Thursday, February 2, 2017

The Apple Jelly Report -- And More

Yesterday as our daughter was completing the apple jelly project, I put her "to work" multi-tasking making up a couple quarts of kimchi.


All summer I made kimchi using cucumbers as the bulk of the ingredients.  We loved the flavor, but obviously there are currently no cucumbers available from the garden.  However, we do still have heads of cabbage in the root cellar so I suggested she make the kimchi substituting chopped cabbage for the cukes.  Now we have only to wait a couple more days while it ferments on the counter before taste testing it.


In the last two days, we (mostly through Chicken Mama's efforts) have produced 11-1/2 quarts of applesauce, the 2 quarts of (hopefully yummy) kimchi, and 16 half-pint jars of apple jelly syrup.

Yep, sad to say, the jelly did not jell.  After thinking it over, I'm sure it happened because we used only 1/3 the amount of sugar the recipe called for.

I always cut the amount of sugar in any jams I make and, granted, they never come out very thick, and sometimes rather on the thin side.  But I rationalize saying less sugar ingested is healthier for us and if the jam stays on the slice of bread, I call it good.

In deciding how much sugar to add to the apple juice yesterday, she added the third of what was called for, we tasted it and declared it quite sweet so stopped there.  But, alas and alack, it just wasn't enough sugar in ratio to the juice to get the mixture to jell properly.  So we have a good quantity of . . . apple syrup.

Pancakes shall appear on our menu soon so we can start using the apple syrup.  And I have a feeling it's gonna be goooood!

16 comments:

Vera said...

I have never tried making Kimchi, is it a fermented food, which I have never tried making either. Methinks I need to have a go when we start harvesting again!

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

I would love to know how you make Kimchi. It's one thing I have not made, and my container to make fermented veggies is still in the box. I need to get that out this summer. The "syrup" sounds like it will be wonderful on pancakes, waffles, or to sweeten tea or iced tea.

Mama Pea said...

Vera - The way I understand it, kimchi is kind of a generic name for fermented vegetables of all sorts. It's a flavorful way for us to get good stuff into our gut. We enjoy it and think you would, too.

Tracy said...

A real lesson for me as I've not heard of it before. Fabulous, thank you. Love the syrup!

Mama Pea said...

Kristina - Blast and dang! I just tried to find the post I did on making kimchi (the recipe) but it seems to have disappeared. I'll repost it (it's easy) in the next couple of days for you.

We had the apple syrup on Oatmeal Pancakes this morning and it was good. A very "apple-y" flavor. I drink iced tea on a year 'round basis and admit I sweeten it with organic cane juice sugar, but am now going to try just the apple syrup as a sweetener. I'm thinking that just may be a new taste treat!

Mama Pea said...

Tracy - As noted in the above reply to Kristina, the apple syrup is proving good (!), and I'll post the recipe for my kimchi soon if you're interested. :o)

Sue said...

I guess that's why I never made jams--the quantity of sugar always seemed outrageous.
I think we use one jar a year of jam, so I try not to think about the sugar in there.
(I'm writing this as I await the cookies to finish baking. Yep....real concerned about sugar, I am. Ha.)

Kim said...

I have been wanting to do some fermentation. But I do not want to kill my family! So I will look for your recipe as a tried and true from someone I trust.

Sandy Livesay said...

Mama Pea,

Kimchi, YUM.....I've tried it once. Hubby can't seem to stand it. I've tried to get him to try it and he turns his nose up at it. I wonder if I made some if he would know I did.....I could be sneaky and make some and put it up in the pantry where he can't see it. (EVIL GRIN).

I bet your apple jam will taste really good as syrup on pancakes or even over the top of ice cream.

Hugs,
Sandy

Goatldi said...

I bet it is also! Haven't had apple syrup but my Mama loved apple butter and I have thought about canning some this coming year. We have an apple tree but like so much with Geoffrey getting so sick just 7 months after we moved here they our fruit trees are just starting to produce well. Looking forward to the gifts they give this sring and summer.

Mama Pea said...

Sue - I know you cook very healthy, so a cookie here and there isn't going to hurt. (Whadda ya mean you ate the whole batch!??)

Mama Pea said...

Kim - Good idea not to kill your family. Or even make them really sick. Will post my kimchi recipe soon. Promise.

Mama Pea said...

Sandy - Does your hubby like any "pickled" food? If so, he should like my recipe for kimchi. Try to convince him of the health benefits of it. They say (whoever the heck "they" are) we need only about 1/4 cup a day of fermented food to keep our gut in good shape.

Mama Pea said...

Goatldi - ANYTHING we can grow on our own land, and know just exactly what went into it, is a wonderful bounty we should take advantage of. Here's hoping your fruit trees explode with rich, ripe goodness for you this coming season.

Erin said...

Looks delicious! My Korean friend used to give me Kimchi when I lived near her but I really should learn to make my own. That's one of those foods that is sure to have a million secret disease fighting attributes!

Mama Pea said...

Erin - You always do such wonderful things with fresh veggies that I'm sure you could put together a fantastic tasting kimchi. It really does do great things . . . for our gut health especially.