Tuesday, 13 November 2018

Busy day!

I finally processed some of the blackberries I collected over the summer.  :-)   I used three containers that were full, and one that wasn't... so four batches officially.  The first two were seeded and cooked for jam.  They seemed a bit soft, so they may work out better for pancakes and ice cream.  The third batch I drained the juice to make it seedless.  I had a cooking mishap (boiled over while I was washing dishes... so sad, and such a mess!) so lost about half of the second jar I planned for it.  I kept the extra seedless "jelly," or maybe it is still called jam, to use right away, along with the fourth batch that became some real jam... thick and relatively firm to spread.  I have lots of jam to use up now, but these are my "developmental" efforts... trying recipes and cooking times to find my perfect "formula" for the future.

I tried out my small water-bath canner today... most people call it an asparagus cooker.  It has a built-in rack so the small jars don't touch the bottom of the pan... and it holds one pint jar or two half-pints.  My goal.  Small amounts, eventually with leftovers and fruit I can't use.  It has a great glass cover, with a vent hole, so it can boil like mad.  It does seem to seep out if the water level is too high, but it is still better than a huge water-bath canner!  Just the right size for what I want to do.

I was able to work on a process for getting all the elements of canning into my two-burner stove...  I boiled the sanitizing water on the big ring and boiled the blackberry recipe on the small ring.  Then I filled the jars and boiled the canned jars in the water-bath.  I think it is going to work out great.

I understand pickles can be water-bathed to preserve, and tomatoes.  I am trying to collect information on how much can be canned by water-bath.  As I get this all worked out, I should be able to take advantage of sales, the extra foods when I buy too much without meaning to, and make sure I have the right supplies to do this.

I see a lot of toast in my future!  haha

Tomorrow I hope to make some banana bread, later on I want to use up my frozen shredded zucchini with a bread recipe, and I also want to deal with the containers I have in the freezer.

I wish pressure canning could be this easy.  I haven't been able to find a SMALL pressure canner, one about the size of the asparagus pan.  I have to figure out how to heat it and keep it heated before I can do much.  Too much homemade soup is one of the reasons I want to pressure can future meals into small jars... like chili, soup, pasta sauce, etc.  I hope I can get to that point in my goal efforts.  It has taken so many years to even purchase a pressure canner!

It was a good day.   It is always a good day when I finally get to check a goal off my long list.  haha


I better get going.  I need to plan tomorrow and get ready for it...

Until next time,
In Christ,

Deborah Martin

work2gather.us
Working Together Inc
Building for the End Times

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May we all reach our goals before GOD takes us home... at least, the most important ones.  :-)