I pulled our last jar of fruit from the pantry this week.

Homemade canned fruit, that is.

I’ve been trying to be disciplined lately and not run to the store for every little thing we run out of. And I’ve been trying to teach my teens the same thing.

No fresh apples or bananas? Head to the pantry, kids!

This week I grabbed our last jar of home canned cherries. It actually made me sad, because I’m not sure that I will can cherries this summer. I love them, but the rest of the family is not crazy about them. I’ve been able to cook with them on occasion, but this time I grabbed the last jar and made myself breakfast.

I love to make a “shake” in the morning with fresh fruit, or whatever fruit I can find.

I’ll be canning peaches, pears, applesauce, lots of jams and relishes this year (yes, I’m dreaming of summer.)

But probably not cherries.

If you are a canner, what is your family’s favorite fruit?

Thinking ahead to springtime, now is the time to plant bulbs of garden dreams to come.

Or, in my home, entertaining dreams.

One thing I love about spring is, if you plan your yard and garden beds right now, you can have fresh flowers from early spring until late fall – a perfect touch for a simple table.

When we moved into our house, we were blessed with some amazing plants, but there was plenty of space to add more beauty.

Planting Bulbs Now
- Starting in late summer, gather different varieties of bags of bulbs and store in a cool place
- On several Costco runs, I’d stock up by buying one bag here and there (an easy way to spread out the cost, they also have coupons often)
- Before the frost comes, draw your flower beds and design where you want more flowers
- Plant the bulbs, making sure you follow directions on the packaging for the right depth
- Make sure your current beds are cleaned and pruned, which allows you to see the open areas
- Use a shovel or a tool to help dig the holes; even a large kitchen spoon will work
- Make sure the growing tip is pointing up; cover with soil and water the area
- Spread mulch over the planted area to prevent freezing and thawing
- Keep the “design” and use it for future reference, so you know what you’ve planted
- For inspiration, tape the design on the inside of the kitchen cabinet

The last tip, I love. Every time I opened my kitchen cabinet in my “old kitchen” I saw and looked forward to what I had planted.

I was able to plant bulbs this last week (we still have beautiful, sunny weather in Oregon). My design is going “inside the cabinet” and I can’t wait to be inspired for spring, for snipping a few flowers here and there for my tables, and for even a small bouquet to take to a friend or a neighbor. I’ve added a small vase when taking a meal to a family.

It’s a warm way to give and brighten up a person’s life, just because you will know they appreciate the thought, but also a simple way to show love.

Warm connections come from the beauty of nature. All we have to do is think ahead … in our case, fall into spring. Plant your bulbs now.

What bulbs come up every year in your yard? And have you started the bulb-planting process this season?

Get caught up, Days 1-28 of 31 Days of Warm Connections, HERE. I also found a really cool website on planting bulbs … it’s called DigDropDone.com. Check it out.

Surely the apple is the noblest of fruits. – Henry David Thoreau

Everyone who has, at some point in life, received a knock on the door with a fresh pan of goodies or pie or cake delivered to their home, knows exactly how my neighbors felt last night when I myself did the knocking.

When our friends Roger and Faye delivered the boxes, coolers, bags full of apples, from their fruit trees, I couldn’t help but get a little giddy inside. My parents did not have fruit tress but my Aunt Lillian worked at Harry and David her entire life. So every year at fall we’d be blessed with a huge box of apples. You know, the good kind. Not the mushy or mealy kind. The crisp and almost perfect kind.

For years now Roger and Faye have made their favorite apple dessert, and now they’ve passed it on to me. It’s easy, it’s tart and tasty, and it’s good for neighbors.

Make a pan for yourself or your family, and one or two to take to neighbors HOT out of the oven.

Sharing Tips:
1. Look at your fruit bounty and see if you have enough to bless others with.
2. Do you have extra pans in your cupboard for baking?
3. Keep on hand “throw-away” pans that you don’t need back.
4. Mark your name on the bottom with a Sharpie or tape if you want your pan back.

If you follow my neighbor Ellie’s advice, never return a pan empty (of course this is just a suggestion).

Warm connections come when we practice simple gestures of kindness that really only take a little thought to plan out.

When’s the time you doubled up on your cooking or baking and shared it with others?

Get caught up, Days 1-27 of 31 Days of Warm Connections, HERE.

Today I’m participating in a blogging event with retailer Harry and David in my hometown of Medford, Oregon, and I’m also going to talk about peaches.

I grew up with Harry and David. Well, not really Harry or David, but with their produce, orchards, the very essence of all their goodness, it’s all been a part of my life for almost 50 years.

