Canning recipes: Jams, tomatoes and pickles

PEACH JAM WITH ROSEMARY

Makes 4 half-pints.

Note: The recipe may be doubled. From "Mes Confitures," by Christine Ferber.

• 3 lb. ripe peaches (21/4 lb. after peeling and removing pits)

• 4 c. granulated sugar

• 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

• 2 sprigs rosemary, tied into a cheesecloth bundle

Blanch the peaches for 1 minute in a pot of boiling water. Refresh them in ice water. Peel them, remove the pits and cut them into dice.

In a wide-bottomed stainless steel saucepot over medium-high heat, combine the peaches, sugar and lemon juice, and gently mix with a wide spatula. Bring to a simmer and pour into a glass or ceramic bowl. Add the cheesecloth bundle of rosemary. Let cool and press a piece of parchment paper to the surface of the fruit. Macerate at least 6 hours or overnight in a refrigerator.

The next day, chill a small plate for the jam test. Strain the fruit, reserving both. Pour the collected juice into a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Skim and continue cooking on high heat. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pot. Skim again and cook, stirring often, until the bubbles grow bigger, the juice looks darker and the jam measures 221 degrees on a candy thermometer.

Add the diced peaches. Return to a boil and cook on high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring gently. Skim carefully. Test the set: Drop some jam on a cold plate. When the drop of jam doesn't run when you tilt the plate, or when it holds the track of your finger when you swipe it through the middle, the jam is done. It should feel sticky when pinched between your thumb and forefinger.

Remove and discard the rosemary sachet. Pour the jam into sterilized glass half-pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace. Wipe the rims with a clean towel and cap with sterilized lids and screw tops. Tighten the lids just until you feel it catch -- no more. Process the jam for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Follow the recipe above, substituting apricots for the peaches, but start with 21/2 pounds of fresh apricots -- the fruit will weigh the same 21/4 pounds after peeling and removing the pits.

Nutrition information per 1 tablespoon:

Calories55Fat0 gSodium0 mgSaturated fat0 g

Carbohydrates14 gCalcium1 mg

Protein0 gCholesterol0 mgDietary fiber0 g

RASPBERRY JAM

Makes 4 half-pints.

Note: The recipe may be doubled. From "Mes Confitures," by Christine Ferber.

• 21/2 lb. fresh raspberries (about 4 pints)

• 4 c. sugar

Directions

Generally, you shouldn't wash raspberries because they so easily lose their fragrance, but if you want to wash them, dunk them very quickly in a large bowl of cold water and then immediately drain. Pour them onto a wide clean towel and gather it up to absorb any excess moisture.

In a wide-bottomed stainless steel saucepot over medium-high heat, combine the raspberries, sugar and lemon juice, and gently mix with a wide spatula. Bring to a simmer and pour into a glass or ceramic bowl. Let cool and press a piece of parchment paper to the surface of the fruit. Macerate at least 6 hours or overnight in a refrigerator.

The next day, chill a small plate for the jam test. Strain the fruit, reserving both liquid and solid. Pour the juice into a heavy saucepan and bring to a simmer. Skim all foam; cook for 5 minutes, until thickened. Add the solid raspberries back in and bring to a boil. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pot. Skim again and cook, stirring often, until the bubbles grow bigger, the juice looks darker and the jam measures 221 degrees on a candy thermometer.

Or do a jam test: Turn off the heat. Drop some jam on a cold plate. When the drop of jam doesn't run when you tilt the plate, or when it holds the track of your finger when you swipe it through the middle, the jam is done. It should feel sticky when pinched between your thumb and forefinger.

Nutrition information per 1 tablespoon:

Calories58Fat0 gSodium0 mgSaturated fat0 g

Carbohydrates15 gCalcium5 mg

Protein0 gCholesterol0 mgDietary fiber1 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1 other carb.

Makes 7 pints.

Note: Pay attention to processing times for safety. Recipe can be easily doubled, tripled or quadrupled, if desired. From Amy Thielen.

• 12 lb. tomatoes

• 2 tsp. salt

• 2 tsp. sugar (if tomatoes aren't sweet)

• Lemon juice (1 tbsp. in every pint jar)

Directions

Peel the tomatoes and cut them into quarters.

Heat a large pan over medium heat and add the tomatoes, crushing lightly with a potato masher, leaving a few chunks. Add the salt, sugar and basil and bring to a simmer. Skim any foam.

