Dandelion Jelly
Submitted by tired_gardener on Fri, 07/18/2008 - 08:32.As I've been learning about canning, I thought I'd try some dandelion jelly. After all, dandelions are so easy to come by. The recipe called for 4 cups of petals, so I went out to get them. I came back a half hour later, with 2 cups... I made a half batch.
To collect, I picked up a bowl and headed out into the yard. I grabbed all the flowers in my yard. This added up to not a whole lot. So I headed down to a park that I know is not sprayed and started picking. After a half hour Elizabeth called to say that dinner was prepared. I got home with very grungy hands and a mere two cups of flowers. I've read that you can freeze the flowers without damaging them. Maybe next time I'll just pick a few from my yard and when my bag reached the full amount, then I'll make the jelly.
You want to pick the largest flowers you can find to keep you prep work down. You will then pull off the green. I just used my fingers to squeeze as much of the yellow flower out and pull as much of the green away as I could. Some of the green still got in, but that is ok. You want to remove as much of the green as you can, because it is bitter.
I then boiled the flowers for a few minutes to get the flavor out of them, added the sugar, forgetting that you are supposed to add the pectin first, and then added the pectin. I then remembered the lemon juice and added it. Next time I think I will make the jelly in the morning when I'm a little clearer in the head and don't make so many mistakes. I had the recipe in front of me to reference, and kept referencing, but still made mistakes.
The next day, I came back to check it out and guess what? It didn't set. I poured it back into the pan, got it heated up again, added a little more pectin and sugar and burnt it in the process. It is now too dark, and too thick. It tastes ok, but it has the look and consistency of honey.
The first recipe I read on dandelion jelly actually claimed it tasted honey-like. It does. I recommend trying it if you have not. It is a little too sweet to eat on its own, but works great on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The recipe I ended up using is this one, but I cut the recipe in half as that is how many blossoms I had.
Gooseberry Jam: First canning experience
Submitted by tired_gardener on Wed, 07/09/2008 - 21:50.I mentioned a while back that I was taking a self study course in preserving. I am about 1/2 way through the course and it turns out that by preserving they mean canning. It mentions freezing as an option, but does not talk about drying or any other preserving techniques. I am learning a lot about canning though.
For my first canning attempt, I made Gooseberry Jam with the leftover berries from the Gooseberry Pie I made the other day. Again, it was very tart. I used some small jars that I go, they hold about 1/2 cup. I got 8 jars worth, so 4 cups. I had to cut the recipe to 3/4 size as that is all the berries I had. Here is the recipe I used, at full size, it should make an extra jar or two more than I got. Next I think I'm going to make dandelion jelly.
Gooseberry Jam
ingredients
4 cups chopped gooseberries *
6 cups sugar
Pectin Package
* Start with about 2 quarts of berries. Lightly chop them in the food processor, or chop them by hand. Should make about 4 cups.
Directions
Start water in canner boiling. Sterilize jars and lids. Keep jars hot.
Heat the berries in a large pot along with the pectin. Stir frequently until it reaches a full boil. Stir in sugar. Return to full boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring continuously. Remove from heat and skim foam. Fill hot jars, 1/8 - 1/4 inch from top. Wipe top, put on lid and screw on ring. Place into canner with water 1-2 inches above the tops of the jars. Cover, bring to boil. Boil for 10 minutes at sea level (adjust if at a higher altitude). Let cool 24 hours.
Gooseberries in season
Submitted by tired_gardener on Sun, 06/29/2008 - 22:45.
Elizabeth and I went to the farmers market yesterday. I always like going there. One of the farmers had gooseberries. I've always wanted to try them, ever since I saw Snow White and heard her refer to gooseberry pie. They also show up a lot in other children's books. I got a half flat for $12. I used half of them to make a gooseberry pie. The other half I'll use to make some gooseberry jam. I'll make it tomorrow.
The pie was good, although a little tarter than I expected. Gooseberries are quite tart, but with all the sugar, I expected them to be sweeter. The crust I made was a little tough too. We also wanted to dig in right away, while it was warm. It is supposed to cool, which allows it to congeal more and make nicer looking slices. All in all, for the first pie I've ever made, it turned out quite good. After I make the jam, I'll let you know how my first attempt at jam goes.
Here is the recipe I used for the pie. I got it from the farmer I got the gooseberries from.
Gooseberry Pie
Makes 8 servings. Takes 1 hour.
Ingredients
- Pastry for 9 inch double-crust pie (I used one from the pillsbury cook book. I added a little too much water.)
- 4 cups fresh or frozen gooseberries
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon light cream or milk
- Sugar (about 2 teaspoons)
Preparation
- Prepare and roll out pastry for a double crust pie.
- In a medium saucepan, combine berries and 1 tablespoon water. Cook over medium-low heat till the berries "pop", stirring occasionally.
- Combine the sugar, the flour and netmeg; add to the gooseberries in the saucepan. Cook and stir till mixture just begins to bubble.
- Spread mixture on the pastry lined pie pan. Add the top crust. Seal and flute edge. Cut slits for steam to escape. Brush top crust with cream or milk. Sprinkle with the sugar. Cover the edge of the pie with foil.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove foil. Bake for another 20 minutes or till top is golden. Cool.
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