Objective: Exchange home-made sauerkraut for home-made fig jam Where?: DNA Restaurant - fancy contemporary restaurant in Old Montreal - 355 rue Marguerite d'Youville When?: Happy Hour Why? (Besides desire for sauerkraut): 1/2 price on all Canadian bottles of wine from … [Read more...] about Mission: Cabbage Rolls (aka Sauerkraut/Jam Swap at DNA Restaurant)
Canning and Preserves
Lemon Confit (aka Moroccan Preserved Lemons)
This is not candied lemon with crystallized sugar, like my ginger confit was not candied ginger, but neither is this soaked in a sugar syrup. This version of confit takes lemons and salt (drowned in all the lemon juice that gets sucked out of the lemons by the salt) and makes you … [Read more...] about Lemon Confit (aka Moroccan Preserved Lemons)
Canned and Pickled Everything
The person who gave me the copy I have of the 1948 Joy of Cooking and a cast-iron skillet came to my house for lunch. It had to be one heck of a thank-you lunch. The 1948 freaking Joy of Cooking, for goodness sake! (I edited that sentence...) So we had soup, yes, one of my … [Read more...] about Canned and Pickled Everything
Persimmons and Pears with Cinnamon and Star Anise: The Season’s Last Adventure in Canning
I love the Atwater library. Anywhere I can walk in and take books out for free is a miraculous thing to me. Atwater just happens to be the version of that system closest to my house. There's actually a membership (which I think defeats the purpose of "free lending"...I actually … [Read more...] about Persimmons and Pears with Cinnamon and Star Anise: The Season’s Last Adventure in Canning
Pickled Carrots
Basically, I had leftover brine from making the pickled jalapenos, so I chopped up some carrots and pickled them too. No point letting brine go to waste. That's honestly all this is. Always sterilize a few too many jars than you think you'll need, in case something like this … [Read more...] about Pickled Carrots
Pickled Jalapeno Peppers
I actually feel bad writing this now because I haven't eaten these yet. They're sitting in my fridge (because I'm paranoid about my cupboard since there was no water bath afterward) waiting for me to decide they're ready (Apparently it only takes a week, and these only last a few … [Read more...] about Pickled Jalapeno Peppers
Indian Jalapeno Chili Pepper Pickle and My Addiction to Heat
Absolutely amazing. I can't believe I almost didn't make this recipe. I spent about an hour looking for the perfect pickled jalapeno recipe and I chose two -- this one and a standard vinegar-brine chili pepper recipe. But this one...I have no words.Basically my first bite of this … [Read more...] about Indian Jalapeno Chili Pepper Pickle and My Addiction to Heat
Patience and Ginger Confit, Part 4
Finally, after 5 days the ginger is ready to be canned. Sterilize the jars, keep them pristine -- no fingers since you are a mold that will contaminate them -- and fill them with the ginger in its syrup which has been drained and brought to a boil one last time. No cold liquid … [Read more...] about Patience and Ginger Confit, Part 4
Patience and Ginger Confit, Part 3
It's two days later and now I drain the syrup again into a saucepan. I bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to medium for 8 minutes, then pour it back over the half-confit-ed ginger in the bowl. Cover it. Wait 2 more days. More sleeping. More praying my kitchen isn't too cold and … [Read more...] about Patience and Ginger Confit, Part 3
Patience and Ginger Confit, Part 2
Finally, after what felt like an eternity of sleep later, I drained the sugar/water from the ginger into a saucepan and brought it to a boil. Reduced the heat to medium to simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. then I poured the syrup (it's almost syrup now) back on top of the ginger … [Read more...] about Patience and Ginger Confit, Part 2