Kick Out the Jams!

I've rediscovered a whole new world of awesomeness.... are you ready for it? Homemade jam- it's going to blow your mind to a million pieces THEN you're gonna go out to the grocery store with a baseball bat and smash to very sticky bits all the jars of Smuckers you can find. And after the red haze clears you will gather what people you can who are standing still in shock and haven't run away screaming and sing them the gospel of home-canning. "Thou shalt not have high fructose corn syrup! Hallelujah! Bring forth the fresh flavor my brothers and sisters! Cast out artificial preservatives and additives! Do not be slaves to the devil in a mass-produced home-style look-alike label! Amen."

Our garden is producing way more this year than we can eat readily so I decided to explore hot water bath canning- something I haven't done in over 15 years. I bought a book called "Canning for a New Generation: Bold Fresh Flavors for the Modern Pantry" by Liana Krissoff and it totally rules school. It's easy to be scared off canning because just about every book and website puts the almighty fear of Botulism in you and gives you such a severe level of paranoia that you will start to believe that if you look at the vegetables the wrong way they will kill you. But let's get this clear- fruits and veggies are not like gang thugs lookin' for an excuse to put a cap in your ass- if treated properly they are really fine respectable (and delicious) citizens. This book is so simple to follow and reader friendly and the recipes are all things that I would want to eat.

So this afternoon I made the recipe for "Blueberry and Apple Jam" and holy s#!t is it unbelievable. With nothing more than organic blueberries, granny smith apples, a lemon and some plain old sugar I was able to create bliss. I could practically eat a whole jar with nothing more than a spoon. I might become a canning addict. Other mouth-watering borderline orgasmic recipes include "Strawberry Jam with Thai Herbs", "Pickled Fennel with Orange and Mint", "Brandied Sweet Cherries with Red Wine", "Peach Jam with Lemon Thyme and Almonds", "Persian Tarragon Pickles", and "Honeyed Fig Jam with Sesame Seeds" to name a few. The list goes on and on, but I'll stop now so that you'll finish reading and not immediately drop your laptop and go running for the nearest book store and/or farmer's market. I certainly don't want to cause any panicked preserve-related incidents. Anyway, the point of this story is TRY THIS OUT - it is completely and utterly satisfying in every way. The end.