The little birds...

If you watch little birds you will see they are busy and happy! Using whatever they can find they create the most gorgeous little nest.
I would be the little bird with some glittery thread in her nest!
We can be like this. Happily working away with the things that are available to us to create a beautiful and happy home.
All the while with a little song in our heart.

Banner by Free Pretty Things for You.

Sunday 24 September 2017

Pantries and Preparedness. Other ways to do things.


Recently we had  a post by Vicky on pasta making and a post by Rachel on Ravioli.  Both got lots of comments and the number one comment was that people thought you need specialist equipment to make pasta and it was tricky and this had prevented any attempts at all!  To find out no special equipment is needed has unleashed lots of new pasta makers amongst us!

This is true with many things. Yes there are new gadgets to make all kinds of things easier but our Grandmothers generally didn't have them and many generations before them didn't either but they got on just fine! In fact they probably produced very fine products!

Also across many areas I have noticed that different countries and cultures do things differently!   I have a funny story about this.  In my forties I ended up having to have a hysterectomy.  I fought that for years mind you.  Anyway after this I asked the specialist if I could have baths or not?  She said in Australia we say no, you have to have showers for three months.  But in England you can have baths. So if you want to have a bath just pretend to be in England.  No kidding, this was the specialist! hahaha!  Well I never could imagine I was in England so I had showers for three miserable months (as I hate showers).

Until I started this blog I never knew that in the US jams, relishes, chutneys etc are canned.  Generations and generations here have never canned these things!  This could make some people flip but this is just the truth of it.  If this is true for you and you are set up to can then keep doing what you are doing. It is not an argument it is just seeing how things are done in other countries.
But if you would love to make preserves and do not have the funds to do so or you think you don't have the funds or special equipment then this post could be like the pasta post!  You may be able to make many more things than you dreamed of!

Over to beautiful Rachel to go further:


     --  THE LIBERTY OF  ....  BOTTLING WITH RESCUED GROCERY JARS!  --
                                                        OR
                                --   BOTTLING FROM SCRATCH!  --



I firmly believe that we, as homemakers, can find ways to preserve our produce with little or no monetary outlay. I own brand name preserving jars, but have known the necessity of avoiding the cost of buying the accessories for these. Living in Queensland, I have also needed a way to keep kitchen products like choko pickles and jams (usually stored in recycled grocery jars, anyway) as long term provisions not reliant on refrigeration.

Bottling (an Australian term!) with rescued grocery jars  -- with metal lids -- is now a treasured concept of mine! Allow me to share my humble findings! .....




To this day, I remember an article, featuring a commercial kitchen, torn from an old magazine during my childhood. I can still picture the large recycled (grocery) jars of tomatoes nestled carefully in a large cooking pot, and protected against the buffeting of simmering water by using kitchen towels as packing! 

Jembella Farm also has preserving methods for such recycled jars (an example of their work shown at ....

With these in mind, I referred to the USDA (US Department of Agriculture) data, which provides detailed preserving information (i.e. water bath processing time) for particular crops, jar sizes, and elevation above sea level.

I can summarise with a generalised method which levels the mountains of confusion! This is suitable for acidic foods that have a pH value of 4.6 or less.



I love to use the simple 'hot pack' method!! 

Firstly, I cook my preserves-to-be in my usual cooking pots, and, once cooked, keep them hot. (This means less wasted  jar space, compared to running the whole cooking process through the water bath method, which leaves space as the fruit cooks and compacts!)

Secondly, I have my olive oil can (with a protective false floor made using the base of another olive oil can - cut out with a can opener - elevated by egg rings [or canning rings, US]) containing gently simmering water. 



Thirdly, I use a two dollar op shop saucepan containing simmering water to heat the rescued grocery jars and lids. I use a saucepan lid, and roll the jars to distribute the heat from the simmering water! The jars and lids must be without damage, to facilitate a good seal. This step is not about sterilisation of the jars, but, rather, heating them!




What then?

Using jar tongs that one is comfortable with, remove the hot jars and lids from their saucepan, and fill with the hot cooking - to 6mm/quarter inch from the rim. Clean the jar rims with only dry cloths, to prevent sudden changes in temperature, and place the metal lids onto the jars. Then, using the jar tongs again, submerge each filled jar carefully into the olive oil can of gently simmering water so that the jar is covered with one or two inches of water. As an average (i.e. a typical pasta sauce jar), the processing time in the hot water bath is ten minutes. Remove the processed jars, and sit overnight on an insulated wooden board/thick towel/wad of newspaper out of any drafts! During the cooling process, the lids should "pop"! and form an effectual seal!


One tip -- if a jar seals too well (which means it cannot be opened by ordinary methods!), I turn it up-side-down in an enamelled cup of heating water (sitting on an egg ring would be safer if using anything more than gentle heat!) to allow the metal lid to absorb heat and expand. Then the lid can be opened as usual!

