The Canning Kitchen (18 page)

Stir in the onion, vinegar, brown sugar, five-spice powder, ginger and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for 60 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat.

Ladle into 5 clean 250 mL (1 cup) jars, leaving a ½-inch (1 cm) headspace. Process in a boiling water bath canner for 15 minutes using the Processing Checklist on
page 17
.

TIP
Five-spice powder, also called Chinese five-spice, is a fragrant blend usually consisting of star anise, cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds and Sichuan pepper. Look for it in the spice aisle of your grocery store or from a spice merchant.

R
HUBARB
R
AISIN
C
HUTNEY

It’s a happy moment each spring when the wrinkled new leaves of rhubarb poke through the garden soil. This chutney is a very special way to make use of those quick-growing stalks. Try a spoonful with crackers and cheese or alongside a Sunday roast.

MAKES SEVEN 250 ML (1 CUP) JARS

2 lb (900 g) rhubarb stalks

1½ lb (675 g) yellow onions, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup (250 mL) raisins

1 cup (250 mL) brown sugar

1 cup (250 mL) granulated sugar

3 tbsp (45 mL) mustard seeds

2 tsp (10 mL) ground coriander

1 tsp (5 mL) cinnamon

1 tsp (5 mL) ground cumin

1½ cups (375 mL) malt vinegar

1½ cups (375 mL) cider vinegar

Rinse the rhubarb under cool running water. Chop into ½-inch (1 cm) pieces. Add the rhubarb to a large, heavy-bottomed pot along with the onion. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes just to soften.

Stir in the garlic, raisins, brown sugar, granulated sugar, mustard seeds, coriander, cinnamon, cumin, malt vinegar and cider vinegar. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered and stirring often, for 45 to 50 minutes, until thickened. Remove from the heat.

Ladle into 7 clean 250 mL (1 cup) jars, leaving a ½-inch (1 cm) headspace. Process in a boiling water bath canner for 15 minutes using the Processing Checklist on
page 17
.

TIP
Rhubarb varies in colour from bright green to vibrant pink and deep red. The colour of your chutney will depend on the beautiful colours of your rhubarb. Freeze rhubarb when it’s in season by chopping it into chunks and spreading the pieces out on a baking sheet. When frozen, pop into freezer bags or containers for canning another day.

S
WEET
T
HAI
C
HILI
C
HUTNEY

Vibrant Thai flavours like ginger, garlic, lime and lemongrass combine with sweet red bell peppers in this mildly spiced chili chutney. Use as a marinade or as a dipping sauce for grilled prawns, or mix with coconut milk for a quick and delicious sauce for stir-fried meat and vegetables.

MAKES SEVEN 250 ML (1 CUP) JARS

4 lb (1.8 kg) red bell peppers

3 bird’s-eye chilies, minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

Zest of 1 lime

2½ cups (625 mL) finely chopped yellow onion

1½ tsp (7 mL) grated fresh ginger

2½ cups (625 mL) white vinegar

2 cups (500 mL) brown sugar

1 stalk of lemongrass

Rinse the bell peppers under cool running water. Pull off the stems, cut open the peppers and discard the seeds and ribs. Chop the peppers finely with a knife or in a food processor, and add them to a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Stir in the bird’s-eye chilies, garlic, lime zest, onion, ginger, vinegar and brown sugar. Trim the lemongrass stalk at both ends and slice it in half lengthwise. Nestle it into the pot.

Bring the works to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat. Discard the strips of lemongrass. If desired, make your chutney smooth by puréeing with an immersion blender.

Ladle into 7 clean 250 mL (1 cup) jars, leaving a ¼-inch (5 mm) headspace. Poke a non-metallic utensil inside each jar a few times to remove any air bubbles, topping up the chutney if needed. Process in a boiling water bath canner for 15 minutes using the Processing Checklist on
page 17
.

TIP
Lemongrass can be tricky to find, but its aromatic citrus flavour is worth going out of your way for. If your regular grocery store doesn’t carry lemongrass, try a specialty greengrocer or head to your nearest Asian food market.

