Spicy Yogi Blueberry Jam

Good rainy evening, Jammers! I am loving listening to the rain on the sun room roof this evening. We have been so dry this month, it’s like music to my ears. My poor basil was about to call it quits on me…I couldn‘t keep up with watering what with everything else going on around here lately. I guess we should be ready for a pretty wet few days with the storm system that is headed our way from the Caribbean. She should be called Tropical Storm Nicole sometime tomorrow. No need to worry, it will pass us to the east and will be a weak storm so just plenty (hopefully) of rain. We will definitely head out to the beach on Thursday to watch the surf and look for shells when the tide is out. We find great shells when there are storms out at sea, I can‘t wait.

Well, I made a new batch of jam today. I put a poll question on the blog last week so that you, my loyal and faithful readers, could choose what I made next. So, after double checking the results, I pulled out my recipe and whipped out a batch of Spiced Blueberry Honey Jam. Now before I get to the recipe, I wanted to share a bit about the outcome, yes, I know I am jumping the gun, but I was worried about my seals. Usually, on all the other batches I have made so far, the lids will start popping (sealing) within just a few minutes of removing them from the canner and have usually all sealed within 15 minutes, or so. Well today, only 1 out of 6 popped right away. I began to worry, but remembered that I had read to be patient while they cool and that it could take up to 24 hours. I guess this is why you are supposed to leave them undisturbed for that 24 hours…it takes them a while to “do their thing“. This batch took hours, for some reason. The last jar popped almost 5 hours after the lid was applied. Any ideas on why it took so long compared to the others?

I took a picture of my pots this time so you could see what I meant by my “tall” canner that I am using. Remember, it’s the pot from my turkey fryer. The other is my 8 qt. stockpot that I use for cooking the actual jams in.



Now, I did my research prior to making my jam this afternoon and found that blueberries are associated with peace, calmness and protection. I also saw references on quite a few websites that they are good for your kidneys, too. Okay, it's good to know, huh? Do further research if you are interested in this aspect as I am NOT qualified to give any medical advice. Honey is associated with happiness and fulfillment while nutmeg is associated with promoting health and fidelity. In some countries people carried a whole nutmeg in their pocket to attract good fortune. When I visualize these attributes, I am seeing the peace, calm, fulfillment and good health and this slowly manifests itself in my mind as a room full of yoga enthusiasts…do ya see it too? Based on this I am going to rename this one Spicy Yogi Blueberry Jam.

Spicy Yogi Blueberry Jam

2 ½ cups fresh or frozen coarsely chopped blueberries (I used frozen)

2 ½ cups sugar

1 cup liquid honey

1 tablespoon lemon juice

¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon unsalted butter

1 3oz pouch liquid pectin

　
Preheat canner and prepare jars and lids. In an 8 qt pan combine the blueberries, sugar, honey, lemon juice, nutmeg and butter. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly, and boil hard for 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in the pectin. Skim off any foam. To prevent the jam from separating in the jars, allow the jam to cool 5 minutes before filling the jars. Gently stir the jam every minute, or so, to distribute the fruit. Ladle the jam into the hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean damp cloth and add the lids and rings, turning the rings until just finger-tight. Place the jars in the preheated canner and bring canner to a full rolling boil. Process jars for 10 minutes (adjusting according to your altitude, if necessary) then remove canner from heat. Let canner sit for 5 minutes, then, carefully remove hot jars from water with a jar lifter and place them on a towel on the counter and leave them undisturbed for 24 hours. Check the seals before storing and use within 12 months.

Makes about 6 half pint jars.

This jam is gorgeous in the jar and is perfectly spicy and not too overly sweet. I think you will really love it, I did! I have to debate keeping a jar in the fridge. I have a jar of everything I have done so far in the fridge right now and well, lets just say I’m gonna have to find more uses for them, quick! Ooooh, I just remembered 6^th grade home-economics class, we did little jam filled refrigerator biscuits sprinkled with powdered sugar. They were like little crescent shaped pies. Maybe next time the girls get together I will make them and call them my “special little moon pies”. This jam would be PERFECT, kind of like a little blueberry pie.

Okay, I have 2 more batches coming up for next week. Both are peach based and I may try to get more peaches and do another 2 after that. I have 4 or 5 recipes that I really want to try and peach has been the most popular and requested one from my original batches to date. It’s coming up on the end of the peach harvests for a while so I need to stock up. Basic Peach and Peach Lavender to start then Peach Butter and Peach Melba (peaches and raspberries) for the next time.

Have a great hump day and remember, Be Blessed and Be Sweet!
　
　

