Dandelion Honey

Sourdough bread became the poster child of 2020.  Everyone was baking it and some continue to do so.  Baking bread using wild yeast is definitely something I consider important.  Currently we are under stay-at-home orders.  Grocery stores and certain retail are open for essential items only.  That means you cannot buy clothes, yarn, magazines etc. at these stores but you can order online.  There may come a time that is restricted further as there was talk of stopping home deliveries with this last lockdown extension.  This is why a prepper pantry and learning survival skills are very important.

The poster child of 2021 is dandelion jelly!  Folks are foraging for dandelions and other edible wild flowers to make jelly.  When foraging, it's best to start in your own yard and always get permission if foraging elsewhere.  Don't forage where the plants may have been sprayed with pesticides.

We don't spray our yard so out dandelions are safe for consumption.  Our neighbours likely got a good chuckle out of me harvesting dandelions flowers!  All parts of the dandelion plant are edible.  Many spring salad mixes contain young dandelion leaves. Dandelion flowers can also be used to make a salve that is good for aches and pains as well as soothing itchy skin.

Dandelion honey differs from dandelion jelly.  Dandelion jelly is very pale with just a hint of yellow transparent jelly that gets it's set from pectin.  Dandelion honey has no added pectin.  It is a rich amber very similar to honey in colour and consistency.  It is a vegan substitute for actual honey.   The flowers with greens left on are harvested, cleaned then placed in a stock pot with citrus, covered with water, boiled then mashed.  This mixture sits overnight then is strained.  An appropriate amount of sugar is added based on the volume of the strained liquid (tea).  I used a ratio of 1 c sugar to 1 1/3 c of tea.  The sugar/tea mixture is brought to a low boil then cooked to gel stage.  At this time, it is ready for jarring but before doing so, I added just a hint of an extra flavour note then I jarred and processed. 
 

Habanero Gold Jelly

We spent most of the month of October at our vacation home in Florida.  That meant I could not fully enjoy the remainder of my garden's harvest.  It had been rather cool at home while we were away with a couple of mild frosts while we were away.  So, I was quite surprised to find ripe habanero, jalapeño and super chili peppers along with a few tomatoes when I checked the garden the day after we arrived home.

There wasn't much but I was still pleased that there was any to begin with.  The super chili peppers (small red) are actually hotter than the  jalapeño (large green) and habanero (orange).  In general the smaller the pepper the hotter it is.

I dried the super chili peppers whole.  A whole dried super chili pepper is ideal for adding a bit of heat to soups and stews.  Just pop it in as is then remove when the dish is finished the same way you would with a bayleaf.  The whole super chili peppers can also be crushed to use as hot pepper flakes.  I actually ended up with another harvest a bit smaller than this one as well as a nice harvest of green tomatoes before the frost hit hard.

Hot pepper jellies are one of my favourite home canned products.  They can be used as a condiment, as a topping over cream cheese on bagels or appetizers, or as a glaze for grilled meats.  They are the perfect 'go to' when entertaining.  I make several different home canned hot pepper jellies.

Habanero peppers are one of my favourite hot peppers.  The local grocery store seldom carries them so I grow my own.  The plants are compact making them perfect for growing using the square foot garden method.  Yet they are prolific, problem free producers.  I dry, pickle and freeze them.   One of the best ways of preserving habanero peppers is making hot pepper jelly.  It is a firey golden, translucent jelly with colourful bits suspended throughout.  The jars look like they are filled with golden jewels.  This really is a must have home canned product!

I really like using the squatty Bernardin/Ball Elite line of 250 ml jars for  hot pepper jellies because they double as a serving bowl for entertaining.  The jelly looks equally as nice in the taller 250 ml jelly jars and for gift giving, the 125 ml mini jars work nicely.  I really wouldn't can hot pepper jelly in jars larger than 250 ml.

