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San Francisco Flower and Garden Show…the Final Countdown #sfgardenshow2015

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San Francisco Flower & Garden Show

 

We’re on the final countdown to my presentation at this years San Francisco Flower and Garden Show, “Making Heirloom Jams with Garden Petals.”

I’ll be sharing step-by-step instructions for canning rose petals into jelly and working with a variety of other garden petals. I will also share some fun facts regarding the distinct flavor profiles of rose petals base on color varietals as well as cooking with dried buds and blooms verses fresh picked petals. 

You can find me at the Kitchen Garden Stage, March 19, 2015 at 3PM. For more information about this years event visit the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show Facebook Page, or SF Garden Show. You won’t want to miss this one!! 

RosePetalJelly

 

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Canning-Meyer Lemon Curd

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curd1

My lemon tree is prolific this year, yielding over six bushels of stunning Meyer lemons, since December. I’m counting my blessings to live in a climate that’s conducive to growing citrus. These backyard beauties have kept me busy the past few months with a list of scrumptious recipes…lemon tart, habanero lemon jelly,  lemon icing, lemon cookies, canned lemon juice, lemon marmalade, and a whole slew of other lemon recipes. 

I’ve put off canning curd before due to food safety issues related to the recipe. The recipe calls for butter and in home canning, 98% of the time, that’s a no, no. Butter (fats and dairy) go rancid and develop bacteria if left in a jar unrefrigerated. Rest assured,  I researched the recipe at the National Center for Home Food Preservation to find this “Tested” recipe. The recipe is safe for food consumption not to mention, the flavor and creamy texture will knock you out! Despite assurances, I still keep my jars of canned lemon curd in the refrigerator however, the stuff’s never around long enough to go bad. 

Meyer Lemon Curd
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
40 min
Total Time
50 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
40 min
Total Time
50 min
Ingredients
  1. 2 1/2 cups sugar (super fine), optional
  2. 1/2 cup lemon zest (freshly zested), optional
  3. 1 cup bottled lemon juice ( I used 1/2 cup fresh squeezed meyer lemon juice and 1/2 cup bottled, make at your own risk and be sure to refrigerate after canning)
  4. 3/4 cup unsalted butter. chilled, cut into approximately 3/4 " pieces
  5. 7 large egg yolks
  6. 4 large whole eggs
Instructions
  1. Wash jars, rims and lids according to manufacturer's instructions. Sterilize clean jars in a large stock pot or professional water canner. Place jars in pot and and cover with water, boil jars for 15 minutes. Leave in pot over medium heat until ready to use.
  2. Heat a separate water canner with enough water to cover filled jars by 1 -2 inches. Heat water to 180 degrees F. by the time jars are ready to be added for processing. Use food thermometer to monitor heat.
CAUTION: THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT STEP WHEN CANNING LEMON CURD
  1. Do not heat the water in the canner to more than 180 degrees F. before jars are added. If the water in the canner is too hot when the jars are added, the process time will not be long enough. The time it takes for the canner to reach boiling after the jars are added in expected to be 25-30 minutes for processing lemon curd. Process time starts after the water in the canner comes to a full boil over the tops of the filled jars.
  2. If using lemon zest: Combine lemon zest and sugar and set aside for about 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld
  3. Heat water in the bottom of a double boiler until a gentle boil. The water should not boil vigorously or touch the bottom of the top of the double boiler pan in which the lemon curd is to be cooked. Hot steam is sufficient for the cooking process to occur.
  4. In the top of the double boiler, on the counter away from the heat, whisk egg yolks and whole eggs together until thoroughly mixed. Slowly whisk in the sugar and zest, blending until smooth. Blend in the lemon juice and then add the butter pieces to the mixture.
  5. Place the top of the double boiler over boiling water in the bottom of the pan. Stir gently but continuously with a silicone spatula or cooking spoon, to prevent mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking until the mixture reaches 170 degrees F. Use food thermometer to monitor heat
  6. Remove double boiler pan from heat and place on a heat protected surface. Continue to gently stir until curd thickens (about 5 minutes). Strain curd through a mess strainer into a clean stainless steel or glass bow; discard zest
  7. Fill hot curd into cleaned half-pint jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed. Wipe rims of jars with a clean damp cloth or paper towel; apply two-piece metal canning lids.
  8. Place filled jars into 180 degree water bath, be sure water is over the tops of jars, when water has come to a full rolling boil, process jars for 15 minutes.
  9. Remove jars from canner and allow to cool on a dry kitchen towel, store in a cool dry place for up to 3 months
Notes
  1. For best quality, use lemon curd within 3-4 months. Discoloration may occur over time, discard contents anytime visual changes occur.
  2. Processed curd can be frozen for up to 1 year without quality changes when thawed.
  3. Yields: 3-4 half-pint jars
Adapted from National Center for Home Food Preservation
Adapted from National Center for Home Food Preservation
At Home with Rebecka http://athomewithrebecka.com/
 

lemoncurd1

   You might also like…Paleo Lemon Curd. To see the recipe click the photo Lemon Curd

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♥French Crepes with Persimmon Butter for Your Special Valentine♥

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creps.3

Surprise your sweetheart this Valentine’s Day with a decadent and delicious breakfast. French crepes slathered in homemade persimmon butter; seriously, this just might just be the best breakfast you’ve ever tasted. Click this LINK for canning persimmon butter recipes.

