I know it's hard to believe, but actually - I don't know everything. But I'm all for self-improvement therefore it is with great pride that I announce to you that today I did my first-ever-in-my-life canning. Yeah, you're all old hands at it but for some reason - maybe a little fear plus some who-cares-you-cn-buy-stuff - I had never attempted this pretty cool bit of culinary wonder.
I ordered this guide - it's British and Brits sure as heck know about putting up delectables. What to make, what to make? Jam, yes, I've been in a few. I mean we have dozens of jars waiting in the wings to adorn our toast, so it seemed superfluous and there's all that setting up and gelling drama to consider.
So for my first outing in what is surely to be a career in canning, I chose to make pickled plums. We visited some friends of my mom who have a lot of fruit trees in their backyard. The kindly old gentleman from Texas took his state-of-the-art plum picker ( an old juice can nailed to a very long pole with two nails bent into claws above the can. Worked like a charm) and bagged me some pounds of big purple plums.
It was a little scary, the sterilizing and sealing part, but persevere I did.
All in all, I do believe it might just have turned out fine.
Of course, the test is really how many people I send to the ER when they taste their holiday gifts this year. But, hey, it looks real pretty, yeah?
You're brave! I've made lots of jams but not really "canned" anything. I use the freezer.
Pickled plums sound good.
Darla
Posted by: Darla | July 12, 2011 at 04:52 AM