Start with the right cut: 5-7 pound shoulder, or a butt if the marbling is good. The dry rub is basic, but I’ve made it a moist rub with the following: 3 tablespoons of dijon mustard, 3 tablespoons paprika, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 3 tablespoons salt, 4 chopped garlic gloves. Mix this with your hands, and get right in there. Generously rub it all over the roast, getting into the fat layers and sliced bits. Place it in a roasting pan fat side up, or better yet a porcelain container – my roasting pan went missing so I used the liner of the slow-cooker covered in foil. Put this in a preheated oven at 300 degrees fahrenheit. 300 might be a little high, but if you are an impatient person who likes to pull it out an check often, then its ok – if not then try 275. Leave it alone for 5-6 hours, and you won’t be disappointed.

While its in the oven, you can make a barbecue sauce to go with it. Tyler provides a cider vinegar based sauce that I’m not a huge fan of. I prefer the saucy, smoky, sweet sauces. I’ll let you know when I come up with something spectacular, but until then try this: Combine the following in a saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes:  .75 cup cider vinegar, .25 cup yellow mustard, .25 cup ketchup, .66 cup packed brown sugar, 2 chopped garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cayenne, 1/2 tsp black pepper.

Once the roast is done, be patient and let it rest covered for at least 10 minutes. Try moving the roast to a carving board or platter and use two forks to pull it apart. I promise you that you will have a hard time keeping my pulled pork out of your mouth. I piled it high on a toasted bun with the bbq sauce and spicy coleslaw with roast potatoes… un-frick’n-real.

I made this on a Sunday night for my roommate and his girlfriend. We all ate until we burst, and laughed over ‘pork-pulling’ jokes. The leftovers were surprisingly scarce and I’m afraid of how many pounds of pork I ate that night.

In the end I wasn’t too worried.. enjoy your life.

Wikipedia says Bisque is a French term for a smooth, creamy, highly-seasoned soup, classically based on a strained broth (coulis) of crustaceans. It can be made from lobster, crab,shrimp or crayfish. Also, creamy soups made from roasted and puréed vegetables are sometimes called bisques, and that is where is one fits. More accurately ‘Bisque’ is a method of extracting every bit of flavor from imperfect crustaceans (or vegetables) not good enough to send to market. During the final stages, a  bisque is simmered in aromatic ingredients, pureed and followed by the addition of cream. My bisque fits this description perfectly, only mine is vegetarian.

Start by getting the veggies roasting: lay aluminum foil over a sheet pan and preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice 1 medium red onion into large chunks – they will hold up to the roasting better this way. Place the garlic on the pan with the onions and 4 medium-sized red peppers. There are different ways to roast peppers, and for the oven I find the best way is to keep them whole. I coat everything in olive oil and throw them in the over for about 45 minutes. Turn the pepper every 15 minutes so they are evenly blackened. While that is in the oven, thoroughly clean and dice about 2 cups of leeks and throw them in a pot on medium-high with butter and olive oil. Sweat them down a bit and cook until they start to caramelize. At this point add about 4 cups of vegetable or chicken stock – reduced salt is always better.

Once the vegetables are roasted, place the peppers into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for about 10 minutes. The steam trapped inside of the peppers will help the skins to detach. Add all the onions, garlic (may need to be peeled, but should be soft inside), and the tomatoes to the pot. After the peppers have become cool enough to handle, seed them and peel off the skin. It will peel off easily if they’ve been cooked properly. There is always some sweet red juice leftover in the bowl or wherever you peel them – Do not waste this! – A bisque is all about extracting the most flavour from the ingredients, and that juice is full of flavour!

Add everything to the pot and simmer. Seasoning is pretty simple here: 1-2 tsp dried oregano, black pepper, 1 tsp red chili’s (careful here), 2 tsp sugar. Save the salt for after you puree – the flavour always changes after that step, and depending on the stock you used, you may have enough salt. Puree the soup in a blender 2-ladelfulls at a time. Keep the lid on the blender but leave the cap off and cover with a cloth when you start it. Steam alway escapes quickly when blending anything hot and the burn risk here is pretty high. Blend the whole soup, re-combine, taste and season accordingly. The consistency should be quite thick, but not as thick as a pasta sauce. If you are going to freeze for future cold days, then do so now. If you want to eat it all right away, add a handful of chopped basil. This is the only recipe where I have substituted freeze-dried basil and it worked nicely – its cheating in the winter months.

