What to do w Blueberries, Cherries & Strawberries? Make Jam!

I make jam with the blueberries that I manage to get, after the deer are through with my bushes, lol... The same goes for my strawberry plants, although for this shinny red fruit; it is the birds I have to watch.

In this jar I let each layer cool between applications. It has all three types of berries (Cherry, strawberry and blueberry) in three layers:

 I have planted apple, plum, and peach trees. I have yet to plant a cherry one, so I purchased a variety of three types of cherries from my grocery store to make this cherry jam.  

Recipe for Cherry Jam:

Cherry Jam Ingredients:
4 lbs pitted cherries
6 1/4 C's sugar
2 pouches pectin
1 teaspoon butter

Directions:
1. Sterilize jars:
Sterilize jars & lids in boiling water for 15 minutes.
I do the lids and jars separately; the jars take longer to come to a boil than the lids. It also makes it easier to grab the lids with the tongs.

Use jar lifting tongs to not burn your hands when putting jars into or when taking jars out of hot water. Place hot jars on paper towels to drain after you boil them.
2. Wash, drain and remove stem's and pit's of cherries. Rough chop.

I used my pitter to make it easier.

3. Combine Fruit and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. (A boil that does not stop when your stir it).
4. Add one teaspoon of butter, it will help to keep the foam down.

5. Add pectin quickly. Return to a full rolling boil for one minute.

Here is a pic of different kinds of pectin that you can find at the grocery:

 I strongly suggest using a kitchen timer as shown in the upper right corner of this picture:

6. Pour hot jam in "still warm" jars. Fill to within 1/4 of an inch from the  top of jar.

I use a funnel and a measuring cup for this:

7. Place lids on jars.

8. Place lids and screw on top. Replace filled jars into hot water bath with 1 to 2 inches of water covering the jars and boil for an additional 15 minutes. This will seal your jam so that you can keep it unrefrigerated until opening it; the shelf life is one year. After opened, it needs to be keep in the refrigerator.

Recipe for Strawberry Jam:

Strawberry Jam Ingredients:

4 C's of crushed strawberries

7 C's sugar

1 pouch of pectin

Directions:

1. Sterilize jars:
Sterilize jars & lids in boiling water for 15 minutes.

 Using Tongs to put the hot jars on paper towels to drain. (You must move fast because you want to keep the jars warm when you add the liquid jam).

 Lids are boiled separately to make it easier to grab them and they boil quicker than jars. I start jars first.

2. Wash, drain and remove stems from strawberries with a stem tool, or use a paring knife. Roughly chop. Then take a potato masher and mash one cup at a time.

3. Combine Fruit and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. (A boil that does not stop when your stir it).

4. Add one teaspoon of butter, it will help to keep the foam down.

Otherwise, skim off the foam with a large spoon. And be careful it does not boil over... can be messy if it does.

5. Add pectin quickly. Return to a full rolling boil for one minute.

6. Pour hot jam in "still warm" jars. Fill to within 1/4 of an inch from the top of jar.

I use a funnel and a measuring cup for this; adding jam quickly into warm jars:

7. Place lids on top of jars.

8. Place lids and screw on top. Replace filled jars into hot water bath with 1 to 2 inches of water covering the jars and boil for an additional 15 minutes.

This will seal your jam so that you can keep it unrefrigerated until opening it; the shelf life is one year. After opened, it needs to be keep in the refrigerator.

Recipe for Blueberry Jam:

Blueberry Jam Ingredients:
4 1/2 C's crushed blueberries
7 C's sugar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 pouch pectin
Directions:
1. Sterilize jars:
Sterilize jars & lids in boiling water for 15 minutes.
Using Tongs to put the hot jars on paper towels to drain. (You must move fast because you want to keep the jars warm when you add the liquid jam).

2. Wash, drain and discard stems. Roughly crush blueberries one cup at a time with potato masher.

3. Combine Fruit, lemon juice and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. (A boil that does not stop when your stir it).  

4. Add one teaspoon of butter, it will help to keep the foam down.

Otherwise, skim off the foam with a large spoon. And be careful it does not boil over... can be messy if it does.

5. Add pectin quickly. Return to a full rolling boil for one minute.

6. Pour hot jam in "still warm" jars. Fill to within 1/4 of an inch from the top of jar. I use a funnel and a measuring cup for this; adding jam quickly into warm jars.

7. Place lids on jars.

8. Place lids and screw on top. Replace filled jars into hot water bath with 1 to 2 inches of water covering the jars and boil for an additional 15 minutes.

This will seal your jam so that you can keep it unrefrigerated until opening it; the shelf life is one year. After opened, it needs to be keep in the refrigerator.

For Pickles see: http://lisakramerartlifestyle.blogspot.com/2011/07/using-cukes-from-garden-how-to-make.html

Using Cukes from garden; How to Make Pickles: Kosher Dill & Bread n Butter.

I have been harvesting cucumbers from my garden and I love to can. Yum, crisp, tasty pickles from my kitchen to yours.

There is nothing like eating canned goods, that you grew while the weather was warm, in the winter. I can in a method that allows the jars to remain unrefrigerated on a shelf, until opened. Once opened, the seal is broke and they need refrigeration.

 ...Just what to do with all those jucy green cukes from your garden? I love pickles! Yummy...

I like to use pint size jars for canning pickles. I bought these at Publix.

This year I am making my cucumbers differently. I did the usual old fashioned recipes. But, I also (for the first time) am trying some of the store bought preparations to see if the pickles are better or worse. I like the idea of no preservatives. Canning is all about preserving food with the use of salt and pressure sealed jars. However, my husband mentioned he liked his pickles crisp, so I tried using Ball's (stay crisp) Pickle Mixes. I will let you know, after a few months how they taste and the differences.

