Jamboree!
Guess what sis & I been doing? We kicked off the fruit season with a medley of jams – sweet grapefruit, strawberry rose, strawberry lemon verbena and just plain ol’ strawberry.
With all the wonderfully fragrant roses and herbs growing in the garden, I pick a few hand fulls and infuse them in with the fruit preserves. Turns ordinary jam into extraordinary!
What sorts of canning activity are you doing? Do you like to go beyond the same old and experiment with adding herbs, flowers and spices?
Here’s one of my favorite “outside the jar” canning blog
Sorry for such a short post, love to write more but we have a BIG produce (edible flowers, salad and lots of greens) order to fill this morning and major world news outlet coming at noon to do a story about our urban homestead.
More later!
Comments(26)
Loretta says:
May 4, 2011 at 7:25 amBEAUTIFUL!!!!!
Anais says:
June 13, 2011 at 12:12 pm@Loretta: Thank you!
Jeni Vandall says:
May 4, 2011 at 7:46 amOh how I would love to be canning already, I am just barely starting to get strawberries here in cold Utah. Soon enough I keep saying!! I can’t wait! This year I am really going to go outside my comfort zone and try some new things like you and your sis have done. Time to shake things up a bit:)
Will the new story clip be something we can all view once its done? I love watching your guys story clips that are done about ya!
Anais says:
June 13, 2011 at 12:13 pm@Jeni Vandall: We are working on a new YouTube channel, going to feature snippet and hopefully a few “how to’s”
Elizabeth says:
May 4, 2011 at 9:24 amI like the beautiful stack of jeweled jams…my cupboard is pretty bare now. No fruits to process yet…the rhubarb has just started to peak up. We had snow up until about 10 days ago. We had a frost warning last night. Just using up the pantry and freezer…a smattering of rhubarb, berries and applesauce left.
Anais says:
June 13, 2011 at 12:13 pm@Elizabeth: Thank you. Hope Spring has Sprung in your neck of the woods!
Susan says:
May 4, 2011 at 4:25 pmWould you please share your sweet grapefruit jam recipe? I’ve looked everywhere for one, but they’re all marmalade, not a sweet jam. Thanks.
Anais says:
June 13, 2011 at 12:15 pm@Susan: Sure. Here you go http://thecosmiccowgirl.wordpress.com/2010/01/17/texas-ruby-red-grapefruit-marmalade/
Lesa says:
May 4, 2011 at 4:49 pmSo jealous! I am itching to make jam, but I live too far north to be doing much canning now. I just had to cover a few plants due to a frost advisory tonight.
Anais says:
June 13, 2011 at 12:15 pm@Lesa: Hoping Spring has Sprung in your neck of the woods! 🙂
Deanna says:
May 5, 2011 at 4:50 amI am about a month behind you with the berries but as soon as they come in I will be “jammin” too. I also can beets, veggies, sauces etc. Last week it was BBQ sauce and the week before that it was marinara sauce and pesto. There is something satisfying about producing your own food and possessing the know how to preserving it for later.
Anais says:
June 13, 2011 at 12:16 pm@Deanna: YUMMY! I agree 100% Happy canning
Mitzy says:
May 5, 2011 at 11:07 amCan’t wait t see the news article on you! And, according to one of your FB posts, you all were in a commercial shoot for TV!
Anais says:
June 13, 2011 at 12:16 pm@Mitzy: Yep. 🙂
Vicki says:
May 5, 2011 at 1:16 pmThe jams look great. I am itching to start as well, but since I am at 6200 ft. my berries are just starting to flower and the raspberries and blackberries are only a couple inches high. Hopefully we won’t get any more snow this year. I was wondering how you get around the health officials though and sell jam made in your home kitchen? I am in Riverside County and have to make food in a commercial kitchen if I want to sell it. Between renting a kitchen and the cost of jars, it is hard to make a profit. We would never eat all I can so I like to sell the extra, but in CA, that is no easy feat. Would love to hear your secret for getting around the codes. Keep up the good work.
Sarah S says:
May 5, 2011 at 6:49 pmYour jams make me smile. What variety of rose are you growing for culinary use? I’ve just bought a new home and am planning the garden.
Anais says:
June 13, 2011 at 12:23 pm@Sarah S: Thank you! Wow, that’s a tough question, we have all sorts of roses. Some that were plant by the previous owners so don’t know their names. The red ones are my favorite and best for culinary uses.
Becky says:
May 5, 2011 at 8:06 pmOh what a lovely collection of jams you have! Here in Louisiana, I’ve been canning like crazy all month and my pantries are looking gorgeous! In about a week the huckleberries & dewberries will be ready for picking out in the woods and then in a month the mayhaws and blackberries. Gosh I can hardly wait!
This is our first year to add an herb garden so I’m really looking foward to infusing some new, exciting flavors into our jams! Hmmmm….wonder how I can talk the hubby into believing that I NEEEEEED more canning jars.
Anais says:
June 13, 2011 at 12:24 pm@Becky: Thank you! Your’s sounds just as delicious MMMMMM, YUMMMMY, YUM! Huckleberries? I’m jealous LOL Happy canning!
Dillon says:
May 11, 2011 at 10:46 amWhat is the different between pickling vs. canning? There is so much out there to read about it makes my head hurt:)
Quail's Hollar Farm says:
May 13, 2011 at 1:47 pmWhat a wonderful sight at the end of the day, it must be very fufilling to be able to can your own foods. It also must be nice to have fruit trees that aren’t already havested by nature…
Bonnie G. says:
May 18, 2011 at 5:05 amWhat beautiful jam!
Anais says:
June 13, 2011 at 12:35 pm@Bonnie G.: Thank you!
nancy says:
June 22, 2011 at 11:28 amI am going to start canning this summer/fall. I inherited a nice, glass top range. That’s the problem- not a safe way to can using it, without possibly doing major damage. I read some people can outdoors, using propane. I can invest some in a heavy duty propane cooker, like the camp chef 2 burner stove w/4 legs. I do have a patio right off my kitchen, power, and water. Anyone tried eletric? I’d like to do that, but I don’t want to buy a range. Any ideas???
Sharon B. says:
September 12, 2011 at 9:38 amAnais, your jams look so lovely! Looks like you have quite a nice variety. Do you post your recipes on the site?
My treasure trove has strawberry-vanilla, tropical pear, Cherry vanilla, brown sugar spice pear, balsamic fig and Southwestern jelly.
Thanks, I love your site!
camille carnahan says:
September 30, 2011 at 12:44 ami make earl grey peach jam. for every cup of peaches, you add an earl grey tea bag and boil it with the fruit. if you don’t have dentures, sprinkle the contents of the last bag in to the fruit for a little visual interest. the flavors really compliment one another. it’s pretty popular with my friends and family!
Michele B. says:
August 27, 2013 at 9:12 pmIs there classes on how to do this? I am a noob on canning and I need some help