New Item: Organic Navel Orange Jelly

Super excited about my new Navel Orange Jelly.  It is available in my Etsy Shop.

This is my offering to all the marmalade-haters out there!  Though I love marmalade, sometimes you just don’t want to deal with the rind or bitterness of marmalade.  This offers all the great orange flavor with none of the bitterness.  Sweet and well-balanced!

These organic oranges came from Whitney’s friend’s garden in Davis.  I really appreciate the windfall of the oranges and the fact that she keeps an organic garden.

And since my Blood Orange Label was a labor of love I adjusted it and used it for this one as well.

As always, $6 for a half pint.

How to can Seville (Bitter) Orange Juice

Well as Spring is finally warming up, one of California’s best and most valuable assets is winding down: Citrus.

When the lilies start growing, Spring is in full swing

One citrus that I think a lot of Americans don’t completely utilize is the Seville Orange.  It goes by a myriad of names, including: Bitter Orange, Sour Mandarin or Naranja Agria in Spanish.  This is the citrus that marmalade (great recipe for marmalade is here) is made out of.  The British have on lock the whole sour/sweet/bitter thing that is a staple on many a breakfast table.  But many cultures use the fruit in other ways.

Puerto Ricans use this fruit in marinades and sauces as well as making “Lemonade” out of them (even though they aren’t lemons).  It is kind of difficult to keep up with being local and organic with some of the Puerto Rican ingredients (How about Achiote!)- but I have now kicked another one out!  Adios Goya Naranja Agria marinade- you are out.

It is super simple to can your own citrus juice, but there seems to be some contention throughout the interwebs about the flavor of canning your own.  In my experience, I have never had an issue or off flavors.  But as always, results may vary.

First, find some primo fruit.  I was lucky enough to be gifted a HUGE bag of Bitter Oranges by my friend’s Aunt and Uncle.  Their tree was loaded with them and I happily took some off their hands.

Extract/Squeeze the juice.

Heat the juice until it boils and keep it there for 1 minute exactly.  You don’t want it longer or else it changes the flavor profile.

Pour into jars and process for 5-10 minutes for half-pints and pints or 15 minutes for quart jars in a water bath canner.

If you don’t thoroughly strain your juice through cheesecloth, filters, etc. there will be cloudiness and some settling.  I have no problem with it; my canned juice isn’t being entered into any beauty pageants.  Store out of direct light in a cool, dry place and you can easily store for over a year with no refrigeration until you open.  Enjoy!

New Item: Blood Orange Jelly

I have a new item in my Etsy Shop:  Blood Orange Jelly!

It is muy delicioso!  Everyone loves it, not to mention the BEE-U-TEE-FULL color!

As always, a half-pint of it going for $6.

The Blood Orange (aka Cara Cara Orange) is known and named for the beautiful deep carmine color of its juice. The taste is totally orange, just a little more acidic. Which makes it perfect with baked goods, cocktails and even savory dishes!  These Blood Oranges were grown in Woodlake, California by a family of 5th generation farmers (which is totally amazing in my book).

I have to say this label was a total labor of love.  Normally I bust out my creative hat and my labels are brainstormed, designed and printed in a matter of an hour or less.  And that is with the couple of different approvals that I normally get through my “Executive Team”.  Well let’s just say that my first label that I created was a total flop per my “Executive of Marketing and Everything Else”.  I didn’t want to believe it.  Nick?  Create something terrible?  Nah.  But then she pulled out a big needle and popped my big ass head.  It took quite a long time (several days!) for us to find something that really was appropriate for the jelly.  So a big thanks to Kristin H. for keeping my labels on point.  Mucho gracias.

Spring has sprung

Though you would have no idea of that fact by the freezing temps that we had last night.  And the constant rain for the past week.

This year it seems like Sacramento is having a bit of an issue shaking off the winter doldrums.  I, on the other hand, am extremely excited to get some sun this spring so that I don’t stay this nasty shade of pale too much longer.  Blech.

Cherry blossoms and barbed wire. There has to be a joke in there somewhere.

Along the levee road

Daffodils. Such a weird name...

Rosemary blooming. And kick ass Canon 50mm bokeh

One of a million magnificent trees.

