RECIPE: Green Pine Cones Preserved in Syrup

Can you believe pine cones are edible?  I stumbled on this recipe by accident: the larch tree in our yard was making these amazing light green pine cones and I wondered whether I could preserve the color.  Sadly, they will eventually turn brown no matter what I do.  However, I learned that I could preserve them in syrup, and eat them!  I decided to try it.

There were only 5 cones on the larch tree so I checked the other pines on our property and one of them had a profusion of tiny green cones on every branch!  I decided to use these to test the recipe.  I gathered one cupful, which weighed 4 oz, so I made a half-recipe.  

Honestly, they taste a bit weird!  I haven't used them as suggested so I can't say yet whether I like them.  Perhaps they'll be delicious with cheese or roasted vegetables.  

• Original recipe: Pine Cone Jam
• Another recipe: Pine Cone Jam - what it is and how to use it
• And a third recipe: Pine Cone Cider Jam 

The original recipes are full of interesting tidbits that I will not repeat here so please read the originals.

Green Pine Cones Preserved in Syrup

Tiny green (immature) pine cones preserved in syrup.

 

Makes scant 1.5 cups

You WILL need rubbing alcohol to clean your pan, counter, utensils and hands!  Pine resin is TENACIOUS!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup of green (immature) pine cones collected in May-June (start checking in late April - our trees are already developing cones!).  They may not be green in color, but they must be immature, sappy and green in the center when you dig your fingernail into them.  Tiny cones are best. 
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup sugar

DIRECTIONS

Blanch the pine cones: put them in a saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and cook at a gentle boil for 5 minutes.  Turn off the heat and allow to cool.  A layer of resin will collect on the surface.  Carefully scoop it off and discard (I removed it to a disposable bowl).  

Drain the pine cones.  I poured the water into the disposable bowl and then discarded it into the forest.  I didn't want to pour it down the drain into our septic system.  If the resin is that sticky, I didn't want to risk having it clog the septic drain field! 

Make the jam/syrup:  Return the pine cones to the pot and add the sugar and water.  Stir.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and boil gently for 5 minutes.  Turn off the heat and cool completely.

Bring to a boil again.  Boil for 1 minute, turn off the heat and cool completely.

Repeat boiling and cooling three more times.

Test one cone.  If the cone is now chewable and pleasantly sweet, and the liquid is dark and syrupy, they are done.  If not, repeat the boil-cool steps until you like the consistency and taste.  

My tiny cones were ready after 5 boils, but the liquid was not syrupy at all so I brought them to boil again and while the liquid was bubbling I removed the cones to the jars I would be storing them in.  Once the liquid was syrupy, I turned off the heat and added the syrup to the jars.  Next time, I may use a little more water and sugar so I'll have more syrup.  

Let the jars cool on the counter, and store them in the fridge.  If the syrup crystalizes, warm the jar in hot water.  

How to use:

• The candied cones can be served on a cheese plate/platter.
• Pine cone syrup makes a soothing tea if you have a sore throat.
• The candied cones can top savory appetizers, thumbprint cookies, and hand pies.
• The syrup can be added to roasting root vegetables.
• The syrup dissolved into sipping vinegar and topped with seltzer makes a refreshing shrub.

Here are my progress pictures:

This is ONE CUP of pine cones!  You can see how small they are.  I suffered many mosquito bites harvesting them, which is why I stopped after one cup.  In the upper right corner is the cone that started it all - from our larch tree.  Isn't it a gorgeous color!

One cup of tiny green pine cones.

 

 I was hoping they wouldn't loose too much color, but they turned brown as soon as I par-boiled them:

green pine cones turning brown in boiling water

 

Removing the resin to a disposable bowl, so I didn't risk clogging our septic drain field:

Removing the resin to a disposable bowl.

 

 

Covering my induction cooktop with paper towels to protect the glass from splattering resin.  If you don't have an induction cooktop, you should NOT do this!  You'll set the paper, and possibly also your kitchen, on fire!  You'll just have to clean the cooktop with rubbing alcohol:

Induction cooktop covered with paper towels to protect the glass from splattering resin.

 

After boiling and cooling 5 times, I felt the pine cones were done but the syrup wasn't thick enough.  While the syrup was boiling down, I removed the pine cones with a small strainer and put them into the small jars I would be storing them in:

 

When the syrup was the right consistency, I added it to the jars.  In the jars, you can't tell what color it is, but the residue in the pan was a light brown color:

Color of the syrup left in the saucepan.

