What are you canning now?

[rancher hicks]

I don't know what it is about strawberries this year, but the prices around New Orleans are also sky high compared to last year. I was paying as low as $6 a flat last year. This year, the cheapest I've found is $12. And this is straight from the growers. The grocery store prices are almost twice that - around $3 for one of those little baskets.

BTW, my sugar-free plum jam came out awesome!! My diabetic customers are going to love it!

Oh, you have to send me any sugar free recipes you have. I have friends and family that are diabetic and could use some sugar free recipes. Unless of course you have a book with them, then perhaps you could give me the title.

Sent some jellies and jams to my brother and he called to remind me he's diabetic.

the sun is shining much to do before it rains again.

Rancher

 

[mlongworth]

Does anyone here can mulberries. I have 2 large trees that produce a ton of berries. Was wondering if maybe they could be made into a pie filling or something and canned? Thanks.

 

[rancher hicks]

Does anyone here can mulberries. I have 2 large trees that produce a ton of berries. Was wondering if maybe they could be made into a pie filling or something and canned? Thanks.

I'm sure they'd be just like any other berry. You could just substitute them for another type of berry couldn't you? I don't have them here but if I did I'd be using those.

 

[galanie]

I've known women that made Mulberry preserves and yes, they do it exactly the same as blackberry jam or jelly.

 

[3goodeggs]

Does anyone here can mulberries. I have 2 large trees that produce a ton of berries. Was wondering if maybe they could be made into a pie filling or something and canned? Thanks.

As galanie said, just like black berries. They can be used in everything: pancakes, Muffins, upside down cake, pie, jam ,and the most excellent of wine. I think they have the mouth feel of Styrofoam fresh, but once cooked they are so wonderful. I can not wait until our trees start to produce enough to can some.
You'll have purple fingers trying to remove that little stem end, but it is worth it.

 

[jomoncon]

Here are a couple of sugar-free jam recipes. I use the concentrated stevia from Sweetleaf like this one http://www.amazon.com/SweetLeaf-Stevia-Powder-4-Ounce-Shaker/dp/B001E5E3LW/ref=pd_sim_gro_22 but I'm thinking of switching to a concentrated liquid, like this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001EO6CPI/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The agave syrup that I use is this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002BCD2OG/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I use about 1 1/2 cups per batch. Sometimes the fruit is a little sweeter and needs less sweetener, Agave syrup is fine for diabetics.

I got most of my recipes from the website http://www.pickyourown.org Following the instructions under this page http://www.pickyourown.org/jamnosugar.htm They like to use only stevia, but I find that agave improves the taste.


Sugar Free Blueberry or Plum Jam
Yield: 7 half- pints

4 cups Crushed Blueberries or Plums
2 tablespoons Lemon Juice
1 cup Apple or White grape juice
1 package no-sugar pectin
1 1/2 tablespoon Stevia
Agave Syrup to taste

Put blueberries in pot with juice and lemon juice. Add pectin & stir thoroughly for several minutes until completely dissolved. Add stevia, again stirring until completely dissolved. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil hard for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add agave to taste. Fill jars to 1/4" from top. Boil 10 minutes.

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Sugar Free Strawberry Jam

Yield: 6 half-pints

4 cups Crushed Strawberries
1 package no-sugar pectin
1 tablespoon Stevia
Agave Syrup to taste

Directions:

Put strawberries in pot. Add pectin & stir thoroughly for several minutes until completely dissolved. Add stevia, again stirring until completely dissolved. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil hard for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add agave to taste. Fill jars to 1/4" from top. Boil 10 minutes.

 

[mlongworth]

Speaking of stevia i got one of these for mothers day. Anyone here know how to use it? I have no clue on how much in place of sugar and i assume you can dry it or powder it or something. Thanks.

 

[rancher hicks]

Jo - thank you for the recipes.

 

[3goodeggs]

Speaking of stevia i got one of these for mothers day. Anyone here know how to use it? I have no clue on how much in place of sugar and i assume you can dry it or powder it or something. Thanks.

I have a booklet on stevia, in it it uses it steeped in hot water... which I remember making it rather bitter, but they steeped dried leaves not fresh as I had done. Then kept the liquid in the refrigerator to use in geletins and beverages.
they also use dried stevia when cooking oatmeal or anything that you would sweeten in a pot.

The booklet is 90% on growing and propagating it and just a hand full of half hearted recipes in the back.

They also use it in pies but add cornstarch to make up for the viscosity that sugar would naturally add to the filling.
Baked custard,... really not much in this booklet for my tastes as I like the natural taste of my fruit and oatmeal.
If you want the custard , berry pie, or lemon pie recipe I will write it up for you. I grow it because it looks good in the herb garden, but I find I do not use it. I am a tea and oatmeal purist anyway.

The booklet says that it is 200 times sweeter than sugar. and it grows wild in Brazil. The booklet also says that you roughly use a teaspoon or two of dried stevia in place of a cup of sugar. They use it in pancakes, but I have never added sugar to my pan cakes, so I think this booklet is reaching for ways to use it.

 

[jomoncon]

With all the jams I've made, I've never made jelly. Last week, I got a large case of black plums and made jams with it. The grower mentioned that she'll be having red plums this week and that it makes wonderful jelly.

So I decided to try my hand at jelly making. So I took out the "bible", the Ball book of Home Preserving and read about how to juice plums. So, after picking up 25 pounds of plums this afternoon, DH and I stemmed, washed and cut up all the plums and gently boiled them for 20 minutes. We now have 3 large colanders lined with cheesecloth, draining plums! They've been draining fro about 2 hours now and we've poured off over a gallon of juice so far. It is a beautiful ruby red color and perfectly clear. I see a lot of plum jelly in our future!