Dishtowels: Preserving and Canning Jars Print

It was love at first sight when I found these canning and preserving inspired dishtowels.  I was at my home-away-from-home, TJ Maxx, when I spotted them in the kitchen linen department. Each set includes 2 dishtowels for $4.99.  It may seem ridiculous, but I bought 2 packs of each pattern and I intend to give each friend that comes to cans/pickles/preserves with me a commemorative dishtowel.  

Why? Because it is fun, unnecessary and I think if you like to can/preserve/pickle, you need this towel in your kitchen. It's as simple as that. 

This summer I was given the Ball FreshTECH Automatic Home Canning System and it is awesome. I made peach jam with my friend Liz (she's coming back to make tart cherry jam so she'll get her dishtowel then) and it could not have been easier. Angie is coming over on Friday to make Sweet Bread and Butter Pickles.

Am I having fun? You bet I am.  

One Lucky Girl: A Friend Arrived with Pastries and Peaches

My love of ridiculous appliances continues.  Of course I could "can" my jams and pickles with the water bath method.  But wouldn't having an appliance with a "pickles" button be way more fun?  Yes!

My husband gave me the Ball FreshTECH Automatic Home Canning System for my birthday - woohoo! I hadn't used it yet, but was gushing about it with my friend Liz and she offered to be my wingman on the maiden voyage. We had so much fun! 

We chose a Thursday night after work and she arrived with Lebanese takeout for our dinner, two fancy desserts (my birthday!) and an armload of peaches to turn into jam.  What a friend.

We followed these instructions for reduced sugar peach jam word for word and we created a new tradition (obsession?).  It was so easy we started plotting what else we could can/jar/preserve/pickle.

I'll tell you more about the machine, process and results later. Just know that I love it and don't feel ridiculous at all. Small batch canning is just my speed.

Really Homemade Tomato Soup

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I was inspired to try this recipe for canned tomatoes when I saw an episode of Laura Calder's "French Food at Home" on the Cooking Channel last year.  So in August, I filled 4 jars with "Sweet 100" cherry tomatoes (from my pot of tomatoes on the patio) and off I went, with hopes of homemade tomato soup in the Winter.

Now fast forward...I opened my first jar yesterday!  To my relief, it gave a satisfying "whoop" when I broke the seal; my first time canning was a success.  The recipe calls for sealing small tomatoes, a piece of onion and a sprig of thyme in the jar.  When I poured the contents into the soup pot, I only had to add a bit of milk and salt, heat and then puree it into soup with an immersion blender. 

It worked like a charm and gave us 2 satisfying bowls of soup for a snowy Tuesday.

Canning Tomatoes

I have been channeling my inner Laura Ingalls Wilder lately.  I've decided to try canning and preserving this Summer, to be able to experience the glory of August during the dark days in February.  Are you with me?

I am going to make a series of small batch items - and with them record the recipe source, ingredients required to make minimum batch and the date processed.  That way in the middle of the Winter, when I taste what I have "put up," I will be able to flag the successes and replicate them next Summer. 

I scoured the local hardware stores and finally settled on the supplies that I needed.  My dad loaned me his giant enamel water bath canner (looks like a stock pot with a jar rack inside), so I only needed jars, labels and the Ball Utensil Set, which includes a Funnel, Magnetic Wand, Bubble Remover & Rubberized Jar Tongs.  The set is perfect and the magnetic wand is genius!

I started with canning tomatoes.  I bought my first peck of tomatoes at the farmer's market and after reading a few different canning and preserving books, I settled on this recipe for "Raw-Packed Tomatoes with No Added Liquid" from the Ball website.  I did not add any salt, which was optional.

It all went off without a hitch and the jars look gorgeous.  In case you are curious, these are the steps in a nutshell:

• Wash tomatoes, core & cut "X" at base
• Blanch in hot water to loosen skin; remove skin
• Sterilize quart jars (I used dishwasher); Simmer lids in water
• Fill jars with tomatoes and add lemon juice
• Help tomatoes to settle with bubble remover tool
• Wipe any residue off jar rim and use magnetic wand (to keep lid sterile) to place lid onto jar
• Place in water bath and process according to instructions for approx 85 minutes

I have high hopes that these 7 jars will equal 7 nights of homemade spaghetti sauce, chili and more.  When I pop open my first jar this Winter, I'll let you know how it turns out.