Every summer I tell Rick that "this" year I am actually going to start canning. With all the pears, peaches, cherries, tomatoes and other veggies we grow around here some may think I should already be elbow deep in fruit peels and sugar syrup. Instead, I find reasons and excuses as to why I avoid it. This year I am determined to bottle up some fruit, boy that sounds familiar doesn't it?
Growing up I watched my mom can a number of different things. It seemed that as the temperature in the kitchen went up, so did my mom's temperament, sorry mom! Maybe that is why I avoid it...
My mother-in-law, until the last few years, was a one woman canning machine. She would put up quarts of green beans, pickled garlic, tomatoes, the best canned peaches-ever and the most beautiful canned pears. Every year she would win stacks of ribbons from the county fair. She also won a few trophies for her amazing pears. Several times I asked if I could help her, hoping to pick up her secrets in the process, only to arrive at her house at the 6am we agreed upon to find that she had already finished up. She was unable to sleep and started to can in the wee house of the morning.
Friday, I decided to throw caution to the wind and make some cherry juice. I picked a couple bowls of cherries, washed them and then threw them into my juicer thing. A little while later I was rewarded with 4 beautiful bottles of deep red juice. Since it was still fairly early in the day and the house wasn't too hot, I decided to make a couple more bottles. Lets just say I shouldn't have tempted fate. While in the other room I started to hear a sizzling noise so I quickly dashed back into the kitchen and found the hose leading out of my juicer had detached. Cherry juice had sprayed all over the floor, rivers had run down the face of the oven and huge puddles were burning on the stove top. I quickly wiped it all up making a sticker mess and continued with my juicing. I ended up with 9 bottles of juice and a somewhat sticky-free floor. Will I attempt to actually can something? Maybe. A friend just dropped off a huge box of fresh peaches.
5 comments:
How did the juice taste? Your dad suggested the other day that we try to make raspberry or blackberry juice. Maybe we will. Heather, I'm sorry that my temperment went up with the heat in the house. I think that that is why I don't do much (any) canning now. That and the fact that we don't seem to eat what I can. Then too, I am really busy now with raspberries during canning season. Of course you are really busy too. . .
What a great idea to make juice! my kids would really love that! I might try and make some apple juice or applesauce since my kids love them both so much!
Great job taking on canning projects!
The juice is a bit tart tasting on it's own. We like to fill a glass about 1/3 with it and fill it the rest of the way with sprite or 7up. Then it tastes really good! Probably looses some of the health benifits that way.
Mom, I think raspberry juice sounds really good. You could probably add that to lemonade. I may have to try the cherry juice with lemonade.
hey heather wantto come up here this week and hangout? we have ac!!!!
p.s. i love your new blog backdrop it is very cute!
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