A few weeks ago my friend Kristin and I canned peaches together.

The peaches were Harry and David’s Suncrest brand, grown in our local orchards.

This post has more sentimental value to me than peaches, the canning process, Harry and David.

When Kristin told me we were going to go down the street from her home and use her mom’s kitchen, I had no idea the nostalgic feelings that would rise up in my heart and mind. It brought back memories of my Mom, wishing she could be here canning peaches alongside Kristin and me.

My Mom loved my friends. She would have been there in a heartbeat.

Her hands were always busy and her heart was so full of love for other people.

The day went long. We put the peaches into hot boiling water (we used a slow cooker, do you?), and then right into the cold, pulling off the skins, slicing and layering in the jars.

Stunningly beautiful.

There is nothing like a beautiful jar full of peach freshness.

I brought along all of my canning supplies and was thrilled to be using a Thermador range, a complete surprise (it was like driving a Mercedes!)

We were on our feet for hours (we canned 4 lugs of pears) but one thing I noticed was that, more than talking about other people, we talked about our families … our kids, parents, spouses, and our mothers.

We even went outside to look at her mother’s beautiful assortment of dahlias.

Kristin doesn’t know this, but this day was very special to me.

Canning peaches with a friend is a story of how fresh produce, straight from the orchards, and using our hands for the benefit of our families, can come together into an ordinary canning jar to create beauty and nourishment for our bodies.

Warmer connections come when we nurture the friendships that we have in our lives.

New friendships are essential, but sometimes taking the ones we’ve had for years and trying something new (like canning together)–you’ll create a memory that you’ll cherish for years to come.

When’s the last time you tried something new with an old friend?

(This post was not sponsored by H&D. We bought our own peaches for the canning process. Canning is just what we do here in the Rogue Valley.)

I love how my daughter whistles while she works …

Even in the midst of a messy kitchen, while canning homemade pear applesauce, Abby and I can have fun together.

When the apples arrive from our dear friends, Roger and Faye, we know what comes next: the canning process.

Thanks to Kitchen Aid and the nifty attachments that hook up to my stand mixer, all you have to do is wash the apples (pears), cut in quarters, boil down in a heavy pot, and then run it through the attachments.

I never add sugar. I jar and process for 25 minutes. Cool, wipe down the jars, and place in the pantry, jars ready for winter enjoyment.

The canning between a mother and daughter is very simple.

We talk about the love between our family friends of 30 years, their home being one of our favorite homes in southern Oregon, the forging and sharing of friendships and good foods, the importance of multiple generations, gratitude for elderly friends being a part of our children’s lives. Some retired friends have shared the responsibility in getting Abby to her violin lessons every week for 12 years when I was not able to drive her. The saying “it takes a village” does make it easier for a child to understand the role of multiple generations in a life.

Thinking back to this day, I watched Abby take over. She basically did the whole canning process by herself after I cooked down the apples. We’ve done it so many times, she knew exactly what to do. This kinda makes a mama proud–kids who know what to do in the kitchen.

It gives me a sense of “if something happens to me, I know everything is going to be alright.”

Warmer connections come when we can work in the kitchen alongside our kids.

It not only gives us face time with our child, but when you hear the whistling going on, you know there’s a little happiness somewhere in their heart, too.

Now I wanna get me some warm pear applesauce.

When’s the last time you worked alongside one of your kids in the kitchen, and how did it make you feel?

Here’s a past about applesauce and soul … I think you’ll enjoy.

If you missed Day 1 or 2 …
Day 1: Secret Ingredient to Warmer Connections
Day 2: Bringing the Beauty of Autumn to Your Table

Do you hear your friends talking about an area of their house that is hard to keep clean and uncluttered? (I’m really looking forward to Nester’s 31 Days of Housekeeping coming up in our October 31 Days series.)

Ambush their space for an hour and help them organize – they will love it!

When my friend Steph came down from Portland with her family, we were on a mission to make early Christmas gifts together, Sweet Onion and Pepper Relish.

When Steph opened my hall closet, and most everything fell out, she wanted to get in there and organize it for me. I said, no, no … you don’t want to do that. But she did want to.

And I reluctantly let her.

Now look how beautiful and organized it is? (Sorry, no before pictures, it all happened so fast)

It is much easier to help someone else than work on your own troubled areas. It is super fun, satisfying and it motivates you to organize your own house. Steph also walked away with a few new (to her) tablecloths of mine, which I was happy to pass down to her.