The Old Fashioned recipe for Bread and Butter Pickles, without any preservatives:

Ingredients:

• 4 pounds cucumbers
• 1 large sweet onion, quartered, or sliced about 1/4-inch thickness
• 1/3 cup kosher salt
• 3 cups cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
• 3/4 Tablespoon coriander seed
• 1 Tablespoon  yellow mustard seeds
• Or use Pickling Spice to your taste
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

Directions:
1. Cut cucumbers into wedges or slices for burgers (I do both; wedges for eating alone and slices for burgers).

2. Slice onions into wedges or slices.You can see a candle burning, it will burn the fumes of the cut onion, so that it will not burn my eyes while cutting. I also leave the root intact until the last cut, that is where most of the fumes are.
3. Place cut up produce in a colander with the salt added. Place into a sink, or bowl to collect the water that will accumulate. Add ice on top, let sit for 3to 4 hours, allowing the salt to get the water out of the cucumbers, or you may refrigerate overnight.
4. Sterilize jars & lids in boiling water for 15 minutes.
I do the lids and jars separately; the jars take longer to come to a boil than the lids. It also makes it easier to grab the lids with the tongs.

Use jar lifting tongs to not burn your hands when putting jars into or when taking jars out of hot water. Place hot jars on paper towels to drain after you boil them.
5. In a large pan, combine vinegar through red pepper flakes (the next 7 - 8 ingredients) and bring to a boil.

6. In "still warm jars" place cucumbers and onions into jars.
7. Pour hot vinegar mixture over the cucumbers in the jars; keep 1/4 of an inch from top of jar open with no liquid or cucumbers.
8. Place lids on with a light screw on top. Replace filled jars into hot water bath and boil for an additional 15 minutes. See the jars are underwater with lids on ready to bring the water back to a boil to seal and preserve the contents of the jar for a shelf life. ;-)
9. Remove pickles to cool and label with date. Wait 2-3 months before eating for best results.

The Quick method using Ball's Bread & Butter Pickle Mix:

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 lbs cucumbers cut into wedges or slices
• 1 large sweet onion cut into slices or quartered
• 2 1/2 C vinegar
• 2 1/2 C sugar
• 1/4 C Ball Bread & Butter Pickle Mix

Directions:
1. Cut cucumbers and onion into slices or wedges. 
2. Combine in a large pan vinegar through pickle mix (next 3 ingredients), and bring to a boil.
3. Sterilize jars & lids in boiling water for 15 minutes.

4.  In "still warm jars" place cucumbers and onions into jars.
5. Pour hot vinegar mixture over the cucumbers in the jars; keep 1/4 of an inch from top of jar open with no liquid or cucumbers.
6. Place lids on with a light screw on top. Replace filled jars into hot water bath and boil for an additional 15 minutes.

7. Remove pickles to cool and label with date. Wait 2-3 months before eating for best results.

Old Fashioned, no preservative Kosher Dill Pickles:

Ingredients:

• 4 lbs cucumbers cut into wedges or slices
• 1 large onion cut into slices or wedges
• 45 heads or dill stalks, (I use 3 per pint jar). I grow them in my garden and just cut them off as a whole plant; however, you can purchase fresh dill at the grocery store in the produce section.
• 1/3 C kosher salt or even less, my family is not a fan of a strong salty taste).
• 4 C's cider vinegar
• 4 C's water
• 3/4 of a heaping C of sugar
• 3 Tbl Pickling Spice
• 5 bay leaves
• 8 cloves of garlic
• 2 Tablespoons of mustard seed

Directions:
1. Wash and cut cucumbers into either wedges or slices (I do both, one for hamburgers and the wedges for eating alone).
2. Slice onion in slices for burgers, or quarter them.I burn a candle whenever I cut onions; it will burn the fumes from the onion...keeping your eyes from tearing. ;-)
3. Sterilize jars & lids in boiling water for 15 minutes.
4. In a large pan, combine salt through mustard seeds (the last 8 ingredients) and bring to a boil.
6. In "still warm jars" place cucumbers and onions into jars. Put 3 Dill heads into each jar and distribute the cooked garlic heads too (just make sure to even it out, so that one jar does not get all the garlic).
7. Pour hot vinegar mixture over the cucumbers in the jars; keep 1/4 of an inch from top of jar open with no liquid or cucumbers.
8. Place lids on with a light screw on top. Replace filled jars into hot water bath and boil for an additional 15 minutes.

9. Remove pickles to cool and label with date. Wait 2-3 months before eating for best results.

The Quick method using Ball's Kosher Dill Pickle Mix:

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 lbs cucumbers cut into wedges or slices
• 1 large sweet onion cut into slices or quartered
• 1 C vinegar
• 2 C's water
• 1/4 C Ball Kosher Dill Pickle Mix

Directions:
1. Cut cucumbers and onion into slices or wedges.

2. Combine in a large pan vinegar through pickle mix (next 3 ingredients), and bring to a boil.
3. Sterilize jars & lids in boiling water for 15 minutes.Remember to use tongs when handling hot jars and lids. 
4. In "still warm jars" place cucumbers and onions into jars.
5. Pour hot vinegar mixture over the cucumbers in the jars; keep 1/4 of an inch from top of jar open with no liquid or cucumbers.
6. Place lids on with a light screw on top. Replace filled jars into hot water bath and boil for an additional 15 minutes.
7. Remove pickles to cool and label with date. Wait 2-3 months before eating for best results.

EnJoY!!! ;-)

To make Jam, see: http://lisakramerartlifestyle.blogspot.com/2011/07/what-to-do-w-blueberries-cherries.html