Found a vintage cast iron press at the swap meet. Score!
Category Archives: Canning
Gabriel Grape Jelly aka The Great Grape Experiment Part 2
Look at that man! See the happiness on his face? “Why is he so happy?” you ponder, “Is he back in Casa Erotica?” I wish! Who wouldn’t want that? I’d like to think that Gabriel is happy because he now has a jelly named after him. I mean, who wouldn’t be?? It’s sweet, sweet reward for just being so darn awesome!! Yes, I was successful at making grape jelly on the second attempt.
The Grape Jelly experiment and how I discovered jelly candy!!
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Grapes, grapes, grapes everywhere!!! What to do??? I decided to do what everyone else does, make some grape jelly! Most people associate grape jelly with Concord Grapes. While, commercial grape production dates back to the year 1000 B.C., it was not until 1854 that the Concord variety made its debut, appropriately named after the Massachusetts village of Concord where the first of its variety was grown. The Concord grape is a robust and aromatic grape whose ancestors were wild native species found growing in the rugged New England soil.
Canning 101
Canning 101, let’s get started.
Out of the corner of your eye, you see your mason jars sitting in the cabinet. A-ha! You realize that canning is a wonderful way to preserve your food while it’s in season so you can enjoy it after your garden is long dead and the food becomes horribly expensive at the market because it is out of season.
Either method of canning heats the food sufficiently, killing off any bad microorganisms and the vacuum seal prevents any air entering the jar that could cause bacteria to grow, spoiling your food. Canning stops time, locking in that freshness for months, if not years.
Methods of canning
Canning is way to stop time. Through the canning process, we can suspend the food at its peak freshness and flavor to enjoy at a later date.
Canning history and basics
If you have a garden you are probably up to your ears in fresh produce. As tomatoes and green beans pile up on your counter, you can’t help but ask yourself, “What do I do with all of it?” You turn to your freezer and slide away the frozen pizzas and meat and realize you won’t be able to fit it all in there. Now what? You could give some away to your neighbors, kids, leave some on the corner with a “Free” sign on it.
Radishes
Radish harvest!
Radishes grow best in full sun and are in season from April to June. There are many different varieties of radishes but these are just regular red radishes. found the white variety to be kind of woody.