Another good thing: She made me get rid of stuff I never knew I had.

Now moving on to the canning process … spending a few hours together in the kitchen–chopping and chopping and more chopping–gave us hours to get to know one another, which was awesome time spent. Remember in this post how I told you we prepared a lot of jalapeno peppers?

Today I’m sharing my special homemade Christmas gift recipe I’ll be giving away this year (sh-h-h, don’t tell my friends!). In a future post I’ll show you how to package it for the holidays.

One of the things I love about building relationships with friends is the memories that last forever!

So very wonderful!

Have you thought ahead to homemade Christmas gifts to give this year? I’d love to hear what you will be giving? And what about doing it with a friend?

The winner to the DesignzDivine jewelry is Teresa from Whatever blog. Congrats, Teresa!

I have a recipe coming up on RE that includes jalapeños …

… a lot of jalapeños.

The jalapeño is a medium-sized chili pepper that has a warm, burning sensation when eaten. A mature jalapeño fruit is 2–3½ inches (5–9 cm) long and is commonly picked and consumed while still green, but occasionally it is allowed to over-ripen and turn crimson red.

When our friends came for Labor Day weekend, Steph and I were canning together in the kitchen and she suggested that polyethylene (kitchen) gloves were a must when cooking with jalapeños.

Brilliant. No more weepy eyes when your hand accidentally touches your face after chopping these little rascals.

Or feeling their effect the next day and the next …

Do you use gloves in the kitchen and if so, for what food items?

One of my favorite recipes in my book, The Reluctant Entertainer, is Zucchini Noodles.

Inspired by a lot of zucchinis in our yard every year (doesn’t everyone who gardens have a ton of zucchinis?) and simply a great way to teach kids how to eat zucchini, we make this recipe in the Coughlin home year round.

Do you know how to turn your vegetables into lovely noodles? It’s so easy and your kids can do it quickly with a good vegetable peeler!

It’s also a great technique for making ribbons with any summer squash, cucumbers, and melons. YUM!

By taking the beautiful zucchini from the garden, you peel the zucchini until you get to the center. (Then compost the center part or put into a soup! Or feed to your chickens!)

So easy for the kids to take part in, too.

And then there’s “yard beans” pickin’, too. We’re still harvesting ours.

Make your garlicky white sauce. Add the parmesan cheese and season to taste.

In olive oil, barely cook the zucchini to tender in a hot pan. Do NOT overcook.

Mix the two together and ENJOY!

We like to add chicken and whole wheat pasta.

Makes a nice presentation and is tasty beyond belief. Especially with garden tomatoes and fresh basil-ly yard beans. Mm-m-m ….

What do you do with extra zucchini from your garden? Or do you have a favorite atumn zucchini recipe?

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I were heading out of town to Virginia Beach. Traveling together is always a joy, and I really look forward to our time away. Since our kids are older now, it’s easier to leave them behind. They’re busy with commitments, jobs, activities, and I always leave a list of chores to do, so that when we return, I’m not overwhelmed! I’m thankful for good kids who get in and help when we are away.

My motto is this:

If I leave my house clean, I will expect it to be in the same condition when I return.

I had a funny thought though, as I was packing and getting ready the day before we left. I thought ahead to dinner and how I wanted to make something special. I wanted our family to all be together. I wanted good conversation. I wanted connection. It takes effort to bring the family together and my mind was going here:

What if this is our last meal together as a family?

Do you ever get sentimental thoughts before you travel? I can’t be the only one!

So in wanting a special time, I also wanted a tasty, healthy experience.

I wanted Mama’s cooking to be a memory they’d never forget.

The night before, we had roasted 2 pans of fresh tomatoes, straight from the garden.

On this night I cooked whole wheat pasta, and we added ground lean turkey to the roasted tomatoes.

We placed the tomato mixture on the whole wheat pasta.

Dubliner Cheese was shaved on top, with chopped fresh basil, and slices of whole wheat bread on the side.

We sat together on our back patio and enjoyed our healthy meal and just being together.

I was satisfied with the outcome. Good food, the blessings of family, open discussions on life, … and deeper connections.

Okay, I’ll be honest and hopefully not too morbid here.

What would you cook, for one of your last meals with your family?

My guests didn’t know.

My kids didn’t know.

Only I knew the secret ingredient when I made dinner the other night.

Who says you can’t throw in something unusual, a secret-weapon ingredient, when cooking a traditional dish?

Last weekend my husband and I worked long, hard, hot hours in the yard and garden. We harvested beets, cooked them in the pressure cooker, and when it came time to cook dinner a couple days later, guess which ingredient I used when making enchiladas?

