Raspberry and Current Jam - From Eva

Ingredients

6 cups Currants
4 cups Raspberries (use 2/3’s sugar to berries)
7 cups Sugar

Directions

1. Mix berries and sugar in pot over medium heat. Don’t forget to mix from the bottom of the pan. You need to stay around the kitchen for this whole Jam process so nothing boils over
   
2. When mixture gets to a good boil all over, set the timer for 15 minutes. Stir periodically during this time.
   
3. Stir for another 10-15 minutes but pretty often
   
4. Boil the lids in a medium pot. You will taking one lid out at a time when you are ready to use it on the jar
   
5. Start to check the fluidness of the jam. Pick up about1/2 teaspoon of the juice and roll it around the spoon to cool the liquid. Then slowly drop it off the spoon. When it forms like a thread or permanent drop …then the jam is ready to put in the jars
   
6. Spoon off all the pink foam into a heat proof bowl
   
7. Ladle the jam almost to the top of a jar, wipe around the inside and the outside of the jar to get all the stickiness clean with a wet paper towel. Tightly screw on a top and turn the jar upside
   down on the counter. The counter should be lined with a plastic or paper bag.
   
8. Repeat for all the jars
   
9. When the jam has cooled, you can turn the jars and store

Implements

Extra large pot
About 8 medium jars (start washing the jars in the dishwasher to sanitize)
Metal tablespoon to test jam
Heat proof little bowl for pink foam
Ladle to scoop out jam to jars
Medium pot for boiling lids
Grabber tool to take out each lid from the boiling water

Comments

Lovingly recorded by Diana

 

Peach Tart with Olive Oil Crust

Ingredients

Makes one 9-inch tart; serves 8

1 ½ cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar
¼ cup vegetable or canola oil
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (or mild olive oil if you prefer)
2 tablespoons whole milk
½ teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter
3 to 5small ripe peaches, pitted and thickly sliced (about 1/2-inch wide)

Directions

Heat the oven to 425°. In a mixing bowl, stir together 1 ½ cups flour, ½ teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon sugar. Stirring enables the salt and sugar to sift the flour, so you don’t need to sift it in advance. In a small bowl, whisk together the oils, milk and almond extract. Pour this mixture into the flour mixture and mix gently with a fork, just enough to dampen; do not over work it. Then, transfer the dough to a 9-inch tart pan and use your hands to pat out the dough so it covers the bottom of the pan, pushing it up the sides to meet the edge. This will work if you pat firmly and confidently, but not if you curl your fingertips into the dough. It should be about 1/8 -inch thick all around; trim and discard excess dough.
In a bowl, combine ½ cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, ¼ teaspoon salt and the butter. (If your peaches are especially juicy, add 1 tablespoon additional flour.) Using your fingers, pinch the butter into the dry ingredients until crumbly, with a mixture of fine granules and tiny pebbles.
Starting on the outside, arrange the peaches overlapping in a concentric circle over the pastry; fill in the center in whatever pattern makes sense. The peaches should fit snugly. Sprinkle the pebbly butter mixture over top (it will seem like a lot). Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until shiny, thick bubbles begin enveloping the fruit and the crust is slightly brown. Cool on a rack. Serve warm or room temperature, preferably with generous dollops of whipped cream.

From: http://neuroticbaker.com/