This week I took the first workshop in a series of three on food preservation. The first one was on freezing and drying, then we’ll have water bath canning and pressure canning.
In class this week the Extension Specialist demonstrated making freezer jam and gave us some recipes from Ball to make it. Apparently a new type of pectin has just come out such that you don’t have to use as much sugar in the jam.
So tonight I made my first attempt at making freezer jam! So excited. I made strawbery banana blueberry jam. It smells extremely scrumptious. I’m pretty pumped that I’ve started at least a simple form of food preservation. I’m really looking forward to learning about canning. So much fun!
I think if it weren’t for the recession, the local movement and the increased interest in growing your own, canning would be a dying art. I certainly didn’t know anything about it before a few months ago. I’m glad I have the opportunity to learn about it. Good job, Extension.
Infinite Blogging 
Welcome to the wonderful world of food preservation. I was fortunate enough to learn from my mother, and I have preserved food most of my life. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Well, I don’t always enjoy the process – it’s a lot of work. But I most definitely enjoy the “fruit” of my labor.
I’m hoping to get a new dehydrator this year. I’ve finally worn out my old one.