Kristen's Recipes

1 1/4 pounds rhubarb, diced
1 C. granulated sugar
1 tsp. powdered fruit pectin (I use Ball’s Flex Pectin)
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
juice of 1/2 lemon

Prepare a small boiling water bath canner and 2 half pint jars. Place the chopped rhubarb in a low, wide non-reactive pan. Whisk the pectin and vanilla bean seeds into the sugar and add it to the fruit. Drop the split vanilla bean into the pan and add the lemon juice. Stir well and let it sit until the sugar looks damp. Set the pan on the stove over high heat and bring to a boil. If the sugar begins to caramelize, reduce the heat. Cook, stirring regularly, until the rhubarb breaks down and the liquid looks thick and jammy. Remove the pan from the heat and divide the jam between the two prepared jars (depending on how much water the rhubarb contained, you may have a couple tsp. leftover. I recommend stirring the leftover into some plain yogurt). Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes. When the time is up, remove the jars from canner and set them on a folded kitchen towel to cool and seal.

2 C. chopped strawberries
1 C. peeled and chopped kiwi
1 1/4 C. granulated sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon

Combine the strawberries, kiwi, and sugar in a bowl and stir until the fruit begins to release its juice. Scrape the fruit and sugar combination into a 12 inch skillet and place over high heat. Bring to a boil and cook at a rapid bubble for 8-10 minutes, stirring regularly, until the jam is thick. You can tell it’s done when you can pull your spatula through the cooking fruit and the jam doesn’t immediately rush in to fill the space. When jam is done, you can do one of two things. Simply scrape it into a pint jar, let it cool, and put it in the fridge. Or funnel it into two clean, hot half pint jars and process them in a boiling water bath canner for ten minutes. As long as the seals are good, the processed jam is shelf stable for up to a year.

3 pounds strawberries (about 9 C.), rinsed and hulled
1½ C. sugar
3 tsp. fresh lemon juice, strained
1½ tsp. dried lavender (or 1 tsp. fresh lavender)

Begin by preparing the jars. Put four, half-pint jars in a stockpot or other large pot and cover with water. Place the pot on the stove over high heat and bring to a boil. Put the jar lids in a separate bowl and set them aside; also, place a small plate in the freezer. While the jars process, begin preparing the jam. Place the strawberries and the sugar in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Allow to simmer for five minutes. Now pour the mixture into a colander set over a large bowl. Gently stir the berries in the colander to strain off most of the juice. Set the colander and berries aside, preferably over another bowl or plate to catch juice drips, and return the juice to the saucepan. Bring the juice to a boil, stirring occasionally. Allow the juice to boil until reduced to a syrup measuring 1½ C., about 20 minutes. Return the strawberries and any juice that has drained from them while sitting to the saucepan with the reduced syrup. Stir in the lemon juice and the lavender and return the mixture to a simmer. Continue to simmer until a small dab of jam spooned onto the plate in the freezer becomes somewhat firm (it will not gel), about 15 minutes. Spoon off any accumulated foam from the saucepan and stir gently. At this point, ladle boiling water from the pot with the jars into the bowl with the lids until the lids are covered. Place a folded kitchen towel in the designated work area. Use a jar lifter to remove the sterilized jars from the canning pot, being careful to pour the water in each back into the pot, and place upright on the kitchen towel. Note, the jars should have boiled at least 10 minutes in order to ensure they are sterilized. Ladle the hot jam into the hot jars, leaving ¼-1/2 inch of head space. Once the jars are filled, use a damp cloth to wipe the rims of the jars. Drain the water off the jar lids and place the lids (flat lid and ring) on top, securing until finger tight. Return the filled and sealed jars to the pot of water. Make sure the water is at least one inch above the tops of the jars. Return to a boil and allow to boil for five minutes to process. Remove the jars from the water and again place on a folded towel. After one hour, check the seals on the jars by pressing down on the center of each lid. If the lid is easy to press down and then pops back up (just like an open jar of pickles), the lid has not sealed properly and the jar should be refrigerated. Allow the sealed jars to cool for 12 hours before storing in cool dark place. Once open, refrigerate any unused contents.

