Oregano-Cashew Pesto

I came up with a way to use the oregano in the garden.  Once again, it's pesto.  This time, I'm only making enough for four to six servings.  It has been a long time since I've even thought about making pesto again.

Pesto is a wonderfully simple sauce.  You throw everything in the food processor, adjust for taste, and you're done.  It looks and tastes fancy, and definitely brings an intense floral note to a dish.  Plus, it's on my Mediterranean diet as a way to incorporate olive oil into more dishes.  I am very determined to get my numbers back on track.

It always amazes me how you can blend or process so much down to so little volume.  If you just read the ingredients, it looks like you're making close to 2 C of sauce.  In reality, the volume of the oregano disappears and you're left with less than a cup of sauce.  Since 2 Tb (one ounce) is a serving, this is how much I planned to make.  There was a bit left over, that I can use for impromptu lunch pizza or something.

*1 C fresh oregano leaves, packed
*1/4 C cashews
1/4 C parmesan or *nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
*2 cloves garlic
1 Tb lemon juice, optional
1/4 C olive oil, or to desired consistency

1.  Add oregano, cashews, salt, garlic and cheese or "nooch" to the food processor.  I've been eating a lot of cheese lately and opted to make this one vegan.  Pulse at first, then run into a chunky paste.  Scrape down.

2.  If not planning to finish the batch within 48 hours, add lemon juice to reduce darkening.  With processor running, stream in first 1/4 cup of oil.  Scrape down and check for flavor and consistency.  I ran it again with a touch more salt and about 2 Tb more oil.

3.  Either use immediately, or refrigerate.  Sauce will harden in the fridge, but become more liquid once warmed.

Makes about 2/3 C, depending how much oil you used

Difficulty rating  π

Creamy Pomegranate Dressing

This was the dressing for the salad I had alongside the bean dip and crackers.  The salad was to use an overflowing planter box that went bonkers after getting 8 inches of rain in December.  The dressing  attacked the condiments door of the fridge.  I made it creamy instead of a vinaigrette to use mayo.  I do wish Passover mayo came in a smaller jar.

Salad dressing is really a hidden place to save grocery costs.  The ingredients cost a fraction of what Wishbone charges, and you can customize any way you choose.  I like making my own so I'm not stuck with a big bottle.  I can make half a cup at a time to use in a week.  The recipes aren't glamorous, and are very hard to photograph, but I really like them.

*3 Tb pomegranate molasses
*1 Tb date syrup, honey, or maple syrup 
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
*1 tsp white wine vinegar 
*1/4 C mayo

1.  Place all ingredients in a small bowl.  Whisk to combine.  The molasses isn't red, it's more like a burgundy.  With the brown of the date syrup, my dressing came out a light caramel color.

2.  Taste and adjust seasonings and consistency.  A little water or milk can thin it, or add more mayo if you want it thicker and less tangy.  Chill until ready to use.

Makes about half a cup

Difficulty rating  π

Easy Sweet and Sour Sauce

I don't even know how old the bottle of ketchup in the fridge is.  I can't read the Sell By date anymore.  It isn't moldy, so I'm finding ways to use it this month.

I did a sweet & sour sauce recipe the first year of this blog, and another for canning.  Those were the chunky kind, with chopped onion and bell pepper in them.  I wanted a smooth sauce - just the goo - to drizzle on a bowl of rice, kimchi, and canned tuna.  I bought the tuna a couple of years ago for a very good price, but you had to buy 10 to get that price.  It was something crazy cheap like 50¢ a can.  Low enough that I sighed and put two years of tuna in my cart.  I want to finish it this year, even though the date is 2028.  Yes, canned meats last a very long time.

This sauce comes together in less than five minutes.  Bring half the ingredients to a boil, stir in the other half, and serve once it thickens.  Any leftovers will turn into a gel in the fridge, but you can remelt them if necessary.

*1/3 C pineapple juice
1 Tb cornstarch
1/4 C sugar
1/2 C white vinegar
*3 Tb ketchup
1 tsp soy sauce
water to thin

1.  Stir together pineapple juice and cornstarch.  Set aside.

2.  In a small saucepan, combine sugar, vinegar, ketchup, and soy sauce.  Bring to a low boil and stir until uniform.

3.  Stir in pineapple slurry.  Bring to a boil and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes.  If desired, thin with water to desired consistency.  Serve hot.