I combined beets and tomatoes for the topping, and layered beets on the inside of the enchiladas.

Beets. Precious beets.

And it was delicious.

It’s fun to make your guests swoon, trying to guess the secret ingredient, or to see their faces when they take that first bite.

When’s the last time you cooked with a secret ingredient and what was the reaction of our guests?

We’ve eaten so much corn this year, I think it’s coming out of our ears! (Hee-hee, that was pretty funny.)

Seriously, our family has really enjoyed sweet, savory corn on the cob this summer, served several ways.

Recently we had dinner in Portland with our friends and they grilled it … in the husks!
How easy is that?

Corn on the cob cooked this way has a mild flavor, but it’s tender and juicy.

How to Grill Corn in the Husk

-Soak the corn in the husks (easiest in the sink or a bucket) for a least a half an hour.

-Pull them out of the water and lay them on the grill, turning ever 5 minutes or so.

-Cook until they are heated through, 15 – 30 minutes, depending on how many cobs you have on the grill.

-The husks and silk come off very easily.

After giving thanks for our dinner, the little kids usually raise their hands.

This time … it was the big kid.

What has been your favorite way of serving corn this summer?

Want to mix and freeze herb butter? Check it out, here.

By 8 o’clock on Saturday night, my husband and I had finished the kitchen chores, put up the day’s harvest, and we were ready to crash!

Our sons were backpacking, our daughter was on a rafting trip. We had the entire weekend to ourselves to work around the house, in the yard, and harvest some of the garden. (If you want to read about our raised beds and how we got started, you can, here.)

I told Paul that these are my favorite days. A day when I get to putter, can, clean, and do things I would normally not do. We were having friends over for dinner, two of the friends being master gardeners, so you bet! we worked hard in the yard and garden. Not for perfection, but for satisfaction. And … it was time. Time to pull the potatoes, the beets, clean out some of the lettuce that had gone to seed, prepare the beds for fall crops.

Learning how to grow, cook, preserve, and work the soil is nothing short of a revolution in its tastiest form.

We appreciate it, our kids love it, and our guests are always enthralled by the farm to table approach, as a unique dish is placed in front of them at dinner, even on a city lot.

Tomatoes: Mostly green, a few are starting to ripen.

Rutabagas: We picked some big ones.

Potatoes: Harvested, but left some potatoes in the ground for next year’s crop.

Sweet Potatoes: I. Cannot. Wait.

Fig tree: An aborist told us we had our fig tree planted in the wrong place. We transplanted it this year and it’s thriving!

Peppers: Still pretty little.

Green beans: Slow growing this year due to a very mild, late summer.

Beets: Harvested and we’ll be enjoying over the next few weeks.

Lettuce: A few heads are popping up, but most has been already harvested. We are growing new starts in our AeroGarden and will plant for a fall crop. And we’re still eating the Italian lettuce.

Swiss Chard: Beautiful and a tasty treat (one our kids are still trying to form taste buds for).

Raspberries: Taking off. We’ve harvested most of them, but still a few stragglers.

Strawberries & Pumpkins & Squash: Season pretty much over. Pumpkins are starting to grow! Squash is taking off.

August is a crazy month for gardens and cooking and preserving. You really have to stay on top of it all and have a plan and rally the troops to get in and help.

It takes commitment and work.

But it’s so rewarding.

I’d love to hear what you are looking forward to harvesting, canning, or cooking with in August?

Last post, I shared our family’s favorite jam combination and recipe, using both strawberries and raspberries right from our garden.

This post I’m sharing how the method of “flipping your jars over” to seal them, works beautifully, effectively and quickly.

How to Flip and Seal the Jars
1. When you’ve completed the recipe and the jam is boiling for the last time, you’re now ready to fill the jars.
2. Using a funnel, ladle the jam into the jars.
3. Take a clean, hot towel and wipe the rim of the jar to remove any residue.
4. Place a sterile lid on the jar.
5. Place a ring around the lid/jar tightly.
6. Immediately flip the jar upside down.
7. Allow the jars to sit in this position for 30-40 minutes.
8. Flip the jar back over and put your finger in the middle. If it pops, the jar is not sealed. Flip the jar back over until it is sealed.
9. When the lid does not pop, or move up and down, then the jar is sealed.

Here’s a little disclaimer: canning websites and books don’t recommend this method; they recommend you use a full hot-water bath for canning jam. I prefer this method for jams and jellies only, exactly the way my Mother and Grandmother taught me.

