What are you canning now?

[KenK]

I had a blue hubbard squash that I quartered and roasted in a 350 oven for about an hour. Cut the meat out of the rind and cut it up into one inch cubes and froze it using food saver bags.

I haven't thawed and eaten a package yet so it maybe terrible.

 

[krcote]

Quote:
I did something similar with a Cinderella Squash last year, but I cooked it enough to scoop into containers and freeze. Just ate the last of it this week

 

[BarefootMom]

Making Pear Honey today!

Picked the first pears of the season, they aren't quite ripe but according to my Great-Grandmother's notes that you need HARD pears for the honey. It is just amazing that I am making pear honey from the pears that are growing on the last pear tree in my Great-Grandmother's orchard. It has never failed at producing pears, no telling how old this tree is! Dad thinks she planted it, but my grandmother thinks that my Great-Great Grandmother planted it. My parent's house has been there since 1894, my great-grandmother was born in 1899 and died in 1984 (1 year before I was born). Anyhow, knowing my great-grandmother was known for pear honey, and making it today is just really special to me. Creates a new feeling of Pride.

 

[rancher hicks]

Quote:
That sounds really cool. Didn't get nothing from my grandparents. Well I do crochet and for a guy that might seem weird but my grandmother used to crochet. In fact I have a piece of her work right here on the desk.

Anyhow you need to post that recipe so we all can carry it on. Does it contain more than pears. I just bought a jar of honey. I hope to put up a hive or two.

Rancher

 

[BarefootMom]

Quote:
My grandma used to make pear honey... it was sooo good!! But I haven't had access to pears in a long time. I would love to make soon. You won't believe that bees did not produce this stuff!!

Really simple to make -

Pear Honey

8 cups peeled, cored and chopped pears
1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
8 cups white sugar

Place chopped pears into a large pot, and pour pineapple juice over them to prevent them from browning. Stir in sugar, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir frequently to prevent scorching. When the pears are at a full boil, reduce heat to medium, and cook until the mixture is the color and texture of honey. The longer you cook it, the thicker it gets. Cooking time is usually 2 to 3 hours. (Can do this in a large crock pot too...)
Ladle into hot sterile jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of the top. Wipe rims with a clean damp cloth, and seal jars with lids and rings. Process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes, or the amount of time recommended by your local extension for your area.

Yield- 4 pints

That is pear honey. Doesn't it sound good?

 

[rancher hicks]

Quote:
yes but all the recipes I found are for freezer jam

I am going to use some for 3 gallons of Peach Elderberry Wine mmmmmm!

Well here you go then:

Peach Melba Jam Recipe

This jam can be enjoyed as soon as it is cool enough to eat. Place some in a glass or ceramic container in the refrigerator and can the rest.

Ingredients

4 cups of pitted, chopped up fresh peaches
1 cup of raspberries, fresh or frozen
Juice of one lemon
1 - 2 cups sugar

To Make the Jam

Chop up whole peaches and put in large cooking pot.
Squeeze juice of one lemon and strain out seeds.
Add lemon juice to peaches
Mash peaches and lemon juice well with a potato masher.
Turn on heat and bring to a boil over medium heat.
Cover and simmer for ten minutes, stirring occasionally.
Now stir in raspberries and sugar.
Increase heat to medium high
Boil rapidly and stir often for 20 - 25 minutes (if jam seems to get thick sooner, it is okay to boil and stir for less time.)
Remove from heat and skim off of foam.
Proceed with canning.

Canning

When cooking a large batch of jam to can, it is best to start sterilizing jars and lids before starting to prepare the jam. This ensures that the jars will be both clean and hot when the jam is ready to be poured into them.

Sterilize canning jars and lids. This can be done by boiling for ten minutes, or by following manufacturer's instructions.
Place jars and lids in a large pot of water and bring to boil.
Also heat water in the canner while making peach melba jam.
Let jars and lids sit in hot or boiling water while making peach melba jam.
When jam is ready, remove jars from water with tongs.
Ladle hot jam into hot jars.
Affix lids according to manufacturer's instructions.
Process in hot water bath canner for at least ten minutes.

This recipe will yield four to five half pint jars of peach melba jam.

Well lord have mercy, I had to print a lot to get this recipe but I did it. Approximately how many peaches do I need? Oh and should the berries be 1 cup mashed real good or just one cup unmushed? I can't wait to make this I'm so excited.

Thanks so much.

