What are you canning now?

[sonew123]

Dandelion jelly!!! All though I spilled two jars on the counter !! Grrrrr what a sticky mess!!!

 

[rancher hicks]

Apple Blossom Jelly, Dandelion Jelly and today's task: Lilac Jelly. Happy Canning Everyone!

How did you do the dandelion? I tried the flowers the way the recipe called for collecting them but it was a disaster. Lilacs are over here.

How do you collect the dandelion flowers?

 

[farm_mom]

I just collected the flower heads from my yard (we don't use chemicals here) and I pulled petals for the tea. It was time consuming, and the flowers will get wilty, so what worked for me was collecting small batches and then recollecting until I had what I needed. Then after I let the tea soak overnight I drained through a mesh and through a coffee filter, then followed the recipe. Good luck!

 

[member 142084]

I am... not canning anything at the moment But will be soon

 

[rancher hicks]

I just collected the flower heads from my yard (we don't use chemicals here) and I pulled petals for the tea. It was time consuming, and the flowers will get wilty, so what worked for me was collecting small batches and then recollecting until I had what I needed. Then after I let the tea soak overnight I drained through a mesh and through a coffee filter, then followed the recipe. Good luck!

We don't use chemicals here either and I have recipes for other wild flower jellies , like the violets. I don't know why but dandelions don't grow so prolific after spring. At least the flowering part.

As you collected did you put your petals right into the water? Should I keep the water in the fridge so it's cool as I collect them. Or would ice water be ok?

My recipe calls for 365 flowers. Of course I wouldn't make only one batch.

Since I have your here. I bought some Scuppernong jelly in AL a while back but after opening it, it was rather runny, the sugar crystallized or so it seemed. Being that none of my jelly has done this I wondered why. Do you know why? I dealt with it just like all my other jelly by refrigerating it after I opened it but it just did not last for some reason.

 

[rancher hicks]

I am... not canning anything at the moment But will be soon

me either but did cut up and freeze some rhubarb last night. Mine is not up yet, but I got some from a friend.

 

[farm_mom]

We don't use chemicals here either and I have recipes for other wild flower jellies , like the violets. I don't know why but dandelions don't grow so prolific after spring. At least the flowering part.

As you collected did you put your petals right into the water? Should I keep the water in the fridge so it's cool as I collect them. Or would ice water be ok?

My recipe calls for 365 flowers. Of course I wouldn't make only one batch.

Since I have your here. I bought some Scuppernong jelly in AL a while back but after opening it, it was rather runny, the sugar crystallized or so it seemed. Being that none of my jelly has done this I wondered why. Do you know why? I dealt with it just like all my other jelly by refrigerating it after I opened it but it just did not last for some reason

I didn't put mine in water right away, but it would definitely be a good idea now that the temps are warmer. My recipe called for 6 cups of the petals, so it was easier for me to keep track of rather than counting out the flowers, and yes, I made a bigger batch too. Ice water would be fine too, after all, you're just making a tea with the petals anyway. As to the runny one you had, making jams and jellies is chemistry. If any of the components are off, it won't turn gel up the way it should. While I find I can adjust things and fiddle with recipes and still get great results, nothing is ever perfect in nature. So I find that when I "screw up" and have a few jars of syrup rather than jelly....I make pancakes and enjoy! But there are some great sites out there to help with it all. Here's one that explains some of the issues with canning jams and jellies: http://www.hobbyfarms.com/food-and-kitchen/how-to-fix-canning-problems.aspx Good Luck!

 

[sonew123]

The dandelion jelly i used called for 4 cups of petals...took me over two hours to collect...my fingers are still stained horribly. Dirty looking really Very tedious work...I will most likely NOT do it again...but Im glad I tried it once

 

[rancher hicks]

The dandelion jelly i used called for 4 cups of petals...took me over two hours to collect...my fingers are still stained horribly. Dirty looking really

Very tedious work...I will most likely NOT do it again...but Im glad I tried it once

Well I had my 2 yr old granddaughter help me collect the flowers. Not sure how many we picked but we cleaned out the whole front yard. They all wilted rather fast so I tossed them. The next day had a lot more than when we first picked but I wasn't up to it. I've considered getting a pair of those long wooden tongs to pick with.

How did it taste?

I had a jar of Scuppernong, which is a grape from down Alabama way but it didn't taste like anything special. I do believe it had to much sugar though.

 

[JesseK]

Does anyone have a seedless black raspberry recipe? Or can I just use any black raspberry recipe? I know how to get the seeds out...or at least I know how they say to

I had a recipe, but of course when it's time to use it, I can't find it.

PS since my first experience last weekend all I want to do is can!