Serve it up in bowls, and garnish with a 1 tbsp of heavy cream and a little basil. This will always come out a little different, but what you are looking for is an even balance between the sweetness of the peppers and freshness of basil. The base flavours are layered with tomatoes, onion and leeks, and the heat is a nice touch if you like.

I think after I came up with this, my mom made it for a soup contest and won some kind of prize, so that’s pretty great.

The process takes about 1/5 hours and serves 5-6 people. I like to eat it alongside an open-face sandwich with salami, havarti, and cucumber – heaven.

Use lots of cream – enjoy your life.

My roommate likes to make big breakfast plates on the weekend. He often makes some kind of potato hash with vegatables. It looked like just the thing to satisfy my hunger, so I gave it a shot and this is what I came up with.

I used sweet potatoes because I didn’t have any others, but the sweetness was a welcome delight. I peeled and diced the potatoes, par-boiled them in salted water, and butter-fried them in a skillet just like hash-browns. I fried 2 medium-sized Italian pork sausages after I removed them from the casing and broke them up in the pan. I diced red onion, red bell peppers and mushroom and stir-fried them in olive oil. Once they were slightly soft, I formed them into a circle border in the pan and cracked 3 eggs inside with the yolks intact. I added a handful of cherry tomatoes and let the eggs cook under a steaming lid.

All thats left is to layer everything on a plate: potatoes, sausage, egg/veg and some sliced green onions and it a beautiful thing.

If this looks like an obscene amount of food, you are right. I was so full (and I didn’t quite finish). The potatoes added an unexpected sweetness, and their texture is so velvety that I definitely finished every bit of potato on the plate.The only thing missing is a healthy garnish of  a nice sharp cheese - Parmesan would be perfect, or maybe aged white cheddar.

I would recommend making this for two people, but feel the love and eat it from one plate – its really a one-plate kind of thing.

Enjoy!

Apparently french toast isn’t French at all – its likely Spanish as well as a Christmas tradition in Portugal and Brazil (according to wikipedia). Everyone has variations on this, and mine includes an egg, cream, milk, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. As for topping, Nigella Lawson had a brilliant idea: she blended fresh strawberries, lemon juice and icing sugar into an easy sweet fruit topping. I mistakenly bought ‘blackberry topping’ at the farmers market a few weeks ago. I thought it was jam, but it was preserved blackberries which were quite bitter. I added powdered sugar to them in the magic bullet and out poured this velvety romance.

The topping, syrup, and butter was enough to satisfy my sweet-tooth – and my cholesterol intake for the week – although I made it again the next morning for breakfast. I have no regrets. Enjoy your life.

I’ll start with an apology for not keeping up on the blog lately – I can make excuses but mostly I’m lazy. I made the decision a while back to blog twice per week and I want to stick by that, even if that means catching up when I fall behind. My good friend and food blog-buddy Joey just posted her 100th entry last week on My Food Obsessions. That inspired me to press on and continue to fight the food fight – and really, what self-respecting food blogger doesn’t have a thanksgiving story to tell?

Last Monday was Canadian Thanksgiving. I’m not certain why its earlier than the American and aside from celebrating the harvest, I’m not even certain the history, but that is reason enough for me. This year I was away from my family on the day so for the first time I attempted a thanksgiving-esque meal for my dear friend Andrea, who was also away from her family for the holiday. I have certainly cooked each of the items individually, but have never prepared them all at the same time for one meal. The experience has given me a new respect for the thanksgiving cook – though no one item is complex on its own, the timing and preparation can be… interesting.

I started with an herb-roasted chicken. I slipped my hand under the skin on the breast of the chicken – a place I’ve become both familiar with and fond of. This is a place where dreams are made, where the magic happens, and on this thanksgiving day, the magic certainly happened. Using the herbs from my garden I stuffed thyme, rosemary, chopped garlic and butter under the skin of the breast. The butter because the breasts have very little fat in them, and require some help to stay moist. I also stuff the skin on the drumsticks as well then throw whatever herbs/garlic I have leftover into the cavity of the bird. I’m sorry to say that I didn’t stuff this bird, but c’mon, we only met the day before. After patting the skin dry, rubbing olive oil and salt & pepper over the skin, it sits on a rack of celery, carrots and onions. The rack helps the air to more evenly move around the chicken while the vegetables help flavour the bird, and the eventual broth, but that’s another story. I baked this for 20 minutes at 425 Fahrenheit to help the skin crisp, then another 15 minutes per pound at 350. Watch closely and baste as often as you think is necessary, I basted 3 or 4 times over a 1.5 hour cooking period. The chicken is done when you slice in and the juices run clear.

