Yesterday's activities were a mish-mash of a lot of dissimilar things. The commencement line of the solar daytime was to acquire a start on processing the 13+ pounds of cherries inwards the refrigerator. I wanted some other batch of the Sweet Cherry Lime Jam, too thence I started there. This is a modest batch recipe, too thence the yield was exactly 3 pints. It was thence delicious commencement fourth dimension around, I knew I'd desire some to share, too thence I made a 2d batch yesterday.
Check out that dark colouring too compare it to the commencement batch:
For ane thing, I cooked it longer, too thence it was to a greater extent than concentrated this time. You tin come across that my yield yesterday was ane less jar. Secondly, the cherries are rattling ripe. We've been thence unlucky amongst critters eating our cherries that nosotros tend to pick them earlier they're fully ripe. This year, we've had no problems amongst critters. (Frankly, it makes me wonder what happened to the raccoons.) It's been wonderful to permit the cherries become to their total dark maroon ripeness both for canning too for eating similar a shot from the tree. I can't think ever tasting cherries thence candy sweet.
Also inwards yesterday's canning extravacanza (did y'all come across what I did there?), I made elementary Cherries inwards Syrup. Oh yum.
It's a recipe from this book from America's Test Kitchen.
It's stupidly elementary to make. Here's how y'all exercise it: Combine 2 1/4 cups of saccharide amongst 2 1/4 cups of H2O inwards a large pot. Bring to a boil. Add 3 pounds of pitted cherries, too supply to a boil. Boil briefly (I permit mine boil for ane minute), too and then withdraw from heat. Using a slotted spoon, charge cherries into pint jars, gently pressing to fill upwardly jars too withdraw air bubbles. When jars are full, ladle syrup over them to cover.
From that point, y'all tin either locomote on amongst lids, rings, too boiling H2O bathroom (15 minutes for pint jars, making adjustments for elevation), or y'all tin but refrigerate them. But here's the thing: at that spot was leftover syrup, too it was much also pretty to throw out. It's essentially a elementary syrup flavored amongst cherries, too thence I filled some other pint jounce amongst exactly the syrup too set it inwards the fridge. Then, afterward inwards the evening, I used it to brand cherry Bee's Knees cocktails. I made them using the same recipe, but substituted the cherry syrup for the lavander bloom syrup, too voila! What a pretty drink! And nosotros liked it! It was tempting to drib a cherry inwards there, but nah.
After dinner, nosotros popped opened upwardly ane of the jars of cherries too had it over vanilla H2O ice cream. Honestly, y'all should survive careful. You could overstep away eating this. Death yesteryear vanilla H2O ice cream...with cherries...wouldn't that survive horrible? Where exercise I sign up?
Oh wait...did I exactly skip over dinner? Well, I tried something novel finally night, too this was actually good. This is a Marinated Vegetable Cheese Sandwich amongst Sun-dried Tomato Pesto.
Our finally CSA part had some of the items featured inwards this sandwich: zucchini, lettuce, too basil. The recipe calls for arugula, but I used our CSA lettuce. (Also, I used the zucchini from our ain plants. The CSA zucchini is waiting its turn.) While I was waiting for things to procedure during my canning session yesterday, I got these vegetables going inwards their marinade, too I made upwardly the pesto. Then, nosotros grilled the veggies too the breadstuff too made upwardly the sandwiches finally night. We're inwards the middle of a hot spell correct now, too these were tasty on a hot day. You tin find the recipe correct here along amongst a improve motion-picture exhibit of the sandwiches.
But let's acquire dorsum to the morning, shall we? (It's e'er advisable to utter nearly dessert first, y'all know.) When I had the canning done, I took off for the grocery store. (Grocery shopping was surprisingly painless yesterday.) When I got habitation too had things set away, I did a piddling housework too iced my human knee for expert measure. By too then it was fourth dimension to pick upwardly piddling Sadie from the vet. Poor thing...she had to accept iv toofies pulled. All lower ones, but 3 were chewing teeth.
