Gah!
How? How is it that every time I go to post, nearly a week's gone by? It may have something to do with my animal wrangling, online magazine editing, doll making, general folly--but that can't be it, right? Let's just stick with the weekly alien abduction theory, shall we? At least it would explain why I have crazy hair.
ANYHOO...
In the ongoing series of "Sweets," this week's sweet was brought to you by the couple of people who decided to comment on the jelly I was giving away in the One World One Heart giveaway. Now, it wasn't just ANY jelly, mind you, but NO PECTIN jelly. Now, while many people are not new to the idea of FULL sugar jams, there are a few (or perhaps more than a few) misguided souls who were surprised that jelly did NOT need pectin to make. Ahhh, poor, poor misguided souls. Like organic food, no-pectin jelly is an OLD idea...way before pectin was thought of--and, in my opinion, the kick butt version of jelly.
HOWEVER--I totally understand the pectin snobbery. I mean, you just don't have TIME to simmer fruits until they break down into mushy goodness and add some sugar to it. You have to go, go GO! Which is what pectin is for--for shorter fruit cooking time, it adds back the cooagulation factor that makes jelly and jam what it is.
For those of you staring blankly at the screen and shaking your head with wonder (and yes, it occurs to me you might do this EACH week, but in this case, I mean that you stare and shake at the PECTIN reference...*ahem*) let us look at what pectin IS...
PECTIN actually occurs naturally in fruits--and is the factor that allows these soft entities (think strawberries, berries) to retain their shape, despite the fact that some of them contain a good quantity of liquid to them (the "juicy factor")....
In jelly and jam making, the idea here, is that the fruit and it's pectin is broken down by heat, but to return it to a more "solidified" form --this is usually done via some sort of thickener. At one point, sugar, molasses or sorghum (to a degree) was used. Somewhere in the 1820's, someone finally managed to extract pectin and sell it in commercial form for "jams and marmalades."
And this brings us to where we are: pectin is lost in the fruit cooking process but, in case you couldn't hem and haw over a big pot of tasty blueberries or blackberries for an hour until it starts to thicken, then add sugar, you can simply re-add the pectin and it will cause a rethickening of the jam. Got that, kids?
OK. So my point is that my Mama came from the school of Slow Food. No. Make that sloooooow food. She was also from the school of full-sugar and full fat. Hey, if it were up to me, we'd go back to that, except she also informed me that those sort of folks harvest their own wheat, grind it themselves, knead it, wait for hours--THEN use full butter, flour, sugar eggs. Hmm...that seems like a bit TOO much work.
ANYHOO.
Since my Mama came from the school of slooooow food, she is all about full sugar jelly. So, I'm adding the recipe here. Yes, I know that fruit harvesting is way off--so stop back then, if you must. Or go to a U-pick right now. Seems like pear are in season, and pear jelly is mighty tasty, lemme tell ya.
The other beautiful part about this recipe is that you can AVOID all the crazy canning equipment--as it doesn't use pressure canning, as several jelly recipes do! AND, you don't need pounds and pounds of fruit--you can make small batches of the stuff! Yum!
Now, on a serious note, for those of you with diabetes, and other sugar issues--this recipe may not be for you. It's ok, I won't be mad atchya. Pectin can sometimes be your friend.
2 cups fruit
2 cups water
4 cups sugar (this ain't for wooses, I tell ya)
1 large saucepan
1 deep pot (for boil sterilizing your jam jar--it should be taller or longer than the jar)
1 Fully sterilized jam jar, lid, and seal
1 wooden spoon (with which to lift sterile jar)
1 VERY cleanly laundered kitchen towel
Prep time: 1 + hour (it's no joke, folks!)
2. Add fruit and water in a saucepan. Cook on low-medium heat. Basically, it doesn't need to be on simmer, but should be on low heat so the fruit doesn't burn--'cuz once that happens, you'll have a disaster on your hands.
3. Add sugar within the first 10 mins of cooking. Stir the sugar until it dissolves. You will continue stirring often throughout the cooking.
4. Somewhere within the first 30 mins or so, you will see the fruit get mushy. You can break them down with your spoon. Eventually, the heat will keep breaking them down. Continue stirring.
Preping your jam jar
5. During the last 20 mins, prep your jam jar. Take a clean jam jar, unscrew the top and ring, and add to a tall pot of water. The jar should be able to either lay down in the pot, or stand in the pot, and be thoroughly covered by water.
6. Add the jar elements to water, and bring water to a boil. Boil for 15 mins or so. Get a very clean towel to put the jar in. Then, with a clean and dry wooden spoon, fish the jar elements out and place on towel.
The reason you want to use a spoon and not your hands is 1. you will burn your fingers! and 2. You are trying to avoid any contaminants that your fingers might have. Basically, you are trying to keep anything that comes into contact with the sterilized jar as clean as possible!
7. Wipe all parts of the jar completely with the towel. The jar, cover and seal ring must NOT have any drops of water left, because if the jelly comes in contact with water, it will eventually develop mold or fungus there, the longer it keeps.
Remember, jelly is often STORED for a time, so you must keep it as sterile as when you can any other food. Make sure the jar parts are thoroughly dry!
Allow jar to rest on the clean towel, or another clean towel and go quickly go back to your jelly.
Back to jelly cooking!
8. After 40 mins, you will notice your fruit slowly starting to thicken. All of the fruit will not necessarily be crushed down, but most will be, and there is a liquid quality. It will be less viscous and start to look syrupy. IT IS AT THIS PHASE that you can ladle the jelly into jars. DO NOT wait until the jam is pasty, rubbery....because as the jelly sets, it still thickens a bit and you will end up with rubbery jelly. Make sure it is thick but can still run--like a thick cough syrup.
9. Take a clean ladle and ladle your jelly into the jars. Make sure there is 1/2 inch below the top (in other words, you don't need to ladle right to the very edge). Quickly cover the jar with the top and fit on seal ring. Tighten thoroughly. If any fruit that has drizzled over the edge, clean thoroughly with cloth dipped in hot water.
10. Allow to cool. Place in your pantry....will keep several months unopened and roughly 2 or so weeks once opened, in the fridge Tasty!
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