Archive for August, 2009

August - cottage - corn. A trio of pleasures.

When we  - six friends on an island in Lake Temagami- tired of snuffling off the butter-soaked, salt and pepper-seasoned kernels we sought another way to maximize corn season. Not that we really did tire of fresh corn, but cornbread is almost as good as corn on the cob. We were ready for variety.

For the recipe, our cottage host has a favourite bread cookbook that among its loaves boasted only one non yeast-raised bread. Cornbread. The book is an award-winning one, The Bread Bakers Apprentice, Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread, by author, teacher Peter Reinhart (Ten Speed Press, 2001). 

The recipe called for including a half pound of fried bacon as part of the recipe. But, as we were looking to use the cornbread as an accompaniment to grilled steak, we skipped the bacon, and frankly, don't think this cornbread needs it. Cheese is another cornbread issue. In recent years, a great number of cornbreads include cheese among the ingredients - not this one, and I add that the quickbread, moist, crunchy with a goodly amount of kernels, is just fine as cornbread. It's more than more-ish warm from the oven, as is on its own the next day, or later  sliced and toasted. You can also enjoy it unembellished with cheese, eggs, roast chicken, baked ham, smoked pork chops, grilled lamb or pork chops, pork tenderloin, and it's not bad at all, with butter and honey and a few slices of crisp bacon or peameal bacon.

Cornbread

Herewith, the last hit of August and summer, the cottage cornbread, adapted from the orginal. I used coarsely ground cornmeal purchased in bulk from Rube's in Toronto's south St. Lawrence Market, but regular supermarket cornmeal works just fine. In the winter or off-corn season, use frozen corn kernels,measuring, then letting the kernels thaw and drain before adding to the batter. 

2 tbsp (30 mL) canola or olive oil

1 cup (250 mL) coarse cornmeal

2 cups (500 mL) buttermilk

1-3/4 cup (425 mL) all-purpose flour, unbleached if available

1/4 cup (50 mL) each granulated sugar and packed brown sugar

4-1/2 tsp (22 mL) baking powder

1 tsp (5 mL) salt

1/4 tsp (1 mL) baking soda

3 tbsp (45  mL) butter, melted

2 tbsp (30 mL) liquid honey

3 large eggs at room temperature

2-1/2 cups (625 mL) fresh corn kernels (from 2 large cobs)

. Pour oil into a 13- x 9-inch (3.5 mL) metal baking pan; brush oil over bottom and sides of pan. Set pan aside.

. Stir cornmeal with buttermilk; let stand in refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or up to 12 hours. Let come to room temperature while preparing the remaining ingredients.

. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated and brown sugars, baking powder, salt and baking soda. You may need to use your fingers to mix in the brown sugar. Set aside. 

.In a separate large bowl, blend butter and honey; whisk in the eggs, then the cornmeal mixture. Pour over the dry ingredients; stir briefly to incorporate the wet into the dry. Sprinkle the corn over the surface; stir just long enough to blend.

. Meanwhile, place the oiled baking pan in the centre of a 350°F (180°) oven; heat for 8 minutes. Scrape the corn batter into the hot pan.

. Return to the oven and bake until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean and the edges are crunchy golden, about 30 minutes.

. Let cool slightly before slicing and serving. If desired, loosen the edges of the pan. Place a rack over the top of the pan and gripping the rack and pan firmly using potholders to protect your hands, turn the cornbread over. Transfer to a cutting board to serve. 

. Makes 12 servings.

Tip: To cut the kernels from the cobs, use a sharp knife and expect a few flying kernels. Cut as close too the cob as there is creamy juice.

Use your fingers to break apart the chunks of kernels.

Well, I do. And I don't apologize. Nor do I eat them with knife and fork. Ribs are best eaten holding the ends of the bones in two hands, and gnawing off the meat, like corn off the cob. Not pretty.

The consuming is idealy done with friends or family who love you no matter how you look when you're eating, and might well be restricted to summer occasions when we can eat outdoors, and be a bit more casual than usual.

