Ketchup aux Fruits

In Quebec, one of the most beloved relishes is Ketchup aux Fruits. Not smooth nor nearly as red as commercial burger-topping ketchup, Ketchup aux Fruits is more like chili sauce - only with late summer fruits in partnership with tomatoes. It's the sauce every grandmother made, each with her own little variation on the tomato, peach, pear, apple, celery and onion theme.

Ketchup aux Fruits is not the only artisanal fruit product at the market in Quebec City.

Just how a relish that calls for peaches, not a commercial crop in Quebec, came to be so much part of a Quebec culinary repertoire is a mystery. But how good it tastes with tourtiere is no mystery - it's sweet and tangy, with a touch of spice providing a perfect foil to rich pastry and meaty filling.

The other place where Ketchup aux Fruits or Fruit Chili Sauce is a tradition is southern Ontario, a part of the country where peaches from the Niagara are an every summer experience. In both places, visible chunks of fruit are part of the relish's charm. Given that recipes for Fruit Chili Sauce have been being published for decades, it's no surprise to now find this bicultural bilingual recipe shared across Canada.

Here's the recipe that make me think of the jars in my grandmother's fruit cellar on a farm near Mitchell Ontario. The Quebec counterpart may have included celery for texture, possibly using white vinegar and brown sugar. Some even fiddled with the fruit, using plums to replace some of the peaches.  But it all ended up as Ketchup aux Fruits or a good Fruit Chili Sauce.

Ketchup aux Fruits (Fruit Chili Sauce)

8 cup (2 L) peeled chopped ripe tomatoes

2-1/2 cups (625 mL) peeled diced onions

2 cups (500 mL) peeled, pitted and diced peaches or pitted diced  nectarines

2 cups (500 mL) peeled cored and diced pears or apples

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

2 cups (500 mL) cider vinegar

1-1/2 cups (375 mL) granulated sugar

2 tsp (10 mL) salt, regular or sea salt

1/4 cup (50 mL) mixed pickling spice

.  In a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, stir together the tomatoes, onions, peaches, pears and sweet pepper. Stir in the vinegar, granulated sugar and salt. Tie the mixed pickling spice in a 6-inch (25 cm) double thickness square of cheesecloth. Nestle in the pan. 

. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, until thick, the chunks are tender and the liquid is no longer watery, about 1-1/2 hours. Remove the spice bag, pressing its juices back into the pan. 

A wide relatively shallow Dutch oven is perfect for cooking relishes, especially it it's like this one with a thick cast aluminum pad under its bottom.

This is a satisfying thickness. The Ketchup aux Fruits (Fruit Chili Sauce) has boiled down to about two-thirds of its initial volume.

. Pour into prepared 1-cup or 2-cup (250 or 500 mL) preserving jars, leaving 1/2-inch (2 cm) headspace. Seal with prepared discs, and bands. Boil in boiling water canner for 20 minutes. (See Canning Basics below). 

. Makes about 9 cups (2.25 L) Ketchup aux Fruits (Fruit Chili Sauce).

Canning Basics: 

. Ensure that you have enough preserving jars in perfect condition. Wash, rinse and air dry. 

. Always use new lids. Place in a bowl and five minutes before filling jars, cover the lids with hot, not boiling water to soften the sealing compound. 

. Before starting to cook the Ketchup aux Fruits, fill a boiling water canner about two-thirds full; add the preserving jars, letting them fill with water. Cover and start to heat about 30 minutes before preserve is ready to jar. 

. Using canning tongs, move the jars from the canner to a tray beside the stovetop. Increase heat under the canner to bring the water closer to the boil while filling the jars. 

. Using a funnel and a 1/2 cup (125 mL) metal dry measuring cup, fill the jars to within 1/2-inch (1.25 cm) of the top. If you've used the funnel and scoop chances are there won't be any salsa on the rim of the jars. Or, not much. But inevitably, some will slop over; wipe any off using damp paper towel.

This method of filling jars is so much neater than using a ladle, or filling a big pitcher and pouring into the jars.

. Place the prepared discs on the jars, and with a firm but not forced motion, screw on the bands until resistance is met, then tighten just to finger-tip tight. Note the lids in the red bowl in the background. They are covered with hot water.

Canning tongs in action, gripping the jar and its hot contents safely.

. Use canning tongs to transfer the filled jars safely to the rack in the canner. Lower rack into the water. Add more boiling water  if necessary so that the jars are covered by 1 inch (2.5 cm).

. Cover the canner; bring the water to a vigorous boil. Time the boiling from this point. 

. At the end of the boiling time, turn off the heat. Remove the cover and let the boiling subside. Lift the rack and with canning tongs, transfer the jars to a rack or folded thick towel.

. Let stand for a day; wipe, label and check each jar. Properly sealed jars have lids that have curved down. Jars with lids that didn't snap down need to be refrigerated and relished within 3 weeks. But before you think you'll lose half your preserves, note that if you have used new lids, real preserving jars and respected the headspace and sealing gospel given above, it will be extremely rare that a jar doesn't seal properly. 

Almost any early fall fruit or fruit combo makes a fine crisp - ideal for entertaining.

Every once in a while I get a desire for a certain dish.With cool nights and the first golden leaves falling to the sidewalk, my hungry thoughts turn to deep-dish crusty-topped fruit crisps. Kind of fruit is optional - I could never choose one I think is the best - it's a choice based on what's in season at the market -  in my fridge or on the counter.

