One of the joys of being someone who cans and preserves regularly is that I’m nearly always prepared when the need arises for a gift. During December’s gift giving season, I keep a box of summer jams and butters near the front door, ready to be distributed. I build couple-specific baskets for bridal showers and weddings.
Last summer, when I was scurrying around on book tour, I even kept a couple extra jars in my car at all times, for those moments when verbal thank yous just weren’t enough and I wanted to offer a physical representation of my appreciation.
Sometimes, even I run out of preserves good for giving (there are a number of trial batches in recipe development that, while good enough for home use, aren’t great for bestowing upon others). Other times, I just find myself out of fresh ideas. That’s when I turn to books and blogs authored by other creative folk, hoping that their various perspectives will gyrate me free from my regularly-trod paths.
The latest book to cross my transom that I’m turning to for kitchen inspiration is Lucy Baker’s Edible DIY. Initially based on the work she’s done on Serious Eats, this book is filled with candies, infused spirits, crackers, pickles, and sweet spreads that will send you hopping for the kitchen.
Recipes are arranged by type. You’ll find nibbly bits like crackers, spiced nuts, and popcorn in the Crunchy section. Boozy should be plenty self-explanatory (and goodness, do I want to try the Spiced Pear Gin pictured below). Sweet includes biscotti, marshmallows, truffles, and toffee.
The last two sections the most preserve-heavy of the book. On the savory side, there’s a strong assortment of Spicy Condiments, Pickles, and Snacks (flavored salts! pickled fennel! ginger sriracha!). Rounding out the book are the Jams, Jellies, and Other Preserves. Lucy has made tweaks to a series of reliable favorites (blueberry port jam and strawberry balsamic thyme jam, for example) which are all worthy of canning pot consideration. One recipe that I’m planning on making soon is the one for Cranberry-Champagne Jam with Crystallized Ginger (I still have a couple bags of cranberries stashed away).
One of the things I like most about this book is that it’s accessible. Not a single recipe goes on for pages (or days), making it approachable for all levels of canners, candy makers, and cracker bakers. As someone who rarely has the patience for recipes that require multiple days of fussing, I’m appreciative. That said, if you’re an expert baker/canner/sugarcrafter who is looking for a book to push your skillset to a new level, this one is probably not for you.
We have a very productive pear tree in our back yard and the recipe for spiced pear gin sounds fabulous!
I really want to commit to canning a bunch of whole peeled tomatoes this summer. Time kind of got away from me last summer and I never got around to it. Also, limoncello.
I am really looking forward to trying more infused alcohols this year, limoncello, spiced brandy and homemade kahlua.
I made Blueberry butter last week but was a little disappointed. Kind of like you said – it’s good enough for home but not good enough for gift giving. Maybe it’s because I used blueberries from the store & it’s not their normal season but I think I can make it better. So although I already tried this new recipe this year, I think come June I’ll be trying a slightly different variation of this recipe.
The recipe on my radar to try this year is spicy tomato peach jam. I love small batch preserving!
Making my own dulce de leche from milk…start to finish…and canning it!
I vow to make my own granola instead of paying a fortune for it at the grocery store!
I’m not that ambitious at the moment. Want to try a paleo type carrot cake I found in a hippie magazine. I guess hippies eat meat now, at least some of us.
I want to make tagliatelle with wild mushroom sauce (from the “Lidia’s Favorite Recipes” cookbook I got for Christmas, using the pasta machine I also got for Christmas).
I’m dying to try to make croquembouche!
I would love to learn to make umeboshi, kombucha, water kefir, and gluten free sourdough, but I’m going to start with something simple, like preserved lemons since I have an abundance of them right now. I’d love to sift through Lucy’s book to see what recipes she has to offer.
In 2103 I plan to do more complex baking projects and revisit recipes I haven’t taken the time to prepare again. Bagels, pita bread, donuts, popovers are going t be great fun!
I want to master caramels.
