Jams, Jellies, Condiments, Miscellaneous

Blueberry-Lemon Sauce 
8 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (about 4 pints)
1 lemon
1 to 1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
Remove stems from blueberries and remove any undesirables. Grate the zest from the lemon. Halve the lemon and extract the juice, discarding any seeds.
Combine the lemon jest, lemon juice, 1 cup sugar, orange juice, and blueberries in a 4-quart or larger heavy bottomed pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar thoroughly. Taste and add up to 1/4 cup or more sugar if the berries are too tart.
Ladle the hot sauce into clean, hot jars, leaving a 1/4" headspace, seal, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes for long-term storage. Or ladle the sauce into sterilized jars, cover, and refrigerate for up to 3 months. Serve over pancakes, waffles, pound cake, sponge cake, etc...
 

Herbed Vinegar
Plan on 1/2 cup fresh herb leaves for every 2 cups vinegar (white wine shows of the herbs best, but red can also be used). Steep the leaves in the vinegar for 2 weeks at room temperature, taste, and strain if it is to your liking, or steep a little longer for a stronger flavor. When the vinegar has reached the flavor you want, strain it through a double layer of cheesecloth into a clean bottle, discard the leaves, insert 1-3 new herb sprigs, and cork. The best herbs for vinegar are thyme, rosemary, oregano and tarragon. Softer leaved herbs do not hold up well when left in the bottle. To use them, simply discard after steeping, strain well, and do not add any to the bottle. These would be basil, parsley and chervil.
For additional tastes, peppercorns of various colors, peeled garlic cloves and strips of lemon or orange zest can be added to the bottles.
 

Homemade Grainy Mustard 
3/4 cup yellow mustard seeds
1/4 cup brown mustard seeds
3 Tablespoons honey
1/3 cup sherry or malt vinegar
1/4 Irish whiskey
1 Tablespoon fine sea salt
Combine the yellow & brown mustard seeds in a bowl, cover with water, and leave to soak for 6-8 hours or as long as overnight.
Drain the seeds well and pour them into a food processor. Process until the mixture begins to look creamy and emulsified. Add the honey, vinegar, whiskey, and salt and process again to mix. Pour the mustard into a bowl, cover and let stand overnight at room temperature. The next day, check consistency and flavor. If it is too thick and the taste is perfect, add a little more water. Adjust the other ingredients according to your taste. It will be hot! Spoon the mustard into sterilized jars, cover, and store in the refrigerator, where it will keep almost indefinitely. Homemade mustard benefits from at least a week's rest before using to allow the flavors to blend. 
 

Strawberry Jam  
Makes 6-7 half pint jars
3 pounds fresh strawberries (frozen can be used, just thaw)
7 cups sugar
Juice of 1-2 large lemons (1/3 to 1/2 cup juice)
6-7 half pint jars
Hull the strawberries and cut into "chunks". This is a matter of preference. Some people like little chunks, others prefer halved strawberries. (I stick with a rule of no bigger than the tip of my finger. This way it is something in the middle.) Layer the berries in a bowl with half of the sugar and let it sit for 2-3 hours, until the sugar liquefies and starts to dissolve.
Pour the berries into a colander placed over a large (6 quart is good) heavy bottomed pot to capture the syrup. Set the berries aside in a bowl so you don't lose any juice. Add the remaining sugar to the syrup in the pot and bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.   Add the berries to the pot and return to a boil. Cook over medium heat for 12 minutes from the time the mixture returns to a boil. Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Use the larger quantity of juice for very ripe berries. Immediately pour the berry mixture into a large, flat baking dish (9x13 glass). When the berries have cooled, cover with plastic wrap and let sit over night.
The next day, return the berries and syrup to the pot, bring to a boil and cook, stirring often until the mixture reached jellying point desired, about 10-15 minutes. *To test the jellying point, place a small spoonful on a cold saucer, (put one in the freezer when you start cooking this day) and put the saucer in the freezer for 1 minute. Take it out and draw your finger through the middle of the jam. If it stays divided, your jam is ready. How long this takes can vary from one batch to another. The fruit, weather, ripeness and heat level can affect it. Remember that this is not Jell-O...you want to be able to spread it, so do not let it get too thick. This is really another matter of personal taste.
Ladle the hot jam into clean, hot jars, leaving a 1/4" headspace, seal and process in a boiling bath for 10 minutes for long term storage. Or ladle into sterilized jams, cover, and store in the refrigerator for 3-5 months. To keep the berries from floating, invert the jars several times while cooling.