The Joy of Jams, Jellies, and Other Sweet Preserves: 200 Classic and Contemporary Recipes Showcasing the Fabulous Flavors of Fresh Fruits

382 Pages·2009·1.62 MB·English

by  Linda Ziedrich

Table of Contents
Title Page
Table of Contents
Copyright
Dedication
Preface
Introduction
PRESERVER'S PRIMER
THE FRUITS
Apple
Apricot
Banana
Blackberry
Blueberry and Huckleberry
Cantaloupe and Muskmelon
Carrot
Cherry
Coconut
Cranberry
Currant
Eggplant
Elderberry
Feijoa
Fig
Flowers
Garden Huckleberry
Ginger
Gooseberry
Grape
Grapefruit
Kiwi
Kumquat
Lemon and Lime
Mango
Medlar
Nuts
Orange
Oregon Grape
Papaya
Peach
Pear, European and Asian
Pepper
Pineapple
Plum
Pomegranate
Pumpkin and Winter Squash
Quince
Raspberry
Rhubarb
Strawberry
Strawberry Tree
Tomatillo and Ground Cherry
Tomato
Watermelon
Zucchini (Marrow)
MEASUREMENT EQUIVALENTS
SELECT REFERENCES
INDEX
The Harvard Common Press
535 Albany Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02118
www.harvardcommonpress.com
Copyright © 2009 by Linda Ziedrich
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted
in any form or
by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or
any information
storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Printed in the United States of America
Printed on acid-free paper
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Ziedrich, Linda.
The joy of jams, jellies, and other sweet preserves : 200 classic and
contemporary recipes
showcasing the fabulous flavors of fresh fruits / Linda Ziedrich.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-1-55832-406-0 (pbk.)—ISBN 978-1-55832-405-3 (hardcover)
1. Jam. 2. Jelly. I. Title.
TX612.J3Z54 2009
641.8'52—dc22
2008036447
Special bulk-order discounts are available on this and other Harvard Common
Press books.
Companies and organizations may purchase books for premiums or resale, or
may arrange a
custom edition, by contacting the Marketing Director at the address above.
Cover design by Night & Day Design
Interior design by Ralph Fowler / rlf design
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
FOR REBECCA,
MY INTREPID FORAGER
Preface
I have been working on this book for so long that I can't remember why I started.
But my inspiration must have come partially from a Yugoslavian immigrant I
knew when both of us were barely into our twenties. On a hike he picked some
blackberries or plums, and he made them into jam simply by cooking them with
sugar, as he remembered his mother and grandmother doing. There was no trip
to the supermarket for a package of pectin, no unfolding the long page of
instructions and searching for the relevant ones—which had to be followed
exactly, the manufacturer always warned, or else the jam wouldn't set. My
friend's success got me wondering how people made jams and jellies before
pectin was packaged and sold in stores. I soon learned that many people still
make jams and jellies the old-fashioned way, and that there are many traditional
ways of preserving fruit that don't require gelling at all. For nearly three decades
before writing this book, I researched and experimented with traditional
preserving methods.
Because I am a native of California now living in western Oregon, most of
the fruits and nuts I know come from these two states. For anyone who wants to
explore North American fruits, the fecund Pacific states, and particularly
California, are probably the best place to start. But because I want this book to
be as valuable as possible to as many people as possible, I've also experimented
with fruits from elsewhere, especially the tropics. If I've neglected fruits you
know and love, or if I've left out your favorite ways of making them into sweet
preserves, please feel free to write me in care of The Harvard Common Press,
and I will keep your suggestions in mind for a second edition.
For their support in this project, I thank Bruce Shaw, Valerie Cimino, Karen
Wise, and the whole staff at The Harvard Common Press; my family, who have
had to taste everything in this book; and all the people who have patiently
answered my questions about what they put into jars.
Introduction
Occasionally I'm asked why anyone in this modern world would still do home
preserving. If you've picked up this book, you probably have many answers to
that question. Even if you live in the middle of a big city, a bounty of free fresh
fruit may sometimes fall into your hands—from a single tree in your tiny
backyard, perhaps, or lush vines along a nearby abandoned railroad. Perhaps
your eyes prove bigger than your stomach at the farmers' market, and you can't
bear to waste the precious, lovely fruit you've emptied your pockets for. You
may despair at the bland taste of commercial preserves and challenge yourself to
do better. Maybe you want to avoid the corn syrup or other questionable
ingredients in supermarket products, or duplicate costly preserves in pretty jars
from a fancy-foods shop. You may anticipate the delight on friends' faces when
they dip into one of your jars at your breakfast table or find one under a
Christmas tree. You may feel the strong sense of connectedness that comes from
making jams and jellies just like your mother's and grandmother's, or from
exchanging recipes and jars with your neighbors or with friends around the
world.
Most compelling of all may be the sensations that flood your mouth, and
feelings that flood your mind, every time you taste your own well-made
preserves. A jar of jam or jelly is a memory brought back to life, less bright than
the original, but sweeter and mellower. The jar is also a promise—of the fresh
flavors that will greet your tongue in a few short months and, if you're lucky,
again every year thereafter.
PRESERVER'S PRIMER
SOME PEOPLE go about cooking by first reading recipes and then shopping for
ingredients. Home preservers don't do that; they read recipes to learn what to do
with the produce they already have. For this reason, this book is arranged
alphabetically by type of fruit. The notes preceding each section will tell you a
little about the history, varieties, growing conditions, harvest, and preparation of
the particular fruit.
KINDS OF PRESERVES
This book includes recipes for several kinds of preserves, the names of which
have varied over the centuries and from region to region. I have followed the
most common contemporary American usage, with slight variation, as follows:

