Summer, Food, and Friendship

Over this past summer Naomi and Five Crows have worked hard together to battle the oncoming of winter. In an a process that has for the most part fallen to the wayside in this age of refrigirators and produce on demand. Together they have taught each other the ways of canning and preserving. Together they have given each other the confidence and the collective knowledge (especially in the area of converting cups, pints, and the such) that has allowed them to succeed. Together they have preserved strawberries, pickles, peaches, salsas and more.

Throughout this summer we have had each other over for delicious local meals and other times we have just found time to sit and chat. We have been around each other so much that if a couple days go by I find myself wondering when are we going to see Five Crows and her family next. Yet, it hasn't always been this kind of friendship. A year before we had never been to the roost that Five Crows calls home and she had never been over to our house. So I believe we all have gardening and the love of fresh food to thank for our new found friendship.

So I say let the canning and the celebration of good local food continue.

We be Jammin', Strawberry Jammin' Part II

Well here is about 20 quarts of strawberries just waiting to be jammed.

This past Wednesday Naomi and Five Crows got together at 9:00 in the morning to begin what was to be an all day affair of canning strawberry jam. Between the two of them they made approximately 480 ounces of strawberry jam or about 60 jars. They have made plans to can more fruits and who knows start a whole business.

Watching these two work took me back to my grandparents house in Arkansas. Where my grandmother would spend many of hot summer days canning preserves. Just the sight of a Mason jar can bring back many happy memories. I wonder how many people in the United States still can food?

First step is washing and then cutting off the caps off of two quarts of strawberries

Next put the 2 quarts of strawberries into the pot and then mash them right in the pot. This will help to save on dishes that you will need to wash later.

Then add six cups of sugar and stir the concoction thoroughly.

Put the Mason jars into a dishwasher and wash them to heat up the jars.

Next heat up the concoction until it gets to 220 degrees Fahrenheit.

Then using a ladel and a jar funnel pour the jam into the Mason jars. Next put the lids on and then screw on the rings, but make sure that they are not to tight.

Place the jars into a water bath canner and lower them until they are submerged.

Boil them for fifteen minutes and then remove them using the tongs.

You may hear a slight popping noise as you remove them. Let them sit for a bit until all the lids have sealed-The popping noise. The jars take up to 24 hours to cool.

We be Jammin', Strawberry Jammin' Part I

Well in my last post I asked what do you do with 20 quarts of Strawberries?

Well after you have made a strawberry pie or two and you have snacked on a handful or so, there is only one thing left to do. Preserve them before they spoil. I am sure that this is a conundrum that has confronted farmers for quite some time. In fact I am sure this problem has been front and center for our species as long as we have been gathering more food than we could eat in one setting.

We have had many different ways to meet this crisis. With meats we would simply salt the meat or drown it in layers of fat. However in the early 19th century Napoleon Bonaparte was concerned about the food for his armies staying fresh enough to keep them feed. He offered a prize of 12000 francs to the person who came up with the best way to preserve food over a long period of time. The person to do this was Nicholas Appert, the father of canning, who devised a way of preserving food in bottles similar to wine. This process was adapted and improved on through out the years by many different individuals.

However in 1858 a man by the name of John L. Mason conceived the idea of the Mason jar or a glass jar and lids that had threads. This allowed for reusable jars and screw on lids. The ease of use and the affordability of this system made canning more popular and the idea spread across the United States to all women be them farmers and homesteaders but also women living in the urban areas. Families began traditions of canning sauces, pickling, relishes, jams, and tomatoes. The name Mason became so synonymous with canning that piratically all glass jars to this day are called Mason jars even if they are made by another company and the fact that the Mason company has been out of business for over a century.

Canning grew in popularity during WW I and WW II. Canning was seen as a way to help the troops from home. As one can probably expect it is not as popular as it once was.

Many other companies made glass jars some with similar systems to the Mason jar, such as the Atlas E-Z jar, the Kerr jar, and the Ball jar. However others were made with completely different systems such as the Lightning jar.

An early Ball Mason jar

The Atlas "Strong Shoulder" Mason jar-The Strong Shoulder is the raised lip just below the lid.

A Ball jar using the Lightning clamp system.

The Ball Mason jar using the "Strong Shoulder" or the raised lip.

All of these jars were a gift from Five Crows who is a good friend and a gold mine of knowledge in a variety of areas.

*Interesting side note Ball jars used to be manufactured in Mundelien, Illinois up until the plant closed in 1981.