It was at a relaxed cottage weekend when I first enjoyed these Greek-inspired lemony ribs and since then, I've twice managed to work them into friends-over occasions. They are so simple to make - no marinating, no presteaming to soften the meat, no gucky sauce to overwhelm the delicious pork flavour, intensified and more delicious at the bone. Just really good, and very more-ish.

Barbecued Ribs - Greek Style

It's worth getting the best quality meaty back ribs you can for this dish.

1/3 cup (75 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice 

1/3 cup (75 mL) olive oil

1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt

1/2 tsp (2 mL) freshly ground black pepper

3/4 tsp (4 mL)  dried crumbled oregano

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 racks back ribs

. In a jar with a tight lid, shake together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano and garlic. While the mixture is still combined, pour out about 1/4 cup (50 mL) into a small bowl.

. Heat barbecue to low; brush grill with vegetable oil. Place ribs, boney side down and grill until meat starts to colour, about 20 minutes. Brush top-facing meaty side of racks with half of the  lemon juice mixture in the bowl. Turn; brush  boney side with remaining lemon juice mixture from the bowl.

. The secret is grilling slowly, very slowly, turning the ribs until succulent, crisp on the edges and golden brown. Check with the tip of a paring knife to check that the meat is done by the bone. The ribs generally take about 45 to 50 minutes. Keep the heat at low. No rushing these ribs.

. Transfer ribs from the grill to a large clean cutting board.

.With a firm action and a good chefs knife, cut rack into single ribs (see top photo).

. Place ribs in a large bowl. Shake the jar of lemon mixture; pour over the ribs, tossing the ribs as you pour so they're all evenly coated with the lemon mixture.

. Serve and enjoy. Should serve 6, but usually keeps 4 silent, munching and happy. 

Tip: you can increase the racks and lemon mixture for a larger number of rib lovers.

By the basket? By the pound? When it comes to peaches in the fruit belt regions of Ontario like the Niagara Peninsula and the Lake Erie shores, you can indeed buy peaches by the pound, but at markets and in most local supermarket, peaches come by the basket, often crowding up over the top.

Roadside stands like this one on Lincoln Avenue in Grimsby, Ontario has a trusting policy. You pick up your fuit and/or vegetables and put your money in the box.

The baskets are the same for apples, pears and plums, and now mostly hold 2 L or 3 L. Gone are the hot August days when peach lovers lugged home bushels, pecks and more commonly 11 and 6 quart baskets to can, make jam, fruit chili sauce, chutneys and frozen peach slices. It seems that the peaches are now going home to be eaten - out of hand with a towel handy to catch the drips - or in family favourite pies, cobblers, compotes or simply and deliciously sliced over ice cream. A drizzle of honey optional.

There are two very important things to know about peaches. Number 1: Ripeness. A bit of a catch 22 situation as peaches are divine when tender, - "pinch-ripe" according to William Morris. I defy anyone to find "pinch-ripe" peaches in a supermarket. Orchardists know that for their peaches to make the journey to supermarket shelves, they have to be picked firm and slightly underripe. Sans fragrance. For peaches of this texture and with peachy aroma, a trip to a pick-your-own farm is in order. Or a few tricks up your sleeve to turn firm peaches into ones that "give" with the tenderest of pressure.

Number 2: Fuzz. Get over it. The peach's downy cover is one of its most alluring characteristic. Once a peach is washed, the fuzz flattens and shouldn't interefere with peach enjoyment. However, enough consumers are bothered by the fuzz that some growers buff off the fuzz - and as you can imagine, the peaches have to be very firm in order to withstand the buffing so chances are defuzzed peaches will be on the underripe side. Hence the need for ripening.

Buffin/defuzzing g brings out the colour of the skin.

Ripening Peaches

Set peaches out in a single layer on a tray - lined with a cloth if desired. Place the tray on the counter away from the sun and let the peaches soften and loose any green near the stem. This will take 2 to 3 days. Once peaches "give" to a slight pressure, eat them, use them for baking or if you have to, store in the fridge for a couple of days. The whole point of peaches, though, is to pick,peel and eat.

