Cranberry-Pear Compote!

Who: Amy Elizabeth Mucken
What: Canning Seasonal Pears with Fresh Cranberries into a delicious paste!
Where: Our home
When: 11/12/11 - that means it is magical.
Why: Preparing to host a Thanksgiving event at our home, as well as prepare small gifts for special people in our lives
How (& More):


I just finished working 350 hours in one month.  Don't get me started, and I KNOW!  So the first thing I wanted to do after sleeping for three days straight - was get back to crafting.   


Luckily my hankering timed beautifully with the release of SkyRim so my handsome husband, Tiger Reel, was happily occupied on the nearby sofa.   


Fresh pears were still to be found at the Farmer's Market and I bought 12 pounds and had plans to triple the recipe I found on the Simple Bites site.   I still love this site, and have found it to be an amazing source of inspiration.   

I made batch one on 11/12 - I prefer to do it without white sugar, so did a 1 to 1 replacement with honey for the sugar required in the Simple Bites recipe.  It leaves a delicate tanginess to the recipe, but I like it.   I also doubled the cinnamon just to give it a good Holiday Kick!  

Kitchen shot:  Cranberry Pear Compote, Canning Handle, Mitts & Le Creuset utensil holder.  

Cranberry Compote Cooling before the jar-boiling process.  

Into the bath!  

Batch two came out even better - and I look forward to playing with the third batch tomorrow night when my friend Maggie Hollinbeck is in town.    Canning is more fun with friends.  :) 

Brushetta in a Jar

What is not to love about this idea. Aw crap I forgot that I invited the Whozits over tonight. OH! We have "Brushetta in a Jar"! Now this social occasion is fun AND easy again! phew!

This recipe was my 3rd canning attempt and I'm still sticking to the water bath methodology. I went to the Farmer's Market and got 10 pounds of plum tomatoes. The hardest part of this recipe is cutting up 10 pounds of plum tomatoes. But do as I did and work while having SNL in the background - it makes your work more fun and I am pretty sure each time you laugh, more joy is put in the jar so you are sure to have an even bigger hit when serving this up on social occasions.

How to put more funny in your food.

The gravy was extremely easy to boil and this entire process was completed in less than 3 hours, with an hour of that being I have to boil my jar in batches of 4. So it could be less if you have more equipment.

Tomorrow I will stop to purchase some crusty bread for the big taste test - fingers crossed!

Makes about 7 (8 oz) half pints

What could be more welcoming than warm, freshly toasted homemade bruschetta? Just spoon these zesty tomatoes onto a toasted baguette and garnish with grated cheese and a splash of olive oil, if desired.

You will need:

5 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp dried basil
2 Tbsp dried oregano
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
9 cups chopped cored plum tomatoes (about 4 lb or 12 medium)
7 (8 oz) half pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands

Directions:

1.) PREPARE boiling water canner. Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set bands aside.
2.) COMBINE garlic, wine, wine vinegar, water, sugar, basil, oregano and balsamic vinegar. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes or until garlic is heated through. Remove from heat.
3.) PACK tomatoes into hot jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Ladle hot vinegar mixture over tomatoes leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim. Center hot lid on jar. Apply band and adjust until fit is fingertip tight.
4.) PROCESS filled jars in a boiling water canner for 20 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.