Katie Sandwell's blog

An original recipe from our master canner Heather Kilner - adapted from the one available on her website here: http://backyardfarmsto.blogspot.com/2010/05/can-jam-5-gus-and-barb.html

This is another recipe for those who cannot wait to can!

Fiddleheads and asparagus are some of the first signs of spring at your local market.

The Bernardin recipe is available here: http://www.bernardin.ca/pages/recipe_page/51.php?pid=135

This time last year Liz Driver from Campbell House Museum welcomed a group from the West End Food Co-op into her historic kitchen and taught us to make rhubarb jam the (really) old-fashioned way. We boiled the "fruit" over the fire, filled glasses, and cut circles of paper to be soaked in brandy and placed on top. After the brandied paper (which keeps mold from growing on the surface) we soaked another circle of paper in egg white and placed it on top of the jar, smoothing down the sides - this dries to make a more or less airtight seal. Jams, chutneys, and marmalades were sealed in similar ways for hundreds of years

Recipe adapted from Bernardin: www.bernardin.ca/pages/recipe_page/51.php?pid=241

Apple Butter is a delicious wintery luxury - its strong, rich flavours give the impression of complexity but the ingredients are surprisingly simple. Usually the recipes posted here come directly from our workshops. In this case we used a slightly different version in our latest workshop but I just stumbled across this recipe, which uses honey instead of sugar. If you try it feel free to share your experiences in the comments!

recipe adapted from the USDA National Center for Home Food Preservation:
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_02/apple_rings_spiced.html

These spiced apple rings are a delicious alternative to apple sauce and make a beautiful addition to ice cream or oatmeal. They are also a great winter preserving option and a way to add some excitement to a long-keeping winter staple.

recipe adapted from  Bernardin website:
http://www.bernardin.ca/pages/recipe_page/51.php?pid=492

If the bloom has gone off the beet a bit this relish is a great way to make a tangy, tasty condiment out of winter storage staples. A good food processor will speed this recipe up but you can always also make it by hand for a chunkier "rustic" version.