Peeling Peaches:

If peaches are properly ripe, all you need to do to peel them is to start at the stem end, and with a paring knife, get under an edge of the skin and pull it off. You will need about 6 pulls to completely disrobe the peach. If you are doing a vast number of peaches, it's faster to place the peaches in a pan, cover them with boiling water until skins are very loose, about 10 seconds, use a slotted spoon to remove them to a bowl of cold water and then to a tray to peel. If you are doing only about a dozen or so peaches, and your peaches are ripe, pulling off the skin is the way to go. If you have to peel a peach like an apple, it is underripe or an import - or both. And shouldn't cross your lips. 

Schnitz Peach Pie

My mother, Olive Davis - and her sister Bessie Babb and Helen Harris, Perth County farm girls all, knew how to make pies. Over the spring, summer and fall a succession of "schnitz" pies came out of their ovens, starting with rhubarb, moving onto peaches and plums and finishing off with the fruit most people associate with a crumble topping and creamy filling, apples. Having to choose one fruit over the other or to pick which sister was the best pie maker would be just too stressful, each fruit is glorious in its own season, each baker talented. But since it's peach season, and I am my mother's daughter, here's the pie that said company-for-supper in my mother's August  kitchen.

Single Crust Sour Cream Pastry (see below)

2/3 cup (150 mL) packed light brown sugar

3 tbsp (45 mL) all-purpose flour

Tiny pinch salt

2 tbsp (30 mL) cold butter, diced

6 large ripe peaches

2 tsp (10 mL) fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup (50 mL) whipping cream

1 large egg yolk

1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground cinnamon

. On a pastry cloth or flour-dusted work surface, roll pastry out to 11-inch (27 cm) circle. Do not trim edges. Roll up on rolling pin and unroll over deep 9-inch (23 cm) pie plate. Without stretching, ease pastry into pie shell. Using kitchen shears, trim edge to within 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) of rim of pie plate; fold overhang under pastry on rim. Flute  pastry on the rim, or press gently with fork to create a pattern.  Refrigerate this pie shell while making the filling.

. In a medium bowl, use fork to blend the sugar, flour and salt. Add the butter and cut in with fork to make a crumbly mixture. Spoon about a third of this crumble into pie shell. 

. Peel, halve and pit peaches. Cut each half into 3 wedges. Arrange wedges on crumble in pie shell - concentric circles recommended. Drizzle with lemon juice.

. In measuring cup, whisk cream and egg yolk; pour over peaches. Sprinkle with remaining crumble mixture; dust with cinnamon.

. Bake in bottom third of 425°F (220°C) oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 375°F (190°) and bake until pastry is golden brown underneath, peaches are tender and crumble is golden, about 35 to 40 minutes.

. Let cool on rack and serve within 4 hours. If you have any leftover, cover and refrigerate. But remember that pie from the fridge is never as good as fresh.

. Makes 8 servings. 

Edythe Diebel, daughter of Helen Harris, cousin and excellent cook, cuts into her version of peach schnitz pie - note the thick slices of peaches.

Single Crust Sour Cream Pastry

1-1/4 cups (300 mL) all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt

1/4 cup (50 mL) cold butter, cubed

1/4 cup (50 mL) cold lard, cubed (or butter, but lard gives the flakiest crust)

2 tbsp (30 mL) ice water (approx) 

4 tsp (20 mL)  sour cream

. In medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Sprinkle butter over flour mixture; cut in with pastry blender until mixture is crumbly with a few visible pieces of butter about the size of small peas. 

. In measuring cup, whisk together  the 2 tbsp (30 mL)  water and sour cream; scrape over dry ingredients. With a fork, toss wet and dry together, adding a few drops ice water if necessary to moisten the dry ingredients. The dough will look ragged at this stage.

. Press dough into disk; wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 40 minutes. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 2 days. Let come to room temperature before rolling.)

. Makes enough for 1 single -crust 9-inch (23 cm) pie.

Peach Galette 

Free-form pies are always the centre of attention. There's something about the edge of the pastry pulled up over the filling that gives the impression that skill is needed, when in fact, this method of holding in the fruit is something everyone can do. Ice cream with the pie is de rigueur. 

