The Jam and Jelly Lady

Just recovering from a very energetic group of Boot Camp canners yesterday!  What great questions, theories, and suggestions they had!

We began the class with lecture on mold, botulism, etc., and the importance of actually processing canned food.  After making a quick batch of strawberry jam (we got a little wild and added tangelo zest and juice, too), each student lined up to fill a jar.  Why is jar-filling time the most hilarious part of the class?  Haven't these women ladled soup before?? lol!  There's alway a lot of ribbing, nudging, and guffawing when someone fills a jar too high, or not enough!! 

After a quick lunch buffet, we began pressure canning glazed carrots.  Again, Sandie kept us in stitches, competing with her friends to create the most-likely-to-win-a-blue-ribbon-at-the-fair jar.  I suggested that they ALL enter their jars this year at the fair to let the judges decide!

While waiting for the pressure canning to do its work, we mowed through a warm baguette, brie, topped with a wide assortment of The Jam and Jelly Lady products.  I have to say, Pear Honey is always the winner.  It's a 4th generation spread, now that my daughter, Jessica, is canning it with me.

Thank you, thank you, ladies, for giving me such a special day with inspirational cooks.  It was my priviledge to can with you, and, as always, an honor to work with Chad.  Happy canning this summer, and I hope to see a few of you in Masters Classes!  FYI, Limoncello class is this Wednesday night, and we are DEFINATELY drinking, er, eating, a few of the samples!!

Due to some recent surgery, I've been mostly out of the cannery for three weeks.  I've got to teach a beginner's "Boot Camp" this weekend, so I've got to spend some time today dusting, mopping, and generally refamiliarizing myself with my work!  The cannery isn't small, so this is sometimes a daunting task for one person.

My most intimidating job is to clean four huge ceiling fans.  Why so many? The fans are an energy-conscious way of cooling the cannery while at the same time wicking away moisture on the many just-washed kettles.  The FDA prefers that we don't hand-dry the kettles - just let them air-dry.  But I NEED those kettles operational ASAP, so I spin those fans constantly to get the equipment dryer faster.  

 I'm working on writing a cookbook for canning beginner's right now.  Any name suggestions?  I want to write a book that reads clear as a bell for beginners, but also encourages and intrigues them to follow canning to its end.  Learning to can is just the beginning to a lifetime of good eating.  Taking canning to its next step is the hallmark of a true artisan though.  My plan is to write a beginners book, followed by a series of smaller books, each diving deeply into a specific area of canning, i.e, pickling fruits, chutneys, conserves, marmalades, etc. Wish me luck!  

P.S. for information about our upcoming classes, check out our page on this site, or look to our website, www.jamandjellylady.com.  Have a great day! 

Due to some recent surgery, I've been mostly out of the cannery for three weeks.  I've got to teach a beginner's "Boot Camp" this weekend, so I've got to spend some time today dusting, mopping, and generally refamiliarizing myself with my work!  The cannery isn't small, so this is sometimes a daunting task for one person.

My most intimidating job is to clean four huge ceiling fans.  Why so many? The fans are an energy-conscious way of cooling the cannery while at the same time wicking away moisture on the many just-washed kettles.  The FDA prefers that we don't hand-dry the kettles - just let them air-dry.  But I NEED those kettles operational ASAP, so I spin those fans constantly to get the equipment dryer faster.  

 I'm working on writing a cookbook for canning beginner's right now.  Any name suggestions?  I want to write a book that reads clear as a bell for beginners, but also encourages and intrigues them to follow canning to its end.  Learning to can is just the beginning to a lifetime of good eating.  Taking canning to its next step is the hallmark of a true artisan though.  My plan is to write a beginners book, followed by a series of smaller books, each diving deeply into a specific area of canning, i.e, pickling fruits, chutneys, conserves, marmalades, etc. Wish me luck!  

P.S. for information about our upcoming classes, check out our page on this site, or look to our website, www.jamandjellylady.com.  Have a great day! 

A week of rain and snow turned our backyard into a muddy mess today, but that didn't stop new canners from turning out in droves for the Canning Boot Camp!  This was a pretty advanced set of beginners today.  Except for one student, all had at least tried to can before, and some had spent quite a few hours at the elbows of moms, aunts, and grandmas as children.  

A recurring question today was this:  Why do some jams turn out dark, almost caramel tasting, but not in a good way?