Makes about a cup, depending on thickness 

Difficulty rating  π

Toum

I decided to amp up a sheet pan meal with this Lebanese garlic sauce.

I found a recipe for toum by a Jordanian woman, Rana's Mediterranean Recipes, that looked authentic.  Also easy and few ingredients.

Her posted recipe made way more than I needed, so I did the easy math and cut it in thirds.  It still made a lot.  Even if I had cut it in quarters, it would have been more than four servings the way I consumed it.  I used it for the next meal as salad dressing, then used the rest as garlic oil for cooking greens.

Doing this "smaller" batch, I used the mini food processor.  It was too small for that to be effective, and I switched to the blender.  That worked, so I'm giving blender directions for my scaled-down version.

As an emulsified sauce, you really do need to add the oil slowly.  I didn't go slowly enough, and it separated in the fridge.  If that happens, you can whip it back up at serving time.  The clear portion is still garlic oil and yummy, it just won't have the whipped texture.

*1/3 C peeled garlic cloves
3/4 tsp kosher salt
*1 C neutral oil like canola
*3 Tb lemon juice

1.  Once the garlic is peeled, slice each clove in half and remove the "sprout" germ.  That will keep the sauce from turning bitter.

2.  Combine garlic and salt in a blender, pulsing until chopped into a paste.

3.  Running the blender on its lowest setting, start drizzling in the oil.  Go very slowly at first, a few drops at a time.  Once there is enough substance that you can see the sauce spinning, add a teaspoon or two of lemon juice to aid the emulsion.

4.  Continue alternating a slow stream of oil and teaspoon of lemon juice until all has been added and the mixture is white and fluffy.  It's ok to stop and scrape down the sides, or to let the blender rest for a moment.  If it seems sluggish, turn up the speed a notch, but don't go full speed or the emulsion could break.  This is going to take a minimum of five minutes, and maybe as long as ten.

5.  Pour sauce into a non-reactive container and chill until ready to use.  I recommend glass because of the garlic smell.  I wasn't thinking of that and put it in plastic.  Stir before serving to distribute any solids that may have settled.  Can be used as a dipping sauce, frying oil, or as part of a salad dressing.

Makes one cup

Difficulty rating  :)

Lentil Bolognese

I've heard of substituting lentils for ground beef as a money-saving trick.  Or, add some to half as much beef to stretch it.  I decided to try making "meat" spaghetti sauce (bolognese) using lentils.  I figured that was a safe way to start, since you don't really taste meat in a thick sauce.  It's the texture.

This turned out to be much easier than I expected.  I made the lentils in the morning, because they do take at least half an hour.  It only took ten minutes to assemble the sauce, and the lentils simmered in it while the pasta was cooking.  I loved the flavor, which was probably helped along by using some of the tomato sauce I had made a couple of days before.

The suggestion of adding chopped walnuts to the sauce was from Rainbow Plant Life, but I struck out on my own for the rest of this recipe.  It helps with the mouthfeel and adds extra protein.  I would definitely use that trick again in a vegan recipe.

1 C brown lentils
*1/2 red onion, diced
2 Tb olive oil
*2 cloves garlic, minced
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
*1 15 oz can tomato sauce
2 Tb Marsala, Port, or other sweet cooking wine, optional
*1/2 C chopped walnuts, optional
1 tsp dried basil, or 1 Tb fresh
1 tsp dried parsley, or 1 Tb fresh
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried marjoram
salt and pepper to taste

1.  An hour before serving, or early in the day, cook the lentils.  Sort them to remove any stones, rinse, and place in a pot with 3 C water.  Bring to a low boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until they barely start to split, about 30-40 minutes.  Don't let them cook to mush.  Drain and set aside.  Refrigerate if making ahead.

2.  While the water for the pasta is heating, make the sauce.  Heat the oil in a large pot and add the onion and garlic.  Cook on medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add herbs and cook until fragrant, two minutes.

3.  Add tomatoes and their juice and the tomato sauce to the pot.  Stir in Marsala and walnuts, if using.  Bring to a low boil so the alcohol can start to cook off.  After five minutes, taste and add salt and pepper as needed.  Add lentils while the pasta is cooking and bring back up to a low boil.  Taste and adjust seasonings again.

