What are you canning now?

[rancher hicks]

Well the bags of sugar aren't all that healthy anyhow. I want to learn about the wild food that is healthy...went to some talks through Slow Food, and there are books about foraging. Perhaps if my weeds understand that I will eat them they will be less likely to make themselves at home.

Now I did see a thing on the Tday show? They make jam sweetened with Chia seeds. Didn't look it up though. I wonder if other foods could be used? Perhaps Sweet Potatoes.

Most sugar free jams are freezer types.

 

[rancher hicks]

HOW DO I STOP THESE VIDEO ADS???? THEY ARE SLOWING DOWN MY COMPUTER. I REFUSE TO BUY FROM COMPANIES WITH ANNOYING ADS!

 

[3goodeggs]

Quote: My scuppernog jelly was a very gentle set. It did not keep the set for long after a year it was liquid again and I used it in the baked beans,. That was so good I will make the jelly just for using in baked beans instead of brown sugar, or molasses.

I made watermelon jelly a few years back. I like it fresh best. It is such a delicate flavor that he sugar overwhelmed it in my opinion.

I always used the word 'gofer ' as someone who is someone else's toady. 'Go-for", but I looked up goofer and it is hoodoo dust. Poisonous spells.
With a name like Conjure, I would expect it to be that meaning.

 

[speckledhen]

Since we had to go into Tennessee yesterday anyway, we took a detour to the Amish market to buy bell peppers, which didn't do well for us this year. Need those for the salsa. We got some gorgeous huge bells, some jalapenos to supplement the six on our one plant that did well and picked up some Roma beans to can. We never saw any of those this year and we did just plant Contender bush beans but in case they don't do well, at least we now have 7 pints of Roma beans put away. We cleaned them out of all they had in the bin, about 4.5 lb.

 

[3goodeggs]

Roma beans are my favorite. I never really thought about beans having distinctive tastes, but they do.
I may have to buy my vegetables this year too.

 

[speckledhen]

Roma beans are my favorite. I never really thought about beans having distinctive tastes, but they do.
I may have to buy my vegetables this year too.

Interesting how some veggies did super well and others that usually do, didn't. I'm starting to pick the big sandwich tomatoes now. The Rio Grande salsa tomatoes are still not ripe but should be any day now. I have cantaloupe! Never been able to grow it and have only one plant, but hey, there are several tiny melons on it now. The Silver Queen hybrid corn is ready to pick, for the most part, but the Peaches & Cream corn, though getting tassels, is fairly short. That ground was just tilled, not amended, not a former compost pile, so it was only an experiment anyway.

Anyone seen anybody sell honeydew melon, seed or plants, other than buying online? I love honeydew but have never located any around here. Obviously, it's too late this year. Leaves are turning and falling on my driveway already! Yesterday was when I first noticed it, earliest I've seen it here.

 

[Peep_Show]

Did eight half-pints of gooseberry jam today. Labor intensive because you have to pinch off the stem and blossom tail from the berries.

 

[rancher hicks]

Did eight half-pints of gooseberry jam today. Labor intensive because you have to pinch off the stem and blossom tail from the berries.

How did you like it? I did some and it was way too tart. I bought a Pineapple to add to it. I plan to dump it recook it adding the pineapple.

My recipe called for 7 cups of Gooseberries. I'd done them up and froze them last year or so.

Mixed with other berries gooseberries are fine. I use a pair of scissors to snip the ends off.

Unfortunately I only got about 21/2 cups of red currants off my own bushes. I have 2 cups in the freezer that I picked so I'll have enough for some jelly.

I fear my bushes will start to take off producing enough and we'll have to sell and move into an apartment.

Do you know anything about growing currants? I have a bush the previous owner tossed into the woods that is growing. I'd like to move it to fill the spot vacant by a black currant bush that did not make it. It's a red but at least I'd have something there. Can I transplant it now? I saw one lone berry on it.

 

[Peep_Show]

I know nothing about currants.

 

[Peep_Show]

Jam is fine. I waited for the berries to turn deeper than garnets. The jam is very dark and, well, jammy.

Last year I did a mixed berry batch of gooseberries, blueberries and raspberries. It was pretty good. However, I have friends from England (now living in USA) who are craving pure gooseberry. Guess it's a Brit thing..... Wake up the taste buds.