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.
Tonight in honour of Well Preserved Home Economics I will be celebrating breaking resolutions and making delicious lemon squares. They’ve got eggs in them and that’s breaking something sin’t it? Hope to win!
I am waiting for warm weather to make kombucha.
I am anxious to try a peach cobbler made with half pecan flour and half regular cobbler that my husband thought sounded good… Can’t wait for the Georgia peaches!
I’m just getting in to canning, so… almost any canning project will do.
I’m hoping to try some candy making – caramels and chocolate art
Your pickled carrots and daikon! Everytime I buy the ingredients, I don’t get it to it! I’m hoping the 3rd times the charm because I know I’ll like them so much!
i have a few new recipes for mustard i want to try this week.
I just found a recipe for caramel made from goats milk that looks incredible.
I’m hoping to try to make some home made ravioli and some home made crackers. My cookbooks are packed away at the moment, but I think the cracker recipe is from the recipe book from (the now closed 🙁 ) Harlow’s Crackers (which was in NH). They’re called “Ugly Crackers” and they’re made with bleu cheese…
I love to bake bread, so I’d like to expand my bread repertoire and bake “new” to us breads.
I’m going to make tomato jam …
I definitely want to try my hand at infused vodkas. I have a friend who makes beet vodka, and I just love it!
Something with quince. Maybe quince jam?
I started canning this summer during cherry season. Now that we’re in the middle of winter, I wish I had learned earlier and made strawberry jam. Only a few more months! 🙂
I want to try my cousin’s flax seed crackers to go with the red pepper jelly I made this year.
I am looking for a great granola recipe that everyone in my family would enjoy.
I would like to make marmalade with champagne, and homemade mustard.
I’d like to go blueberry picking and try this:
http://wellpreserved.ca/2011/08/22/wild-blueberry-maple-jam-preserve-syrup/
I want to make ribbon candy this year for Christmas. It reminds me and my siblings of our grammie and I think thinking of her will be a sweet addition to our Christmas traditions.
I want to try more pickling and canning this year. My next go to recipe to try will be Mexican style spicy pickled carrots
I want to learn to make all types of chutneys and try making more pickles!
I want to do more fermenting! I’ve done sauerkraut and beet kvass, but I know there are so many other recipes out there to try.
Cheese!
There’s a ton of recipe’s I plan on trying out this year.. not sure which will come first, but some form of Rhubarb preserve is high on that list – I’ll have a giant patch in my front yard come spring that for once, I know what to do with!
Last year I made a citrus jalapeño marmalade (so delicious atop crackers and goat cheese!), but now I am itching to try a similar marmalade with Thai basil. Kind of like this one: http://justtherightsize.blogspot.com/2010/04/thai-basil-pepper-jelly.html
Tomato jam is on the list.
This is the year I’m going to start making crackers! I hope! (Incidentally, this is already the year I started making my own granola bars, and wow, was that easier and better than I anticipated! Hopefully crackers are the same way!)
This year I’ve already mastered quite a few recipes, including homemade gnocchi. But I’m DYING to make lobster bisque, including making the broth with the carcasses!
Cultured butter…I tried once before, but my family got the flu before I finished it, and by the time we had recovered it was too late!
My next adventure will be making homemade crackers from the Homemade Pantry.
there is this banana bread recipe I would like to try soon.
“spiced pear gin”???? my go-to fruit butter recipe is spiced vanilla pear butter so CLEARLY I need to try my hand at spiced pear gin! (hmmmmm, maybe i’ll add it to the butter….)
I’m hoping to try my hand at some homemade sausage this year–my other goal for 2013 was homemade fresh pasta, but just checked that off this past weekend!
I really want to try canning some soup. I need to learn the pressure canner thing!
I would like to make Japanese style pickles.
I’ve been making good on my New Years Resolution to bake & cook more and to try a variety of recipes.
I recently found a recipe for Homemade English Muffins which I’m dying to try: (http://myfairbaking.blogspot.com/2012/12/homemade-english-muffins.html)
I’d really like to buy a 10lb bag of onions and make onion jam – sounds weird but it could be interesting!