The sides were all fresh, simple and roasted: Roasted sweet and baby potatoes; Roasted brussel sprouts; Roasted stuffed tomatoes.

I won’t patronize you with detailed roasting instructions. Potatoes included olive oil, fresh herbs, garlic, salt & pepper. The brussel sprouts included olive oil, dried herbs, butter, salt & pepper and were covered with foil at 350 for 30 minutes. The tomatoes however are a different story:

My parents started to make these when they came across the recipe in the ‘South Beach Diet’ cook book. Make no mistake – South Beach, Atkins, and anything else that deprives your body/mind/soul of healthy fats, sugars and carbohydrates is absolute bullshit – sorry mom. The not so big secret is, as in all things, is balance: Exercise, water, sleep, play, laughing and eating what makes you feel good – balance. Anyways, the only redemption for the South Beach diet are these tomatoes, and the recipe is as follows:

Find some reasonably ripe tomatoes, I like the vine-ripened ones as they are deep red and very juicy. Halve them at their ‘waist’, add salt and pepper to the exposed tomato brains. I made a mixture of bread crumbs, dried oregano, salt & pepper, finely grated Parmesan and olive oil. I’ve never used proper measurements for this so your should be fine. Potential pitfalls are adding too much olive oil or using bread crumbs that are too fine and don’t bake evenly. After posting this the first time, my mom sent me the ‘real’ recipe: 1/2 cup parm, 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tblsps evoo, s&p, fresh parsley, fresh basil; That sounds a lot better than mine. Scoop the mixture onto the tomato brains, sprinkle with a little extra Parmesan and bake at 350 for 20 minutes – gorgeous.

Once I let the chicken rest for 10 minutes, I carved it and re-assembled it on a huge platter with the rest of our meal. The sprouts were soft and moist all the way through, the potatoes were crisp and buttery, the tomatoes were  inhaled and the chicken (which I mistakenly referred to as turkey at least 5 times through the evening) was moist and delicious.

After a dividing up leftovers and a quick kitchen cleaning, a slice of pumpkin pie (from a box) was well deserved. I’ve never made pie before, but I made the whip cream on this one, so that is redemption. In closing, a thanks is in order to all the Moms, Aunties and Grandmothers who have kept me fed every thanksgiving of my life – I have a new respect and am truly thankful for each of you.

When I lived with my sister Sarah she would make this time to time and it was always excellent. Unfortunately I believe it is a Rachel Ray recipe. I have nothing against RR except her extreme enthusiasm talking into the camera, seemingly alone on the set of her cooking show – very annoying. Alas, I must give her props for this very healthy, very tasty weekday 15 minute meal. Sarah gave me the recipe, so she gets full credit… and as for Rachel Ray – please go away.

Start by adding 2 diced chicken breasts to a pan on medium-high with some olive oil. While that begins to brown, clean and dice one yellow and one red pepper and add to the pan. Stir-fry until the peppers soften up then add 1/3 cup of sweet chili sauce and 1/3 cup of honey. Continue to fry and glaze everything with the mixture. Have a taste as it may need pepper and salt, though remember there’s plenty of salt in the chili sauce. To finish, add a handful of chopped peanuts, a generous handful of chopped fresh basil and the juice of 1 lime. Until the basil, this is kinda flat – the basil will make it fantastic. If you want to make wraps then butter lettuce is the best choice. It’s round, wrappable and kinda stretchy. I tend to use romaine, as I usually have it on hand, and it will do just fine. Wrap crispy noodles with the mixture and enjoy.

The flavour is slightly spicy, sweet and fresh. The textures are varied with tender chicken, soft peppers, crisp lettuce, crunchy noodles and peanuts. You wouldn’t think it, but it is totally satisfying. After you’ve made this a few times, you may decide that its easier to eat as a salad. Simply chop everything into a bowl – which is exactly what I did after I snapped this photo. The wraps are great for entertaining or for kids, but lets be honest – If you are making this for yourself or for two, the salad is just cleaner and easier to eat.

As bored as I am with lettuce wraps on a menu, I love this recipe because I always feel great after I eat it. There is so much veg and so much flavour and that feels good. If using chicken breast, the fat content is small so don’t be afraid to eat a lot. I always take the leftovers to work for lunch and my co-workers are envious, so go do it!