Why is it okay to use this method?
These items are high in acid and high in sugar – both of which retard the growth of bacteria.

For anything else – vegetables, pickles, tomato sauces, fruit, etc. – process exactly according to current food safety recommendations is what I follow.

When canning, if the lid doesn’t seal, refrigerate and eat as soon as possible. There will be nothing wrong with the food, so don’t throw it out, but it must be refrigerated and used soon.

Here’s our jam on a yummy breakfast treat … Hootenanny (recipe in my book.)

Have you been inspired to make jam this summer?

Thank you for joining me this week in my 5-Part Canning Jam series. It’s been really fun reading your comments. So many of you have very similar stories of learning to make jam the way I did!

If you missed …
Canning Jam Part 1: How to find you passion and get started
Canning Jam Part 2: Supplies you will need for canning
Canning Jam Part 3: Getting your family involved in canning
Canning Jam Part 4: Strawberry Raspberry Jam Recipe
Canning Jam Part 5: Using the “Flip-Over” Method to Seal the Jar

It may take time to build up your canning supplies, or maybe you’ve been collecting the supplies from yard sales, but either way when you’re ready to start, even without a friend to show you how, there’ s great information on the internet and on websites.

Last week I made different sized jars of my family’s favorite jam, Strawberry Raspberry. It’s so yummy, I’ve even set aside some jars for our son’s friends, and I plan to do a little “jam” trading with some friends who make various flavors.

My kids helped me pick and get the berries ready. It’s great when it’s a family-affair! I usually triple the recipe (below) because I figure if you’re going through the work of making jam, you might as well make it count and at least double or triple the recipe.

Jam is LOVED by our family, but it’s also perfect to give away! It’s a great gift idea for teachers, coaches, hostess gifts, thank you gifts. Let’s say you’re not a big “jam” person–think outside the box. It’s delicious on a brick of cream cheese, goat cheese, brie cheese, ice cream, and I even use it on pork!

In yesterday’s post, we washed the jars and prepared the fruit. Today we’re going to make jam!

Strawberry Raspberry Jam
6 pints strawberries and raspberries, cut and crushed to yield 6 cups crushed berries (measurement must be exact)
4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon butter
1 box powder Sure-Jell

Directions:
1. Pour crushed berries into large pot. I use my VitaMix to pulse the berries ahead of time. You do not want to puree them. Jams should have a bit of fruit.
2. Measure exact amount of sugar into seperate container and set aside.
3. Mix 1/4 cup sugar from measured amount and 1 box SURE-JELL in a small bowl.
4. Stir the pectin mixture into the fruit. Add butter to reduce foaming.

5. Bring berries and Sure-Jell mixture to a full rolling boil (a boil that does not stop bubbling when stirred).
6. Stir constantly, for one minute at a full boil.
7. Stir in remaining sugar, quickly.
8. Return mixture to a full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly.
9. Remove from heat.
10. Skim foam from top with metal spoon.

11. Ladle boiling mixture quickly into jars that have been cleaned and preheated.
12. Clean rims of jars with clean hot cloth.
13. Place heated lids (lids that have been placed in simmering water for 1 minute) on jars and tighten rings.

14. Turn jars immediately upside down for 30-40 minutes.
15. Return jars to upright position and check with your finger if the lid has sealed.
16. Let cool completely before storing.

When I was at EVO recently I met a wonderful woman, Kelley. Her blog is Mountain Mama Cooks and she lives in the Salt Lake City area. What I appreciated about Kelley – besides the fact that we had a lot in common with cooking, hosting dinner parties, entertaining – is that we shared the same passion and vision of connecting with people over food. The last day we spent time together, we started chatting about canning, and that opened up another new dialogue. Here’s Kelley’s Strawberry Jam Sweetened with Honey recipe and her beautiful blog.

I love talking “canning” to my canning-sisters!

Come back tomorrow for the “Flip-Over” method to seal the jar. It’s easy, quick and doesn’t require a hot water bath …

What’s your favorite combination of berry jam?

If you missed …
Canning Jam Part 1: How to find you passion and get started
Canning Jam Part 2: Supplies you will need for canning
Canning Jam Part 3: Getting your family involved in canning

I hope you’ve enjoyed my canning posts on finding the inspiration you will need to get started canning.

One thing I learned early on about canning, which was passed down from my Mother and Grandmother, was to include my kids in helping with the canning process. It not only makes canning go quicker, but ultimately I’m hoping they will get the “canning bug,” and will keep this lost art of canning going in their families.

