Blackberry Jam and Blackberry Syrup

A sweet friend gave us a couple of gallons of blackberries…big, juicy blackberries! Which means my very capable assistants and I had to get busy!

Now… the downside of blackberries are all those little seeds.

The first thing I did was run the berries through the food processor. Let me just say, I LOVE THE FOOD PROCESSOR! It really does make kitchen work so much faster!!!

Then my hard-working Cherish used this old-fashion strainer and wooden pestle, which you can find at thrift stores and yards super cheap!

We made 16 pints of jam and syrup.

I adapted this recipe from AllRecipes.com, added lemon juice, butter and 1/2 a package of pectin rather than 1/3 package. Butter makes all the difference!

Blackberry Syrup

4 cups blackberry juice

4 cups white sugar

1/3 (2 ounce) package powdered pectin

3-4 T lemon juice

1/2 stick of butter

Simple instructions are here.

Blackberry Jam

We followed the directions on the package.

Canning Jam in 30 Minutes

Learn Cake Decorating

Planning Your Pantry

Basic Canning Supplies

Grandma Brodock’s Sweet Pepper Relish

Canning Banana Peppers

Can Jam in Less than 30 Minutes

Our blueberry bushes are done producing, so we are making jam with the last of the fresh berries.

This is an easy project for the kids to do (with supervision). They will also each be entering a jar into the county fair next month.

Using the COOKED RECIPE, follow the directions on the package of pectin. All you need is 5-6 cups of berries, sugar and pectin.

Place your new (never used) lids (not the rings) in a pan of hot water on the stove so they will be very hot for sealing.

Using a funnel, ladle the jam into the jars.

Use a clean towel or paper paper towel to wipe the rim of the jar to remove any residue, the jar rim MUST be perfectly clean, otherwise it will not seal.

Place a hot lid on the jar.

Place a ring around the lid/jar tightly.

Immediately flip the jar upside down.

I let them sit like this overnight, but I have read that 30 minutes is sufficient.

Flip the jar back over and put your finger in the middle of the lid. If it pops up, the jar is not sealed. If it is not movable then you know it is sealed. For any jars that don’t seal, refrigerate and eat as soon as possible.

Disclaimer: canning websites and books don’t recommend this method; they recommend you use a full hot-water bath for canning jam.

Jams are high in acid and high in sugar which slows the growth of bacteria.

All other foods need to be processed in a hot water bath or a pressure cooker.

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Check Me Out Saturday Craft Party

Freezing Corn

Don’t you just love the colors of summer?

We are so very blessed to live in an area with great farmer’s markets. We even have access to some beautiful organically grown produce which you see in the picture above.

Today Peachy-girl and I put up come sweet corn,

well I did the work and she photo-bombed the picture and asked me dozens of questions!

Every home should have a 4 year old!

Here is a great post with pictures of how to prepare and freeze corn. PickYourOwn in my go-to site for freezing and caning.

Got fuzzy corn?

Life Can’t Stop for School!

Jeff and the kids picked green beans the other day. A friend *gave* them to us, we just had to come pick.

They brought home a BUNCH of beans!

It took 5 of us snapping to get them done.

I gave the younger children a basket full of beans to be snapped and placed them in front of the TV watching a documentary about bees, because bees are what they’ve been asking so much about lately.

This was not a typical ‘school day’ for us, but it was what needed to be done. We spent the morning snapping, canning and talking about bees, evolution and world view. This is the way education should be…naturally answering questions when asked, doing what needs to be done.

In the afternoon we did our math and reading, but for this morning, life…beans could not be stopped because we had worksheets to do; we had life and work to do!

Emma sat at the table snapping, while I manned the pressure cooker. This gave us HOURS and HOURS to talk. I loved it. I really wanted to slow the process down so we could talk even more… I know these kind of days will become fewer as the winds of change are blowing for her…for all of us.