If you like what you see, I encourage you to give bottling with rescued grocery jars a go! 



Thank you so much Rachel.  As usual your photos are beautiful. And there you are preserving with what you have and doing a very good job! 


Jane sent me a photo of her preserves just the other day.  She uses the sterilisation method I do for jam and she water bath seals the relishes and chutney...



Your shelf of preserves look beautiful Jane! 

Most of my jam is made in the microwave, unless I have a particularly large batch to make.  For generations we have been big jam makers.  Both my Nan's loved having fruit!  Jars were saved always!  My microwave method is here: Easy Jam Making.   This is not canned.  Jars are sterilised and sealed when the jam goes into them boiling.  This keeps years.  I would have made well past the hundreds of jars of jam in my life time this way, I am probably into the 1000's by now! 



Also... I have never figured out why people buy pectin.  Many recipes I see contain pectin.  I have no understanding why.  I always add a little fresh lemon juice when jam making and jam always sets.  So this could be yet another expense that can be avoided.  It might also be another example of how things are done from one country to another?

Jam has so many uses!  I add jars to many of my hamper gifts but it has so many uses in the kitchen..
Take a Jar of Jam.  If you have too many jars just now take a look at some of the ideas in this post but also in the comments. 

In the same way I cannot consider buying a dehydrator.  The cost of electricity here and having anything run for days is not on my radar.  I do however have a blast furnace outside in summer and can dry almost anything for free!  Things can also be dried by the fire in winter then packed away.  So I do dry quite a few things but it has to be without electricity.

So if costs have kept you from preserving or the idea that it is complicated then try some simple preserves. You will be amazed and it is so much fun!  To me the sight of preserves lined up on your shelves is the most beautiful thing ever!  Both my Nan's and Mum would have whole days making jam or relish.  What a production!  Just fantastic!   Fruit season is beautiful and I have been known to stay up late still preserving rather than have fruit beat me and be ruined!  

I also do a lot of refrigerator pickles. These aren't canned either.  If you want to try this look up Jamie Oliver refrigerator pickles.   He is English so perhaps this is an English method... but if I have lots of cucumbers I will do this and Andy loves them.  This works with most vegetables.  Again, no special equipment, old jars and what you have, with wonderful results!
Then there are other preserves I have not tired i.e. fermenting. 

I hope not to start a debate on methods but instead encourage ventures into preserving.  I saw a UK lady was having difficulty even getting a canning kit (as they are not readily available there) but that you can use a pressure cooker to can as an alternative.  The wide variations in practices in each country are surprising.  Do your own research and investigate.  Many times the best information is from our Mum's and Nanna's.  
Another thing... ask around as sometimes the very goods you need are sitting idle in your neighbours shed or the back of someones cupboard just waiting for someone to use them again!

If you have any tips on getting started,  minimising expenses,  methods of preserving that are low cost or other ideas please share!

Thank you Rachel for a wonderful post and all your help!

Have a good week!  We are learning new skills, adding to our pantries and building up our preparedness in all kinds of ways! It all adds up! xxx

59 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. You are very welcome! Thank you for commenting!
      Regards,
      Rachel
      'Blog Secretary'

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  2. Great post Annabel! I don't "can" my jams or pickles and I don't think any have every gone off - we certainly haven't ever been sick from eating them :) I've made lemon butter this morning, and three lemon meringue pies (Wayne will be in heaven) and two bottles of lemon syrup for cordial - all from free lemons I was given over the weekend. Such a blessing, lemons are expensive to buy and our poor lemon tree is struggling. Making jams, pickles, relishes and crunchy pickles is one kitchen chore I love. I wait all winter for the berries, then the stone fruit, then tomatoes and zucchini and cucumbers to all come into season so I can put all those saved jars to use. Yes, I use saved jars and recycle them too. Why pay for something when you don't need to - I'd much rather use the money to buy ingredients :) Have a wonderful week, love, Cath

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    1. Dear Cath,
      Thank you for sharing from your experience! Knowing just how things work is a highly valuable commodity!!
      I love how you follow the crops through their seasons!
      Regards,
      Rachel
      'Blog Secretary'

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  3. Years ago, I read about canning jams and jellies by pouring hot fruit into your clean and sterilized jars. Wipe the rims, put the lids on, then turn the jars over for five minutes. After that time, turn them upside right and wait for the pop. I used to do this all the time and never had a bad jar. I'm in the US and still do this for small batches. I don't tell anyone that I use this method, though. Shhhhh.....

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    1. Debbie, I'm in the US also and use the same method for jelly. It is the way my mom taught me. She learned from her mother and her mother before her. I do know many disagree with this method, and it isn't the recommended way. Your canning secret is safe with me....

