Tag: canning

So much work was done yesterday..

I was finally able to cut the grass (we’ve been getting rain all week). We pulled weeds in our garden, and old plants were dug up and carted to the mulch pile. We also added more fall plants to our garden…

And of course I canned; fig jam and grape jelly was made…

The fruit comes from our fig tree and grape vine that grow in our garden. Our grape vine produces a grape that’s not overly sweet and it’s tart too. We love them, and the grape jelly tastes the same way.

Canning: How long does it take jelly to set?

If you’re new to jelly making, don’t get discouraged if your jelly doesn’t set immediately. Sometimes it will take a while. 🙂 As a rule, I don’t gift anyone with the jelly until a few days later… simply for that reason.  It’s perfectly edible before it sets, but I want it to be an actual jelly before I gift it to someone.

Yesterday it took about six hours for our grape jelly to set. There’s been  occasions where our jelly has set almost immediately. This morning, almost 24 hours later, the grape jelly has become even more firm. The information included on the fruit-pectin packet, says it can take up to five days.

If you’re using a fruit pectin, such as Sure-Jell, make sure you follow the recommended suggestions. And although I rarely follow a recipe, when it comes to fruit pectin, I always use the recommended suggestions.

 

With the fig jam, I added orange and vanilla bean to my recipe and loved how it’s turned out. I’m not much of a sweet eater, but I’ll be sure to sample that fig jam again.

 

 

I use a smooth top stove, but have had not trouble canning. If you have a smooth top stove, make sure the surface of your pot is flat. If it isn’t you can always add a small metal cooling rack. I have a stainless steel cooling rack that I place onto the burner, and then I place some of my pots on that. I have a few pots that don’t have a flat surface.

 

 

We now have 25 jars of jam and jelly. Of course some will be given away as gifts, the rest will be stored away to spread on freshly baked bread, or perhaps added to thumbprint cookies, jelly rolls, jelly cakes, etc., oh I could ramble for a while about the variety of ways I could use my preserves.

 

What will I be canning next?

1. Hot pepper jelly
2. Mint Jelly
3. Pickles
4. Salsa

And although I don’t measure, yes that carries over into canning too, I’ll be sure to make an exception or two and post some of the recipes here at Celebrate Life.

Our garden has received a lot of produce this year, we’re truly blessed. The end of summer usually marks the time that I begin canning, and so tomorrow my daughter and I’ll be kicking off our canning season by making jams and jellies.

First up on the menu will be fig jam, grape and peach jams and jellies.  Figs, grapes, and peaches all grow in our garden. Which is perfect for us, since the only thing canning requires of me is time, ball jars, and big pot. I’ve got those.

My daughter is looking forward to canning day, and so am I since it means we’ll be stocking up on our homemade preserves. It makes for some wonderful bonding time too, chatting away, while I pass on the tradition of preserving foods on to my daughter.

As a child, I have fond memories of canning with my mother. The kitchen was hot, and so she did all her canning in the morning… with a fan turned upon us. My parents didn’t have air conditioners in our home during the 1970’s. During that time, I imagine that was true with many households. The butters, jams, and jellies my mother prepared were much better than the store bought variety.  During the cooler months, I can remember being disappointed when our homemade jellies ran out since that meant mom would be purchasing them from the store. They simply couldn’t compare to what we made at home.

When it comes to cooking, my mother had a huge impact upon how I viewed food. I learned that I could do a much better job preparing food at home. Since I loved to experiment in the kitchen, it was a chance to unleash my creative culinary skills… and I had fun exploring, and trying new things. I rarely followed recipes. I’m still like that. You know what I enjoy? Sharing the joy of cooking with my daughter. It’s nice to see my daughter show the same enthusiasm as myself for cooking.

It seems I’m not the only one canning, Curls&Q, have recently written a few posts about canning. Check out their simple canned plum butter recipe.

In other news; Recycled bed sheets turned into clothes hamper cover and curtains

Earlier this week, I revamped our clothes hamper… by using a bed sheet. That clothes hamper is older than me, and it’s not the first time I’ve given it a facelift. The bed sheets still look new and therefore were a perfect candidate for the clothes hamper makeover. This morning, I made some curtains from the same bedsheets. I added a ruffle to the top of the curtain, and I fully lined them too. A sash was made with the same sheet, and I added a matching flower. No pattern was used and I must say I’m pleased with my sewn bathroom curtains.

I’ll be sure to post a picture those pictures will most likely will find it way into a finished object Friday post.