What are the odds that people recognized the reggae lyric in the title?
We made three batches of jam today, one plum and two blackberry. I also prepared a batch of plum puree for the next time we jam. Yesterday we went picking again; My Guy pointed out that while there is fruit to harvest, it makes more sense to harvest than can.
My dad wondered if canning jam was really a money saver. I know if I bought all new jars, and bought fruit, and paid full price for the lids and bands and pectin, it would definitely not be cost effective. Even with free fruit and low to no cost jars and bands and lids, it’s possible that the cost doesn’t beat out the cheapest grape jelly. I’m sure it’s competitive though, and you can’t really tie a ribbon around a jar of supermarket jelly as a little gift the same way you can with homemade.
For lunch we had a bread thrift store bake your own loaf, with some cheese left over from the camping weekend, and fresh jam. Delicious.
I am rolling in books. A Freecycle guy posted for “Wanted: Mystery Books.” I replied back that I had a few for him, and let him know about the buck a bag sale. He wasn’t able to make the sale, but he let me know of some authors he was interested in, and I kept an eye out for them, and we did a swap today. I have got a bunch of books to read.
I also have some books that might well be gifts. I’m not fond of hardbacks. I now it’s an oddity; at least it happens to be a cost effective quirk. I will put this nice stack of hardbacks by the gift pile. I like how Freecycle Guy and I are both ahead.
I did prepare a gift for a work friend. A very nice flannel nightgown that I have been assured is a "known" brand (garage sale); a good book (garage sale); and a batch of homemade cocoa, made with Splenda because she's doing Weight Watchers right now. The theme is a little bit of "Welcome Winter": here on the North Coast it's getting chilly and foggy.
I’m not sure why I haven’t closed out the August/Half Year books yet; I suppose I just haven’t been in the mood. The fascinating dollars and cents will have to come later.
We Hope You Like Jamming Too
September 3rd, 2006 at 10:46 pm
September 3rd, 2006 at 10:54 pm 1157320479
Nope, you can't tie a ribbon around a store bought jar. BUT, I've been known to fudge a gift or two...specially w/Strawberry Jam when I was in a financial jam. I took a jar that I'd gotten free w/coupons and poured it into small canning jars and then sealed them with canning wax that was here on hand, tied on ribbons (salvaged from past gifting events) and viola - 'thoughtful' gifts when before I had none to give!
Not for everyone though - the guilt might eat some of you up! ;}
September 3rd, 2006 at 11:11 pm 1157321461
Jacquelyn
September 4th, 2006 at 04:31 am 1157340685
September 4th, 2006 at 11:50 pm 1157410248
Add apples, especially unripe apples to the fruit as you cook it and you won't need to purchase pectin. If you have ripe apples, the pectin is concentrated close to the skins. So you can eat your apples fresh or use them for cooking, but peel and save the skins. Boil the skins and strain the mushy peels out of the boil water. This will give you a clear pectin solution to add to an other fruit....More specific directions will be in a recipe book or online.
Also there is a fruit called "quince apple" that is extremely high in pectin. It is not tasty to eat, but it is an excellent source of pectin for jams, jellies. One can grow it in a home garden, as did my mother and grandmother. They used wild fruits and orchard fruits to make jellies, and sealed the jars with paraffin wax, which could be endlessly melted and reused--no need to buy canning lids as long as sterile techniques was used.