I had to be gone for the morning. When I came home Tabitha was well into preserving jam. I sat down and helped as best I could.
She had already done the lions share of the work. This is what she had in half pints. I thought it looked pretty.
I helped feed the kids, chop fruit and clean some of the dishes. Tabitha worked over the giant canner. She had a system where she was heating jars for the next batch, canning the prior batch and heating the lids in a steamer rack all in the canner. It was very efficient and streamlined. I having had cut all the fruit left her to really get into production. It is funny that my little contribution could make such a big difference.
The purple stain on the table cloth is from one of our wonderful egg customers dropping off two plus gallons of blackberries. I dumped them into a strainer (the only clean large vessel left in the kitchen) oops...
Tabitha has been nursing a bad back since butchering chickens and toughed it out to get ninety five half pints of jam done.
Such a beautiful comforting sight. What ever happens we won't starve this winter.
Today we need to preserve some blackberry jam. I have to get ready for the one hundred and fifty baby chicks coming tomorrow morning. I have already built the brooder. Now I just need to sterilize all the equipment and hook it all up. Over the next two weeks I need to build three more chicken tractors. Whew and I haven't even started the slip form cement work on the barn.
I need a clone that doesn't want to steal my wife and kids from me;0
10 comments:
Wow! That's a lot of peach jam! We, up here where peaches don't grow so well, envy you ;).
That looks absolutely heavenly! I might have to run east of the mountains to buy some Yakima peaches! Yummy!
I know what you mean... a mute cooperative clone would be nice. :)
Jam looks great! I don't mind being on either side of the preserving-related chores... it's just nice to work as a team on such things.
Ron
She is so wonderful! You can't put a price on jam...it takes blood, sweat and tears to make it and from the sound of it, ignoring a bad back to get er' done. But, if tough times fell upon you, you could sell it. Folks pay $5 a half pint at the farmer's market here for homemade jam. If you sold them all, Tabitha would have earned a $37 an hour wage for her 12 hour shift! Not too shabby!
wonderful! I love the sight of all the jars on the table, and your last line is so good and so true. Luckily we can't (yet?) have what we wish for. Imagine...
We used to make peach jam all the time before our peach tree went belly up. Peach jam on warm homemade biscuits. Nothing finer!
Wow!!! That's quite a bit of jam there!! Too bad my family doesn't really care for peach jam :o( I made and canned a lot of peach jam last year, and I think we've only eaten maybe 3 or 4 jars out of them.. everyone preferring the crazyberry, mulberry, and strawberry jams instead. I have a great muffin recipe that uses peach jam in the center and it's SO good! If you're interested in the recipe, I have it in my sidebar under recipes for Peachy Muffin Cakes.
How many jars of jam does your family use in a year?
We use maybe 6 or so. We are gluten free and because of the heat of baking I generally only make bread in Spring, Winter, and Fall so that could account for our low number.
Wendy, Yeah but you have maple syrup.
Amy, That jam is so tasty.
Ron, There is almost nothing more enjoyable than working together with my wife.
Danielle, Yes Tabitha is wonderful. Selling that jam would be like selling love.
Katrien, All those jars are such a comfort it is hard to explain. I changed my mind, I just want to clone Tabitha. The three of us would get along better. Two of me in the house wouldn't work out.
Ed, Yum biscuits might be on the menu for breakfast tomorrow.
Jenny, Peachy muffin cakes sounds great.
Megan, I wouldn't be surprised if we use all that jam and end up buying more before the year is out. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are a staple in this house for second breakfast and elevensies.
Hi Karl.
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