, along with the sugar. Cut the vanilla beans in half and then make a slit down the length of each piece. Pry the beans open with the tip of your knife and scrape out the seeds, adding them to the pot with the grapefruit. Throw the pods right in, too. Bring the pot up to a boil, then turn down and boil for about 40-50 minutes. You won’t have to tend it much at first, but toward the end you’ll need to keep an eye on it and stir often to prevent scorching. It will be greatly reduced, darker, and thicker at about the 40 minute mark. The longer you boil it the thicker the jam will be, but I found about 45 minutes was sufficient. Remove the vanilla bean pods and discard. Pour the hot jam into jam jars and let cool before covering and refrigerating. Use within 2 months, or freeze.

Blackberry & Apple Jam

2 large cooking apples, cored and thinly sliced, cores reserved

3 pounds fresh blackberries

5 C. sugar

3 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 to 3 T. blackberry or raspberry cordial, or liqueur (optional)

Prepare a hot water bath (see here). Place the jars in it to keep warm. Wash the lids and rings in hot, soapy water, and set aside.  Put the reserved apple cores in a piece of cheesecloth and tie the ends securely with kitchen twine into a sachet. In a preserving pot or deep pot, combine the apple slices, blackberries, and the sachet. Cover the fruit with water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the fruit is very tender and starting to fall apart. Remove the pot from the heat. Remove and discard the sachet. Using a sieve or fine strainer, purée the fruit by passing it through into a clean pan. Add the sugar, lemon juice, and cordial (if using). Return the mixture to a simmer over low heat. Continue to cook, stirring often, for 20 to 25 minutes or until the jam gels and the mixture reaches 220°F, measured with a candy thermometer. Test for gel after 20 minutes (see here).  Ladle the jam into the prepared jars, leaving ¼ inch of headspace. Use a nonmetallic utensil to release any air bubbles. Wipe the rims clean and seal with the lids and rings.  Process the jars in a hot water bath (see here) for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the jars rest in the water bath for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the jars from the hot water canner. Set aside to cool for 12 hours. Check the lids for proper seals (see here). Remove the rings, wipe the jars, label, and date them, and transfer to a cupboard or pantry. Refrigerate any jars that do not seal properly and use within 1 month. Properly sealed jars will last in the cupboard for 12 months. Once opened, refrigerate, and consume within 1 month.

Spicy Lemon Chutney

10 to 12 lemons/about 3 pounds, plus 2 or 3 more for juice (see below)

2 tablespoons salt (kosher)

2 cups brown sugar

6 garlic cloves (minced)

1/2 cup dried currants

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1 to 2 tablespoons fresh ginger (grated)

1 teaspoon coriander seeds (crushed)

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

4 half-pint (8-ounce) jars and lids

Using a vegetable peeler or sharp knife, remove the zest from lemons. Be careful to remove only the zest (the thin outer yellow skin) and not any of the white pith beneath. Finely chop zest and put in a large bowl. Cut off and discard the white pith. Finely chop the lemon flesh, discarding any seeds, and add to bowl with the zest. Add salt, stir to combine, and let sit at room temperature overnight. Put salted chopped lemons in a large pot. Add sugar, garlic, currants, lemon juice, cider vinegar, ginger, coriander, cayenne, and pepper flakes. Stir to combine over medium heat. Cook until mixture thickens, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add jars and lids and turn off the heat. When chutney is thick, remove jars and lids from their hot water bath and dry. (Bring the pot of water back to a boil.) Fill jars with chutney. Using a wide-mouth funnel makes filling the jars much easier. If you don’t have one, however, just spoon the chutney into jars and clean edges with damp paper towels when jars are full. Firmly screw on lids. Put jars back in the pot of boiling water (jars should be covered by at least 2 inches of water). Boil for 10 minutes. Remove jars and let cool. Store at room temperature for at least 6 weeks and up to 6 months before eating to let flavors blend. Keep opened jars chilled.