4.  Once the pasta is cooked and drained, you can either mix it into the sauce pot or serve the sauce spooned over it.  Garnish with Parmesan and extra herbs if desired.

Difficulty rating  π

Maror (Horseradish Spread)

I decided to make my own bitter herb dip this year for Seder instead of opening a jar.  I've been toying with the idea of growing horseradish, and figured I should actually make something with one first.

This is a super-simple recipe.  No cooking.  Two ingredients unless you prefer seasonings.  The hardest part is taking the food processor outside.  Don't remember the last non-grilling recipe I read that suggested making it outdoors.

And it actually was kind of hard to carry the processor to the patio.  I managed to ruin my left knee while scrubbing the front entry.  I was mildly sore when I finished, then two hours later couldn't stand on it.  I panicked and went to urgent care because I had to work at 4am the next day.  Exoskeleton of a knee brace later, it was 75% improved in the morning.  I bought a lighter brace to wear whenever it feels weak, but it didn't hurt after that first evening.  Better safe than sorry.  Mainly, I was upset that I wouldn't be able to scrub the kitchen floor.  I carefully scrubbed the worst patches, mopped better than usual, and went over it with a damp cloth to pick up anything I'd missed.

As for how hot to make the horseradish, there's a bit of science behind that.  Grating or processing the horseradish root releases the heat.  Adding vinegar stops that process.  For hot, run it first and add the vinegar later.  For tangy and not as hot, add some of the vinegar while it's running.  I added some of the vinegar first, along with a sprinkle of salt and sugar.  Still ended up ridiculously hot, so I'm not sure what I did wrong.  Maybe 24 hours wasn't a long enough time to rest.

There's always the option to grate the root on a box grater, but it's going to be an instant attack on the nasal passages.  I might try it with some of the root as an experiment.

I wish canning the condiment was an option, but cooking the root destroys all the flavor and heat.  That's why prepared horseradish is in the refrigerated deli case.

4 oz horseradish root
*2 Tb to 1/4 C apple cider or white vinegar
salt and/or sugar as desired
beet juice for red, sweet horseradish

1.  Wash and peel root.  I got the smallest one, and it was almost a pound.  I cut off a portion and put the rest in the fridge to make another batch later.

2.  Chop root in pieces and place in food processor.  Either open all the windows or take it outside.

3.  Add 2 Tb vinegar to processor.  Shut it and process until finely chopped.  This is when I had no idea I would end up hosing down the patio after.  Hold onto the processor.  The root is a lot tougher than ginger, the last fibrous thing I ran through it.  Once broken down, scrape sides and add vinegar as needed for desired consistency and potency.  Add any salt, sugar, or beet juice you choose to flavor it.  Pulse a few times to distribute.

4.  Store in fridge for up to 2 weeks.  The flavor will mellow as it sits, so it's best to make it at least a day ahead.

Makes about 1/2 C

Difficulty rating  π

Green Onion Pesto

All right, that's it, these onions are never making seeds.  I left a couple, just in case, and pulled all the ones with really good green leaves.

I've been trying to discipline myself this summer to get a lot of hanging projects done.  Each week I'm tackling at least one project in four categories: gardening, preserving, mending, and deep cleaning.  Gardening has been mostly pruning back years of overgrowth.  Preserving can be store-bought or garden bounty.  Mending doesn't only refer to sewing; it can be any repair or a craft project.  Deep cleaning is any project above my weekly basics, including painting something.  Unless I don't have a mending project that week, and painting becomes that.  There were a lot of minor painting projects on the list.

I dehydrated some of the green onions, and my oven still smells like it weeks later.  I decided to make pesto. Wow, those onions were big.  I cut off the white and light green parts, and it was still a lot.  And now I have four onions to use in something.  Maybe I'll dice and freeze them as white onions.  The greens ended up making almost two quarts of pesto.  That's half a gallon.  I'm going to be putting pesto on everything.

I'm scaling this down to one grocery-store bunch.

