Green Tomato Jam

Green Tomato Jam

This is now my second year to make Green Tomato Jam. If you grow tomatoes, at the end of the season you'll have green tomatoes. I'll leave the tomatoes for awhile, for some to turn red, but eventually you'll either toss them (compost or chickens), or like me, look for uses.

Typical recipes are for a pie - supposedly similar to apple pie. It's ok. But since we don't eat a lot of desserts, I want my desserts to be our favorites. Another is frying slices, which is good. I posted one recipe along with my end of season put-up of Zucchini Potato Soup, which tastes great defrosted for winter eating! This year I tried a green tomato relish (which I need to label in my fridge, cuz I recently pulled it out thinking it a tomatillo green salsa). It's ok too, but I haven't used it much. I'm going to try it as a sandwich spread, which could be good.

I found the recipe from Splendid Table. I used to listen to that NPR radio program every weekend till our station exchanged it with another program. Instead, I now get emailed weekly recipes and can listen to excerpts or podcasts. The recipe was actually in connection with another recipe - A Green Tomato Tart, which has a bottom ricotta and mascarpone (or cream cheese) layer. I did make the tart once, and will try it again, but typically just make the jam.

Green Tomato Jam

3# green tomatoes, cored and chopped (1/2" pieces)
2 2/3 cups sugar
2-3 lemons (2 zested)
1/8 tsp salt and scant 1/4 tsp pepper
4" cinnamon stick, broken

Hmmmm, now that I type this I realize I've never cored the tomatoes! and I've made quite a few batches. I will cut them in half and sometimes make a "V" for cutting out the stem end and that'll take out some of the white core. The other 1/2" piece thing I sometimes do, not an exact measurement, but realizing there's two end results depending on your preferences. Monte and some friends like the chunky jam. I could do with less chunks. This current batch I'm in process of making, I did literally hand cut yesterday (as I was needing to "fold" my sourdough bread dough every 30 minutes four times, and I was listening to an audiobook - so it was a relaxing time).

Chopped Green Tomatoes and Sugar sitting for 24 hours

Sometimes I use the food processor to chop them. Pulse them a bit and not too much, so you DO end up with some chunks.

The tomatoes and sugar need to be mixed together and sit for 24 hours. Lots of juice will be extracted.

Add the lemons. Zest the lemons and then cut off the white pith and chop. Two large lemons are enough - three if small to medium. Add the seasoning.

Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 40 minutes (210 degrees?). I don't take it's temperature. After awhile I'll get some jam juice on my spoon, let it cool a bit and slowly tilt back into the pot. When the drips start coming together slowly into one drop, it means it's thickened up about right. You don't want it runny. Remove cinnamon sticks.

Jar up and freeze. I haven't canned this up. My friend does. I do know, that if you leave it out, even in a cool cellar, it will develop mold. It holds up well in a refrigerator.

Now some of you are going to want the Tart recipe.

Tart Crust

1 cup (5oz) flour
2 oz almond meal
3 Tb sugar
3 oz (6 Tb) butter
1 large egg
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp almond extract
1-3 Tb water
Mix together, cutting the butter and liquids into the dry ingredients. Chill. Roll out to fit a removable bottom tart pan. Bake at 375 with pie weights to keep crust from bubbling (I keep pie weights and a folded piece of foil in a container in my pantry) for 15 minutes; then 5-10 minutes without the weights. Cool. Then spread in -

Vanilla Ricotta Cream Filling

1/3 cup whipped cream or 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese (cream cheese, replacement)
3/4 cup ricotta
3 Tb sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Puree this together and Chill.

1 Hour before serving, spread the Ricotta mixture in the tart shell. Top with 1 3/4 - 2 cups Green Tomato Jam. Chill at least 40 minutes then 20 minutes outside the fridge. Serve.

I never took a picture of the finished tart! It was good. The base tart with ricotta filling (which I used cream cheese for only because I couldn't find mascarpone in the back of my cheese drawer, which I thought I had) would be good with any topping. Monte thought layering on some thin slices of pear, which we had excess of at the time, would be good.

I gave the jam as Christmas presents last year along with home brewed Vanilla Extract.

Felt and Jewelry

In my current felting jag, I made this jewelry set. I'd bought the jewelry blanks at Hobby Lobby. I needle felted a long strip of the blue-green background, then cut it in squares to fit the bracelet blanks and one to fit the necklace blank. Then I needled in the small designs in colors that would go with an outfit I wear. The picture shows the jacket. I'm going to be making more felted jewelry!

Baby Shower Gifts

It says it all!

