All Jammed Up!

Monday afternoon I was all jammed up! Getting ready for our move means cleaning out closets, getting rid of the things that have been collecting dust and taking up space. Berries have been taking up a lot of space in my freezer since last summer. Wild blueberries and saskatoons, local strawberries, peaches and rhubarb are in abundance and seem to be multiplying! Last year, I decided that too much emphasis was being put on commercialized gifts and not enough on the simple task of giving from the heart. Along with that, I have felt that the world is full of entitlement and all about having more and more. I am guilty of the 'more' aspect (obviously, have you seen my office and scrap room?!) so, I decided that sometimes the best gifts are consumables and ones that took time and effort and are made with a lot of love but don't hang around for too long. So, in that spirit, I made jams and sauces last year and gave them to our friends and family as gifts. Strawberry, strawberry rhubarb, peach and carrot cake jam were the favorites from last fall. With only a few jars of each left in the basement, I figured it was time to kill several birds with one stone so to speak. Clean up some of the freezer space, use up some of the jars sitting in the basement, and get some of my gifts made.

It is no secret that I love to be in the kitchen, and it has rubbed off in a positive way on Peanut. He gets so excited about baking, cooking and canning that he will wake me up to see if it is time yet! It is also no secret that when my mind is full, being food creative gives me a place to decompress and unwind. Monday was one of those days. So, it began! Peanut helped me measure sugar and berries and stir everything while it was still cool. Once everything got too hot, he helped keep Pumpkin a good distance back and kept me company with his chatter. We made 40 jars of blueberry, pineapple and apple pie jam in 3 hours. Whew! Hot work, but oh so worth it. The apple pie jam ended up being a little runny, but it is much like the pear sauce I made last fall and will be delish on toast, ice cream or any other dessert or breakfast item. Can't wait to make some scones and deliver to some unsuspecting friends!