Coming up next...

Good Monday Jammers!  Here's hoping you all had a fabulous weekend and are well rested and ready for the workweek, I sure am.  I shared two jars of my Forbidden Banana Rum Jam with good friends over the weekend and they LOVED it.  I can't wait to make another batch, it was so inexpensive and easy to make.  I have got to start stocking my creations up instead of giving them all away or else I won't have any left by the time the Yule season is here and it is supposed to be our gifts for everyone.  Times are tight this year so all I can say to all of my friends and family is, "We hope you like Jams!"

I had posted a poll to determine which recipe I will try this week and the winner was the Spiced Blueberry Honey Jam.  I plan to go get ingredients either today or tomorrow and should have the recipe and results up by Thursday or Friday.  I am also going to go ahead and be prepared to make the batch after that as the Peach Lavender Jam so it will be the next week's posting (since it was a close 2nd in the poll).  Keep checking back! 

We threw a small dinner party on Saturday night for one of our best friends and it was a big success.  It was ladies only and we started on the living room floor with an honoring ceremony then proceeded to the dining room for a sit down Italian themed meal.  My whole day on Saturday was broken into 15 minute segments for getting the house, myself and the meal just right and each course out at the right time.  I had a BLAST and can't wait to do it again.  The menu consisted of a homemade blended herb dipping oil, with a big loaf of Italian bread and was followed by a chopped romaine salad with Parmesan cheese and croutons and a choice of 2 different vinaigrette dressings.  The main course was a baked penne rigate with meat sauce and loads of mozzarella, ricotta and provolone cheeses and also linguine tossed with a light tomato herb sauce.  Dessert was a homemade Italian love cake that I had not made before.  I was a bit nervous but it was to-die-for!!!  Our friend blew out the numeral candles, 5 and 0, and everyone raved at how good the cake was.  Even those that usually are not big sweet fans loved it.  I had requests for some of the recipes from that night and I spent today pondering where to post them.  This page is for my jams, jellies and preserves so I decided to create a 2nd blog where I can occasionally post other recipes and kitchen tips.  You can find a link over at the top on the right------>  The link is http://frommyhearthtoyourhearth.blogspot.com/

Head over and check it out if you are interested in the herb oil spice blend that I used or the cake recipe.  Don't forget to show me some love over there too, by leaving comments or becoming a follower.

Check back on this page by the end of the week for the Spiced Blueberry Honey Jam recipe...for those on the Facebook fan page you will get a reminder when a new post has been made.  Till then, Be Blessed and Be Sweet!

Forbidden Banana Rum Jam

Hi-Ho Jammers, glad to see you back! It’s almost the weekend and I am sooo ready. I have a very stuffy nose and head and am dreading taking the awful cold medicine, blah. Good thing we bought a case of tissues at BJ’s. We are hosting a little private dinner party on Saturday night and I have shopping, cleaning and cooking to do…no time for side effects of meds. It is an Italian themed meal with bread and dipping oil (I am making the seasoning herbs myself) and an Italian crisp salad followed by two types of pasta dishes and I am going to make my first ever Italian Love Cake for dessert. I have heard it's a yummy dessert…we will see.

I have created a fan page on Facebook. The link is http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jammin-From-The-Hearth/110986352295641 . You can visit this page and hit the “Like” button and this will be where I send out notices that the blog has been updated, for those of you that do not want to subscribe directly. I started getting friend requests for my personal Facebook page but that is reserved for friends and family only. Sorry, hope I didn’t offend anyone, but I thought a fan page would be the solution so everyone, known and unknown, can stay updated and share there.

So, I put-up a new jam on Monday and I know you have all been waiting to hear about it (yes, I did get emails asking for it to hurry up and be posted). Are you ready…drum roll, please…Banana-Rum Jam. Now, before I get to the recipe part I want to share in something I did a bit differently. The pot I use as my canner is really tall (it’s the pot that came with the turkey fryer) and my round cake rack sits perfectly in the bottom. The downside to that tall pot is that I basically have to stand on a chair to lift the jars in and out while it sits on the stove…I know, I know, it’s dangerous. This time I thought I would try my large spaghetti pot that is part of my cookware set which is not nearly as tall but it’s almost as big around. Turns out my cake rack would not sit down inside of it though, so I remembered that I had read that you can tie some old jar rings together (I used bread ties to do it with) and use that as a rack.