Cook for 15 minutes over high heat, stirring often to keep it from sticking, until the tomatoes have thickened to your liking.

Lower into a boiling water batch and process pints 35 minutes (40 minutes for quarts). (If you live at 1,000 or more feet above sea level -- and that's most of Minnesota except the Twin Cities and surrounding area and the Red River Valley -- add 5 minutes to the processing time.)

Nutrition information per 1/2 cup:

Calories27Fat0 gSodium184 mgSaturated fat0 g

Carbohydrates6 gCalcium16 mg

Protein1 gCholesterol0 mgDietary fiber1 g

RANCHERO SAUCE

Makes 7 pints.

Note: Dried guajillo chiles can be found in the ethnic section of large supermarkets and at Mexican markets. Pay attention to processing times for safety. Recipe can be easily doubled, tripled or quadrupled, if desired. To peel tomatoes, see accompanying box. From Amy Thielen.

• 3 dried ancho chiles

• 4 dried guajillo chiles (see Note)

• 11/2 tsp. cumin seeds

• 4 whole cloves

• 1 soft cinnamon stick (substitute 11/2 tsp. ground cinnamon)

• 1 small onion, cut in half

• 12 lb. ripe tomatoes, peeled (see Note)

• 31/2 tsp. salt

• 1 tbsp. sugar

• 6 tbsp. white wine vinegar

Directions

Remove the tops and most of the seeds from the dried chiles. Place them in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let steep until cool enough to handle.

Add the cumin, cloves and cinnamon to the skillet and toast until fragrant, about 3 minutes.

Place the spices in a dry blender and process on high until ground. (Don't worry if there are pieces of cinnamon stick; they will be caught in the strainer later.) Add the garlic and onions and a few peeled tomatoes to the blender.

Blend on high until smooth, and push the purée through a sieve into a large pot, pushing on the sieve with the back of a ladle to extract all of the liquid. Place the pulp back in the blender for another go-around. Fill the blender with tomatoes again and blend at top speed until smooth. Strain again, this time discarding the pulp.

Process the rest of the tomatoes with the chipotle in the blender until smooth, pouring the mixture into the pot without straining. Add the salt and sugar and vinegar, and cook the purée at a simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the sauce reduces to the thickness of heavy cream: pourable but not watery.

Ladle the sauce into sterilized glass jars, leaving 1/4 inch from the top of the jar as headroom. Top with sterilized lids and process 15 minutes in a boiling water bath for pints, 10 minutes for half-pints and 20 minutes for quarts. (If you live at 1,000 or more feet above sea level -- and that's most of Minnesota except the Twin Cities and surrounding area and the Red River Valley -- add 5 minutes to the processing time.)

Calories10Fat0 gSodium83 mgSaturated fat0 g

Carbohydrates2 gCalcium6 mg

Protein0 gCholesterol0 mgDietary fiber0 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: Free food.

SPICY ASIAN BREAD-AND-BUTTER PICKLES

Note: Recipe can be easily doubled, tripled or quadrupled, if desired.

• 31/2 lb. pickling cucumbers

• 1/4 c. pickling salt

• 1/2 small spring onion or Vidalia onion (3 oz.)

• 4-in.-long piece ginger root (2 oz.)

• 1 spicy red chile (red jalapeño for milder, serrano for spicier), stem removed

• 1/4 c. finely sliced fresh cilantro stems

• 1 tbsp. canola oil

• 1 c. water

• 3 c. white vinegar

• 2 tbsp. yellow mustard seeds

Directions

Scrub the cucumbers to remove the spines. With a mandoline or a sharp knife, slice them 1/4-inch thick. Toss them in a large bowl with the pickling salt and leave to marinate for 30 minutes. Fill the bowl with cold water to rinse the cucumbers and drain well, blotting dry with a towel.

Meanwhile, in a food processor make a flavoring paste: Combine the onion, ginger, garlic, hot chile and cilantro stems, and process until you have a smooth paste, stopping to scrape down the sides.

Heat a saucepan over medium heat, add canola oil and the paste. Fry about 2 minutes, until it darkens slightly and begins to stick to the pan. Add 1 cup water, vinegar, sugar and yellow mustard seeds and bring to a boil, whisking to dissolve the sugar.

Nutrition information per 2 tablespoons:

Calories8Fat0 gSodium56 mg

Carbohydrates2 gSaturated fat0 gCalcium5 mg

Protein0 gCholesterol0 mgDietary fiber0 g