Edith’s Chia Jam

This is the basic recipe to make this jam,  just substitute any fruit and experiment with spices.  I like cardamom with plum, for example.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups chopped fresh or frozen fruit (Peach, plum, any berries, rhubarb, cherries, fig, etc.)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 to 2 tablespoons honey, agave, maple syrup, or sugar
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds, plus more if needed
• Spices that suit your whim

Instructions:

Prepare the fruit: remove stems, pits, seeds, and skin from the fruit. Chop large fruits into small pieces. Berries can be left whole.


Cook the fruit until it starts to break down. Transfer the fruit to a saucepan and set over medium heat. Cook until the fruit breaks down and becomes syrupy, 5 to 10 minutes. Mash the fruit with the back of a spatula or a potato masher, leaving it as smooth or as lumpy as you like.

Stir in the sweetener and lemon juice. Remove from the heat.  Taste and add more sweetener or lemon juice as needed.  Stir in the chia seeds. Add the chia seeds and stir to combine.

Let stand 5 minutes and the chia will thicken the jam. If you want it thicker, stir in more chia seeds 1 teaspoon at a time.


Transfer to a jar or other storage container. Once the jam has cooled to room temperature, transfer it to a jar or other storage container. Store in the fridge for about 2 weeks. The jam will thicken further and become more set once completely chilled. The jam can also be frozen for up to 3 months; thaw in the fridge before using.

Christy’s Spicy Garlic Dill Pickles

This spicy pickle recipe is based on a recipe I saw on Heidi’s FoodieCrush She based HER recipe on an NPR recipe. Just goes to show that good recipes, like good books, are best when passed on.

For the Homemade Pickling Spice

• 2 tablespoons black peppercorns
• 2 tablespoons mustard seeds
• 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
• 2 tablespoons dill seed
• 1 tablespoon allspice berries
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 10-12 bay leaves crumbled

For the Spicy Garlic Dill Pickles

• About 10 to 12 lbs of cucumbers
• 2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups white vinegar
• 4 cups water
• 5 tablespoons pickling salt
• Dried dill weed ( 2-3 fronds and stalks per jar)
• 20-30 whole garlic cloves peeled and lightly smashed (4-5 per jar)
• 1/8 teaspoon Ball Pickle Crisp (Optional)

Instructions

For the Homemade Pickling Spice

1. Add all of the ingredients to a small bowl and stir to mix.

For the Spicy Killer Garlic Dill Pickles

1. Prepare your jars and lids for canning.  Submerge in boiling water for minutes.  Add a minute for every 1,000 feet above sea level.
2. In a good size pot bring the vinegars, water and salt to a simmer.
3. To each sterilized jar add: 2-3 tablespoons of pickling spice, 2-3 fronds and stalks of dried dill weed, and 4-5 whole garlic cloves to each jar. Pack the whole or sliced cucumbers into the jars so they are tight but aren’t damaged in the process. The cucumbers should sit below the neck of the jar. Trim the cucumbers if they’re poking up too high.
4. Add pickle crips at the top of the packed cukes just before the brine is added
5. Pour the brine into the jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace, just covering the cucumbers.
6. Wipe the rims of the jars and use tongs to place the lids and rings (that have been sterilized in simmering water) on top of the jars. To avoid contamination, do not touch the lids where they sit on the jars with your fingers.
7. Process in a canner water bath of boiling water for 10 minutes. Add 1 minute for every 1,000 feet above sea level.  Remove the jars from the pot and allow them to cool on a dishtowel on the counter. As the jars cool you will hear them pop as they seal. Sealed jars should feel solid when tapped and be concave in shape.
8. Store in a dry cool place. Pickles will be ready to try in about 7-10 days but get even better over time. They can be stored for up to 1 year.

Recipe Notes

• To make these as refrigerator pickles, skip the hot water bath and place the jars directly into the fridge instead where they will last for 1-2 months. 
• Pickling salt really makes a difference. Do not use table salt. Can use kosher in a pinch, just make sure it has completely dissolved.
• If jars do not pop after 24 hrs, put them in water bath again. Or treat them as refrigerator pickles.
• I have used jared garlic instead of whole garlic cloves.
• For extra spice, try 10-18 small Thai red peppers split down the middle but not separated, leaving seeds intact (2-3 per jar).
• I have also added a grape leaf to the jar. The tannin-rich leaves keep lacto-fermented foods crispy, without negatively effecting the taste of the pickles.