Well, I made my first successful batch of home canned goods all by myself. I went with strawberries, they are my favorite food. I have had a hard time finding a canning pot with a rack in a decent price range. I'm told it is not the season for it. So, I sat with my head in one hand, the basic canning kit my mother-in-law got me for Christmas in the other, feeling a bit discouraged. Then I had this great idea! I have a multi pot (if you don't have one I highly recommend them!) and it has a really deep sitting pasta insert that could easily be used as a rack. Well, it was a bit space constrained for anything larger than these tiny 4 oz. jars. But, I had already bought them, as Adam and I have thrown away so many jars of homemade jelly that was only half eaten because it goes bad before just the two of us can conquer it. I found that it held 5 jars just right. Until I find a better canning pot, this is working swimmingly.
Does anyone have any suggestions? I'd love to hear. And any cool canning experiences, recipes, or advice you have. I'm just getting started with this domestic self-sufficiency.
This recipe is found here on MarthaStewart.com, and I follow it with the canning instructions. I doubled the recipe and got these twelve 4 oz. jars and a little extra that we ate right away.
Ingredients
Makes 1 3/4 cups
- 1 quart hulled strawberries
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Directions
- In a food processor, process strawberries until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a large skillet and stir in sugar and lemon juice. Cook over medium-high, stirring frequently, until jam is thickened and bubbles completely cover surface, 9 to 10 minutes.
- Transfer jam into prepared jars (they need to have been sterilized by boiling them and still warm). Leave about 1/4 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles if necessary. Wipe rim. Have prepared the sterilized and still warm lids and bands. Center lid onto the jar and screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight.
- Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars and let cool for 24 hours, and store.
ok, I'm a little confused. I must not understand what exactly canning is. What makes a canning pot different from a regular pot? What do you mean by "procces" in the third step? Also, after you open a jar, how long does it keep?
ReplyDeleteKallan - As far as I have found it (this is new to me) a canning pot is made large enough to hold a lot of jars and give them the space they need. Also, the jars should not touch the bottom of the pot, so canning pots usually come with a rack (similar to a cooling rack) that sits on the bottom of the pot. "Process" = boil. Sorry 'bout that.
ReplyDeleteIt depends of what you are making but the recipe says these strawberries will last 10 days after opening. Although, we have been eating from the current jar for over 10 days and it still tastes fine to me.
Yes, Rebecca, I have a question; When do I get my jar?? ;) Looks yummy! Good job and way to be creative.
ReplyDelete