No, we’re not dealing with a taboo subject in an after-school special, but I am certainly breaking with form in this Very Special Edition of Hi Gang! Welcome to the YES WE CAN issue.
Any visit to the farmer’s market or supermarket tells you we’re in peak season for produce. The imbalance from summer to winter feels almost unfair, doesn’t it? But here we are, and if you’re like me you’re tormented by the best ways to hang onto these deliciously long days. So let’s preserve them. Whether you have a shelf in a small cupboard or a massive pantry that rivals Queen Martha Stewart’s, putting a little something up is the foremost way to cling to the best fleeting flavors of the summer.
I starting making jams and marmalades in 2009, and quickly got addicted. The transformation of a case of fruit to 12 perfectly sealed jars of jam is one of the most gratifying practices I follow in the kitchen. A word of caution: Tread lightly. Once you start down the magnificent road of canning it’s extremely hard to revert. You will start looking at fruits and vegetables through a different lens. That lemon you might have used for a vinaigrette now holds a multitude of powers…Of course you can create an unctuous batch of marmalade, or maybe you go a savory route and create a massive jar of preserved lemons. The zest goes into your blueberry jam, while the seeds contribute to a natural pectin sachet. What Fergus Henderson’s seminal cookbook The Complete Nose to Tail did for my perception in meat cookery, adopting jamming and pickling did for my awareness in whole fruit and vegetable use.
In this all-canning edition of Hi Gang, we visit with the legendary Evan Kleiman, who you all know as the longtime host of KCRW’s “Good Food,” and local Hometown Hero Royce Burke to talk about their annual tomato preserving adventure. Gang, click the link and watch the video of the conversation we had led by the intrepid Hi Gang editor and pizza aficionado Karen L. Palmer.
Yes, there’s a video!! It feels so tech-savvy…You get it, there’s a lot going on here: I’ve put together a full list of essential canning tools, as well as my favorite books on the subject. I’ve also included home-base recipes for jam and pickles.
Have fun in your hot kitchen, create a seasonal ritual like Evan and Royce, and reap the benefits all year long.
XO,
Valerie
MAKING CANNING A TRADITION WITH EVAN KLEIMAN AND ROYCE BURKE
Every September, Evan Kleiman, host of KCRW’s “Good Food” and Los Angeles chef Royce Burke get together for an entire day spent canning tomatoes. During their canning endeavors, they partner with their friend Kazi Pitelka to process a few hundred pounds of tomatoes into a simple pomodoro (with garlic and olive oil) and puttanesca (with blended olives and capers).
I recently sat down with them to talk about their yearly tradition, and what really struck me is just that: that it’s become a standing process that they slow down, make time for, and truly get in the moment of working with their hands.
“It’s an exhausting but incredibly fun day. It’s a punctuation to the summer and an incredible marker of time passing,” Evan said. “By doing this every year, we’re creating new vintages, in a way.”
Royce added, “Life is stupidly busy, but this is one of the few things I make time to do. You’re literally preserving a moment. It’s one of the happiest days of the year for me, and every time I pull out a jar, I smile.”
For those who have never tried canning before, Evan recommended seeking out someone who’s done it before and apprenticing with them, or looking into local classes. Royce recommended making it a tradition, and a yearly appointment to spend time with people you care about.
You can watch a video of our entire conversation here.
LET’S HAVE A CANNING MOMENT, SHALL WE?
If you’ve never put up fruit and vegetables before, trust me, it’s so basic. Here, I’ve put together some easy-to-follow recipes for jam and pickles, as well as some tips and tricks, so your next canning adventure is a breeze. Yes YOU can!
BASIC JAM
This is my go-to jam recipe, which is endlessly adaptable. More on that below.
The blueprint: Most berries and stone fruits jam very successfully with the following template: Use 5 pounds of fruit to 4 cups of white sugar. Follow the process of the Strawberry Vanilla Bean Jam recipe above, and experiment with any of the following fruits: plums, apricots, nectarines, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. They’re all fantastic “beginning jam” fruits that have similar sugar levels and cook times.
Variations: Enjoy spice and different flavor elements? Add cloves, candied ginger, and cinnamon to plums to create a spiced holiday jam. Or keep it really simple. Lemon zest and lemon juice highlight the tart notes in blueberries beautifully.
These are just a couple of ideas. The more confidence you build, the more you will experiment and discover your favorite formulations and discover your own canning personality.
BASIC PICKLES
Pickles are surprisingly easy to produce, and if you make refrigerator pickles instead of canning for long-term preservation, the entire process takes under thirty minutes.
The blueprint: Start with a pickling syrup, which is 1:1 vinegar to water, add a small amount of kosher salt and sugar and bring to a boil. Aromatics are herbs, spices, garlic, ginger, jalapenos—essentially ingredients that add dimension and personality to your pickles.
The following is a template to mirror, followed by suggestions to alter the pickle for different flavors.
Pickled Asparagus Spears
Inspired by Saving the Season: A Cook’s Guide to Home Canning, Pickling, and Preserving by Kevin West
Makes about 50-60 pickled asparagus spears, depending on the girth of the asparagus.
Ingredients:
1 quart white distilled vinegar
1 quart water
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons sugar
5 pounds of asparagus, trimmed and cleaned.
Aromatics (this category is listed PER JAR):
2 garlic cloves
½ teaspoon white peppercorns
½ teaspoon fennel seed
½ teaspoon whole coriander
½ teaspoon mustard seedInstructions:
Combine the vinegar, water, salt, and sugar in a medium sized pot. Stir with a heatproof spatula and bring to a boil, then remove from heat.