It was with crisps on my mind when I was planning a shower to honour the daughter, Jennifer and new granddaughter, Lily, of my friend Sandy Hall. (She is the home economist who was so much part of my early cookbooks and recipe testing.) There were to be a dozen around the table for dinner last week and a crisp for dessert just fell naturally into place.

This dessert meets all the criteria of an entertaining dish - you can make it ahead. Simple - a crisp is simplicity itself - no complicated steps or sauces to worry about when you're making the appetizers and mains.  But what's most important is the taste. Even though humble, a crisp never fails to charm guests. People scrape their bowls, then look up, signalling that seconds wouldn't be out of the question. Good vanilla ice cream is de rigueur.

The crisp recipe I use as a guideline comes from The Complete Canadian Living Baking Book, published last year by Transcontinental Books and now in its second printing. I treat the recipe as a template, with substitutions an ongoing option for the filling. What's divine about this recipe is the topping. This is not a crumble with rolled oats, sugar, butter and flour forming soft layer over the fruit. A real crisp has plenty of the soft butter, sugar and flour mixture to create a crunchy roof over the fruit. 

Pear and Cranberry Crisp

With lovely looking Bartlett pears at the market, this crisp is right in season. Since pears are always harvested green and hard, it's wise to buy them ahead of time and let them ripen in a single layer at room temperature. Pears will need 4 to 5 days to change from green to gold and soften enough to give to a light pressure at the base.

Bartlett pears particularly will become maddenly fragrant. Be sure you can stand the temptation. A wise baker buys an extra pear, to satisfy that desire for a fresh pear out of hand, or in case the usual calculation - 1 large pear = 1 cup (250 mL) peeled, cored and sliced pears, falls a bit short. 

6 cups (1.5 L) sliced peeled and cored pears

2 cups (500 mL) fresh or frozen cranberries, halved

1/4 cup (50 mL) liquid honey

1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp (30 mL) all-purpose flour

Crisp Topping:

1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour

3/4 cup (175 mL) packed brown sugar

1/2 cup (125 mL) butter, softened

1/3 cup (75 mL) slivered almonds, optional

. Grease an 8-inch (2 L) squared glass baking dish or other shallow heatproof baking dish with the same capacity; set aside.

. In a large bowl, toss together the pears, cranberries, honey and lemon juice. Sprinkle the surface with flour; toss to coat the fruit evenly.

. Scrape the pear mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish; set aside.

. Crisp Topping: In a separate bowl, blend the flour and brown sugar. Using a fork, mash in the butter until the topping is crumbly. Stir in the almonds, if using. Sprinkle evenly over the pear mixture.

. Bake on a rimmed baking sheet in the centre of a 350°F (180°C) oven until topping is golden brown, pears translucent and the filling bubbling up around the edges, about 1 hour.

. Set on a rack to cool enough to serve, about 45 minutes. (Make-ahead: Let cool completely. Set aside for up to 8 hours. Reheat gently before serving.) 

. Makes 6 servings. 

Apple Crisp

A Canadian classic. The early crop apples available at the market tend to be ones that break down and become saucy in a crisp. By all means, if you like this kind of crisp, go for these harbingers of the Canadian apple harvest. Cortlands, then Golden Delicious and finally Northern Spy are my picks for crisps - but almost any fresh apple will make a just-a-little-more kind of dessert. If you do use a sweeter apple like the Golden Delicious or Gala, up the lemon juice a little to compensate for their lack of pucker power. 

 Make according to the method above using the following filling ingredients: 8 cups (2 L) sliced, peeled and cored apples, 1/4 cup (50 mL) granulated sugar, 2 tbsp (30 mL) all-purpose flour, 1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh lemon juice and 1/2 tsp (2 mL) cinnamon or 1/4 tsp (1 mL) nutmeg. The topping remains the same, although you might like chopped walnut halves instead of the slivered almonds.

Baby Shower Fruit Crisp

Because juicy fruit crisps tend to run over the top of a baking dish, a wise baker sets the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet to catch the drips.

For this dessert, I checked the fruit I had in the fruit basket  -lovely late season peaches, purple prune plums and ripe pears, plus, from the fridge, a combo of wild and cultivated blueberries.  They measured:  7 cups (1.75 L) sliced peaches, 5 cups (1.25 L) sliced plums and 2 cups (500 mL) each blueberries and chopped peeled pears. (All fruit is pitted or cored). I tossed the fruit with 1/2 cup (125 ml) granulated sugar mixed with 1/4 cup (50 mL) all-purpose flour, and 2 tbsp (30 mL) fresh lemon juice and scraped the mixture into a 14-inch (35 cm) oval baking or gratin dish.

For the topping I thought doubling the ingredients was a good idea, but even with my love of crunchy, I had to reduce the quantities to about 1-1/2 the original. So I measured out 1-1/2 cups (375 mL) all-purpose flour, 1-1/4 cups (300 mL) packed brown sugar and 3/4 cup (175 mL) soft butter. 

The crisp required about 1-1/2 hours baking time at 350°F (180°C), and for the first hour, I covered the top of the dish loosely with aluminum foil to prevent the crisp from over browning.

It served the dozen guests easily. Those who didn't have seconds requested take-home plastic containers of crisp for breakfast the next morning.  It's great with yogurt and you can almost imagine that it's healthy. 

For a nectarine and plum crisp, combine 4 cup (1 L) each pitted and sliced nectarines and plums with 1/3 cup (75 mL) packed brown sugar and 2 tbsp (30 mL) all-purpose flour. No need for lemon juice or spices. Use the same topping as for the Pear and Cranberry Crisp.

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!