Including the family also gives a deeper appreciation for the work involved. We’ve had many kids over who love our canned foods, jams, etc. but realistically, they don’t have a clue the work that was involved. BUT … they do know it tastes better than the food you’d buy off the shelves.

Last week we harvested our strawberries and raspberries. We had more strawberries than raspberries (our raspberries are on their 2nd season) so I purchased more raspberries to even out the recipe, because this combination is our family favorite.

Last year I made FREEZER jam, but this year I decided to make the canned recipe.

How do I involve my kids? My son stemmed and prepared the berries. Many times they’ll help me fill the jars as well. When it’s applesauce season, I will cook the apples and prepare the canning supplies. Abby will make the applesauce completely on her own and fill the jars!

I then take the jars and place them in the hot water bath and finish up the canning process, but she’s always there to help and learn alongside me.

I’ll be sharing more about how to can with a water bath this Fall when it’s apple and pear season!

I’ll be honest here … canning makes a mess! Be prepared to do some heavy cleaning of big pots and wiping up lots of splatters.

Aw, the messes we make and the things we do for our families is just wonderful!

In my last post I shared about what supplies you’ll need to buy and keep on hand for canning your own jam. Today I’m going to show you how to get ready for canning.

Getting Supplies Ready to Can
1. Always sterilize your jars. I run them through the dishwasher right before I’m ready to can.
2. If the jars are hot about the same time your jam is ready, that is PERFECT.
3. If the jars are clean and sterilized in your dishwasher, or turned over on your counter, but they are no longer hot, right before filling the jar with jam, fill it with hot water. I used InstaHot water.
4. Never fill a cold jar with hot boiling jam, because it could crack the jar.
5. I never know exactly how many jars I’ll need, so I tend to wash extra so I have enough.
6. Count the number of jars that you have and count out the same number of LIDS and RINGS.
7. Use BRAND NEW LIDS each time you can, unless you are using the new reusable lids that are available now. (I have not tried these.)
8. Add the rings and lids to a pot of boiling water and boil for 1 minute. This will sterilize them.

Sterilized jars on the counter filled with hot water, ready to fill with jam.

These are lids.

These are rings.

These are other miscellaneous canning tools you will need.

Join me tomorrow as I share our family’s favorite Strawberry Raspberry Jam. We treat it like gold in our house … it’s precious and we appreciate not only the sweet, tart flavor, but the energy that it took to grow our own berries and to take the time to process the jam.

Teaching our kids to can is allowing this once-lost art of canning to continue to the next generation.

That is very important to me and I know to others who appreciate its value!

If you have children or grandchildren, or even neighbor kids, do you ever include them in cooking, canning, and food preservation?

If you missed …
Canning Jam Part 1: How to find you passion and get started
Canning Jam Part 2: Supplies you will need for canning

I really enjoyed sharing my history of how I continued the lost art of canning going in my family. It brings back very fond memories of how my Mother and Grandmother loved their gardens and loved to “put up” and plan ahead for the winter months for their families. Did you know that “put up” is a term of endearment for canning? It’s the term that they used to use all the time in the olden days.

My mother used small-mouth jars because that is all she had. I remember when the “wide-mouth” jars were brand new, and she wanted them so badly. But back then, you didn’t just go out and buy what was new. You used what you had. As I mentioned yesterday, my Mother relied on my little hand to get the big pieces of fruit turned just so in the jar. With wide-mouth, it was much easier and faster.

In my late twenties when I started to get interested in canning for my own family, I started by looking for jars at yard sales.

I lucked out and found 5 boxes of “wide-mouthed” jars for $1 per box. I was SO happy with my bargain. And I still have those boxes.

Then I found canners and miscellaneous canning tools that I would need.

A few things I bought at the store, and of course you NEVER reuse the lids when canning.

You do reuse the rings, but NEVER the lids.

I also purchased old canners from yard sales. I highly recommend that you find one or two of these, because they make great pots to just cook in, even if you don’t use them for canning. They are heavy duty, and nothing sticks to the bottom. I only paid $2 for my favorite pot!

For the series I’m posting this week, we will not be using a hot water bath or a canner, but be looking for these for canning other than jams.

I store my supplies out in the garage, in one area.

Supplies You Need to Make Jam
-I prefer either the half pint (8oz) or pint (16oz) sized jars for jam. One batch of jam will fill around 4 pint jars or 8 half pint jars. The jars and rings (screw tops) may be reused, but all lids must be new. Lids can always be purchased separately.