This is another dish I learned when I started cooking. My Mama used to make it every few weeks or so, and it was always  such a crowd-pleaser. It was created in Rome and named after the restaurant it came from – Alfredo alla Scrofa - and was simply cheese and butter. It has evolved a little since then, and once I began cooking to impress (mostly women), it became the obvious choice. This is another ‘simpler is better’ dish with very few, very excellent ingredients.

The most important ingredient in this is the Parmesan, and believe it or not, the Kraft shaker isn’t going to cut it on this one. In my opinion Parmisiano-Reggiano is the only way to go. I have even learned to stay away from Padano – it is oily and carries less flavour. Parmesan is a hard cooked cheese made from raw cows milk in the Parma region of Italy. The name is protected by Italian and European Law so that only cheese from that region can bear the name ‘Parmisiano-Reggiano’. Naturally you should be prepared to pay for it, but take solace that it will go a long way.

Get a pot of salted water boiling and add the pasta. When that goes in you should start your sauce in a deep frying pan. Start with about 1/4 cup of butter in a pan on medium. To be certain it won’t burn, I always cut it with a tsp of olive oil – this will raise the smoking point of the butter ensuring you won’t burn it. Add about 4 cloves of chopped garlic to the butter and saute until there is the slightest bit of brown color on it. If you burn the garlic or butter then just start over because the sauce is already ruined – trust me, I’ve done it several times! Before the garlic burns, add roughly a 3/4 cup of whole whipping cream, yes the fattest one available… its friggin’ Alfredo, get over it! Once the cream starts to boil with little bubbles in the middle of the pan add about 3/4 cup of finely grated Parmesan. Once stirred in and melted, the sauce is complete. On this round I added garlic-butter-sauteed shrimp which takes about 90 seconds in its own pan, then added once the sauce is finished. Other options are chicken or mushrooms for the Veggies.  If the pasta isn’t ready yet, then pull the sauce off the heat until it is. When serving pasta, the proper method it to always pull the pasta directly from the pot into the sauce – none of this sticky overcooked pasta on the table with a pot of sauce. This ensures that the pasta isn’t dry and you can still adjust the sauce once the pasta is added. This sauce can sometimes be a little too thick and in that case add a ladle of pasta water to the pan, it will loosen the pasta and make it silky and smooth, not sticky and stodgy.

Make sure you add plenty of fresh cracked pepper, but skip the salt – the Parmesan is already very salty and you won’t need it. I always garnish with scallions and/or diced fresh tomato. Here I snipped some chives from my nearly dormant garden. This recipe will serve about 4 people – remember it’s very filling so serve it with a salad to sit a little lighter in your stomach. The sauce comes together in under 4 minutes, so keep that in mind when boiling the pasta and cooking the protein.

In the end I decided this isn’t the best date food. Too much garlic and too heavy for apres-dinner activities like…. badminton and bocci-ball. Still it is super tasty and one that you’ll add to the regular rotation. Enjoy!

ps. I’m really happy with the last photo on this one.

This is a decidedly Italian salad. Caprese means ‘from Capri’ or Campania which is a region in Italy – sort of  the lower shin-bone of the boot. Aside from the fact it is an ancient traditional recipe,  it is also a combination of the most stereotypically Italians ingredient on the planet, the colors of which make up the Italian flag: Basil – the most Italian herb, mozzarella – need I say more, and the most iconic Italian ingredient of all – the tomato. This salad follows the tried and true culinary formula of less is more – however the most important part of that formula is quality. There is no-where for an under-ripe tomato or pre-grated mozzarella to hide.  Unless pulled off with the best, this recipe isn’t worth it, so I will go over the ingredients and explain why.

So I lied – the cheese I use is called Bocconcini [bohk-kohn-CHEE-nee]. It is a form of fresh mozzarella and is extremely soft. The flavour is mild and clean and the texture is similar to a marshmallow but a little firmer. I have to get this at the Italian grocery as a treat. Next is basil – and I must admit that I am a basil snob, likely because I eat a lot of it. This year I planted 4 basil plants which I ate from every other day. Using dry basil on this salad (or anything for that matter) is like adding a dash of  sand. Its gritty and tasteless so unless you have fresh basil, don’t bother! The onion flavour must be mild, which is why I would suggest using shallots as they have a much milder flavour and are easy to dice into tiny pieces. If you must use onion, make certain it’s a red onion and sliced extremely small (as pictured). Olive oil & Balsamic Vinegar – these are like the Nonna & Nonno (Italian Grandpa & Grandma) of Italian food – they are better with age, they are to be respected and only deserve the best. Last is the tomatoes, and for good reason. Tomatoes make this salad, and if you decide to chop up a burger tomato that has pink flesh and no juice, then get out of my kitchen. Stick to vine-ripened and when you have the chance use halved cherries.