　
It did sit in my pot nicely and when I put my empty jars into it to simmer I noticed that they did not sit perfectly flat on the rack. I adjusted to water level to make sure I could get 2 or 3 inches of water over the top and the pot was just tall enough. Well, I went ahead and made the jam and then I removed the hot jars from the water to fill them. Now, I was not using the science side of my brain (think water displacement here…actually water and vinegar displacement) and when I started to load the filled jars into the pot (I didn’t have to stand on a chair this time which was nice…not to mention much safer) the water rose to the top and by my 3^rd jar the water overflowed everywhere. So now here I stand with a pyrex measuring cup trying to remove some of the hot water, so I could continue adding the jars, and it turned into a messy nightmare, quick! By the time it was loaded I had to have the water level right at the top of the pot, to make sure there was enough to cover the jars properly BUT the jars would not sit upright. It took long wooden spoons in each hand trying to upright the jars and not burn myself too badly. Over half of them were cock-eyed but mostly upright to I put the lid on and cranked the stove to high. Remember, you have to bring it to a full boil before you start the processing time…well when it finally starting boiling, it was spitting and sputtering from under the lid and water was coming out all sides (vinegar water due to the white residue I mentioned in another post) and I ended up with the WHOLE stove top covered in hot water AND, as I was so mildly informed this morning, it had also leaked down into the stove top (under the burners) and was an inch or so deep in there! EEEKK! Anyway, I guess I will be wishing for that “real” canning pot with the nice lift out rack that I saw at Walmart the other day, as a Christmas present…it was under $20.

So on to the jam recipe. This one was requested by many and my first time of tasting a banana jam. Let me tell you, I LOVE it! It reminds me of one of my favorite all-time desserts, Bananas Foster. This would be great warmed over a good vanilla bean ice cream. I also thought about one of my favorite sandwiches from childhood…banana and peanut butter, which is the first thing I did with it. Oh my…it was delicious! Now, bananas are associated with fertility, potency and prosperity and are most often associated with a masculine energy as opposed to feminine energy. A good internet search will show that women in Hawaii were once forbidden to eat bananas, by law! Go figure. I am naming this one my Forbidden Banana Rum Jam.

Forbidden Banana Rum Jam

3 ¾ cups peeled and diced ripe bananas (about 9 medium)

6 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon Fruit Fresh (or you can use antioxidant crystals or ascorbic acid crystals)

5 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon unsalted butter

1 3oz pouch liquid pectin

1 ½ teaspoons rum extract

Preheat canner and prepare jars and lids. In an 8 qt pan combine the bananas, lemon juice and Fruit Fresh. Stir in the sugar and butter. Over med-low heat, stirring constantly, heat the mixture until the sugar is completely dissolved. Increase the heat to med-high and bring to full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Stir in the entire contents of the pectin pouch, Return the mixture to a full rolling boil and boil, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

Remove pan from the heat. Skim off any foam. Stir in the rum extract. To prevent the jam from separating in the jars, allow the jam to cool 5 minutes before filling the jars. Gently stir the jam every minute, or so, to distribute the fruit. Ladle the jam into the hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean damp cloth and add the lids and rings, turning the rings until just finger-tight. Place the jars in the preheated canner and bring canner to a full rolling boil. Process jars for 10 minutes (adjusting according to your altitude, if necessary) then remove canner from heat. Let canner sit for 5 minutes, then, carefully remove hot jars from water with a jar lifter and place them on a towel on the counter and leave them undisturbed for 24 hours. Check the seals before storing and use within 12 months.

Makes about 7 half pint jars.

I love this jam! The texture is nice and it is perfectly sweetened. I won’t change a thing next time. I would like to maybe try one variation to it just for some variety and substitute some brown sugar for some of the granulated sugar (I will research how to do this) for a true New Orleans flavor reminiscent of one of my favorite restaurants there, Antoine’s.

Ok…I am headed to dig out the vapor rub. Mabert would always smear some on our chests (actually she would then cover that with a warm washcloth tied around our necks) and a dabble under the nose to help clear the stuffiness. I’m also gonna brew a cup of hot tea with honey.

Make sure to vote in the poll, to the right at the top, for which jam I should make next week. I am going to do another basic peach (they are on sale this week) but I want to do something else too…what shall it be? You decide!

Till then...Be Blessed and Be Sweet!
　
　
　

