Celebrate the Flavors of Arkansas {Tomato Basil Jam}
A couple of summers ago, my Papa fell shelling peas.I mean, what else are you supposed to do on a summer’s night when you are 90? (Now you know the Energizer Bunny™ is in my genes!) He had already planted a full garden for the summer and it was tomato time.I remember spending a couple of afternoons during those hot July summer days in his fields and thinking, “I understand now why he gets up so early to do this!”
But that summer was a productive one on the tomato vine.I learned and relearned a lot of lessons evaluating those plants and the crop they were producing.Our hearts were full and so was the floor of the carport.You see my Papa usually overplanted because he knew he was going to spend most of his summer giving those vegetables away.
My papa passed away at the end of last summer, and I heard several people say that for the first time in at least 2 decades they would have to actually purchase tomatoes of their own.I guess it seems fitting that my mom developed this recipe as a way to use up the “ugly” tomatoes in the bunch and give away some gifts in his honor.
I love this jam on sandwiches or with homemade quesadillas.And, the Texan in me prefers cilantro instead of the basil variation. But, play with the herbs in your terra cotta pots.You’re bound to have a favorite too!
As your bounty fills this summer, enjoy this treat, gather folks and your table and take some time to remember what you love about the season!
2 ½ pounds of fully ripe tomatoes (approximately 5 large tomatoes)
6 large fresh basil leaves (or ½ bunch cilantro)
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup sugar
1-2 oz. package Sure Jell
2 ¾ cups sugar
Instructions
Prepare jars, lids and rings for canning.
Bring water in a water bath canner to a low boil. Place jars and rings in canner and leave until ready to fill. Place lids in water that has been heated to boiling, but do not boil the lids.
Wash tomatoes thoroughly. Prepare tomatoes by peeling, removing stem ends, bad spots, cores and seeds.
Place tomatoes in food processor (or you may chop by hand to control size).
Remove stems from basil and add basil leaves to food processor. Pulse 3-5 times until tomatoes are coarsely chopped and basil is mixed throughout tomatoes.
Place tomatoes in a medium stock pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Stir in lemon juice.
In a separate bowl, combine ¼ cup of sugar with the Sure Jell.
Mix well and pour into tomatoes. Bring back to a boil, stirring constantly.
Stir in remaining 2 1/2 cups sugar.
Keep at a hard boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Set mixture off burner. Remove top foam with a metal spoon and discard.
Ladle hot jam into hot sterilized half-pint canning jars, leaving a 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe jar rims; adjust lids and screw bands.
Process filled jars in a boiling-water canner for 5 minutes (start timing when water returns to boiling). Remove jars from canner; cool on wire racks.
Check seals and label.
Notes
(from my great grandmother) Mama Jones’ trick for easy peeling tomatoes: Cut an “x” in the bottom of the tomato skin. Place tomatoes in a pan of hot boiling water for 1 minute. Immediately transfer to bowl of cold, icy water. Peeling should easily pull off.
I’m on a roll with berries and fruits lately including cherries which have reappeared at our markets. If I can keep enough of them on hand before Hubby eats them as is, I make this Cherry Habanero Jelly. Our supply that I made last fall using our garden-fresh habaneros is all gone. I gave away a bunch of it at Arkansas Women Bloggers University in September and some more at Christmas as little presents for friends and neighbors. So when I went to the downstairs pantry to get a jar for my “All About Cherries” appearance on THV 11 last February, well…Mother Hubbard’s cupboard was bare. (As it turned out, Mother Nature decided to bring in a little snow which caused me to cancel my appearance since getting out of our driveway is next to impossible when there’s frozen stuff on the ground.)
Being the spontaneous, creative soul that I am (ahem!), I made up a fresh batch then when I had to scrape around for cherries since it was February. How does that happen that National Cherry Month occurs when cherries are gone from the markets? Go figure. While scouring the pantry for a wayward jar I remembered I had never posted that recipe. Looks like you guys get to be the lucky recipients…recipe and jam if you’re on your way to AWBU in Hot Springs.