1 lb. fresh cranberries
1 lb. pears, quartered and cored (no need to peel)
1/2 – 3/4 C. sugar (or to taste)
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Spices, as desired (see above)

Prepare water bath canner by filling to 3/4 full of cool water and adding jars. Bring to boil and turn down to keep at simmer. Combine pears and cranberries in a sturdy non-reactive stockpot or deep skillet. Cook over medium heat stirring frequently to prevent burning and to keep mixture evenly cooking. After 5-10 minutes, the cranberries will begin to pop. Add the sugar and lemon juice. Continue cooking until most of the cranberries have popped and juices have been released from the pears. Cook until mixture reaches the desired thickness – about 20 minutes. You can test this by dropping a tsp. the mixture onto a saucer. Let cool for about a minute. Then pick up the saucer and tilt sideways. If the jam appears to keep it’s shape, it’s done. If it separates or runs down the saucer, cook a bit longer and test again. At this point, you may puree the mixture with an immersion blender or by spooning batches into a food processor or mixer. Or if you like the texture as is, you are ready to fill jars. Spoon into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch headroom. Wipe rims, lid and place in canner. Bring water in canner back to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Remove to protected countertop. After 1 hour, test lids and place any unsealed jars in refrigerator. Let remainder cool for 12 hours. Label and date.

3 pounds Meyer Lemons (or any lemons)
4 1/2 C. Sugar (I use organic raw sugar)
2 oz. prepared pureed Ginger or 4 tsp. finely chopped fresh Ginger
7 C. water

Prepare water-bath canner with jars by bringing cool jars and cool water to a boil in canner. Turn heat down and let simmer until ready to use the jars.

Scrub lemons thoroughly. If they are not organic, scald with hot water to remove any wax and debris. Prepare lemon peel by cutting the peels from the lemons with a sharp knife or using a vegetable peeler. Avoid cutting into the pith (the white part). You should end up with long swirls of peel. Cut across the swirl into very small slivers. Place the peels into saucepan with 1 C. the water, add saucepan lid, and simmer long enough for the peels to soften – about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, chop the remainder of each lemon into small 1/4 inch pieces, retaining all the pith, fruit and seeds, and juice. Place these pieces into a cheesecloth and tie tightly. Place in non-reactive saucepan and cover with the water. Boil 1 hour. Remove the cheesecloth bag from the liquid and cool. The easiest way to do this is to place in a sieve over a bowl. When cool enough to handle, press as much of the liquid from the bag as possible. It will be milky and sticky – this is the good pectin that will aid in setting the marmalade. Discard the cheesecloth bag.

Now combine the softened peels, the liquid remaining in the saucepan, the additional captured liquid from the bag, ginger and sugar. Bring back to a boil, then lower heat to medium, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Continue cooking uncovered until the liquid reaches 220 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat.

Immediately spoon into jars and process for 10 minutes after water returns to a boil in a boiling-water bath. Remove jars from canner and cool on heat-proof surface. Check lids after 1 hour, refrigerate any unsealed jars. Let the remainder of the jars cool overnight. Label and date and store in cool, dry place.

2 pounds ripe apricots
1/4 C. water
Small wedge fresh lemon
2 1/2 C. granulated sugar
1 to 2 vanilla beans

Cut the apricots in half and remove the pits. Place apricot halves, water, the juice from the lemon, and the lemon rind itself in a large non-reactive pot. Stirring intermittently, cook over medium-high heat until the juices begin to boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the apricots are soft and tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Once soft and tender, stir in the sugar. Split the vanilla beans down their length, scrape out the seeds, then add both the seeds and the pods to the pot. Increase the heat back up to high and bring to a rolling boil. Clip on a candy thermometer and continue to cook, while stirring, until the jam thickens and reaches about 220°F. Carefully remove the vanilla bean pods and lemon rind. Ladle the jam into clean 4-oz., half-pint, or pint-sized glass jars and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Recipe Notes: Taste your fruit first to check for ripeness and sweetness. Additional sugar may be required. This recipes keeps the skin on the apricot before cooking. You can remove the skins before cooking if you like. To check for doneness, place a small plate in the freezer when you start the recipe. As the jam nears completion, place a small amount on the plate and return the freezer. If the jam wrinkles as you nudge it, it is done.

