[ast3r3x]

As I believe I mentioned a couple months ago I started making homemade wine…well fruit wine, not grapes. Well to make your own wine you needs lots of sugar…or A LOT of fruit. For example, 18lbs of grapes I remember reading, and that might have been for one gallon.

Either way, lots of sugar, and on one of my 25lbs bags, there was a recipe for strawberry jam. Well I got to thinking, the amish do it, why couldn't I? So I wen out got, some pectin, and 3 quarts of strawberries.

It was easy and turned out really well, although I would like it to be a little firmer and less sugary, but that is for next time, or when I try again with a different fruit.

So do any of you guys make anything or do your own canning/bottling? I know several of you have vegetable/fruit gardens, do you just eat them, or do something with them like this?

[CFP]

Well done, matey-o.

I don't do it myself, although I'd like to. Both my Nan (especially her homemade spicy veg chutney) and my Nonna (pickled wild mountain mushrooms, amongst countless others) excel at it though.

Mmmmm... yum

[Moogs]

Mmm... strawberry.

[babelfish]

I remember when I was really young we (my family) made some jam. I was young and it was suggary so I ate more than what was sensible..

I was off jam for quite a while after that :/

[Windswept]

Okay, ast3r3x, this is totally 'not' related to making jam or foodstuffs, etc.

But your post reminded me of one time when I went out into the wilderness and collected small stones of various types, all of which were characterized by the intensity of their color - some dark red, some greenish blue, some golden-yellow, and so forth.

I took them home and ground the stones into fine powders. Then I mixed the powders with small amounts of oil and used the colors to paint a small picture. I was trying to figure out how the native Americans might have come up with colors for their pottery.

My painting sucked in a major way - but the 'idea' was a fun one, I thought.

Strawberry jam sounds great. It's my favorite kind. On freshly-baked, crusty bread with sweet (not salted) butter? Oh YUM!!!

I might try making tomato sauces with my abundance of garden tomatoes; but offhand, I think I'd prefer to freeze the sauces, rather than preserving in jars.

Yes, please 'do' let us know how your next batch turns out.

[Foj]

Man, you've gotten me in the mood for a sandwich right now. I'll be right back.

[thegeriatric]

Originally Posted by Windswept Strawberry jam sounds great. It's my favorite kind. On freshly-baked, crusty bread with sweet (not salted) butter? Oh YUM!!! Yes, please 'do' let us know how your next batch turns out.

Ok enough enough, i can't stand it anymore. To hell with the diet.

[Engine Joe]

Originally Posted by ast3r3x It was easy and turned out really well, although I would like it to be a little firmer and less sugary, but that is for next time, or when I try again with a different fruit. So do any of you guys make anything or do your own canning/bottling? I know several of you have vegetable/fruit gardens, do you just eat them, or do something with them like this?

With jamming, you should always follow a recipe, not make your own variations - unless you have a lot of experience with jam-making.

For one thing, all fruits have pectin - but different fruits have different amounts. So the calculations for how much pectin to add to a recipie changes depending on the fruit you use. Similarly, the differing acid levels in fruits will impact the jams, so you need to account for that. You also can't just play with sugar levels too much - you need certain amounts because it is required for the pectin to set. And most importantly, the sugar makes it harder for bacteria to show up in your jam, because it absorbs up water, which is where germs want to hang out.
Why don't you check this page out (which is a transcript), or at least watch the Good Eats episode that discusses jams (if you can).

[drewprops]

Our grape vine is putting on grapes for the first time in I don't know HOW long. I thought about making some wine to celebrate the occasion but I haven't actually done any footwork yet.

[spikeh]

I'm allergic to strawberries Bright red rash all over.

Not good. I'm also addicted to the frankly brilliant Innocent Smoothies: Strawberry & Banana. Which is an unhappy agreement, as it means I get my portions of fruit every day, but also a rather unsightly rash.

[Dave]

Originally Posted by Engine Joe Why don't you check this page out (which is a transcript), or at least watch the Good Eats episode that discusses jams (if you can).

Good Eats is the best food show I've ever seen. It's so informative that when I don't like his recipes (it happens), I know exactly what's wrong with them because he tells you what all the ingredients are for.

[alcimedes]

I turned a cherry pie right into jam once.