2-1/2 cups (625 mL) all-purpose flour

2 tbsp (30 mL) granulated sugar

1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt

3/4 cup (175 mL) cold butter, cubed

3/4 cup (175 mL) ice water

Filling:

1/2 cup (125 mL) granulated sugar

1/4 cup (50 mL) all-purpose flour

7 cups (1.75 L) peeled thickly sliced ripe peaches, about 8

1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice 

1/4 cup (50 mL) crushed amaretti cookies or vanilla wafers

1 tbsp (15 mL) cold butter

Glaze and Topping:

1 egg yolk

1 tbsp (15 mL) water

2 tbsp (30 mL) granulated sugar

3 tbsp (45 mL) apricot jam, heated and strained

. Have ready a piece of parchment paper 20- x 15-inch (50 x 38 cm). Set out a 12- to 14-inch (30 to 35 cm) pizza pan or large rimless baking sheet. 

. Meanwhile, in large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar and salt; using pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture is in large crumbs. 

. Drizzle ice water over dry ingredients, tossing them together with a fork to create a ragged dough. Gather into a ball, then into a disk; wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Let soften slightly before rolling.)

Filling: In large bowl whisk together sugar and flour. Add peaches and lemon juice, turning them in bowl to coat evenly with sugar mixture; set aside.

. Sprinkle parchment paper with flour. Using floured rolling pin, roll out pastry on paper into a 17-inch (43 cm) circle, leaving edges ragged. As the pastry will extend over two sides of the paper, dust the counter with flour to keep the pastry from sticking. Slide paper onto pizza pan,

. Sprinkle pastry with cookie crumbs leaving 3-inch (7.5 cm) border uncovered. Spoon filling evenly over crumbs; dot with butter. Lift pastry up over filling to form 11-inch (27.5 cm) circle, letting pastry fall nautrually into folds around the edge and leaving center uncovered. 

. Glaze: Beat yolk with water. Brush over exposed pastry. Sprinkle with sugar.

. Bake in bottom third of 425 °F (220°C) oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F (180°C)  and bake until peaches are tender, filling is bubbling and crust is golden, about 50 minutes. 

. Let cool on pan. Brush filling with jelly. (Make-ahead: Store at room temperature for up to 6 hours.)

. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

At a recent good-friends dinner party, our host Monica Gray served a magnificent ragout of lamb (somehow I can't bring myself to say "stew" when it comes to something that's as delicious as her braised lamb) on a bed of barley. There was an audible excitement around the table, part surprised talk, part the smacking of lips. How novel. Not rice, not potatoes, not polenta, not noodles, not even couscous, bulgar or baguette - something altogether more interesting and delish. Barley.

From bottom left, hulled pot barley, top is pearled barley with outer bran polished off and right bottom, stone ground barley flour

Reputed to be the world's longest cultivated grain, barley was the grain of choice for thousands of years. Alas, the grain fell out of favour a few hundreds of years ago in much of the richer more fertile and populated parts of the world - in China, rice became the number # grain.  In Europe, rye and the ascent of wheat linked to a preference for lighter whiter breads rather than heavier darker barley bread pushed barley to the geographic perifery of the continent - to Scotland and Wales, for example, where barley grew more reliably than other grains. There barley has lived on in soups, flat breads, breakfast cereal - and in the production of beer and scotch. Most of Canada's barley goes to livestock feed. For most Canadians, and I'm not counting the barley that goes into beer, barley is simply not everyday.

But back to dinner, if barley is darn good, why is it neglected? Does it need a little promo? I'm willing to bet good money that all five of the couples at Monica Gray's table went out and bought a bag of the grain. Barley has such good bones. It's healthy - high in soluble and non soluble fibre, tasty in a toasty granary way, like rice goes with just about everything the refrigerator can throw at it, not expensive and what pushes it over the top- it has texture. Firm, but not al dente in the Italian risotto  way, with a lovely little bounce, yet tender. Some say agreeably squishy.