*1 bunch green onions
*1/2 C grated or shredded Parmesan cheese
*1/4 C nut of choice (pine nuts are traditional.  I  used cashew.)
2 cloves garlic
salt to taste
Olive oil for consistency (about 1/4 C)

1.  Remove root ends from onions.  Coarsely chop.  Peel and mince garlic.

2.  Add nuts and cheese to food processor.  Pulse until well chopped, but not a paste yet.

3.  Add onions, garlic, and a pinch of salt if desired.  Run processor into a paste.

4.  Scrape down sides and put the lid back on.  While processor is running, drizzle in oil until desired consistency is reached.  Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

5.  Use immediately, refrigerate for up to a week, or freeze.

Makes about 1 cup

Difficulty rating  π

Spicy Honey Mustard

This was the other mustard I made on canning day.  This entry from Food in Jars is exceedingly simple.  Marisa describes the result as the hot mustard you find in Chinese restaurants.  It's great as a dipping sauce or as part of a marinade.

It's really strong on the day it's made.  Just a warning if you're making this for the fridge and not to can.  Let it mellow a few weeks first, unless you need your sinuses cleared.  This recipe only makes a pint and uses common ingredients, making it very accessible for someone new to mustards.  It is also very fast.  I had to slow down the process while the canner was coming up to a boil.

1 C / 90 g dry mustard powder
1 C / 240 ml apple cider vinegar
1/3 C / 75 ml honey
1/2 tsp kosher or canning salt
1/4 tsp black pepper (ok, I used white)

1.  If canning, prepare canner and 4 quarter-pint jars and lids.  For non-canning, you want to store this in something non-reactive and nonporous.  Plastic containers will stain and retain flavors.  Glass is best.

2.  In a non-reactive saucepan, whisk together all ingredients until there are no lumps.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, then continue to stir occasionally for 5-6 minutes until mixture is thickened and uniform.

3.  For canning, ladle into hot jars to 1/2" headspace.  Mustard tends to expand and/or siphon as it is processed.  Debubble if the mustard is too thick to pour easily.  Wipe rims clean, center lid, and apply rings finger-tight.  Process in a boiling bath canner for 10 minutes.  Allow to rest 5 minutes off the heat before removing.  Cool for 24 hours, check seals, remove rims, wipe clean, and store.  For non-canning, allow to cool to room temperature, then transfer to the non-reactive container and store in the refrigerator.

Makes about 1 pint

Difficulty rating  π

Dijon Mustard

I'm out of homemade mustards, so it was time for a canning day.  First up was Dijon, since it has to be started 24 hours ahead.  Not a big deal, you just marinate the flavors into the wine and soak the seeds before starting.

I'm using the Ball recipe for Dijon, as it is a gold standard for canning safety.  If you are making mustard for immediate use, I suggest a non-canning recipe.  This is going to be crazy intense the day it's made.  Canning recipes require a decent amount of time on the shelf to mellow.  I figure this will be ready to use in about a month, after Passover.  Stupid no-mustard Passover kitnyot rule.  That's why horseradish is such a big thing for that week.

I made this with two slight deviations from the original recipe that do not affect the safety, and are actually common in other canning recipes I've made.  The first was using dried rosemary instead of fresh, because that's what I had.  The other change was letting the wine mixture sit for about ten minutes after simmering before straining.  I just wanted to infuse it a little extra, and make sure it was cool enough not to crack the room-temperature jar.  Oh yeah, and I used Chardonnay, because that's the white wine that was open from previous recipes.  It was 1/4 C short, so I used vinegar to make up the volume.  You can always add more acid to a water-bath recipe, but not less.

*2 C chopped onion
*2 C Pinot Grigio or other dry white wine
1 C white wine vinegar (at least 5% acidity)
1 tsp kosher or canning salt
*6 cloves garlic, chopped
4 peppercorns
*1 sprig fresh rosemary or 1 tsp dried
*1 C yellow mustard seeds
1/3 C dry mustard
up to 2-2/3 C water, if needed

1.  Combine first 7 ingredients in a non-reactive saucepan.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat and simmer until onion is softened, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and let steep for 10 minutes if a stronger flavor is desired.

2.  Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a non-reactive (glass or stainless) bowl or jar.  Discard solids.  Stir in mustard seeds and powder.  Allow to sit 24-48 hours at room temperature.  More than two days, and it will start to ferment.

3.  After steeping, process mixture in a food processor or blender, adding water until the consistency of cooked oatmeal.  I added about 1 cup, which made my batch slightly over the expected 6 quarter-pint jars.  I refrigerated that portion, since the jar wasn't full enough to process.  Prepare jars and canner for a 3 to 3-1/2 cup yield.