JAM. Crushed or chopped fruit that is cooked with sugar
until the mixture gels, or "sets." I include in this category
preserves made from pureed fruit, when the mixture is
cooked quickly and without spices.
JELLY. A gelled mixture of sugar and juice, acidified if
necessary. The kind of jelly that wins prizes at a county fair
is clear, and it holds its shape when turned out of its
container onto a dish. When the dish is moved, the jelly
quivers. When the jelly is sliced, it retains the angle of the
cut. Personally, I like softer, more spreadable jellies. Opaque
jellies, such as milky-pink flowering-quince jelly, can also
be very attractive.
MARMALADE. Jelly, usually soft and clear, in which are
suspended pieces of fruit or citrus peel or both. Marmalade
is often made entirely with citrus fruit. Because of the
inclusion of the peel, citrus marmalades are usually bitter in
flavor.

CONSERVE. Jam made from several ingredients, which may
include two or more fresh fruits, nuts, and raisins.
BUTTER. Pureed fruit cooked slowly with sugar, juice, or
both, usually with added spices, until the mixture is thick
and dark. Butters generally have less added sugar than jams.
PRESERVES. In the narrow sense of the word, preserves are
whole or sliced fruits in syrup or soft jelly. In the past,
preserves were served as "spoon sweets" on their own for
dessert, with or without their syrup. Today syrupy preserves
are often served over cake or ice cream. For eating with
bread, though, lightly gelled preserves are generally
preferred. Preserves are called conserves in England.
SYRUP. A solution of fruit juice and sugar or honey. Syrups
are usually, but not always, thick, clear, and ungelled. They
are mixed with ice, water, and other liquids for drinks and
poured over cake, ice cream, and other desserts.
PASTE. A mixture of pureed, pectin-rich fruit and sugar
cooked until it is very thick, poured into wide dishes to dry,
and served cut into pieces as a finger food. Sometimes the
pieces are rolled in sugar. The most popular fruits for paste
are quince and, in Latin America, guava. Quince paste was
the original marmalade. The English, who make paste from
many fruits, call it cheese.
LEATHER. Pureed fruit dried in a thin layer and usually rolled
for storage. The fruit is often but not always cooked.
A VERY BRIEF HISTORY OF FRUIT PRESERVES