Unconventional Thursday #496

[Lady's Human]

Canning is paused for the moment, needed a break.

Pickled green tomatoes is a great recipe for clearing your sinuses first thing in the morning.

Pickled beets, Okra, cukes, cauliflower, Stewed tomatoes, and canned peaches.

Jam was done a week ago or so.

More tomatoes on tap for later in the week. Chard steamed, packed and frozen, but more to go. Beans, okra, broccoli and squash frozen as well. Guess who won't be using the grocery store for veg much this winter? Still have spaghetti squash, acorn squash, butternut, beets, carrots and tomatoes going in the garden.

Only problem is that the slave labor force goes back to school thursday. On that note, I think I'm due for a glass of wine.

[pomtzu]

I haven't done very much canning since my kids were still home. About all I do now is Jalapeno pepper jelly in small quantities, but way back when, I did more. I always did a lot of strawberry preserves when the berries were in season, and then in late summer it was peach preserves. I did grape jam one year, but that was a real pain. Nothing like homemade preserves tho.

It just so happens I have a couple of jars of the Jalapeno jelly in the pantry. Anyone care to join me for some on crackers?

[RICHARD]

How's the canning going, Lady's Humans? Richard, you could make a trip North a few states and get hand's on lessons I am betting!

Most common newbie mistake in canning - filling the vessel too full, so there's no way for a vacuum to form for the seal!
Between my grandfather's gardens and ours we did a lot of canning this time of year! Currant jelly was one of my favorites - Grandpa Smith had currant bushes and we made some every year, clear and the color of dark garnets by the jarful. Sooooooooo much better than grape jelly for a peanut butter sandwich, too.

Oh,
My experience was so long ago it involved paraffin wax!

A few minutes of standing/watching and I probably could jump right in?

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LH,

I was slave labor once!

Wow, sounds like a good time, make it fun for the kids - they will remember it forever.

A glass of wine?

DONE!

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Pom.

Whacha drinking?

I'll pour.....shall we all repair to the veranda for a sunset?

DONE!
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[pomtzu]

Okay - I'm dating myself now, but when I first started canning, it was with paraffin wax too.

I'll join the crew on the veranda - no watching the sunset here today. It was an afternoon of torrential rain, and even a tornado touched down about 15 miles south of here. Not a good end to the holiday weekend for some poor folks. Gloomy and cloudy right now with more rain for tomorrow. I'd like a white wine please, with some good conversation among friends.

[RICHARD]

Okay - I'm dating myself now, but when I first started canning, it was with paraffin wax too.

I'll join the crew on the veranda - no watching the sunset here today. It was an afternoon of torrential rain, and even a tornado touched down about 15 miles south of here. Not a good end to the holiday weekend for some poor folks. Gloomy and cloudy right now with more rain for tomorrow. I'd like a white wine please, with some good conversation among friends.

I had a friend who use to say.....The sun always shines when you are cool..

I think you qualify..

Wine and done!!!!!

[Karen]

Pom, when I was a kid we used paraffin wax to seal the jellies, and I always liked seeing if I could sculpt something out of the cooling wax once we were done!

[pomtzu]

Pom, when I was a kid we used paraffin wax to seal the jellies, and I always liked seeing if I could sculpt something out of the cooling wax once we were done!

I hated sealing with wax! It was always challenging to get the wax off in one piece, and not leave wax crumbs on the top of the jelly! Even if I thought I got all the tiny pieces, the kids always managed to find a few that got left behind!

[Karen]

We got very good at doing a smooooooooth pour, so it usually came off all in one piece! That was always a victory! And it was fun popping any bubbles in the wax with a toothpick as quick as could be so the seal would be perfect!

[Lady's Human]

Using the paraffin was fun, the leftovers made really neat modeling clay while it was warm and hadn't completely soldified yet

I don't use it now, because it's so much easier with the modern canning jars and lids.

[Lady's Human]

Durnit, I swear we were done canning tomatoes......

and freezing green beans.

[Karen]

Durnit, I swear we were done canning tomatoes......

and freezing green beans.

Now, now, you know there's no such thing as "done" until hard frost hits!

[Lady's Human]

Yeah, but we went from no green beans in the fridge to 2 gallon ziplocs full, and went from a few tomatoes ready to stew to a breadbowl full in a couple days.