Lazy Woman's Guide to Canning

Mr. Free and I ventured into the canning world this past year with some good friends of ours leading the way.

It was a whole new world for me!

And much easier than I had thought!

So far we haven't canned a whole lot, but our list includes:

Mulberry Jam

Mulberry Syrup

Salsa

Apple Sauce

Apple Butter

All with great success!!!

There are many different ways to can, and most involve some specialty equipment.

However, in consulting with friends and family here is the system we do and has worked beautifully.

All you need is

Ball jars

Lids

Rings

Container of hot water

Stuff to put in the jars

First take the jar and its components and submerge it into HOT water.

You can fill a big bowl, or fill your sink or even put them in the dishwasher through a HOT cycle to get them sterilized.

I usually just do the big bowl or sink.

Once your sauce or jam or whatnot is ready to be canned, take jar and lids out (remember they will be HOT!) And wipe them down dry.

Pour in your goods.

Then quickly place the lid and ring on tightly and wipe down the lids dry.

Flip upside down on a dishtowel for several hours or overnight. (The pressure and heat will create a vacuum and cause the the lid to seal. If you listen carefully you will hear a "woosh" sound when it seals.)

Voila! Canning success!!!

Make sure to label your jars for storage so you know what it is! And you can reuse your jars and lids so they really are a great investment!

I hope this offered a little insight for those not yet venturing into canning, but it truly is a lost art! It's such a great way to extend our summer and fall harvest through the long winter!

Happy Canning!!!

P.S This is my 200th post! Crazy huh?! Thanks for reading still!!!