Big Dreams :D

I have big dreams for the garden this year.....okay the canning part :)

Canning Marinara Sauce or Spaghetti Sauce

Canning Salsa

Tomato Soup

Vegetable Soup

Grapes.

Next we did grape jelly......a friend picked the grapes from their garden for us!

I made home made grape juice.....a lot of work for not much juice ;) The jury is still out as to if I would make home made juice again or make jelly again......I'll let you know the first time we pop it open LOL!!!!

Here is the recipe for that:
Grape Jelly (no pectin)

4 cups grape juice (about 3 1/2 pounds Concord grapes and 1/2 cup water)
3 cups sugar

To prepare juice: Select 1/4th firm-ripe and 3/4th fully-ripe grapes. Wash and stem grapes. Crush grapes. Add water; cover; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes. Strain juice through damp jelly bag or several layers cheesecloth. To prevent formation of tartrate crystals in jelly, let juice stand in a cool place 12 to 24 hours; strain again to remove crystals.
To prepare jelly: Put grape juice in a large saucepot. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Boil over high heat, stirring constantly, to 8 degrees F above the boiling point of water or until jelly mixture sheets from a spoon. Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary. ladle hot jelly into hot, sterilized jars,leaving 1/4th inch headspace. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 5 minutes in a boiling water canner.
Yield: about 4 half-pints.

Mary also makes grape jelly :) Here is her video for that! No home made juice ;) I just choose to make home made juice and to not use the pectin.......don't know why it's just a "thing" with me I guess!!!

Mary Ostyn - How to Make Grape Jelly from Mary Ostyn on Vimeo.

Tomatoes.

So today we harvested the tomatoes.......yea we got 2 Pints! BUT it was a trial run and would definitely do it again next year.......ya know the 3rd year is the charm!!!! :)

Here is what I did.......

Mary Ostyn: Canning tomatoes the easy way from Mary Ostyn on Vimeo.

Our Canning Firsts This Year!

For Sale On Amazon

If you are new to canning I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend this book!!!!!

Here and Here are the posts of Last Years Canning :) I won't re type and re find those links!
Last we did Apple Goody's and Raspberry Jam!! Mmmmmmmmm!!!

This year so far we have:

1. 13 Bags of Frozen Green Beans....some are from a friends garden and a few are ours! .....decided to freeze these instead of canning because I didn't want to invest the $100 in the pressure canner for just beans!! I may put that on my Christmas List this year!
   
2. 8 pints of Raspberry Jam
   
   
   
3. 6 Pints of Pickles....with Cucumbers from OUR GARDEN!!!!!!!
   

I used this recipe: from this site.

Sweet Garlic Dill Pickles
Put 1 garlic bud (1/8 tsp. garlic powder can be used)
big head of dill in bottom of quart jar.
slice pickles put into jar leaving 1/4 at top. (Slice about 1/8 inch thick (if too thin pickles won't be crisp)

Pour the following hot syrup on them:
2 cups water
3 cups sugar
2 cups vinegar
2 Tbsp. salt

Seal and put in canner or water bath. Bring to boil. Then turn off heat, remove lid and let set until cool. Ready to eat in 2 weeks. Makes 3-4 quarts.


Tomorrow's Project is Peach Jam!!