Canning & Jam

Canning and making jam is work but fun! Getting the fruit in season and locally from a farm is important. The berries we got have no pesticides on them. Preserving fresh local fruit has many benefits for your health. Your getting the freshest fruit that is loaded with minerals, fiber, vitamin c, antioxidants and more. Canning fresh berries seals in the nutrient value that is present when they are fresh picked. Your local grocery stores fruit is not only double the price but the nutrient value decreases by every day they are on the shelf and they are usually from Mexico or a distant farm (not local). For even more savings try getting your berries/fruits/veggies at a local u-pick farm. 


Here's how to do it: 


1. Get/pick fresh berries 
2. Wash your berries 
3. Sort your berries firm ones are best to can and soft are better for jam or syrup

These are soft berries that are great for syrup and jam

4. Fill your jars with berries

Nice firm berries. Fill jar full because they shrink after the canning process.

5. Make a syrup (sugar water & lemon juice (a splash to help keep berries color): 2parts water and 1-2 parts sugar depending on your taste.) Fill jars with syrup leaving an inch from the top.
5. Sterilize the lids for your jars by boiling them 
6. Wipe clean the tops of the jars, set sterilized new* lids (*you can not re-use old ones they won't seal) place ring over lid to hold in place.
7. Place your jars in the canning kettle in boiling water.
8. Leave in the kettle for 10 minutes (for raspberries) or 15-20 for cherries 
9. Pull out of kettle with canning tongs and place on the counter top on top of a towel 

End result after being canned. The berries now take up less room in the jar. 

10. You'll start hearing the lids 'pop' as they cool this assures your seal. If you touch the lid it should be sucked in and not click/bounce when pressure is applied. If your lid does not seal you need to eat them asap as they will not be preserved and store in fridge. All sealed lids can be stored on the shelf in the pantry until you decide to use them. 

Finished raspberries, cherries, and jam

JAM (freezer jam):


Get a box of pectin. There are directions on the back :

1.  Get your soft/pre- washed berries that you sorted from above. 

2. Mush the berries 

3. For each two cups strawberries or raspberries add 4 cups sugar. 
4. Boil 1 box pectin & 3/4 cups water for 1 minute. 
5. Add berry & sugar mix to the boiling pectin & water mix. 
6. Stir together and pour in jam containers. 
7. Store in freezer until ready for use.

Chickens & Ducks

The chickens & ducks are now 6  months old. The chickens have starting laying eggs ! We're still waiting on the ducks to start laying eggs which will be a month or two yet. Turns out Swedie our black duck turned out to be a boy so we have two new duck additions that are only 3 months old and were hoping we'll get females. Here's some photos to show their growth and the eggs we have been getting. The eggs started small and are getting larger by the day.