Rancher

 

[rancher hicks]

Now I have another question and maybe someone here who grows their own can help me.

Country max had berry plants on sale $2 each so i got 3 gooseberry, 2 red currant and 5 raspberry.

1. Any idea how much of a yield I should expect from this many plants? I had hoped the currants should be enough for a large family. Even though it's just me and DW, I do give away alot of jelly.

3. Will two gooseberry plants be enough?

2. How many raspberry plants should I get ( I hope to get more) and can I plant this in a 50' row or do I have to plant them like corn in more than one row? Will 50' row have enough plants for a large family? If not how many plants should I buy? At $2 each I could get a lot.

Thanks,

Rancher

Oh and any advice on how to plant these things? I will do a google search but maybe someone here has some pointers to getting a good yield.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
Well here you go then:

Peach Melba Jam Recipe

This jam can be enjoyed as soon as it is cool enough to eat. Place some in a glass or ceramic container in the refrigerator and can the rest.

Ingredients

4 cups of pitted, chopped up fresh peaches
1 cup of raspberries, fresh or frozen
Juice of one lemon
1 - 2 cups sugar

To Make the Jam

Chop up whole peaches and put in large cooking pot.
Squeeze juice of one lemon and strain out seeds.
Add lemon juice to peaches
Mash peaches and lemon juice well with a potato masher.
Turn on heat and bring to a boil over medium heat.
Cover and simmer for ten minutes, stirring occasionally.
Now stir in raspberries and sugar.
Increase heat to medium high
Boil rapidly and stir often for 20 - 25 minutes (if jam seems to get thick sooner, it is okay to boil and stir for less time.)
Remove from heat and skim off of foam.
Proceed with canning.

Canning

When cooking a large batch of jam to can, it is best to start sterilizing jars and lids before starting to prepare the jam. This ensures that the jars will be both clean and hot when the jam is ready to be poured into them.

Sterilize canning jars and lids. This can be done by boiling for ten minutes, or by following manufacturer's instructions.
Place jars and lids in a large pot of water and bring to boil.
Also heat water in the canner while making peach melba jam.
Let jars and lids sit in hot or boiling water while making peach melba jam.
When jam is ready, remove jars from water with tongs.
Ladle hot jam into hot jars.
Affix lids according to manufacturer's instructions.
Process in hot water bath canner for at least ten minutes.

This recipe will yield four to five half pint jars of peach melba jam.

Well lord have mercy, I had to print a lot to get this recipe but I did it. Approximately how many peaches do I need? Oh and should the berries be 1 cup mashed real good or just one cup unmushed? I can't wait to make this I'm so excited.

Thanks so much.

Rancher

8 or so peaches, depending on size. I just chop til I get 4 cups.
For the raspberries - I smash, then measure a cup.


I hope you enjoy it as much as I do - it's certainly at the top of my list. I'll be making it soon too - I picked 5 gallons of peaches and they are almost ready. (didn't want the birds getting them, so I picked them) I've made this recipe with nectarines too, it's just as yummy.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Rancher............I think I started with 6 raspberry plants. You want to take the blossoms off the first year to promote root growth. (very hard to do) From those original 6 planted, they sent up suckers, so I have much more than 6 plants now. It's about a 10 foot long row now. (I have to pull the ones that pop up where I don't want them) I'm currently picking a strawberry basket full every couple of days. (the plants are on the 2nd harvest)

Mine are Heritage raspberries. In the fall I cut the dead stalks to the ground. The live stalks I prune back some. Those are the first canes to produce in the spring. Then the new shoots that come up produce the late summer/early fall crop.

 

[rancher hicks]

Happy - thanks.

I needed to know about how many peaches cuz I'll buy them at the farmers market and I'm not sure how many fit into those little baskets.

The raspberry plants I bought are "Boyne" . According to the Maine Ag posting they are a good variety and hardy for Maine so they should be good here. I'm going to get some more tomorrow. I'm really pumped. I spent over $60 for berries this year so if I can grow my own that will be really good.

I can get some yellow raspberries for the peach melba , will that be ok?

You know everyone loves it when they get home made stuff. I'm sure for you it's not to hard. For me it's the clean up. Lord have mercy I get the stuff everywhere.

But I do like doing it.

I'm retired and DW still works. It's not her thing but she is a great cook with the stuff I make. She used the raspberry jam for the filling in a wedding cake she made. She's so funny.

Thanks so much , I have learned so much from this site.

Rancher