Comments on: The Best Euro 4.90 I Spent in Paris…

By: betty q.

betty q. — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:39:24 +0000

MarketFan (my SIL!!!)…Hey, you have something going there. Balimbing would be akin to unripe tomato…the really green ones which can be mapakla too and asim…I made a Spicy Green Tomato Chutney last year with all the green tomatoes people gave me when the fall season arrived….It was a big hit! I regretted giving most of it away and not keeping a few bottles. I used it as a dip for samosas and even lumpia shanghai (I just thinned it out a bit).

By: Marketfan

Marketfan — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:19:54 +0000

I wonder if balimbing (star-shaped fruit) can also be turned into something like the camias chutney. They seem to have similar tartness. Balimbing juice is great in Indonesia where the fruits are bigger and sweeter but the local ones are more “maasim” and “mapakla”. What can we do with them?

By: bluegirl

bluegirl — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 23:59:09 +0000

Thanks BettyQ! I am going to give it a try on Sunday. Lucky for me, they are pitted. Hm…. the Sour Cherry Upside Down Cake also sounds tempting…

By: betty q.

betty q. — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 08:18:16 +0000

Hay…OK,pectin…add the pectin and let it come to aboil 3 mnutes. Then get a platito and put about 1 tbsp. in the platito and place in cooler…to test the gelling thingey. Keep on stirring if not gelled enough and continue to cook for a few ore minutes. Pack into sterilized jars and process.

Other uses of your tart cherries, make a Sour Cherry Upside Down Cake…or salsa or chutneys.

For Christmas I made this a few years ago…Brandied Fruits. Place cheeries or fruits as they come in season. Put them in abig garapon. Pour dark rum to cover fruit. Add sugar to taste, lemon peel, orange peel, and cinnamon stick. Strawbeeris season, add them NS ALL THE FRUITS in season. Adjust eh rum and sweetmes and spices once you have all the fruits in the garapon. Place it in the cooler. to age. Then near Christmas, pack into sterilized jars and give away for Christmas!…BRANDIED FRUITS!

By: betty q.

betty q. — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 08:08:13 +0000

OMG, bluegirl…30 pounds?!? I hope they are pitted! What am I talking about. I just picked the same amount of strawberries today! Ok…if they are not pitted, you have a lot of work to do! If you want to make jam, best to wear gloves and a RED t-shirt or you will have red hands the rest of the week! Yup, sour cherry jam rocks!!!!

For cherry jam or any berry… I either mash some of the fruits and leavethe others in big pieces so they know what they are eating. Put all the fruits in a non reactive pot. Let it come to a boil. Then measure the fruits and juice. Now, if the fruits are sweet like mangoes, or strawberries or blues/blacks…I only 25 % of the sugar. Say if you have 4 cups of fruits, I add 1 cup sugar. BUT I use a NO ADDED SUGAR PECTIN! But if the fruits are tart like rhubarb, then I add the full amount of sugar….say if you have 8 cups of sour cherry plus juice, add 8 to 10 cups of sugar. and you can add a packg of regular pectin. Sugar aids in the gelling process.

So, then add your sugar and let it come to aboil. Now, if you are using PECTIN