3 pounds peaches, peeled, pitted and finely chopped
5 1/2 C. sugar
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. butter
1 box fruit pectin (I use Sure-Jell)

Place the peaches and lemon juice into a large pot. At this point, I like to take my potato masher and mash the peaches a bit. Measure the sugar into a separate bowl and set aside. Stir the package of pectin into the peaches and add the butter. Stirring frequently, bring the peach mixture to a full rolling boil (a boil that does not stop bubbling when stirred), then add the sugar. Stir to fully incorporate.
Return the mixture to a full, rolling boil and boil for exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove the pot from the heat. Skim any foam from the surface. Ladle quickly into clean jars. (I like to use a wide funnel.) Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean cloth. Place the heated lids (lids that have been placed in simmering water for at least a minute) on the jars and tighten the bands. Place the jars in a canner and process (gently boil) for 10 minutes (water should cover the jars by an inch or two–add boiling water, if necessary), then remove the jars from the canner. Cool completely before storing. Make certain all lids have sealed properly before storing. If the lid springs back when pressed in the middle, it is not sealed and should be stored in the refrigerator.

10 C. mango, pureed in the food processor, but with some chunks still remaining (about 10 mangos)
8 C. granulated sugar
1/4 C. lime juice
3 vanilla beans, split and scraped out (alternately, you can add 2T.of vanilla AFTER cooking the jam, just before putting into containers)
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom

In a large dutch oven or pot, combine the pureed mango, sugar, lime juice, seeds scraped from the vanilla beans as well as the split vanilla beans (which will be discarded later), and ground cardamom. Slowly bring the mixture up to a boil over medium/high, stirring occasionally to prevent the jam from burning. Once the jam is at a rolling boil, turn the heat down to medium, and continue to boil for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. You can test to see if you have cooked your jam long enough by putting some on a plate or small bowl and putting it in the freezer for a few minutes. Once it has cooled, it should be a nice jam consistency, not too runny. If it is still too runny, continue cooking and checking, until you have reached your desired consistency. Remove and discard the scraped out vanilla bean pods and pour jam into clean jars or containers, allowing to cool to room temperature before storing in the refrigerator or freezer.

1 tsp. lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
1 lb. strawberries, stems removed and roughly chopped (good use for overripe berries)
1/3 C. sugar to 1/2 C., depends on sweetness of your strawberries
1 tsp. aged balsamic vinegar

Combine the lemon juice, lemon zest, strawberries, and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. It will look really watery at first, but it will start to thicken up as it reduces. Once you have the thickness you want, reduce the heat to medium and add the balsamic vinegar. Cook for 3 more minutes, then place your jam in a clean glass container. Refrigerate, and spread on biscuits, toast, or whatever you’d like. Enjoy!

3 C. mango pulp, coarsely chopped into raisin-sized pieces
3¼ C. granulated sugar
¼ C. fresh lime juice
Zest of 2 limes
Half of 3-oz. pouch of liquid pectin

In a nonreactive pan, mix together mango, sugar, and lime juice, and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. When the mixture comes to a boil, add the lime zest, turn up the heat to medium and let the mango mixture boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in the liquid pectin and let the mixture boil for one more minute. Take the pot off the heat and let the jam rest for 5 minutes before putting it into the jars. This allows the jam to thicken up a bit which promotes better suspension of mango pulp; otherwise the mango pieces will rise to the top instead of being interspersed throughout the entire jar. Process with the water bath canning method. Alternatively, the jam can be stored in airtight containers and kept refrigerated.

This recipe is a classic Strawberry Jam. But we’ve brought it to modern taste standards by using Pomona’s Pectin which requires little or no sweetener. Pomona’s Pectin relies on Calcium Water (included in the box of pectin) to make the jam set. It can be found in stores like Whole Foods that sell natural or organic products. When using any pectin product, always follow the package directions exactly. Otherwise your set may be comprised.

