Canning

Canning can be so frightening when it comes to getting started. I thought, okay, I did this once before. Granted, it was ten years ago. I was really young and I had a *lot* of support. I canned over 200 jars of fruit and tomatoes but everything was basic stuff. This time, I got the privilege of relearning how to can all by myself. On top of that, I went to Eastern Washington, Yakima to be precise, and got carried away. I couldn't remember all the cool places I went to when I first did this endeavor sooooo made the best of it and Larry, my hubby, and I went from tent and farm to tent and farm. I was so disappointed with the fruit we got because it just wasn't the perfect fruit I remembered getting the first time around. Then, I had these specific directions on where to go. You know, down this long bumpy driveway you will reach this old warehouse where only semi trucks come to *but* they will sell to the public. I couldn't remember where any of these places were. I can't feel to bad though. I still came home with, and yes I weighed each and every box, 350 pounds of peaches, nectarines, apples, tomatoes and sweet onions. I have been collecting jars for the last 5 years and boy am I glad that I did. I have learned to can everything. I can't see straight and I am cleaning peach juice off the ceiling in the kitchen. . .no idea how that got there, but the jars are soo pretty!

I think for a reference in the future, I am going to keep posting all my favorite recipes here for canning. I made this awesome Jamacan Rum Peach Jam and A Grand Prize Winning Peach Jam that is so good it just melts in your mouth with all this great flavor. Working full time and coming home to can for 7 or 8 hours for two weeks straight is what I call canning burn-out. But I did it. All I have left is half a bag of sweet onions and one box of apples. I made my first Stewed Italian Tomatoes, Chili Sauce, Pear/Apple Chutney, Pear Honey, Nectarines in Vanilla Wine Syrup, Seedless Blackberry Jam and Syrup and Spiced Peach Butter to name just a few things I accomplished in this time.