Poor Sadie. She got off to a stone oil start inwards life. She's doing fine after all that. In fact, if I didn't know for sure too sure she'd had this done, I'd never jurist it. She seems similar her onetime self. We're limiting her to soft foods for the side yesteryear side calendar week or so, but she's eating well, running around, cadging for pets, too kicking the beehive otherwise known every bit "Smitty." She acts every bit if she doesn't accept a assist inwards the world.
It was a warm solar daytime yesterday, too thence the kitties were hanging out inwards the basement when I got her home. It's the coolest identify on a warm day.
Smitty finds her rattling entertaining. He exactly watches her antics too acts grumpy when she assaults him.
Nevertheless, he missed her yesterday, too they bumped noses when she got home.
In yesterday's mail, the Pomona's Pectin I've been waiting for finally arrived. Possibly I'm the finally somebody on globe who hasn't heard of Pomona's, but it was novel to me. I know folks who brand depression saccharide jams, but y'all know me...I desire it amongst twice the saccharide too all the caffeine. Anyway...some of the newer recipes I'm trying for jams too jellies telephone call upwardly for this product, too thence I'm using it for the commencement fourth dimension today.
I'll survive using this today to brand Sweet Cherry Balsamic Jam. Since I've never had the pleasance of thence many cherries to locomote with, I'm trying lots of dissimilar recipes too this is exactly ane of them. Balsamic vinegar tin survive cooked downward to survive rattling sweet, too it's frequently used inwards desserts. (I learned this from Giada DeLaurentiis when she used to exercise her Italian cooking exhibit on Food Network.) So piece it mightiness appear foreign to add together balsamic vinegar to jam, I accept an thought this mightiness survive rattling tasty. I'll accept to permit y'all know.
Also on today's cherry agenda are Black Forest Preserves, which are cherry preserves amongst the add-on of cocoa. The folks on the Food inwards Jars website are raving nearly cherry jams too preserves amongst cocoa added. The ane I'm trying today uses regular liquid pectin too gives the pick of adding a 1/4 loving cup of amaretto. If y'all don't desire alcohol inwards yours, y'all tin substitute 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract. Tomorrow I'll survive trying some other ane that uses cinnamon too a pinch of cayenne instead of amaretto. I asked folks which ane they preferred, too it was a pretty much fifty-fifty 50-50 split. Guess I accept my locomote cutting out for me if I accept to create upwardly one's heed for myself. Tomorrow's recipe is from the Pomona's website, too thence it also uses the Pomona's pectin.
Also inwards yesterday's mail, my friend Sherry sent me some bluish floss she thought mightiness check the ane I've run out of. AND information technology DOES!!! HOORAY!!! I was thence excited, I stitched upwardly those words correct away when I opened the envelope yesterday. It was almost every bit if I were afraid it would skid away from me again. Thank you, Sherry, you've saved me from quilt block doom.
If I accept fourth dimension today, I'll exercise some to a greater extent than locomote on this. It's pretty some existence finished. I accept plenty of bluish floss to complete upwardly this block, but I'll switch to the DMC for the residual of the blocks. The colouring is unopen plenty that no ane volition survive the wiser...except you, thence mum's the word, right?
Okay, thence we're inwards a estrus advisory hither inwards Portland correct now. Those of y'all inwards hotter parts of the province volition sniff at our sub-100° estrus advisory, but it feels pretty hot to us. I desire to leave of absence commencement affair too exercise my watering this morning, but too then I'll acquire dorsum to the cherries. Hopefully, I'll accept some fourth dimension to acquire dorsum to my quilting too.
Before I go, I wanted to part this video someone shared on the Food inwards Jars site yesterday. So cute. It surely encapsulates, musically, the best parts of canning. The flavor is exactly getting started, too I'm excited to set "summer inwards a jar" correct hither inwards my ain home. If y'all can't come across the video, too then click correct here. It'll plough over y'all a experience expert moment.
I'm adopting this every bit my personal anthem. Time to acquire going. The Sun is rising, too it's non getting whatever cooler outside.