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    2. Dear Debbie and Wendi,
      I have heard this called different things, one being the inversion method. Actually, I use this as a handy back-up in case I run out of time!! Everything has its advantages and disadvantages, and I find this method valuable, too!!
      Regards,
      Rachel

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  4. Thank you Annabel and Rachel for such an interesting topic. I often sit in awe as I read the comments of our US ladies and the amount of canning they do. I have always assumed this was using a pressure canner. Maybe I have assumed incorrectly. I 'bottle' my sauces, pickles and chutneys in the same manner as Rachel. I have a vintage Fowlers Vacola bottling pot that Bluey sets up on the burner on the outdoor kitchen bench for me. I also use a large boiler with a glass lid for the taller sauce bottles. I place a round cake cooler in the bottom to hold the bottles up and prevent burning.
    I don't do this with Jam. Like Annabel I make most of my jams in the microwave. I usually don't have massive amounts of fruit to preserve. My jams also don't last all that long as they become gifts, are used to sweeten and flavour plain yoghurt, are used in cooking as glazes or additions to cakes and slices.
    No one has ever become sick after eating my preserves. My mango tree growing neighbour, came over on Friday to let me know that as soon as the fruit is ripe on his tree, I can come and pick as much as I want. He also put in an order to two jars of mango ginger jam. Between bats and storms last year there were no mangoes so no jam or mango chilli chutney. I salivate thinking of mango chilli chutney.
    I am really looking forward to hearing more details on canning, bottling, preserving methods that are used.
    Life is good and will be even better when there is more mango chilli chutney in on the menu.

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    1. Oops! Jane, a reply for you is below!

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    2. Jane,
      In the US, we call both bottling “canning” and when we use pressure canners - usually done with meat- as canning, too. It’s funny looking at cultural differences. I feel better about the way preserve now, hearing that you ladies do it, too.

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  5. Dear Jane!
    Your tomato preserves are picture perfect to me!! They are beautiful!!
    Could you tell me if you have bottled with any plastic lids, at all?
    Mangoes are beautiful! I hope you get plenty this year!!
    Regards,
    Rachel

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    1. Rachel the sauce bottle you can see in the picture on the right has a plastic lid. I have used vegemite and peanut butter jars with plastic lids for pickles that I have not put through a water bath. I have only used the plastic lidded jars for pickles.

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  6. Rachel-beautiful photos as always! It is amazing what we can use. I use kitchen towels and a big stock pot to do my canning just like you described! I have a huge water bath canner with a rack to hold jars, but since the burners on my stove are flat and the canner so big the back of the pan doesn't get hot enough for the jars to seal properly. I use saved jars for some things and others I use canning jars, but my aunt uses saved jars and lids and never has any problems. Thank you for sharing!
    Jane-your preserves look wonderful! I love seeing homecanned goodies! Not all of our canning is done with a pressure canner just low acid foods like green beans, meat, carrots and potatoes, etc. Things like pickles and tomato items and sauerkraut are done by water bathing. Also it is not recommended, but a method called open kettle canning is where you put your hot whatever your canning into hot jars and put a lid and ring on and turn it upside down and let the hot stuff in the jar and the weight of the jar seal it. There is also a method called oven canning where youcan can dry goods to seal the jars, but if there is liquid involved you have to be very careful that the jars don't explode because oven canning is a dry heat. LOL oops sorry I tend to rattle on!
    Annabel- My great grandmother, grandmother and aunts all used paraffin wax to seal their jars of jams, jellies and preserves I think it was cheaper than canning lids and could be used over and over and not have to water bath the jam either. There is no way where I'm at that we could cover a jar with cellophane and put it in the pantry it would mold. I think because of the humidity or if a house is damp. I like all the different methods of preserving from canning to dehydrating there is always some way to keep excess fruits and vegetables to use now or store for later.
    XOXO
    Vicky

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    1. Dear Vicky!
      You are very rich in these practical ways! You belong in that magazine picture with all the tomatoes, and the jars protected by kitchen towels!! Ha ha!!
      Dad recently gave me a rustic old woodfired copper! Imagine the possibilities for the pantry!!
      Regards,
      Rachel

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    2. Thanks Rachel!
      Ooooh I would love to see please! So many possibilities there!
      XOXO
      Vicky

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  7. Everything looks very pretty! I actually love your jars more than ours but now they are coming out with different color canning jars here. I always use canning jars and lids to be safe. I wanted to tell you that one of the ways I keep the costs down (I live in the United States). I buy used canning jars at garage sales. They can be bought very inexpensively like this. I also bought my canner and also my pressure canner at a garage sale very cheaply. I think some things might be a misunderstanding of what we can do and the precautions we must take to not make us sick. For instance, In Michigan I cannot dry outside or inside very well (except herbs) as we are surrounded by 5 great lakes and we have very high humidity and it would mold. So I use a dehydrator. Mind you it's not the top of the line and you guessed it I bought it at a garage sale. In other parts of the country like Kentucky they can dry their vegetables in the sun no problem.

