Delicious anticipation

In anticipation of the impending whiteness that will be descending upon us - both on the hills and in the produce aisle - we're canning like crazy over here, hoping to preserve some of the glory of summer's bright colors. 

I'm new to the canning business and adhere closely to the methods described in Eugenia Bone's book, Well Preserved. 

When I read her recipe for cherries, I couldn't stop imagining how fun it would be to pull out a jar in December to cover in whipped cream or simmer with chicken.

Always up for a culinary adventure, Stella and Zoey have been game to do all the prep, which is quite an endeavor. Taking all that time to wash and pit and skin the fruit, eating handfuls along the way, and, in Stella and Zoey's case, cover themselves in it, brings tactile pleasure to the already enjoyable mental experience of knowing that you're going to have the chance to enjoy all that sweetness again down the road.

When I was reading Eugenia's blog on the Denver Post last night, I found a passage that really sums up a critical element of the enticing pleasure:

          Because it takes time and care to accomplish, the craft of home canning slows down my 

          relationship with food. Preserving is not about immediate satisfaction (for that, eat the 

          cherries fresh). It's about anticipation. And in that sense it's an act of optimism.

If life is a bowl of cherries, ours is a messy one, but delicious.

 Since I really have no idea what I'm doing, even the small batches that we're canning, which are supposed to be simple and easy, take forever, keeping me up late into the night.

The optimism is building.

+ + + + + + + + + + CHERRIES IN WINE  + + + + + + + + + +

From Well-Preserved, by Eugenia Bone (Potter). Makes 4 pints.
Ingredients
2     quarts red wine
2     cups sugar
2     cups orange juice
24    whole cloves
      Sixteen 3-inch strips orange zest
4     pounds Bing cherries, pitted (about 8 cups)

Directions
Place the wine, sugar, orange juice, cloves and orange zest in a medium pot. Bring to a low boil over medium heat, stirring all the while to dissolve the sugar and ensure it doesn't burn.
Have ready 4 scalded pint jars and their bands. (To scald, simply dip the jars in boiling water. You don't need to sterilize the jars, as you will be processing them for over 10 minutes.) Simmer new lids in a small pan of hot water to soften the rubberized flange.
Add the cherries to the wine and simmer for 10 minutes, until they are soft but not collapsed looking. Remove the cherries with a slotted spoon and ladle them into the hot jars.
Reduce the wine mixture remaining in the pot over medium-low heat to about half its volume, about 10 minutes. It will be rather viscous. Strain the wine mixture and pour over the cherries in the jars, leaving 1/2- to 3/4-inch of headspace.
Place the lids on the jars and screw down the bands fingertip tight. Place the jars in a big pot with a rack in the bottom and add enough water to cover the jars by 3 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat to medium and gently boil the jars for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat, allow the jars to rest in the water for 5 minutes or so, then remove. Allow the jars to cool, untouched, for 4 to 6 hours. Check the seals and store in a cool, dry place for up to a year. Refrigerate after opening.









You can find more of Eugenia's recipes at http://blogs.denverpost.com/preserved.