Then we got them washed and hulled . . .
. . . and spent most of Sunday afternoon making jam!!
From 11 pints of berries, we got about 31 half-pints of cooked jam. It seems to have set beautifully, and all the jars sealed, even though I used the "iffy" inversion method. Yay!! I followed the directions at this site, which were very detailed, along with the directions in the pectin box. Before we know it, it will be time for the blackberry harvest in our own backyard, and then we will make even MORE jam! After enjoying the blackberry jam we made last summer, all winter long, I am thrilled that we will have lots more yummy jam in the pantry this winter. :) I'm also hoping to pick some blueberries and maybe make blueberry jam, or just freeze them for muffins, pies, etc.
Now, the next "homemade" thing I want to get into, is making my own kefir. I had heard of kefir a while ago, but for some reason I thought it could only be made with goat's milk, so I wasn't interested. I recently read about it again on Crystal's blog and Tammy's Recipes, and now I am hoping to find someone who shares or sells kefir grains so I can try making it. I'm going to check our local health food store for the grains, too.
Well, I better go finish getting supper ready! (Yes, we're running late tonight!)
ETA: I forgot to mention how much this homemade jam cost. I totaled up all the ingredients--berries, sugar, pectin--and the jars, and then figured the total cost per half-pint jar was $1.45. Not too shabby! Blackberry jam is going to be even cheaper, since we'll be getting the berries for free. :) And next year, we'll be able to re-use the jars and just buy new lids and rings, so all of our jam will cost less then.
9 comments:
Your jam looks delicious! I have never canned before but I've watched my mom do it and it doesn't look terribly difficult. I don't think that I have a pot big enough to use for canning. My mom has a gigantic pot that she uses. Oh well, something else to look for.
I purchased some kefir off of ebay today:). I have been doing lots of reading on it and think that it would really benefit my family. My husband has Crohn's disease and I would imagine that kefir would be very helpful to him. The place I ordered it from is in NC and I think that they are Christians also. I'll let you know how it goes. Hopefully, we will like it instead of turn our noses up at it:). It would be much more economical than buy the Stoneyfield Farms yogurt.
Enjoy your jam - I'll bet that you can make LOTS of yummy things with it. Take care.
Yummy jam. I love making jam -- and eating it even more so. Blackberry jam sounds interesting -- I've never even eaten blackberry's, so I can't imagine how it tastes. BTW -- What is kefir?
I'm in the process of freezing lots and lots of yellow squash, and will soon be taking care of my beans and tomatoes!!
isn't jam making fun? I'm practically addicted to the whole process. It's nice to have the jam for eating, but also as a quick "welcome to the neighborhood" or "feel better soon" present!! I am excited for this year's jam making - I had to take last year off since we had way too much going on! Blueberry Jam is our absolute favorite, although your blackberry sounds wonderful too!
I think you need to inform the world of this kefir stuff. What is it?
That jam looks so incredibly yummy! I can just envision it on homemade french bread, ok, I'm drooling now. :)
Rachel, I don't have a pot big enough either, which is why I used the inversion method. :) I'm hoping to get a big pot so I can do the water bath method next time . . . we'll see. Let me know how it goes with the kefir! That was a really good idea to get some off ebay. I like the idea of putting it in smoothies. We don't like plain yogurt very well, but I imagine the kefir would be great with some fruit or jam mixed in, or honey. It sounds like it is a great health food! We love Stonyfield Farms yogurt--it's the only brand I will buy--but it isn't cheap! So it would be great if we liked the kefir enough to use it instead.
Tracy, blackberries are sort of like raspberries, only a bit less sweet . . . and the seeds are pretty crunchy. They make great jam, although when I make it this year I hope to strain out some of the seeds. We'll see. At least Sam likes it, regardless of whether I leave the seeds in or not. :) We have heaps of wild blackberries in our yard, which is why I had the idea to make jam last year in the first place. Now I'm hooked on it!
Kefir is a fermented milk product that is supposed to be really healthy--even more so than yogurt (more good bacteria, as I understand it). You can google it to find out more, or click on the words "Tammy's Recipes" in this post to find a good post about it. Sounds like your garden is doing great!! Things won't be ready to harvest here for a while . . . aside from my lettuce, which we ate the first of last week. I was so thrilled to eat something from the garden! :)
Jenny, I agree that jam is a great homemade gift! And homemade jam is just so much yummier than store bought. :) Plus, there's no high fructose corn syrup in it! I think we will definitely have to get some blueberries so I can try blueberry jam now that you've recommended it!
I love your new family pic, by the way!
Alicia, here's a paper towel so you can wipe the drool off your keyboard. :) I'm new to kefir too, and haven't actually ever tasted it yet. For more info, check out the link in this post at "Tammy's Recipes" or just google it. It's a fermented milk product similar to yogurt, and is supposed to be really easy to make at home.
I have some great memories of childhood summers canning with my grandparents (in their kitchen w/ no air conditioning!). We always made grape jelly; I've never made jam. And I haven't been in the kitchen long enough to do much more than put together a bowl of cereal in so long...makes me miss my home ec-y days!
Hi Carrie! Thanks for your comment on my blog! Wow, lots of strawberries... they are my favorite fruit. One of these days, I would like to learn how to can fruit. I admire you know how to AND that you made so many in one day! Take care!
I have to tell you something funny. Today I made the baguette recipe and totally forgot to put in the salt. I didn't realize it until I tasted them - oops. They were quite bland but I didn't want to waste them so I made croutons. Yet another way to use Carrie's Baguette Recipe. This has become a "must-have" in our house.
Have you ever made hamburger buns before? I am going to try to make some either this afternoon or tomorrow. I made them once and they were not soft and fluffy at all. I am going to attempt them again with another recipe, hoping that they will be light and airy.
I am trying very hard to find recipes that I can slowly replace store-bought goods. I think that they will be healthier, tastier and more economical. My next attempt will be to make whole grain bread. Have you ever made it before? I found a grain mix at kingarthurflour.com that I would like to order and use.
Sorry to pepper you with questions but I thought that you would get a chuckle out of my low-sodium bread - HA. Have a great Wednesday!
Mary Ann--mmmm, I bet homemade grape jelly is yummy!! What a special memory of time with your grandparents.
Heather--you should try jam making sometime! It's not as hard as I thought it would be, and there are good instructions inside the pectin packages. I started with freezer jam, which is a bit easier, and then moved on to the cooked kind later on.
Rachel--what a funny story about the baguettes. :) I'm glad you thought of a good use for them, even with no salt! I bet that made a LOT of croutons!! I've never made whole-grain bread, at least as far as I remember. I think my mom has tried some of the King Arthur grain mixes (maybe 7 grain?) so you could ask her about it if you get a chance. I love King Arthur products and that is the only brand of flour I use. I also enjoy going over to their store in VT once in a blue moon; they have so much great baking stuff!!
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