GREAT HOME COOKS : The Canning Cult

Bia Lowe, Susan Anderson and Joseph Herzberg are determined to make this summer last. How determined are they? In just one week recently, they pickled 500 golden beets, made jam from a flat of strawberries, put up 12 jars of strawberry-rhubarb compote and 24 jars of strawberry-rhubarb jam, boiled down a half-dozen jars of pomegranate syrup and made a half-dozen jars of Victorian sauce (a chutney-like combination of rhubarb, raisins, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon and allspice).

And the season hasn’t even officially begun.

“It gets pretty intense sometimes,” says Herzberg.

While canning is something that is still outside the realm of interest of most cooks, for Lowe, Anderson and Herzberg it is a divine mission.

The madness started last Christmas with a plan to distribute homemade gifts.

“That’s when we went into a frenzy,” says Lowe.

“It was insane,” says Herzberg. “We would go to the market in the morning, prep the stuff that evening, work all day the next day and at night come home and can. You have to be committed to canning. It is very labor-intensive.”

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While last year’s Christmas canning got off to a late start, this year they’re determined the story will be different. As things come in season at farmers markets, they will quickly wind up pickled, jammed or preserved in Lowe and Anderson’s well-organized Bronson Canyon kitchen in the Hollywood Hills.

“This year we want to be sure to get every season,” says Anderson. “Last year we missed plums. That was horrible. And we just got in on the tail end of the peaches. We really had to scramble to get that going.”

“Still, we did 33 jars of those spiced peaches,” says Herzberg. “October and November, we worked just about every weekend.”

They also gave out 30 sausage breads, a recipe from Anderson’s Sicilian ex-mother-in-law. “It’s delicious,” she explains. “You roll out bread dough into a square and sprinkle it with ground pepper, olive oil, some raw Italian sausage and some onion. Then you roll it back up and bake it like a bread loaf. It is so aromatic and so full of fat. It tasts so good.”

“But when we did it, we caramelized the onions,” adds Herzberg.

“And added some fresh thyme,” says Lowe.

“And some caramelized apples,” concludes Anderson.

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The three met at Kaiser-Permanente, where they all worked: Herzberg as an advertising and sponsorship events coordinator, Anderson as an art director, Lowe as a writer. Joined by their love of food, they were satisfied for a while with being good dinner-party cooks. “Actually, sometimes it seems like that’s all we ever talk about,” says Lowe.

Then last fall they took a class from preserving whiz Edon Waycott (author of “Preserving the Taste” and maker of jams and jellies for La Brea Bakery).

Now they’ve got a to-do list a mile long. Among this summer’s entries: grapefruit and lime marmalades, sunshine strawberry jam, fig and ginger jam, pear and ginger jam, tomato jam, plum jam, pickled peaches, bread and butter pickles, dilled green beans, mushroom melange, tomato slices in oil, pickled cherries and apple-thyme marmalade.

“I figure if we can can three weekends a month, we ought to be able to reach our goal by Christmas,” says Lowe.

“You know, Bia, we do have to have a life outside of canning,” says Herzberg.

“No, Joe, you don’t.”

“We probably won’t stop canning until we get some kind of horrible stress-related disease,” says Lowe.

“Or kill each other,” says Anderson.

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“Really, it’s kind of spooky when you realize all the things you’re able to can,” says Herzberg. “Now when I look through cookbooks I go right to the back and look for canning stuff. It’s amazing: In really surprising books you find all these canning treasures.”

“And a lot of them aren’t even meant to be canned,” says Anderson. “But if they say something will store two weeks in the refrigerator, then the only question is: Will it fit in a jar?”

As in any high-intensity project, nerves can fray in the pressure of a heavy-duty canning push, but these three seem to have their division of responsibilities pretty well worked out. While they are pickling asparagus, for instance, the roles are clearly divided: Herzberg slices garlic in one corner while Lowe zests lemons in another. At the stove, Anderson combines the pickling mixture in a large saucepan and brings it to a boil. When it’s ready, Lowe puts garlic and lemon in the bottom of each quart jar, then Herzberg holds it at a slant while Anderson slips in the asparagus. She ladles the pickling mixture into the jar, then wipes the rim and screws the lid on tight. When all the jars are filled, Anderson places them in the hot water bath.

“One of the things that’s really important is that we can play off each other so well,” says Anderson. “We’re a good team and we each have a role to play. It’s about team work as much as it is about cooking. We have a fabulous time together.”

“You really have to get along doing this,” says Herzberg. “It makes for some long days and it’s a lot of work. You get up to be at the market at 8 in the morning and then you just keep going.”

“I can’t even think about doing it without either of them,” says Anderson.

“When you get really sick of it, there’s someone else there to keep you going,” says Herzberg.

“It just became a cult after a while,” says Lowe, “the canning cult. It’s a strange thing, but I have some friends up in San Francisco who want us to come up and can with them up there. Maybe it really is a cult.”

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Make this sausage bread in the winter, when its richness and subtle sweetness are best appreciated. The bread recipe is based on one from Carol Fields’ “The Italian Baker.”

