Good Lemon Bad Lemon

Left lemon my tree Right lemon store bought

I just wanted to show you a picture of the difference between picking a lemon from my yard and buying one from the "Supermarket" And why do they call it Super?





In my younger days' (yesterday) I would not have put so much as a thought into the way I bought my groceries and the thing's I put in my mouth. Do not get me wrong when the kid's where younger I was super involved in what they ate and what they did. No sugary Cereal Lot's of fruit and vegetables.

It has only been in the last say 7 to 10 that I have Oh Years that I have put so much thought into what goes into my body. After all it is so true when they say "Your body is your temple"

I still cook fatty delicious old school recipes but I do try to be a bit more healthy with my ingredients.
BUT
the "Supermarkets" have just gone to far. I know I know there are the commercials that tell us that we do not need the government to tell us what to eat but buyer be ware it is the government that has screwed up the food system in itself. I refuse to go off on that tangent. Here is the 911 please take the time to educate yourself on what you eat and the ingredients you use. Especially if you have young children try with all your might to cook your own food. Hey did you know in your speedy little I have no time world that it takes less time to Plan, Cook and make your own meals than the Speedy, Drive Processed crap you buy or pick up. Know what you are putting in your body.  Jesus now I forgot what I was talking about Oh Crap the lemon! xoxo

How to avoid browning your fruit/vegetables

There is nothing worse then brown fruit it does not matter if you are canning ,cooking or making a simple fruit salad "Brown Fruit Sucks" Now granted it does not taste different but it does in my mind. When you are preserving fruit it does make a hugh difference.


This will work for potato's also.


Here are three ways to avoid the brown fruit.

A.  My favorite  is to soak them in a bowl of cool lemon water. What you can do it have a bowl of lemon water ready when you are slicing/cutting your fruit for jam and as you cut put the prepped fruit in the lemon water. It takes 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to 1 cup of water. Remember we use lemon in our preserving most jam so the taste goes right along with the party!

See the fruit behind the fresh cut it had no lemon juice it is starting to brown. The fruit in the measuring bowl was put in lemon water then allowed to drain for a few minutes now jam time!


Let us talk Anti-darkening agents. There are a few but I do not use them. I am not all Nanny Natural or anything but if I can avoid chemical's where ever possible I do. These are thing's that do work and I think if your good with it use them.

B.  Sprinkle your fruit with Fruit Fresh it made for preserving and has citric acid powder that prevents the browning. I have not used it persoanlly the word Citric Acid gives me the willies.

C. Ascorbic Acid is the best anti-darkening agent. Here are three forms of this powder.

1. Pure powdered form - use one level teaspoon per gallon of water
2. Vitamin C tables - buy500 milligram tablets: crush and dissolve 6 tablets per gallon of water
3. Commercially prepared mixes of ascorbic acid and citrus acid - follow the manufactures labels directions.

I have not given a site to purchase them because I have never tried them  but I am sure they are good and safe.

Here are a couple of links I used for information The Yummy Life and Fantastic food from Purdue University.

Blackberry Citrus Cranberry jam

Preserves made with some citrus always add a little nice taste to them.

Ok so it is cold today. The freezer has tons of fruit I froze while it was fresh from the vine. So my little mind is thinking time for some blackberry jam. Hummm why do plain it is so boring and as we know I love to tweak the jams.

I love my jam to be fruit filled. Large chunks of fruit in the jam. Not everyone likes this but my peeps do. So I took some blackberries, citrus cranberries I got at a local organic market and some lemon zest. Nice !

Blackberry Citrus Cranberry Jam

Makes 7 small jelly jars. Half pints. 

6 cups of whole blackberries
1 cup of dried citrus cranberries(or fresh)
Zest of one lemon
Juice from that lemon
1/4 cup lime juice- personal taste addition
5 cups of sugar - you can add an additional cup if you like it sweeter it will not hurt the outcome

I cook my blackberries down on a slow simmer and crushed them with a potato masher. I added the cranberries and lemon zest. Then the juice from the one lemon. I let this simmer together for 20 minutes on low and stir regularly. Once it is well simmered I add 5 cups of sugar and bring it up to a hard boil one you cannot stir down. Keep stirring it or it will burn. Once you have a foamy top and bubbly deliciousness take it off the heat and skim the foam off the top. Ladle into 1/2 pint jelly jars till 1/4" from the top of the jar. Wipe your jars clean and cap and water bath them for 15 minutes.

