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Preserving Know-how/ Winter

Freezing: Facts and Fiction!

The weather outside is making me think about freezing! Most foods can be frozen with a few exceptions like mayonnaise or shelled eggs. Freezing is so common we think we know all about it. Today, I’m going to focus on the science along with some facts, fiction, and tips.

The Science: Freezing at 0 degrees F (-18C) does two things: It halts the growth of bacteria, yeasts, and molds. This is known as microbial stasis. Freezing also retards the enzymatic processes that are responsible for reducing quality. As foods freeze, crystals are formed. When freezing occurs quickly, the crystals are small but when freezing is slow the crystals are larger and can puncture the membranes of food causing a mushy texture. When ice crystals evaporate on the surface of foods, evaporation happens (sublimation). This is what we know as “freezer burn”.

Optimal freezing Conditions:

Freezer temperature at zero F

Freeze as quickly as possible which means cooling food first, putting food in smaller, flatter containers or freezer bags

FIFO: Label and date all frozen foods and follow the “first in, first out” rule

Use food-grade freezer bags, butcher paper, freezer containers, Mason jars or silicone molds as well as vacuum sealing. The right containers will maintain quality and safety.

Optimal Thawing Conditions

Best option is to thaw in the refrigerator. The rule of thumb is one day for every 5 lbs of food. So, a 15 lb turkey will take about 3 days to thaw in the fridge.

Thawing food under cool running water or in the microwave are acceptable if the food is cooked immediately after thawing.

Never thaw frozen foods at room temperature (no counters, garages, decks). As freezing does not kill microbes, when thawing occurs bacteria begin to multiply. If food enters the temperature danger zone of 40-140 degrees F, microbes replicate at an astounding rate which is unsafe.

Always slash holes into vacuum sealed frozen foods during the thawing period. While vacuum sealing preserves the quality of food during freezing, it also creates an anerobic environment (no oxygen) which is the environment that is needed by some of the worst pathogenic bacteria. So, give vacuum sealed frozen foods some air during thawing.

Facts & Fiction

Freezing Kills Bacteria: False. It halts the growth but does not kill bacteria and other microbes.

Frozen Food Lasts Forever: False. Well, technically it will but the quality diminishes over time. Soups, left-overs, prepared foods should be used in 3 months. Raw meats, poultry etc. are generally good for up to 12 months. Always label and date frozen foods.

Frozen Vegetables and Fruit are Less Nutritious: False! When fruits and vegetables are blanched and frozen at their peak (including commercially frozen foods), they are more nutritious than those we buy fresh in the grocery store.

You Can’t Refreeze Frozen Foods: False! It is possible to refreeze frozen food if it has been thawed in the fridge for no more than 3 days. This includes meat, fish, poultry, fruit, and vegetables.

Foods expand during freezing: True! Always leave at least 1 inch of headspace to allow for expansion.

Exposure to air causes crystallization: True! Keep air out during freezing. Press air out of freezer bags, double wrap meats, if using plastic containers, leave headspace but scrunch parchment paper or wax paper and place on top of liquid beneath the lid thus reducing air and crystal formation.

I am a big fan of freezing. I always have lasagnas, pot pies, meatballs, meatloaf, chard, or spinach in bechamel sauce, pesto, ice cream, lemon or lime curd, egg whites for a pavlova, and meats, fish, and poultry at my fingertips. An impromptu meal with friends or a quick supper, something is always available in the freezer. Just one of the many food preservation methods at our disposal.

preservingwithmartha@gmail.com

www.thevalleypreservery.ca

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Preserving Recipes/ Winter

Cheater’s Guide to Marmalade

January is all about citrus and citrus is all about marmalade. Marmalade is defined as a jelly with citrus rind suspended throughout giving a bitter contrast to the sweet jelly. The first commercial production of marmalade is reported to have been in Scotland in 1797. Thus, launched marmalade into a breakfast staple in the United Kingdom and around the world.

