Subj : Varenye (Pine Cone Jam)
To   : All
From : Ben Collver
Date : Wed Jan 10 2024 11:41:10

I tried this yesterday with French cheese on crackers and i highly recommend it.

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

      Title: Varenye (Pine Cone Jam)
 Categories: Condiments, Preserves, Russian
      Yield: 8 Servings

    1/2 ga Unfiltered apple juice or
           -apple cider *
      1    Cinnamon stick; (1/4")
      2    Cloves
    1/4 c  Very young pine cones; a
           -handful

  Use as a strong condiment for cheese and creamy, fatty things.

  * The darkest, most unprocessed you can find, preferably will give the
    darkest syrup. If you want a higher proportion of syrup to pine
    cones, use 3/4 gallon instead of half.

  When to harvest the cones:

  You're looking for a very specific stage of growth here: about the
  size of a grown adults pinky nail.

  It's also important to make sure that you have living cones here, as
  old and aborted cones from the previous season can fool newbs, and a
  year-old, dry, crusty pine cone will taste exactly like what it
  sounds like. You want small young pine cones so young enough that
  they give between your fingers when pressed.

  Rinse the pine cones to remove any debris.

  Bring a few cups of water to a boil and blanch the pine cones for 1-2
  minutes, remove and reserve.

  In a 1 gallon pot with high sides about 8-10" in diameter, combine the
  cider, bouquet of warm spices, pinch of salt, and pine cones, bring
  to a boil, turn down the heat, and set a timer for 1 hour while you
  do something else.

  After an hour, check on the reduction and gauge how much time it will
  take to reduce down to about 1-1/2 cups or so, at which point you
  should baby it, watching it carefully to make sure the consistency is
  to your liking.

  Continue reducing at a brisk simmer until the bubbles start to
  increase in size and threaten to creep up the sides of the pan.
  Referring to the video will be helpful here.

  When the bubbles are large and the mixture is reduced to the
  consistency of warm honey, transfer the cones and their syrup to a
  jar, allow to cool uncovered for 30 minutes, then put a jar with a
  tight-fitting lid like a mason jar and refrigerate.

  Once chilled, inspect the thickness of your jam. If it seems too
  thick/100 percent pine cones, transfer to a bowl, warm it over a pot
  of simmering water and thin it with a splash 1 tb of cider, mix well,
  then put back in the jar and refrigerate again, which will refresh
  the consistency.

  Kept in the fridge with the lid screwed on tight it will last for a
  couple months.

  Recipe by Alan Bergo

  Recipe FROM: <https://foragerchef.com/pine-cone-cider-jam-varenye/>

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