    I took a canning course at the local extension office way back when I was young to learn how and why. I had heard so much about botulism and how it can kill that I wanted to make sure everything I did was safe. Of course that's not necessary just made me as a young wife more knowledgeable and not worry every time I opened a can. No one in my home growing up canned and both grandmothers passed away when I was very young. I totally recommend this.
    So many of the things we need can be used over and over and bought inexpensively that it's really not a major expense year after year if you do it this way. I reuse the rings on the jars and just buy the lids when I need them.

    So glad we able to understand more how other countries do things and why. Great article.

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    1. Dear Vickie, Climate is a very good point. Like i Greece and Italy they sun dry tomatoes, apricots etc... our climate here is very similar. We can dry easily. Where Jane and Rachel live is much more humid and things could mould. Dry heat is right for outdoor drying that is for sure.
      Also it is fantastic being able to get your supplies at garage sales! I know to be extra cautious with tomato and I don't even think I would attempt pressure canning for meat etc... or at least not yet. But I would like to keep learning and be able to increase my options. You have done really well especially since you were not taught at home and had to make the effort to learn these skills. I think that is wonderful! With love Annabel.xxx

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    2. Pressure canning meat is one of the easiest things I do but I am very cautious to use jars in perfect condition and new lids. It is wonderful to have the meats all ready in the pantry. The only thing I do not like about it is the long processing time during which I stay in the kitchen and the smell of the meat cooking at the beginning of the process. I cube the meat and pack it onto the jars raw and put on the lids and right into the canner. I do not add a thing so it is really easy.

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  8. Hello beautiful Bluebirds and thank you Annabel and Rachel for your tips.

    I make our jams in the bread making machine :) and do use pectin as lemons are usually so expensive here. Also another recycled grocery jar and metal lid girl here as well.

    I do have a question as I usually use pectin is that now I have lemon juice in the freezer is how much lemon juice do you use per 750g of fruit ? (which is what fits in one batch in the bread machine). Usually we make strawberry jam from our strawberries picked from the gardens but am venturing into making other types of jams shortly too.

    I shall do some more reading from your lovely links so I can learn a bit more :) .

    Thanks again and have a wonderful week everyone :) .

    Sewingcreations15

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    1. Dear Sewing Creations,
      I got my bread machine at a thrift store and it has a jam and jelly setting. Mine did not come with a book to give amounts of fruit,sugar,pectin. Did yours come with a book or would you mind sharing amounts you use to make jam in your bread machine. Mine also has a rice setting and makes great rice.
      Thank you,
      Patti

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    2. Dear Annabel and Rachael,
      This a lovely post. It is so fun to see how diferent people do things. My Great Grand Mother was a canning
      Queeen:) I think she fed half the little town she lived
      in.My mom mostly canned jams and jellies as she was a single mom and my Great Grandma almost had more canned goods than the store. Her canning reminds me of Garden Pat so beautiful. I am in the US and my mom sometimes used parrafin wax to seal jams and jellies when she was out of lids. Thank you ladies for sharing.
      Much Love,
      Patti

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    3. Hi Precious People Preschool,

      I did a little search online to find free online manuals for most appliances although my bread maker is a Breville you can put in your appliance type, name and the model number that is on the back of it and see if you can find it. Alternatively I have found that if you contact the manufacturer via email they will usually send you a manual out either free or at a low cost via mail or email to you.

      I came up with this link for you -

      http://kitchen.manualsonline.com/manuals/mfg/breville/breville_bread_maker_product_list.html.

      Failing all else here is a few recipes from my Breville bread making machine recipe book -

      Strawberry Jam -
      - 500g of strawberries hulled and chopped.
      - 1 2/3 cup of sugar (we use white sugar)
      - 1 1/2 tablespoons of Jam Setta.

      We put in 750g of fruit and up the other ingredients accordingly. This makes around 2.5 dolmio pasta sauce jars full. We use the jars with the metal pop top centres in them and the centres of the lids pop down when cooled and sealed.

      Two Fruit Marmalade Jam -
      - Oranges thinly sliced 425g (seeds removed)
      - Lemons thinly sliced 125g (seeds removed)
      - Sugar 1 2/3 cups.
      - Jam Setta 1 1/2 tablespoons.

      Mixed Berry Jam -
      - Strawberries hulled and chopped 250g.
      - Blackberries 125g
      - Raspberries 125g
      - Sugar 1 2/3 cups
      - Jam seta 1 1/2 tablespoons.

      General instructions.

