MAKES 4 HALF-PINTS
The mid-summer blueberry bounty presents itself at farm stands, sure, but also in U-pick fields, in backyards, and—perhaps best—wild on a random hillside. The strategy: Get as many as you can while they’re here, make a pie (see here), and put up a dozen or so pints as jam for the eleven months of the year they aren’t available fresh. You will thank me in February. (Pictured here.)
6 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed, stems removed
3 cups sugar
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
In a large saucepan, mash the blueberries with a potato masher. Add the sugar, lemon zest and juice, and nutmeg. Turn the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook for 20 to 30 minutes. Test the jam by doing a frozen-plate test as described here.
Remove from the heat and skim off any foam. Carefully pour into 4 sterilized half-pint jars. Seal and process according to the directions here, or search for “USDA canning guide” on the web for the latest guidelines.
To prepare the jars for canning, you can run them through the dishwasher on the “sterilize” cycle, or submerge them in a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes. To prepare the lids and rings, place them in a saucepan of water over low heat for 10 minutes. Don’t boil those.
Allow the jars and lids to air dry while you prepare the recipe. When the recipe is ready, fill the jars, using the funnel to protect the rims. Fill to within ½ inch of the rim. Use a lint-free cloth to carefully clean the rim, then pick up a lid with the magnetic wand and place on the jar. Take a ring and hand-tighten it. When all the jars are ready, use the jar lifter to place the jars back in the pot of boiling water, and—in most locations—boil for about 10 minutes. (If you live at a high elevation, you might need to boil for as long as 30 minutes.)
After processing the jars, use the jar lifter to remove them from the pot and place them on a towel on the counter to let them cool. As they cool, the lids will “ping!,” telling you they’ve safely sealed. If one doesn’t seal, put that jar in the fridge and eat it first.
Properly processed pickles and preserves are good for about a year.
THE FROZEN-PLATE TEST: Before you start cooking the jam, place two plates in the freezer. When you think the jam might be ready, pull one plate out of the freezer and spoon a little jam on it. Put the plate back in the freezer for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, remove from the freezer and touch the surface: It should be slightly gelled. This is like a look into the future; it’s what the jam will look like after it’s processed. If it seems right, proceed to the canning step. If it isn’t thick enough, you can cook it more, or add more pectin, then retest using the second plate.
MAKES 2 QUARTS, SERVING 6 TO 8
Like so many great debates, the Battle of Clam Chowder—cream (New England) or tomato (Manhattan)?—would be best solved by substituting “and” for “or.” Both are delicious and deserve celebration. If the clams are bigger than cherrystones, I tend to go with New England style; it’s the variety I grew up with and bigger chunks of tender clam seem more at home in a bath of pearlescent ivory broth.
36 Manila or cherrystone clams
4 ounces bacon or salt pork, chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2¼ cups milk
Put the clams in a Dutch oven and cover with water. Bring to a boil, cover the pot, and cook for 1 minute. With tongs, pull out the clams that have opened. For any that haven’t, cover and cook another minute. Discard any that don’t open.
Remove most of the clams from their shells, reserving 12 in their shells. Mince the clams that were removed from their shells. Strain the clam water to remove any grit and reserve.
Rinse the Dutch oven. Add the bacon and fry over medium-high heat to render some fat. Add the onion and celery and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add 2 cups of the reserved strained clam water, the potatoes, and the salt and pepper. Cover, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
In a bowl, whisk together the flour and ¼ cup of the milk to form a smooth slurry. Whisk the mixture into the pot and raise the heat to medium-high, continuing to whisk until the chowder boils. Add the remaining 2 cups milk and whisk until smooth. When the soup has thickened, add the clams, including the ones still in the shells, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, just to warm the clams up. Serve, prominently placing 1 or 2 of the clams in shells in each serving.
I like more celery flavor, so I might add 1 cup celery root in ½-inch dice with the mirepoix.
MAKES 2 QUARTS, SERVING 6 TO 8
36 Manila or cherrystone clams
4 ounces bacon, chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, pureed in the food processor
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Crusty bread for serving
Put the clams in a Dutch oven and cover with water. Bring to a boil, cover the pot, and cook for 1 minute. With tongs, pull out the clams that have opened. For any that haven’t, cover and cook another minute. Discard any that don’t open.
Remove most of the clams from their shells, reserving 12 in their shells. Mince the clams that were removed from their shells. Strain the clam water and reserve.
Rinse the Dutch oven. Add the bacon and fry over medium-high heat to render some fat. Add the onion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the celery and carrot and sauté for 3 minutes. Add 4 cups of the reserved strained cooking liquid, the potatoes, tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Stir, bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 20 minutes, then add the clams, including the ones still in the shells, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, just to warm the clams up. Serve, prominently placing 1 or 2 of the clams in shells in each serving, with crusty bread.