It's Apple Season!

It's the season for apples.  Yummy apples.  My family loves apples, apple sauce, apple butter, apple pie, you name it. They love apples!  We were recently blessed with an abundance of apples and though it has been a lot of hard work, I have been busy canning applesauce and apple pie filling (for apple pies).  Next will be canning apples for eating and for just plain baking for any kind of recipe.  I just love being able to preserve this yummy goodness for future recipes and meals.

I was looking in my Ball canning book and saw all kinds of neat recipes.  One I am definitely going to try is the cinnamon apple one.  It reminds me of those cinnamon apple rings I used to love as a child.  Blast from the past!  I'll try to remember to follow up on some others if I try them too.  What have you been canning lately?  Anything different or really interesting from what you normally can?

 

June Garden Updates

It is amazing how fast things change in the garden.  It seems that one day you have little sprouts and seedlings and before you know it the garden is just bursting with life.  We had a lot of rain recently and it really got things going in the garden.  This year my clematis vines have decided to just burst out with profuse growth and blossoms.  I am just loving them.  It was what I had dreamed of for the garden gate.  It is so exciting to see it come to pass.

Black raspberries

It's also berry picking time here.  The strawberries are pretty much done at this point, but the mulberries are well on their way as are the black raspberries.  We had a problem with the red raspberries a year ago and now I can't seem to get them to recover.  We might have to start over in that department.  The thornless blackberries are starting to take off a little.  I only have 1 of 3 plants left so hopefully the one that is doing so well now will continue to be in good health and grow and produce lots of new shoots for fruiting next year.

Mulberries

Normally my canning season doesn't start till August or much later, closer to October.  But, I am finding lately that as I learn more I am canning more and with the awesome new canning shelf hubby built ( I will share on another post) I have a need to get it filled.  My two most recent endeavors were canning pineapple and strawberry rhubarb pie filling.  I have never tried pie filling before but wanted to.  I was sure I was going to can apple pie filling last year but it just never worked out.

Canned pineapple and some extra pineapple juice!!

I am so excited to try the pie filling.  I have meant to make a pie for several days now but our schedule has just been so crazy.  I definitely have it on the agenda to make right away!  I LOVE strawberry rhubarb pie and the thought of having jars of homemade pie filling on my shelf makes me smile!  It is extra special because both the strawberries and the rhubarb came from the garden.  No sprays, no chemicals, just fresh food.

Strawberry rhubarb pie filling

What's on your canning shelf?  Have you tried any new recipes that you love?  Sometime soon I want to try canning beans like pinto and kidney.  Probably even black beans.  My goal is to eventually have food on our shelf instead of running for fast food or opening a metal can from the store.

Jalapeno Hot Pepper Jelly

Finally!  I got the jelly done.  Been meaning to put up some jalapeno hot pepper jelly and finally got some put up tonight.  Six and a half pints.  We love this stuff.  Warm up a block of cream cheese, pour some jelly over the top, enjoy on some crackers (Triscuit is the best! :)).  Plan to get some bread and butter pickles and salsa done tomorrow!  What's on your canning list?  Have you put up some stuff already?