Foodista is celebrating the bounty of fruits and vegetables this summer with a month devoted to canning. We hope you discover (and contribute!) some delicious recipes to “put up”! Check out our Can-tastic canning page for inspiring recipes. We’d love to see some of yours!

Here’s to a Can-tastic summer!

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When my mom used to make homemade strawberry jam and give it to people- you’d swear they had just been given a jar of diamonds; “Oh this is wonderful!” “Thank you so much! I can’t wait!” When I was younger, I never really got it, it’s just jam. It wasn’t some fun toy or a trip to the park; these people were being given homemade jam, Yawn. Now that I am older the thought of someone giving me homemade jam, banana bread, pickles or slow-cooked peach sauce is a true gift. Not only do these delicious edible gifts taste better when they are homemade, someone spent time making me something from scratch and time in my eyes may just be the most valuable gift anyone can give.

Now, maybe it’s just me, but canning is cool again. Maybe it never was un-cool, maybe I’m just realizing how fun, rewarding and delicious creating sweet raspberry jam or vinegary pickles can be. And I’m definitely not alone. Perhaps it’s the recession, perhaps it’s this jump in homemaking interests that my generation is hankering for. Whereas the microwave generation prior, often wanted more time for careers and less time in the kitchen. Making slow sauces, cupcakes from scratch, learning to garden and making pickles all by myself?! That’s waayy cool.

Photo by Ocadotony

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As much as we’d love to spend the afternoons canning, pickling, storing, and preserving, we don’t always have the time to do so, do we? Then comes the moment when you long for that homemade raspberry jam and you say to yourself, “Self, why didn’t I just buck up and make jam that afternoon?”

Don’t beat yourself. You can still make that delicious jam and not spend all afternoon doing it. Two words for you: freezer jam.

Raspberry Freezer Jam

1 3/4 c. crushed raspberries
4 c. sugar
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 bottle Certo

Measure fruit and sugar into a large bowl. Mix well. Let set 10 minutes to macerate.

Combine 3/4 cup water and Sure-Jell into small pan. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add to fruit mixture and stir for approximately 3 minutes. Put into jars or plastic containers. Cover. Let set at room temperature for 24 hours, then freeze.

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Many of you may think I’m talking about the scandalous former mayor of Washington, DC, Marion Barry, but I am not. I’m talking about the succulent Pacific Northwestern fruit, the marionberry.

The marionberry was introduced in 1956 at my alma mater, Oregon State University, and developed in Marion County. While they grow throughout the Pacific Northwest, 90% of the world’s crops are grown around the Marion County area. There are few spots in the world where caneberries (the blackberry family) grow and thrive, and the Willamette Valley in Oregon provides the perfect climate: a moist spring followed by hot summer days and cool nights.

These aren’t just any old ordinary blackberry, their flavor is far superior, even to Boysenberries. The marionberry is a cross between two hybrids – the smaller, tasty Chehalem and the larger high-producing Ollalie – and is big, fat and distinctively sweet.

Marionberries usually reach their peak around mid-July, but since we experienced a much colder spring this year in the Pacific Northwest, all berries are just starting to come out in their full glory. Soon marionberry aficionados like myself will be out picking ’til our lips, tongues and fingers are stained purple. Our pantries will be filled with marionberry jams and syrups, and our tables laid with pies and fresh home-made ice cream.

Oh, summer in the Pacific Northwest is grand!

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While in Napa last weekend I gathered a few handfuls of kumquats from our friend’s grandmother’s tree. My own grandmother had a small potted kumquat tree and growing up I loved to pop the so sweet/so sour little citrus in my mouth. I thought they were the prettiest little fruit ever – and I still do! But apparently British youngsters feel it is just too old-fashioned (see “Marmalade makers getting out of a jam“). The result? A campaign to remake the marmalade image into a more appealing “jamalade.” What!? Parents, just tell your kids that marmalade was Paddington Bear’s favorite food and they’ll eat it up.

I’m making kumquat marmalade – yes, marmalade, not jamalade – and will share a jar with my friend as a “thank you” for letting me pilfer from their tree. I found a couple of recipes: one with oranges and no pectin, the other with all kumquats and one packet of pectin. Since I also swiped some oranges from their trees I’m going to try both recipes. I’ve never made marmalade so I’m curious to see how the batch without pectin will turn out.

Stay tuned for the final product…

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