Makes about 6 -7 half-pints

½ to 1 ½ C. honey or other sweetener (sugar, agave nectar, maple, etc.) (Sweetener can be added to taste)
4 tsp. Pomona’s Pectin powder
3 pounds rinsed and hulled strawberries, crushed, about 8 C. (you could dice or puree, but this could affect the consistency of the final product)
3 tsp. fresh lemon juice, strained
3 tsp. vanilla extract
4 tsp. calcium powder liquid (made up by following directions in box of pectin)

Prepare canning pot with jars (no lids or bands) by covering jars with water and bringing to a boil. When boiling, turn heat down to medium and hold until ready to use. Stir sugar and pectin power together. Put strawberries, lemon juice, vanilla and calcium solution in a wide 6-8 quart stockpot or deep stainless steel skillet. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring in the sugar-pectin mixture. Stir until sugar is dissolved, about 1-2 minutes. Return to a boil, then remove from heat. Ladle into hot jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace at the top. Wipe rims of the jars with a damp cloth, bubble with a table knife or jar bubbler, place lid and band on each jar. Return jars to boiling water canning pot, with water covering jars by 1 inch. Bring water back to a boil and boil for 5 minutes to process. Remove jars to a folded towel on heatproof surface. Do not disturb for 12 hours. Remove bands and test lids for seal. If any jar hasn’t sealed, immediately refrigerate. Label and date jars and store.

1 quart strawberries (a little over 1 1/2 pounds, should be approximately 4 C. chopped berries)
2 C. sugar, divided
2 vanilla beans, split and scraped
1 lemon, zested and juiced

Wash and chop berries. Toss them with 1 C. sugar and the vanilla beans/seeds and place in a large jar or bowl. Allow the berries to macerate for at least 2-3 hours and up to 72 hours. When you’re ready to make the jam, prepare three half pint jars. Pour macerated strawberries into a large pot and add the remaining C. sugar. Bring to a boil and cook until the jam reaches 220 degrees, stirring very regularly.
6.Add the lemon zest and juice in the final 5 minutes of cooking. Once the jam has reached 220 degrees, remove the pan from the heat. Pour jam into your prepared jars. Wipe rims, apply lids and rings and process in your canner for 10 minutes (normally I’d admonish you not to start your timer until the water has returned to a boil. However, as long as your water is quite hot when the jars go into the canner, the time it will take to return to boiling should be minimal). When time is up, remove jars from canner and let them cool on a towel-lined counter top. When jars are cool enough to handle, remove rings and check seals. If any jars are not sealed, store them in the fridge and use them first. Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place.

2 lbs cherries, pitted (6 C.)
1 (3 1/2 ounce) box pectin
1⁄4 C. granulated sugar
1⁄2 tsp. butter
3 C. sugar

Sterilize your jars and keep them hot while you’re cooking the preserves. Place cherries in a large, heavy duty dutch oven. Combine pectin with 1/4 C. sugar; stir into cherries, Add butter. Bring to a full boil, stirring, over high heat. Add 3 more C. sugar and return to a boil , stirring constantly, boil 1 minutes. Remove from heat; skim off foam. Immediately spoon preserves into 3 one pint sterilized jars, leaving 1/4″ headspace. Wipe the sealing surface of the jars with a clean paper towel, dampened with hot water, to remove any preserves or sugar crystals. Place lids and screw on bands fingertip tight. Process in a boiling water bath for at least ten minutes, depending upon your altitude. When the jars have been processed in boiling water for the recommended time, turn off the heat and remove the canner lid; wait 5 minutes. Remove jars from canner using a jar lifter and keeping jars upright. Carefully place them directly onto a towel or cake cooling rack to protect your countertop, leaving at least one inch of space between the jars during cooling. Avoid placing the jars on a cold surface or in a cold draft. After jars have cooled undisturbed for 24 hours, remove ring bands from sealed jars. Put any unsealed jars in the refrigerator and use first.

