canning frenzy

Here is the long and short of my canning history - I can remember being in the kitchen helping both my mother and grandmother bottle fruits, juices and jams.

Last year i bought a box of peaches that were divine. I quickly tried to round up canning equipment to bottle up this goodness but this consisted of asking around to family and co-workers with no luck. So I ended up cutting up the fruit and freezing it. Unfortuneatly the fruit browned a bit and got freezer burn and wasn't very good.

Fast forward to this year. In the middle of september i went to Idaho for much needed mom and sister time. My sister had visited some farms/orchards with some people in the ward and when i got there she was in the middle of canning peaches and pears. It was fun to help out as an adult and i realized that it is not that hard.

I may have mentioned that i joined a food co-op and my first week they had an "offering" of boxes of pears. I decided to take the plunge head first into canning and i bought a box. After i bought the box, i looked around to grocery stores and such buy the equipment. I didn't find what i was looking for so i go to my trusty source - amazon.com. I order the equipment on line. Meanwhile my pears are really getting ripe. So i turn to the internet for solutions. I read that you can bottle fruit without the big pot and rack, without the special tongs that fit around the tops of bottles but it is not so easy. I ended up using my (small) stock pot and putting down 2 washcloths inside the bottom to use as my rack. It was a hot sticky mess but i managed to make spiced pear jam, bottle a few pints of pears, blackberry jam, raspberry jam and wait you say, what happened to the canner that was supposed to be coming in the mail - i didn't do all of this in 1 day. After a week after it was supposed to arrive, i called the company and it turns out they didn't have any stock. So it wasn't until after i called and said something that they refunded our money. I ordered another canner through another vendor and i am happy to say that it arrived. Meanwhile the co-op had another offering of Honey Crisp apples. Those are my favorite apples and are pretty expensive at the store so i bought a box. So with my box of apples and my canner, i made lots of applesauce. yumm!

lagging behind

I just told my good friend Jessamy that i have a blog and so i figured that i should maybe update it a little.

To be honest, i haven't posted in awhile because the post that i have been mentally writing has been about how much i dislike the state i reside in. (i could even use the H-word) It has been a painful fall. (if you can call it that) Usually, starting with my birthday i am in a state of bliss. I love the changing of the seasons that starts in September and goes through December. I won't elaborate because it depresses me. But here are a few facts. I like cold weather. I love the color black - especially clothing. I love sweaters, I love wool and tweedy type fabrics. I love scarves. I like layering clothing (going back to i love sweaters) I love lots of blankets on my bed. What is Halloween trick or treating in 90+ degrees? CW went water skiing with his friends on Saturday November 1st. But i would say that finally with in the last week it has cooled down. This past week i have noticed that when i leave the gym at 6:00 in the morning it is actually cooler outside then it is inside. (not to give you the false impression that i actually go to the gym on a regular basis or that i am in any type of shape whatsoever except out of shape) I really have to end this now as i am going to get hostile and/or start crying. The next time i have something to say, it will be positive. i promise.