I know I tell you all of the time, “Y’all, this is so good, ” but honestly Y’al this stuff is so good. That batch I made in February did not have the same habanero heat as my batch from last fall. The habaneros didn’t give off as much “smelly” heat while I was preparing them. Or, at least, they didn’t seem to. The batch I made this week, in contrast, was screaming heat! There’s nothing like fresh-from-the-garden taste, is there?
On a side note: When you make this, always wear gloves! That’s the voice of experience. Trust me. It’s a painful part of my past. Literally.
We like to use this on grilled meats, purple hull peas, pinto beans — just about anything we put on our plates actually. Well, except dessert that is — although with a little extra crunchy peanut butter and a Ritz, it just might make it into the dessert category It’s also very good as a quick appetizer with cream cheese and crackers — you’ve had that I’m sure. I’ve even used it as a grilling glaze by melting it in the microwave and brushing it on the meat as it is grilling. Oh, wow!
Be patient with this as you are waiting on it to jell. It may take a few days for it to do so. Also, I like to leave some chunks of pepper and cherries in the mix, but you can grind them to smithereens if that’s your preference. I never quite know whether to call this a jelly or a jam since it has those chunks hanging out in there. Jammy? What do you think?
I put most of this up in 4-ounce jars since I like to have it on hand that way to use as little gifts. This batch made 26 of those.
Did I mention that I’m raising ghost peppers? Hmmmm
7 orange habaneros, cored and seeds removed (if desired)**
1 large red bell pepper, cored and seeds removed
7 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 pouches liquid pectin (I use Certo.)
Instructions
Instructions
Prepare the jars and lids.
Roughly chop the cherries; place in a large saucepan.
Finely chop the habaneros and red bell pepper in a food processor.
Mix the peppers, sugar and lemon juice into the peaches; stir well.
Bring the mixture to a rapid boil, stirring frequently.
Add in the liquid pectin and bring back to a hard boil for 1-2 minutes.
Remove from the heat and skim off the foam, if desired.
Pack into sterilized jars and seal.
Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes; cool completely before storing.
Check lids for proper seal.
Notes
*You can substitute bottled cherry juice, but make certain that it is pure juice and not a blend with added sugar.
**If you leave the seeds in, the jam will have more heat. We like it hot!
If you are not accustomed to water bath canning, I suggest you purchase a good guide. I'm a big fan of Ball's canning manuals myself.
The pamphlet in the box of Certo is a good general guide for making jams and jellies.
By Dining With Debbie
Arkansas Women Bloggers https://arkansaswomenbloggers.com/
Getting to Know Your ARWB Foodies
Debbie Arnold Dining With Debbie
What food reminds you of childhood? My Mamaw made the very best chicken and dumplings—EVER! She made them for just about every Sunday dinner and always if the preacher was coming over. Nonnie was also an amazing cook. Her chicken and dressing cannot be beat, and my Aunt Sue can make it just like Nonnie did. I learned much of what I know about cooking from them. (You do know that “dinner” is “lunch” in THE South, right?)
What is your favorite international cuisine? That’s tough. If I had to pick just one, I would probably choose Italian. Some of my fondest memories of Italy are associated with the food we ate while there. Although judging from my cookbook library, you would think it would be French. Maybe it is?
What is always in your refrigerator at home? I always have herbal infused olive oils, compound butters, a variety of mustards, heavy cream, Greek yogurt, fresh fruits and vegetables and tea!
What is your most used cookbook?
I have given away a number of my cookbooks so I’m probably down to around 300 right now. I know. I read cookbooks like many people read novels though. Judging from their wear and tear, I use several volumes from America’s Test Kitchen, Calico Cupboards (which I helped write), The French Laundry by Thomas Keller, Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan, Joy of Cooking by Irma Rombauer and Marion Becker, Delia Smith’s How to Cook, and Cooking at HomebyJulia Child and Jacques Pepin a lot. My new favorite, however, is A Kitchen in France by Mimi Thorisson. I read it cover to cover without putting it down.
What is your favorite kitchen gadget? On a daily basis, I probably use my whisks more than any other kitchen tool. My favorite gadget hands down, though, is my electric knife sharpener. Love it! Dull knives are dangerous.
Do you have a favorite food indulgence?
Hot fudge sundaes with pecans and no cherry from Andy’s Frozen Custard. I may be craving one right now.
