My mom has always been a jam maker. Back when I was little and my family lived in Los Angeles, we had several plum trees in the yard. Every year (that they produced fruit, they occasionally took a season off), she would cook up multiple batches of jam. Of course, that jam rarely jammed, mostly because she couldn't bring herself to use the amount of sugar necessary to activate the pectin.
The years passed and we found ourselves living in Oregon, land of wild blackberries and cheap, pick-your-own blueberries. My mom kept trying, came to terms with the necessary sugar and turned out jar after jar of gorgeous, richly colored jam. There were a couple of years there where she even made enough to sell at a local craft fair.
These days, everyone is making jam, putting my mom on the cutting edge of this particular trend. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, home canning (and home canning hobbies turned artisanal businesses) are back. I, for one, can speak to the satisfaction of having canning projects succeed. I made some apple butter last fall that I canned as holiday gifts and hearing the distinctive binging sound as the jars sealed was most delightful.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-30-2008 @ 3:26PM
Rita said...
I taught myself how to can a few years back, and to date it's one my favorite things to do in the kitchen.
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5-30-2008 @ 6:45PM
Julie said...
It can be a lot of work but more than worth it especially these days. Bushels of produce are so affordable at the farmer's market versus the grocery store, it is time to save money and preserve our food.
http://www.noshtalgia.blogspot.com/
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5-30-2008 @ 8:17PM
Red Icculus said...
I love canning. It is the only way to keep local produce around longer.
http://red-icculus.com
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6-03-2008 @ 3:39PM
Savas Abadsidis said...
Canning not only tastes better but it's one of the most fun and cathartic activities I've learned... and I find that I always wow my friends when they see what I've done!
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