Could it be that cooks think barley takes too long to cook? Anywhere from 25 to 45 minutes. Yes, it takes longer than a microwave snack, couscous or instant mac and cheese. But, not really a long time to simmer- about the time of parboiled rice, a tad longer than new potatoes. Is it hard to find? Well, maybe - bags of barley - there are two kinds usually available and virtually interchangeable when it comes to the dish - pot barley with only the hull removed is a little longer to cook, and pearl with the outer bran polished off so the kernels appear 'pearled" occupy a tiny bit of a shelf beside the dried beans, lentils and chick peas. You need to be a scratch cook to know where to find barley in the supermarket. But bulk stores and health food stores are a reliable source of barley, and in some, you can even find barley flour - an interesting addition to breakfast pancakes.

Enough talk. Do try barley  in soup as the Scots do, make it into a risotto or pilaf with Mediterranean accents. Replace some of the hard or all-purpose wheat flour in pancakes, muffins, scones and up to 25% of the volume in yeast-raised bread with barley flour.  And certainly make barley the basis of summer salads.  In salads, barley is way better than pasta - doesn't drink up all the dressing and  go flacid and bloated after a few hours, is an improvement on rice simply by staying moist and tender, and best, will impress your friends and family with your discovery of a brand new albeit antique grain that could use a little recognition. 

Barley Salad with Red Onion and Feta

Ideal for a summer lunch, perhaps on a weekend menu, try to leave extras to pack for lunches during the week. The peas in the photo are shelled - ready-for-the-pot peas increasingly available in produce sections of chain stores, and in specialty stores.

2/3 cup (150 mL) pearl or pot barley

2 cups (500 mL) water (approx) 

3/4 tsp (4 mL) salt

1 cup (250 mL) cooked fresh peas, or thawed frozen peas

3/4 cup (175 mL) diced sweet red pepper

1/2 cup (125 mL) diced red onion or sliced green onions

2/3 cup (150 mL) crumbled feta cheese (3 oz/100 g)

2 tbsp (30 mL) shredded fresh spearmint leaves or basil

3 tbsp (45 mL) extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp (15 mL) white wine vinegar or cider vinegar

1/4 tsp (1 mL) freshly ground pepper

12 inner leaves of Romaine or softer Boston Lettuce

. In a medium saucepan, bring barley, water and 1/2 tsp (2 mL) of the salt to boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until barley is tender, and water mostly absorbed, about 25 minutes. Check near end of cooking time to see if barley needs a little extra water. Drain if necessary and transfer to a large bowl. Toss with a fork and set aside to cool.

. Add peas, red pepper, red onion, feta, mint, oil, vinegar, pepper and remaining salt. Toss gently to combine. Let stand for a few minutes for flavours to blend. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 day. Taste and reseason if necessary.)

. Arrange lettuce in shallow pasta bowls. Spoon salad into cupped portion of lettuce. 

. Makes 4 servings.

Tip: There are many possibilities for the cheese - shredded old Gouda, ricotta salata or extra old Cheddar or cubed Asiago. Feel free to chop in some cherry tomatoes too if you are eating the salad within an hour of its completion. 

Barley Buttermilk Pancakes with Honey Butter

Barley flour, available in bulk, health and some supermarkets add a nutty flavour to weekend pancakes. I like to dress up a stack of pancakes with sliced strawberries or peaches or a generous scoop of  blueberries or raspberries - in addition to the Honey Butter.

1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour

1/2 cup (125 mL) barley flour

1 tsp (5 mL) each baking powder and baking soda

1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt

2 large eggs

1 tbsp (15 mL) creamed or liquid honey

2 cups (500 mL) buttermilk

2 tbsp (30 mL) canola oil

Honey Butter:

3 tbsp (45 mL) soft butter

1 tbsp (15 mL) creamed or liquid honey 

Pinch cinnamon

. In large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose and barley flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

. In separate bowl, whisk 1 of the eggs with honey until smooth. Whisk in remaining egg, buttermilk and oil. Pour over the dry ingredients, whisking or stirring just until batter is smooth. 

. Heat skillet or griddle over medium heat; brush with canola oil. Using a 1/4 cup (50 mL) dry measuring cup, pour batter into the skillet. When bubbles rise up in the batter, burst but do not fill in, after about 2 minutes, turn over and cook the other side of the pancakes until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter and oil as needed. 