I love marmalade and have made many recipes over the years. But marmalade can be onerous to make. My friend makes a marvelous Seville marmalade, but it is a three-day process. Even using a regular long-boil method, marmalade can take four or five hours to make. So, I set out to make great time-efficient marmalade. Yup, I mean using pectin!

I confess to feeling like a bit of a cheater in choosing pectin, but the results helped to assuage my guilt. I found recipes from SureJel, Certo, Pomona all of which had good reviews. I chose to use a recipe from Bernardin online and have made several batches with great success. The quicker cooking time makes for a bright flavour and the rind has been beautifully suspended. You can modify the recipe using the citrus you like as long as the cooked volume is 4 cups.

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Orange – Lemon Marmalade

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Serves: Yield 6 – 7 cups

Through the centuries, marmalade has played a central role as a breakfast condiment and has been useful in baking, glazing meats and simply as a mid-day treat with tea. For those who love marmalade but are wary of the time it takes to make, try following the “cheaters” guide for a great product in half the time! Bring on the scones!

Ingredients

  • 4 oranges, washed and scrubbed to remove wax
  • 2 large lemons, washed and scrubbed
  • 2.5 cups water
  • 1/8 tsp baking soda which softens the rind reducing cooking time
  • 6.5 cups sugar
  • 1 pkg regular pectin (I used Certo)

Instructions

1

With a vegetable peeler, remove the rind from all fruit trying not to get the white pith. Using a sharp knife, cut the rind into very thin slivers. Put the rind into the water with the baking soda and bring to a boil. Simmer gently for 20 minutes.

2

Remove the white pith from all fruit. Over a bowl, cut away the segments of the fruit so that the segments and good flesh fall into the bowl. Squeeze the juice from the fruit. Remove seeds and membranes. Once all the fruit is done, add it to the rind mixture and cook for about 10 minutes. Pour this mixture into a heat proof large measuring cup. There should be 4 cups. If you are short, add the juice of one or two oranges. If you have more than 4 cups, remove some of the juice to get the volume to 4 cups.

3

In a large pot, stir the pectin into the 4 cups of citrus mixture. Bring to a strong boil.

4

Add sugar all at once and bring back to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for one minute. Turn off heat and let rest for 5 minutes. Skim.

5

Ladle into clean, hot 250 ml jars leaving ¼ inch headspace. Clean rims of jars. Affix lids and rings to finger-tip tight. Process jars in a water bath or atmospheric steam canner for 10 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before removing jars from canner and placing on a heatproof surface to cool completely. When cool, check seals, label, and store. Any unsealed jars can be refrigerated and eaten!

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Preserving Recipes/ Winter

Festive Pairing

Recently I have made several batches of Pear and Cranberry Jam. It helps that Foodland had an amazing sale of wonderful pears and I used frozen cranberries which worked very well. The pear and cranberry combination creates a nice balance of sweet-tart and texture. It is a versatile jam being equally good on a scone or as an accompaniment on a cheese tray.

Pear and cranberry jam is a modern recipe concoction, riffing on traditional cranberry sauce. It appears in many reputable preserving books, often being called “Festive Jam”, “Holiday Jam” or “Christmas Jam”. Sometimes, citrus is added like orange or lemon. The cranberries, high in pectin, provide the gelling agent eliminating the use of commercial pectin. Pears offer up sweetness as a counterpoint to the tartness of the cranberries. This is a fabulous jam to have on hand for the holidays or to give as gifts to friends and family.

Cranberries have been a staple for the holidays for centuries, but the addition of pears is a modern and delicious addition to a holiday favorite.