      - Place all ingredients into bread pan and wipe any spills on the outside of the pan, put pan in bread machine, close lid.
      - Press until you have your machine set to jam.
      - Bread machine should preheat for about 15mins before any movement in pan and display window will show preheat.
      - Then it will heat and mix for approx. 50mins, whole cycle will take around 1.05hrs. The bread machine will beep when finished.
      - Press stop on your machine.
      - Pull bread pan out with oven mitts on.
      - Pour the hot jam into warm, dry sterilised jars (we stand our jars in a loaf pan of warm water while we put the jam into them) easier to clean the mess and spills and keeps the jars warm so they don't break.
      - Leave 1.25cm of head space at the top of the jar, seal immediately and label. We put them on a tea towel on the cake cooling rack to cool off before putting them in the cupboard.
      - Jam will thicken upon cooling and storage.

      These keep for around 12 months unrefrigerated or once opened keep for a few months in the refrigerator.

      I hope this helps.

      Sewingcreations15



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    4. Dear Patti,
      Your Great Grandmother likely fed half the town with her canning?!!!! That is a superb story!! That's a notable legacy!!
      Regards,
      Rachel

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    5. Dear Sewingcreations,
      As you've likely seen by now (& for the benefit of readers of these comments), Annabel's jam-making link above describes using the juice of at least half a lemon per kilogram (roughly two pounds) of fruit. You have nursing skills -- so you have likely figured out the rest!! Ha ha!!
      Regards,
      Rachel

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    6. Dear Sewing Creations,
      Thank You! Thank You! This is wonderful. I am gong to try this :) the recipes look yummy. I am going to make some jam. I will also Google for the booklet.
      Blessings,
      Patti

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    7. Thanks Rachel for the answer as I haven't had time to read Annabel's jam making link as yet due to the fact a homeless 4 - 6mth old kitten appeared in our back yard.

      It has been keeping us occupied as it settles in here, maybe not so frugal :) but we would not want any animal to be homeless or hungry.

      Sewingcreations15.

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    8. Dear Rachel,
      It is amazing that one person can make a difference.You would have loved her she always had a pot of soup on and everyone was welcome.Just make sure you bring her jars back if you took canned goods home. It amazed me that she knew who had not returned jars :)She also had rabbits,chickens and a huge garden. They moved to California during the Great Depression.She remembered being hungry so she set out to keep that from happening again. We all knew how to peel an apple in one piece and how to put food up. There were always cases of fruit or produce in her kitchen that someone had dropped off. She put the word out she would take all!! produce you did not want. She lived in the Salinas valley of California. So it was plentiful. I loved your beautiful pictures and tutorial.
      Blessings,
      Patti

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    9. This was all so wonderful! Thank you Sewingcreations for the info and link and being so helpful!

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    10. Hi Precious People Preschool and Annabel and only to happy to help where I can :) .

      Collective knowledge of all the lovely bluebirds helps to answer many people's questions I have noticed.

      Sewingcreations15

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  9. Good morning Annabelle I love this post. You and I have had a conversation before about how we preserve differently to those in the US. When I make jams, chutneys etc I put the clean jars in the oven on the lowest setting until I need them. I have never had a jar go bad on me. For UK readers I bought a book in asda called mrs beetons jams, pickles and preserves which was about £2 and is fantastic. I also don't buy pectin or jam sugars I just add lemon juice.

    Have a good week I am about to start a sourdough starter.

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    1. Dear Laura,
      I am curious -- Are you the same Laura with the elegant story of receiving a garden's worth of rose bushes from your neighbour? That story is a treasure!!
      Regards,
      Rachel

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  10. Dear ladies what a fun conversation! I simply love learning how other people do things. I'm with some of the other ladies in that here in the Appalachian mountains of Pennsylvania we simply must can or everything would mold. I use an inexpensive canning pot but all you really need is a big soup pot. I was blessed to inherit my grandma's canning jars and most of them are still strong and working from the 50's through the 80's! It was common for women like my grandma to can year round in order to have food on the table. They even canned in half gallon jars if they had large families! I too have learned to use no pectin. My thought was what did ladies used to do? i know they had sugar but they certainly didn't have commercial pectin! Here we have raspberries (purple, black,red), blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, peaches, grapes, and apples as main jamming fruits. We also make a huge variety of pickles! My sister's dear mother-in-law has shared her AMAZING variety of old refrigerator pickles with us and they are so lovely. I'd be happy to share if anyone is ever interested. I could definitely dry somethings outside but simply haven't. It's on my list! Pressure canning is something people are so afraid of but what i learned is with proper education and the time to do it carefully it's very enjoyable and a great way to build your pantry! My sister's family can their venison and it's so delicious on a winter's day fried up with some potatoes! My favorite US canning site is called simplycanning.com . She is a wonderful woman who takes the mystery out of canning anything! We have so much to enjoy from this ability to share information across the world. I just love it. I really did wonder how Annabel's jam never had anything but cellophane on it! Makes sense now! For you Aussie ladies my husband and I have been greatly enjoying the Dr. Blake Mysteries! We don't often have Australian TV to watch (maybe a movie) and even though it's not real life I'm so enjoying seeing a glimpse of Australian life from the 50's. Because of homeschooling my 2 big boys I'm not taking much time for canning right now. Everything has a season I'm learning. Blessings on you all this week! Love from Jesse