 

 

 

 

I ended up with three barely full 1/2-cup (4 oz jars).  I don't really care for these by themselves, but if I end up loving them when they're added to other dishes, I'll have to make more because I don't have much!  I suppose I should harvest more cones before they're too mature to preserve....

Three barely full half-cup (4 oz) jars of green pine cones preserved in syrup.

Here's a bigger photo of the green cones on the tree:

Tiny green (immature) pine cones on the tree.

Last spring, to make this jelly, I harvested all the immature pine cones I could reach.  A year later I looked to see whether any new ones had developed and noticed there were some more mature pine cones at the top of the tree, where I couldn't reach, but NONE at the bottom where I could.  I will research how long it takes a tree to develop a pine cone!

Pine cones at the top, but none at the bottom, the year after harvest.

RECIPE: Beef, Spinach, Fennel in Tomato Cream Sauce

This delicious sauce can be use on pasta, rice, or vegetables.  It comes together quickly, especially if you have pressure-canned ground beef.  I developed it when I wanted to make a pasta sauce that tasted like it had sausage in it, but didn't.  Italian sausage is often flavored with fennel, garlic, and red pepper.

Apologies for the awful photo, I added a more recent photo the bottom but IDK if it's any better! 

Beef, Spinach, Fennel in Tomato Cream Sauce

Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 t. fennel seeds (see note)
  
• 2 T. ghee 
• 1 medium onion, minced  
• 12 ounces lean ground beef or veal
  
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 T. tomato paste
• 6 oz chopped spinach (if frozen, thaw and squeeze all moisture out)
• 1.5 c. heavy cream
• 1/4 t. fennel pollen (optional) 
• 1/2 t. cayenne or another hot pepper  

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a medium saute pan on medium heat, dry toast the fennel seeds until they turn light brown.  

Add the ghee and the onion and saute until the onion is soft and translucent.  Add the hot pepper.

Increase the heat to medium-high and add the meat.  Saute until it's cooked through. 

Add the garlic and the tomato paste and stir for a few minutes.  

Add the spinach.  If the spinach is raw, stir until it wilts.  If the spinach was frozen, stir until it's heated.  

Add the cream and bring to a boil, stirring. 

If you're using the fennel pollen, add it now, then serve!   

NOTE: When I made this for a friend, and I wished there was more fennel flavor, she suggested I grind the roasted seeds!  This is an EXCELLENT idea, but it adds an extra step to a simple preparation.  I love roasted fennel so much that I make a whole jar of it and store it with my spices.  What I will do in the future is grind 1 teaspoon of them before starting the recipe and proceed as directed.  If you like this recipe, you should do that, too!

Ground beef, fennel, spinach, tomato and cream served with rice.

 

RECIPE: Nitrite-Free Corned Beef Brisket

Making your own corned beef isn't hard, but it takes 7 days and requires space in your fridge.  The only ingredients are salt and beef brisket.  America's Test Kitchen also adds herbs and spices for flavor.  The nitrite that many places add keeps the meat from turning brown.  It does nothing for the flavor.  Why is it so hard to buy corned beef without this carcinogenic chemical? 

Another pasture-raised beef farm in this area has corned beef brisket for sale and they claim to use "no nitrates or nitrites except those naturally occurring in sea salt and celery powder".  I bought a small one to try. 

The last time I cooked a brisket I used a pressure cooker, and it was tender and delicious, so I did the same for this one.  I combined several recipes.  Even though there was no nitrite, it was a nice red color.  What surprised me, though, was that it shrank a LOT!  It also exuded a LOT of liquid.  Is that normal?

My husband gobbled it up.   

Nitrite-Free Corned Beef Brisket

 Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

• One 2.5 pound beef brisket
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 1 head garlic, cloves separated, peeled and halved
  
• 1 T. peppercorns
• 1 t. dried thyme leaves, or 8 sprigs fresh
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 1 c. beef broth. 
• Horseradish sauce for serving.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Soak the brisket in water for 2 hours, changing the water every 30 minutes.  Pat the brisket dry.

Put the sliced onions, garlic, peppercorns, thyme, bay leaves and beef broth in the bottom of a pressure cooker large enough to hold the meat.  Cover them with the rack and place the brisket on the rack.

