browngirl: (chocolate)
browngirl ([personal profile] browngirl) wrote2006-06-06 09:20 am

The Great Jam Collection

So, I packed up my Jam Collection this Sunday. I have a jam collection because I like esoteric fruits, especially rose family fruits (I swear, in a past life in a pre-Christian age I lived in Europe somewhere. That's the only explanation for some of my tastes). So whenever I find rowanberry or rosehip or quince or elderberry jam I buy two jars, and eat one, and keep the other.

The problem with a jar of jam is that once one opens it that's it for the jar; one has to eat all the contents before they mold. So my jam sits and stares at me, wistfully. I wonder if I could divvy my jars up into smaller jars and learn to can, thus allowing me to have my jam and eat it too. Canning jam is supposed to be relatively easy (high-acid, high-sugar foods stand up well to canning), my household is about to be overrun by babyfood jars, and I bet there's somewhere where I can read about the basic process of canning and buy nice new lids for the jars.

And then I could can my own jam. Rose petals and lavender flowers and hibiscus blossoms...and I could send it to people...

Hrmn. *contemplates*

[identity profile] alcinoe.livejournal.com 2006-06-06 01:36 pm (UTC)(link)
When I was canning jelly I used the "jelly" sized jars. They really weren't big enough if my whole family was eating it, but I could see it's contents lasting long enough for a single person to eat it up. From what I have been told about canning it is inadvisable to use store type jars, like that of babyfood. You may find something that says differently, so don't completely take my word for it. I just remember it being mentioned somewhere. I think it is because you can't find new lids for those things.