Happy Holidays!

preservingwithmartha@gmail.com

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Pear and Cranberry Jam (Festive Jam)

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Yield 6 250 ml jars

Ingredients

  • 6 cups cranberries fresh or frozen
  • 3 cups chopped peeled, cored, and diced ripe pears
  • 1 tsp grated lemon or orange zest
  • 2 TBSP lemon or orange juice
  • 4.5 cups sugar

Instructions

1

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a pot or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Cook stirring often for about 15 minutes until the cranberries have popped and the fruit is well combined. Then add the sugar, stirring until incorporated. Bring the mixture back to a boil. Boil rapidly until the gel point is reached which should be about 15 minutes. I often use my immersion blender to whiz the jam at about the 15-minute mark. It will make it easier to assess the set point. I put soup spoons in the freezer so they are very cold and then test the jam. If the jam “sheets” on the spoon, not dripping, it is ready. I also turn the spoon over and run my finger along the backside. When the jam is set, you will see a track left by your finger.

2

Ladle into clean, hot 250 ml jars leaving a ¼ inch headspace. Clean the rims and affix lids and rings to finger-tip tight. Process jars in a boiling water bath or atmospheric steam canner for 10 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes. Allow processed jars to sit undisturbed on a heat proof surface for 24 hours. Check seals, label, and store.

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Preserving Recipes/ Winter

Let’s Celebrate

It is the season for celebration. And that means great food and indulgences! A big part of preserving is using what you make in recipes. This is my favourite Christmas holiday cake. It is beautiful, delicious, flexible, naturally gluten-free, and a crowd-pleaser.

Celebrate the season with special gifts from the pantry and desserts that are vehicles for using your own preserves. Merry Christmas to those who celebrate and Happy Holidays to all.

preservingwithmartha@gmail.com

www.thevalleypreservery.ca

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Celebration Cake - Genoise: (the cake) & Whipped Cream Filling

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Ingredients

  • 5 cups nuts (hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts, pistachios). I am using locally grown hazelnuts toasted in a 350-degree oven for 10 minutes, cooled and skins removed. In a food processor, chop the nuts with 6-8 pulses, adding ¼ cup sugar as you go. Place mixture into a bowl.
  • Separate 5 eggs. Whisk together the yolks and ¼ cup sugar. Add yolk mixture to the nut mixture.
  • Whip the egg whites until stiff, adding a ¼ cup sugar gradually. Add about ¼ of the whites to the nut mixture to lighten. Then gently fold in the whites until mixed.
  • Pour the batter into a rimmed cookie sheet lined with parchment that has a light sprinkling of flour or corn starch. Spread evenly across the cookie sheet.
  • Bake in a 350 oven for 15 to 20 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and cool. Sprinkle cake with 1 TBSP icing sugar. Let it cool completely. Lightly cover the cake with 1 TBSP icing sugar. Place a tea towel over top and flip it. Gently remove parchment.
  •     
  • Whipped Cream Filling - Beat 1 cup whipping cream, adding in 1 TBSP icing sugar and 1 TBSP liqueur (I used Grand Marnier but Frangelico would be great)
  • Spread the whipped cream across the cake keeping some for decorating later.
  • With the cake lying horizontally, cut the cake into 2-inch strips. Take each slice, cut side down, and wrap it around itself like making a cinnamon roll. Follow with each slice making a progressively larger snail-like pattern.
  • Decorate the top with canned and/or fresh fruit. Drain canned fruit very well. I add my canned pears and fresh fruit.
  • Glaze the fruit to keep it beautifully shiny and fresh. I use my apple jelly as a glaze for many things. Just melt a TBSP and brush on the fruit.
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Preserving Recipes/ Winter

Gravlax: A Holiday Treat

The holidays generally bring people together to celebrate. What could be more special than preparing Gravlax for such an occasion? Gravlax is a Scandinavian method of curing salmon (lax) using salt, sugar, and a generous dose of herbs, often dill. “Grava” means ‘to bury’ which is exactly what is done with the salmon. This ancient method of food preservation has been recorded since the 14th century.

People often wonder what the difference is between gravlax, lox, smoked salmon, and Nova. Lox, is a Yiddish word for salmon and is a method of curing using salt alone which contrasts to the salt/sugar cure of gravlax. Smoked salmon is smoked either hot or cold depending on the desired texture. Hot smoked salmon is drier and flakier than cold smoked. And Nova, refers to salmon from Nova Scotia that is first cured and then smoked. Let’s face it, all forms of preserved salmon or other fish makes for a wonderful and nutritious treat.