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    1. Dear Jesse,
      Your comment is thoroughly lovely to read!!
      We Aussies do have some things to be proud of!!
      I absolutely love learning about how earlier generations managed! Preserving in half gallon jars is a wonderful concept! Ha ha!!
      Thank you for the canning link, and I hope those who are able to make refrigerator pickles will take you up on your offer of the recipes!
      Thank you, again, for your beautiful, useful comment!
      Regards,
      Rachel
      'Blog Secretary'

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  11. Hi, I , like my Mum use parrafin wax to seal my jams.It keeps jam for years with no crystalization or hardening of the surface or mould. I also use pectin depending on the ripeness and type of fruit. If I have lemons I will use them as they contain pectin. I had a Canadian motherinlaw and she only ever made refrigerator jam, essentially it is not cooked for very long so spoils quickly unrefrigerated. Other excess fruit I preserve using Fowlers Vacola bottles and heated to a temperature which is then maintained for an hour or so.This cooks and seals the fruit in syrup or water in jars. This fruit keeps for years.

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    1. Dear Barb,
      Thank you for sharing the interest in preserving!!
      The Australian Fowlers Vacola bottling system is what I grew up with, and the jars can hold a good quantity of fruit!! In these times, I still plan to fill mine to build up our pantry!
      The American pressure canning system would add a great range of non-acidic food possibilities. I should read up on this!!
      Regards,
      Rachel

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    2. My Mom always sealed her jams with paraffin wax, too. She did all her jams in baby food jars with the little disk of wax on the top. I have fond memories of those little jars on the table at most every meal when I was growing up.

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  12. I love to can and dry things too! I have been known to use recycled grocery jars and their one piece lids on some of those things I might water bath can- pickle relish, jam, etc.
    Regular mason jars have "found" their way to me- garage sales on occasion, Freecycle or Craigslist (for free) but mostly from people who have seen my canning or heard about it and "decluttered" their houses or houses of their aging relatives and wanted to give them to someone who would use them! Sometimes I've had to empty the gifted jars because they still had 30 year old fruits in them, but that's a small price to pay, IMO! I'm happy to be that person!!! I've literally been given hundreds of jars this way!! I've also gifted some of this abundance to others who are just getting started!
    I've also been given brand new lids and rings on occasion from friends who have decided not to can any more but I have also (after praying about my desire to expand my pantry ) been "led" to amazing clearance sales on lids (earlier this year, I found new boxes of lids on clearance for 50 cents for a box of a dozen! I bought 115 boxes of wide mouth and 97 boxes of regular mouth!)
    Annabel- you would love the possibilities that a pressure canner gives you! While many canners say that the much higher priced "All-American" brand canner is the only option that should be considered, I bought the 23 quart Presto canner for about $80 on Amazon and it has and continues to serve me well!
    I recently bought a steam canner for things I would normally water bath! It can process up to 7 quarts or 8 pints at a time but no matter how many or few jars you're processing in your batch, the amount of water you put into the canner remains the same- 2-1/2 quarts (rather than the 5 gallons (or more if you're doing a smaller batch!) ! This takes much less time and energy to heat to boiling so you're saving water and time and energy to can! I have canned over 50 jars this past week of a variety of things- applesauce in quarts, sweet chili sauce in pints and Rotel in pints! I'm making hot pepper mustard, hot pepper jelly and more chili sauce today!!
    With winter approaching (although our temperatures this week are blazing hot summer temps(!) and uncertainty about prices of groceries this fall/winter, I am so grateful to be able to put up some many things on my pantry shelves!!! It's a good feeling!!
    I love so much learning from all of you!! Thanks to all of you for sharing your wisdom and learning! It has added so much to my life and learning!!

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    1. Dear Gardenpat, Having seen your pantry I consider you a very knowledgeable person in this area! I love all the ways you have come by jars and the work you are prepared to do to get them!
      Thank you for your recommendations too. I am really considering my options too as electricity and therefore freezing becomes less reliable. Thanks so much! With love, Annabel.xxx

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  13. Dear Annabel and Rachel,

    I really enjoyed reading your tutorial Rachel and your beautiful photography. You are so talented. Jane your jam pantry is filled with deliciousness.

    My Nana made jams and jellies without pectin, used what jars she had or Mason jars and covered the hot jam with a layer of wax and it kept for years. I have used the wax method in the past with good results and currently have been using the method of sealing canning jars with the two piece lids and then turning upside down to hasten the seal. I had no idea that lids from recycled jars would reseal. This is great information!!.

    For water bath canning I've always used a large stock pot with a towel or cake cooler on the bottom to hold the jars. I also have an Mirror pressure canner that is put into service for low acid foods. It has a weight that shakes rather than a dial.

