Sep 5, 2012

Canning Extravaganza!

Standing at the bus stop in the cool air, new notebooks and pencils, and warm sweaters...ever since I was a kid I have loved fall!

Something about the leaves slowly floating to the ground or crunching under foot makes the season magical. All 4 seasons are pretty special but fall is just about perfect. It's not too cold or hot, it's the beginning of the holiday season and it's harvest time.

When we moved to this house I was happy to see all the fruit trees in the yard. I have always wanted to can since most of the houses we have lived in have had fruit trees but I never seemed to get around to it until the last couple years. This year I canned everything!

I love the fact that there is early summer fruit and then fall fruit, gives me plenty of time to get it all done. I have had a ball this year canning the fruit from my yard.

Hannah has been my faithful helper. She's learning skills now in her youth that I had to teach myself when I was already married. I'm so thankful for a daughter.

Okay so these are not in order but I canned them all this year.

APPLE PIE FILLING
INGREDIENTS:

18 cups thinly sliced apples
3 tablespoons lemon juice
4 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
10 cups water

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice and set aside. Pour water into a Dutch oven over medium heat. Combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Add to water, stir well, and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add apples and return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until apples are tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes.

Ladle into 5 freezer containers, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Cool at room temperature no longer than 1 1/2 hours.

Seal and freeze. Can be stored for up to 12 months.

***This stuff is to die for, crazy good!



APRICOT JAM
INGREDIENTS:
2 quarts crushed and peeled apricots
1/4 cup lemon juice
6 cups sugar
DIRECTIONS:
Combine apricots and lemon juice in a large saucepot. Add sugar. Bring slowly to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cook rapidly to gelling point, about 25 minutes.

As mixture thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking. Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary. Ladle hot jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4th inch headspace. Adjust two-piece caps. process 15 minutes in a boiling water canner.
makes 5 pints
***I never liked apricots until I made this jam. 





BLACKBERRY JAM

INGREDIENTS:
10 cups fresh blackberries
1 (1 3/4 ounce) package dry pectin
5 cups granulated sugar

DIRECTIONS:
Wash, stem, drain, and crush berries. Drip through jelly bag or cheesecloth-lined sieve to equal 3 1/2 cups blackberry juice. Add dry pectin and sugar. Stirring to mix well. Stirring constantly, bring to a rolling boil and boil 1 minute (a rolling boil can not be stirred down). Remove jelly from heat.
Skim off bubbles. Ladle jelly into hot, sterilized containers, one at a time. Fill to within 1/8 inch of top if using self-sealing lids. Fill to within 1/2 inch of top is sealing with paraffin. Wipe rim of jar or glass with a clean damp cloth.
If using self-sealing lid:  Place hot lid on jar. Tighten screw band firmly. Invert jar 30 seconds. Stand upright to cool. Or, process in a boiling-water bath, 5 minutes.
If sealing with paraffin:  Spoon a 1/8-inch layer of melted paraffin over jelly, covering completely. Cool 5 to 10 minutes until paraffin hardens. Place another spoonful of melted paraffin top. Till and turn container so paraffin runs 1/4 inch of more up side. Cool 24 hours. Cover with lid or foil.
Yields 5 to 6 (6-ounce) jars.





CANNED PEARS

Step 1: Wash and Sanitize Your Jars
You need to have perfectly clean jars for any canning project! The easiest way to achieve sanitized jars is to run them through your dishwasher right before you use them. While your jars are being washed, prepare your fruit for canning using the following steps. 


Step 2: Peel the Pears
When canning pears, most people remove the skins before they can them. If you've ever purchased commercially canned pears, you'll notice that the peel is removed from the fruit. However, this does take a little extra time! If you prefer to leave the skin on your fruit, that is perfectly fine and will not affect the taste or quality in any way. It is entirely up to you! What is your preference?
Note: When canning pears, don't peel more fruit than you will need. The fruit will start to turn brown if you don't can it right away. Typically, you can fit about 2 lbs. of pears into each quart size jar. Since your canner should hold about 7-8 quart canning jars at a time, you shouldn't peel more than 16 lbs. of pears!
Step 3: Slice the Pears
Using a sharp knife, cut the pears into slices. Some people cut the pear exactly in half and then scoop out the core. Others simply cut the fruit away from the core and then discard it. It really doesn't matter! Whatever you like is fine. Canning pears doesn't have to be complicated when it comes to slicing.
Place your sliced pears into a large mixing bowl. 



Step 4: Fill Your Jars

Remove your jars from the dishwasher and fill each jar with your pear slices.
Leave about one inch of empty space at the top of your jar - you don't want to cram your jars too full! Set your jars aside. 

