I don't know what it's like where you are, but it is HOT here. It is normally in the 80s during the summer, but this year we have had multiple stretches of 100+ degree weather. When I mention this to my coworkers they are taken aback -- but then I realize it's because they use Celcius temperatures! So for those of you who are similarly inclined, I am living in an area where is it typically 26-ish this time of year, but this year it's been 37 instead.
With this unprecedented heatwave, I have been doing the most logical thing I can think of: fill my kitchen with hot steam! That's right, I've been canning.
I am so fortunate to have a lovely friend who has a farm an hour outside of town. We went out last weekend and picked a bounty of blackberries. I know objectively that blackberries are a weed; they grow over everything here and are an absolute nuisance to clear. At the same time, though, I can't help but love them. I love the smell of them as they start to ripen in the sun. I love seeing the vines start to sag as the fruit on them grows heavier, little clusters of sweet purple-black jewels. I don't even mind the scratches that come with a long day picking berries. They make me feel like I accomplished something, and like I won a victory over the brambles.
This trip ended with about 3.5 gallons of berries (not counting the ones we ate while we were picking). This was enough to make about 8 pints of blackberry jam and 2 pints of blackberry jelly. The primary difference here is that jam contains the mashed whole fruit, whereas jelly is made from the blackberry juice with the berry flesh itself strained out. The jam is my favorite because I think it packs a bigger blackberry flavor, but the jelly is great if you don't like the pesky little seeds!
My approach to jams and jellies is simple. All they have in them are fruit, pectin, lemon juice, and sugar. Some people use a bit of butter to help prevent foaming, but I have never had foam be that big of an issue. I prefer to not use butter, as I like to be able to share my jams with my vegan friends as well! This is the same reason I hardly ever use gelatine. I am not a vegan, but I still want to be able to share my foods with as many of my friends as possible.
We spent some time walking around the farm and looking at all the lovely things my friend has planted over the years. We enjoyed figs fresh off the tree and picked a handful of black hawthorn berries to make a tincture. It was an absolute treasure of an afternoon and made me so grateful that I know such amazing people living near me.
While I was on a canning spree, I figured I would also take care of some fruit in my freezer. Freezer space is sacred and hard to come by in this house, so any time I can transition something out of the freezer and into shelf storage it is a win. I had a large bag of peached, already peeled and sliced, and an equally huge bag of pitted bing cherries.
The peaches were pretty soft from being frozen and thawed again, so those became a peach preserve, which is a chunky jam. I didn't want to add too much to them - they are lovely peaches and can hold their own on flavor - but I wanted to give them a kick, so I added a bit of bourbon while they were cooking.
The cherries are large, dark, sweet cherries, and they wanted to be paired with some vanilla. I made them a vanilla simple syrup to be stored in but did not chop them up or mash them. There is something extremely luxurious about a whole cherry is syrup to me. Maybe it's because they are a more expensive fruit, but I think of them as just a little bit fancier than other canned fruits! Silly, I know, but it's nice to have something with a bit of sparkle to it long after the cherry season has passed. Half of the cherries wanted to be a little boozy so they got some Grand Marnier in with them, and the other half was simply vanilla. I suspect both types will be delicious!
Finally, I wrapped the week up with some pickles. Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE dill pickles. Sweet pickles are not a favorite, but I can demolish a jar of dill pickles in short order. I ended up making three types of pickles: garlic dill spears, garlic dill slices, and spicy garlic dill slices. All varieties had several whole garlic cloves, peppercorns, and a lot of fresh dill weed packed into the jars. The spicy pickles also received a few dried chiles de arbol. These are not a very spicy pepper but they should give a bit of heat as they rest in their brine.
There is something soothing about taking beautiful produce and preserving it, and about knowing that those I love will be able to enjoy these fresh fruits and pickled goodies long after they are no longer in season.
Happy cooking my friends, and be kind to each other!
