{wool and sticks}

A photo tutorial on how to make and can jam

Ingredients and Supplies:
A canning kit (I use this one but got it for a lower price at Walmart. You also do not need the additional supplies but I find the funnel and tongs make it much easier to can)
Canning Jars (if you are buying them new, they come with the lids)
Fruit, I will be using strawberry
Pectin
Sugar

Let's begin shall we...

Step 1: Obtain Coffee
 

Step 2: Locate Berries

Step 3: Pick em

Step 4: Wash and Hull the berries

Step 5: Ready your jars by seperating the jars from the lid and bands

Having an eager helper makes it fun!

Now on to the actual jam making....

When you begin, you want to make sure your jars are clean and hot. I run mine through the dishwasher with a high temp wash and heated dry. After they are done, I leave them in the dishwasher so they stay hot, removing as many as I need only when I need them for filling. If you do not have a dishwasher, you can submerge them in boiling water and leave them there.

I always start by getting my canner ready. I fill it about four and a half inches for half pint (8 ounce) jars. I let it heat up for a bit, maybe 15 or 20 minutes before beginning the jam. Alternatively, you could get the canner water boiling and then turn it down and turn it back up to boiling when you add your sugar (this works better on a gas stove.)

I also measure out the sugar ahead of time. You will need 7 cups.

The last step before the actual jam cooking is to prep the lids. You want to soak the lids in almost boiling water. I heat the water and then dump the lids in.

For the actual jam...
Take your prepped berries and smash them up. You can use a potato masher or just use your hands. You will need 5 cups of crushed berries to make 7ish 8 ounces jars (I got 9 out of my first batch and 8 out of my second, so prep extra jars just to be safe.)

I like to leave my berries a little chunky but mash them to your liking

Next, take the crushed berries and add in 1/4 cup lemon juice (I use fresh squeezed by bottled is fine too) and 1 package pectin. Make sure you do not have the no added sugar pectin (that is a different method of jam making) and it is a powder and not the liquid.

Take the mixture and heat until it reaches a rolling boil. This is when stirring it does not reduce the boil.

Once the jam has hit the rolling boil, it is time to add in the sugar. I add it in a bit at a time while stirring to make sure it dissolves completly.

Once the sugar is added, allow the jam to reach a boil again and boil for 1-2 minutes.

Now it is filling time...

 

Fill them leaving a 1/4 inch of headspace. The funnel really comes in handy here because the jam is boiling hot. After filling, wipe off any spills around the top of the jar and place the lid on the jar. Secure the lid with the band ensuring the band is on tightly. Repeat until all jars are filled.

Once filled, load the canner rack and lower into the boiling canner

 

Allow the jars to process for 10 minutes. At higher altitudes, processing time increases. When the processing time is over, remove the jars and allow them to sit for 12-24 hours. Sometimes you can hear the cans sealing as they sit (they make a popping sound.) After 24 hours, check the seals by pushing on the top of the lid. It should be indented and sealed tightly, it should not pop. If it is not sealed properly, you use must use those jars first.

Store all remaining jars and enjoy!

      

20

I have been talking a lot about cooking lately, and not much about knitting. I have many in progress projects and I am trying to hard to finish them so I can get to work on the incredible Botanica Medallion Cardi from Blue Sky Alpaca. Anne Hanson also just published her Trevi shawl knit with seasilk which I have plenty of. I still need to finish my first lace project before tackling a massive one like the Trevi.

So what am I working on? This Danica scarf is taking up an insane amount of time. It is not knitting up quickly like the pattern says. I like the complex look of it but as soon as I get into a good rhythm, it is time to change yarns, pick up new stitches and start all over. I also have this silly Socktopus in the works. I have 1 leg finished but it is on hold until the Danica is complete. Next up is the Hamsa, my first lace. I love how it is knitting up and I am starting to enjoy the laceweight yarn. As a longer term project (done for the fall) I have the Imogen sweater. The first sweater I am knitting myself. I am almost halfway done with the main body. It knits very fast but I only pick it up when laying in bed at night. It is so straight forward that it is easy to do half asleep. Lastly I have this sweater for Miss K. I am knitting it in a cream colored summer weight organic cotton. The yarn feels incredible in my hands and it is easy to alter the length to fit my girl. The chest will only be a bit large on her.

So I chug along.

I have some serious project ambitions for this weekend. I'd like to make serious progress on the building of my garden and I am hoping to get outside and dig in the dirt this afternoon. I also have some serious cooking going on. 3 of the mama's in my playgroup have given birth in the past 2 weeks and I am bringing them all a meal. I am putting together a meal of fresh pasta, sauce, bread and banana bread with ginger and chocolate. So I need to make, well...everything. All this labor for a simple meal has another purpose...Jacob's birthday dinner. He has requested fresh pasta and making pasta for many is as easy as making pasta for a few. He has also requested a serious chocolate cake and I am happy to oblige.

Congratulations to Andrea, Gittel and Marcela!

Making Butter

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Scraping the bowl


Washing the butter



In the jars


Homemade bread with homemade butter


My little helper