Gravlax is very simple to make. The gravading process of curing makes for a dense, silky texture to the salmon and while doing so increases the amino acid content by 5% boosting the incredible health benefits of the fish. The curing extends the shelf life of the fish. If the cured fish is vacuum packed and frozen, it will be good for several months. Thaw in the fridge. Frozen salmon can be used to prepare gravlax but if you use frozen fish, don’t refreeze it after curing.

Holidays and parties are heading our way. Try gravlax as a treat for the family or friends.

preservingwithmartha@gmail.com

www.thevalleypreservery.ca

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Gravlax (adapted from Test Kitchens of America)

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Ingredients

  • 1 lb centre cut Grade A salmon, the fattier the better, skin on
  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup Kosher salt
  • A large bunch of dill coarsely chopped
  • 1 tbsp vodka, gin, bourbon, or brandy

Instructions

1

Mix salt and sugar in a bowl. Chop dill and set aside. Remove any pin bones from the salmon and place it, skin down in a glass baking pan. Rub the fish with the alcohol (this is optional but adds to flavour and hold the salt/sugar better). Put the salt and sugar mixture on top of salmon, burying it. Cover with the dill. Place plastic wrap on top. Put a smaller pan on top with a weight. I used a large jar of dried beans, but you could use cans of tomatoes or an unopened bottle of oil or vinegar. The point is to weigh the fish down. Place in the fridge.

2

For each of the next three days, remove the weights and plastic wrap. Ladle the liquid over the fish. Put the plastic wrap back on and weigh the fish down.

3

The fish is then cured. Scrape off the excess dill and/or salt remaining on the fish. Some people like to wash the fish to remove any salty taste but that is a personal choice. Slice the salmon on an extreme bias, cutting it a thinly as possible. The fish will last for up to week in the fridge.

4

Serving gravlax: Traditional dark bread or pumpernickel, with a dollop of crème fraiche or sour cream, slices of salmon, radish, cucumber, chopped chives and there you have it!

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Preserving Know-how/ Preserving Recipes/ Winter

Fruit Butters: History, Methods and Uses

Fruit butters are creamy, slow cooked fruit pulp combined with sugar or cider that turns dark and thick due to caramelization. Think about what would happen to apple sauce if you cooked it long and slow for hours and then you will have a sense of apple butter. Many fruits can be used for butter like peaches, grapes, quince, or strawberries, but generally fruit butters are made with Fall fruit like apples, pears, or plums.

Fruit butters were believed to have been introduced to North America by the Pennsylvania Dutch who settled in Pennsylvania and Ontario as early as the 1600s. Despite the name, these folks were not Dutch but of German-speaking countries like Switzerland, Germany, and Belgium. References to fruit butter making are recorded in Canada and the US around the mid 1800s. In the early days, large copper pots were put over a fire beginning with cider which was cooked until it was reduced to a third of the volume. Then apples were added and slow cooked for 12-15 hours. It was a family affair, with each person taking a turn at stirring the pot with a large wooden paddle to prevent scorching.  The purpose of the enterprise, of course, was to preserve fruit for the winter season.

There are many modern recipes for fruit butter. According to Oregon State University extension, any amount of fruit can be used. The basic process is:

  1. Wash, peel, and core fruit. Chop.
  2. Place in Dutch oven or large heavy bottom pot and add water or cider to just cover fruit. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook stirring frequently until the fruit is very soft. If desired, add spice to the cooking liquid like star anise, cinnamon, or cloves. For pear butter, you can use orange juice and zest as the cooking liquid instead of cider.
  3. Run the soft fruit through a food mill or fine sieve to obtain pulp.
  4. For each cup of pulp, add ½ cup of sugar.
  5. There are two options for cooking the pulp: One, is stove-top on low heat constantly stirring. The other is to cook the pulp in the oven at 275 degrees for about 3 hours stirring occasionally. Use a pan lined with parchment or foil.
  6. Check for doneness: The pulp will become dark and very creamy. Remove a teaspoon and put it on a cool plate. If no liquid appears around the edges of the pulp, it is done.
  7. The butters may be frozen but for long-term storage, process 250 ml jars in a water bath or steam canner for 10minutes adjusting for altitude. Rest for 5 minutes before removing from the canner.

