Sweet Memories, Preserved: A Lifetime of Canning Love
Canning Up Love: Sweet Memories in Every Jar
This week let's take a trip down memory lane with a taste of summer! Canning has been a constant companion in my life, ever since I was a little girl learning the ropes from my mom in the sunny South.
Fifty years later, the aroma of those vibrant red strawberries bubbling away in a giant pot still lingers in my memory. Back then, my job was to hull the green tops and patiently skim the froth from the bubbling strawberry jam. That sweet fragrance saturating my mom's cozy kitchen was pure summer magic.
Every year, we'd visit my mee-maw in Kentucky. Her sprawling white house boasted a wrap-around porch and a kitchen that would make any modern cook drool. Imagine tall cabinets reaching the ceiling, their glass doors revealing rows of preserves, jellies, and jams like a dazzling display of jewels. It was like glittering sunshine and summer captured in a jar.
My favorite treat then, and still to this day, is warm biscuits slathered with velvety blackberry jam. While I never got the chance to can alongside my mee-maw, I spent countless hours exploring her fruitful garden, igniting a lifelong love affair with preserving the summer bounty.
Speaking of bounty, my schedule this week is bursting with summer flavors! Blueberry picking is on the agenda, both for jam and for refreshing summer smoothies and desserts. Next up are peaches – I'll be peeling, slicing, and freezing them in pie pans so I’ll have a taste of summer in the winter, alongside a batch of mouthwatering peach jam.
Though my trusty water bath canning pot has been diligently serving me for over 30 years since my wedding day, I've recently upgraded my funnel and jar tongs – those new ones are a dream to hold!
I'm also a seasoned thrift store pro, always on the lookout for bargain jars. In fact, if any friends find themselves with an overflowing stash, I'm happy to take them off their hands!
Ready to create some sweet memories of your own? Time to roll up our sleeves and get canning!