6 ataulfo mangos, medium ripe (these are sometimes called “Champagne mangoes”)
2 C. sugar (or enough to equal half the measure of diced fruit)
1½ T. minced fresh ginger
1 juicy lime

Peel the mango and cut it into ½-inch dice. The easiest way to do this is to cut the flesh in a grid pattern while it is attached to the large pit, and then scrape the diced pieces from the pit into a bowl. Measure the mango and place it in a large saucepan along with sugar about half the measure of the fruit (I had 4 C. mango and used 2 C. sugar). Add the ginger. Juice the lime and add the juice to the mango. Cut the shell of the lime into quarters and set aside. If there are seeds, place them in a small cheesecloth bag and set aside. You will later add them to the mango mixture to help develop pectin.

Bring the mango and sugar mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour it into a bowl and add the lime peel and seeds, if any. When the mixture is cool, crumple a piece of parchment paper, set it on top and refrigerate the mixture overnight. (If you have aromatic items in the refrigerator, cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap. Prepare jars for water bath canning. Place a saucer in the freezer. Remove the lime shells and pour the mango mixture into a large, wide, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring it just to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring so that the mixture doesn’t stick to the bottom. Reduce the heat to allow the mixture to simmer just below the boiling point for about 25 minutes or until thick. Stir from time to time to prevent the mixture from scorching. Test for gel by placing a couple of drops on the frozen saucer and pushing it with your finger. If the jam wrinkles, the gel will be fine. You can also tell the jam is done by pulling a spoon across the bottom of the pan. If it leaves a clean line, the mixture is well gelled. Process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes after the water comes to a boil. Turn off the heat, remove the canner lid and let the jars sit for 5 minutes before removing them to a counter to sit undisturbed until sealed.

10 lb. tomatoes, cored and finely chopped
5 C. sugar
1 C. fresh squeezed lime juice
1 T. ground ginger
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cloves
2 T. sea salt
2 T. red pepper flakes

Combine all, bring to a boil. Simmer and let reduce by at least half, stirring regularly to prevent the pot from scalding. Puree the mixture a little with an immersion blender; you still want it to be a bit chunky. Continue simmering until it reduces by half again and becomes a sticky jammy mess. When jam has cooked down sufficiently, remove pot from heat and ladle into hot, sterile half-pint jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rims, apply lids and bands and process in a boiling water bath for 25 minutes.

7 quinces
12 C. water

5 C. quince juice
3 3/4 C. sugar
5 tsp. lemon juice

To make the quince juice, core the quince and chop it into rough cubes. Combine quince pieces and water in a large pot and boil until the fruit and liquid turn a rosy color. This can take several hours, so do it when you have the time to wander in and out of the kitchen, keeping an eye on the pot. When it’s done, strain the juice from the pulp (don’t throw the pulp away!). At this point, you can either make the jelly or put the juice in the fridge for a day or two, until you have the time to cook it down. To make the jelly, combine the quince juice, sugar and lemon juice in a large pot (use something far larger than you think is necessary, this jelly bubbles a great deal). Bring to a boil and let it cook until it reaches 220 degrees. When it has reached the appropriate temperature, remove the pot from the heat. Fill jars, wipe rims, apply lids and screw on bands. Process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes. Let cool undisturbed for at least 12 hours. In the morning, check both the seals and the quality of the set. Because quince has so much innate pectin, it should be quite firm. Eat with cheese or smeared on a slice of cold turkey.

8 oz. gooseberries, topped and tailed
8 oz. granulated sugar
1/3 C. water
juice from 1/2 a lemon

Prepare a boiling water bath canner and a 12 oz. jam jar. Combine the prepped gooseberries, sugar, water, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Set the pan on the stove over medium-high heat and begin to cook. If all the liquid evaporates before the gooseberries pop, add a splash more water. Cook for 10-12 minutes, until the gooseberries have popped and the mess has thickened. Taste the jam and add more lemon juice, if necessary for flavor balance. Remove the pan from the stove and funnel the jam into the prepared jar. Wipe the rims, apply the lid and ring, and process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes.