Preserves and Condiments
Quick Pickles for a Hasty Escape
It was hunger that brought me unwillingly back to life the next day. I had not paused to eat through all the day before, nor when rising in the morning, but by noon my stomach had begun to register loud protests, and I stopped in a small glen beside a sparkling burn, and unwrapped the food that Jenny had slipped into my saddlebag.
There were oatcakes and ale, and several small loaves of fresh-baked bread, slit down the middle, stuffed with sheepmilk cheese and homemade pickle. Highland sandwiches, the hearty fare of shepherds and warriors, as characteristic of Lallybroch as peanut butter had been of Boston. Very suitable, that my quest should end with one of these.
—Voyager, chapter 35, “Flight from Eden”
A mix of zucchini and cucumber coins in a sweet, zesty brine that adds a spark to an otherwise boring sandwich or potato salad and makes a tasty palate cleanser when served beside the rich meats and cheeses of a charcuterie board.
Makes about 1 quart
Ingredients
½ pound (225 grams) zucchini, cut into ⅛-inch-thick slices
½ pound (225 grams) English cucumber, cut into ⅛-inch-thick slices
1 small onion, sliced paper thin
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 cup white vinegar
½ cup white wine vinegar
½ cup sugar
1½ teaspoons pickling spice
1 teaspoon mustard powder
Method
In a large colander set over the sink or a bowl, toss the zucchini, cucumber, and onion slices with the salt. Set aside for 30 minutes to expel as much moisture as possible.
Pour out the vegetables onto a dry, clean dishcloth and gently but thoroughly pat them dry. Fill a clean 1-quart jar with boiling water and cover the jar’s lid with boiling water in a small bowl for 5 minutes to sterilize. Drain both. Fill the jar with the zucchini, cucumber, and onion slices.
In a small saucepan, combine the vinegars, sugar, pickling spice, and mustard powder. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat, and simmer for 2 minutes. Pour this mixture over the vegetables in the jar and cool completely on the counter.
Cover with the lid and refrigerate up to 2 weeks.
Stuff these into your own Highland sandwiches of Crowdie Cheese on Brown Buns at Beauly.
Notes
• An inexpensive mandoline is the fastest way to slice raw veggies thinly and consistently.
• The pickles are ready to eat as soon as they’ve cooled, but they become even more flavorful after a night or two in the fridge.
• Mix up your vinegars for slightly different pickles with each batch. Other options include red wine, cider, or rice vinegar. In the same vein, combine different whole spices to make your own signature pickling spice.
“Such a fine braw appetite as ye have, Mr. Fraser!” Mrs. MacIver exclaimed admiringly, seeing his loaded plate. “It’s the island air does it, I expect.”
The tips of Jamie’s ears turned pink.
“I expect it is,” he said, carefully not looking at me. “This minister . . . ?”
“Och, aye. Campbell, his name was, Archie Campbell.” I started, and she glanced quizzically at me. “You’ll know him?”
I shook my head, swallowing a pickled mushroom. “I’ve met him once, in Edinburgh.”
“Oh. Well, he’s come to be a missionary, and bring the heathen blacks to the salvation of Our Lord Jesus.” She spoke with admiration, and glared at her husband when he snorted. “Now, ye’ll no be makin’ your Papist remarks, Kenny! The Reverend Campbell’s a fine holy man, and a great scholar, forbye. I’m Free Church myself,” she said, leaning toward me confidingly.
“My parents disowned me when I wed Kenny, but I told them I was sure he’d come to see the light sooner or later.”
“A lot later,” her husband remarked, spooning jam onto his plate. He grinned at his wife, who sniffed and returned to her story.
—Voyager, chapter 57, “Promised Land”
Right at home on a large plate of antipasto, served with your favorite cocktail or beverage, these tart, herby bites won’t last through happy hour.
Makes about 1 quart
Ingredients
1 pound (450 grams) small button mushrooms, wiped clean
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
2½ teaspoons kosher salt
1½ teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 garlic clove, grated or minced
¼ cup white wine vinegar
1 shallot, julienned (see Knife Skills)
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar, firmly packed
Zest of 1 lemon, grated
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
½ teaspoon smoked or sweet paprika
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano
Method
In a large bowl, toss the mushrooms with ¼ cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, the thyme, and garlic. Heat a large frying pan over medium-low flame for 5 minutes. Arrange the mushrooms in a single layer, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but not darkened, 10 to 15 minutes.
Use the same large bowl to mix together the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1½ teaspoons salt with the vinegar, shallot, brown sugar, lemon zest, pepper, paprika, red pepper flakes, and oregano.
Pour the hot mushrooms and any liquid into the bowl and toss well. Cool completely, transfer to a glass jar or container, and refrigerate, tightly covered, up to 2 weeks.
Notes
• These are even more flavorful after a night or two in the fridge.
• Red wine or cider vinegar make for a different, but equally delicious, flavor.
“Fréselière, eh? Mr. Strawberry? He grew them, did he, or was he only fond of eating them?”
“Either or both,” he said dryly, “or it was maybe only that he was redheided, aye?”
I laughed, and he hunkered down beside me, unpinning his plaid.
“It’s a rare plant,” he said, touching the sprig in my open hand. “Flowers, fruit and leaves all together at the one time. The white flowers are for honor, and red fruit for courage—and the green leaves are for constancy.”
My throat felt tight as I looked at him.
“They got that one right,” I said.
—Drums of Autumn, chapter 16, “The First Law of Thermodynamics”
An old-fashioned, compote-style jam made with naturally pectin-laden green apples.
Makes 12 half-pint jars
Ingredients
4 pounds (1.8 kilograms) strawberries
2 pounds (1 scant kilogram or about 3 medium) Granny Smith apples
½ cup fresh lemon juice
5 cups sugar
Method
Cover twelve clean half-pint canning jars with water in a boiling water canner and bring to a boil. Boil 10 minutes to sterilize the jars. Turn off the heat and cover.
Add twelve canning lids and rings to a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil then turn off the heat and cover while you make the jam.
Gently wash the strawberries, discarding any spoiled fruit. Hull and cut the strawberries in half or quarters, depending on their size. Peel, core, and chop the apples into smaller than ½-inch pieces.
In an 8-quart or larger stainless steel or enamel pan, stir together the strawberries, apples, and lemon juice. Bring the fruit to a full boil over medium heat, stirring constantly to avoid scorching.
Add the sugar and stir until it is dissolved. Boil somewhat gently, stirring frequently, until the jam reaches 212°F on an instant-read thermometer, 15 to 25 minutes.
Use tongs to remove the jars from the hot water. Carefully ladle the jam into the jars to within ¼ inch of the rim. Wipe the jar with a damp paper towel to remove any spilled jam. (A canning funnel makes this process go more smoothly.) Cover each jar with a lid and ring as you fill it. Screw the lids finger-tight only.
When all the jars are filled, use the tongs to place the jars back in the canner. Cover and return the water to a boil. Process (boil) 5 minutes, then remove the jars. Process any remaining jars that didn’t fit in the first batch. Cool completely. Check the lids to ensure they have all sealed. (Sealed lids curve downward and don’t give when pressed. You should hear the telltale “pop” shortly after removing the jars from the canner.)
Wipe down the jars, label, and store in a cool, dark place up to 1 year.
• This recipe is easily halved, but I like to make big batches of jam so I’ve always got a selection of homemade gifts I can give at the drop of a hat.
• You can reprocess any unsealed jars, but it’s easier to just refrigerate or freeze those jars and use them first.
• The timing and temperatures in this recipe will work at altitudes of up to 1,000 feet. For those who live at higher altitudes, consult the website of the National Center for Home Preservation (http://nchfp.uga.edu), a great resource for all things preserved.
“Your mother’s not back yet?” She was clearly alone, but he glanced briefly over her shoulder as though hoping to see Claire materialize out of the darkness.
Brianna shook her head. Claire had gone with Lizzie as escort to attend a birth at one of the farms at the far side of the cove; if the child hadn’t arrived before sunset, they would stay the night at the Lachlans’.
“No. She said if she wasn’t back, I was to bring you up some supper, though.” She knelt and began to unpack the small basket she had brought, laying out small loaves of bread stuffed with cheese and tomato-pickle, a dried-apple tart, and two stone bottles—one of hot vegetable broth, the other of cider.
“That’s kind, lassie.” He smiled at her and picked up one of the bottles. “Will ye have eaten yet, yourself?”
“Oh, yes,” she assured him. “Plenty.” She had eaten, but couldn’t resist a quick look of longing at the fresh rolls; the early faint sense of malaise had left her, replaced by an appetite mildly alarming in its intensity.
He saw her glance, and with a smile, drew his dirk and sliced one of the rolls in half, handing her the bigger piece.
—Drums of Autumn, chapter 48, “Away in a Manger”
A sweet, yet savory, whole-fruit jam with a kick. Makes a great alternative to ketchup on a grilled cheese, or served with Stovie Potatoes.
Makes about 2 cups
Ingredients
3 pounds (1.4 kilograms) tomatoes
¾ to 1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
⅓ cup honey
⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Core and slice the tomatoes into 1-inch wedges. (Leave grape or cherry tomatoes whole.)
Combine the tomatoes, brown sugar, honey, vinegar, salt, ginger, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, and ground cloves in a large saucepan and bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Reduce flame to medium-low and simmer until thick and syrupy, 1 to 2 hours.
Cool completely, transfer to a glass jar or container, and refrigerate, tightly covered, up to 1 month.
Notes
• Some tomatoes need more sugar than others, so be sure to taste yours before and during cooking. Sweet heirloom varieties found at your local summertime farmers’ market will need less added sugar than out-of-season specimens from the grocery store.
• If you want to store this over the winter, double, or even triple the recipe and preserve by following the canning technique described in the recipe for Fraser Strawberry Jam.
• To make this vegan, substitute maple syrup for the honey.
Strawberry–White Balsamic Shrub
“Lemon shrub, ma’am?” A wilting slave, gleaming with sweat, offered me yet another tray, and I took a glass. I was dripping with perspiration, my legs aching and my throat dried with talking. At this point, I didn’t care what was in the glass, provided it was wet.
I changed my opinion instantly upon tasting it; it was lemon juice and barley water, and while it was wet, I was much more inclined to pour it down the neck of my gown than to drink it. I edged unobtrusively toward a laburnum bush, intending to pour the drink into it, but was forestalled by the appearance of Neil Forbes, who stepped out from behind it.
—A Breath of Snow and Ashes, chapter 54, “Flora MacDonald’s Barbecue”
A colorful, sweet-and-sour, twenty-first-century fruit syrup that will leave you feeling refreshed on a hot summer day; a vast improvement on the sour-only beverage Claire was unable to stomach.
Makes about 3 cups
Ingredients
2 cups hulled and chopped strawberries
1 to 1½ cups sugar
2 cups white balsamic vinegar
6 whole peppercorns (optional)
In a large jar, combine the strawberries and 1 cup of sugar. When the sugar has dissolved, stir in the vinegar and peppercorns. Cover and refrigerate for 5 days, stirring once a day.
Taste. Add more sugar, if desired, stir to dissolve, and return to fridge for 2 more days. When to your taste, strain through a fine mesh strainer, pressing on the fruit to extract the juice.
Stir into water or soda and serve over ice. Experimental cocktails with vodka or gin are also strongly encouraged.
Store in the refrigerator up to 6 months.
Note
• Shrub also makes a very tasty Basic Salad Dressing used in place of vinegar.