Ready or Not Canning Time is Here...Starting with Chokecherries

Kirk planted Chokecherry trees a few years ago.
This year the trees were loaded with fruit.
I am not real sure how to describe what the fruit taste like.
They are not bitter, sweet or even sour. They taste like
CHOKECHERRIES.

http://ecoplexity.org/node/933

But, they do make wonderful jam and syrup.

So, guess what I was doing today.

Because they are a little tiny berry, I use my steamer/juicer.

Steaming for about 2 hours.

After steaming the berries I had 7 1/2 cups of juice!

Enough to make a batch of Jam (Sure-Jel recipe)

and Syrup.

I found a very yummy syrup recipe at 

MAKE IT DO IT.

Here is the link to her recipe.

It is so simple... ready:

Chokecherry Syrup

from Cali at Make It Do It.

To make the syrup. Add 6 cups of sugar to 3 cups of juice. (Yes I know, it’s a lot of sugar… but it is syrup after all!) Stirring constantly, bring syrup to a rolling boil and let it boil for 1 full minute. This will thicken your syrup… too long and it will be very thick…. not long enough and it’s too runny

Remove the syrup from the stove and add 1/2 tsp. almond extract. 

Using a slotted spoon, skim off the foam from the syrup. Don’t ask me why, but I find this job oddly satisfying. I love how the foam kind of sticks together.

pour the hot syrup into hot and sterilized canning jars. This recipe make 7 half pint jelly jars. I sterilize the jars in my dishwasher and leave them in there to keep warm until I need them. You also want to get your lids ready by simmering them in hot water for a few minutes, but be careful not to boil them. When filling the jars I love to use my wide mouth funnel made for canning. Also be sure to leave at least a 1/4 inch space at the top of the jar.

AT THIS POINT I DID THINGS A LITTLE DIFFERENT

You DO NEED TO PROCESS your jelly and syrup.

I put my jars in my pressure cooker and cooked them without the pressure tab on for 25 mins.

(I process 10 mins longer because we are at a little higher altitude.) 

Pull your jars from the pressure cooker and place on a towel to cool for about 12 hours.

We had waffles for dinner and they syrup was delish!

Tomatoes Ready For Home Canning

Just a couple of weeks ago I was wondering if we would get any tomatoes off of our vines this year.

I was talking to my sister in law, Pennie, and she told me to cut back the tops of the plants so that the energy goes to the fruits and not the blossoms still trying to grow.

I did it and what a difference it has made to my plants.

I am getting tomatoes...enough that I am starting to can!

I have said it before and I will say it again,

I love this web site...

PickYourOwn.org

http://www.pickyourown.org/canning_tomatoes.htm

It will show you how to can tomatoes

blanch

peel and chop

the way I have always done tomatoes until last year.

This is when I made my best canning investments ever...

`

no more blanching or peeling...

it does it all.

clean tomatoes go in

turn the handle

out come the peels and seeds and all that is left is the juice.

I bring my tomato juice to a light boil adding a couple of small cans of tomato paste and  let it cook down until it is the thickness I like.

I add salt and place in the jars.

I hot water bath for 30 mins. (pints)

(If I do not add paste I will put a little lemon juice)

I am doing the tomatoes as they ripen, so they are small batches.

and it goes so fast that I can get a batch done while Celes takes her nap :o)

Wordless Wednesday

I just have to say I LOVE this web site for canning instructions. It has easy step by step pictures and easy to understand instructions.

http://www.pickyourown.org/index.htm

http://www.pickyourown.org//peachpickingtips.htm