French Crepes with Persimmon Butter
Serves 2
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Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
25 min
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
25 min
French Crepes
  1. 2 eggs
  2. 1 cup milk
  3. 1 cup flour
  4. pinch salt
  5. 2 tablespoons butter for sauté pan
Directions for the Crepes
  1. Mix first 4 ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl until smooth, batter should be very runny, add additional milk if batter is too thick
  2. Heat 1/2 teaspoon butter in a non-stick saute pan over medium high heat
  3. Pour 1/4 cup batter into hot pan, swirling pan to evenly distribute batter over the bottom of the pan
  4. Cook over medium high heat until edges begin to turn up
  5. Flip the crepe over and cook the other side, about 2 minutes each side
  6. Continue this process until all batter is gone, recipes makes about 6 crepes
Ingredients and Directions for the Persimmon Butter
  1. 5 peeled and cubed persimmons
  2. 1 teaspoon bottled lemon juice
  3. 1/4 cup water
  4. Sugar to taste, optional
  5. 1 Cinnamon stick, optional
  6. Instructions
  7. Peel, hull and cube persimmons
  8. In a large heavy bottom stock pot, combine fruit and lemon juice
  9. Cook over medium heat allowing fruit to soften and release juices, about 20 minutes
  10. Taste for sweetness, add sugar to taste if necessary
  11. Remove from heat
  12. With a potato masher or using an immersion blender, blend until consistency is smooth like Butter, it should resemble thick applesauce
  13. Pour hot persimmon butter over cooked crepes
Notes
  1. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and powder sugar, ENJOY!
At Home with Rebecka http://athomewithrebecka.com/

 creps.3

 

crepes w persimmon butter

 

 

Crepe w persimmon butter

Frenchcrepeswpersimmonbutter

 

 

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Meyer Lemon, Habanero Pepper Jelly

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Lemonpepperjellyjars

Meyer Lemon Habanero Pepper Jelly…Quite possibly the best recipe I’ve ever created!! Super spicy, and sweet with a crisp lemon finish; a simply exquisite jelly! Let me know how you like it!! 

Canning with Lemon Juice 101:

Even when canning high acid foods like Meyer lemons, it’s essential to use bottled lemon juice. The reason for this is that, bottled lemon (lime) juice has been uniformly acidified. Uniform acidity is crucial when canning in a water bath. 

Canning vegetables and meats require pressure canning to ensure food safety. You’ll find that most of my canning recipes are processed in a water bath as opposed to pressure canning because I am a seasonal canner. For the most part, I preserve recipes that are made with high acid foods such as,  jams, jellies, marmalade and salsa containing fruits naturally high in citric acid, as well as pickles, that utilize uniformly acidified vinegar for preservation.  

I aim to bring you recipes that are not only tasty but safe for consumption, so I follow USDA guidelines to the letter. The use of uniformly acidified lemon juice is also recommended by the National Center for Home Preservation. 

Ensuring safe canned foods Growth of the bacterium Clostridium botulinum in canned food may cause botulism—a deadly form of food poisoning. These bacteria exist either as spores or as vegetative cells. The spores, which are comparable to plant seeds, can survive harmlessly in soil and water for many years. When ideal conditions exist for growth, the spores produce vegetative cells which multiply rapidly and may produce a deadly toxin within 3 to 4 days of growth in an environment consisting of: • a moist, low-acid food • a temperature between 40° and 120°F • less than 2 percent oxygen. Botulinum spores are on most fresh food surfaces. Because they grow only in the absence of air, they are harmless on fresh foods. Most bacteria, yeasts, and molds are difficult to remove from food surfaces. Washing fresh food reduces their numbers only slightly. Peeling root crops, underground stem crops, and tomatoes reduces their numbers greatly. Blanching also helps, but the vital controls are the method of canning and making sure the recommended research-based process times, found in these guides, are used. The processing times in these guides ensure destruction of the largest expected number of heat-resistant microorganisms in home-canned foods. Properly sterilized canned food will be free of spoilage if lids seal and jars are stored below 95°F. Storing jars at 50° to 70°F enhances retention of quality. SOURCE: USDA.

