More gifts from your garden

Blueberry Relish

3 cups sugar
1-1/2 cups water
3 pints (about 9 cups) fresh or frozen blueberries
1-1/2 cups cider vinegar
Zest of 2 oranges (outer peel only, no white pith), cut into 3/4-inch-wide strips
3 sticks (2 inches each) cinnamon, coarsely broken
1-1/2 teaspoons whole allspice
1 teaspoon whole coriander seed
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves

Combine sugar and water in saucepan and heat over medium heat to boiling; boil 1 minute. Add blueberries and return to boil. Reduce heat to medium low and cook, uncovered, just until berries are broken, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Pour mixture into sieve set over a bowl and drain off syrup. Set berries aside; return syrup to pan.

Add vinegar, zest and spices to syrup and bring to boil over medium high heat, cooking until it reaches 220 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 50 to 55 minutes. (Syrup will be reduced to half.) Remove from heat.

Strain out spices and return syrup to pan. Add berries and any juice from bowl. Heat to boiling over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium and boil for 3-5 minutes or until mixture registers 220 degrees on candy thermometer.

Relish can be processed in jars in a hot water bath for 15 minutes or stored in the refrigerator for up to three months.

Thyme-Plus-Three Herbal Jelly

2 cups (packed) thyme, washed and drained leaves and tender tips
A few sprigs fresh sweet marjoram
2 cups water
1 large bay leaf
3 tablespoons tarragon-flavored vinegar (fresh lemon juice or white wine vinegar can be substituted)
3-3/4 cups sugar
3 ounces liquid pectin
Optional - a drop or two of green food coloring

Combine water, thyme and sweet marjoram in a blender or food processor. Chop lightly. (Don't make a pulp, which will result in cloudy jelly.) Scrape mixture into large saucepan and add bay leaf. Heat just to boiling over medium heat, stirring once or twice. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 15 minutes.

Pour into very fine sieve (or regular sieve lined with one or two layers of dampened cheesecloth) and drain off infusion, pressing on the herbs to drain. Measure 1-3/4 cups of infusion into rinsed-out saucepan.

Stir in tarragon vinegar and sugar and bring mixture to boil over high heat, stirring often until sugar dissolves. When it reaches a full rolling boil, stir in pectin. Bring to boil again and boil hard for exactly one minute. Remove pan from heat.

Stir in food color (less is more). Skim foam from jelly and pour into hot, sterilized jars. Seal with thin layer of melted paraffin and seal lids according to manufacturer's directions.

Both these recipes have been adapted from "Fancy Pantry" by Helen Witty.