I read an article in the local newspaper saying that home canning is becoming trendy, which is interesting because it's so energy and labor intensive. It said there's frantic tweeting and texting going on between young canners, trying to get help from each other in the heat of the kitchen. I started canning long before it was fashionable, and I'm self-taught out of that calm and excellent classic: the Ball Blue Canning Book. But I remember the frantic feeling-- all those pots! the clumsy lids! the germs! the boiling water! It seemed like everything had to be done at once, urgently. Now it's more of a meditative activity, and I only do it in a quiet, empty house. (And that means you, John.)Anyway, canning was once a cheap way to preserve cheap produce, but now you can buy just about anything for less than it costs to can it yourself. But there's something satisfying about the process of preserving food, and seeing all those sparkling jars lined up on the shelf. It's definitely worth the trouble for fancy things you can't buy at any cost; my specialty is chutney. Chutney is just a catch-all name for a fruit and vegetable combination cooked for hours with vinegar and spices. It's a savory relish, a topping, a condiment-- good on chicken, cheese, pork, beef, and of course, curry.
I stopped at McPherson's produce stand up on Beacon Hill for some bargains last weekend. This isn't one of those local, organic, sustainable, heirloom, chatty, meet-the-grower, I'm-so-special farmer markets that are popular here. You have to pick and choose carefully at McPherson's, but it's fun. The parking lot is a nightmare, and the place is a cultural stew pot: Hispanic families, Chinese, Vietnamese, Koreans, Indians, African Americans, Jews, and a sprinkling of sharp-eyed white ladies all competing for the best stuff ;-)
Here's my haul-- I got a little carried away. Or maybe I just enjoy making work for myself?
So Monday morning, I made two batches of chutney: tomato-pear and an old recipe called "Washington chutney" with peaches, plums, green peppers, onion, etc. I was on a roll, but that was a bit too ambitious and my hands and legs told me the next day. Chutney is easy, although the prep is lots of work: blanching, peeling, chopping, pitting, shredding, stirring. But once everything is finally in the darn pot, it just cooks down by itself for a few hours. Then you can can it, and admire your hard work.
No comments:
Post a Comment