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.
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.
Ahhh...the simple joy of eating sugar-packed apricots in the middle of Winter. I really think you should try this simple process sometime in August, so that you can pat yourself on the back next February.
First wash pint-size glass Ball jars and lids in the dishwasher and then place them on a clean dishtowel nearby.
Mix 2/3 cup of white sugar with 2 teaspoons of Fruit Fresh. Wash 1 quart of fresh apricots, slice them in half, remove any bruises and remove the pit. Mix the apricots with the sugar/preservative mixture and let stand for 10 minutes while the sugar dissolves. Gently fit the apricot halves into each jar and pour in any sugar syrup that pooled around the fruit. Leave about 1/2 inch of head space, so that the fruit has room to expand as it freezes. Place the lid on the jar, screw on the top and freeze.
I labeled my jars with these darling labels from Lilly Pulitzer. Even apricots wanna be super cute!
Let me start off with this: These are real peaches. Gorgeous, glistening, perfectly ripe peaches. If this photo doesn't say "August," then I don't know what would!
You have noticed my foray into preserving Summer and I think this will be my biggest success. I decided to try the freezing method, as I think that will keep the fruit closest to right off the tree fresh.
First I washed and sterilized jars in the dishwasher and simmered the lids in a pan of water. Then I cut an "X" in the bottom of each peach and blanched it in hot water, then scooped it out of the hot water and into an ice bath to prevent further cooking. This method helps the skin to release and you can see the results above - perfectly peeled peaches.
I then sliced the peaches into a large bowl and sprinkled them with Fruit Fresh, to preserve their color and prevent browning.
I dissolved 1 cup of sugar in 2 cups water and brought it to a boil. Pack the peach slices into the jars (leaving about an inch for expansion in freezer) and pour syrup over them (make sure there is still an inch of room for expansion). Jiggle contents with a wooden skewer or narrow tool, to release any trapped air bubbles.
Wipe rim clean. Place clean lid onto jar. Screw band on tight and freeze!
I'm not sure the farmer believed me when I told her that it was her display that made me choose her booth for berries. But it's the truth! How could I resist this black and blue checkerboard effect?
As a girl, each Summer I would pick black raspberries in the yard neighboring my grandmother's house with my boy cousins. We would eat, smush (for horror movie effects) and collect as many berries as you would expect a 9, 10 and 11 year old to. With our bounty, my mother would make jam. This unusual berry is my flavor of choice on toast and it is not often that I get the chance to make it.
Here is Part Two from my week of binge canning (so far tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, apricots, peaches and pickles!):
Black Raspberry Freezer jam
It is super easy to make homemade jam when you use Ball's No Cook Freezer Jam Fruit Pectin. You simply blend the envelope of pectin with 1 1/2 cups sugar, then add 4 cups of crushed fresh berries and stir for 3 minutes. Then ladle the jam into clean jam jars and let stand for 30 minutes. Put one jar in your refrigerator to enjoy now and store the extra jars in the freezer.
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