Following the instructions for your unit, secure the lid and bring the pressure cooker up to pressure.

Cook for 90 minutes.  Release the pressure naturally.

Some people cook cabbage and carrots along with the meat, I roasted them separately in the oven. 

Remove the meat from the pressure cooker, slice thinly, and serve with horseradish sauce. 

 

How to Pressure Can Ground Beef

This is a short picture tutorial on how I pressure-can ground beef.  

I have been reluctant to post any tutorials on pressure canning because if you don't do it correctly you can die.  If you do not follow the recommended guidelines, you can die.  

Here's what I know about BOTULISM, in a nutshell: the organism clostridium botulinum is a spore that thrives in low-acid low-oxygen environments.  In those environments it produces the botulinum toxin.  It is the botulinum toxin that causes BOTULISM, the deadly disease.  

When you pressure can low-acid foods, like meat, you create the low-oxygen environment in which clostridium botulinum thrives. If even ONE SPORE survives the canning process, it can produce enough botulinum to kill you.  To kill the spores, you must maintain a temperature of at least 250 degrees for a minimum of 3 minutes.  Pressure canning guidelines are designed to insure the center of the jar meets those conditions. 

The botulinum TOXIN can be destroyed by boiling for 5 minutes, so it is advisable to boil all pressure canned meat for 5 minutes after you open the jar to use it.  

Please, follow the instructions that came with your canner, after reading ALL the instructions in the links below.  If you do not follow the recommended guidelines, you can die.  

MEAT (beef, chicken, lamb, and pork):

1. cook ground meat, then can
2. can stew meat raw
3. can chicken breasts raw (DO NOT CAN GROUND POULTRY)
4. make broth and can it

The links above don't have many photos, so here's how I do it.

My pressure canner is a small, 15.5-quart size All American that holds 7 quart jars, or 7 pint jars.  I have never used another brand, and I would never recommend another brand, so I cannot tell you if other brands behave differently.  I LOVE this canner!

It's possible to process fewer than 7 jars but I rarely do.  If I do process fewer than 7, I will add jars filled with water to reduce the amount of space inside the canner.  I also can ground beef in pint jars, which hold 14oz, because they are better for things like sauces, stuffing, and fundito where I only need 1 pound. I use wide mouth jars because they're easier to clean, and easier to get the food out of once it's canned.

One quart jar holds about 28oz beef, either ground or stew.  If you're canning stew meat you just put it in the jars and process them.  Ground beef requires one additional step because if you fill a glass jar with raw ground beef you (1) cannot guarantee it's fully processed, and (2) will not be able to get it out of the jar once it's cooked.  It will be a solid chunk of meat! 

OK!  Here we go!

STEP 1: I defrost 14 pounds of meat overnight in my 16-quart Le Creuset.  I like this pot because of the light interior, and because it is short and wide which enables easy stirring.  You can use a stock pot if you don't have something similar.

Defrost ground beef overnight in a large (16qt) pot

 

STEP 2: The next morning, I will add about 2 quarts of water to the pot and mash the meat into it creating a slurry.

Create a slurry with enough water to cover.

 

STEP 3: I cook the slurry on medium heat until the meat is cooked, stirring often.

Cook the slurry over  medium heat, stirring often, until most of the pink is gone.

 

STEP 4: Once the meat is cooked, I use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked meat to the jars, and add some of the broth to the jar, leaving 1" headspace.  I use a wide-mouth funnel to insure the rim of the jar remains clean, I de-bubble, wipe the rim with vinegar, and then add the lid and the ring/band.  If I have broth remaining after filling the jars, I save it and use it the next time I need "broth".  

Some people add salt to the jar, I do not.  I also don't add seasoning because that limits how I can use it.

Use a slotted spoon and a funnel to fill the jars.

 

Follow the instructions on THIS PAGE regarding how to clean and secure the lids,  

STEP 5: I put the appropriate amount of water into the canner (3" for my canner), load the jars, and process them according to THIS PAGE. In the photo below, you can see that the buttons in the centers of the jar lids are sticking up.

Load the canner with the jars and the appropriate amount of water.

 

STEP 6: Process the jars according to THIS PAGE.  Do not forget to allow the steam to vent for 10 minutes before putting the weight on the lid.  If you forget, you will never get up to pressure.  I always add 5 minutes to whatever time they recommend as 'insurance'.

