Cooking with Mumu: [Update] There are 2 new posts in "Simply Recipes"

Here is the Simply Recipes update for cookingwithmumu@gmail.com

Elderberry Jelly
Tip: How to Check for the Hotness of Jalapenos

There are 2 new posts in "Simply Recipes"

Elderberry Jelly

If you are of a certain age, your primary, and perhaps only, reference to elderberries is likely an Elton John song, if older perhaps a Cary Grant film. So it was much to my surprise to learn from my friend Hank that elderberries grow wild all along the American River, less than half a mile from my home. We moved to Sacramento when I was nine; I have spent countless summers catching minnows and picking blackberries at the river. I can't believe these elderberries have been there the whole time, right in front of me. Of course when I saw Hank's photos I recognized them (those are edible?!) and as soon as I could, wrangled Garrett into joining me for elderberrt picking and jelly making.

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Tip: How to Check for the Hotness of Jalapenos

Ever take home a jalapeño chile pepper from the grocery store and have it either be so lacking in heat it may just as well be a bell pepper, or so hot a speck will create a raging inferno in your mouth? Here's a quick tip for choosing jalapeños that can help you decide which ones to pick. Jalapeño chilies start out mild and progressively get hotter the older they get, eventually turning bright red (and quite hot). As they age, they develop white lines and flecks, like stretch marks running in the direction of the length of the pepper. The smoother the pepper, the younger, and milder it is. The more white lines, the older and hotter. Red jalapeños are the most hot, because they've been maturing the longest.

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