Form of:
Jam. And ice cream toppings. Because once you start canning, it's kinda hard to stop.My first set:
Spiced wine peach jam and mango-raspberry jam. There's a whacking lot of sugar in jam! Yow!Second set:
No sugar added peach jam and no sugar added cherry jam. This was in direct response to the huge amount sugar in the first two batches. Next time, I'll probably just use a cup or two of sugar instead of none at all. Strangely enough, these are a little tart and considering I was using really ripe fruit that seemed odd. Those two tablespoons of lemon juice packed more of a punch than I realized!My third set:
Pecans in praline syrup and walnuts in a maple syrup sauce. Just because.I noticed when I jumped into the first batch that it was really easy to run a second batch immediately after you finished processing the first one, since you were already set up with everything you'd need and the water was already hot. Thus the seemingly enormous different types of jams. I have plans for shipping several of them off to my mom and sisters (Shhhh!) as early Xmas presents. Hopefully I did a good job processing them!
I'm pretty sure I did, they all did that "Ping!" thing to let you know the jar was vacuum sealed.
I found out that while I really liked making all of these different jams, it's really hot work and is better saved for cooler days. Also, that it's only possible to get through one batch before the twins wake up.
Oh and that the twins really like my jam.
"Oooh! Pretty!"It's funny how cracking out a new skill for me, which is actually a very old skill, makes me feel all industrious. Next thing you know I'll start collecting farm animals, churning my own butter, and wearing gingham aprons...
Or maybe not.
Have you ever canned before? If so, how'd it go?
6 comments:
Never canned before, but really want to. Love the ice cream toppings!
Very impressive! I canned jam when the kids were little, same years as I made bread and candles and tie dyed things. Now, it seems too difficult!
we'll be making jam from blackberries and grapes from our yard *soon*. been doing it for years, but this year, i am soooo getting one of those big canning pots with the rack inside. using the spaghetti pot and meat-turning tongs is getting mighty old. we've had some close calls trying to get the hot jars out of the boiling water with equiptment not made for the job.
but, good for you! the only suggestion i have is that, shell out for the equiptment, it makes the job much more fun and safe.
Ooooh, I'll help you with that farm. I want my own chickens.
Ever try canned hobo?
I've started canning the last few years here. I've done peach and strawberry jam. You aren't kidding about the sugar either! It calls for like 5 cups of crushed berries and 7 cups of sugar! I've made apple sauce, apple butter, and apple pie filling too. It is a lot of work but people seem to like it. I haven't done veggies yet. I like them fresh.
Be careful with the shipping. I've shipped jars twice, once around xmas, and that time all but one of the jars broke. "Fragile" doesn't mean much at Christmas time.
I made some qucik & dirty cherry preserves from the cherry tree in the yard. I just ate the last of it this am. Cherries cook way the heck down! I still have some frozen cherries in the freezer. Some one cleaned off the apple tree while we were out of town one weekend! Maybe it was the church we rent from, maybe not....
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