Habanero Gold Jelly
modified from: Bernardin Complete Guide of Home Preserving (2006)

1/3 c finely sliced dried apricots
3/4 c white vinegar
1/4 c finely chopped red onion
1/4 c red bell pepper
1/4 c seeded habanero peppers
3 c organic granulated sugar
1 pouch liquid pectin
1/4 tsp butter (optional)

Slice the dried apricots then combine with vinegar in a large stainless steel saucepan.  Cover and let stand at least 4 hours.  Finely chop the red onion, red bell pepper and habanero pepper.  Stir the prepared vegetables into the apricot mixture.  Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly.  Stir in pectin and butter.  Boil hard, stirring constantly for 1 minute.  Remove from heat.   Skim off any foam.  Stir for 5 minutes to distribute the vegetables throughout the jelly.  Ladle into hot prepared jars.  Place lids and rings on the jars.  Tighten rings finger tight if using the metal snap lids.  Tighten rings finger tight then turn back 1/4 inch if using Tattler lids or glass inserts.  Process in boiling water batch canner for 10 minutes.  Remove from canner.  Do not adjust rings if using metal snap lids.  If using Tattler lids or glass inserts, fully tighten the rings immediately after removing jars from the canner.  Let the jars cool undisturbed for 24 hours.  Remove the rings and test the sea.  Wash rings and jars then dry well.  Rings can be put on the jars loosely for storage if desired.

Yield: 3 - 250 ml jars

Low Sugar Hot Pepper Jelly

Hot pepper jelly is an absolute taste sensation when paired with cream cheese.  I make a few versions that are sure to please any palate.  It is a good way to use up excess hot peppers from the garden.  It's also one of those products that immediately says homemade because aside of the specialty food shops, hot pepper jelly is seldom found in the grocery stores.

This year I made a low sugar hot pepper jelly for the holiday season feature red and green flecks for festive entertaining.  We are not huge fans of sugar but for hot pepper jelly you need just enough sugar to tame the heat.  I use Pomona's pectin which is a low methyoxy pectin that uses calcium water for the gel rather than sugar so the amount of sugar in a recipe can be greatly reduced.  Other pectins (eg. Certo, SureJel) cannot be substituted in this recipe.  This jelly is well worth the extra effort.  It is beyond delightful, a sure crowd pleaser!

Low Sugar Hot Pepper Jelly
recipe by:  Garden Gnome

1 c finely chopped sweet red peppers
⅓ c finely chopped jalapeño peppers
1⅓ c white vinegar
2⅓ c organic granulated sugar
1½ tsp Pomona's pectin
2 tsp calcium water

Bring the peppers, vinegar and calcium water to a boil then reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.  Mix the pectin in ½ c of the sugar.  Stir the pectin mixture into the pepper mixture stirring well until dissolved.  Stir in the rest of the sugar.  Return to a boil.  Ladle into hot jars leaving ¼-inch headspace.  Adjust two piece metal snap lids (or Tattler reusable lids or glass inserts).  Screw bands on jars (adjust accordingly if not using metal snap lids).  Process for 250 ml for 10 minutes in BWB canner at altitudes up to 1,000 feet above sea level.  At higher altitudes refer to altitude adjustment chart on Canning FYI page.  Remove from canner.  Adjust bands if using Tattler or glass inserts.  Allow to cool 24 hours.  Remove bands and test for seal.  Wash and dry bands and jars.  Label and store.

Frugal Kitchens 101 - Jams and Jellies

Ontario strawberries and cherries are in season signifying the start of the jam and jelly making here. Unless you grow your own berries, there are little savings in home canned jams but the finished product is far superior to what you can buy in the grocery store. There are no preservatives or artificial flavours or colors and certainly no HFCS in homemade jams or jellies.  There are three main costs for jams and jellies: berries, sugar, and pectin. If canning the jam, the cost of lids need to be factored in as well. There are ways to save on the costs of making homemade jams and jellies. Here are a few of the things I do to keep the costs in check:

• berries or fruit - Berries or fruit for jam making are available at farmer's markets, roadside stands, U-picks and the grocery store.  By far the cheapest is if you grow some or all of the berries or fruit you will be using for making jam.  If buying berries, know the current prices.  For example, I recently bought strawberries as my strawberry bed has just been planted.  A local roadside stand had theirs priced at $4 per quart or $20 per flat (6 quarts, $3.33 each) while a local grocery store had strawberries on sale 2/$5 or $2.50 per quart.  However, the quality of the berries were better at the roadside stand making them a better deal as there is no point making jam with poor quality berries.  The local U-pick is coming in at $2.25 per quart but factoring in the cost of gas and time, the frugal choice between the two is the in town roadside stand or the grocery store.  A trick to stretching more expensive fruit is to make a mixed berry or fruit jam.  I made strawberry kiwi because kiwis were on sale and I made a mixed berry jam because blueberries were on sale. 
• sugar - Sugar ranges in price from about 10¢ to 17¢ per cup depending on where you buy it.  Traditional jam recipes tend to be very sugar heavy, usually between 4 to 8 cups of sugar depending on the recipe.  On the low side sugar will cost to 40¢ to 80¢ and on the high end 68¢ to $1.36.  This cost can be reduced by making healthier, sugar reduced or low sugar jams.  There is a lower yield for the healthier versions as sugar adds bulk but the final product is well worth it, more of a gourmet jam.  The second way to save is to buy sugar in bulk for the lowest price per lb.  The third way is to watch the sales.  Sugar seldom goes on sale but some grocery stores will put sugar on sale for holiday preparations (mid-November) so take advantage of those sales if you can.
• pectin -  Surprisingly, store bought pectin can be one of the biggest costs of jam making.  Pectin is available in crystals, liquid, quickset or low methoxy granular.  Each has its advantages and disadvantages.  Be aware that all by the low methoxy pectins have a use by date.  Liquid and crystal pectin cannot be interchanged. 
• homemade pectin - If you have access to free green apples or crabapples you can make your own pectin.  You will need 10 lb of either to make about 2 cups of pectin.  It can be home canned if desired.  Be warned this is a long cook process requiring overnight straining to use the juice only.  Each batch of jam will use ½ to ¾ c to 4 c of fruit so a batch of pectin will give a yield in jam of 3 to 4 batches.  Do consider the cost of energy to cook down the pectin.  We now have time of use electricity pricing which is one reason I switched to natural gas for cooking when we moved.  A large electric burner (2100 W) costs just over 25¢/hour so a long time cook can actually make homemade pectin more expensive than store bought.  Cooking it on natural gas will cost about 8.3¢/hour. 
• crystal - The common brands are Sure-Jel and Certo but I did see a store brand recently.  Certo crystals are currently selling for $1.99/box.  One box is required for each batch of high sugar jam.  The store brand was $1.19.
• liquid - The most common brand is Certo.  It comes in a box of two pouches for the current price of $3.49.  Depending on the jam being made, one or two pouches are needed.  Liquid pectin really is the most expensive form of pectin and it has a lower shelf life than either crystal or low methoxy pectins.
• quicksets - Redpath has a pre-mixed bag of quickset that includes the sugar and pectin.  The beauty of this is pretty much a dump and use with only measuring the fruit.  It currently costs $2.99 but was recently on sale for $1 a bag.  A one kilogram bag makes 5 - 7 cups of jam, consistent with crystal and liquid pectins.  Since you don't have to add sugar, the cost using a quickset is lower than crystal pectin on the high range end of sugar and considerably lower than liquid pectin even at the regular price.
• low methoxy - Low methoxy does not require sugar for the set meaning you can use sugar substitutes, make low sugar jams and create your own recipes.  Of all the pectins, it is the most versatile.  There is a higher initial outlay at $49.70 per lb which works out to about 35¢ per tsp.  Each batch will use ½ to ¾ tsp per cup of prepared fruit.  The average batch of jam will cost 70¢ to $1.05 as well as the savings on using less sugar.  It does not have an expiry date either so is a great product to have in your pantry.
• lids - There are two type of lids. re-usable and single use.  Single use metal snap lids are the only lids officially endorsed by the USDA.  The reason being, those companies paid the big bucks to get the endorsement.  Re-usable lids are available in glass (vintage) or plastic and while they work just as good as the metal, in fact even better, they aren't USDA approved because the companies have not paid for the testing.  I use all three.
• metal snap lids - These range in price from $1.50 per box of 12 in the local dollar store to $2.79 in the grocery stores.  A couple of years ago, the boxes were $1 in the dollar store, then last year $1.25 and now $1.50 but they are the cheapest price around even with the HST.  The dollar store lids are brand name Bernardin lids coming in at a total cost 14.5¢ (12.5¢ lid, 2¢ HST).  This is a considerable increase for those doing larger scale home canning.  The same lids will cost you 23.25¢ plus 3¢ HST in the grocery stores.
• Tattler and 4ever Recap lids -  Tattler and 4ever Recap lids are a plastic disc version of the metal snap lids but they have a separate gasket and they are reusable.  Unlike the metal snap lids, they are BPA free.  My last purchase of Tattlers cost me $29.63 including tax for 36 at a cost of 82¢ each which means I need to re-use them 6 times to break even compared to dollar store prices or 3 times grocery store prices at which point each additional use costs me nothing and are in fact saving me money with each use.  Some of my Tattler lids have already paid for themselves!  The plastic lids are guaranteed to last a lifetime but the rubber gaskets may need replacing after using about 20 times.  The 4ever Recap lids are slightly less expensive.
• glass inserts - By far these are my favourite lids!  Like the Tattlers they consist of a disc that fits on the jar with a rubber gasket.  They look good on the jars and they perform like a dream.  They come in at about $1.50 per lid and they require special rings.  The gaskets are thicker and smaller than Tattler and while they can be used multiple times, they can be hard to find.