Step 5: Prepare the Syrup
There are several options at this point. When canning pears, some people fill their jars with only water. Others prepare a light syrup with water and sugar. Still others prefer the heavy, rich syrups that are more common in store-bought pears. You may also use apple juice for a healthier alternative. The choices and recipes are listed below:
a. Water: simply boil hot water and add a dash of lemon juice.
b. Light Syrup: boil 6 cups of water with 2 cups of sugar. This makes a lightly sweet accompaniment to your pears.
c. Medium Syrup: boil 6 cups of water and 3 cups of sugar.
d. Heavy Syrup: boil 6 cups of water with 4 cups of sugar.
e. You can also fill your jars with White Grape Juice or Apple Juice.
Once you have selected your syrup and boiled it, fill your jars with the liquid. Don't fill the jars to overflowing - leave about 1/2 inch of empty space at the top!




Sadly I didn't get enough raspberries this year to can them but I did freeze quite a bit. 



STRAWBERRY JAM

INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled
4 cups white sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
DIRECTIONS:
In a wide bowl, crush strawberries in batches until you have 4 cups of mashed berry. In a heavy bottomed saucepan, mix together the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to high, and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil, stirring often, until the mixture reaches 220 degrees F (105 degrees C). Transfer to hot sterile jars, leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch headspace, and seal. Process in a water bath. If the jam is going to be eaten right away, don't bother with processing, and just refrigerate.

***SUPER-GOOD!




Oh yea and my trees are loaded with apples and asian pears still. 

Looking forward to making some pear and apple butter and who knows what else. Any ideas???


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Sep 2, 2012

Victory or Defeat? Your choice.

This life is made up of so many different experiences. From birth to death and all that comes in between life can be a bumpy road.  People deal with these experiences in many different ways, that is what makes this world so interesting. Just as each leaf that falls from the tree is different so are we. 

As an unsaved young lady my circumstances dictated my outlook on the world. They dictated my mood and feelings about life in general. As a heathen I had no reason to see the world I lived in as anything but struggle, heartache and then death. 

Now as I sit here a saved woman on my way to Glory I see things differently. I have an outlook on life that trumps any hardships this life can bring. Obviously as Job found out, life can be extremely trying. Daily I hear of families burying their babies and I can't even begin to know what that feels like or what a great obstacle that is to overcome. I pray that I never have to deal with a loss like that and I have no idea how I would react but I know that we have a Comforter.
Psalm 34:18  Says: The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
I know there are times when depression will come, hardships are guaranteed in this life and there will be a time of sadness but to walk through this life in a state of sadness and depression is not of God. I know life is difficult but to deny the comfort of the Holy Spirit and to dwell in the valley is not of God.
Psalm 55:22 Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
There are times of heartache but they shouldn't rule our lives. Hardships shouldn't dictate the direction of our spirit. If you are saved then the Lord dictates your life. The Lord allows and directs your life.
I Peter 4:19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.
To walk a defeated life because of circumstances or past sins is in it's self sin. The world has no idea what Christ looks like, they don't know what "peace that passeth all understanding looks like".  We are to be that picture of Christ, his goodness and the comfort that only He can give so that the world will know where to find it. They will see our lives and want what we have, want whatever it is that allows us to go through pain and hardship with victory and a some in our heart.

If anyone had something to be depressed about it was the Apostle Paul. Being arrested for doing exactly what the Lord had told him and then being beaten and cast into a dank dungeon for who knows how long, Paul had reason for despair. Wow, what an example Paul was to us. He demonstrated through his trust of the Lord and his reaction to a most difficult situation just how we can have peace. We have a choice just as Paul did, we can moan and mope through the hard times or we can chose to be like Paul and let our light shine even in the darkest place. Because of Paul's reaction to this dark time in his life the guard of the prison was saved and his household. Paul went through the valley with the right spirit and God used it to enlarge the kingdom of God.


Acts 16:22 And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.
23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:
24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.
27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
I have seen people wonder in their misery. I have seen the devil get the victory day after day over their lives. He steals this precious gift of life away from us as we fall for His lies that keep us crippled in disbelief and out of the will of God for our lives.
John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
 To live our lives in defeat when Christ as already won for us is a wasted life. There is nothing that is too big for us to handle. The Lord promised that He wouldn't put more on us than we could take. He doesn't lie. He is truthful in everything and if He said we can do all things through Him then we can. To live a sad, defeated life when He was won the victory is sin. Until we agree with God on this subject we'll never get the victory over satan and the trials he sends and we'll waste this precious gift of life that God has given to us for so short a time.

Does the lost world seek to find the peace that carries you through the storm or do they see you in the same boat as they're in being thrown to and fro by life with out a Captain? Would the world want what you have?

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Sep 1, 2012

Guilt Guilt and more Guilt

          Okay so I do feel extremely guilty for being gone from my blog for so long. I actually love my blog and all my bloggy friends. I have actually been blogging on A Home Away From Home since June 1, 2006. I have blogged here 548 times counting this one. I have blogged about everything from sewing, missions, family, shopping in Europe and a gamet of other topics. More than 50,000 people have viewed my blog and I've received countless encouraging comments from friends all over the world, oh and I've even met some of them in person. Very cool!
         So I said all that to say this: I'm back! I'm going to do my best to blog weekly. And to all you faithful readers, thank you for sticking with me, and to all of you faithful bloggers thanks for the motivation to blog again. See ya within the next 7 days!

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