 

STEP 7: After the recommended amount of time, turn off the heat and allow the pressure to drop naturally.  My canner takes 25-28 minutes to drop to zero.  Remove the lid and carefully remove the jars.  Place them gently on a TOWEL so they don't crack.  Don't leave the jars in the canner once the pressure has come down or the seal may fail several months later (don't ask me how, but I found several sites confirming this).

One load of quart jars and one load of pint jars.

 

STEP 8: Let the jars cool overnight.  In the photo above, you might be able to see that the buttons in the centers of some of the jar lids are now concave.  This means the lid "sealed".  After the jars are removed from the canner, and as the jars cool, a vacuum will be created inside the jar pulling the lid down.  When the button in the center of the lid is pulled down, you will hear a ping/pop indicating the lid has sealed.  This sound is music to a canner's ears!

 

STEP 9: The next morning, remove the rings/bands and insure the lids are sealed by lifting each jar BY THE LID.  If the lid holds under the weight of the jar, it's sealed and can be stored in your basement or another cool dark place.  If the lid comes off, the seal wasn't strong enough and you will need to store that jar in the fridge and consume it within a week.

 

STEP 10: Store the jars WITHOUT THE RINGS!  If you store the jars with the rings, you will not know if the seal fails.  Without the ring, if the seal fails, the contents will bubble up and out of the jar.  It might make a mess but you won't die from eating contaminated food.  For this same reason, do not stack the jars - only one row of jars per shelf.

I label both the front and the top with the date, the source, type and amount of meat, and the processing time/pressure.

Label with date, source-type-amount of meat, and processing time+pressure

 

The reason I add the processing time/pressure is to reassure people that it was processed properly, and to alert myself if recommendations change.

I find that ground meat processed this way is tender, flavorful, and easy to use anywhere you don't need 'rare' meat.  I use it for meatballs and meatloaf, tacos, curry, chili, pasta sauce, fundito, casseroles,

RECIPE: Blistered Asparagus with Chili-Sumac Chickpeas and Whipped Feta

This recipe is originally from Diaspora Co., a spice company based in India.

Our farm feta, made with cow's milk, is dryer than the french or bulgarian specified in the original recipe so I increased the amount of yogurt.  I also used twice as many chickpeas so we could have this as a meal.  My husband declared it was "make it again" good!  If you have leftovers, the chickpeas reheat beautifully in a toaster oven, and can also be used cold as a garnish for salad.

Original:  Blistered Asparagus with Chili-Sumac Chickpeas and Whipped Feta

Blistered Asparagus with Chili-Sumac Chickpeas and Whipped Feta

Serves 2-3 as a meal

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 pound feta
• 1 c. Greek yogurt
• 8 T. EVOO (I use avocado oil)
• 1 lemon
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 pound asparagus stalks, ends trimmed (larger stalks are better!)
• 1 28oz can chickpeas, drained
• 1 t. coriander seeds
• 1/2 t. cumin seeds
• 2 t. salt
• 2 t. mild Kashmiri chili powder or to taste
• 1 t. sumac powder 
• Garnish: 1-2 green onion tops, thinly sliced 

INSTRUCTIONS:

Combine the feta, yogurt, 2 T. oil, the zest of 1 lemon, and 1 minced garlic clove in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  Transfer to a bow, cover and refrigerate until serving.  Can be made 2 days in advance.

If your asparagus are large - mine were huge - steam them in a little water until half-cooked.  Mine, which were almost 3/4" thick at the bottom, took about 6 minutes.   If yours are normal size, this won't be necessary.  

Heat 3 T. oil in a skillet large enough to hold all the asparagus in a single layer (so...larger asparagus are better!)  When shimmering, add the asparagus the roll them around to coat with oil.  Spread in an even layer and sprinkle with 1 t. salt.  Cook undisturbed until starting to brown, 2-4 minutes.  Flip them and continue to cook until they're tender but still retain a bite, another 2-4 minutes depending on thickness.  Transfer to a plate and set aside.  THESE SPUTTERED LIKE CRAZY!!

Return the skillet to medium heat and add remaining 3 T. oil.  Thinly slice the remaining 2 garlic cloves and add them to the pan along with the coriander and cumin seeds.  Cook, stirring occasionally until garlic starts to brown, 45 seconds to 1.5 minutes.  