Meyer Lemon Habanero Pepper Jelly
Yields 12
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
45 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
45 min
Ingredients
  1. 2 cups fresh Meyer lemon juice
  2. 1 cup bottled lemon juice
  3. 2 cups water
  4. 4 packages liquid pectin
  5. 7 cups sugar
  6. 3 large habanero peppers
  7. 10-12 whole Thai chilies
Instructions
  1. Wash lemons, habanero and Thai peppers, pat dry
  2. Juice lemons and strain through a fine sieve to remove pips
  3. Refrigerate peels in a large plastic zip bag to make Meyer Lemon Marmalade and reserve any extra lemon juice for later use. (http://wp.me/p2MUuI-1FS)
  4. In a large heavy bottom stock pot heat 2 cups fresh lemon juice, water, and sugar over medium high heat until sugar is dissolved.
  5. Cut habanero peppers in half and add to hot liquid
  6. Bring liquid to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook for 30 minutes
  7. Remove habanero peppers and discard
  8. Add 1 cup bottled lemon juice and stir, bring to a boil, add 4 packages liquid pectin, stir and bring back to a boil
  9. Boil for 2 minutes, take a gel test by placing a small amount of jelly into a iced tablespoon
  10. If jelly does not set boil for additional 2 minutes and test again
  11. Pour hot jelly into sterilized jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace
  12. add 1-2 whole Thai chilies in each jar. Wipe rims with clean towel and cover with lids and rims
  13. Process in a hot water bath for 15 minutes
  14. Remove jars from water bath and rest on clean towels until cool enough to handle, store in a cool dry place
Notes
  1. Spead over cream cheese and eat with crackers or crusty bread
Adapted from Household Searchlight-1941 Edition
Adapted from Household Searchlight-1941 Edition
At Home with Rebecka http://athomewithrebecka.com/
LemonPepperjelly
Chalk Board canning jar labels source: handcraftyourlife

Canning Jar Labels: Etsy Shop CanningCrafts
MLPJelly1

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Persimmon Butter-Canning

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Persimmon1

Persimmons are a stunning fruit visually and viscerally; mildly tart, their flavor is reminiscent of sweet papaya but has a firmer texture.

Enjoy persimmon butter on your morning muffin, crumpets, toast, or my new personal favorite, French crepes, (2 eggs, 1 cup milk, 1 cup flour, pinch salt, 2 tablespoon butter for sauté pan).

Persimmons (UK /pəˈsɪmən/ or US /pərˈsɪmən/) are the edible fruit of a number of species of trees in the genus Diospyros. Diospyros is in the family Ebenaceae. The most widely cultivated species is the Asian persimmon, Diospyros kaki. In color the ripe fruit of the cultivated strains range from light yellow-orange to dark red-orange depending on the species and variety. They similarly vary in size from 1.5 to 9 cm (0.5 to 4 in) in diameter, and in shape the varieties may be spherical, acorn-, or pumpkin-shaped.[1] The calyx generally remains attached to the fruit after harvesting, but becomes easy to remove once the fruit is ripe. The ripe fruit has a high glucose content. The protein content is low, but it has a balanced protein profile. Persimmon fruits have been put to various medicinal and chemical uses.

Like the tomato, persimmons are not popularly considered to be berries, but in terms of botanical morphology the fruit is in fact a berry. SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA

Crepe w persimmon butter
French Crepes with Persimmon Butter

Persimmon Butter
Yields 4
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
45 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
45 min
Ingredients
  1. 20 peeled and cubed persimmons, about 6 cups chopped fruit
  2. 1/2 cup bottled lemon juice
  3. 1 cup water
  4. Sugar to taste, optional
  5. 1 Cinnamon stick, optional
Instructions
  1. Peel, hull and cube persimmons
  2. In a large heavy bottom stock pot, combine fruit and 1/4 cup of lemon juice
  3. Cook over medium heat allowing fruit to soften and release juices, about 30 minutes
  4. Add remaining lemon juice and taste for sweetness, add sugar to taste if necessary
  5. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes stirring constantly to keep the bottom of the pan from burning
  6. Remove from heat
  7. With a potato masher or using an immersion blender, blend until consistency is smooth like Butter, it should resemble thick applesauce.
  8. Pur hot butter into sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace,
  9. Remove air bubbles by running a thin knife around the side of the jar, wipe rims with a damp clean towel to remove any food residue, top with clean lids and screw on rims
  10. Transfer to large water bath with enough water to cover jars, bring water to a boil, begin processing time at the boil, and process for 15 minutes
Notes
  1. Cinnamon and sugar can be added to flavor the butter however, persimmons have such a sweet and delicate flavor, I usually don't add them.
At Home with Rebecka http://athomewithrebecka.com/
Sliced Persimmons 

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