I'm Jammin' Now!
Guess what I did yesterday?
That's right. Finally put all those blackberries I picked in their proper place: a jar.
Was it "easy"? Was it "fun"?
Well, it would have been a heck of a lot more enjoyable if one toddler wasn't sobbing inconsolably because he had been jumping on the couch (an illegal activity) and had a pillow smack him in the eye, another vomiting on the carpet, and another growling like a bear with poo streaming down his leg.*
That's right. If you have a toddler, DON'T CAN.
Besides that, there was an awful lot of boiling water (I burned myself plenty of times), stickiness, bubbling cauldrons, and cackling.
Will I do it again? Super Mormon Mom, who was my guide through this whole process, says that when I open that first can of jam and enjoy the satisfaction of knowing I canned it myself, I will probably want to do this again.
Yeah, FAT, HAIRY CHANCE.
*It didn't start out this way. Oh, no. It was serene and peaceful, the children quiet and docile, when we started. It wasn't until we were at the end--y'know, throwing the actual bubbling stuff into jars as quickly as we could, like you're supposed to--that all hell broke loose. Of course.
16 comments:
I hope that jam is the best stuff you ever tasted. Sorry you serene start deteriorated.
p.s. I LOVE the jammin' song, but on my browser, the player is blocking some of your post!
Oops. Perhaps I should fix that...
Canning has just never seemed like an enjoyable activity to me. But I'm satisfied with being the not so homemaking homemaker.
ah wynne! so sorry that the boy did all that around you! the grossest thing i had to deal with today so far was this morning, one of the schnauzer dogs did not want to come in from the backyard because he had a little friend hanging on -- yep, you're right, he had a poop dingleberry clinging on for dear life on his furry bum! gross! and, of course, i had to be the good mommy and clean up the little guy. plus, i did not want him trying to use the living room carpet as his TP! yuck!! i am laughing as i am writing you girl. plus, i couldn't have him stay like that because i love the little guy and plus i cuddle with him constantly and i don't get into cuddling with poo! ha. thanks for making me laugh girl. hope the rest of your day is sunshinny. cheers, kathleen
I love that you have a little pedestal for the jam jar!
I canned my own strawberry jam 2 years ago. I never did it again.
I just want to tell you that you are my best bloggy friend ever. Yes, you are. You really are.
nice job Wynne.:) its a very pretty shade of..reddish maroon? Anyhow, you have way more patience than me, but then you always have..
Is this your scarrrryyy Halloween entry into the Literary Mutations contest?
I think you made a few OCD people pass out with your tale of poopy bacterium, bubbling and sticky jam messes, and sofa cushions out of place.
Good job.
Wow -- so impressed. It looks truly grand on that pedestal. (Did you get like a bargain pack of pedestals at the craft store?? How many of those do you have??)
If you want to do blackberry jam in the future and don't want to deal with the difficulty of real canning, you can always do freezer jam. That's what my mom did with some of the blackberries we brought back from WA a few years ago. The only drawback is that when you take the jam out for eating, you have to eat it up within a couple of weeks or it will turn into blackberry gin.
So which one was your toddler? Dare I ask?
My mom canned every kind of fruit and vegetable known to man, from her garden. I made plum jam once, and only once, forever.
Wow! Boy is that jam gonna taste good! (laughing all the way to the kitchen....waiting......)
What a pleasant surprise bit of music.
pandy--yeah, I'm all about surprises this month. BOO! By the way, where is your entry, my dear?
elizabeth w--You're only laughing because it's happened to you before, right? And watch your mailbox.
jean knee--yes. Once is good enough, right? You got the experience in, you know what it's about, and you buy your food at the store. Me, too.
marie--If you must know, mine was the be-pillowed toddler. The other two were my friend's. And the pedestal? Actually a candlestick, but that's only because I didn't have a pedestal lying around. Blackberry gin sounds intriguing, by the way. Think I could feed it to the missionaries?
elastic--I am sooooo taking that as a compliment.
dread pirate--I disagree. You have far more patience than I have. After all, S is potty-trained, isn't he?
carrot--you better not be messing with me. I am going to have that comment framed, right along with the other one, so I really hope you mean it. *sniff* It means *sniff* so MUCH *sob* to me! CARROT LIKES ME!
kimberly--what else are you going to do with your homemade jam? Doesn't everyone put theirs on a pedestal?
kathleen--I love baths. I love giving them to dogs, toddlers, AND cats (Jasper really was asking for it, I promise). I love the after-smell of cleanliness that sometimes can last up to an hour. Boo on poo, dogs that roll in dead things, and cats that think it's funny to roll in dirt and not wash.
lisa--yeah, I'd go with that feeling if I were you. Heck, I'm gonna go with that feeling and I'm NOT you.
wynne--oh, that's me. I don't need to comment. Duh.
jennifer b.--Great comment. You know you're my favorite. (Look! I'm a STOCKER! Ha!)
I had to check your blog out based on your jack avatar. I love Jack. And as a mormon mom who canned once, I promise you . . . you will never do it again. I opened my jam and granted it tasted good, but I will poke my eyes out with toothpicks before canning ever again
Homemade jam is the best... personally, I prefer freezer jam. There is no cooking involved. Perfect for someone like me who burns herself on a fairly consistant basis...
Hey Wynne, I finally started my own blog; not nearly as entertaining as yours, but I'm trying to get there:
http://fifitafamily.blogspot.com/
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