Kitchen Quick Tips - Failed Jams and Jellies

Occasionally when making jams or jellies you will get a set failure where the jam or jelly fails to set up to the proper gel state.  Don't despair!  Sealed jars can be safely stored then used as glazes for meats or syrups for ice cream and pancakes.  They can also be used in cooking.

Three Hot Pepper Jellies

My garden is producing nicely which means along with other produce I have an abundant and steady supply of hot peppers. I made three different small batches of hot pepper jelly last Wednesday. All were made with various hot peppers from my garden.

From the Garden

Pictured are a few peppers and cherry tomatoes from my garden. On the left there is Sweet Banana peppers and a Red Long Slim cayenne pepper. Hungarian wax peppers (hot) are on the right. One website said it is difficult to tell the difference between the Sweet banana peppers and the Hungarian wax peppers other than taste. I beg to differ with this opinion. On the plants the two peppers look quite different. The Hungarian wax peppers are a deeper yellow and a straighter pepper. The Sweet banana peppers are a paler greenish yellow with rather distinctive wrinkling, bumping and curling. Even though Hungarian wax peppers are a hot pepper they really are rather mild in terms of heat. They are usually harvested when yellow and about the length of your palm. If left on the plant they will mature to a nice red colour. Both Hungarian wax and Sweet banana peppers can be used in stews and salads or made into jellies. Both are good roasted.

Hot Pepper Jellies

Pictured are the hot pepper jellies: jalapeno jelly (1), hot pepper jelly (2) and basil banana pepper jelly (3). Each are slightly different yet the flavour of each is quite unique. I really like the flavour hot pepper jelly (2)! I tweaked this recipe to include both Hungarian Wax peppers (hot) and sweet banana peppers. I think they all look pretty in the jars but I'm a bit partial. As with most jams and jellies I make these jellies have been modified to use Pomona's Universal Pectin because it is considerably cheaper than regular pectin and I can adjust the amount of sugar or sweetener used. It also gives consistently good jelling unlike regular pectin. Here are the recipes.