    Most if not all of my brand name canning jars have either been gifted to me or found at yard sales or thrift shops. I've also found that the lids can be used at least twice on canned goods with a good seal (even though it's recommended not to) and when I'm done with them on things that are water bathed or pressure canned the lids can be used innumerable times when vacuum sealing dehydrated foods. I have a hand held batter operated vacuum sealer with adapters for either regular lids or wide mouthed lids which were relatively inexpensive on Amazon and has more than paid for itself.

    I use an electric dehydrator for dehydrating foods as it's much to humid here in my part of Pennsylvania to do otherwise. Mine isn't top of the line but does have temperature controls for different types of food and has served us very well for a number of years.

    I've made jams with and without pectin and have had equal success. The only thing jellies I make where pectin is a must is the an herbal where an infusion is made of rosemary and thyme. We love it on turkey and chicken sandwiches. Today I'm making tomato jam and hopefully some chutney or relish.

    I loved hearing about how everyone does things and hope to incorporate more of what I've learned here today into my kitchen endeavors. Blessings, Cookie




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    1. Dear Cookie, Thank you for this! I just realised... I would love to make say mint jelly... so perhaps pectin would be the secret to this? I will investigate. With jams I use lemon juice added in as I usually have lemons. But I have mint and rosemary and we often eat lamb... I do a mint vinaigrette but I would like to do a jelly that keeps.
      We keep on learning! I am going to put word out that I would love more canning equipment as Im convinced people have these things getting dusty somewhere.... heres hoping! Many thanks! Love Annabel.xxx

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    2. Dear Cookie,
      Thank you from me, too!!
      You have a beautiful assortment of kitchen skills which we enjoy learning from, too!! By the way, the Bluebird photo pantry could use more blog photographers; pictures of your kitchen work are, I am sure, welcome!!
      Regards,
      Rachel

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  14. My mother's generation sealed their jelly jars with paraffin. I think actually canning jelly, jams, etc. is relatively recent. Now days there is so much emphasis on safety, no wonder people are scared away from canning.

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    1. Dear Brenda,
      I have seen a lot of the paraffin method here also. When I think of the amount of preserves in the family over the years it is huge. At one stage Nana and Pa lived in a very old house right near a creek and it had huge old fruit trees some a hundred years old. This was heavenly for Nan! It was lovely for us all. They were very happy times! Nan still preferred to cook on an old wood stove to even though she had an electric one. With love Annabel.xxx

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  15. I agree- ask around especially to the older generation of ladies who preserved / canned. They are a wealth of knowledge. I learned how to make dilly beans, pickled asparagus, chili sauce and ketchup from my grandma. Not to mention we made a 100 pounds of potato salad a week for her brother's meat market. It always sold out in 1-2 days. I loved that old store. Creaky wooden floors and a pickle barrel and peanut butter barrel. Wish grandma was still here to ask her questions and work in the kitchen with her. Some of the older generation might have unused jars or equipment and be happy to see someone using them and you could give them some of the results of your canning / preserving. It doesn't hurt to put the word out. Take care.

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    1. Dear Crystal, I think it is safe to say you know how to make potato salad! I wish I had my Grandmas here to ask more questions too. And their Mums! But I learned a fair bit from them so it was a good start. You learned lots of wonderful things! That old store sounds beautiful! With love Annabel.xxx

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    2. Dear Crystal,
      I would like to add to Annabel's reply by saying that I think some of us would like our homes to be a little more like those old stores of character and quality! Why, fairly recently, I moved our paper filing out of a simple, timber box (into a plastic box out of the house! Ha ha!) to be replaced with macadamia nuts!! That's my version of the peanut butter barrel you mentioned!! .... and the timber box has handles, so it can be moved into the parts of the house most suitable for each season!!
      Regards,
      Rachel

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  16. Dear Annabel,
    I've been meaning to say that your apricot jam looks beautifully apricot-y!!
    I hope you find more apricots somewhere!!
    Regards,
    'Blog Secretary'!

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  17. My mother also put a layer of paraffin on top of jellies and jams. Trying to make sure to seal all around the edges. Sometimes that meant putting a second thin hot player on top of the first. The problem is that the wax would shrink at times and allow air to get into it and mold would grow there. My mother kept all her canned things in an unheated area under the porch made with shelves for it. I know of several people that lost family members due to improperly canned goods. Ones that tasted good but were actually bad so it is something I am very very careful about. Thanks for all the information in this article and the whole blog. Love it! Anna

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    1. Thanks so much Anna. Your Mums shelves under the stairs sound beautiful. I know that bad foods can kill. I basically would never eat foods preserved by others as Im too chicken! Thank you very much for commenting! With love Annabel.xxx

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  18. I think you ladies have covered it all! Hearing about all the different methods has been quite a learning experience. I do make jam in my bread machine as well. It is a Zojirushi and it uses less sugar in the method than an older on I used to have. The possibility of reusing grocery store jars is new to me and I am excited to try it since so many jars are so beautiful and I want to keep them.