ITALIAN SAUSAGE BREAD 12 mild Italian sausages 3 onions, thinly sliced Butter 3 Granny Smith or Pippin apples, cored, peeled and thinly sliced Bread Dough 1/2 cup chopped fresh thyme Freshly ground pepper

Remove sausage meat from casings, fry in skillet and drain on paper towels. Divide into 3 equal parts and set aside.

In skillet caramelize onions in 2 tablespoons butter, divide into 3 equal parts and set aside.

In skillet slowly saute apples in 2 tablespoons butter until soft and slightly golden. Divide into 3 equal parts and set aside.

Divide risen Bread Dough into 3 equal parts and roll out each section into rectangle about 15 inches wide. Spread meat, onions, apples, thyme and pepper to taste on each rectangle. Gently roll up each rectangle into tube and curl into snail shape. Carefully place each bread in oiled oven-proof dish (9-inch souffle dishes work well, as do springform pans).

Let breads rise in warm place, covered with damp towel, for about 50 minutes.

Bake at 450 degrees about 40 minutes, until brown. Remove pans to rack and cool before unmolding. Makes 3 loaves, about 4 servings each.

Each serving contains about: 637 calories; 1,234 mg sodium; 70 mg cholesterol; 30 grams fat; 70 grams carbohydrates; 21 grams protein; 0.55 gram fiber.

Bread Dough 1 1/4 teaspoons dry active yeast 1/4 cup warm water 3 cups cool water 1 cup Starter 7 1/2 cups unbleached flour 1 tablespoon salt

Place yeast and warm water in bowl of heavy-duty mixer and stir together. Let stand about 10 minutes until mixture is foamy. Add cool water and Starter and mix on low speed with mixer paddle. Gradually incorporate flour and salt.

Change mixer attachment to dough hook and knead dough at medium speed until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Turn out onto floured surface and knead dough by hand another 3 minutes. Dough will be sticky. Continually dust dough and work surface with flour as you knead. Place dough into large container and let rise about 3 hours or overnight in refrigerator.

Starter 1/4 teaspoon dry active yeast 1/4 cup warm water 3/4 cup cool water 2 1/2 cups unbleached flour

Stir yeast into warm water in medium-sized bowl. Let stand 10 minutes or until foamy. Add cool water and flour. Stir.

Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature 24 hours or more. If not used after 24 hours, refrigerate after 3 days. Makes 2 1/3 cups.

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The raspberry vinegar brightens this pickle and combines with the spicing to make these taste like the very best beets you’ve ever had. From Edon Waycott’s “Preserving the Taste.”

PICKLED BABY BEETS AND RASPBERRIES 1 pound miniature beets, 1 1/2 inches in diameter, about 20 Water 1/2 cup sugar 2 cups raspberry vinegar 2 teaspoons whole allspice berries 1 (3-inch-long) cinnamon stick, broken in half 1 teaspoon kosher or pickling salt 1 cup fresh raspberries

Cut green tops off beets, leaving 1 inch of stem. Scrub well and trim taproot. Cook in pot of boiling water 5 minutes until crisp-tender. Plunge into bowl of cold water to stop cooking.

Combine sugar, vinegar, 1 cup water, allspice, cinnamon and salt in nonreactive medium saucepan. Simmer 15 minutes.

Pack beets and raspberries into 2 hot sterilized wide-mouthed pint jars and pour in boiling liquid to within 1/2 inch of top. Evenly distribute spices between jars.

Wipe rims clean with clean, damp cloth and seal with new lids and metal rings. Process in hot-water bath 15 minutes. Remove, cool, check seals, label and store. Season 2 weeks before using. Makes 2 (1-pint) jars, each 4 servings.

Each serving contains about: 89 calories; 336 mg sodium; trace cholesterol; trace fat; 23 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.92 gram fiber.

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What do these asparagus pickles taste like? A lot like a good version of regular bread and butter pickles, except for a subtle undertone of asparagus flavor. We also tried them before they had finished curing and they were good that way too. This recipe and the one for the beets above are from Edon Waycott’s “Preserving the Taste.”

PENCIL ASPARAGUS IN GARLIC VINEGAR 3 pounds asparagus, with thin stalks 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced Zest 2 lemons 3 cups rice wine vinegar 2 teaspoons kosher or pickling salt 1/4 cup sugar 2 teaspoons commercial pickling spices 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Lay asparagus on cutting board with tips all at 1 end. Trim stalks to within 1 inch of height of wide-mouthed quart jar. Divide garlic and lemon zest between 2 hot sterilized jars. Carefully insert asparagus tightly into jars.

Combine vinegar, 3 cups water, salt, sugar, pickling spices and pepper in nonreactive medium saucepan and heat just to boil. Pour over asparagus to within 1/2 inch of top of each jar.

Wipe rims clean with clean, damp cloth and seal with new lids and metal rings. Process in hot-water bath 15 minutes. Remove, cool, check seals, label and store. Season for 1 month before using. Makes 2 (1-quart) jars, each with 8 servings.

Each serving contains about: 35 calories; 299 mg sodium; trace cholesterol; trace fat; 7 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 0.74 gram fiber.