Yes, I Can!

Dirty (but completely free jars) from the Swap Shop

+

20 pounds of blueberries

=

blueberry jam

Last evening we picked up our annual box of blueberries. Last year the last few pounds went bad before we ate them so I decided to make jam before we just gorge ourselves on blueberries over the next few days.

Carter (9 1/2) helped make the jam after the younger kids went to bed. He helped scoop them into the colander. And wash them. And stem them. And crush them. And stir them. And sample the jam for proper gelling. I made him stand back when it came time to pour the hot jam into jars and the canning process. He stood on a stool in the distance and peered into the canning pot. He's very proud of himself. As he bragged to his younger brothers this morning how he helped make jam with me, they were jealous. They want to help me next time. I guess I have a few pounds of blueberries to spare ...

Comments

Katie Jean said…
i can't believe you got all those jars for free!! I've been looking in my thrift store forever for some and there's none to be found!!

I made some blueberry jam too, but definitely not as much as that! That sure is a lot of jam.

and how cute of Carter, I'm sure that's a memory that will always stay with him.
9:50 AM EDT
lisa said…
I never learned how to can. I think my mom was afraid that I would either get in the way or get hurt. It’s great that you are able to teach your kids these things. And they make wonderful presents like next time you need to give a teacher gift.
9:50 AM EDT
jessica said…
Mmmmm...I love blueberry jam. enjoy! it looks delish!
11:43 AM EDT
Karyn said…
Blueberry jam???? YUM!!

Hmmmm...blueberry jam on a scone. Hint. Hint.
12:27 PM EDT
misschris said…
TWENTY POUNDS of blueberries?

Sorry, I couldn't get past that line. The jam looks yummy though. :)
1:31 PM EDT
V and Co. said…
oh and now i think i will too! thanks!
1:45 PM EDT
Amanda Jean said…
how fun to have (one) helper. my oldest is a good helper, too. :) I have never tried blueberry jam...can you believe it?
1:55 PM EDT
Jo-Anne said…
How did you get all those jars for FREE?? Lucky you!

We have been doing a little jam making over here, too. It's the one kind of canning that I enjoy!

I didn't make any blueberry but after reading this, maybe I will! Carter will make a wonderful husband someday with his knowledge of jam making.

:):):)
2:07 PM EDT
Melody said…
I think it is so cool how you keep some of the forgotton home arts of "The olden days" alive. I wish that someone would have taught me how to can and make jam and jelly. My G-grandma and my grandma did but it stopped at my mom.

I agree with Jo-anne that Carter is going to be a walking book of cool knowledge to his bride.
2:29 PM EDT
Heidijayhawk said…
oh my. that is awesome. you are makin my mouth water over here!
4:41 PM EDT
FinnyKnits said…
What a great find! Free jars!!

That is some hot looking jam. I love it!
5:09 PM EDT
suburbanbrunette said…
Good job, Carter!
What a pro.
10:48 PM EDT
Little Munchkins said…
Wow, that's a lot of jam. One bottle of jam lasts us a year over here :o

Very cute of Carter....I think it is a good idea to get the kids to help out when they are able to.
3:51 AM EDT
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Reusable Swiffer WetJet Cloths

Image
I promised myself that, when I bought a box of Swiffer WetJet refills at the wholesale club, it would be the last box I bought. Something had to be done. Now, to be honest, part of the reason was to help the environment, but the other part was because I was tired of running out of those darn things. I took some towels, folded them in half cut them into 5" widths. (The towel was just about 25" or so from side to side when flat.) Then I cut two 5" pieces of elastic and serged it all together. Two layers of toweling and two elastic strips. That's it. (The finished piece was approximately 4.75" x 12.") Within minutes I had a stack of eight. Slide them on and mop away. You will have a clean floor and have saved one more thing from ending up in the landfill. Now, if I can just do something about the cleaning liquid ... Something environmentally-friendly, economical, and won't cause further pain to my arthritic back.
Read more

Cloth Napkins

Image
Happy Earth Day! Last year I made a bunch of cloth napkins using the rolled hem feature of my serger. And, while we used them a lot in the beginning, I kind of forgot about them and paper napkins crept back into our lives. (Although, I must admit that paper are better for cleaning up spilled lemonade and for packing in my boys' lunches. I'm afraid I'd never see them again if they were in a lunchbox.) I am trying to be more mindful of our waste. I find myself asking, "Can I reuse, reduce, recycle, or repurpose this?" about every thing. I recently discovered our town has a receptacle just for paper recycling. That makes me giddy. We get tons of papers from school, so now I can load it up and drop them off at town hall. So, in honor of Earth Day, I am giving away this set of six cloth napkins. They are made from thrifted, vintage (therefore repurposed) sheets that are leftovers from various projects. If you'd like a chance to win them, please leave a comment on ...
Read more