Take a look at this? and this is only half of them...
This is what two hours of berry picking looks like. That would be two hours of squatting down, two hours of swatting bugs and two hours in the stifling heat. I know that I will forget all of the hard work when I bite into that strawberry trifle or spread my homemade bread with the sweet freezer jam. Up until this year I always picked raspberries but after shelling out more than $60 for 2 batches of jam I started to do the math and quickly realized my attempt to be frugal was in actual fact costing me more. For a mere $1 lb I picked over 37 lbs of plump strawberries (that does not include the approx 4lbs we ate while doing that) I will be able to make 5x that amount with strawberries.
So now I am home, soothing the burn and bites, ready to tackle the chore of canning. In actual fact I love this job and from now until the first frost I will spend a good portion of my summer evenings boiling, chopping, stirring and ladling fresh produce into cans for the winter. I love to harvest fresh produce, especially those I grew myself. Reaching for a can of peach jam or cucumber relish in the middle of January is so much better in taste and quality than store bought stuff. Yes, canning is a tad bit harder than throwing the jar in the cart but once you start doing this you will find it is rather easy and often times quite relaxing. Now that I have convinced myself how comparable this is to Disneyland I am off to can in the 110 degree kitchen.
Here is a post from last year from my old site Minimalist Mommy in case you missed it. Kind of a starting point for rookie "canners"
I started out with easy recipes such as freezer jam and once I was comfortable with the process I worked my way to more labour intensive ones. I suggest trying the same approach to those who have never canned before, this way you won't become overwhelmed and throw in the towel. Another reason I thought I would start discussing this topic early is to give those who are thinking of starting the time to look for second hand items that are needed to home can. Because it is not harvest season most often you can find numerous canning jars and other canning items at your local thrift store. So on your next trip keep your eyes peeled for the following basic essentials. (start looking now and throughout the winter for items needed to harvest your own produce)
1) canning jars with screw lids (my preference is 500 ml but I do have some 250ml that I have for gift giving) Be sure to thoroughly check the rims of the jars to ensure there are no chips as this would interfere with the seals and safety of the product inside.
2) sealing lids. These cannot be reused so you will have to purchase new each season. I have seen these periodically at our Dollar Store and I usually stock up in the winter as they can cost double that at the grocery stores.
3) Large canning pot to process the filled jars. Normally there is a required inch of water needed to cover the jars when processing. The size required will depend on what size jars you prefer to work with.
4)Dutch oven to prepare the recipe. Most of us have a large pot that we cook pasta in. This would suffice and should preferably be stainless steel to avoid scorching.
5) Canning rack for the bottom of the processing pot so the jars do not sit on the bottom. If you do not have one you can easily use several metal canning lids tied together.
6) Jar tongs. Most recipes have you remove the hot jars minutes after the processing time is done. How is that possible?? Well it isn't really without one of these gadgets. I rather like my fingers so I put this tool right up there with the jars in necessity and well worth the $5 or $6.
7) rubber spatula. I use one of these when stirring the ingredients, this ensure nothing sticks to the bottom when boiling at high temperatures.
8) plenty of clean dish towels, rags and paper towels. Ensure your hot processed jars are placed on a thick towel as opposed to directly on the counter. Also paper towels are nice to wipe clean the mouth of the jar to ensure a proper seal.
Some of the following items are not "necessary" but make the process that much easier.
1) funnel. This fits into the large mouth of the jars and prevents overflow when pouring the prepared recipe into the hot jars.
2) Lid lifter. The sealing lids have to be heated prior to placing on the jars. As this tool is magnetic it makes it a snap to lift out of the hot water to be placed on the prepared jar.
3)Head space measuring tool. Each recipe will advise how much room should be left between the product and the lid. Honestly once you have done this several times you can do without this tool.
If you are thinking of doing some canning why not take the next year accumulating some of these basic tools. Start asking around to friends and families who no longer can. Check tag sales, thrift stores or there may even be some items left on clearance racks in stores. Thinking of this now will prevent you from paying full price for these items in the peak canning season.
In Part II I will explore the basics on canning and some do's and dont's. I promise before long you will be enjoying the summer's bounty all year round