Freaky Food Friday - Strawberry Rhubarb Jam, Pomegranate Jelly, Apple Butter

Hey everyone.  With fall approaching the fruit harvests are coming in.  So I thought I'd share a few of my favorite recipes of what to do with that fruit.  The first is two variations on my mom's Strawberry Rhubarb Jam.  The second is a recipe I heard about recently that I hope to try very soon.  The third is something my mom used to make regularly as well.

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

11/2 cups crushed strawberries

13/4 cups ground rhubarb

¼ cup lemon juice

1 box MCP Pectin

1 cup Karo Corn Syrup  (Momma used the white Karo syrup)

41/2 cups Sugar

 

Prepare Fruit.  Add pectin and stir to dissolve completely.  Let set

30 minutes stirring frequently.  Add corn syrup and stir.

Add sugar slowly, stir well to dissolve, box & freeze. 

Recipe says freeze and use within 6 months.  (We frequently kept the jam for over a year without noticing any deterioration in the jam. )

 

 

 

 

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam made with SUREJELL

 

Smash Strawberries and grind Rhubarb 1 cup of each

2 cups of prepared fruit

4 cups of Sugar

¾ cup water

1 box SUREJELL Pectin

 

Thoroughly mix sugar into fruit, let stand for 10 minutes.

THEN:

Mix water and pectin in small pan, bring to full boil and

boil 1 minute stirring constantly.  Stir into fruit.  Stir for three minutes. 

Some sugar crystals may remain.  Ladle into scalded containers. 

Lid and let stand on counter for 24 hours; then store in freezer.

Pomegranate Jelly

4 cups pomegranate juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 package powdered pectin
5 cups white cane sugar
You'll also need:


6-7 Eight ounce canning jars

METHOD

1 Make the Juice. There are two basic ways to make pomegranate juice from fresh pomegranates. The first is to cut open a pomegranate and submerge it in a large bowl filled with water. Remove the seeds underwater; they will sink to the bottom while the white membrane holding them together will float. Discard the peel and membranes. Strain the seeds and put them in a blender. Pulse the blender only a few times so that the seeds are broken up. Place a mesh strainer over a bowl and pour the seed mixture through the strainer. Use a rubber spatula to help press the pulp against the strainer as to extract as much juice as possible.

The second way to juice a pomegranate is to use a juice press. I have an old fashioned press that I use. I wash the pomegranate and cut it into quarters or halves, depending on how big the pomegranate is. I then crush the sections with a press and strain the juice through a mesh strainer. I have found that this method takes half the time or less of the first method, but the flavor can be a little more bitter because you are squeezing the peel as well.

2 Prepare canning jars. Seep the clean, empty canning jars in boiling water for several minutes. Boil a few cups of water in a separate kettle and pour over the lids in a small bowl to sterilize.

3 Measure pomegranate juice and lemon juice in a 6-quart pan. Add pectin, stir and place over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Reach a full rolling boil, that cannot be stirred down, and add sugar. Boil hard for exactly 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand for a minute and skim off foam.

4 Fill jars to 1/2" of the top. Wipe rims clean. Screw on 2-piece lids.

5 Finish canning. This step you need to take if you plan to keep the jelly unrefrigerated. Place the jelly jars, not touching, on a rack in a tall pot of boiling water. The water should cover the top of the jars by at least an inch. Boil for 5 minutes and then remove from the water. Let the jars cool. Check seals, the lids should be sucked down (you'll hear a popping noise as the jelly cools). Once the jars reach room temperature, put them in the refrigerator for a few hours to complete the jellying. Lasts about 3 weeks once opened.

Yield - 6-7 cups.

(My friend who introduced me to this uses pomegranate juice from the store rather than juicing the pomegranates herself. I intend to try this once I'm in my own place.)

Apple Butter

• 5 1/2 pounds apples - peeled, cored and finely chopped
• 4 cups white sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Place the apples in a slow cooker. In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Pour the mixture over the apples in the slow cooker and mix well.
2. Cover and cook on high 1 hour.
3. Reduce heat to low and cook 9 to 11 hours, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and dark brown.
4. Uncover and continue cooking on low 1 hour. Stir with a whisk, if desired, to increase smoothness.
5. Spoon the mixture into sterile containers, cover and refrigerate or freeze.