Canning Jam and Recipes

Canning Time

It's canning time and my kitchen is sweet

With the fragrance of cinnamon, mace and clove

As sweet, spiced syrup furiously boils

In a granite kettle on top the stove.

And the pears beneath the russet foam

Are clear as honey within the comb.

Packed in jars, on racks to cool,

Are the amber of peach and apricot's gold,

And wine-red plums, all ready to eat

When winter days are short and cold.

Tomorrow they will be stored away...

But my kitchen is fragrant with spices today.

by Luella Bender Carr

The peaches and apricots are ripe. I have been very busy picking fruit and making jam. We didn't have any pectin, so I canned without. I like my jam runny with chunks of fruit, so if it doesn't set thick I am fine with that.

Over the winter I made a list of things to can. One of those was Lavender Peach Jam. It sounded yummy to me, but my mom was a little worried about me using our wonderful peaches to try something that she thought was going to taste like perfume. Well she was in for quite the suprise. Not only did she like it, she loved it. When I was all done, she said "Are you going to make another batch now?" So I headed off to the kitchen to make more.

I dicided that if lavender tasted good with peaches, than Tazo Passion Tea must too. So I tried making a batch. It turned out delicious. Then I made a batch of Vanilla Apricot Jam and well.... It turned out wonderful.

I gathered fresh spikes of lavender from our yard to make the jam.

It smelled wonderful steeping on the stove top. In fact the whole house smelled lovely... And well, I think the neighbors might have gotten a whiff.

I love these little jars.

Lavender Peach Jam

makes 6 half pints

• 2 Tablespoons fresh lavender *
• 1/2 Cup boiling water
• 4 Cups peaches: peeled, pitted and diced
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 6 Cups granulated sugar

1. Steep lavender in boiling water. Prepare peaches and then strain lavender.

2. Combine lavender tea, peaches, lemon juice and sugar.

3. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly to dissolve sugar. Continue to boil for 2 minutes while stirring.

4. Ladle into jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. process half pint size jars for 10 minutes in a hot water bath.

*To make Passion Tea Peach Jam subtitute 1 Tazo Passion Tea bag for lavender.

Vanilla Apricot Jam

makes 6 pints

• 10 Cups apricots: pitted and diced
• 6 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 6 Cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons vanilla extract

1. Combine apricots, lemon juice and sugar.
2. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly to dissolve sugar. Continue to boil stirring till mixture thickens.
3. Stir in Vanilla extract.
4. Ladle hot jam into jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace.
5. Process pint size jars for 15 minutes in a hot water bath.

Enjoy

Kimberly