What are you canning now?

[KentuckyMom]

I think you just need to keep stirring and checking it. 
Place a plate in the freezer - to test the jam, drop a little bit on the cold plate, put it back in the freezer and let it chill a little bit..  Then, run your finger through it and see if it has set properly.

I usually put a bowl of ice with a spoon in the freezer and pull it out when I'm ready to test it. Sometimes it's just the right consistency and other times I wait just a few minutes too long...and...glue. I really need to invest in a candy thermometer and just boil it to the temperature where it starts to gel. I have seen THAT magic number out there on some recipes. I had a candy thermometer years ago and when the candy got too hot, it shattered. It must not have been very good quality. Today I am going to make pineapple jam. My son brought home about 8 pineapples the other day.

 

[thekuligs]

I was so excited to find this thread!

My husband and I have been taking the kids out to this awesome blueberry place we've found so we're canning all things blueberries (and freezing some too). I'd like to have my own at some point; but the husband is in the military and we move around too much to get use of those kinds of plants!

 

[KentuckyMom]

I made pineapple/mango jam yesterday! It may be my new favorite. Super sweet! I am making some more today. The recipe doesn't make very big batches, but it is delicious!@thekuligs Blueberry jam is yummy! I have mixed blueberries with strawberries, blackberries, or raspberries for a delicious mixed berry jam. Or you can make blueberry pie or blueberry cheesecake! Now I'm craving blueberries!

 

[thekuligs]

Blueberry cheesecake sounds AMAZING. I did freeze some mixed berries to be the topping of a cream pie I make. Too bad I have to wait for the 4th of July

 

[3goodeggs]

I was so excited to find this thread!

My husband and I have been taking the kids out to this awesome blueberry place we've found so we're canning all things blueberries (and freezing some too). I'd like to have my own at some point; but the husband is in the military and we move around too much to get use of those kinds of plants!

Welcome to BYC!

 

[N F C]

Hi @thekuligs , nice to have you here! And thank you to your husband for serving.

DH and I went to a u-pick blueberry farm not too long ago and the fresh picked ones are just so much better than what you can buy in a store. Ours never made it to the canning stage but I did make 3 pies and still had some to freeze.

We have a few blueberry plants but they just didn't produce much this year so the few that showed up went to the chickens...big hit with them!

 

[thekuligs]

I have 5 kids that all want to pick their own bucket, that helps! Husbands assists the almost 3 year old, but she likes to do it herself

 

[N F C]

I have 5 kids that all want to pick their own bucket, that helps! Husbands assists the almost 3 year old, but she likes to do it herself

So that's where DH & I went wrong...we didn't have any kids to take picking with us

My mom used to take the 3 of us kids with her to pick all kinds of stuff. I think we probably ate as much as we picked.

 

[wyoDreamer]

We picked wild blueberries when I was growing up. Dad pretty much had us kids pick them - now that I am older I understand why, we were closer to the ground and those little 18" tall plants!

We had old coffee cans with a wire handle that we tied around our waists. Mine was the tall skinny can and I can remember it would hit the ground when I bent down. We were told not to eat any until we had a can full, like that was going to happen. Our cocker spaniel loved blueberries and would come up to me and stick his head in the can to eat them.
Nothing beats the taste of the real, wild blueberries! Dad won't eat the store bought ones - I wonder if he will eat the ones that I am growing.

 

[NanaKat]

Canned 7 pints of Sugar Snap Peas and 29 quarts of Pickled Beets this week. Had to buy beets from a local farmer because mine didn't do well/ Will be canning new potatoes soon....if the rains cooperate so we can dig more.


MIL says I can can the extra turnips too. Will be checking out her process.

On the strawberry jam..in my experience....when you cook it, it will always be soft when it scales off the spoon. Strawberry jam takes several days to set up in the jar.