Plum And Tarragon Jelly Food

PLUM JELLY

Steps:

• Combine fruit and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, partially covered, mashing occasionally with a potato masher, until fruit is very soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer mixture to a fine sieve set over a heatproof bowl; let drain without pressing on fruit, 4 hours. Strain again through sieve lined with damp cheesecloth. Measure juice; you will have 3 to 4 cups.
• In a large heavy-bottomed pot, bring juice to a boil. Add 3/4 cup sugar for each cup of juice. Add lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Return to a boil and cook, stirring frequently, 8 to 12 minutes. To test if jelly is done, dip a large metal spoon in, lift it horizontally above pot, and let mixture drip back in. Jelly is done when mixture has thickened slightly and drops of it slide together off spoon in a sheet. (Temperature should register 221 degrees on a candy thermometer.) Skim foam from top.
• Ladle jelly into clean containers, leaving 3/4 inch of headroom. Let cool completely. Cover, label, and refrigerate up to 1 month, or freeze up to 1 year.

PLUM, RASPBERRY, AND TARRAGON SOUP

Steps:

• Fill a large bowl with ice and water; set aside. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add plums; blanch until skin begins to peel, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove plums from water; place in the ice bath until cool. Remove plums from ice bath, reserving ice bath.
• Peel plums, remove pits, cut into chunks, and place in a medium saucepan. Add the raspberries, wine, sugar, tarragon, triple sec (if using), and the water to the saucepan; cover, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium low, and allow to simmer until plums are falling apart, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat, transfer to a clean bowl, and place in the reserved ice bath, stirring occasionally, until cold.
• Remove tarragon sprigs from cold mixture, and transfer mixture to a blender. Puree, working in batches if necessary. Serve garnished with diced plum, raspberries, and tarragon.

PLUM AND TARRAGON JELLY

Steps:

• 1. Combine 2 cups water and 2 cups sugar in a deep pan, boil until the sugar dissolves.
• 2. Add plums cut in halves. The pan/pot must be big enough to hold it all. Mine is a 3-liter, works well.
• 3. Let simmer on low heat stirring regularly but gently, so all plums are covered in the syrup but not broken. Some will break, so don't let the perfectionist in you go bezerk.
• 4. When all plums have boiled for a bit, remove from heat. This can be done the day before, or whenever you have a bit of time and plums aplenty to play with.
• 5. For the tarragon jelly, wash and let dry the herb, chop or tear the leaves and stalks together, cutting off the rough bottom parts and any dirty or rotten leaves.
• 6. Put the tarragon into a small pot, add 2 cups water and citric acid (or 2 cups apple/grape vinegar) and bring to boil on low heat.
• 7. Add 1 cup sugar, continue simmerring until the sugar dissolves. Honey works well instead but mind the dosage.
• 8. Remove from heat, let cool to room temperature, then drain the syrup. throw away the leaves.
• 9. Going back to plums. Remove the whole and broken (if any) plums from the pot or drain the syrup. You should have about 0.5-0.7 liter of syrup depending on how juicy your plums are. Use the plums for another jam, pies or whatever, we don't need them here any more.
• 10. Combine the plum syrup and the tarragon syrup in one pot, taste for sweetness/acidity. If too sweet, add some lemon juice.
• 11. Add pectin, agar-agar or any other gellant but not gelatine! Use the instructions for the dosage on the gellant package.
• 12. Bring to boil on low heat stirring regularly to avoid pectin lumps. Do not boil for over 3 minutes or the gellant will break down.
• 13. Pour into jars, cover. Make sure the jars are filled to the brim to avoid air under the lid.
• 14. Enjoy!

STRAWBERRY TARRAGON JAM

Steps:

• Put strawberries and sugar in a veavy saucepan and bring slowly to a boil, stirring constantly to dissolve sugar. (If you can, get a stool that is high enough for you to sit on and see into the pot. This will really save your feet!).
• Add tarragon leaves. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often to prevent burning, until thickened, about 15 minutes.
• Ladle into hot sterilized jars and seal.
• NOTE: You may can these in a hot water bath for 5 minutes, if desired, but the quantity of your yield makes just enough for you to keep a jar or two in the fridge and give one as a gift.