My grandma gave me a do it yourself canning starter kit from her personal collection and I finally got to put it to good use yesterday. It's too bad that gardens aren't harvested in the winter when a hot and steamy kitchen would be a welcome temperature from the outside cold!
I made some crushed tomatoes
and some peach jam
My new canning book is going to get a workout this fall.
It was so exciting to boil the peaches and tomatoes and then miraculously peel off the skin in preparation for canning. But, the thrill ran out after about 3 skin peels...oh well!
For all of you canning experts reading, do you have any tips for getting the chunks in the jam to spread out evenly through the whole jar? I tried pushing them to the bottom with a bamboo skewer, but they just floated back up to the top.
And...here's my favorite new vegetable that we're growing this summer: japanese eggplant. Isn't the color gorgeous?! It's so tasty in Jon's vegetable stir fry.
Wow, that eggplant is an awesome color.
ReplyDeletecute header! yeah, i don't know how to deal with that whole floating fruit thing either. you can always try stirring the jam when you open it, but that tends to make it runnier in my experience. this website: http://www.mrswages.com/homejelldirections.asp suggests that you turn the jam over a few times as it cools to distribute the fruit as it gels. sounds like a good thing to try! maybe i'll do that next time....
ReplyDeleteWow, that eggplant is so vibrant. How did you bring yourself to cut it up? Glad you had fun with the canning. Peach jam is my favorite. :~)
ReplyDeletea. i love that new banner!
ReplyDeleteb. the color of that eggplant is just SO intense!
c. canning? you are my goddess. i've wanted to do this so many times before.. but never got around to it!
I've often thought about that too...too bad you can't can in the winter and cozy up the house.
ReplyDelete