Monday, July 2, 2007

The Joy of Canning


I don't know about you... but I just love canning! When the fresh fruits and vegetables of the season are ripe and ready for harvest my heart leaps with excitement and anticipation knowing that soon I will once again be experiencing the joys of canning!

One summer a few years ago, I had such an abundance of homegrown tomatoes, peas, peppers and herbs in my summer garden that I almost had a coronary! What was I going to do with this overwhelming supply of home grown goody goodness? So, I bought some canning books and supplies and began my quest to be the canning queen of my neighborhood! I was so surprised how easy, fun and delicious it was!

That fall I knew I just had to be an award winner at the Davis County Fair, after all, I thought, what could be bigger that winning a ribbon at the Davis County Fair! I spent hours picking and selecting apricots and peaches from all the neighbors' trees to make curd. Yes, in the darkness of night I would steal my neighbors fruit! I couldn't help myself I was so obsessed with the joy and joyness of my new found love! The curd was so good my family even preferred a peanut butter-and-curd sandwich over anything else for their lunches. The men at my husbands work loved my husbands curd sandwiches so much their wives began asking for our recipe. I had to lock the recipe in our safety deposit box an Barnes Bank! I knew I was on to something.

Well, I finally took the plunge and entered blueberry curd , green beans, dill pickles and tomatoes in the Davis County Fair. Imagine my surprise and sheer delight when I won a blue ribbon for my blueberry curd, a red ribbon for my green beans and a white ribbon for my pickles. I was hooked! I could hardly contain myself! My heart was so full of joy and pride.


Now I've taken canning to a new level. I have now began to experiment with my own recipes and I have invented new canning techniques that have made me quite successful! Now I can everything from garden fresh peas to dandelions! Yes! Dandelions! They look so beautiful sitting on my pantry shelves! They add a little color and warmth to my pantry during the long and dreary winter months while I wait and dream of canning days to be.

Every Christmas my friends, especially steph and jen, look forward to a gift basket filled with my award-winning delectable treats canned and preserved in beautiful decorative jars that I have hand blown all by myself.

Oh dear... I need to take a breath! I am giddy just writing this blog!

6 comments:

Rick Pie said...

Hello Kally? Is that you? What have you done with my sister? I never knew you were so domestic.

When am I going to sample your curd?

The Green Plate said...

I know! I have turned into a regular Martha Stewart!
And someday,if I ever really do can anything.... such a curd, You will be the first to sample it! But don't hold your breath.

Marmee said...

Okay....so all that domesticity was just made up? Did you clip that article from Good Housekeeping?

I was wondering the same thing as Rick..."Hello?, is that Kally in there"?

A more believable posting would be you welding the can lids to put on the jars for someone else to can!!!!

luv ya gal...

The Green Plate said...

Welding! Now that is my idea of fun!

Rick Pie said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Rick Pie said...

Ummm, so you never went to the Davis County fair??? What about the ribbon???

I am SO blonde.