Fruit butters are spreads that can be used like jam. They are also great as fillings between cake layers or sandwich cookies. For low-fat baked goods, use fruit butter to replace the fat in the recipe. As was historically the case, fruit butters provide an intensely flavoured spread, preserving autumn’s bounty for the winter months.

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www.thevalleypreservery.ca

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Preserving Know-how/ Winter

What’s Up Doc? Bugs Bunny Reporting on Carrots

The cartoon figure Bugs Bunny made famous the phrase “what’s up doc?”. The carrot-loving bunny lives on in the hearts and minds of many of us who watched this Saturday morning show. Carrots, of course, aren’t just popular with rabbits! Humans have been eating carrots for 2000 years. In Canada, the farmers of the Holland Marsh grow enough carrots to feed every Canadian 4 pounds per year. Carrots are tasty but also an excellent source of beta-carotene which the body converts to Vitamin A necessary for healthy skin and eyes. A fun fact: carrots were the first commercially canned vegetables.

Besides cold storage, carrots can be preserved by freezing, dehydrating, pickling and pressure canning. Here are some tips.

Varieties: For preserving, Nantes or coreless varieties are recommended. If you are harvesting your own, allow them to remain in the ground until the first frost to maximize their sweetness. If you are using multi-coloured carrots for pickling, avoid the dark red ones as their colour will weep into the brine causing the liquid to become brownish.

Freezing: Carrots freeze well. Blanch whole small carrots for 5 minutes or 2 minutes for sliced or diced. Cool quickly and pat dry. Package in containers with ½ headspace or in freezer bags. For freezing carrot soups, chill the soup. Freezer vessels may include Mason jars (1 inch headspace), freezer containers such as Bernardin’s, good quality freezer bags which may be flattened, frozen on a cookie sheet and stacked in the freezer. There are also cubes that can be purchased such as Soupercubes. The soup is frozen in rectangular or square cubes. They may be frozen as is or removed from the ‘cubes’, vacuum sealed and stacked in the freezer. Always label and date frozen foods. “First in, first out” is the way to keep inventory rotating for quality and safety.

Pickling: I have written before about my family’s passion for pickled carrots. I am partial to adding dill and coriander seeds but there are many recipes for pickled carrots. Use only those from authoritative sources like Ball, Canadian Living, or Bernardin to ensure sufficient acidification and adequate processing times.

Dehydrating: Drying carrots is easy, efficient, and makes for quick additions to soups, stews and braises. As carrots are dense, slice them thinly at 1/8 inch or dice finely. Blanching by simmering the carrots for 3 minutes is recommended. Once cool and dried, place them on the racks of your dehydrator. Set the temperature to 125 degrees F for 6 – 10 hours. Once they are crisp, cool and place in a jar. Check the jar daily for 5 days, shaking to see if there is any clumping or sticking. If the carrots remain crisp, store in an airtight container. Vacuum seal if you prefer. For excellent coverage of all things, dehydrated, see www.thepurposefulpantry.com  

Pressure Canning: Carrots are low in acid so they must be pressure canned. If you are pressure canning carrots, you will need about 8 pounds of carrots for 9, 500ml jars. Hot packing is recommended. This means simmering the sliced carrots for 2 minutes before packing into jars. For up-to-date information about pressure canning, refer to the National Centre for Home Food Preservation.

Thanks Bugs Bunny for drawing our attention to your favourite food!