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    1. Dear Lana,
      This has been quite fun!
      The stories and generous tips have piqued my interest about the whole preserving theme! Thank you for taking the interest to participate!!!!!
      Regards,
      Rachel

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  19. What a very helpful post! I can’t believe that you use no pectin. I’ve never canned anything (except apples and tomatoes) without it. Funny the “rules” we accept and don’t test. Once someone told me, and I don’t know if this is true, but here in the States there was a campaign years ago to get people to stop canning at home and BUY the commercially prepared things. Cannot got at home was seen as dangerous. Now, fortunately, we’re having a big interest in canning. There are still some off-putting “rules” of canning, with the US Department of Agriculture publishing the “only” way to can, and I’ve heard women passionately defend canning as you described against just as passionate women who are afraid of “improper”canning.
    I think that if your experience has always been good this way, then it must be good! It makes me want to try canning on my own. I have problems lifting the big canning rings and all of the jars out of the heat bath, and for years, my best friend and I get together and can together, usually using the Ball jar guide. We do tomatoes, peaches,and picililly. At home, I have done preserves and chutneys like my Irish grandmother and you in Australia do, and have never had problems.

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    1. Dear Megs, I have heard of campaigns and opinions to stop people from canning and also growing their own food! I think these things are a case of they would like complete dependance of everyone! I don't know how much pectin costs but jams etc reach set point usually completely naturally however the addition of a small amount of lemon juice will do it every time. I would say at some point whoever makes pectin had a very successful advertising champaign.
      I am having trouble with my arms and heavy lifting too. My small batch jams in the microwave work well for me. Also this produces the pretty colour like jewels! It is really fun! With love Annabel.xxx

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  20. I love reading your blog, Annabel, and all that I've learned from everyone. I also use wax on my jelly sometimes. I also reuse "flats" on canning lids a couple of times, but for waterbath items only. I haven't tried them in the pressure canner, but the Amish that taught me always reuse theirs several times. For pectin, I make my own out of apple peels and cores and can it. It works very well. Going to make tomato preserves this week with tomatoes frozen earlier this year. Those are a challenge to get them to gel, so will experiment with my homemade pectin this time. Kathi

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    1. Thank you, Kathi, on behalf of us all! You have reminded me about my apple pectin! Ha ha!! The Amish preserves, and your tomato ones, sound beautiful, too!!
      Regards,
      Rachel
      'Blog Secretary'

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  21. Thank you Rachel for your inspiring post and lovely work!
    I have used all the canning methods mentioned, except the covering with plastic wrap. I have lived in two arid states and 2 humid states and all the methods work.

    We've had a glut of eggs, so I've been making lemon curd. Tomatoes are being canned in small batches as the fruit ripens. And the green beans get blanched and frozen in gallon bags.
    So thankful to be in the company of other ladies who strive to be good stewards!
    Blessings,
    Leslie

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    1. Thank you, Leslie!!
      I am finding all this inspiring, myself!! I just love seeing the large pantries of home preserves, and large vegetable gardens, that some Bluebirds have!! We Aussies just need more water!!!!! I can see, now, that a pressure canner is within reach, and no more complicated than water bathing!!
      Thank you for your comment!
      Regards,
      Rachel

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  22. Dear Annabel two quick comments on this post. First, when we lost our electric I had several jars of homemade cranberry jelly in the freezer. The jars had not sealed properly in hot water bath and I kept saying, "But my Aussie friends don't even bother with this part..." but habit won out so I did put them in the canner then into the freezer. Well they thawed out when we lost our electric that week of Hurricane Irma. I had room for most stuff in my deep freeze, but not for jars of cranberry jelly. I just left them in the fridge freezer, let them thaw and didn't toss them when it was all over. Nope. I decided to remember what you'd said about how much sugar in the jelly kept it from spoiling... Well we've since eaten some of that cranberry jam and we have not had the least bit of illness from doing so.

    Second, dehydrating: My Granny never owned a dehydrator. She had all outdoors and two old flat window screens and a bunch of cheesecloth and she would line those screen with cheesecloth and fruit and another layer of cheesecloth on top and those screens went outdoors in the sun. One year when she had to dry apples later than usual she pulled her car out from under the car shelter into full sun and put her apples in the car with windows up and doors closed! She dried pounds and pounds of apples and peaches this way each year...Never had a dehydrator.

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    1. Dear Terri,

      Well, life is all about the art of the possible, especially with emergency conditions!
      You could become quite an Aussie!!!!! by rescuing your cranberry jelly this way!

      I love your description of your Granny's drying techniques!! Providing it's not too humid here, I'd like to try these!! Thank you!!

      On behalf of the Bluebirds,
      Rachel
      'Blog Secretary'

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