I spoke with Patricia McAllister Shakeshaf on the podcast (that’s her pantry above!), she’s the author of Think Green Eat Green, the newsletter for Havre de Grace Green Team, a non profit dedicated to environmental community projects. We chatted about preserving food at home and why it’s not only delicious, but helpful for the environment to preserve, dehydrate and freeze food at home. You can read Patty’s most recent issue of Think Green Eat Green for more information on how packing your pantry with homemade preserves can reduce landfill waste, lower our carbon footprint and even prevent pollution (no factories or transportation needed for making pickles at home!). Listen to our podcast here:
Recipes
Russian Fruit Varyenya
As I mentioned with Patty, I learned how to make Russian jam, or varyenya, when I worked in Moscow in the early 90’s. Sweet and patient Tamara Sladkova, my landlady, taught me her recipe and we spent the Summer cooking up pots of strawberries, cherries, apricots and tomatoes so that we’d have a pantry full of vitamin C to get us through the Winter months. Traditionally varyenya is stirred into black tea and used, as jam, on bread with butter. You’ll find many ways to enjoy it I’m sure! Here’s her recipe, you’ll need two large pots, a half dozen clean mason jars with lids and don’t forget to wear an apron, you’ll get sticky!
Russian Jam (Varyenya):
1 Kilo fruit to 1.5 kilo (a little over 6 cups) granulated sugar
Filtered Water: 2 cups water for plums or peaches: 3/4 cup water for cherries; 1 cup water for blueberries or gooseberries.
Pit the cherries or plums if that’s what you’re making. Mix water and sugar in a large pot and heat into a syrup over low fire. Add fruit and bring to a boil. Boil about 10 minutes, and with a tablespoon skim off any white foam that rises to the top (this is acid from the fruit). Turn off heat, cover and let sit for 24 hours in a cool place (away from the stove or direct sunlight).
Day Two. Strain syrup into a clean pot and bring to a boil. Skim off any white foam and turn off heat. Add fruit back to syrup, cover and let sit for 24 hours in a cool place.
Day Three. Strain syrup into a clean pot and bring to a boil. Return fruit to syrup (or pour syrup over fruit), cover and let cool completely (several hours, you can leave it for another 24 hours is you want to).
Once the varyenya is completely cool pour it into mason jars and store in the refrigerator (or a cool, unheated basement). Use within 6 months.
Patty’s Family Recipes
Please write in if you have your own preserving recipes and tips to share, and if you try the recipes above let us know how you like them! I hope this has inspired you or at least diverted your attention from the craziness around us for a little bit of time. Stay healthy and safe, and please wear a mask when you’re out and about!
Wanda