Strawberry Margarita Forever Jam

Hello Jammers…welcome back! Are you ready for the work week? I had a very relaxing weekend and was treated by a friend to an evening at the spa on Saturday. I was steamed, oxygenated and massaged and I feel great…so relaxed and energized! I am still amazed by this whole blogging experience…After 9 days I was at 300 page views (according to the built in counter on Blogger) from 5 different countries. Wow! I have been networking and it looks like it is paying off, heh. If you know of anyone who may even be slightly interested in canning please share this page with them. If I can do it, anyone can. I also wanted to let you know I put a card in the mail to MaBert with pictures of my first two batches of jam and thanked her for being my inspiration. It was a perfect card that said “You are the seed of my success” on the front. She is not on the internet so I have to snail-mail her the pictures. I miss her so much and know that she longs for the good-ole-days as much as I do. I loved sitting on a stool watching her can. I remember coming in from the woods (me, my brother and 2 cousins were fort bulders) and we would each bring in a handful of wild blackberries we found and she would either make as small as one jar of jam for us or she would make her famous blackberry dumplings for dessert that night. She could make jam from any amount of fruit we happen to bring in, one, two, three or more jars. Sometimes she would use baby-food jars for her jams. I have not seen this done anywhere else, have you? I wonder how she got the lids to re-seal? I also know she ALWAYS put paraffin on top of each jar before putting the lid on but I read this is not done anymore…hummm, I wonder why?

Here is the final recipe to bring you up to date on what I have made so far. I have to make a quick run to the store tomorrow, when I wake up, for some liquid pectin and rum extract and then I will be starting on my next batch, Banana-Rum Jam. Stay tuned, I should have it up by Wednesday.  This recipe is for Strawberry Margarita Jam. Strawberries are associated with love and luck while sugar is a representation of love and lust. Apples are associated with love, healing and immortality while lemon juice is for longevity, purification, love and friendship. I associate tequila with health and longevity since (as my friend Renee pointed out) tequila is made from the heart of the blue agave plant and it is harvested after 12 years of growth. I would conclude that this jam would be good to ensure a long, healthy relationship or marriage. Remember that love has many forms, not just for our mate. You can love your job, your parents or children, your friends, your pets, your life or just about anything that makes you happy. Love is good for the soul, in any form! So, go on…love someone or something today and share some of what I am calling my Strawberry Margarita Forever Jam.

Strawberry Margarita Forever Jam

6 cups of halved hulled strawberries (about 3 ½ 1lb containers)

2 cups (about 2 medium) chopped peeled tart apples

¼ cup lemon juice

4 cups granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon unsalted butter

½ cup tequila

½ cup orange liqueur

Preheat canner and prepare jars and lids. Combine strawberries, apples and lemon juice in a large, deep pot and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens, about 25 minutes. Test the mixture to see if it has reached the setting point, or gel point, which is 220 degrees. If it has been reached, stir in the tequila and orange liqueur. Return to medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil hard for 5 minutes, stirring all the while.

Remove pan from heat and quickly skim off any foam from the top. Ladle the jam into the hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean damp cloth and add the lids and rings, turning the rings until just finger-tight. Place the jars in the preheated canner and bring canner to a full rolling boil. Process jars for 10 minutes (adjusting according to your altitude, if necessary) then remove canner from heat. Let canner sit for 5 minutes, then, carefully remove hot jars from water with a jar lifter and place them on a towel on the counter and leave them undisturbed for 24 hours. Check the seals before storing and use within 12 months.

Makes about 6 - 7 half pint jars.

Now, again, I was not thrilled with this jam, texture-wise. The flavor is good but it seems very thin, so I recommend it as a topping either for ice cream or on oatmeal or even Cream-Of-Wheat. I have been known to add a small dollop of grape jam to my buttered grits so I bet this would be good with them too. I do plan on trying this one again one day, as well, and will maybe use some pectin to help with the texture. I know that apples have a high natural pectin content so maybe I will place the peels and cores in a cheesecloth bundle to boil with the mixture. I will re-post it with any changes when I do it again. I also noticed that when it has been refrigerated you taste the orange and the strawberry but the tequila flavor is not as strong as I would probably like it to be, so I will try increasing that too.

Tomorrow’s recipe uses rum extract as opposed to actual rum so we will see how that flavoring works. I don’t recall ever seeing tequila extract though, have you?  Okay, Banana Rum, here I come!


Till then...Be Blessed and Be Sweet!
　
　
　