Basil Banana Pepper Jelly

½ c thinly sliced Hungarian Wax yellow peppers
¼ c thinly sliced hot banana peppers
3 - 4 large basil leaves, cut into ribbons
¼ tsp dried basil
¾ c white wine vinegar
3 c organic sugar
½ tsp Pomona's pectin
1 tsp calcium water

Mix peppers, basils, vinegar and calcium water in a saucepan. Mix sugar and pectin in a separate bowl. Bring the pepper mixture to a boil. Stir in sugar mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring well and boil 1 minute. Remove from heat. Pour into hot, sterilized jars. Wipe rims and adjust 2 piece lids. Process 5 minutes in BWB canner at altitudes up to 1,000 feet above sea level. For higher altitudes, please refer to the altitude adjustment chart (here).
Yield: 3 - 250 ml (half pint) jars

Hot Pepper Jelly

1 c finely chopped red bell peppers
¾ c finely chopped green bell peppers
2 tbsp finely chopped jalapeno peppers
¼ c finely chopped Hungarian Wax peppers
¼ c finely chopped hot banana peppers
½ c cider vinegar
2½ c organic sugar
1¼ tsp Pomona's pectin
2½ tsp calcium water

Mix peppers, vinegar and calcium water in a saucepan. Mix sugar and pectin in a separate bowl. Bring the pepper mixture to a boil. Stir in sugar mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring well and boil 1 minute. Remove from heat. Pour into hot, sterilized jars. Wipe rims and adjust 2 piece lids. Process 5 minutes in BWB canner at altitudes up to 1,000 feet above sea level. For higher altitudes, please refer to the altitude adjustment chart (here).
Yield: 3 - 250 ml (half pint) jars

Jalapeno Jelly

1 c finely chopped green pepper
¼ c finely chopped jalapeno peppers
3½ c organic sugar
1 c cider vinegar
⅝ tsp Pomona's pectin
1¼ tsp calcium water

Mix peppers, vinegar and calcium water in a saucepan. Mix sugar and pectin in a separate bowl. Bring the pepper mixture to a boil. Stir in sugar mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring well and boil 1 minute. Remove from heat. Pour into hot, sterilized jars. Wipe rims and adjust 2 piece lids. Process 5 minutes in BWB canner at altitudes up to 1,000 feet above sea level. For higher altitudes, please refer to the altitude adjustment chart (here).
Yield: 3 - 250 ml (half pint) jars

Orange & Cranberry Jellies, Shortbread Cookies, Parmesan Chicken

The kitchen continues to be a busy place, filling the house with mouthwatering, tantalizing smells. I've been busy making holiday treats for the upcoming entertaining as well as gift giving. You would think with all the canning I do that I could take a couple of weeks off during the holidays. I could and I have but sometimes the spirit just moves me. So it is this year.

Orange and Cranberry Jellies

Homemade jams and jellies are ideal gifts from the heart, sure to please. Yesterday I made orange and cranberry jellies. Both of these jellies are used as condiments. The orange jelly goes nicely with whitefish, cod and haddock while cranberry jelly pairs with poultry. Both jellies can also be used as glazes by themselves or in combination with other ingredients.

Jelly making is quite easy and can be done year round using either homemade or purchased juices. What causes the jelly to gel is pectin. Many are familiar with pectins such as Certo^® which relies on sugar to gel. This tends to make jellies almost too sweet to be used as condiments. I used Pomona's Universal Pectin that relies on calcium instead of sugar to gel. This means considerably less sugar or alternate sweetener is needed. In fact jams and jellies can be made with no sugar using this pectin! Pomona's Pectin can be ordered online from their website as well as purchased in some health food stores. Don't let the price scare you as per batch this pectin works out to be a lot cheaper than other pectins and it keeps indefinitely. This combined with the reduced amount of sugar used make the end product less expensive than jellies made with other pectins. The nice thing about using this pectin is you can easily create your own recipes. The basic directions and recipes can be found on Pomona's website. My recipes and method follow.