Orange-Lemon Marmalade

Marmalade all of you know I am a Citrus Freak! I love that tang.











Orange-Lemon Marmalade

5 pounds of lemon and oranges
2 cups orange pulp
1 cup of lemon pulp
1 cup combined thinly sliced orange & lemon peels
¼ tsp baking soda
2 cups of water
1 cup of fresh squeezed orange juice
5 cups of sugar again to taste I like 4
Natural pectin




Ok the first thing you do is prep your citrus. I have learned a great way to cut citrus. Keep in mind that Marmalade is a time consuming jam. Worth the time trust me!








So thinly slice your lemons and one of the oranges , it comes to about a cup.Now take the slices and cut them into quarters. Put the slices, rinds 2 cups of water with the baking soda into the pot bring it to a boil . Turn it down and let it simmer on low for 20 minutes this tenderizes it. This also brings out a lot of the natural pectin from the peels.






In the mean time cube up your oranges and lemons this is without the peel cut enough to have 3 cups of chunky pulp (see the picture) but like all my tips you make it the consistency you like after all its your jam.


Ok once the slices have simmered add the rest of the liquid and the chunks and the pectin.
Bring this to a rapid boil foamy like. For 5 to 7 minutes stirring all the time, this is when a friend or husband saying “Oh my gosh that smells so good”








Next add the sugar slowly (Have your sugar measured out and ready). Bring to a boil to dissolve sugar then to a rolling boil just to gel point.

Here is a tip I learned from June Taylor The Still Room at the class I took in Oakland have your marmalade heat up to a temperature of 223 use a candy thermometer this should insure it will set nicely.

Ladle into clean jars

Give them a bath 15 minutes is my standard time
I have attempted to accurately share safe home preserving methods. However, I make no promises. You are responsible for your health. Be aware of current safety recommendations.

Here is a site that has so many different ways to use your citrus. Talk about no waste.

Preserved Lemons

Preserving Lemons is a wonderful way to use the lemon when in season. Here in California we have an abundance of lemon's. 

Preserving your lemon's will bring you great joy when cooking fish and other dishes. There are many a Moroccan recipes that bump the taste up so well using Preserved Lemon's. The real beauty of Preserved Lemon's is anyone can do it.

 

 

 It takes no canning talent and so little time. 

* Note use as many lemons as needs to fill the amount of jars you want. I used a few because I filled them with more than just salt. And yes thus again tweaked recipe.The picture shows lemon with Los Arboles peppers added.


When you preserve lemon's feel free to leave out or add ingredients. The most important thing to make sure of is that you do add the salt this seasoning preserves your lemons.The picture just above is with some spices from India that my Son brought back for me.

Ingredients

6-7 juicy, ripe lemons
1/4 cup salt
1 cinnamon stick, snaped in half
4 coriander seeds
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon Cheyenne pepper
2 dried hot peppers -optional
[extra lemons to make up juice]




Put one tablespoon of the salt into the bottom of the jar. Cut crosses in the lemons to the bottom  but the lemon is still joined as one. Sprinkle salt on the exposed flesh.














 

Squash the lemons into the jar, packing down tightly as you go, adding the spices and more salt evenly between layers. If there is not enough juice expelled by the lemons, to cover them all sufficiently, then add more fresh lemon juice until they are all submerged. 

Leave at least a 1/2 inch to an inch they will make more juice on their own.

The lemons will release more liquid as they sit. I added the dried Los Arboles pepper's I like spice. Get creative with your lemon's. 

You ca go on the Internet and find a ton of recipes for this way to use lemon's make them your own!

Get creative by using your favorite spices!  





















 
Leave the jar in a warm place for 30 days, shaking the jar each day to distribute the juices throughout the jar. To use the lemons, first rinse them and then remove the pulp. The lemons do not need to be refrigerated. The longer they sit the better I have had mine sit for a year and they were the best. Once opened I do put mine in the refrigerator. 





Disclaimer: This is not an all inclusive recipe for making jam. You should have a basic knowledge and understanding of the canning process before proceeding. Please consult your local Center for Home Preservation for additional information and available classes.