Ready to turn

. Honey Butter: Meanwhile, in a medium bowl with a fork, mash together the butter, honey and cinnamon. Spoon over hot pancakes.

. Makes 12 pancake, 4 servings.

Bob's Red Mill brand has a wide selection of grains and baking products, now distributed in some supermarkets as well as specialty stores.

Mushroom Barley Pilaf

A number of chefs know and use barley - they're always pushing the envelope when it comes to a tasty blend of novelty and good food. Example?  The exuberant handlebar-mustachioed Massimo Capra of Mistura, the Food Network and cookery book introduced me to barley risotto a number of years ago. For restaurant service his trick was to precook the kernels to plump but still firm stage. Then when the order came in for barley risotto, he's start a little saute of oil and aromatics, add the barley and heat it to steaming and tenderness with a little stock and send it to the table with a flurry of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Then, a few years back when Monica Gray and I went mushroom hunting with naturalist extraordinaire Bob Bowles at Severn Lodge near Georgian Bay, the Lodge's chef Hubert Obermeier served what is essentially a pilaf - no continuous stirring as with risotto - with grilled tuna. Here's my version of Obermeier's delicious barley dish you can serve with your choice of grilled or roasted fish, chicken, lamb or pork chops, beef or duck. 

1/4 cup (50 mL) butter 

1 onion,or 2 shallots, diced

1/4 tsp (1 mL) each salt and freshly ground pepper

1 cup (250 mL) pearl or pot barley

2 cups (500 mL) chicken stock or vegetables stock

4 cups (1 L) chopped mushrooms, about 12 oz (375 g)

1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice (approx)

2 tbsp (30 mL) minced fresh parsley

. In medium saucepan with heavy bottom, melt half of the butter over medium heat. Add onion, salt and pepper; cook, sirring until onion is softened, about 4 minutes. 

. Stir in barley; cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add stock and 1-1/2 cups (375 mL) water; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer just until barley is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 30 to 40 minutes.  Remove from heat; let stand for 5 minutes.

. Meanwhile in a large skillet, melt remaining butter over medium high heat. Add mushrooms and saute, stirring occasionally, until no liquid remains and mushrooms have started to colour golden brown, about 8 minutes.

. Scrape mushrooms and any pan liquid over the barley; sprinkle with lemon juice. With fork, toss gently; taste and add more lemon juice is you like. Sprinkle with parsley.

. Makes 4 generous servings.

Tip: Shiitaki caps have the most flavour of all supremarket-available fresh mushrooms.  

It would be tough, stranded on a dessert island,  to have to limit myself to only 3 different kinds of jam. Choice 1 -  Summer Berry Jam with raspberries, strawberries and two other fruits such as cherries and red currants: Choice 2 - Ruby Red Grapefruit or Seville Orange Marmalade: Choice 3: Golden Plum and Apricot, edging out pure apricot by a nose.   

Last August, when both apricots and cheeky little yellow plums with a pinkish red blush arrived at the St. Lawrence Market I bought a basket of each and made my first batch of this combo. It was so beautiful, a warm golden colour with chunks of apricot and smooth background of plum, so magnificent in flavour, a blend of the perfumy apricot and tart plum, with a very appealing texture. Not the stiff set you get from purchased pectin, but a soft set, thanks to the pectin rich plums. This sort of preserve spoons divinely over croissants, bagels and cream cheese, ice cream, yogurt - you name it - even as a glaze for loin of pork or chicken, or a fresh fruit tart.

Beforehand Notes

. Heating the Jars: Before starting to cook your jam, place 7 (8 oz/250 mL) canning jars in the rack of a boiling water canner. (I also like to heat a few small canning jars in case there's not enough jam to fill one of the larger canning jars. I often add a small jar I don't intent to water bath so as to have a small "tester" I can store in the fridge and savour its contents within three weeks.) Pour in enough water to come about two-thirds of the way up the side of the canner. Cover, and when the jam has been boiling for about 5 mniutes, start to heat the water in the canner. By the time the jams is ready, the jars will be hot. Remove the jars with canning tongs and set upright on a tray before filling.

