Kat of All Trades

The fact that I finally have a kitchen of my own (well, my own and Ian’s) means that I finally have space to do all the canning I’ve wanted to do since I got my great-grandmother’s canning pot back in 2007. Heather and I canned ten pounds of tomatoes that year, and then I moved out of that house with its lovely large kitchen and no longer had space to keep more than a few necessary items in my pantry. I canned a few jars of tomatoes last summer, and then didn’t have the space or motivation to do anything else.

This spring, though, I am READY! I live a quick walk from a fantastic farmer’s market, and I have some space to store the goods. (Well, we’re going to need another small shelf. But who’s counting?) I’m especially excited to use some new books I purchased to preserve my seasonal farmer’s market finds, our CSA goods if we don’t eat them quickly enough, and hopefully the treats from our garden!

The farmer’s market is a weekly stop for me now, and last Saturday, in addition to the ramps, I picked up some asparagus and rhubarb. These are two of my favorite spring/early summer treats; I could eat them pretty much every day, even with asparagus’ unfortunate side effect.

I had the best of intentions for those: baking rhubarb pie; eating delicious, fresh asparagus with a hint of butter and lemon juice. And then life happened. I ended up with lots of evening plans, including my knitting group, a Wildflower Week walking tour of Inwood Hill Park, and a delicious Wildflower Week dinner at james (I had the veal sweetbreads appetizer, and a lamb burger with goat cheese and ramps greens for my main course. In case you were wondering. And the bittersweet chocolate espresso terrine with hazelnuts and cinnamon creme for dessert!). The week flew by, and suddenly, I needed to use that produce before it was too late.

Enter: canning.

A word of advice: fill your canning pot with water and start heating it up before you start doing anything else! It takes close to 45 minutes for mine to come to a rolling boil. Yowza! Also, make sure you’re properly heating or sterilizing your jars and lids. Read your favorite canning/preserving book for more information about proper canning techniques. Seriously, I can’t emphasize that enough.

Pickled Asparagus (adapted from the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving)

2-1/4 lb asparagus
3 tbsp chopped red bell pepper
1tbsp chopped jalapeno
1-1/2 tbsp chopped garlic
2-1/2 c white vinegar
1/2 c + 1/3 c sugar
1/2 c + 1/3 c water
2 tsp pickling salt
1 tbsp dill seed
1 tbsp mustard seed

Chop the asparagus so that it hits the inside of a pint jar at 3/4″ below the rim. Rinse asparagus, then place in a large, flat dish. Cover the asparagus with ice water, cover the dish, and put in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Chop and combine the bell pepper, jalapeno, and garlic. Set aside.

Bring vinegar, sugar, water, and salt to a boil. Boil for five minutes, add asparagus, and boil for two more minutes. *This is a good time to heat/sterilize your jars and lids.*

Add 2 tbsp of the pepper/garlic mixture, 1 tsp of dill seed, and 1 tsp of mustard seed to both jars. Pack jars with asparagus, tips down so you don’t damage them when you remove them to eat.

Ladle pickling liquid into the jars, leaving 1/2″ headspace (space between the top of the jar and the liquid). Wipe the rim of the jars, put lids and rings on jars, and twist until you get resistance.

Add to hot water bath and boil, covered, for ten minutes. After ten minutes, remove lid, and boil for five more minutes. Remove jars from canner, place on towel on countertop, and allow to cool. Check seals after 12-24 hours to ensure a proper seal, and tighten the rings.

Makes two pint jars.

Rhubarb in Sugar Syrup (adapted from the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving)

4 lb rhubarb
1 scant cup sugar

**Note: The jar I canned has too much headspace. Don’t do what I did: use the proper size jar!**

Chop rhubarb into one-inch pieces. Dump into a medium pot and add sugar. Mix together, cover, and allow to sit in a cool place for 3-4 hours.

Put pot on stove. *Don’t forget to heat/sterilize your jars and lids.* Bring mixture to a boil, and boil for 30 seconds.

Pour mixture into your jar(s). Wipe the rim of the jars, put lids and rings on jars, and twist until you get resistance.

Add to hot water bath and boil, covered, for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove lid, and boil for five more minutes. Remove jars from canner, place on towel on countertop, and allow to cool. Check seals after 12-24 hours to ensure a proper seal, and tighten the rings.

Makes about one quart jar.