Canning with Ag Marble
Every year for at least the last 9 years I have canned tomatoes, salsa, beans, apple pie filling, apple butter, apple sauce, pears, and the works with Ag. She was Brad's grandma, but more than that she was my really good friend. You may remember she died some months back- an event that completely caught me off guard, because if anyone was tough enough to never die it was Agnes Marble.
She was a hero to me, she taught me so much. She taught me about plants, pie crusts, sourdough starters, she held my hand while I killed my first chicken, together we herded cattle across the creek, she let me bottle feed a calf, she took the nastiest splinter out of my thumb when I didn't have the guts to even look. She treated me as her own, her very own, and I took it. She wasn't really very sweet or gentle and didn't care to be, yet that tough (I could almost say caloused) love she practised snached my heart completely. She was the real deal, she always said what she wanted to and held little regard for those who didn't.
I had no intentions of canning this year, out of fear of the emotions it would bring up, but when I walked by some of the most beautiful ripe tomatoes I forgot I wasn't going to can until after I had bought them. I knew it would make me sad. While I type this, the last of 49 quart jars are in the canner. I did it, I canned without the physical presence of Ag- but not for a moment was she away from my thoughts, not a second. Next year might be easier, but I almost hope it isn't, remembering someone no matter how painful, at least is still remembering. I'd rather remember in pain than forget.
What am I saying? There was no one I loved quite like Ag. I had no idea of how much death would cheat me- I wish I could give it a good punch in the gut. Then maybe these tears would stop coming.
Strawberry Fields Don’t Last Forever
I guess even the Beatles can be wrong. Strawberries have a very short season only lasting about 2 weeks as far as good pickin' goes. This year with the cooler weather it was drawn out quite a bit longer! I have never picked strawberries the way that I did a couple days back, they were all ripe and I would stay in one spot and just pick and pick...so we ended up with 20 pounds of berries.
To deal with the bounty I snapped up 8 envelops of instant pectin (or sent The Husband to the store for them actually) and started instantly to wash, de-stem, and mash. The recipe is on the back of the pectin, and I don't use anything other than Instant Fruit Pectin (like in this picture) anymore.
Why do I love freezer jam so much better ? because of the lower sugar and MUCH fresher taste. This recipe calls for 4 cups of fruit and 1+1/2 cups of sugar per package, not the 5 cups of fruit to 4 cups of sugar or whatever the atrocity is of canned jam. No comparison on taste either since these berries aren't cooked and boiled- and it is quicker too- so if you have the freezer space you really don't have any reason not to try it, it is as easy as mixing three ingredients together and then putting them in containers.
I love that color, that bright red is beautiful. There is just something about good strawberries.I just bought an amazing food dehydrator at a second hand store and next year I will certainly pick double the berries next year and dry half of them. Stay posted for some dehydrating adventures.
But for now talk to me! Do you have any memories of jam making? What kind of berries do you like best for jam?
A Celebration of Harvest
This is a time of excitement for those who grow their own food because in September and October it is time to reap in the produce that was seeded in the Spring, and cared for through the hot Summer. A pumpkin has come to signify the end of the harvesting, and right now the fields are ripe with bright orange sunsets all day long. It is a huge sense of relief now because all that could be done has been done and it is time to celebrate!
I love that we can see the food being grown all around us, it reminds us to be getting ready for the next holiday, the holiday in which we give thanks for that years blessings, for God's provision and for the health of our families. God has most certainly been good this year, but really he is good every year.
Because we have been in harvest mode for the last several months, this verse from the Bible has been worn into the blisters in my hands. The rush to store, and can all that the vines and bushes produce before the nights get too cold and ruin the fruit. It all just speaks to me in a real way now. And yes, more hands always lighten the load and make the work much less tedious.
The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Matthew 9:37
Is there a verse or quote that life helped you understand better? Do tell.
Ball Jars and Bright Red Fruit
Canning tomatoes is one of my favourite fall things to do. I don't really absolutely love the whole canning process, but I love to crack open the delights one at a time throughout the year until next fall comes. I also enjoy knowing what is in them, and that they are better by far than the ones processed by the thousands on a production line.
This year was the first year when I actually was able to tell the difference. Before that I had gone with all store bought canned tomatoes, but this year since we finished ours up that I canned last fall early I had to buy some. It isn't that the store ones aren't good, because I know I ate them my whole life and never complained-it is just that there is no comparison to the home canned ones. None.
I canned about 40 quarts of roma tomatoes this year. I did 27 last year and that wasn't enough to get us through, this year we'll keep our fingers crossed. And yes, I do hoard tomatoes!
Have you canned anything lately? If you could can one thing what would it be? For me it would be certainly tomatoes- and I would store TONS of strawberry, marion berry, and black berry freezer jam! YUM!
red
27 quarts of red delight (aka roma tomatoes). I go through as many as we can every year. I hope to get my hands on more tomatoes, but it is not looking good. These are my favourite to can. What is your favourite thing to can? Or if you don't can, what is your favourite thing your mom used to can, or your grandma? I was scared of canning for a long time. It seemed way to hard. I am over that now. Maybe because the home canned tomatoes just taste so good.
Baked Apple Butter
(B)'s grandparents have tons of apples, tons. We picked one bucket and we could have picked many more for sure. They are all irregular and funky so you have to quarter and de-core them by hand. I am a pro now! (kind of)
steralized hot canning jars ready for the using. I did this while baking the apples...for over 12 hours at low heat.
a funnel, makes life much easier (as far as canning goes :)
delightful. what can I say? This is the first thing I have canned by myself...I always head over to the Marble Ranch for canning. I have to say it was well worth it, and made me understand the process. It is not difficult, just a LOT of work. I now see why people don't can too much anymore, however I also see why I am going to make a habit of it now. There is something so neat about taking something and storing it for winter- just like ants and squirels for sure.
Baked Apple Butter (recipe from Joy of Cooking: All About Canning & Preserving, p. 82)
This is the easiest and perhaps the finest, apple butter of all.
Stem and quarter:
6 Pounds unpeeled cooking apples
combine in a large, heavy saucepan with:
8 Cups apple juice or water
Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the apples are soft, about 1.5 hours.
Preheat the over to 200 degrees F.
Pass the apples through a food mill or medium-mesh sieve. Return to pan and add
Juice and grated zest of 1 Lemon
1 and 1/4 Cups sugar (half may be brown)
1+1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Slowly bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Stir in:
1/2 Cup port or dry red wine (optional)
Pour three-quarters of the puree into a crock or deep backing dish, reserving the rest. Bake, uncovered, until thick enough to mound on a spoon, about 10 hours. As the mixture shrinks, ass the reserved puree. Pack the hot fruit butter into hot jars. See putting up preserves, p. 50. Leave 1/4- inch headspace, (p.12) and process for 10 minutes (p.14).
my notes: I left my skins on. I didn't pass it through a sieve at all, just mashed them up and the peels end up breaking all up and not being obvious (unless a little peel here and there bugs you).
I used water and not apple juice. I probably quadrupled the recipe, so I had to cook it for longer. Make sure you don't try and get done faster by turning up the heat, it will burn. I did turn it up to 300F for a while, and that was fine but you need to stir it often.
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enjoy!
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