Saints, Feast, Family
- Traditions passed down with Cooking, Crafting, & Caring -
August 19
Saint of the day:
St. John Eudes
Patron Saint of Congregation of Jesus And Mary, Order of Our Lady of Charity,
Roman Catholic Diocese of Baie-Comeau
The Story of St. John Eudes
St. John Eudes (1601–1680) was born in Normandy, France, to a farming family. His devout parents consecrated him to the Blessed Virgin Mary when he was a child. At the age of fourteen he took a vow of chastity, and studied under the Jesuits where he earned the reputation of being a brilliant student. After his ordination to the priesthood he ministered to his countrymen who were suffering from an outbreak of the plague. He later became a missionary priest, traveling throughout France and preaching strong sermons to large crowds in churches, open fields, and in the courts of the royalty and nobility. The force of his sermons was bolstered by his great sanctity; he was considered to be a prodigy and the greatest preacher of his age. He was instrumental in spreading devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary throughout France during a time when religious fervor had grown cold. He was responsible for influencing the Church to establish these two devotions with liturgical feasts, himself composing their Mass and Office. St. John Eudes founded several organizations including the Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Refuge, which provided a new life for repentant prostitutes, and the Society of Jesus and Mary (the Eudist Fathers) which specialized in improving the training of seminarians by promoting greater virtue and dedication to the preaching of parish missions.
https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-john-eudes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Eudes
https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=357
Prayer:
Visit:
Caen, Normandy, France
Monastery of Our Lady of Charity of Caen - The High Altar during the Triduum In honor of Blessed Father Eudes
Abbaye Aux Hommes (is a former Benedictine monastery)
Recipe
Plum Jam
Ingredients
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4 pounds (1.8kg) pitted black or elephant heart plums, unpeeled, cut into quarters
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1 1/2 pounds (675g) granulated sugar
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1 tablespoon Pomona's Universal Pectin (optional; see note)
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4 teaspoons (20ml) calcium water (see Pomona's pectin package for instructions)
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1 teaspoon (5g) unsalted butter
Directions
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Combine plums, sugar, and pectin (if using) in a large bowl and toss.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 and up to 24 hours. -
Place a few metal spoons in the freezer.
Transfer plum mixture to a large, wide pot and stir in calcium water. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Simmer until plums are mostly softened, about 15 minutes. For a smoother jam, place a food mill over a bowl and ladle a few cups of the mixture into it. Mill the mixture into the bowl. Repeat until roughly half the plums have been milled, then stir the milled plums back into the pot. -
Continue to cook until mixture starts to foam. Scrape off and discard foam using a metal spoon. Stir in butter. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, until foaming has subsided, about 15 minutes longer. Continue to cook, stirring more frequently, until jam is glossy, about 10 minutes longer.
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To test for doneness, spoon a small amount of jam onto one of the frozen spoons and return to freezer for 5 minutes. Remove from freezer and check consistency. The jam is ready when it's spreadable, but not runny. Cook until this texture has been reached.
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Transfer jam into washed and rinsed Mason jars. Seal jars and process according to manufacturer instructions. Store or serve.
Special equipment: Large pot or Dutch oven, food mill (optional), canning jars
Notes: Use Pomona's Universal Pectin if you want a stronger-setting jam. It's preferable to standard pectin in this case, as it works well even with relatively low-sugar jams, like this one.