[ast3r3x]

Originally Posted by Engine Joe Similarly, the differing acid levels in fruits will impact the jams, so you need to account for that.

Really? Maybe I shouldn't have added acid blend and tannin from my wine supplies. I was trying to change the flavor a bit to make it a bit more tart.

[Windowsrookie]

Originally Posted by alcimedes I turned a cherry pie right into jam once.

I don't know if I should be doing this or this right now.

[spikeh]

As long as you aren't eating the jam I'd imagine you'll be OK, windowsrookie.

[CoolToddHunter]

Originally Posted by ast3r3x It was easy and turned out really well, although I would like it to be a little firmer and less sugary, but that is for next time, or when I try again with a different fruit.

It's possible the sugar content was just right, but mixed improperly. My parents used to make strawberry jam when I was young, so I was (naturally) drafted for some work. Some of the batches I worked on turned out grainy until I learned how to stir long and hard enough to disolve all the sugar.

I do miss that jam.

[ast3r3x]

Originally Posted by CoolToddHunter It's possible the sugar content was just right, but mixed improperly. My parents used to make strawberry jam when I was young, so I was (naturally) drafted for some work. Some of the batches I worked on turned out grainy until I learned how to stir long and hard enough to disolve all the sugar. I do miss that jam.

It's possible I didn't let my mixture boil properly after I added the sugar. I was trying to error on the side of caution not to burn it.

[zippy]

I've made raspberry, cherry and strawberry jam before. Cherry is my favorite - fresh picked, tart cherries. We did the whole canning thing with some other members of the family. I think we made somewhere around 100 jars of the stuff. It certainly lasted a while.

My speciality, however is pie. French Apple with a brown sugar crumbly top is the family favorite, but I like a good flaky pastry top once in a while. My pies are about 6 inches tall in the center when I place them in the oven. That cooks down a bit, but even then, the pie should be mounded in the middle and chock full of yummy, tart apples.

Oh, and Huckleberry pie too. That's a treat. I sometimes just make up the Huckleberry pie filling and pour it over ice cream, or blend it into a shake.

Is it lunch time yet?

[Kickaha]

Oh man.

I grew up in fruit country - Eastern WA state. We lived in the middle of 40acres of Red and Golden Delicious apples, with some Granny Smiths scattered about, there was a 10acre Bartlett pear block up towards the irrigation ditch, and that was just one orchard out of... dozens on our street. The guy across the street had 35acres of cherries, Mr. Druzak down the road had Italian plums, there was wild asparagus growing everywhere. My grandfather had 2.5 acres of hand-tended *old* Bing cherry trees that were just incredible. A pie cherry tree, two nectarine trees, two peach trees, and a massive raspberry thicket rounded out his place.

There was always canning and preserving going on. I still miss my grandmother's canned cherries... I think we had the last of them at a family dinner six years ago.

Yesterday I saw mediocre, small, half-ripe Bing cherries at the grocery store for $6/lb. I about sobbed.

[Windswept]

Mmm, I *love* them farm boyz.

[Kickaha]

You just love us for our big implements.

[Windswept]

Originally Posted by Kickaha You just love us for our big implements.

It's not the 'implement', but what you *do* with it.

[709]

Kickaha is a big hoe.

[Kickaha]

Well duh.

[Windswept]

Kickaha is a plough?

[Kickaha]

Wasn't this thread about sweet, innocent memories of summer?

Sheesh Windswept, you can drag *anything* into the gutter, can't you? (Now get off of me, you're blocking my light. )

[Windswept]

Originally Posted by Kickaha Wasn't this thread about sweet, innocent memories of summer? Sheesh Windswept, you can drag *anything* into the gutter, can't you? (Now get off of me, you're blocking my light. )

709 started it. Blame him.

Now waitaminnit.

*You* are the plough, so 'you' have to...

...oh nevermind.

[crazychester]

Originally Posted by Kickaha (Now get off of me, you're blocking my light. )

Oh you're a barrel of laughs.

(It's Obscure Ancient Grecian Pun Time, people!)

[thegeriatric]

Originally Posted by Kickaha Wasn't this thread about sweet, innocent memories of summer? Sheesh Windswept, you can drag *anything* into the gutter, can't you? (Now get off of me, you're blocking my light. )

Actually it was about Strawberry Jam, wasn't it ?. But what the hell this is much more fun.