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?
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!
The Latest Posts:
- We Loved With A Love That Was More Than Love.
- He’s more myself than I am.
- Valentine,You Must Allow Me To Tell You…
- Stones of Remembrance Because I Love Him: Mommy Jewellery
- Marked by Blessing
- Despair is Losing its Grip, a Lasting Peace Filling its Fingerprints
- Transformed Through Pain, Learning Who I Am Now.
- May There Be Beauty from This Pain.
I (adoringly) HEART—>