PS: I recently made and froze a carrot and parsnip soup with thyme and cumin. It froze beautifully because it is made without cream. To view the recipe, check out my website.

preservingwithmartha@gmail.com

www.thevalleypreservery.ca

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Preserving Recipes/ Winter

A Pantry-Inspired Valentine

Be My Valentine

Valentine’s Day approaches and scores of people are writing cards, buying candy and flowers, or even preparing marriage proposals! It has become the second largest “giving day” after Christmas. For the historians among us, it is thought that this tradition began in 6th century BC with Lupercalia, the ancient Roman fertility festival. Centuries later, a man named Valentine was imprisoned by the Roman Emperor for insolence. During his imprisonment he and a blind girl named Julia, the jailor’s daughter, prayed together. Her sight was restored, but Valentine was nevertheless executed on February 14th. For his martyrdom, he became St. Valentine. And it is he who is responsible for our heart-felt traditions.

Valentine’s Day always involves something delicious for dessert especially involving chocolate. So, looking to the pantry and freezer with a Valentine’s theme in mind, I selected some strawberry preserves and vanilla ice cream imagining the strawberry chunks and jelly swirling through the ice cream. And to top it off, a rich luscious hot chocolate fudge sauce. This chocolate fudge sauce recipe is the most reliable and delicious sauce I have made. It comes from the iconic Silver Palate Cookbook. This fudge sauce when poured hot over ice cream, will firm up like fudge! It freezes and reheats well if the reheating is done slowly. Imagine your Valentine’s dinner ending with strawberry swirl ice cream and chocolate sauce. Sounds perfect for both adults and children.

In 1415 Charles, Duke of Orleans, wrote to his wife, referring to her as “my gentle Valentine” which is said to be the first reference to a Valentine note. And by 1913 Hallmark printed the first commercial Valentine’s Day cards. Bring out your pens, construction paper and loving words, and raid the pantry for a Valentine’s Day inspired dessert!

preservingwithmartha@gmail.com

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Pantry-Inspired Valentine Ice Cream & Silver Palate Chocolate Fudge Sauce

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Soften 4 cups of good quality vanilla ice cream. Place a 250ml jar of strawberry preserves in a small saucepan. Lighten with 1 TBSP water or Grand Marnier. Warm slightly to liquify and then bring to room temperature. Mix preserves into ice cream in a swirling fashion. Refreeze the blended ice cream. This method also works well with lemon curd if that is your preference.

Ingredients

  • 4 oz unsweetened chocolate
  • 3 TBSP unsalted butter
  • 2/3 cup boiling water
  • 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
  • 6 TBSP corn syrup
  • 1 TBSP rum (optional)

Instructions

1

Melt chocolate and butter slowly in a saucepan. When melted, pour in boiling water, and stir. Add sugar and corn syrup and stir until mixture comes to a boil. Adjust heat so that the sauce gently boils. Boil without stirring for exactly 9 minutes. Remove sauce from heat and rest for 15 minutes. Stir in rum if using. If you are freezing the sauce, let it cool completely. Pour into 250 ml jars leaving a 1-inch headspace. To use, thaw in a warm water bath.

2

Putting it All Together

3

Scoop the ice cream into a dish. Drizzle over hot chocolate fudge sauce. If you like, add crumbled shortbread or amaretti cookies. Nothing wrong with a cinnamon heart on top!

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Preserving Recipes/ Winter

Here We Come a Wassailing!

January 5th marks the 12th day of Christmas, the eve of the Epiphany, and a time to prepare a Wassail and partake in the ancient traditions associated with that time. The Wassail is a mulled apple cider drink seasoned with spices and sometimes spiked with brandy or sherry. It is often made with roasted apples that pop in the hot drink producing a woolly topping that is known lamb’s wool. The Wassail, according to Old Norse, means ‘ves heill’, to be in good health. It dates to the 1300s and some argue even to Roman times. The night of wassailing is profiled in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night!