Carrot Cake Jam

I am so glad you are back with me and if this is your fist time here, at my hearth, welcome!  Today was a beautiful day...fall is right around the corner, I can feel it in the air.  We are finally starting to drop below 70 at night.  Harvest season is here...I noticed bags of gourds and pumpkins in the store today.  It won't be long till I try my hand at apple butter and pumpkin butter.  I have read some controversy over canning pumpkin butter due to bacteria that can not be killed...I am not so sure about this, I grew up on the stuff and never heard of anyone getting sick.  I came across a recipe for it that uses canned pumpkin so I am hoping it will be "safer" (if there is any reason to worry to begin with) than using fresh.  Does anyone have any thoughts and/or experiences they would like to share on the subject?  I would love to hear from you!  I also want to try some different apple sauces too.  My book of recipes grows with each passing day and as I make them I will share them with you, successes, failures, the good, the bad and yes, even the ugly.

Back on August 26, I made 2 more batches...a strawberry margarita jam and a carrot cake jam.  Today I am sharing the carrot cake one with you.  Now, as far as carrots are concerned, they are associated with the energy of lust and fertility, pears are lust and love and pineapple is associated with luck and money.  You can infuse your jam with the energy of physical love and lust (carrots are quite phallic, I suppose) or you could try to manifest through lust, desire and luck a financial gain, just depending on your needs or the needs of those you are sharing your bounty with.  Since both luck and love are involved with this one I am calling it Lucky in Love Carrot Cake Jam.  It did not turn out like I had expected, I will be adjusting the recipe the next time and will explain more below.  Here is the recipe as I made it...

Lucky in Love Carrot Cake Jam

1 1/2 cups finely grated peeled carrots

1 1/2 cups chopped, cored and peeled pears

1 14oz can crushed pineapple with juice

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 1.75oz package fruit pectin

6 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon unsalted butter

 

Preheat canner and prepare jars and lids.  Combine carrots, pears, pineapple with juice, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in an 8qt. saucepan.  Bring the mixture to a boil, over high heat, stirring frequently.  Reduce heat, cover and boil gently for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Whisk in the pectin until dissolved and bring back to a hard rolling boil, that can not be stirred down, over high heat.  Add the sugar all at once and return to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly.  Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring all the while.

Remove pan from heat and quickly skim off any foam from the top.  Ladle the jam into the hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.  Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean damp cloth and add the lids and rings, turning the rings until just finger-tight.  Place the jars in the preheated canner and bring canner to a full rolling boil.  Process jars for 10 minutes (adjusting according to your altitude, if necessary) then remove canner from heat.  Let canner sit for 5 minutes, then, carefully remove hot jars from water with a jar lifter and place them on a towel on the counter and leave them undisturbed for 24 hours.  Check the seals before storing and use within 12 months.

Makes about 6 - 7 half pint jars.



Now, this jam had a GORGEOUS amber color and looked very pretty in the jars.  I always seem to end up with more than enough to fill the jars so I always put the remaining jam into a big jar to go right into my fridge.  I waited till be next day to try this and I was not happy with the flavor...it was WAY to sweet and WAY to spicy, for me.  The texture seemed more like a topping or a sauce, however after 2 weeks in the fridge it did become more like a jam in consistency.  I have read that it takes some jams up to 2 weeks to fully set, but I thought that since I had added the pectin it would immediately be the right texture.  I guess not!  Lesson learned...wait 2 weeks before judging consistency.  It is still quite sweet and strong spice wise so next time I plan to cut back on the sugar, cloves and nutmeg and check the difference...I will let you know and will repost the recipe with the changes when I do make it again.  It is a unique jam and like I mentioned, it is beautiful on the shelf.  As I gifted the jars I did mention the sweetness and extreme spiciness...I recommended that the recipients not use it on bread but maybe to try it as a warmed topping over some good vanilla bean ice cream.  Well, I was VERY impressed when a good friend, who happens to be the mom of one of my son's fellow Scouts, said she had found a great way to use it that they really enjoyed...they put a spoon of it into their morning oatmeal.  No need to add any sugar or butter...she's a genius!  Thanks Kim, for a great use for it.  I can't wait to make a hot bowl of oatmeal and try it out.  Anyone else have ideas, thoughts or input?  I would LOVE to hear from you so leave a comment, pretty-please. 

The house will be quiet this weekend, as it is a camping trip for the Boy Scout Extreme Games, so I should have plenty of time to get caught up on my postings.  Till then...Be Blessed and Be Sweet!

Perfectly Peachy!

Welcome back Jammers!  Glad to have you all back around the hearth.  The hearth is the heart and center of your home, aka, your kitchen.  It's your private space where you create and receive nourishment and fulfillment and these days lots of folks are making an art of it.  Modern dishes are being infused with all sorts of ideas and feelings as these artists create their "masterpieces".  The artist's tools are found in your cupboards and drawers (utensils) and your medium is found in your pantry or fridge (food and spices) and your passions are what you season your foods with (emotions). 