The answer: overcooking.  First time canners most commonly have this problem with Strawberry Jam.  One student said she was boiling this jam, and got worried when the foaming bubbles grew high.  So she turned the temperature quite low and continued cooking until a set was reached.  But the resulting jam tasted horrible.

The solution:  Always cook Strawberry Jam at a high temperature.   Yes, it will boil high, but as long as it doesn't boil over the top¹, continue stirring frequently.  Eventually most of the water in the berries will evaporate, and the foam will decrease, and the level of the jam will drop dramatically in the pot.  If you try to cook this jam slowly, it will overcook and develop a nasty, thick, smoky, almost caramel flavor.

¹If your jams boil over the top of your pot, your pot is not deep enough.  It's natural for fruit to boil very high as they release their liquid into steam.  Always use the right size pot for the size of batch you're canning to avoid stove fires, burns on your skin, and big messes to clean!

Tonight, I had the privilege of teaching some very talented canners and foodies how to make the king of spreads: Lemon Curd.  This incredibly potent spread is loaded with butter, lemon zest, and egg yolks.  It's made in very small batches, and has a short shelf life to boot.  This is surely "slow food" - it's a tough recipe that is full of love!  You have to be a crazy canner not to run to the grocery and buy this instead!

After we made the curd, I showed the students how to make a rich dessert with the curd.  Decadent!  

Thanks, Jennifer, for the brownies and salsa you brought to share!  That was so sweet!  And Chad, we are looking forward to your pickle recipe - loved the cloves - very sneaky.   Enjoyed everyone's company, camaraderie, and kitchen wisdom.  Thanks!

Beginner's Canning Boot Camp 

Saturday, March 5, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

This comprehensive, hands-on course will teach you how to water bath high acid foods and pressure can the low acid foods.  Limited number of students enables us to make this a fully hands-on course.  See our website for detailed information.  $80

Masters Class: Lemon Curd

Wednesday, March 9,  6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Only available to those canners who've completed our Boot Camp.  We will tackle the complexities of creating curds, and why they work!  Each student will can his/her own jar, and then I'll demo how to turn a jar into a decadent dessert! $25

 Register for these classes at www.jamandjellylady.com! 

Announcing our first 2011 Canning Boot Camp!  On February 5, 10-4, in Lebanon, Ohio, 10 students will roll up their sleeves, don clean aprons (however little time THAT lasts!), and immerse themselves in water bath and pressure canning!

Our classes are limited to only 10 people because I give one-on-one attention, and everything is hands on.   We'll start out investigating the food science of canning, and then move into Strawberry Jam, made with locally grown strawberries.

Then we'll have a delicious lunch, plus dessert topped by some of the fresh jam.  After our repast, we'll dive into canning low acid foods with a pressure canner.  I'll teach both analog and weighted gauge technology, and students will be able to see and compare both methods.  We'll cook and can some very special Glazed Carrots in this section.

During class, we always have fun exchanging contact information for local u-picks, CSAs, and other important sources for canners.  We offer a variety of equipment for purchase that day, too.  

40% of the class has filled since this morning, so if you are interested, please register on our website soon.  I'm planning to have surgery in mid-February, and don't know when I'll be able to teach this again this spring.  I'm planning on teaching it again, but won't be able to put together a schedule until I see how the surgery goes.  Enjoy the snow!

I love January, and canning in my warm Summer Kitchen, while gazing frequently at the white landscape and drifting snow outside.  Today, I heated up some locally-pressed apple cider to sip, and worked on canning Sweetheart Spread and Blackberry Jam.  The spread is a jam concocted with locally grown Ohio strawberries, orange juice, orange zest, Grand Marnier (definately a Valentine-y liquor!), and organic lemon juice.  Wow, the smell is so good! 

Worked on our new class list for February through May. It reminded me of a funny story. 

Last February, we got a boatload of snow one fine Friday, the night before a Canning Boot Camp.  I had to cancel the camp.  But trying to negotiate a new date for all the new students to agree on was quite difficult - we all live busy lives!  After 2 weeks of back-and-forth emails, I THOUGHT I found a date that worked for everyone in March.  But one April morning, Pete and I were luxuriating on our bed, planning our carefree morning with A) no farmer's markets  B) no canning classes, and  C) no basketball games or Scout meetings with our kids!  Suddenly - a knock on the back door - odd!  Pete ran downstairs while I hurriedly threw on clothes.  Apparently, there were three women standing outside, wondering if they had the right address for Canning Boot Camp!

Oh My Gosh! 