4.  Transfer mixture to a saucepan.  Bring to a boil, stirring often to prevent scorching.  Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, stirring often, until desired consistency.

5.  Ladle hot mustard into hot jars to 1/4-inch headspace.  De-bubble, wipe rims, and apply lids and rings. Process in boiling bath canner 10 minutes.  Turn off heat, remove lid, and let jars sit 5 minutes before removing.  Mustard likes to siphon, and four of mine did despite following the directions.   Cool, test seals, clean jars, and store.  Any unsealed jars should be refrigerated or frozen.

Makes 3+ cups, depending on consistency

Difficulty rating  :)

Cauliflower and Pumpkin Curry

Here's something for a chilly winter evening.  Hot like a soup, just a tad spicy, with the warmth of pumpkin and the heft of coconut milk.  I had it over rice and lentils, originally for protein, but will now be a post coming soon because it got kind of elaborate.  If not on a vegetarian rotation, some shredded chicken would make a nice addition.

I got out a baggie of puréed roasted pumpkin that I had frozen in November when the market was giving away all their pumpkins after Halloween.  The pie pumpkins shouldn't have been free, but the register insisted they were and the checker said I could have them.  Ok.  I'm going to assume you're using canned and actually measured what I put in.

I chose to use a fresh cauliflower for texture.  Frozen will take about ten minutes less to cook, since it has already been blanched.  Also, you don't have to cut it up.  I don't know why I never thought of it before, but I tore off a bunch of unnecessary leaves at the market before bagging it.  It's sold by weight, and I'm not planning to eat the trimmings.  Felt a bit guilty, but I have seen worse behavior in the market.

2 Tb olive oil
1 C diced yellow onion
*2 ribs celery, diced
*2 Tb tomato paste
1/2 tsp each salt, *coriander seed, and *cumin seed
1/4 tsp each pepper and *celery seed
2 tsp curry powder
*2 cloves garlic, minced
*1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
*1 C pumpkin purée
1 can coconut milk (lite ok)
1 head cauliflower, cut in florets, or 4 C frozen florets, thawed
*Juice of 1 lemon

1.  In a large skillet with a lid, heat the oil over medium-high.  Add diced onion and celery and cook until starting to soften, about 5 minutes.

2.  Add tomato paste and spices and cook into a fragrant paste, another 3 minutes.  Stir in garlic and ginger.

3.  Add coconut milk and pumpkin to skillet and bring to a simmer.  Add cauliflower florets and stir to coat.  Lower heat to medium low, cover, and boil curry gently until cauliflower reaches desired doneness, about 10 minutes with frozen and 15-20 for fresh.  Stir in lemon juice to finish.

4.  Serve hot over rice or with a side of bread.

Difficulty rating  π

Salmon with Tzatziki Sauce

 

Despite it being the time of year that I tend to eat 19th-century British and American types of foods, I'm still trying to incorporate Mediterranean recipes into the meal plan.

This is a very simple two-part recipe.  While I happened to make the sauce first, you can multi-task and do it while the fish is in the oven.  Tzatziki goes with really any fish.  I happened to have salmon on hand.  Not the awesome kind I got at the kosher market for Passover, just the frozen, vacuum packed filets sold generically at the supermarket.  While not life altering, they were pretty good.

I did get out the grater to do the cucumber properly.  It wasn't the worst thing in the world.  As far as kitchen messes go, cucumber juice is pretty low on the cleaning up scale.  I didn't seed it, though.  Gotta draw the line somewhere.

*4 6oz salmon filets, checked for pin bones
olive oil
salt and white pepper
*dill as needed
*1 C Greek yogurt
1/2 cucumber or 2 Persian cucumbers
2 cloves garlic, grated or through a garlic press
1 Tb lemon juice
*dried mint to taste

1.  Preheat oven to 350º.  Line a roasting pan with parchment for easier cleanup.

2.  Lay filets skin side down in pan.  Drizzle lightly with olive oil, about 1 or 2 tablespoons.  Sprinkle as desired with salt, pepper, and dill.  Keep in mind there's more dill in the sauce.  Cover pan with foil and bake until fish is opaque and flaky, about 25 minutes.

3.  For the sauce, peel (and seed) cucumber, then grate on a box grater's large holes.  Place in a strainer over a bowl or the sink and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt.  Allow to sit 10 minutes, for the salt to draw moisture out of the shreds.  Rinse lightly, then squeeze to remove as much water as possible.

