Red Onion Jam

I can't believe I haven't posted in almost three weeks, where did the time go?   The last two weeks have been intense, on many levels.  Three of our new chickens turned out to be roosters, which is something  I had to deal with, why were the odds against us?  One of our chicken was killed by a hawk, luckily she wasn't one of our favorites, but it was traumatic nonetheless, it also meant that netting had to be installed.  I worked in my house, trying to organize office space, magazines, craft items, it is a never ending story, I wish I was born a natural organizer and a minimalist.  We also had a birthday party in the family, and a catering gig, which went really well.  I also decided to be tested for celiac disease, which will be confirmed in a week or so, but the process took two days, not fun either.  I have two more posts I would try to get done by the end of December, hopefully I will make it.  Phew, how do the great bloggers out there do it?

If you are still looking for homemade Christmas gifts, you can find great inspiration everywhere in the web these days.  For many it is a time of frugality, for others it is the desire of making something by hand, a tradition that is disappearing but also kept alive by many.  Giving something home made  represents the desire to acknowledge the people who make my life great with their work or presence, and since cooking is the thing I do best, that is the craft of my choice.  I have been making Christmas cookies for years, a tradition started more than ten years ago, but sometimes I find inspiration elsewhere, one year I made chocolate fudge.  This year the cookies may not make it, I don't know if I will have the time, that's why this marmalade is perfect, it came together fast, it was easy to make, and is delicious.  The only drawback is the eye stinging, so make it on a day you can open the kitchen windows and let the air in.  I wore swim goggles while cutting the onions, imagine that!

I always thought of marmalade as a citrus fruit preserve, but according to Blue Chair Jam Cookbook and the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a marmalade is a jelly with pieces of fruit and fruit rind present.  Why this preserve qualifies as a marmalade I am not sure, but the book where I found the recipe, Preserve It!, calls it a marmalade so I will stick to the term.   I love this book because it is not just about jams or marmalade,  but has instructions on how to preserve almost everything edible, even in the freezer.

Happy Holidays to all of you!

Red Onion Marmalade
Makes about 2 medium jars

Ingredients
2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
2 1/4 lbs-1 kg red onions, peeled and sliced
pinch of salt and freshly grated pepper
1/2 cup red wine
3 TBS balsamic vinegar
3 TBS white wine  vinegar
6 TBS light brown sugar

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-duty stainless steel pan.  Add the onions, the salt and some black pepper.  Cook on medium low for about 30 minutes, until the onions soften and turn translucent, stirring occasionally so they don't stick, slow cooking is essential for the caramel taste to develop.  Raise the heat a little, add the vinegars and stir to combine.  Bring to a boil, add the sugar and cook, stirring occasionally for another 30-40 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated.  Remove the pan form the heat, taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.  Spoon into warm sterilized jars with a non metallic or vinegar-proof lid.  Store in the fridge to allow the flavors to mature for few weeks.  Keep refrigerated.

Enjoy!

Here are few more ideas for this Christmas season:

Almond sticks with cocoa nibs
Blood orange caramels with almonds
Chocolate thumbprints cookies
Congo brownies
Korova cookies
Pecan shortbread cookies
Sunflower ginseng macarons

Strawberry-Rhubarb Jam with Lime Zest

This jam was born out of necessity to cook some left over rhubarb. I often buy too much fruit and turn the very ripe leftovers into quick jams. These "leftover" jams don't have big yields, so they are consumed quickly and there is no need to preserve them in jars. I normally add very little sugar to start, and add more after the fruit has started to break down. Add more sugar if you prefer a sweeter jam or if you make such a quantity that you need to preserve it. Knowing that the rhubarb had only few days left in the fridge, I bought some strawberries to add to it. When I was trying to decide what to add as a flavoring (I normally add vanilla beans but wanted something different), I remembered that I had some left over limes as well. I quickly zested and juiced one lime and added them to the jam, ready for a surprise. The lime flavor is really subtle, but it is there, and it is more evident after the jam has been cooled and the flavor had a chance to develop. Really tasty indeed.


Strawberry-Rhubarb Jam with Lime Zest

1 pint strawberries, cut in quarters
1 pint rhubarb, cut in small cubes
sugar to taste (maybe 1/2 cup to start)
Zest and juice of one lime (add more zest if your prefer)

Mix all the ingredients in a small sauce pan. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened. Cool completely and store in the refrigerator for few weeks.