What to make (I always go there first before considering buying something) for a new baby boy? Typical me, I googled it. Lots of fun ideas, but I settled on the PeePee TeePee for WeeWee idea. How did we survive baby boy diaper changing without them? Not necessary, I know. But I thought, "how cute and fun is that?"! I saw them online for sale with a bag for around $10. I used markers for the words on the bag and sewed a channel for a drawstring closure when hemming the top. My time? Maybe 1 hour. That's easier for me than driving out shopping or needing to plan ahead and order online.

when I sew I always start another seam so no thread tails to cut off

I drew a 7" diameter circle using a small plate on flannel material. I folded the circles in half, right sides together, sewing around, leaving an opening for turning right-side-out. You could cut your circles in half, using differing flannel designs or colors for variety if you want. Once turned out just sew the opening closed as you sew the two sides into a cone. I think I did an extra step, probably unnecessary, I sewed a 1/8" seam around the circle edge of the turned out piece. I was thinking of lots of washings and wondering if it needed this for keeping it's shape. Someone would need to tell me since I don't use them. 

And too, if there's a young sibling, I think they should have a gift to open! This baby boy has a 4 or 5-year old sister, so I made her a bracelet. Years ago a necklace craft was popular: sew a fabric tube, turning right side out, and insert marbles or beads into the tube, separating them by a pony bead. I didn't do any clasp closure, but left a longer tube tail for tying.

fabric bracelet or necklace

You need to measure the diameter of your marbles or beads for the fabric tube diameter. Sewing a 1/4" seam with right side enclosed, I think I cut the fabric strip about 2" wide. If making a necklace, lots of marbles can get heavy, so cheap wooden balls or beads are better, I think (I've not priced marbles). When I did the necklaces years ago I used the marbles for some weight, but also used a wad of stuffing occasionally.

Insert beads and thread beads knotting ends when done

Any kinds of spacer-type beads can be used as long as the fabric can thread through. There's lots of possibilities - like dangling charms ...

The little girl loves her bracelet. I also tye-dyed a baby onesie for him too - maybe more useful than the tee-pees ...

There's a fulfillment in making things. Crafting moments open up an energy door for me.

"Coraline" - Tiny Knitting

I LOVE what this lady knits (and I like the sweater she's wearing - I wish I could see all of it). For years (since 2003, since that's the pattern's copyright) I've been knitting special earrings for friends - I use US size 0000 double-pointed needles - they're like metal toothpicks. The pattern is called Los Lobe Hose by Carol's Sockery. The pattern came with the needles.

I have a basket of colored yarn - basically like string. I'd like to know what the lady is using in the YouTube clip. I don't think I'd knit what she's knitting, but who knows ... They are beautiful!

Dyed Christmas Gifts

Everyone is starting to expect gifts of dyed shirts with matching bamboo socks all the time. I did it again this Christmas. Last Christmas, besides the shirts and socks, everyone got a tie dyed apron. This year besides the shirts and socks, all the couples got a Bidet! For the Grandsons I dyed shirts, and warm rompers, matching bamboo socks, and then some hats. I was going to dye ties for the guys, as the girls got machine felted polar fleece purses - but I didn't get to them. I'm feeling a little daunted with silk ties, but will do them eventually.

The munchkin hats are adorable!

Hand-dyed had from Dharma Trading Company

Collecting Seeds & Rubber Stamped Seed Packet

The garden is winding down. Normally we've had a frost by now, wiping out all the tender plants like beans, basil, squash and tomatoes, and then some flowers. Indian Summer will kick in with it's warmth for another month or so, and an occasional snow storm. This is the warmest September ever and we've not had rain for over a month, but a few spits. My watering keeps things going, but I'd planted more salady seeds for producing on into the late fall, but it's like the ground wicks away moisture instantly from the surface, so not many of the seedlings have sprouted yet. Monte and me covered tender plants a couple nights when temps threatened, and that saved them.

I've been collecting seeds from flowers I like to replant next year, starting seedlings in the early spring in my greenhouse. Like I've grown black hollyhocks for years and keep planting more and more - as biennials they do need to be replanted, but mine also keep reseeding. The calendulas sometimes reseed, I collect their seeds to. This year I'm collecting more. Like I like how the hyssop adds it's purple flowering at differing times than the flowering sage May Night and too, catnip. Another I collected is a perennial that my friend Marty wants to see if she can get started - I don't remember it's name.

Years ago I bought a rubber stamp that's like a seed package. I've given seeds as gifts using this stamp. As you see in the picture, you'd fold the paper and glue the tabs to make a seed packet. And I cut out the window - I enclose the seeds in snack-size zip bag and push the bag into the packet, then the seeds don't fall out, but you can see them. My daughter-in-love Sarah, recently stamped some for her gift-giving and used a multiple colored stamp pad. It looked great, so I'm going to be doing that too.

I'm posting pictures of some of the flowers I'm collecting seeds from.