4.  Stir together yogurt, cucumber, garlic, lemon juice, and half a teaspoon each salt and dill to start.  Taste, then add more of those, white pepper, and dried mint until you like the result.  I probably ended up with two teaspoons of dill in mine, but just enough mint to brighten it up.  Chill until ready to use.

5.  Serve salmon with a generous 1/4 C of tzatziki on the side or in a little cup.  It's really more of a condiment than a sauce.

Difficulty rating  :)

Sweet and Sour Sauce for Canning

I got down to my last jar of tomatillo salsa for the enchiladas and realized it wouldn't be quite enough.  As long as I was making another batch, I looked for other things to put in the canner.  Sweet and sour meatballs were on the menu plan, so I searched for a sauce recipe that was canning-safe.

I actually wasn't thrilled with the Ball book's version.  It had you purée everything and was thickened by reduction, reducing the yield.  I found one on SB Canning that is thickened with Clearjel and leaves chunks in the sauce.  The main differences between it and my non-canning Sweet & Sour Sauce is using actual tomatoes instead of ketchup, ClearJel instead of cornstarch, and way more vinegar.

One thing about canning a sauce that's mostly tomato, bell pepper, and onion is that you're basically going to have to turn it into a sweet pickle.  That's the only way to get the acidity high enough for safety.  If you're making this to serve fresh or to freeze, you can cut down on the vinegar.  The recipe does allow you to increase the sugar to suit your taste, and I do recommend tasting it before putting it in a jar.

I tried a new method I saw for peeling tomatoes.  You core them, freeze until solid, then defrost.  The peel comes right off.  This should only be done if you're going to cook the tomatoes into a sauce, because it destroys the texture for anything else.  It also makes it very hard to remove the seeds, so I gave up and left them in.  For this sauce, it doesn't matter, but you might want to de-seed them before freezing if doing something smooth like marinara.  It was so much easier than blanching them in order to peel.

*4 C tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 C onions, cut in chunks
2 C (about 2 medium) green bell peppers, seeded and cut in chunks
1 20 oz can pineapple chunks, drained & juice reserved
2 C sugar, or more to taste
*1/4 C soy sauce
2 C white or rice vinegar (5% acidity for canning)
1/2 C sugar
*1/2 C ClearJel

1.  Prepare jars and water bath canner for 5-6 pint yield.  I did 3 pints and the rest in half-pints, with a little left over, for a total of almost 6 pints.  Your yield may vary based on variety of tomatoes.

2.  Place tomatoes, onions, peppers, and drained pineapple in a large soup pot and bring to a boil, stirring often.  I actually gave my tomatoes a 10 minute head start because they were still a little frozen and I wanted the liquids to redistribute.  At this point, you're basically making a salsa with pineapple, and could probably can it as such with a bit of citric acid in a pressure canner.  I'm sure there are recipes out there.

3.  Add 2 C sugar, soy sauce, and vinegar and return to a boil.  While that is going on, stir together other 1/2 C sugar, ClearJel, and reserved pineapple juice into a slurry.

4.  Once the sauce is cooked and reduced to what you want, taste and decide if it needs more sugar, bearing in mind you have 1/2 C in the thickening slurry.  I found 2 cups sufficient, but you can add up to 3 more cups if you want it extra sweet.  I did find the taste a tiny bit flat and added about 1/4 tsp ground ginger to perk it up.  For a spicy sauce, half a teaspoon of red chili flakes would be a good addition.  Dry spices do not affect the canning math.

5.  While the pot is boiling, stir in the ClearJel slurry and keep stirring.  The thickening effect is subtle.  You're not making pie goo.  It will turn the liquid from thin to something that will stick to the spoon a little.  Remove the pot from the heat and get your jars out of wherever you were keeping them hot.

6.  Fill jars to 1/2" headspace.  I only debubbled the pints, because the sauce is still pretty fluid.  Wipe the rims well with vinegar.  Center lids, screw on rings finger-tight, and place in canner.  Bring to a boil, then process for 30 minutes.  Turn off heat and remove lid.  Let jars sit in canner 5 minutes, then remove to a towel to cool for 12-24 hours before removing rings and storing.  Any failed seals can be refrigerated for up to a week or frozen for longer storage.

Makes about 6 pints

Difficulty rating :-0