-A water bath canner or a very large stockpot for heating jam after it’s ladled into jars is optional. You will be able to read about this method in canning books or online, but I prefer to make jam the way my Grandmother and Mother taught me, and I’ll be sharing this method on Day 5. I call it the “Flip-Over” method.

-Large stockpot for cooking jam. Again, I used an old canner.

-Small saucepan for heating lids.

-Canning funnel makes it much easier to funnel into the jars without the mess.

-Jar lifters are not a necessity, but a great utensil for lifting the jam out of the hot water bath.

-The funnel and jar lifter can be purchased together at any discount store, like Wal-Mart or Target.

-Ladle and long spoon for stirring jam. My friend gave me my large one and I use it specifically for canning. I love it!

-Liquid and dry measuring cups.

-Large bowls for the fruit and sugar.

-Fresh fruit.

-I buy the small boxes of Pectin.

-Some recipes require lemon.

-Sugar

-Thick towel for placing hot jars on.

Now start thinking ahead of what kind of jam you want to can. Do you have a fruit tree? Or do you have a Farmer’s Market or orchard nearby where you can buy your fruit at a discounted rate?

Next post I’ll be sharing how to get the family/kids involved preparing the fruit and being a part of the process!

Do you have a handy place where you can purchase canning supplies?

Kitchenkrafts.com is a good source to purchase supplies if you want to do it all online.

Last week I made our family’s favorite Strawberry Raspberry Jam. After asking my readers on my Facebook page if they wanted to learn more about canning, the cries for help came in! By the way, did you know that RE has its own Facebook page? Join in daily on the conversation for easy tips and recipes! Also, for the next 5 days I’ll be sharing posts on canning that I hope you’ll find inspirational.

My love of canning started years ago when I was a little girl. My Grandma Dubs canned and my Mother canned. I’m sure my Great-Grandmother, Rosa, and Great-great Grandmother canned, too.

You can gain all the knowledge you need from canning websites, books, tutorials, … but I still say the best way to learn is to experience it alongside someone who’s done it before.

So I learned how to can from my Mother.

And my mother learned from her Mother. (Top photo is my Grandma Dubs, in her garden on Vilas Road, Medford, Oregon, over 25 years ago. I so love this picture. And the picture below is my Mom’s incredible Pear Butter.)

My sisters and I would dance around in Grandma’s mud room, from where we’d step down into the cold, dark pantry lined with canning jars. We’d play house, act, play and pretend, all in the midst of the wonderful scent of canning jars. Have you ever noticed how absolutely yummy a pantry of canning jars smells? Sweet and savory both. And then there was a big bucket of fresh dill ready for Grandma’s canned dill pickles. I’ll never forget that smell.

My sisters and I would tie on Grandma’s apron, while one would wear Grandpa’s knee-high rubber boots, and the other would put on a garden hat.

My childhood friends would tag along to Grandma’s mud room, usually while my Mother was helping my Grandma can, and we’d play for hours. All make-believe. No televisions or video games or electronics. There’s nothing like using your imagination with a few farming props! We had great fun.

(Picture below of me, left, and my childhood friend, Betsy, right. Don’t you just love our buttoned sweaters?)

I have many memories of canning with my Mother. My little hand was much smaller than hers, thus it was my job to fill the jars with peaches and pears, turning them over perfectly–they all had to face the same direction.

A pretty jar was very important to my Mom.

And a pretty jar is still very important to me. (My sis and me canning pears.)

If you don’t have family history like I had, canning alongside a friend or mentor will for sure take the intimidation out of canning for you. You get to watch, learn, actually get in there and do it yourself (not just watch a tutorial), with an expert right next to you.

Also, the benefit of canning, besides making healthy foods for your family, is friendship and community.

How to get started with canning
1. Find a mentor or a friend who knows how to can
2. Ask if she’d be willing to teach you or if you could work alongside her
3. Buy the supplies, preferably used, which will save you money (next post)
4. Start small, don’t tell yourself you’re going to can jams, peaches, pears, chutneys, tomato sauce all in one summer – start with jam or something very simple that will give you confidence of the canning process

One thing I learned about canning was to include my kids. It not only makes canning go quicker, but hopefully they will get the “canning bug,” and will keep this lost art going in their families. (It’s really easy to say “forget it” because of the time involved.)

What is it about canning that interests you? Do you already know how, or what has inspired you to start?

Join me tomorrow for Canning Jam Part II: What Supplies You Will Need. This 5-part series will ultimately be on making jam, but in the Fall I’ll be talking about how to can with a water bath.

We have an enormous array of OxEye daisies blooming in our front yard right now.