Pack the asparagus spears in sanitized pickling jars. I used 8 tall canning jars that hold 1 pint. (If you have short jars, you may need to trim the asparagus.)
Place the garlic in between the spears, and pour in the remaining aromatics.
Bring the pickling syrup back to a boil, then carefully ladle it over the asparagus.
If you are processing the pickles, proceed with canning instructions, found here. Or, place lids on the jars, then allow the pickles to cool to room temperature and refrigerate.
Variations: You can replace the asparagus with a variety of vegetables including baby zucchini, shallots, peas, celery, Kirby cucumbers, turnips, green beans, and okra. Really, just experiment to find your favorites.
You might also replace the aromatics with dried Thai chiles and star anise, or Mexican oregano and dried chipotles. Again, go with flavors that make the most sense for you and your palate.
TIPS & TRICKS
Freeze it: No time to put it up? Clean, dry, and freeze your fruits. De-stem strawberries, halve the stone fruits and remove the pits before freezing for the best results. Then get to it when you can.
Ask for seconds: When you run down to the local farmer’s market, get real friendly with the farmers if you aren’t already (you know, bringing them coffee and chatting about climate issues). Most farmers have what is called #2 fruit, or seconds. Generally this is physically marred fruit, or fruit that will spoil relatively soon. These offerings are heavily discounted and are great for jams and marmalades.
Skip the canning: Working with a micro batch? Or maybe you just don’t have a lot of space in your home and “processing” feels like a waste of time? Store your batch in the refrigerator, although know that the shelf life is substantially decreased, generally up to 1 month.
FAVORITE CANNING & PRESERVING BOOKS
There are so many great books out there for people who are interested in preserving. Some zero in on really traditional techniques, while others take a more modern approach to the process. Here are some of my favorites:
Saving the Season by Kevin West
This book by my good friend Kevin, a former editor at W, is one of the gold standards for learning the ropes of preserving.
The Kimchi Cookbook by Lauryn Chun
A step-by-step guidebook for making the Korean classic.Canning for a New Generation by Lianna Krissoff
This book takes a more modern approach in ingredients and flavors.The Modern Preserver by Kylee Newton
I love the creativity and flavor combinations in Kylee’s recipes.The Noma Guide to Fermentation by Rene Redzepi and David Zilber
Perhaps not the most user-friendly book, but Rene is obviously a master at preservation, so it’s worth paging through for inspiration.Mes Confitures by Christine Ferber
Famed patissiere Christine Feber’s jams and jellies are truly extraordinary, with a decidedly French feel.The River Cottage Preserves Handbook by Pam Corbin
I’m obsessed with everything from the River Cottage, and this book is no exception.Jam Bake by Camilla Wynne
I love this book for the applications it provides once you’ve made a bunch of preserves and want to use them in interesting ways.Preserving the Japanese Way by Nancy Singleton Hachisu
A beautiful book that celebrates time-honored traditions and techniques of preservation in Japan.
The following books aren’t only about preserving, but include some great insights on the topic:
Sweet by yours truly
I included a full chapter on canning in my 2013 cookbook.Smoke and Pickles by Edward Lee
Louisiana-based chef Edward Lee combines classic techniques with Southern and Korean flavors to delicious results.On Vegetables by Jeremy Fox
Jeremy, the executive chef at Birdie G’s here in Los Angeles, is a master with produce and includes preservation techniques in his seminal book.Fridays from the Garden by Richard Christensen
The founder of Flamingo Estate wrote a gorgeous book that celebrates all things fruit and vegetables.
YOUR LARDER IS STOCKED, NOW WHAT?
Yes, you’ve canned, and now you’ve got jars upon jars of preserves, syrups, and pickles. Aside from the obvious applications, what can you do with them? Below are some ideas to take your preserves from ordinary to extraordinary. Think of these as blueprints, as well.
Tomatoes: When I chatted with Evan and Royce, they mentioned a few really ingenious ways to use canned tomatoes — Evan essentially uses them anytime she needs tomatoes for a recipe, which includes sauces and curries (!!). Royce likes to use them in stews. I could also imagine a Bloody Mary would be pretty delicious…
Jam: Get creative! There’s so much more to do with jam than spreading it on your morning toast, although there are few things more divine than homemade jam and salty butter on a thick slice of toast. Slather it on a Brie and ham sandwich, drizzle it over vanilla ice cream or a simple pound cake, thin it out to make a glaze, or place dollops on your next cheese board.
Oh, one of my favorite uses is to generously coat chicken thighs in apricot jam, then roast them with garlic, ginger, and a hefty sprinkling of smoked paprika. Serve with crushed green olives, cilantro, and rice for the easiest #Moroccan chicken.
Pickles: Of course, use them on sandwiches and salads, chopped into dips and spreads, and on charcuterie boards. But you can also use the juice for salad dressings, to brine and tenderize a roast chicken, or as an umami-packed addition to cocktails like Bloody Marys and dirty martinis.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Saturday teas at Valerie Confections
Our California-chic Saturday teas have become so popular that we’ve started holding them every Saturday. Find reservations here.
LA Loves Alex’s Lemonade
I’ll be participating in this year’s LA Loves Alex’s Lemonade, which donates proceeds to fighting childhood cancer. Click here to purchase tickets to join me on Saturday, September 23rd at UCLA.
BBQ Bootcamp
The next BBQ Bootcamp is coming up on October 15th to 17th at the Alisal Ranch. Join me for a celebration of global live-fire cooking. Reservations and more info can be found here.