Better Late than Never

Okay, apparently I got busy over the end of summer, because somehow, this recipe managed to slip through the cracks. I was so absolutely sure I had posted it, and was all ready to recommend it for holiday cheese trays. But, no. Alas. And now, it is probably way too late. Certainly up here in the cold north of the US, tomatoes are long, long, gone. 

Green Tomato Jam

Maybe, in the south, or in some countries where it never gets so cold (as when I lived in Guatemala), there are those with tomatoes still growing, but otherwise, you may have to wait until next season to try this amazingly good recipe for Green Tomato Jam.

As often happens with me, I had been thinking of all the green tomatoes on the plants outside back in October. I was in the process of making Chow Chow, which turned out to be a new favorite in the relish department. And as I was musing on the uses for green tomatoes, I wondered if Green Tomato Jam would be a viable idea. And, what flavors would I add to such a thing. So, as usual, I Googled it, and found, to my amazement, quite a few versions of Green Tomato Jam out there.  

Spiced Tomato Jam

I make a Spiced Tomato Jam (click on the link to my recipe) with red tomatoes, usually Romas as they have more meat to them, and it uses lemon juice and a nice blend of spices to make a marvelous jam for your breakfast toast. At least this is how I have always used that jam, and I had been making it for at least 40-some years now. My kids loved it, growing up, and some have wanted the recipe. 

Somehow, though, thinking about those flavors with green tomatoes just wasn't really doing the trick for me, when mentally "tasting" the combination. And so I perused all the recipes online I could find, looking at what was used for flavoring a Green Tomato Jam. I was having a harder time imagining the flavors, as using green tomatoes in jam was totally a new idea for me. 

Green Tomato Jam

By the time I got to this idea, I had almost no tomatoes left to use, and my Farmers' Market supplier was also at his end of tomato season, green or no. Given this scarce quantity of green tomatoes, my idea came a bit late in the season, though next year I will rectify this! 

In the end, I opted to flavor this jam with lime juice (a more "green" flavor) and zest, and then opted to use a star anise (because someone mentioned it as a possibility and I happen to have a bag of them), a cinnamon stick, some fresh ginger and just for the heck of it, a vanilla pod. I planned to just cook this jam down on my own rather than use pectin, and to ensure that it would set, I used a little bit of agar agar (a non-animal "gelatin") towards the end of cooking. It set absolutely perfectly, and when I tasted the result, I was amazed at how wonderful it was. 

While I could certainly imagine tasting it on a piece of toast, what first jumped to mind was that it would be fantastic on cheese and crackers. I tested that theory out immediately, with a piece of aged white cheddar and OMG! Okay, new favorite on the cheese platter! So without further ado, here is what I did:

Green Tomato Jam

Makes 4½ cups

Green Tomato Jam

3 pounds green tomatoes, washed
3 cups granulated sugar
5 tablespoons lime juice
zest of one lime
1 vanilla pod
1 star anise
1 cinnamon stick (about 3 - 4-inches)
1 walnut sized chunk fresh ginger, peeled & finely grated
~~~~
½ teaspoon agar agar
½ cup water

Cut the green tomatoes into approximately 1-inch and pulse them, in batches if necessary, in the food processor until broken down to a coarse texture. Place the tomato mixture into a wide pot and add in the sugar, lime juice and zest and stir. Set pan onto medium heat, stirring often until the sugar is all dissolved. 

While the sugar is dissolving, slice the vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape out all the seeds and add to the pot, along with the pod, the star anise, cinnamon stick and ginger pulp. Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce to a medium simmer and cook until the mixture reaches about 220 to 222 degrees, stirring occasionally. This will take approximately an hour.

Separately, have ready the agar agar mixed into the water. Once the temperature reaches 220, stir in this mixture and cook for a further 3 minutes. Pour the jam into sterile, one-cup jars, seal and cool, then store in the refrigerator. 

My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Orange and Jalapeno Marmalade

A while back, when I was having a run with making jams, using oranges, and rhubarb and such, I got the idea to try again with making a jam, this time Orange & Jalapeno Marmalade, and using the temperature to see when it was done. I had never seen anything before where a certain temperature was to be reached, marking the point where a jam actually sets. That temp is supposed to be 220 degrees F.

Cooking the Marmalade to 220 degrees F

Everything was going great, and the marmalade was actually reaching the "sheeting" stage, where it starts coming together to drip off the side of a spoon, culminating in two drips that sort of hang there for a bit before falling. The marmalade reached 220 degrees. I took it off the heat and ladled it into jars, put it in a water bath, and once processed all the jar lids popped - a very satisfying sound. 

All the fruit and peppers in the pot

Unfortunately, it didn't jell!

It is thickened, so it will be no problem to use. It was not made with the idea of spreading it on toast. It will do very well for things like pouring over a block of cream cheese as an appetizer, or pouring onto cooked pork chops or chicken either as a glaze or during the cooking process. I didn't think to wonder until the whole mess was over and done, that maybe, because our altitude here is 1,300 feet, that the temperature may have needed to be just a bit higher to reach that jelling point.

Oh well. I will use it regardless. 

After researching this a bit more, I find that the set point is about 1 degree less (than the 220 F at sea level) per each 500 extra feet altitude. Using this calculation, my marmalade should have been at set point at barely past 217 degrees. This so was not the case! I guess it is best to stick with the old tried and true, and watch for the sheeting!

Orange Jalapeno Marmalade all done and sealed

Anyway, I have made a pepper jam before, which also did not set, and that was made when I lived in Florida, AT sea level. Maybe it is more to do with peppers in the jam? There is certainly nothing wrong with the flavors in either of these. This time I used big, juicy navel oranges. The jam is so pretty with its clear color and little colorful confetti-like bits all suspended in it. Nothing at all wrong with the look or the taste. Here is the recipe:

Orange and Jalapeno Marmalade

Orange Jalapeno Marmalade

Makes about 5 cups

3 navel oranges with zest
1 cup chopped jalapeno peppers
1 cup chopped red or orange bell peppers
1½ cups cider vinegar
5 cups sugar
4 green cardamom pods
1 (4-inch) cassia cinnamon stick
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt

Using a potato peeler, pare the orange zest in approximately 1-inch strips, scraping off any white, bitter pith. Slice the zest very thinly and set aside. Peel the fruit and cut into small cubes; there should be about 2½ cups altogether.

For cooking jams, it is best to use a very wide pot. More surface area means faster evaporation, and a quicker cook time. Into a wide pot place the orange bits, the zest and all the peppers. Add the cider vinegar, bring to a boil and cook the mixture for 15 to 20 minutes. Strain out the pepper and orange mixture and measure the vinegar liquid; there should be about 1 cup of liquid, total. If there is still too much, boil it down a bit more to make 1 cup.
 

Peeling and Slicing Orange Rind

Add in the sugar and stir until dissolved. Add in the pepper and orange mixture with the spices and bring to a boil. If using a candy thermometer, and you live at sea level, cook the marmalade to about 220 degrees. Test the mixture for "sheeting" (as explained above) as well. If you live over 1,000 feet above sea level, the temperature may never reach 220 degrees, in which case you must rely on the old-fashioned sheeting test. For me, at 1,300 feet altitude, in a very wide stock pot, this took 30 minutes.

Once the mixture is at point, have jam jars scalding in a large pot of simmering water. Add in the rings. Ladle the marmalade into the sterile and drained jars, wiping the edge of the jars with a clean damp cloth. Top with a lid and screw on the rings. Set a rack into the pot of boiling water and if there is insufficient water to cover the jars by 1-inch, add more water and allow to come to a boil. Lower the jars into the boiling water and once the water returns to a full-rolling boil, time the processing as follows:

• sea level to 1,000 feet: 10 minutes
• 1,001 to 3,000 feet: 15 minutes
• 3,001 to 6,000 feet: 20 minutes

My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.