Jams, Jellies, Fruit Butters, etc.

[momof23goats]

Mom is that the same amount of sugar as lemon/orange juice?

Thanks in advance, this sounds very good.

yes it is.

[Belle]

I was experimenting in the kitchen this morning. I had some bananas and thought it might be good to make banana jam to put on peanut butter sandwiches. I'd never heard of it, so I made up this recipe.

Banana Jam

5 bananas
water
4 T. lemon juice
1 t. butter, optional
1 pkg. Sure-Jel
5 cups sugar
a few drops of yellow food color, optional

Peel bananas and liquify them in a blender or food processor. Pour into measuring cup and add enough water to equal 5 cups. Stir in lemon juice. Pour mixture into a pan, stir in Sure-Jel and butter, if you're using it. Bring to a full rolling boil.

Stir in sugar, all at once. Bring back to a boil and boil one minute. Stir in food color, if you're using it. Skim, if needed. Fill hot jars to within 1/2" of top. Adjust lids and hot water bath for 10 minutes.

Makes about 7 glasses.

[BeWell]

Tomato Chutney

I made about 15 pint jars last year, this year I've made 8 and got about 7 jars' worth cooking. If someone has a lot of tomatoes (kind of late for a lot of places, still have local ones here) it's a nice way to use them and adds a zing to meals in the winter. Being me, I don't have an exact recipe but here's what I do:

Drop tomatoes in boiling water for a minute, take out, and peel 'em.

Then I chop them all up in small chunks.

In a large pot, I heat up about 4 tablespoons ghee (use a light oil if using oil), and when it's medium warm/hot, add 4 or 5 inch long pieces dried jalapeno peppers, or you could use fresh chilis.

Then add, amounts approximate:

1 T. Black mustard seeds
1 t. Fennel seeds
1 t. Ajwan seeds (a kind of wild celery seed)
1 t. Cumin seeds (I used powdered since I"m all out of whole seeds, if you use powdered add it after the seeds)
1 or 2 pieces of Cinnamon stick
Couple good pinches of whole Cloves
A pinch or two of whole Pepper Corns
Let the whole spices simmer for a minute or two and darken, but not burn! Then add:

2 t. or 1 T. ground Coriander
1 t. Turmeric
1/4 t. Hing (At Indian stores, don't worry if you don't have it)
1/2 t. Salt
1 or 2 T. Lemon juice
Optional: a small handful of golden raisins

Stir the spices up until bubbling, then pour in chopped tomatoes - I used about 1 1/2 gallons. Cook at a high or medium heat until thickened up a bit and then add brown sugar - I just wing it, about 1 1/2 cups or maybe 2.

Then cook a bit more until as thick as you want, it will thicken when it cools, it's not as thick as jam. Ladle into hot pint or 1/2 pint jars, put lids on, and water bath for 10 minutes.

Sorry my amounts are so inexact!

Last year everyone who tasted it loved it. Makes rice and beans special! A nice change from salsa. I hope to get another box of two of canning tomatoes from the local farmstand and make some more.

(I also made about 20 jars of apple chutney, I'll post a recipe when I get some apples.)

[BeWell]

Here's my "recipe" - or method - for making Apple Chutney. I will be picking apples soon and plan to make many pints. No measured amounts, just ideas.

In a large pot heat up a few tablespoons of ghee or butter, a very light oil would work. Less amount if you're only making a small amount of chutney.

These spices are necessary:

Cinnamon sticks - say two, or pieces of cinnamon stick.
Cardamom seeds - a few teaspoons
Fennel seeds - half the amount of Cardamom
Cloves - half the amount of fennel
Chopped fressh or dried ginger - however much you want (mom can leave out!)
Black Pepper corns - sprinkle in some
Cumin Seeds - About the same amount as Fennel

Optional: Hot chilis of one kind or another, I have dried green ones I use

Toast until brown and fragrant.

Then add chopped and peeled apples, whatever you have. How many? Lots. Add a 1/2 teaspoon salt or a bit more depending on amount of chutney, optional. Cook and stir, if you need to add water, add as little as possible, or apple juice. Cook until getting quite mushy and done, then add sugar, either white or brown or a mixture of each. How much? The recipes I have vary, definitely not as much as jam, but more than applesauce. Sorry I'm not more exact - experiment, it will be good!

Then cook some more with the sugar - it will darken a bit and look more shiney and a bit jam like. Pack in hot jars, I water bath for 10 minutes. You can take out the cinnamon sticks if you find them.

It's very good as a meal accompaniment, like cranberry sauce. Or on vanilla ice cream!

Note: Keep in mind that you can really add a LOT of spices to this recipe - it is meant to be a bit hot and spicey, not real subtle. Maybe it would be good to make a small batch and then see how you like it. It is an interesting change from applesauce. Sometimes I've added some raisins.

[Belle]

I don't remember where I got this, but boy is it good!

APPLE PIE JAM


4 cups tart apples, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
4 cups sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 box pectin
1/2 teaspoon butter

Add water to chopped apples to measure 4 cups.(This is NOT 4 cups each, but water placed on top of the diced apples to come up to the 4 cup mark.) Place apples and water into large, heavy saucepan. Stir in lemon juice, cinnamon and allspice.

Measure sugars. Stir pectin into fruit. Add butter. Bring mixture to full rolling boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Quickly stir in both sugars. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon.

Ladle quickly into hot, clean jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands on finger tight. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.