It’s been a really long time since I’ve had a normal week. The kind where I’m home for seven days straight, don’t have any huge extra projects on the horizon, and actually get to cook my way through my CSA share. Happily, this week is shaping up to be wonderfully normal and I couldn’t be more pleased. Now, links!
- If you’re awash in plums, do as Jenn does and make a boozy infusion.
- Spiced pickled figs. Sounds fairly transcendent, if you ask me.
- If you’re starting to move outside the box as far as jars and lids go, you much check this post from Fillmore Container, detailing how to choose a lid.
- Peanut butter granola bars. Good for school lunch boxes (and if your schools don’t allow nuts, swap in sunflower seed butter).
- Kevin West has been on a blogging roll lately. First, this peach-passionfruit jam and then this quince jelly.
- Flavor your homemade ice cream with jam!
- A useful reminder on how to best freeze your garden green beans.
- I know it’s not hip of me, but I can’t quite get into beet kvass. This blackberry version, on the other hand, sounds right up my alley.
- Still working on rounding out your summer tomato canning? Consider adding Kaela’s latest salsa to the docket.
- Shrinky-dink jar labels. Ridiculously cute.
- The muscadine and scuppernog grapes are in! Here’s one way to preserve them.
- Easy-peasy homemade grape juice concentrate.
- Finally, a recipe from the always-great Hank Shaw. Smoked, roasted, and preserved jalapeños.
The winner of the Roma by Weston Electric Tomato Strainer is commenter #248/Kara B. She said, “My favorite canning helper is my Presto 23 qt. pressure canner. I even just started using it for water bath processing. I’ve been doing my tomato batches with a strainer and a rubber spatula. I need this little gadget so much!!!” Well Kara, looks like you’re in luck!
I’m going to take this week off from giveaways (it’s been quite the summer of great canning gear, hasn’t it!), but I’ll be back with something terrific for you guys next Monday.
Hope you enjoy your ‘normal’ relaxing week. I checked out the website you recommend for vanilla beans. Which kind of beans do you use in your recipes? Does grade B work well? I made your pear vanilla jam and splurged on beans from the grocery store, it was delicious but I can’t believe how much they charge for vanilla beans in the store!
I typically buy the grade b bourbon beans and they work perfectly!
I am making the spiced plum butter. after 2 hours in oven, the plums are still watery and have not thicked yet. Do I leave in much longer?
They really don’t thicken up until you puree them. The liquid will continue to look quite thin until that point.
Those boozy plums sound like they’d make a great Christmas gift. Are the plums usable after?
I can see the joy of “normal” and “home” in that photo above.
Marisa:
I canned 9 pints of tomato sauce last night and then spent the night unable to sleep after spotting some air pockets in the jars. How worried should I be and what can I do to fix it?
Help!
Signed,
Sleepless in Brooklyn
Lori, don’t worry about those air pockets. Despite our best efforts to remove air bubbles, sometimes a few remain. As long as the seals are good, your jars are fine.
Thanks so much. I will sleep better tonight.
Thanks for the link & the mention, Marisa!!
You’re welcome!
Thanks so much for mentioning my post on grape juice! Have a great weekend.