Jam Blog

[persephone33]

I am an incredibly blessed person.  This isn't a new realization; on some level, I know this to be true daily.  However, I do have days where I get sucked into a "me" depression spiral.  Thankfully, these days are balanced by the knowledge that I serve a merciful and benevolent God who gives me all the grace I could possibly ask for.  He's pretty incredible.  Mad props to God, yo.

Meanwhile, under the cut, it's pretty image intensive.  Watch out!

I've spent the last two days with my very sweet and patient MIL making jam.  There are lots of wild plum thickets down at our place in Childress, (aptly named Plum Creek) and the in-laws picked 2 five lb. buckets full of the tart fruit.  I've been bugging MIL to show me how to make jelly or can vegetables for 9 years, now (I'm not sure why.  Pleasant memories of my Granny's pickes, perhaps?).  

Anyway, between the plum thickets and the peach trees (Who know we had those?  Not me!) we canned 57 half-pint jars of plum jam and 6 jars of peach preserves.  I broke my 'no sugar' rule for the first time in 16 months to taste them and they are SO GOOD.  Truly.  Anyone want some jam?

We started with this...


Then cook them...


Then strain the CRAP out of them...


Then add fruit pectin and a metric ton of sugar...  boil...


Put it into jars...


Put the lids on...                                                                             Place them in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes...


And this is the result.  This isn't even all of them!  It was lots of fun...  Wish you'd been there, Jennifer!

Random FYI:  I'm the biggest dork EVER.  I was doing a crossword at the pool today where #63 across was "spoke snake" and had 6 letters.  My first thought?  Parseltongue won't fit there.  Answer:  hissed.  =P

Comments

[rainpuddle13.livejournal.com]

ME! I'd kill for either or both if you want to give some up!

[persephone33.livejournal.com]

Done and done. I have something to get in the mail for you, anyway... belated birthday fun...:D

[rainpuddle13.livejournal.com]

Awwah, you're so sweet! Thank you!!! *hugs*

[lyndsiefenele.livejournal.com]

OOOOH! We used to can a lot when I was a kid. Not usually jam, but the tomatoes and pears and things that grew in our garden. It was so much fun, and my dad makes the best homemade tomato sauce. In fact, the canning pot with the inserts and tongs has somehow ended up in my room at dad's house as of late.

Did I mention that I grew up in the city/suburbs, and you have to drive at least thirty minutes to get to anything resembling the country? Yeah, we were that kind of family. (When I was six or seven, I remember going with Greenpeace to protest incinerators in the metro Detroit area.)

Yum, homemade jam. We once picked cherries in Illinois with my grandma, and then my great-aunt made jam of them. Grandma had all these antique cherry pitters that we used on them. Actually, her whole kitchen was full of antique kitchen implements, several thousand dollars worth. I really should have asked for one of them when we were there a few weeks ago for her funeral; it's not too late, though - I'll email my aunt now. (My mom and aunt gave her the house and everything in it.)

Enjoy the jam occasionally, even if it does break your diet. (Much how I can tell I'm still allergic to wheat, but eat it anyway now and then.)

[lyndsiefenele.livejournal.com]

Damn, I think I clicked the wrong reply button. Sorry!

[persephone33.livejournal.com]

MIL has promised to show me how to make other things, too, like black-eyed peas, beans and chow chow (Which is a Southern relish-type thing). I can't wait!

My grandma had a bunch of that stuff, too. I wonder what happened to it all.

I don't eat bread, and I've been brainstorming for what I can eat this jam on. Maybe smear some peanut butter and jam on a banana? I'm still thinking.

[lyndsiefenele.livejournal.com]

That is tough, and I never quite solved the dilemma. I still have some jam from pre-no-bread days. Although, I was making bread out of chickpea and other flours, so I used a little then. Appetizing, no? You could maybe put some in oatmeal or rice cereal, unless you also don't eat that. (I do, it's my staple.) I admit it's basically the same thing as my friend's infant eats...

I just hope my aunt hasn't foisted off the antiques on my grandma's brother yet. That was the deal, since he was an antiques dealer in one of his past jobs (though it was dolls, not kitchen implements). Now he works in a forklift factory.

It cracked me up when the man who was all about his boots and cowboy hat started collecting antique dolls!

[persephone33.livejournal.com]

Sereniteys suggested rice cakes. I'm gonna give it a go. Oatmeal is a good idea, too. Yum... Food to look forward to.

The boots, hat & dolls paints quite a picture!