So many that I cut down a whole plant and placed them in a bucket.

They’re on the back patio for everyone to enjoy.

If you keep the water fresh, they’ll last a long time, and they’re very elegant for entertaining.

Here are some tips on these “wild flowers.” They seem to be a little bit invasive (just a little bit? LOL).

Almost everyone loves the OxEye Daisy, and it’s established in all 50 states and in Canada. But many states consider this flower a weed, so check to see if it’s allowed in your area. Common roadside daisies grow anywhere, including in wet spots, and form tough big root masses with large blooming clumps. You can plant the seeds anytime, and expect bloom after one full winter.

I love the few weeks when they are all in bloom, but my favorite daisy is the Shasta daisies!

Do you have daisies growing in your yard this year, and if so, what kind?

Thanks for joining me in my “30 Days of Summer Entertaining” series. (Scroll down to the bottom for the previous posts to this series)

It’s easy to perk up the personality of a salad with dressings, spices, cheeses, herbs, and nuts.

And for summer entertaining, I always try to add the fruit in season–mostly berries, but mango, apricots, peaches, pears are delicious, too.

My favorite dressing? White Balsamic vinegar, olive oil, a tiny bit of AGAVE.

Agave adds the perfect amount of sweetness to the already savory flavor.

I know the rave right now is to layer a salad in a glass bowl, showing the different food layers. Beautiful … but not practical.

How do you efficiently toss in the dressing and really get the salad mixed without it spilled over the side? You don’t. It’s awkward.

When making a salad, use a large bowl so it’s easier to toss. And add in the dressing ahead of time. We’ve found the flavor is better when the dressing is allowed to sit for at least 15 minutes before serving.

We’re really enjoying the fresh greens from our garden right now. Tender, buttery, and the best when they’re pulled right from the ground, washed and spun.

Do you have a favorite way to toss your green salads?

If you’ve missed the last 11 days of this series, you can catch up now:

Day 1: Summer Entertaining is About the People
Day 2: When Perfect Robs You of Something Good
Day 3: Who To Invite to Dinner
Day 4: Planning the Menu for Outdoor Entertaining
Day 5: Setting the Table Using What You Have
Day 6: Using One Classic Water Glass
Day 7: Napkin Options for Summer Entertaining
Day 8: When You Feel Like Canceling the Party
Day 9: Leave Your Technology at the Front Door
Day 10: Candles That Enhance Good Conversation
Day 11: Serving Flavored Herb and Fruit Water

Feel free to grab my button and share it with your readers .

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Yesterday my friend Jeannie and I had a date, with 3 goals in mind:

1. To get together to catch up on life.

2. To take a short walk together.

2. To stroll through my yard and garden (she always gives the best advice).

At one point during our walk around the neighborhood (looking at other yards and flowers), I reached out and grabbed Jeannie’s hand. Not because she needed my help, just because I just wanted to “feel” her hand.

Sometimes I secretly imagine my Mom walking next to me and feeling her hand in mine.

If your Mom is gone, have you ever done that?

I always loved to hold my Mom’s hand …

Jeannie brought me these beautiful flowers from her garden, so I added water and put them directly into the garden beds to enjoy.

Today I’ll update you on our raised beds! If you missed my 4-part series, HERE is the link to the last post that includes all of the garden posts.

I was on my way to Atlanta last week, to the Blog Her Food conference, and our friend brought us tomato starts from her greenhouse.

When I came home, these little babies were already planted and starting to grow …

I was a little worried because my husband, who was short on time, planted them the conventional way instead of the “trench-planting-method” way that we’ve always done in the past. He needed to get the plants in the ground … fast.

And more tomatoes are coming …

This picture made me smile. Our kids pick their own lettuce for salads. Clearly they are picking the outer leaves like we showed them to …

More lettuce …

Pepper that was started as a seed in our AeroGarden …

Peonies getting ready to burst …

Raspberries …

Potatoes …

And lastly, our strawberry bed is really taking off (see the mint transplant in the very front corner?) …

I love the inspiration that comes from spending time with a friend and in the great outdoors. Also in the city, in our backyard with beautiful produce growing in our raised beds.

I’d love to hear how your garden is coming along this season, or will you be shopping at the Farmer’s Market?

I’m guesting over at Good Life Eats today sharing my scrumptious Strawberry Bruschetta Recipe! Head on over and say hi to Katie and get ready for the best appetizer ever using strawberries and only a couple other ingredients. My friend, Bren, also gardens and she lives in the Midwest. Take a peek at her blog, The BG Garden Blog, too!