The photos should do the construction justice, but I will explain the dressing. The same formula works for every frickn’ salad dressing in history – 3 to 1. Three bases to 1 acid. Bases are anything from yogurt, mayo, oils, or sour cream. Acids are vinegars, citrus’, and mustards. Here the formula is simple – 3 parts extra virgin olive oil, 1 part balsamic vinegar, dried oregano (dry oregano is cool, dry basil still isn’t) and salt & pepper. I skip the garlic on this one as it is too harsh of a flavour and it isn’t in the traditional version. Combine in a jar, shake it up and pour.  Gently toss the salad and enjoy every bite with a little of everything on the fork – so friggn’ worth it.

If you have the ingredients on hand, you can be eating this dish in 5 minutes. This is also a good date salad as its nice and lite and will go great with a lighter red wine or white if you prefer, and I do prefer. This  can also be a great group dish as well, using the larger sized bocconcini sliced and layed between slices of tomato, just google caprese and you’ll see what I mean. For clarification, I am not altogether against freeze-dried basil in soups or some sauces, but it is not a stand-alone, nor can it ever replace fresh basil. I will also say that before I had access to bocconcini I did make this with regular soft (though not fresh) mozza, and it sort of works but it really doesn’t compare.

Try this out, try it a few times and tweak to your liking. I think you’ll find the texture and the way the flavours come together really make a difference. Let me know how it goes!

Autumn is amazing. I’ve said it before, but I believe it a little more every time I get to use local, fresh produce to build something that tastes even better than the ingredients do alone. Apple crisp is such a mainstay in Canadian harvest kitchens, and I think its because we have a longer apple season than most other fruit. I usually make apple crisp 3 or 4 times per year, but this peachy version only happens once or maybe twice. I don’t remember where I got the idea to put raspberry’s & peaches together – and no, Jamie Oliver had nothing to do with it. It really doesn’t matter where it came from – it is so damn good.  Sunday night, friends over for a movie, and crisp in the oven – pretty perfect. I think the reason this is so popular is that its easy to make in huge quantities, whereas pie is frustrating and slow.

I hate baking, or rather I hate measuring. That’s math, and despite the fact I took 12th grade math twice, I really don’t like it. I like to feel out what the dish needs and trust my instincts. Luckily, this dish is somewhere in the middle between instinct and trigonometry.

I started with about 6 or 8 peaches (from Ontario), just perfectly ripe. Blanch the peaches in boiling water for about 30 -60 seconds. This will make the peel essentially fall of the flesh. If the peaches are still unripe, then it will be frustrating trying to peel the leathery skin off. Who hasn’t been there before – trying to peel the tight leather of a sweet sweet peach. Next, pit the peeled peaches and slice into 1cm thick wedges.  Add these to a large mixing bowl with 1 pint of fresh, hopefully wild raspberries. Unfortunately mine came from California, but in true Perry fashion – they’re undeniable. I sprinkled about 2-3 tablespoons of brown sugar over the fruit and gently mix together. Add to a shallow baking pan and get to work on the topping.

I measured 2 cups brown sugar (and 1/4 cup white sugar, cause is just feels right), 2 cups rolled oats, and 3/4 cup of flour. Mix this before adding 3/4 cup of melted butter. For the love of god, don’t use margarine. Seriously, why the hell would you use margarine – but more on that another day. Mix everything and you should have a nice, moist consistency. This is when I might add more oats/butter if I think it needs. Be certain the mixture isn’t dry – I’ve had this problem, and it makes for a terrible topping. Spread the mixture over the peaches and bake at 350 Fahrenheit for about 40 minutes.

I was watching mine pretty closely so I was able to see that I needed to put a cookie sheet on the lower rack to catch the juices bubble over. Once its out, let it sit for 5 minutes to set up a little. When I make this with apples it takes a little longer in the oven – maybe an hour. This round, since I had guests, I saved a handful of raspberries to mix into the ice cream. It was nice – a contrast of sweet cooked peach/raspberry and sour fresh berries. I think contrast is what makes this dish so great: Sweet peaches and sour raspberries, crunchy hot crisp and creamy cold ice cream.