The canning tongs, centre, grip canning jars securely and are the one piece of canning equipment I deem absolutely essential. Hardware stores are a good source of canning equipement, including canning jars designed for holding preserves..

. Preparing the Lids: Always use new lids. Supplies are available in hardware stores and supermarkets. Place the lids in a heatproof bowl. About 5 minutes before filling the jars, cover lids with hot tap water. There's no need to boil them, or to heat the bands.

. Testing for Set: Place 2 small plates in the freezer before starting the jam. These are for testing the setting point of the jam.

. The Boiling Water Bath: 

. You need to boil all cooked jams in a water bath. This step, sometimes called "processing" pretty much a guarantee that your preserves, the ones you spend all that money and time  making, will last a year without spoiling. If you don't have a large blue speckled enamel water bath with specially designed rack that holds, lowers and raises the jars before and after processing, you can improvise with a large deep pot and a rack on the bottom that keeps the jars away from the intense heat at the bottom of the pot. The pot should be deep enough that there is an inch or two (2.5 to 5 cm) of boiling water over the top of the jars being processed. Space jars so that they do not touch each other.

Golden Plum and Apricot Jam

For the jam you will need to buy about 12 golden plums (1-1/4 lb/625 g) and about 20 small apricots, 1-1/4 lb (625 g). If buying fruit by the basket, check the fruit carefully as rainy weather in some fruit-growing regions has resulted in softer fruit that spoils quickly. When you get a basket of fruit home, remove fruit from the basket and set on a tray in a single layer. If the fruit needs a little more ripening time, leave the tray on the counter away from the sun. As soon as the fruit gives to a light touch, refrigerate and use as soon as possible. 

Note that the plums and apricots are not peeled.

4 cups (1 L) thickly sliced pitted golden/yellow plums

4 cups (1 L) quartered pitted apricots

1/3 cup (75 mL) water

1 large lemon

6 cups (1.5 L) granulated sugar

. Place plums, apricots and water in a large heavy bottomed Dutch oven. 

. Scrub and rinse lemon; roll firmly on counter to loosen juice. Squeeze out juice and strain juice onto fruit. Remove any seeds lurking in the lemon halves and nestle both halves into the fruit mixture.

. Place over medium heat and bring liquid to a simmer. Cover; reduce heat to low and cook very gently until the fruit has softened slightly, but is not mushy, about 10 minutes. Stir once or twice and peek as necessary to see that the liquid has not evaporated.

. Stir in the sugar. Increase heat to high. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil hard, stirring constantly, until the boiling jam appears less frothy, starts to clear and thicken, about 10 minutes. Now is the time to test for set.

. To test for set, remove jam from heat. Test by dribbling a small spoonful of jam on plate chilled in the freezer. Let stand for a minute; run tip of a spoon through the jam. If surface wrinkles, jam is set. However, if the surface remains liquid, return the plate to the freezer to reuse. Place jam back on the heat and boil, stirring constantly until a satisfactory set has been reached, always using the coldest plate for each test. 

. Remove from heat. Remove lemon halves and let cool. Stir jam for 5 minutes, skimming off any foam with a metal spoon. Squeeze any jam out of lemon halves; stir well into jam. 

. Using a funnel and 1/2 cup (125 mL) metal measuring cup, pour jam neatly into prepared jars (see below), leaving 1/4 inch (5 mm) headspace (canning lingo for space between top of jam and rim). Centre prepared lids on jars. If any jams touches the rim, simply wipe the rim with damp paper towel.) Screw on bands until resistance is met, then tighten to fingertip tight.

. Place jars in rack in canner. Add boiling water if necessary to ensure there's at least 1 inch 2.5 cm) over top of jars. Cover and bring to boil. Boil for 10 minutes. Turn off heat under canner and uncover. When boiling subsides, lift rack and remove jars using canning tongs. Let jars cool on rack.

. The next day, check that all the lids have curved downward - any that don't and aren't sealed properly are an extreme rarity if you've used new lids, canning jars and  been careful filling the jars. In this rare case, simply refrigerate the jam and use within 3 weeks.

Makes 7 jars, each 8 oz (250 mL) jam.

Good jam goes fast!