Getting all the supplies ready to make jam. Boy, have canning supplies gone up! I was able to find some pectin on sale at Wal-Mart. Luckily I always watch for seals to go on sale after the season and pick them up for 99cents instead of $2.99 for 12 seals. I also have my own jars from years of canning. I pick up one or two packages of jelly jars very year after the fact for $5.00 so I can give these as gifts.
We will do apricot, strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, huckleberry, blueberry and mixed berry. Once we get going it takes four of us to keep the assembly line at full throttle. The jam is cooked in single batchs on the stove, then it is poured in sterile jars and water bathed. One of us cooks jam, one mixes new batches and sterilizes jars, one pours and transfers, one takes jars out of canners which are out on the back porch off the kitchen. We actually do the canning outside on as double burner gas camping stove.
We will do over 100 pints and laugh a lot. We make our husbands do the hot work outside! Hee! Hee!
I had three tooth fairies in the shop this morning. Too funny. My daughter and two other hygienists made these tooth fairy costumes with light up bling all over them. Long blue wigs and sparkly converse tennis shoes. I had to tack on their wings. They did a presentation for a large public nurses conference for the State school nurses. They had a dance it was hysterical.
Out My Window: I need to pick tomatoes, and I think I will hire a young man to pull weeds, but it is too hot right now. It is actually dangerous to be out too long.
I did get everything done on my list yesterday. I also have $390.00 saved for next week. So I will be able to go and relax, if I don't get blown over by a hurricane. I also rec'd $99.00 more on my paycheck for cleaning and daughter paid back $400.00 that she owes on her massive debt to us. So I will be able to pay most of the bills. You all told me I would get through okay but I was shaking.
Need to go hem four pairs of pants and take in three waists. So off to the salt mines.
I also need to clean the upstairs it is a hairy, dirty mess. Maybe change the sheets on the beds?
Have a great and productive day!
Kim
I used to make jam with my mum as a kid, it was a lot of fun and mess over a few days. nothing like home made jam on hot buttered toast!
ReplyDeleteYou are sure making up for lost time!! I'm spending my days getting ready for school - arranging my classroom and tons of paperwork at home. And its SO NICE outside...sigh. After I get my blog reading done I'm going to go sit outside and read; then go for a walk with Michael when he gets home:) There, I feel better already!
ReplyDeleteYum! Your post reminded me of my grandmother's homemade jam. And congrats on the unexpected money--that's always a nice treat!
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