I got back to Philly last Monday morning, met Felicia Day on Tuesday (she was the keynote speaker at a conference my husband organized), dashed around on Wednesday trying to do work and then left town again on Thursday (it was a whirlwind week). The weekend of classes in Boston was terrific (thanks to everyone who came!) and now I’m home again and am scrambling to get ready for the photo shoot for the new book. Despite all the busy-ness, I managed to collect some links to share.
- A fabulous post by the incomparable Linda Ziedrich comparing and contrasting various types of pickling cucumbers.
- Jess from Sweet Amandine makes and preserves apricot jam using Rachel Saunder’s method as outlined in the Blue Chair Jam cookbook.
- Cathy Barrow’s fabulous seven day pickles. I have had these straight Cathy’s pantry and they are amazing.
- Raspberry rose petal jam. Lovely!
- An explainer about liquid loss during processing, otherwise known as siphoning.
- Pickled figs!!!
- Rhubarb season is pretty much done around these parts, but I want to remember this rhubarb jam with fresh ginger and lime for next year.
- Shiitake bacon!
- Never has there been more beautiful challah than this batch that Camille from Wayward Spark did recently for Food 52.
- Elderflower cordial. I pine for an elderflower source.
- My friend Roz (she who did the recent redesign of this site) just launched a blog about chai and her deep love for the stuff. She’s out on the west coast right now and just posted about her visit to The Tao of Tea, which was a tea house I frequented a lot in my late teens and early twenties.
The winners of the Girls Can Tell canning diagram towels are…
I’m glad you said “pickling cucumbers” because all the farm stands around here call them “pickles”. It kind of drives me crazy. 😉
Thanks for the fun links!
That apricot jam sounds amazing but I wonder about the oven canning method… it’s not recommended by the USDA as being a safe way to can food. What are your thoughts, Marisa?
Korena, the oven sealing method is a technique that’s allowed for commercial producers. I think that if your jars are squeaky clean and you are sensible and cautious about maintaining a very clean workspace, it is fine for products that are high in sugar and acid. I still prefer the boiling water bath method, since I don’t find it at all cumbersome, but I know that not everyone likes it.
Thanks Marisa, I agree about the boiling water bath method 🙂
You can’t just throw in “met Felicia Day” without any details – spill it!! (Oh, and I love both your blog and your book. Keep up the great work!)
YAY!
I know that U-pick blueberry place! They are my favorite place on Sauvie’s because their blueberry patch is small, but very productive, with big berries and friendly people. It’s so exciting seeing the places I love out in the wilds of the Internets.
Hey thanks for the shoutout about my new blog! I hope that we can share a cup of chai at The Tao of Tea one day!