by Teri Bell
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| Article courtesy of Savannah Morning News |
Remember December? You know that time you wish you had time to make food gifts to give your friends and family?
Well, this is the time to do it. Berries and fruits are ripening and are ready to be turned into jams, jellies, preserves and relishes. The hard part will be keeping your family from consuming the tasty gifts before December arrives!
Canning has become a thing of the past. In the "good ole days" farmers grew their food and preserved it for the winter months. Today, it's really just easier to go to the store and pick up what we need and in many cases it's just as good as the stuff we spend hours in the kitchen preserving.
Then why go to the trouble? Personally, I just like to eat food that is grown in the dirt near where I live. Perhaps it's because I miss my Papa's garden. Maybe it's just because my Mama did it and I reaped the benefits at her table nightly. In any case, this time of the year I want to put something up. If it's nothing but putting some peas from Jesup in my freezer at least when the winter comes I can pull a bit of summer out of my freezer and enjoy.
Currently in our area, berries are ready for the picking. Pick-your-own and roadside stands are full of blueberries and blackberries fresh from the fields and just right for turning into jam. Making jellies and jams seems to intimidate people, but it's really simple. The steps look long and laborious (and I won't lie, it takes some time,) but it's sort of like child labor - the first piece of buttery toast slathered with your jam makes you forget all about the time it took to get it into that jar!
For those of you who want to try making your own jams, I highly recommend you buy a "Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving." In it they give you step-by-step instructions and a plethora of recipes. Many of my mother's recipes came from a prior edition of the Ball book and we still make them today.
I always say that if a company is trying to sell you their product, they're going to only publish the best recipes they can find because they want you to continue to buy their product. Yes, Ball is trying to sell you their jars and their pectin, but who cares as long as they give you good recipes to use them with?
Blueberries are a great way to start preserving the bounty of summer. They can be frozen in Ziploc bags and used throughout the year in pies, cakes or cookies. This year, I infused some herbs into my blueberry jam. I had a huge Lemon Thyme bush and I added a few sprigs to the pot while it was simmering. It was delicious! I'm going to try some basil and strawberries next. The sweet and savory flavor makes these jams great to serve with a soft cheese as well as toast.
Here are a few blueberry recipes you can use to get started with preserving. Once you start, you'll understand why I go to the trouble. Enjoy!
Teri Bell is co-owner of Miss Sophie's Marketplace at the Mighty Eighth in Pooler.
Go to Sophiesmarketplace.com .
BLUEBERRY, LEMON AND THYME JAM
4 ½ cups Georgia blueberries crushed
6 tablespoons Ball Classic Pectin
5 cups sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
½ cup fresh lemon juice
5 sprigs lemon thyme (or regular thyme)
Combine blueberries and pectin in a large saucepot. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Stir in thyme, grated lemon peel and lemon juice. Return to a rolling bowl Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat. Ladle hot jam into hot jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Top with lids and rings. Place jars in a pot of enough boiling water to cover the top of the jars and process 15 minutes. Remove to a towel and allow to cool completely.
EASY BLUEBERRY JAM
9 cups crushed Georgia blueberries
6 cups sugar
Combine berries and sugar in a large saucepot. Bring slowly to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cook rapidly to gelling point (when the jam slides off the spoon in sheets) As mixture thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking and burning. Remove from heat, skim foam if necessary. Ladle jam into hot jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Top with lids and rings. Place jars in a pot of enough boiling water to cover the top of the jars and process 15 minutes. Remove to a towel and allow to cool completely.
PEACHES, BLUEBERRIES AND BASIL COBBLER
Save a few of the berries and make this cobbler to enjoy while you're waiting for the jam to cool. Top it with some homemade vanilla ice cream for an extra special treat!
4 Georgia peaches, peeled and cubed
2 cups of Georgia blueberries
8-10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon all- purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup loosely packed brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons softened butter
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a 9x9 baking dish, mix peaches, blueberries and basil with sugar. flour and salt
In a large bowl, stir together oats, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Add in the softened butter, and crumble together with your hands. Sprinkle the crisp over the peaches and berries. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until crisp is golden and fruit is bubbly.
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