Bear Cuisine

Spiced Apple Butter

When we returned home at the beginning of October, I thought that I had missed the canning season. Wrong! I had forgotten about apples and the multitude of food that can be made with them. I discovered a wonderful source for Colorado apples and set to work to preserve the harvest.

In years past when I've made apple butter, I have felt as if I were chained to the stove for the better part of a day. I wasn't eager to repeat the experience. Then I was reading through Liana Krissoff's Canning for a New Generation and read her brilliant recipe using the slow cooker. Voila! I was back in business.

SPICED APPLE BUTTER

(6 half-pint jars)

1. 6 pounds apples, cored and peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
2. 2 cups apple cider
3. 4 cups water
4. 1 1/2 cups sugar
5. 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
6. 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
7. 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
8. 1/2 teaspoon ground aniseed (optional)

Put the apples in a 6-to 8-quart preserving pan. Add the cider and 4 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil, stirring occasionally, until the apples are completely broken down, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Puree it in batches in a food processor blender. Measure the puree.

Pour the puree into a 4-to-6 quart slow cooker and stir in the sugar and spices. Cook on the low setting with the lid slightly askew to allow the liquid to evaporate but still keep the spatter in the pot, for 9 to 12 hours, stirring occasionally when you can, keep in mind that different models of slow cookers cook at different temperatures, until thick and dark.

Wash the jars and keep them hot in the canning pot, and put the flat lids in a heatproof bowl.

Bring the apple butter to a boil. Transfer to a pan on the stovetop if it's not fully boiling in the slow cooker.

Ladle boiling water from the canning pot into the bowl with the lids. Using a jar lifter, remove the hot jars from the canning pot, carefully pouring the water from each one back into the pot, and place them upright on a folded towl. Drain the water off the jar lids.

Ladle the hot apple butter into the jars,leaving 1/2 inch headspace at the top. Use a damp paper towl to wripe the rims of the jars, then put a flat lid and ring on each jar, adjusting the ring so that it's just finter-tight. Return the jars to the water in the canning pot, aking sure the water cover the jars by at least 1 inch. Bring to a boil, and boil half-pints or pints for 10 minutes to process. Remove thejars to a folded towel and do not disturb for 12 hours. After 1 hour, check that the lids have sealed by pressing down on the center of each; if it can be pushed down, It hasn't sealed and the jar should be refrigerated immediately. Label the sealed jars and store.

 

Strawberry Jam

Canning season is well underway. This year I decided to make some strawberry jam. Even though I can never find strawberries at the local markets here, there are the usual imports from California. This recipe makes a lovely jam  which retains its color and flavor.Made with berries grown where you live I think it would be outstanding.

STRAWBERRY JAM

(2 1/2 cups)

• 4 cups quartered strawberries
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice

Mix berries and sugar and let stand for 8 hours, stirring occasionally.

Place berry mixture in a medium stainless steel or enamel saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Add lemon juice, return to a boil and boil rapidly for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 24 hours.

 

Bring berries to a full boil over high heat and boil rapidly for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

 

Ladle into hot jars and process for 10 minutes. If you are above 6000 feet, add an additional 15 minutes to the processing time.

Another Great Year at the Fair

I know that you have been breathlessly awaiting the results of this year's canning competition at the State Fair. The votes are in and the winners are

First Place

• Corn Relish
• Picalilli
• Hot Mixed Pickles (also winner of a 2nd Place Ball Preserving Award)
• Peach Preserves

Second Place

• Apricot Jam
• Cherry Preserves
• Cherry Syrup

 

Third Place

• Okra Pickles
• Peach chutney
• Jalapeno Pickles

 

Recipes that haven't already found their way into this blog will be posted later.

I just wanted you to be the first to hear the news.

Cherry Preserves

At the end of cherry season this summer there were some beautiful Rainier cherries at the Farmers' Market. I have never used them to make preserves before, but I thought they would look beautiful. I am always gratified when I'm right and this particular self-satisfaction is pretty harmless and tastes great.

I added 3 chopped jalapenos to the basic recipe and the combination is perfect for those of us who like a bit of heat in our preserves.

CHERRY PRESERVES

(4 half-pints)

• 2 pounds pitted cherries
  
• 4 cups sugar
  
• 3 large chopped jalapenos  
  

Drain the juice from the cherries and set the cherries aside. Add sugar to juice; cook until sugar dissolves, stirring from time to time. (If there is not enough juice to dissolve sugar, add a little water.)

Add cherries; cook rapidly until cherries become glossy. Cover and let stand 12 to 18 hours in a cool place. Bring to a boil. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam if needed.

Ladle hot preserves into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Adjust two piece caps. Process 15 minutes in a boil-water canner.

 

Apriocot Jam

We don't always get apricots. For the past several years, late spring freezes have obliterated the crop, but this year there were apricots galore and I really enjoyed making jam with them. I made two different batches--one with small Blenheim fruits and the other with larger fruits. The smaller variety, although a bit more trouble, definitely had more flavor and made a better jam.

Apricots as they started to cook

APRIC0T JAM

(makes about five 8 ounce jars)

• 2 1/3 pounds jut-ripe apricots
• Freshly squeezed juice of 3 lemons
• 1 1/4 pounds granulated sugar

Peel the apricots, cut into halves and remove the pits. Put the fruit, 1 3/4 cups water and lemon juice in a heavy nonreactive pot and bring the mixture to a boil. Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes until the fruit is very soft.

Add the sugar, allowing it to dissolve into the fruit.

Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil for 15 minutes until the jam reaches a soft gel.

Remove from the heat and test for a set. Ladle into hot jars, cap and place in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. (Add 5 minutes to the time for every 1000 feet over 3000 feet.)

I added three chopped jalapenos to the second batch to make jalapeno-apricot jam. The bit of heat made for delicious combination of sweet and hot. Would you like some on your biscuits this morning?