Last week was the first since March when I didn’t have a book events to do. It was singularly amazing. I made dinner every night and made serious progress in shifting some of the clutter that has built up in the corners around my desk. We even managed to have a few friends over for a little soup potluck earlier tonight. It was nice to experience normal life again.
My time at home is short lived, though. I head for Austin, TX on Tuesday to meet my increasingly alert new nephew and celebrate nephew number one’s third birthday. Now, links!
- Are you a fermenter? If so, you know that ferments do best if they are fully covered in brine. Here are some excellent ways to ensure your veg stays submerged.
- Pear vanilla shrub. Being that this is one of my favorite flavor combinations, I’m a little abashed that I didn’t think of this one first!
- Slow cooker harvest butter! Made with apples, pears, and pumpkin. Probably not safe for canning, but awfully good for the freezer.
- This banana bread, with it’s crust of pepitas, looks like everything I want in a quick, sweet bread. I’m also itching for a copy of the book
from which it is adapted. - Towards the end of this post, there is a little narrative recipe for how to easily use a quart of pie filling, should you have some languishing in your pantry.
- Did you know that there are laws in Germany regarding jam names and the amounts of fruit they must contain? There’s also a bonus recipe for baked apple jam in that post, though I might call it a conserve, thanks to the inclusion of dried fruit and nuts. The names of various preserves are so complex!
- How one farmer approaches seed saving. Even though I don’t garden, I find this sort of thing fascinating.
- Cider bourbon jam cocktails.
- How to crack a walnut.
- A Kickstarter for a sleek, modern fermenting crock.
from which it is adapted.
The winner of last week’s A Kitchen Box giveaway is #91/Michelle in VA. If you didn’t win and are still curious about these kitchen-themed subscription boxes, don’t forget that they’re offering all Food in Jars readers $10 off the first month of any new AKB Subscription, along with a free Mini Box (while their limited stash lasts). If you want in on the deal, use the code ‘foodinjars’ in the coupon field at check-out.
Oh my goodness, thank you!! I never win anything! 🙂
(pear and chocolate jam looks positively divine!)
While I didn’t win (Congrats, Michelle!), I am made happier by the delivery of my mini box! And, if it’s an accurate representation of what’s in an actual box, I am thrilled that I can expect a box every month. It’s like a special present just for me! Thanks, Marisa, for introducing me to A Kitchen Box!
Nothing could entice me more than the mention of ‘cider bourbon jam cocktails’. Except, maybe, that pear-vanilla shrub! Great links in this round-up.
LOL. I didn’t know that Marmelade can only apply to the British kind in Germany now (I live in Germany). I guess because most of our Marmelade is made by my mother-in-law. I usually only buy two kinds a year: black currant jelly and sour cherry preserves –both only in years when she doesn’t make them. We just got our first jar of this year’s strawberry jam last weekend, as a matter of fact (there’s always a delay because there’s always enough to last a bit past the next jam-making).
Everyone seems to just use (in speech, I mean) Marmelade to mean almost EVERYthing in that area, jams, jellys, preserves, marmelade. Everything except compote.
Thanks for the link love (how to crack a walnut)! You have such a great resource as we’re big preservers. Thanks!
Didn’t win-but congrats to Michelle!
I already signed up with A Kitchen Box and I loved my first mini box that I got! Can’t wait to get the full box next month!
I just received my signed copy of the Food in Jars book from the drawing at A Kitchen box. I didn’t question AKB’s positive review of your book, but I was truly surprised at the exceptional quality in all aspects of its presentation. It’s a leave-out-for-all-to-feel kind of book. I made your Orange Tomato Jam shared in the AKB canning box, pairing it with a pork tenderloin. Thank you for your generosity of sharing this wonderful book, and taking the time to make it so aesthetically pleasing.
Lori, I am so pleased to hear that you like the book so much. Thank you so much for your kind words! And the Orange Tomato Jam with pork tenderloin sounds delicious!
Thanks so much for the link to the fermenting crock Kickstarter! I have been looking for one that isn’t giant and country-looking.
You are so welcome!