Add the drained chickpeas and the remaining 2 t. salt and cook stirring occasionally until the chickpeas are heated through, 4-7 minutes.  Add the chili powder and cook, stirring, to bloom the chili.  Push the chickpeas to the side and return the asparagus to the pan to reheat it.  Turn off the heat and add the sumac and juice of half the lemon to the chickpeas. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

TO SERVE: Spread the whipped feta on a platter, spoon half the chickpeas over the feta, top with the asparagus, then top with the remaining chickpeas.  Garnish with extra sumac, sliced green onions, and a drizzle of oil.  Cut the remaining lemon half into wedges and serve for squeezing at the table.   

 

RECIPE: Pasta Primavera Asparagus, Carrot, Pea, Tomato, Cream

This is more of an un-recipe than a recipe because you can (and should) use whatever vegetables are fresh in your area.  You can also use whatever pasta you like best - I used Foxtail Millet shells, because they're best for blood sugar management, and they were delicious in this recipe.

The instructions appear to be long, but they were dead easy, and dinner was ready in 40 minutes because I could chop the next vegetable while the previous one was cooking.  Read through the instructions and you'll understand: each of the vegetables is cooked separately to perfection, then they're all combined with the pasta.  If you decide not to use the hot peppers, please use freshly ground black pepper.

In addition to the 4-quart pot you'll cook the vegetables in, you will need a large strainer or colander, a bowl the strainer/colander fits inside, and a mesh spider-skimmer.

One-Pot Pasta Primavera with Fresh Vegetables

Serves 4 

INGREDIENTS:

• 12 oz pasta, I have used millet pasta shells and penne
• 2 pounds fresh asparagus
• 12 oz fresh sugar snap peas (or shelled peas)
  
• 3 small carrots, chopped into 1/4" cubes, about 1 cup's worth
• 1 small leek, sliced into very thin shreds
• 1/2 a medium onion chopped
• 2 T. ghee
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 large ripe tomatoes, peeled, cored and chopped
• 1/4 t. dried thyme 
• 1/4 t. cobanero chili pepper (or to taste)
• 1/4 t. espelette chili pepper (or to taste)
• 1 t. himalayan pink salt
  
• 1.5 cups heavy cream
• OPT: for serving, 3-4 scallion tops, sliced thinly
  

INSTRUCTIONS:

Remove the tough ends on the asparagus and chop the stalks into 3/4" pieces, reserving the tips separately.  Place the strainer/colander inside the bowl and position it next to the cooktop along with the spider skimmer.

Bring about 3 quarts of salted water to boil in a 4-quart saucepan.  Reduce the heat to medium-high,  add the carrots and cook until they're soft - mine took about 10 minutes because they're from last year.  Use the spider-skimmer to remove them to the colander.

Add the peas to the water and cook for 2-3 minutes until they're bright green.  Remove with the spider-skimmer.  If you use peas, add them to the colander with the carrots.  I used sugar snap peas so I reserved them for another use (I only cooked them to flavor the water).

Add the asparagus (except for the tips) to the water and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the asparagus tips and cook for another 5 minutes.  If your asparagus are thicker than mine you may need to cook them longer.  Use the spider-skimmer to remove the asparagus to the colander with the carrots.

If you're using any other vegetables cook them individually to perfect done-ness and add them to the colander with the carrots and asparagus.

Add the pasta to the now-flavored water and cook it according to package directions. While the pasta is cooking, add the onions and leeks to the water and cook them along with the pasta.

When the pasta is done, pour the contents of the pot including the water into the bowl/colander holding the vegetables.  The water will collect in the bowl, which will reheat the carrots and asparagus and keep everything hot while you prepare the sauce.  (If your colander/bowl combination isn't big enough to hold the contents of the pot, pour the cooked vegetables into the pot with the pasta, then pour the contents of the pot into the colander in the sink.  This will reheat the cooked vegetables and drain the hot water.)

Return the pot to the heat, add the ghee and garlic.  When the garlic is sizzling add the tomatoes, stir for a minute, then add the cream, salt, peppers, and thyme.  Bring to a boil.

Lift the colander with the pasta and vegetables out of the bowl (or sink), drain out residual water, and add the pasta and vegetables back to the pot with the sauce.

Stir well, adjust seasoning, and serve.  Sprinkle with the sliced scallions if desired.