I actually posted a couple of weeks ago about trying to can my own peaches. I was so nervous about it. How would they look? Would they seal? How would they taste when we pull them out of their jars? So many questions, and I didn't even list the ones about how to actually DO the canning. So, I had to just jump in and do it.
I started by blanching the peaches and peeling the skins off. I only had 6-8 peaches for this first try so I could see how it goes. All but one of them peeled wonderfully. Okay, step one done. I sliced up the peeled peaches and put them into the jars (I opted for cold packing) and then I heated up the sugar water mix.
Of course, this whole time I had the hot-water bath going so it was ready for the jars. Once the syrup was ready, I poured it into the jars with the fruit, but the lids on, threw them into the hot-water bath and crossed my fingers I had done everything right. I waited the prescribed amount of time and pulled them out to cool. I got my pings and knew they had sealed, but it was just a matter of whether they taste alright. You can see there was still room in those jars, but when you're filling them, it doesn't feel that way. Next time I will overfill them in hopes they will settle again and fit perfectly.
I was a little afraid to open the jar to find out if they were any good. I finally got the courage and opened one up. It smelled good, so I served it up for myself the kids and we tried them out. Well, they were a hit! It was a little too sweet for my taste and I might look into using juice next time, but the kids LOVED them! They wanted more and more. I only got to taste one piece because they ate the rest. I am so glad it went well. I am feeling more confident now and am ready to try pears. We'll see how that goes.
No more pictures, Mom, let's eat! |
I did refer to a couple of websites to help me out. I found PickYourOwn the most helpful, but I also referred to Food In Jars Canning 101when I had questions about things that seemed odd or didn't make sense.
Okay, this turned out to be a super long post, but I was super excited about this! I can't believe how easy it was to can! I am really looking forward to doing this again, and with more produce. Maybe I can get some real stock built up to "last through the winter". ;)
No comments:
Post a Comment