If questioned, just about every household pantry would answer that there is jam or jelly on the shelves. According to the International Jelly and Preserve Association (www.jelly.org), grape jelly and strawberry jam are the most popular flavors. Additionally, only 9 flavors make up 80 percent of U.S. production. Besides the two mentioned, they are grape jam, red raspberry jam, orange marmalade, apple jelly, apricot jam, peach jam, and blackberry jam in that order.
Cloverfields Farm & Kitchen's Janine Washle is giving her take on jams, jellies and other spreadables as a way to sweeten up savory dishes. Homemade jams and jellies, and to some degree fruit butters are commonly canned items, but sometimes it is nice to move beyond the familiar. There are other types of sweet spreads such as conserves, preserves, marmalades, curds, and fruit honey. These spreads are not commonly found on grocery shelves. These less familiar sweets are delicious and deserve a second glance.
Let's define each one:
Conserve: Contains fruit and nuts.
Preserve: Contains whole fruits such as strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, but other small whole berries can be used.
Marmalade: Citrus-based. Citrus may be combined with other fruits.
Curd: Fruit juice usually citrus are combined with egg yolks and butter then cooked in a double boiler until thickened.
Honey: Typically pear or apple with a bit of citrus juice. Consistency is smoother than a butter.
Butter: A smooth spread of fruit.
Jam: A spread with mashed fruit.
Jelly: Fruit juice only.
Even though these spreads are usually made with fruits, you can make savory ones as well. Many people enjoy mint jelly with lamb or pepper jelly on cream cheese. But you can make jams with zucchini, and even carrots. Spreads can contain various liqueurs, wine, and even beer! These all sound tempting but how can they be used beyond toast and crackers?
Sweet spreads can become savory with a bit of tweaking so they can be used to glaze meats, poultry, even vegetables. Jams and jellies with the addition of vinegar can be turned into delicious vinaigrettes. But sometimes sweets are best left, well, sweet.
Lemon curd is delicious when incorporated into frostings or even swirled into vanilla ice cream. Preserves can be a sweet surprise in the middle of a muffin or instead of cinnamon sugar use jam and make jam buns. Warmed jelly can be brushed over fresh fruit or even a pie. Summer is the perfect time to take advantage of sale prices on fruit at the grocery or a peck of fresh peaches at the farmstand.
Enjoy some now and put some up for later. It is easier than you think.
Apple BBQ sauce
Ingredients:
1 cup apple jelly
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp chipotle powder
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 cup tomato-based barbeque sauce
Preparation:
Warm jelly in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in garlic powder, chipotle powder, salt, pepper then stir in barbeque sauce. Take off heat and cool before using.
TIP: Instead of apple jelly, use peach preserves or orange marmalade. Any of these suggestions would be great on pork or chicken even turkey.
Glazed Red Cabbage
Ingredients:
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 small red cabbage, shredded
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
4 juniper berries, crushed
½ tsp salt, more to taste
½ cup apple jelly
¼ cup cider vinegar
Preparation:
Heat oil in a large sauté pan until it shimmers. Add cabbage and onion and cook until onions are translucent, about 7 minutes. Add juniper berries, salt, apple jelly, and vinegar. Cover and turn down heat to medium. Cook until cabbage is soft, about 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
TIP: Great with pork chops.
FREE RECIPE BOOKLET!!!
Cloverfields Farm and Kitchen also has a special Jellies, Jams and Spreadables Recipe Booklet available by email. To ask for a complimentary copy, just email Janine Washle at cloverfields.farm.ky@gmail.com Â
To find Cloverfields Farm & Kitchen on Facebook: click here. Â
CloverFields Farm & Kitchen
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3720 Mt. Olive Rd.
Hardin Springs Area
Big Clifty, KY 42712
270-862-3762
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Janine Washle and her family live at the Cloverfields Farm and Kitchen in Big Clifty, Kentucky in Hardin County. CloverFields Farm & Kitchen, part of a century old farmstead, is our home and business. The McGuffin house, the original farmhouse, is a registered state landmark. CloverFields Farm has a prosperous farming history. They are continuing this rural story in their own unique way by the addition of CloverFields Kitchen a place to explore the past through food and merge it with our modern lifestyles.
CloverFields Farm is dedicated to the preservation of southern, especially Kentucky, food traditions. The kitchen is commercially-outfitted compliant with Health Department standards. In this kitchen I develop new recipes based on original ideas, inspirations from my culinary research, and most often according to what is in season.
On the farm, they make many gifts and specialty items. She is currently working on her first cookbook, but she also has a long resume developing recipes for several companies. She has also won several contests and cook-offs with her original recipes.