The result of this is difficult to explain, so I’ll put it as plain as this: If you want to get laid, make this for someone – it works almost every time. If it doesn’t work, and you followed the recipe, then there’s something wrong with you. On the bright side you still have half a pan of leftovers… Always a silver lining.

Enjoy and please share your comments!

‘Tis the season for picklin’! After a smaller test-run just 2 short weeks ago, and a successful tasting yesterday I was confidant enough to commit my Saturday afternoon. The test batch was verified by my roommates mothers approving statement: “There’s gotta be something addictive in those pickles!” – I think that’s a pass, and I press on.

After my obligatory Saturday morning visit to the farmers market, I was prepped and ready. It’s important to mention that the motivation for these pickles is primarily my g-ma’s pickled carrots. If you’ve never, then you must – and I will teach you. I have a charming photocopied booklet of ‘Mom’s Recipes: Recipes collected over the years’. Each page is lovingly hand-written with instructions for everything: baked ham, a Norwegian pastry called Blinda Crunsa, herbed buns and borscht. Each page begins with an old proverb lost in time. The pickle page begins with ‘clear as the nose on your face’ – that totally relates to pickling.

The recipe, as written, goes like this:

Wash cucumbers and dill. Pack in clean jars with a garlic clove and dill in each jar. Make a brine of: 3 Qts water, 1Qt Vinegar, 1/2 cup pickling salt. Bring bring to a boil. Pour into jars and seal. (I use the same recipe for pickled carrots)

This is so simple. Compared to what actually is required, though this was written for an audience who knew a thing or two to fill in the blanks. I, however, had to do some googling and testing.

Produce selection is important -  apparently there are bad cucumbers for pickling. Don’t use the bloated fatty’s – no one is a fan of bloated fatty’s. These cucumbers are overripe with, no warts and developed seeds – I learned this here. When you have the luxury of a farmers market, you have the privilege to pick your own produce so do this with care. Carrots this time of year taste like candy, and any carrot will do. If you have humongous carrots that have lost their sweetness they can be given new delicious life as a pickle, chopped into sticks. Dill can be a little tricky – try to use the more robust flowery tops with the yellow buds. They will hold up better in the brine than will the feathery dark green bits, but both will work fine. Clean everything thoroughly, slice the carrots so they are about finger width and if you prefer, slice the cucumbers for easy sandwich pickles. I also added a bright hot pepper to each jar for some heat.

Get a large pot of water boiling large enough to fit your largest jar. This will be used for sterilizing the jars and lids. Start the brine in another large pot. For reference 1 Quart = 4 cups. Once you’re set up, things move quickly. There are jarring kits to make this process as safe and sanitary as possible, but I’m ghetto so I use bbq tongs and old salsa jars. Reference the photo for my safe ghetto way to remove a jar from boiling water. Be careful as the glass is quite brittle. I did the jar filling in an empty sink to make it a little safer. Pack the jars with everything, starting with the garlic and dill. I chopped 1-2 cloves of garlic into large chunks, and 3-4 spears of dill with lots of flowers. Don’t be afraid to pack the jars tight – who doesn’t like tight jars? Next, fill the jars with the brine, leaving about 1-2 cm of space at the top (oxygen is necessary for the fermentation process, apparently). Pull your lid from the boiling abyss with tongs or a fork and seal it tightly without touching the inside of the lid. Repeat.

Though I’ve expanded on Gramma O’s instructions, there are far more complex instructions online, so check those out too including this sharp looking blog called food in jars. Sanitization is paramount, and I there is still much for me to learn about all of this. I plan to eat or gift these in the next 2 months – any longer and I don’t trust my methods.

You can see the color difference in the jars below. The middle jar was the first one I canned, and about 20 minutes later was the small jar on the right. Give these pickles 2 weeks in a cool dark place. Gramma had a cold room, I have the garage, and you might have an ex to leave them with – a cold, dark ex.  If the tops don’t suck down while cooling then they haven’t sealed properly and you should try again with a better sealing jar, or put it in the fridge for 2 weeks and eat right away.

This has been an adventure, but not with the usual pay-off. It’s a lot of research, and a lot of work and then a lot of waiting. I originally thought what a dissatisfying experience to be over a hot stove all afternoon and still be hungry at the end. Though, the results are absolutely worth it, and if you’re up to it, throw a roast in the oven before you start and you will be rewarded!

I saw a sign at the farmers market this weekend: 25lbs of canning tomatoes for $35. That is my next challenge -  I’m already looking forward to a winter of locally produced organic tomato sauce – who doesn’t like a local saucy winter? Good luck!