Small and Festive Jars
As Christmas comes close, we all like to be around the people we care about. Nevertheless, we don’t have to wait for Christmas Eve to get into the holiday spirit!
Maximize your time by throwing a kitchen party in early December with friends, family, neighbors or colleagues for a day of cooking. Come together to cook in large quantities so that everyone can leave with small jars of delights that will come handy throughout the holidays. Hang some decorations and play Christmas music to get in the mood! The house will soon be filled with mouth-watering aromas!
Everyone contributes by providing some of the necessary ingredients, bringing containers and participating in one or more stages of preparation.
[CONTEST CLUE]
Local tip: Organize a "cooking party" before the holidays and make sure to choose
seasonal fruits and vegetables as well as seasonings prepared locally.
The proposed recipes are simple, almost impossible to fail and easy to coordinate, so you can cook more than one at a time. You can even double the recipes to have more portions. To prepare these 4 recipes, from cutting the vegetables to decorating the Mason jars will take about 4h30. Let's talk about efficiency!
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Onion jam with maple and red wine
Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Serving: 1 jar of 250 ml (1 cup)
Ingredients
• 2 white onions and 1 red onion (about 3 cups)
• 3 tbsp. of canola oil
• 4 tbsp. of maple sugar
• 3 tbsp. of red wine
• 1/2 tsp. of powdered ginger
• Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
1. Mince the onions finely (can be done with a mandolin).
2. In a nonstick skillet over medium heat, brown the onions in the oil until they become translucent.
3. Add the remaining ingredients, mix well with a wooden spoon and simmer gently for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Let cool down and transfer to a glass container.
Store in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 weeks. Do not freeze.
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Cranberry, apples and honey sauce
Preparation: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serving: 1 jar of 250 ml (1 cup)
Ingredients
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1/2 cup of honey
• 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1/4 cup dehydrated apple pieces
• 1/3 cup of apple juice
• A pinch of ground clove (1/8 tsp or ¼ tsp to taste)
Preparation
1. Moisten the apples in the juice.
2. In a saucepan, bring to boil water and honey.
3. Add cranberries, drained apples and cloves.
4. Simmer until the cranberries burst.
5. Remove from heat and allow to cool down before potting.
Store in the refrigerator for 2 weeks and do not freeze.
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Apple butter with maple sugar
Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Servings: 3 jars of 250 ml (3 cups)
Ingredients
• 8 McIntosh apples
• 1/4 cup of maple syrup
• 1/4 cup of maple sugar
• 3/4 cup of unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp. of apple cider vinegar
Preparation
1. Peel and seed the apples and cut into cubes.
2. In a saucepan, cook all ingredients over low heat for about 25 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and puree with a hand blender.
4. Let cool down then distribute the apple butter in airtight containers.
Can be stored approximately 3 weeks in the refrigerator and up to 3 months in the freezer.
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Fruit ketchup
Preparation time: 15 to 20 minutes
Cooking time: 60 minutes
Servings: 8 jars of 250 ml (8 cups)
Ingredients
• 2 cups of diced tomatoes
• 2 cups of diced apples
• 1 cup of chopped onion
• 2 cups of sliced carrots
• 1 cup of red pepper cut into thin strips
• 1 cup of green pepper cut into thin strips
• 1/2 cup of maple syrup
• 1/2 cup of maple sugar
• 1 cup of apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup of water
• 2 tbsp. spices for marinade in cotton cheese
• 8 fresh basil leaves
Preparation
1. In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients except basil leaves.
2. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 45 minutes, half covered.
3. Add the basil leaves and continue cooking for about 10 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and pour into jars.
Keep the jars in the refrigerator for about a month. Do not freeze.
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These delightful jars can be offered as a gourmet gift for both hosts and guests. You can decorate the Mason jars with ribbon or small labels on which to write the name of the person who will receive it. Why not even create a beautiful basket containing the 4 kinds of jar?
Above all, use the spreads and jams for your holiday meals! In addition to beautifully decorating your table, each recipe is designed to blend in perfectly with the flavors of many typical Christmas dishes.
Discover all our suggestions:
- Onion jam with maple and red wine: Mini burgers with duck confit and onion jam
- Cranberry, apple and honey sauce: After Christmas lunch in a Mason jar
- Apple butter with maple sugar: On the brunch table to accompany pastries
- Fruit ketchup: Serve with meat pie