Cranberry Jelly

4 c prepared cranberry juice
4 tbsp lemon juice*
1 c sugar
4 tsp Pomona's pectin
4 tsp calcium water

Orange Jelly

3 1/2 c prepared orange juice with pulp
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 1/2 tsp Pomona's pectin
3/4 c sugar (can substitute ½ c honey)
3 1/2 tsp calcium water

Method:
Measure prepared juice into a large saucepan. Add lemon juice (optional for both) and calcium water. Stir well. Measure sugar or cold honey into a bowl then thoroughly mix the proper amount of pectin powder into the sugar or honey. Bring the juice to a boil. Add the pectin-honey or pectin-sugar and stir vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes or until the pectin is dissolved. Return to a boil and remove from heat. Ladle hot jelly into hot, sterilized jars leaving ¼ inch headspace. Wipe the rims. Adjust 2 piece lids. Process in boiling water bath 5 minutes. Let jars cool. Check for seal. Label and store.

Note: The pectin does not fully gel until the jelly in completely cooled.

*Lemon juice is required for low acid juices and fruits. I used it to increase the tartness a little.

Wilton Push 'n Print

The vast majority of the cookies I make are not decorated. They are simply cookies usually peanut butter or shortbread. Fancier cookies are sugar or spritz. I tend to avoid rolled cookies not because I can't make them just because they always seem like more work even though they aren't and because I don't care for the icing and decorating. Well, grandmas are supposed to make neat cookies with decorations and icing so I'm biting the bullet.

I found this rather interesting gadget from Wilton. Their products are quite lovely to work with so I bought it figuring I could have decorated cookies without all the extra sweet of icing. I also thought they would make very interesting cookies for ice cream sandwiches. Basically the ring cuts the round cookie shape then you press down on the plunger which presses a design into the cookie. It's dishwasher safe, easy to use and inexpensive.

Shortbread Cookies

I have a favourite shortbread cookie recipe that I've used for years. It takes three ingredients only (click shortbread link above). The Push 'n Print came with a shortbread recipe so I decided to try it instead.

This recipe looked a lot different and I have to admit being doubtful over using egg yolks. The dough was almost finicky to work with but that is to be expected with any high butter dough. The Push 'n Print was very easy to use and as you can see resulted in nicely decorated cookies. One of my kids thinks I should still add icing but I'll do a batch of sugar cookies with icing instead. The cookies pair nicely with Tim Hortons_® English Toffee Coffee!

Shortbread Cookies
source: Wilton Push 'n Print insert, modified method by author

1 ½ c softened butter
1 c granulated sugar
½ tsp salt
6 egg yolks
2 tsp pure white vanilla extract
4 c unbleached flour

Cream butter, sugar and salt in KitchenAid^® stand mixer setting 3. Mix in eggs and vanilla on setting 3. Mix in flour. [Wilton says to divide dough in half then refrigerate at least 2 hours. I omitted this step which is likely why the dough was a little harder to handle.] Preheat oven to 350ºF convection (177ºC convection). Roll dough ¼ inch thick. Cut dough then with cutting still in place press the plunger to imprint. Carefully transfer cookies to an ungreased cookie sheet leaving 1 inch in between. Bake 14 to 16 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove cookies from cookie sheet and cool completely.
Yield: about 2 doz [My yield was 3 dozen.]

Parmesan Chicken

The kitchen is a whirlwind of activity this time of year and more so as holiday activities draw closer. We have parties and entertaining every day Dec. 22 to 26 with us hosting three. That means cookies, candies, appetizers and meals so the kitchen is quite busy. This is where simple easy to prepare meals come in handy but that doesn't mean they have to be boring.

Sunday's dinner was baked Parmesan chicken in roasted tomato sauce (home canned) served with hot buttered egg noodles and salad. [I apologize for the glare on the picture. These are my new plates and are proving a tad difficult to get good pictures without a glare. I'm working on it!] Prep time for this meal was minimal.

Method: Sear 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a hot fry pan. Place into a baking dish. Sprinkle with ½ chopped small onion. Pour a 500 ml (2 c) jar of roasted tomato sauce or store bought sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle about grated 1/2 c Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Bake at 350ºF (177ºC) 20 minutes or until sauce is bubbly. Cook egg noodles. Drain. Stir with butter. Sprinkle fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano on noodles. Garnish with parsley.