I waltzed out the back door, acting as if I was just running a tad behind.  (Thank goodness I'd just scoured the Summer Kitchen the night before!)  I put on a pot of coffee, printed the class notes, and thawed some strawberries, all the while chatting and meeting the students.  I ran into the restroom to tuck in my shirt, smooth my hair, and gargle FAST!  Pete, meanwhile, was racing to Kroger to pick up food and drinks for lunch!  (Boot Camp is about 6 hours, and I always serve a nice lunch and dessert!)

You just have to laugh about those mistakes in life.  One of those beginning canners is now an employee of mine - fantastic cook!  We still guffaw about that morning!

Here's a new/old idea (new to the canning newbies who are coming out of the woodwork these days!)  Instead of a cookie exchange this Christmas, try a canning exchange!

I hosted one with our Master's Class students.  Each person brought 12 jars of one special jam, chutney, etc.  They had the jars nicely decorated, and the recipe tied to each jar.  What a beautiful arrangement on our table after everyone unloaded their booty for trading!

I made a Thai Dipping Sauce.  I traded for Basil & Garlic Vinegar, Banana Bread Jam, Strawberry and Honey Jam, Peach Salsa, and Asian Plum Sauce, just to name a few.  I was SET for holiday entertaining!!

I used the vinegar to enliven a Jamaican Jerk Chicken recipe on my indoor grill.  The jams were a welcome addition to my Christmas morning buffet.  The Plum Sauce was inhaled by my friends on New Year's Eve when I served grilled chicken skewers.  And the salsa, well...  I saved that for my husband and I to savor one quiet evening when the kids had gone back to school. 

Don't forget to make sure the folks you invited to your canning exchange know how to can!  Preserving is a serious business, and you don't want a "corner-cutter" to join your soiree, only to end up giving all your guests an unwanted illness!

www.jamandjellylady.com for more information about our products and classes. 2011 schedule coming soon.  Email us to get on our waiting list.

Christmas Jam has been our best-selling jam month after month, for many years.  It's a combination of all the best Ohio berries:  blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries.  They're cooked together with only cane sugar and organic lemon juice added - no pectin, citric acid.  We cook the luscious berries until they gel on their own.  

The flavor of jam without pectin is much richer and fruitier than those made with pectin.  Why?  Pectin is a thickener.  It "freezes" a jam into a thick gel, long before all the excess water is cooked out of the berries.  In addition, pectin enables jam makers to add tons of sugar to the recipe.  I know of canneries whose ratio fruit to sugar is 1:3.  Our ratio of 2:1 is much tastier and healthier!  

Right now, we are running our annual holiday special: order a case of Christmas Jam and we will customize your label for FREE.  For example, you can put a family greeting (e.g., Merry Christmas from the Smith Family) or a company greeting (e.g., Season's Greetings from Ace Woodworks).  Just order online or call us and tell us what you want on the label.  If you order a few more jars than a case, that's OK, too.  We'll label 13, 15, as long as it's greater than 12 jars (a case).  

 We ship anywhere in the contiguous 48 states.  And with good help this year, we're ahead of our production schedule (sigh!  We'll enjoy the holidays!), so don't feel that you're late in ordering.  We start accepting orders as early as July, and will continue taking them until December 10.

Happy Holidays! 

As the holidays fast approach, we at the cannery are working seven days a week to cook our customers' favorites: 

Christmas Jam: Our best seller contains blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries!  Great stocking stuffer or Christmas gift.  And if you order a case online, we'll customize your jars with your family name for free!

Cranberry Chutney: A spicy condiment loaded with cranberries, pineapple, onions, brown sugar, vinegar, etc.  Perfect for a side dish for turkey, or spread it on late-night Dagwood sandwiches!

Traffic Jam:  You know when you are in a "jam", how you get a little hot under the collar?  This fun jam is the colors of at traffic light:  tart red raspberries, yellow sweet apricots, and roasted green jalapeno peppers.  Add a touch of cumin and cayenne, and this is a delectable topping for cream cheese, brie, or a fantastic glaze for turkey, pork loin, and chicken breast!

Apple Cider Butter:  Traditionally, plain apple butter is made by steaming apples in water, then adding pounds of sugar to make up for all that water!  We chop locally grown Lebanon apples, steam them in fresh-pressed local cider, then mill the sauce, bake it for 15 hours, and finally season it with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.  NO SUGAR!  Just sweet, rich apple-y taste!

Visit our site today: www.jamandjellylady.com

Or give us a call to place an order or ask questions about our high-quality products!