Sneaky, sneaky now

Someone here sneaked into the store room and has obviously been tasting a new jelly that I made.  And I highly doubt that it was Nate Dog…  Since he lacks opposable thumbs and all.  Who could it be?

Hmmm…

Get ready!

Get ready, ’cause here I come.

So fee-fi-fo-fum, look out baby, ’cause here I come.

Have I told you that I absolutely LOVE the oldies?

Anyway, not what this post is about.  I got some new stuff in that will allow me to make some new products.  Testing out the Clear Jel this weekend and hopefully will have some new stuff for the shop that will be really cool.

While I’ve Been Gone…

Shocking Fact #1:

I got engaged.

I proposed to Whitney in September, when we were up at her GMa’s and GDo’s Lazy W Ranch in McArthur for the annual Labor Day extravaganza.  It was a perfect moment shared by taking the Dune Buggy and riding out to the apple orchard through 3 foot tall weeds with grasshoppers and bugs flying into our hair, mouths and eyes.   She had no idea what was going on, and luckily she was feeling extra adventurous that day.

When I got down on my knee, Whitney didn’t believe it at first, but when it finally sunk in, she was ecstatic. And of course we celebrated in the traditional fashion: gettin’ drunk!

I am so lucky to have her.  And the icing on the cake is that my future in-laws are pretty ‘effin kickass.

Whitney and her Mom

Six months later and we are still together.   So far, so good.

The ring I proposed with. The bling came later.

It’s Been Awhile

Yep. Long time. A lot has been going on, mostly good, a little not so good. But I am back and more focused than ever. Thanks for the 3 people who follow the blog that have put up with my absence! Here’s to 2011 and what lies ahead!

R.I.P. Frida

Very sad day.  This morning I went out to feed the girls like normal and Frida was missing.  She had flown over the fence once before, so I went to the front of the house and called for her.  Normally, as soon as she hears me, she comes running, hoping for some treat that I would be bringing them.  When she was nowhere in sight and couldn’t be heard, a lump started forming in my stomach.  I went into the backyard and pulled down the door of the chicken coop.  And there she was; lying dead in the basket where they lay their eggs.  Rigor had already set in, so she must have passed sometime during the night.

Yes, I know that they are farm animals.  And animals die.  Mostly so that they can end up on our plate.  I have threatended the girls many times with “You don’t lay enough eggs, you are going to jump in the freezer!”.  They complied faithfully with giving Whitney and I more eggs than we could eat.  But somehow, this is different.  Such a shock that Frida would die so young, and considering there was absolutley nothing wrong with her at about 8 P.M. the night before.  So between then and 7 a.m. something happened and she passed away.

I have a suspicion that her death was due to her being egg bound, which is when the egg does not pass through their vent and becomes lodged inside their body.  It is very severe and can lead to death quite quickly.  I didn’t want to poke and prod her, as I think she deserved more respect than that, but that is my main suspect in her death.  There were no signs of a struggle or anything, so hopefully she died rather peacefully.

She was my admitted favorite chicken, who loved to be held and petted.  When people would come over, she was the one that I picked up and had people pet (you would be surprised how many people have NEVER touched a live chicken).  She was my faithful layer, laying the largest and most eggs with a beautiful tan color.  The one who seemed most happy to see me; especially when I had cobs of corn or a juicy tomato.  The one who cooed contendedly in my arms when I would take her around the yard touring the vegetable garden with me.

I find myself struck with strange emotions for a pet that I would just as soon eat for dinner.  She was a great ambassador for Backyard Chickens and she will be sorely missed.  R.I.P. Frida, aka Chicken #1, aka Breakfast of Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, aka The Ambassadorette, aka my Favorite Chick

One my favorite pics of all time. Drenched Frida Chicken! She looks so pathetic!

RIP Frida

Vegetable Garden, August 20, 2010

Posting kind of late- but ya know.  That’s what happens!

A sea of peppers. Mostly heirloom bell peppers and italian frying peppers.

Thai green eggplant. They taste just like Chinese/Japanese eggplant, but are just green when ripe.

My cubanelle peppers are doing awesome and changing color currently. Another week or two of hot temps and they should be ripe!

Vegetable garden, August 20, 2010