In my attempt to bring you up-to-date, here is the recipe for for the second batch I put up that first day back on August 15.  This one is my favorite, so far...it came out perfect!  It is a basic peach jam and remember, I said I did two kinds that day?  One with added pectin and one without?  Well, this is the one without and I LOVE the consistency.  Now as far as the properties of peaches, did you know that a peach is a symbol of marriage?  They can also be associated with female fertility, abundance, fruitfulness and happiness.  Now what comes to your mind when you think about each of those things?  What my mind's eye visions is a pregnant newlywed Goddess, so when you make this you can envision all those thing I listed above and focus on them as you make this jam, which I lovingly rename Perfectly Peachy Jam.  It would be perfect to make this batch and plan to share it over the next year with any newlyweds as a housewarming gift or maybe in a comfort-food basket as a baby or wedding shower gift.  Enjoy!

Perfectly Peachy Jam

3 lbs (about 8 or 9 medium) fresh ripe peaches

1/2 cup water
6 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon unsalted butter

Preheat canner and prepare jars and lids.  To prepare peaches, dip the whole peach into a medium saucepan of boiling water for 30 seconds then plunge it into a large bowl of ice water.  The skins should now just slip right off.  Remove the pits and chop the peaches into small bits and then crush them, one cup at a time, with a handheld potato masher.

Combine the peaches and water in a tall, heavy, saucepan and boil for 10 minutes.  Add the sugar and return to a slow boil, until the sugar dissolves and then boil rapidly, until thick, about 15 minutes, stirring frequently.  Make sure to not let it scorch.  Test for doneness, which is 220 degrees F on a candy thermometer.

Remove pan from heat and quickly skim off any foam from the top.  Ladle the jam into the hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.  Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean damp cloth and add the lids and rings, turning the rings until just finger-tight.  Place the jars in the preheated canner and bring canner to a full rolling boil.  Process jars for 10 minutes (adjusting according to your altitude, if necessary) then remove canner from heat.  Let canner sit for 5 minutes, then, carefully remove hot jars from water with a jar lifter and place them on a towel on the counter and leave them undisturbed for 24 hours.  Check the seals before storing and use within 12 months.

Makes about 6 - 7 half pint jars.

My batch is gone, the last jar taken by the neighbor from across the street who rang the doorbell just last week and handed back the empty jar and asked for a refill!  This neighbor and his wife are on the list for a jar of each batch I make...they are great neighbors.  He is a recreational pilot that is building a plane and has taken my almost 12 year old son under his wing (no pun intended) and is helping him earn his merit badge for Boy Scouts in aviation.  So far my son has been up in his plane once and discovered that he LOVES it...he even got to hold the controls for a bit.  I loved standing outside in the driveway while they circled overhead and he said flying down the beach and out over the ocean was incredible.  We are so blessed to have neighbors like them, it is truly an opportunity we would never be able to give our son otherwise!  Of course these neighbors will be getting as many goodies as they can use.

Next time, I will post how my Carrot Cake Jam came out and how a fellow Scout's mom found a great use for it....stay tuned.  Until next time, Be Blessed and Be Sweet!

The basics...

Wow, I am surprised at my stats for this blog!  It is taking off like wildfire, which is GREAT!  Thanks to you all for reading it and spreading the word...keep those links to it going.

Today I want to cover the basics of canning jams, just in case any of you have never done it before or are new to it, like I am.  I only have 4 batches under my belt and learn more with each one.  One of the first things I had to grasp was that the time that the jars are processing in the canner will vary by your altitude.  I always use the minimum, with no adjustments, due to the fact that I live at sea level, but if you are in the mountains you will need to adjust for your area.  Typically the chart is as follows:

Altitude in Feet                           Add this to processing time listed
 1,001-3,000                                                  5 minutes
 3,001-6,000                                                10 minutes
 6,001-8,000                                                15 minutes
 8,001-10,000                                              20 minutes

The things you will need to can jams and jellies include, but are not limited to the following:

1.  A hot water canner with a lid (I use a large, deep pot with a lid and a round cake cooling rack sitting on the bottom).  A rack inside is very important because you don't want the jars sitting on the bottom of the pan, where they may get bumped and broken.  I have read that if you don't have a rack you can tie some lid bands together and put them in the bottom of the pot.  The pot or canner needs to be deep enough to cover the jars you are using with water by at least 2 - 3 inches.

2.  The appropriate sized jars, with lids and bands, according to your recipe.  You can reuse your jars and bands but always use new lids to get an appropriate seal. 