What is your go-to ingredient that you use time and time again? Kosher salt. I use it almost exclusively in cooking since it does not contain any additives. I‘m also lovingRiceland’s Rice Bran Oil. I just keep hoping it makes it to the supermarket shelves soon.
What is your favorite food meal to cook at home?
In many ways, cooking is meditative for me. Choosing a favorite meal is rather like choosing your favorite child – impossible. Right now, it would probably be fried okra and purple hull peas with fresh tomatoes and basil since they are in season. Or maybe homemade pizza on the grill? Come October when cooler weather sets in, it’ll be a whole different story.
What is a cooking tip that you would like to share with beginning cooks? If you can read a cookbook, you can cook. Like so many others have said, don’t be afraid to try. Everyone burns something occasionally; it’s okay. Oh, and this is very important, invest in really, really good knives and keep them sharpened. They’ll last you a lifetime.
When you’re not cooking, what are your favorite pastimes? Gardening consumes a considerable amount of my time as does blogging and working on ARWB. Hubby and I also spend most weekends at the lake or playing with our grandchildren.
What else would you like us to know about you? Most of what you might be interested in is on theARWB web site. If you get up REAL early and live within the viewing audience, you can watch me pretend to cook on THV11 This Morning twice a month—usually around 6:45. That’s AM by the way.
My mom loves figs. If I‘m at a Trader Joe’s I always pick up some Calmyrna figs for her. Back in the day I remember her loving fig newtons. I never really dug it, until I watched her gleefully planting a fig tree in her yard, not sure if it would make it through the cold Arkansas winters. But when winter comes, my mom goes outside with sheets and blankets and covers up her fig tree. When it was small this was okay. As it got larger it was kind of ridiculous, but not really, if you are serious about your figs.
My mom is serious about her figs, ridiculously serious about her figs.
2 to 4 tablespoons of honey (agave if you're going for vegan)
one vanilla bean (or one teaspoon vanilla)
2 tablespoons chia seeds
Instructions
Whiz it up in your blender, move it to the jar you want to store it in (if you don't eat it all right when you make it), and let it sit for a few minutes while the chia seeds expand and give it texture.
We eat this spread on Amie Sue's Raw Honey Oat Cinnamon Bread that I make regularly in our house.
By Wendy Finn of I Touch People
Arkansas Women Bloggers https://arkansaswomenbloggers.com/
I would never have given a fig about them, if she didn’t love them so much. It’s not something that I see around me on a day to day basis and they are not super visible in the grocery store. Now I’m addicted and I want my own fig tree. I’ll be the crazy lady on my street covering up my ginormous fig tree with sheets in the winter time.
As a fresh fruit they are amazing. As a dried fruit, with the natural sugar coating on the outside, they are even more amazing. They make a great raw jelly, and my absolute favorite thing to do with figs is turn them into raw food power bars. The texture with the seeds is addictive. And the recipes are sooo easy. You can’t help but incorporate them into daily life. Good mojo all around.
This post turns out to be a kind of tribute to Amie Sue, because this next recipe I have adapted over time to suit my kitchen needs, but I first got the recipe off her site Nouveau Raw. I think she is my favorite raw food chef on the web. Her web site is beautifully done, her recipes are innovative, do-able, and often have complex flavors. I have seen it done other places, but I love her use of cardamom in these power bars. Other aspects of this recipe I have changed, but I still love to use the cardamom. I especially love to smell my herb grinder after I have whizzed up the seed pods.
I am a full time nursing student, I own a small business with 8 employees, and I have a husband and four sons ranging in age from 19 to 9. I have a tendency to streamline recipes to make them faster and bigger. Functional is the name of the game. Also, I have to work with what is my kitchen. I don’t have time to run to the store. If I have it on the shelf and it seems like a safe bet, it’s going in. Especially with power bars. You just can’t go wrong.
Wendy Finn is the mother of 4 boys, owner of I.M. Spa, a Raw Food Enthusiast and educator, a world traveler in pursuit of superior massage education, a Master Massage Therapist of 20 plus years, a gardener, and a nursing student. She’s passionate about touching people and sharing health.
Wendy Finn