Right now they are always to soft or to hard.
I’m looking forward to trying a lime ginger marmalade recipe that a friend usually makes.
Homemade crackers and baby food (we’re expecting in July 🙂
want to make pear “honey” with pear peelings from other preserves made a month or so ago. i froze the peelings to save for this. i made apple “honey” 2 weeks ago and it was TASTY!
cheese!
I am going to keep trying till I get it perfect!
so far it has been edible and useable, and good, working toward wonderful!
Not sure what new recipie I want to try this year but something always comes along. This book looks great!
I’m determined to find a decent nut-free granola recipe that doesn’t taste like it’s missing something!
I am an adventurous cook, always trying new things and I often get bored with my same old recipes. I want to master the souffle this year!!
I’m wanting to take a run at marmalades – I’ve given butters, jams, curds, in past years but have never gone the extra to try marmalades.
Preserved fruit peels are on my to do list! This book looks stunning! Fingers crossed. 🙂
I want to make chocolate covered orange candies. I made chocolate orange marshmallows a couple of months ago and loved them.
I’ve long been wanting to give cracker making a try. This seems like a wonderful starting point!
Only one??? Butternut Squash Lasagna seasoned with sage. Mmmmmm.
I hope to make peach preserves – for myself & for others.
I just relocated to the southwest and have citrus trees in the backyard! So I am going to try that yummy pink grapefruit jam you posted on etsy! I have been making tons of honey lemonade, roasted lemon chutney and lemon preserves! Love your blog!
This year I would like to learn to make all kinds of crackers and savory snacks from scratch, this book would be great to get started, hope I am favored!
At the moment I am trying to master orange marmelade.
This seems like an awesome book. I would love to try my hand at the candied jalapenos this year. I always have way to many in the garden. Sometimes it’s difficult to come up with new and improved ways to use these and this seems like a tasty way to go. See the recipe link below.
http://www.seriouseats.com/2011/05/edible-diy-candied-jalapenos-peppers.html?ref=title
I would love to try making grilled pineapple and
jalapeño preserves. Pasta and cheese making also on my list!
I received Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything for Christmas and plan on trying his french bread recipe.
I’m itching to try a cranberry wild rice bread that I saw on Diners Drive Ins and Dives. I found the recipe online, and stopped the other day to buy some wild rice, now I just need to put it all together.
I am going to try this simple and easy bread. Looks perfect for spreading with preserves!
http://www.cityline.ca/2012/11/no-knead-bread-with-bran/
I’ve been wanting to try a gumbo.
I’m going to make wild yeast starters for breads and pizza dough. I bought a second (used and cheap) refrigerator to keep them going.
Different kinds of marmalade…going to start this weekend.
Determined to master bread this year. Also persimmon blood orange jam.
http://www.coconutandlime.com/2013/01/persimmon-blood-orange-jam.html
I was given the ‘A Year of Pies’ cookbook by Ashley English for Christmas and I really want to try the pie that has fried green tomatoes in it. I’ll have to wait quite a few months for some green tomatoes, though!
ps. Everybody needs that cookbook. It has awesome recipes in it.
Homemade caramel…
I got a new cookbook for Hanukah, and there was a recipe in it for a malted milk ball cake (it had malted milk powder in it, not actual candy). Since that is my sister’s favorite candy, though, I made it for her for her birthday over the weekend. It was pretty tasty even if it was a frosted cake (my whole family tends to be more pound cake people than frosted layer cake people).
I would like to do fermenting this year – sauerkraut or kimchi.
Posted it to Facebook! 🙂
Flavored vodkas!
More boozy infusions!
I’m so excited to try your Blood Orange Marmalade recipe, this week in fact!
I am going to make Chocolate Pear jam this year! Mmmmmm, just the sound of it makes we want to wake the baby to go get some pears…
I am going to make wine this year.
This year I want to finally try my hand at making my own bacon and/or burrata
Miso and natto 🙂