S
AVOURY
S
TAPLES

Canning lets you stock your kitchen pantry with the very best quality ingredients. I love dressing up my home-cooked meals with bold and savoury flavours in jars, using them as a jumping-off point in my cooking. A jar of Sweet Chili Barbecue Sauce (
page 161
) poured over a pork shoulder and baked low and slow in the oven makes for an incredible pulled pork to go with fresh bakery buns and crunchy coleslaw. Bright and flavourful salsas are great for taco night toppings or poured over chicken breasts headed for the oven. I like to keep jars of Zesty Pizza Sauce (
page 170
) on hand for whipping up family-size pizzas or mini pita pizzas for the kids. By far the handiest pantry item in my kitchen is Canned Tomatoes (
page 186
), which can be the starting point for soups, stews, pasta dishes, rice dishes and more.

Stocking the pantry when vegetables are in season can be a real money saver too. By buying summer’s finest tomatoes and peppers when they are at their best price, and by growing some vegetables in my own garden, I have been able to stock my pantry shelves with maximum potential for minimum expense.

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WEET
C
HILI
B
ARBECUE
S
AUCE
•
B
ING
C
HERRY
B
ARBECUE
S
AUCE
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C
HIPOTLE
A
PPLE
B
ARBECUE
S
AUCE
•
S
MOKY
P
EACH
B
ARBECUE
S
AUCE
•
H
ERB AND
G
ARLIC
T
OMATO
S
AUCE
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Z
ESTY
P
IZZA
S
AUCE
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T
OMATO
K
ETCHUP
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B
OLD
T
OMATO
P
EPPER
S
ALSA
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T
ANGY
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OMATILLO
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ALSA
V
ERDE
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PINACH AND
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ERB
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HIMICHURRI
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WEET-AND
-S
OUR
P
LUM
D
IPPING
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AUCE
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L
EMON
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ILL
M
USTARD
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EER
-H
IVE
G
RAINY
M
USTARD
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C
ANNED
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OMATOES
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D
ICED
T
OMATOES
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EASONED
T
HREE
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AYS
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LICED
P
ICKLED
G
INGER
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P
ICKLED
G
ARLIC

S
WEET
C
HILI
B
ARBECUE
S
AUCE

Tomatoes go from the garden to the grill in this delicious sauce of ripe tomatoes crushed and cooked down with brown sugar, malt vinegar and bold spices. Use as a marinade or brush on during grilling, then warm some more to slather on meat or poultry when it comes off the grill. Pour over a pork shoulder and bake low and slow for a fork-tender pulled pork to pile on buns.

MAKES FOUR 500 ML (2 CUP) JARS

7 lb (3.2 kg) tomatoes

1 cup (250 mL) diced yellow onion

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1½ cups (375 mL) brown sugar

1½ cups (375 mL) malt vinegar

3 tbsp (45 mL) chili powder

2 tbsp (30 mL) salt

1 tbsp (15 mL) dry mustard

1 tbsp (15 mL) cinnamon

1 tsp (5 mL) cayenne pepper

With a sharp knife, score an X in the bottom of each tomato. Submerge the tomatoes in a large pot of boiling water for 1 minute, then transfer immediately with a slotted spoon to a large bowl of cold water. (You may prefer to do this in batches.) Slip off and discard the skins. Add the tomatoes to a large, heavy-bottomed pot and crush with a masher.

Stir in the onion and garlic. Bring to a bubble over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for 60 minutes.

Crush further until smooth, or use an immersion blender for an even smoother sauce. Stir in the brown sugar, vinegar, chili powder, salt, dry mustard, cinnamon and cayenne. Bring to a boil over high heat. Maintain a full boil for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat.

Ladle into 4 clean 500 mL (2 cup) jars, leaving a ½-inch (1 cm) headspace. Process in a boiling water bath canner for 20 minutes using the Processing Checklist on
page 17
.

TIP
Any tomatoes will do, but Roma/plum tomatoes are a good choice because they have fewer seeds and less moisture than other tomatoes.

B
ING
C
HERRY
B
ARBECUE
S
AUCE