On Thu 07 May 2009 10:12:46a, George Shirley told us...
> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>> On Thu 07 May 2009 04:31:57a, George Shirley told us...
>>
>>> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>>>> On Wed 06 May 2009 01:45:10p, George Shirley told us...
>>>>
>>>>> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>>>>>> On Wed 06 May 2009 12:16:20p, George Shirley told us...
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Wilson wrote:
>>>>>>>> sometime in the recent past George Shirley posted this:
>>>>>>>>> Wilson wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> sometime in the recent past Julie Bove posted this:
>>>>>>>>>>> "Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in
>>>>>>>>>>> message
>>>>>>>>>>> ...
>>>>>>>>>>>> In article >,
>>>>>>>>>>>> "Julie Bove" > wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> "Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in
>>>>>>>>>>>>> message
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Julie, if your only issue with sugar in jam is how sweet it
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> tastes, have
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> a look at this link featuring Cook's Illustrated's
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Christopher Kimball
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> making jam:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/...yshow/saturday
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> /m ai n5 21954.s
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> html
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> or here's the TinyURL: http://tinyurl.com/d5g3gq
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> This method makes about a pint-and-a-half, is not
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> processed, and should keep in the fridge for a couple
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> weeks.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> If you try it, please let us know how it tastes for you.
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Thanks! I doubt I would try it though. I only eat jam
>>>>>>>>>>>>> about once
>>>>>>>>>>>>> every month or so. And nobody else in the house eats it.
>>>>>>>>>>>>> So I only buy the small jars.
>>>>>>>>>>>> You're welcome. It would be easy enough to make half a
>>>>>>>>>>>> recipe of it. I
>>>>>>>>>>>> know what you mean about not eating much jam; I rarely eat it
>>>>>>>>>>>> myself. HWSRN has it daily on toast with peanut butter.
>>>>>>>>>>> Now there's one thing I can't do. I don't know what it is. I
>>>>>>>>>>> like toast. I like peanut butter. But... The combination of
>>>>>>>>>>> the two just makes me sick to my stomach. Something to do
>>>>>>>>>>> with the warm peanut butter I think.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> We like to nuke a bit of peanut butter for about 20 sec. and
>>>>>>>>>> then pour it like syrup over ice cream. Works like a charm, but
>>>>>>>>>> then I like it on toast too and sometimes on toast with a
>>>>>>>>>> little sprinkle of cinnamon.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> When I was a young lad I liked to coat a piece of bread with
>>>>>>>>> peanut butter, put it under the broiler in the gas oven, toast
>>>>>>>>> it until the peanut butter was well-softened, add some
>>>>>>>>> blackberry or dewberry jam to it and then have it for breakfast.
>>>>>>>>> Haven't done that in about sixty years, may have to do it for
>>>>>>>>> breakfast tomorrow but with some fig jam on it.
>>>>>>>> Sounds like it's about time then! I've heard you talk about figs
>>>>>>>> - we never see them fresh here in my end of Maine, but my sister
>>>>>>>> brought some from NJ last summer, I think they were white figs if
>>>>>>>> that sounds right. Very nice for someone who has only had dried
>>>>>>>> figs before.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> We put up fig preserves and fig jam every year. Our tree is a root
>>>>>>> scion from a tree our neighbor used to have and has been frozen to
>>>>>>> the ground at least twice. It is about eight feet tall and about
>>>>>>> ten feet in spread. It produces enough figs for us to eat fresh
>>>>>>> and preserve every year, as long as we can keep the birds out of
>>>>>>> it, which we do with bird netting. I think we still have fifteen
>>>>>>> or twenty pints of fig preserves and jams in the pantry now and
>>>>>>> the tree is currently loaded with baby figs.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> We're going to Houston this Friday for eldest granddaughter's
>>>>>>> graduation from the Community College. Will take six to ten jars
>>>>>>> of figs with us as all the descendants like them a lot. Along with
>>>>>>> the figs will be several jars of kumquat marmalade as they also
>>>>>>> like that delicacy.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> Are those the brown turkey figs? I would kill to get a load of
>>>>>> those! No where to be found anywhere near here.
>>>>>>
>>>>> Don't know for sure but think they are Wayne. Small, no bigger than
>>>>> the first joint of your thumb, sweet but not overpowering, firm
>>>>> reddish flesh with a brown skin. There are so many of this type of
>>>>> fig around here people just call them "that old brown fig." I prefer
>>>>> these for jams and preserves because they hold their shape well. I
>>>>> have to mash them to make jam. We often add slices of lemon to the
>>>>> fig jam to give it that extra kick.
>>>>>
>>>>> A pint of the fig jam makes a killer fig cake with chopped walnuts.
>>>>> I try to make three or four a year as we like them so well.
>>>>>
>>>> Sounds like the same type of fig tree my grandmother had. I loved
>>>> her fig preserves better than anything. The figs were left whole,
>>>> and she usually put slices of lemon in. Occasionally she would add a
>>>> couple of whole cloves.
>>>>
>>>> The only kind I can make are from dried calimyrna or smyrna figs.
>>>> They're acceptable, but not like fresh. The only fresh figs I can
>>>> find locally are usually very light green or white and not really
>>>> appropriate for preserves, as they're too big and too soft. They
>>>> also cost an arm and a leg.
>>>>
>>> Do you have room for a tree? They do require about 35 gallons of water
>>> a week when bearing fruit but otherwise require little care. It is
>>> nearly always hot and humid here and they grow well, I know of at
>>> least a dozen within a block of our house.
>>>
>>
>> Yes, we have the space. I wonder how long it would be before it would
>> fruit. Also, for our desert area, 35 gallons of water is a lot, and it
>> might need more here since our humidity is usually in the single digits
>> and the summers are often between 110-118 degrees.
>>
> Best advice I can give you is to check with the Arizona Agricultural
> Extension office, they may have an on line presence.
That's a good idea, George. I think I'll do that. Summer here is not the
best season for planting a new tree, but I will find out before fall.
--
Wayne Boatwright
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I don't think America will have really made it until we have our
own salad dressing. Until then we're stuck behind the French,
Italians, Russians and Caesarians. ~Pat McNelis