News Features

Canning Season Arrives, Locals Busy!

    Fall has arrived and in Florida. How do we know? All the pictures of folks making jam and harvesting their local fruits. September is canning and jam-making season. Our thanks go out this week to Phil and Cathy Owens, who shared some lovely persimmons that they grew. We haven't been able to grow much of anything this year because of all the critters in our yard. Thanks for sharing your bounty.
      Sondra Hulette and her daughter-in-law harvested some muscadine grapes this weekend. They put their buckets together and spent an afternoon making jelly together. The girls were able to craft 30 jars of the homemade purple goodness.
       We also had a note from Mary Ellen Calhoun of Hanceville, Alabam, who harvested some beautyberries on her last trip to Umatilla. She took the berries home and made a batch of delicious jellies with them. She has also enjoyed making peach, blackberry, blueberry, and strawberry, and is going to tackle some pears next.
   Carol Warren of Umatilla made jelly and jam last weekend. She was using local pears, guavas, and persimmons. The kitchen sure smelled good and she said all she needs now is a big pan of homemade biscuits.
      We hope to make pear jam this week and perhaps some persimmon bread if we get lucky. We have been fortunate enough to taste some superb persimmon bread at church over the years.
   Pear Jam
4 cups peeled pears
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 box SURE-Jell Pectin
5 cups sugar, measured into a separate bowl
1/2 tsp butter or margarine
        Wash and dry your jam jars before starting. Fill with boiling water to keep warm and clean. Peel and core pears. Finely grind or chop fruit. Measure exactly 4 cups of prepared fruit into a soup pot with a thick bottom. I use a 3-gallon pot. Stir in lemon juice. When the pot of fruit gets hot and starts to bubble, stir in Sure Jell. Add butter to reduce foaming. Bring to a full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly. Add sugar; stir. Return to a full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with a metal spoon. Use a glass measuring cup with a spout to fill jars. Fill to within 1/4 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with 2-piece lids. Screw bands tightly.
   Place jars on a clean thick kitchen towel upside down. Wait 2 minutes for the rims to get very hot. Then flip them. You will hear the jars ping as they seal. Any that don't seem to put in the fridge and eat on your toast. Sealed jam can be stored for a year in the pantry.