I had to laugh at her at one point as she said in frustration, “Do you see my pile of beans going down any? I have been snapping so long but I don’t seem to be getting anywhere and my fingers hurt.”

I told her, “It’s just like life, you snap away, one day at a time, it seems like you are kind of stuck in time, but before you know it, your pile…your days are gone.”

We canned 49 quarts in 24 hours!!!

And we still have a huge pot of beans to eat off this week!!!

Life is good and God is GREAT!

Is Canning Worth It?

Is canning worth it? It depends. Overall I’d say yes, but it does depend on your situation and season of life.

You have to consider the cost of supplies, the food, your time and the canned food quality.

When you start buying jars, lids, a canner (especially if you buy a pressure cooker) and other supplies you may think it is not cost effective.

Here are some things to consider as you begin:

Supplies-

It does take an investment to begin with, start out slowly.
Watch at yards sales and thrift stores you can buy up a bunch of used jars.
Be sure there are no chips or nicks on the jar opening when buying them used.
You may have family members, especially older ones that are no longer canning that may love to hand down their jars to you.
If you are buying a pressure cooker used, be sure to have it tested before using it. Usually your local Cooperative Extension can help you with that.
Once your supplies are bought they will last you for years and years…and years!

The Food-

If you grow your own of course that is the most economical way, even if you only grow and can your tomatoes.
Consider going in together with another family and planting a garden together sharing expenses, WORK and produce.
You may be able to buy from local farmers markets. Buy only when food is at it’s peak season, that is when it is cheapest.
If you live in a rural area you may have friends or family that have surplus that they would love to give away so it does not go to waste. Take what you can and can or freeze it.

Your Time-

Your time is the most valuable thing yow have. You may have to sacrifice some activities to get the canning done. It all boils down to making time for what is most important to you.
Set a side a day and do a bunch of canning at once, or do a little each week.
Enlist help, older children, a spouse, a friend, a grandmother. It is great bonding time!
Again, start out slow tackling one or two items/recipes each year.

The Food Quality-

When you can you know what is in it.
YOU control the preservatives and the quality of food going onto it.
You know how long it has been on the shelf.
Canning or freezing your food is almost always more healthy than buying off the store shelf.

And there is the pure satisfaction of eating the fruit of your own hands and the many, many character qualities that are formed when doing this; hard work, diligence, attentiveness, creativity, etc…

Are you planning for your pantry?

Planning for the Pantry

Here is a great site to help you find farms in your area that will let you pick:

Pick Your Own

Products we love:

Presto 23 Quart Pressure Cooker

Using a pressure cooker to can produce sure does cut processing time way down!

Hot water canner, perfect for processing tomatoes or if you are cautious about using a pressure cooker.

All of these gadgets make canning efficient!

I’d much rather use wide mouth jars rather than regular mouth jars,

especially for tomatoes and soup.

Grandma Brodock’s Sweet Pepper Relish and how to can it.

Canning Salsa

Canning Banana Peppers

Our banana peppers have done better than any other plants this year.

Banana Peppers
Cloves of Garlic
Mustard Seed
Vinegar
Sugar

Sterilize 2 - pint jars. Keep jars hot until it is time to fill them.

Heat up your lids.

Pickling Juice

2 cups white vinegar

2/3 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

Bring the vinegar, sugar, mustard seed to a rolling boil.

If you want to remove the seeds do so, I left the seeds in mine.

NOTE: These are banana peppers so it is OK to remove the seeds without gloves.

Whenever dealing with hot peppers ALWAYS remove the seeds using gloves!

1/2 lb banana pepper, sliced cross-ways into rings.

Place 1 clove of garlic in the bottom of the HOT jar.

Pack the jars with peppers leaving 1″ head space; pour hot juice over peppers.

Wipe the jar mouth with a damp cloth to make sure it is clean. Place HOT lids and rings quickly. They will seal as they cool. After they are cool, check them to make sure the lids sealed down (popped).