I’ve wanted to learn to can vegetables for quite some time.  I’ve grown tomatoes for three years (not consecutive), and my husband and I are slowly working out our routines.  We have been to the u-pick farms more this year and have had a greater variety of fruits, although I don’t believe we’ve yielded the same quantity as last year.  Regardless, we are slowly learning, and slowly we are working our budget down and eating more home-prepared foods.

We picked several pounds of strawberries in June.  At that time, I promptly destemmed and sliced them all.  They have been frozen for the past two months.  This week, Levi and I made it back to the u-pick and collected blueberries and peaches.  Lev must have eaten a 1/2 pound while picking the blueberries, and he certainly ate a cup or two after we got home.  Perhaps we’ll make it back for some raspberries and/or blackberries, but I think we’ve waited too long.

Freezer and canned jam along with blueberries and peaches (right).

Finally, we purchased a canning kit which includes a very large canning pot with jar rack for the hot water bath, the jar lifter, a lid lifter, and a large funnel.  The price was comparable, and we purchased it from Mirador, a Community Store.  They often sell better quality kitchen items, and the canning kit is no exception.

So far I have made:

1. Strawberry freezer jam
2. Strawberry jam, BWB
3. Strawberry-blueberry jam, BWB

Next, I have planned:

1. Canned peaches, halved or quartered
2. Peach jam

I’m really hoping we make it to Hood River this year (I’ve wanted to go at least 2 years prior) to collect apples.  Then we can make applesauce, which is actually quite simple according to the recipe in Better Homes and Gardens.

The strawberry-blueberry jam. I added strawberries because I didn't have enough blueberries. I hope it sets okay; I had to guess at the sugar.