Monday, October 20, 2008

Can I?

I used to "can" when I lived in western New York - almost everyone did. My horse friend Julie made the most heavenly peach jam and put it up in decorative jars. Fellow student Joan put up a wonderful purple jelly made from the scented violets that grew in her flower beds. Future intellectual property attorney Marianne made the best strawberry jam.

In summer, I'd make quarts and quarts of tomato juice for First Husband, who loved fresh juice, and bottle it for use all winter. In autumn, I'd make applesauce and put it up in jars to give as Thanksgiving gifts to friends and for us to enjoy with pork roasts or on waffles. Western New York is a cornucopia of fruits and vegetables in the summer and early fall.

When I moved to California, however, my full-time job put a cramp in my canning style. Something about a nine-hour day with an hour commute on either end damped down my enthusiasm for kitchen projects back then.

Now that I'm retired, I want to try applesauce again. I bought the jars, scrounged the apples from my neighbor's tree, and sharpened my paring knife. I re-read the home canning directions on the box of jars and the recipe for applesauce in the Joy of Cooking. I've got two big pots, plenty of kitchen towels, paper towels and a great big ladle. I think I'm ready, but it has been a long time since I did this.

Can I?

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10 Comments:

Blogger Kitt said...

Yes, you can!

Monday, October 20, 2008  
Blogger Ms Brown Mouse said...

of course you can (jar)!

Monday, October 20, 2008  
Blogger cookiecrumb said...

I think you did!

Monday, October 20, 2008  
Blogger Nancy Ewart said...

I see somebody (OK several somebodies) beat me to the punch line. But Oh Course You Can. In fact, will trade art work for home made applesauce.

Monday, October 20, 2008  
Blogger Zoomie said...

Kitt, thanks for the vote of confidence.

Morgan, bottle?

Cookiecrumb, you're gonna spoil the tension I'm building here! Sheesh!

Nancy, now that's an offer I can't resist! What terms are you asking?

Monday, October 20, 2008  
Blogger cookiecrumb said...

Ha ha!

Tuesday, October 21, 2008  
Blogger Nancy Ewart said...

Come to the studio and take your pick of any of the smaller pieces or medium-sized nudes or a couple of landscape pieces. There's not much I want to hang onto; well, there are a few things but let's make a deal!

Tuesday, October 21, 2008  
Blogger Zoomie said...

Nancy, I'm going to try to get there during Open Studios - I saved your email so I'll know when and where! I'll bring sauce and we can haggle.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008  
Blogger Ms Brown Mouse said...

Glass jar, bottle, whatevers ;) A can, over my way, is a metal thing, sealed, the sort of thing you buy tinned soup or cat food in.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008  
Blogger Zoomie said...

Morgan, it's a can here, too, but for some mysterious reason Americans call bottling food "canning" and the jars in which it is bottled are called "canning jars." Wacky, we are!

Wednesday, October 22, 2008  

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