3.  The correct utensils (pots, measuring cups, wooden spoons) called for in your recipe along with fresh ingredients.

4.  A jar lifter.

5.  A magnetic lid lifter (to take the lids one-by-one out of the hot water).

6.  A headspace tool that also serves as a bubble remover.

7.  A canning funnel.

8.  A candy thermometer that will measure the jam and jelly setting point, which is 220 degrees for me.

You can buy canning kits that will give you most of the utensils you will need.  I bought the Ball brand kit and just had to add the thermometer.

Now that you have the proper tools, ingredients and a tested recipe you are ready to start!

The first step in preparing your jars for canning is to wash them, along with the lids and rings, thoroughly in hot soapy water and set them on a towel to dry.  Next, fill your canner about half full with water and add 1/2 cup of white vinegar, if you have hard water, to keep the outside of the jars crystal clear.  Bring the canner of water to a simmer on the stove and submerge the jars to simmer until ready to fill.  By keeping the jars hot until ready to fill, it will keep them from cracking or breaking when you add the really hot jam or jelly!  When you remove the jars later, I use a long set of tongs, so I can pour the water back out into the canner as I am removing them. 

In a small saucepan, fill it half full of water and bring to a simmer and drop in the lids.  Make sure not to boil the water and this will help the lids form a better seal if they are nice and warm when you put them on, later.

Next you would prepare your recipe, as directed.  One of my family secrets, per Mabert, is to always add 1/2 teaspoon of unsalted butter to your recipe and this will help reduce the foam that forms while you are boiling your mixture.  After you fill the jars, using the funnel, wipe the rims with a clean damp cloth to assure a good seal.  Usually you leave about 1/4 inch headspace in each jar.  Remove your lids, one at a time, and center them on the jar.  Apply a band until finger-tight.  Using the jar lifter, place each filled jar into the canner on the rack, trying to make sure the jars do not touch each other or the sides of the canner.  Next, place the lid on the canner and turn the heat to high.  Start the timer, for your processing time, AFTER the water has come to a full rolling boil.

Mabert says that when your processing time is up, to carefully remove the canner from the heat and let it "rest" for 5 minutes before you remove the jars with the jar lifter.  Always set the jars directly on a towel on the counter (they are hot) and leave them undisturbed for approximately 24 hours then check your seals to make sure they are slightly depressed.  If you do not have a good seal, make sure to stick that jar in the fridge or give it to someone with instructions to refrigerate and use within 3 - 4 weeks.

That's about it for the basics!  I have 3 more recipes to post to catch up on what I have done to date, which will be peach, strawberry margarita and carrot cake jams.  Then, I am ready to go again...jars are purchased and recipes are waiting...get ready for some new ones that you may have never seen before.  I have everything from sangria jelly, white wine jam, banana rum, banana pineapple, tomato basil, peach melba, and pumpkin with rum and vanilla jams.

Be blessed and be sweet, till next time!

Cherry Love Jam, aka...There's a first time for everything...

My first attempt at Jammin was on August 15, 2010 and was a simple batch of cherry jam which I am proud to add to my cookbook as my "Cherry Love Jam". Cherries and their juice are associated with love workings...just look at that stunning deep crimson color! If you serve a dab of this on any homemade warm bread your lover or prospective lover will instantly realize just how sweet you are on them, honest. I like to burn an appropriate colored candle while I am Jammin, red in this case, for love and passion. Another important aspect of Jammin is the energy you put into your creations, from start (buying jars and harvesting and/or buying ingredients) all the way to placing the finshed jars on the storage shelf or handing them to the lucky recipient. Energy is an important ingredient that is added in every step of your recipe...visualize and focus on your desired outcome and picture it pouring out your fingertips into the jar, utensil or ingredient. Call it your secret ingredient or your magickal touch, but know that your jams will taste better and you will not be able to keep up with the demand for refills and request for more!

I got many compliments on this one, even though I thought it was a bit thick, everyone else LOVED it! This one has pectin added to it so next time I am going to try a recipe I have for cherry preserves with no added pectin which should be more of a spoonable spread than a thicker jelly consistency. Also make sure to chop the cherries as small as you you can, almost a dice cut. My jars were covered in a white residue after they cooled and I found that if you put 1/2 cup white vinegar with the water in your canner this will prevent that hardwater build up and your jars will be crystal clear on the outside.

Enjoy the recipe and let me know how yours turns out!

Cherry Love Jam

4 cups diced sweet cherries (about 3 lbs)

1/4 cup lemon juice

5 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon unsalted butter

1 1.75oz package fruit pectin

Preheat canner and prepare jars and lids. Remove stems and pits from cherries then dice them and measure 4 cups.

