To make jellies, you have to cook the fruit, leave it to strain overnight, add sugar, then cook again – I had four sessions doing that, and made four jars of redcurrant and four of gooseberry jellies.
Redcurrant Jelly - so clear you can see right through it.
Yesterday and today I have been making raspberry and redcurrant jam – until I ran out of jam jars.
That seemed to put an end to my preserve making – until I had a idea.
I made a ‘Wanted Jam Jar’ poster and put it through some of my neighbours’ letter boxes.
This resulted in 8 jam jars, left in my porch within fifteen minutes! If I end up with a mountain of them Pat will surely moan – but I can always recycle them.
But I have cooked 20 lbs of the fruit I harvested up the allotment - but with more to do.
Here is a selection of what I have made.
Raspberry and Redcurrant Jam
Gooseberry Jelly - turned from green to pink, once it cooled
Redcurrant Jelly - when you hold it up to the light is so clear and like a ruby.
All I need to do now is to make labels, buy some material for frilly 'hats' to make them look pretty. I still haven't finished making fancy tops for the other 20 or so marmalades, jams, and chutneys I did with all the rhubarb.
May I ask what you do with the jams. ? Do you sell them, give them away or use them yourself ?
ReplyDeleteNo rain so far.
176 - DRUZBA 90 days – This densely foliaged Bulgarian heirloom bears plenty of 12 ounce fruit throughout the season! The fruits measure 4 inches across, and are bright red with a high acid content - giving it that robust “real tomato” flavor! Resistant to most foliage diseases. Indeterminate vines. this is the tomato i planted, i wanted a tomato like we had before the seed co. started pushing red golf ball cardboard tomatoes on us. your jelly looks great.
ReplyDeletei would think all those people want jelly for their jars.
ReplyDeletethe cooper hawk or chicken hawk eats birds and will dine on chickens if they can get to them.
ReplyDeleteKaren - This is the first year that my fruit bushes have had fruit, so I have not made so much as I am doing now since my children were small. I do make lots of marmalade, and boozy mincemeat.
ReplyDeleteI never sell any - I usually give it to my family, friends, etc. This year I hope to barter with some of my jam for apples later in the season.
I will use some myself over the winter, and of course donate some to good causes to raise money.
Patsy - thanks for all the information.
Off to bed now
Beautiful jars full of beautiful colors and, I'm sure, delicious tastes. Canning and looking at the beauty is one of my absoluted favorite things to do. Thanks for showing me your work. I only wish I could taste it.
ReplyDeleteHi AL, your preserves look good, bet they taste good too!
ReplyDeleteRe fabric for the jar tops, I can give you some suitable fabrics, let me know if you'd like me to send them to you, it would be less stuff to move with me LOL!
Talking of moving.... should know today if the owner of the bungalow is going to let me rent for a few months or not and how much, then have to talk to my boss about a transfer to another care centre. I'm now on day shifts too, so more 'normal' hours will be kept, let's hope I can get into a better sleep pattern than of late!
The rains came here at 5.19 pm but you probably don't really want to here that do you unless you have had the same. Have looked at the forcast for your area and you should !!! be due rain tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteHave been going through your blog from the start. You really are dedicated and obviously get so much pleasure from it all. Makes my small potager look feeble. I took up all my onions and garlic today ( about 30 garlic and the same of onions ) and put in 3 Aubergines, 2 tomatoes to make a total of 16 tomato plants in all and there are 5 peppers and 2 chillies waiting to go in. 2 Butternut Squash waiting for the new potatoes to come out.
Oooooooooooooooooh the jars looked lovely!
ReplyDeleteI have never tasted proper fruit jelly!
Will have to have a go now!
Could I use sugar substitute do you think?
Hope all was OK at hospital.
Dx
Your jaam & jelly look wonderful. The redcurrant jelly really glows in the sunshine!
ReplyDeleteLottie your jellies are perfect! So clear you can see through them.
ReplyDelete