Funny — I’ve been wanting to try a fleur de sel caramel recipe for a while now! Just found one that looks interesting — but those maple caramels above look great, too… Thanks for the awesome giveaway!
There is a recipe from another writer at Serious Eats for English bangers that I’d really like to try. I really miss true English bangers.
I’ve been eyeing this miso butter roast chicken recipe for forever. It’s ridiculously simple and I should just do it, but for whatever I haven’t yet taken the time. I’m due to cook dinner for Georgia and Andrew next week, so perhaps I’ll give this one a go. 🙂
http://userealbutter.com/2012/10/31/miso-butter-roast-chicken-recipe/#more-11442
I want to try making ice cream from scratch. I found a recipe for lavender honey ice cream somewhere……anyway, it sounds yummy.
I am a realtor who makes appetizers for Brokers Open Houses so I am always on the lookout for a great appetizer. The Cacio e Pepe crackers caught my eye.
I really want to brew my own kombucha
I want to make homemade corn tortillas from scratch. I’ve already ordered the heirloom corn seeds, which I plan to grow myself!
I’m just about ready to try fermenting sauerkraut in mason jars. Wish me luck!
Oh boy, I don’t even eat dairy and I desperately want to try the Fleur de Sel Maple Syrup caramel but um, if I do, do have to give it away??
I’d like to can lemonade concentrate this year. I freeze a lot of our lemon juice, but I only have so much freezer space! 🙂
How do I choose just one when there are so many things on my foodie to-do list! I’ve been wanting to do preserved lemons since last summer.
Way more pickles! We were at a restaurant that had a ton of in-house, awesome and unusual pickles and I have the pickle bug now. Onions, mushrooms and beets come to mind. . . can’t wait!!
I want to make this : Get Well Soup.
GET WELL SOON SOUPPUBLISHED ON FEBRUARY 2, 2010 BY: JOSH AND BRENT POSTED IN: ALL HEALTH/ FOOD & WINE / GENERAL / HEALTH / MAIN COURSE / SOUPS
When Farmer John was recovering from his hip surgery, it was impossible to keep up with all of the chores on the farm. We decided to whip up a special soup to get him back in the saddle (or up on the tractor)—and use some of the things we had left in the root cellar.
Turnip soup is known to stimulate the appetite, and studies have shown that chicken soup can help speed up the recovery process. Why not blend the two? With a little garlic and onions thrown in for their natural anti-microbial powers, this delicious soup will have you feeling better even if you’re not under-the-weather.
Ingredients
1 pound chicken parts
1 whole chicken, thoroughly rinsed
1 carrot, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 parsnip, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 stalks celery, including leafy tops, cut into 3-inch pieces
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 large whole onion, unpeeled (find one with a firm, golden-brown peel)
4 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds of turnips, peeled and cut into a 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup rice, arborio
1 teaspoon of whole peppercorns
1 bunch of dill, cleaned and tied with a string
salt and pepper
parmesan
Instructions
1. Pour 12 cups of cold water into a large stockpot, and throw in the chicken parts, onion, garlic, carrots, parsnip, and celery. Bring to a boil. While water is heating, rub the inside of the whole chicken with salt.
2. Add the chicken to the pot, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Test chicken with a fork to see if it’s tender and fully cooked; then remove it from the pot, and set aside on a large platter. Leave chicken parts in the pot.
3. Add onion, salt, and pepper. Let soup simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
4. When chicken cools, remove skin and bones and cut into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
5. Strain the soup, and discard everything solid
6. Melt the butter and oil in a large saucepan and bring to a froth. Toss in the turnips and saute til brown but still firm, about 3 minutes.
7. Add turnips and chicken pieces to the broth
8. Stir in the rice and cook, covered, over medium heat for about 15 minutes.
9. Drop in the dill for one minute before serving and then remove. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Garnish: minced parsley and 3/4 cup fresh grated parmesan
Get well soon!!