Add cherries and lemon juice to an 8qt saucepan and stir to mix. Add fruit pectin and butter then bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture can not be stirred down. Add sugar and return to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Remove pan from heat and quickly skim off any foam from the top. Ladle the jam into the hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean damp cloth and add the lids and rings, turning the rings until just finger-tight. Place the jars in the preheated canner and bring canner to a rolling boil. Process jars for 10 minutes (adjusting according to your altitude, if necessary) then remove from heat. Let canner sit for 5 minutes then carefully remove hot jars from water with a jar lifter and place them on a towel on the counter and leave them undisturbed for 24 hours. Check the seals before storing and use within 12 months.

Makes about 6 half pint jars.

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I also did a small batch of peach jam that same day, which was excellent. I will post that recipe later. My next post will be on the canning process, techniques and the utensils used in Jammin. Check back soon.

Be Blessed and Be Sweet!

Here we go....

Alrighty now....hold on to your broomsticks...we be jammin now!!!

Wow, I never imagined myself having a blog before. The closest I thought I would ever come is my Facebook page but here I am, a BLOGGER!

Recently I've had an itch to get closer to my roots and re-capture that warm fuzzy feeling I remember so well from my childhood. I spent lots of time growing up in the company of my paternal grandmother, MaBert, even living with her at times, and with her mother, my Grannie. I grew up out in the country in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains near the border of South and North Carolina. I miss those mountains dearly, and have been yearning to reconnect in some way and I think I have found it!

One of my fondest memories, from childhood, is climbing into the station wagon with Mabert and driving out into the community to deliver her goodies. Most times it was to an old farmhouse in the mountains or maybe to an elderly person's little house. We would get out and she would select a few jars of canned goods or maybe a pound cake and we would sit and "visit" with the person on their porch for a bit. Sometimes she knew them, sometimes she knew "of" them and sometimes they were new to the area. Either way, she always left them smiling and her heart was warmed cause we did something good. In later years, I wondered and questioned why she was always so giving and selfless why was she not "taken advantage of" like happens so much now. It was just her way...she NEVER judged anyone and truely believed in people. Maybe it was the times (it was the late 70's ya know) or maybe it was the area, I don't know. On my last phone call with her just 2 weeks ago she did mention how things were so different now...things are not like they used to be and even there, in her community, safety is now a concern where it never used to be. ::sigh:: I long for the good ole days.

Mabert and Grannie were the nurturers for the family...two generations of true matriarchs. I have big shoes to fill and now that I am in my 40's it's my time to shine. I do not visit nor see that side of my family...I have my own family now and we live here, in out little cottage style house about 2 miles from the beach in sunny Florida. Thinking back, I spent many days in Mabert's basement with both of them (Mabert had a full 2nd kitchen in the finished basement for entertaining and specifically for canning, freezing, preserving and storing the things from the orchard and 2 full gardens that she and my Papa worked year-round) watching them can. I was taught at an early age to fear/respect the pressure cooker. Mabert got some pretty bad burns, as did other ladies she knew, but it never kept her from doing it again. I know that pressure cookers have changed and are much safer these days but for now, I am starting with the hot water bath canning method which is perfect for jams and jellies. I will work my way to pressure canning in good time...heck Grannie was still using hers to can when they took it out of her house in her late 90's. I have plenty of time to get to that method!

So, in my quest to reconnect with my roots, I begin my canning journey with jams, jellies and preserves. I am in the process of collecting all the recipes I want to try...I have 25 typed into my database so far with more to go. I did my first batch of jam, ever, on Sunday August 15. It was a small batch of peach and a small batch of sweet cherry. One with pectin and one without...that's them pictured above! As soon as I was finished I knew I was hooked and couldn't wait to find another recipe to try. The next two jams weren't as good though and I've learned a lot since then (like to put white vinegar in the canner to prevent the white residue left on the jars from our hard water) and will learn more with each batch. I hope to be able to put some jam up (Mabert's terminology shining through) 2 - 3 times a month and I will share my experiences and recipes with you along the way. Who knows...maybe a cookbook will be my end result!

Make sure to check back often and leave feedback too! I know the peach and cherry are already gone...poof! Shared with family and friends, that's my purpose, ya know. If you do get to try one of them, please remember to return the empty jar and I will make sure to send it back refilled with another bit of sweetness and love straight from my hearth to yours.

Wishing you sweet bountiful blessings of this harvest season that is upon us...till next time!