According to British Food History, the Wassail was made in a large wooden bowl shared by those who participated in Wassailing which meant gathering in the apple orchards to thank the trees for their gifts. People would sing and dance around the trees, spear the branches with Wassail-soaked bread and bang pots and pans to scare away any evil spirits that might impede the apple production for the following year. The clanging of pots and pans is why, in the famous song “The Twelve Days of Christmas”, there are 12 drummers drumming on the 12th day of Christmas. There are old practices of Wassailing, but many people continue those traditions in some form often going door to door, singing, and sharing the Wassail.  Whether you do or don’t celebrate the 12th night, the Wassail is a wonderful warm drink for winter very much akin to mulled wine or ale.

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Mulling Spice Mix

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The Wassail There are many recipes for Wassail which always begin with apple cider. It is really a matter of taste and preference as to what spices you add or whether you choose to add alcohol. It is possible to substitute wine or ale for the apple cider as an alternate mulled drink. Dried citrus peel is often added which is why I never waste citrus peel. The peels can be dried in the over or dehydrator, left whole or chopped finely as additions to drinks including cocktails.

Ingredients

  • 1 stick cinnamon
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 star anise or 3 allspice berries
  • 2 cardamon pods (optional)
  • Pinch of cloves
  • 1/3 cup dried orange and lemon peel

Instructions

1

Place spices (without peel) in a double layer square of cheese cloth and tie securely.

2

The fruit peel can be added directly to the pot.

3

Simmer in 1 gallon apple cider.

4

The longer the simmer, the stronger the spice taste.

5

If using red wine, a small amount of honey is often added.

Notes

If you are Wassailing, having an outdoor bonfire, or sitting around a fire during winter, the mulled drink fills the house with a glorious aroma and provides a comforting drink for a long winter’s night. Happy New Year!

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Preserving Recipes/ Winter

Comfort Food: The Meatloaf

Winter is finally here and there’s nothing like raiding the pantry to create a cozy meal for a chilly evening. And nothing says comfort more than meatloaf. This recipe produces an incredibly moist, flavourful loaf. I adapted it from one in the New Ball Preserving Book. What makes this loaf is the use of herbed tomato jam in and on it! If you didn’t make herb tomato jam last summer do give it a try. It is fantastic. You can substitute ketchup in this recipe, but it won’t be as good.

Meatloaf
1 lb each of lean ground beef and pork
¾ cup diced dense bread (I use gluten free)
¼ cup milk
½ cup each of minced onion, celery, and carrots
1 clove garlic minced
1 TBSP olive or other oil
½ tsp each of dried thyme, rosemary, and oregano
If you have parsley, add 1 TBSP chopped
1 egg beaten
¾ of a 250 ml jar of herbed tomato jam (or ¾ cup ketchup)

Mix together bread and milk. Let rest for at least 10 minutes.
Sauté vegetables in oil until soft. Cool completely.
Mix meat, egg, herbs and ¾ cup herbed tomato jam. Add cooled vegetables.
Put mixture into one large or two smaller loaf pans. Smooth the top. Brush the top of the loaf with the remaining ¼ cup herbed tomato jam (or ketchup).
Bake in a 375 oven for 45 minutes or until temperature reaches 165F.
Serve with greens, mashed potatoes (optional) and your own home-made chili sauce.
A Winter dinner complete thanks to a full and delicious pantry.
Note: The meatloaf freezes well.

 

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Herbed Tomato Jam (Ball)

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Ingredients

  • 6 ½ lb plum tomatoes washed, cored, and chopped
  • 1 tsp pickling salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1.5 cups sugar
  • ½ cup balsamic vinegar
  • ¼ cup white wine
  • 2 tsp Herbes de Provence (or equal amounts dried thyme, rosemary, oregano)

Instructions

1

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large pot.

2

Cook uncovered over medium high for about 1 hour until reduced.

3

Stir in Sugar and next 3 ingredients.

4

Cook for 45 minutes.

5

Ladle into 4 jars (250ml). Apply lids and rings. Process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes adjusting for altitude. Let rest in the canner for 5 minutes. Remove jars to a heat proof surface.

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