Vintage Homemaking Week: Day One

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Did you find your way here after reading my Proverbs 31 devotion today called I Don’t Want to Pick Up Any More Socks? If you haven’t read it yet, catch up with the rest of us by clicking here.

VINTAGEWelcome to Vintage Homemaking Week! This series is designed to bring back some of the old-fashioned skills of homemaking for the woman of today.

Ok, up first today I’ll be teaching how to can spiced peach jam here.

photo-121
My first canning book circa 1988. My mom gave it to me when she taught me how to can when I was first married. Some of my favorite childhood memories of foods were things she canned or froze when I was a little girl.

How to can Spiced Peach Jam.

You’ll need the following:

images-18 cups chopped, fresh peaches

1/2 cup real lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon allspice

1/8 teaspoon cloves

15 cups sugar

1 teaspoon real butter

One 6 ounce box liquid pectin

7-8 pint canning jars, lids and rings

photo-119A canner and rack, a funnel, a lid wand and jar lifter (all found in canning section of the grocery/department store. Check Goodwill for canners and racks.)

First, grab yourself a bunch of peaches.

{You’ll need 8 cups peeled, finely chopped peaches per batch}

Make sure they aren’t over-ripe or under-ripe. They should have a slight give to them when you push on them with your thumb. MAKE SURE they are “freestone” peaches. This means that the pit (stone) loosens easily. I use Red Haven or Canadian Harmony variety.

photo-116Next, snatch peaches from 15-year-old football player’s hand and tell him to go back and watch Duck Dynasty. You’ll call him when the jam is done.

Then, to remove the skins: Wash and dry peaches. Fill a clean sink with cold water and about 20 ice cubes. Cut a small X in the bottom of each peach. Boil about 5 inches of water in a large pan.

Using tongs, gently dip peaches in boiling water for 3-5 seconds. one at a time. Then, plunge in ice water and leave there until all peaches are done. Remove pan and pour water out.

Place peaches on towels to dry slightly.

Using a paring knife, cut peaches in half going all the way in to the stone. Twist halves and pull apart to remove stone. Then, using a paring knife, peel and finely chop peaches into a large bowl.

photo-122Place canner and rack (in the lifted position with the rack hooked on the sides) on the stove and add water to the halfway mark. Have a tea kettle of water simmering on the stove because you’ll need to add more water once the cans are in.

Turn heat under canner up to high and place lid on. Watch carefully for it to boil.

Place lid and rings in water to cover. A medium sized saucepan will do. Turn heat on medium low to heat them up slightly. (Yes! You will have FOUR things heating on the stove at once!)

Place 7-8 clean PINT jars into dishwasher and run on rinse and hold cycle. (If you don’t have a dishwasher, place jars on their sides in a sink of hot water. You can pour a few tea kettles of water into hot tap water to keep it very hot)

Next, measure 8 cups peaches into a large stock pot (8-10 quart. If you don’t have this big of a pot, cut recipe in half and use a 6-8 quart stock pot) Add in lemon juice and stir.

Measure sugar into a separate bowl. Add into peach mixture along with the butter.

Bring to a boil over high heat stirring constantly. (Keep watching the canner too so it doesn’t boil over. When it begins to boil, reduce heat slightly to maintain a slight boil)

photo-117Once peach mixture reaches a rolling boil (a boil that cannot be stirred down) cut tops off of pectin pouches (both of them in the box) and pour into peaches. KEEP STIRRING!

Set timer for EXACTLY one minute. Keep stirring.

When timer rings, turn off heat and remove pan. (Place on hot pad on counter.)

One by one using a funnel, fill jars to within 1/8 inch from the top. Wipe rim clean with a clean towel dipped in hot water. Place on one hot lid carefully on top and twist on one hot ring, screwing down tightly.

photo-118Place jars in rack in canner balancing carefully by placing them on opposite sides of the canner each time to maintain balance.

Place seven cans in canner.

If you have leftover jam, place it in the 8th can but leave that one on counter. A canner only holds 7 cans. (The 8th can must be stored in the fridge, not in the pantry. It will keep for two months.)

photo-120SLOWLY lower rack into canner. Pour on additional water from the tea kettle and more hot water from the tap if needed to cover jars by 1-2 inches of water.

Place lid on canner. Turn heat up to high. Watch closely.

When it comes to a steady boil (not a furious one) adjust to maintain that boil and set timer for 10 minutes.

Turn off heat. Raise rack carefully back up and hook on sides of canner.

Using a jar lifter (or by hand with a good oven mit) place jars on a towel on the counter to cool.

You will hear them make a popping noise when they seal.

DO NOT TOUCH FOR 24 HOURS! Especially do NOT touch lids to see if they have sealed.

Homemade peach  jam

After 24 hours, press down to see if they are sealed. If they aren’t (or aren’t but seal when you press them) place in the fridge. Others that sealed may be stored for up to 2 years in the pantry.

ENJOY!!!!!

photo-123VINTAGE GIVEAWAY OF THE DAY: Now Closed

For the wanna-be canner. A copy of The Canning and Preserving Handbook and a way cool retro apron handmade by my friend April Wilson. (Her Etsy Shop is found here. If you don’t see something you like now, check back after Labor Day. She says she’s gonna be sewing like a crazy woman over the holiday weekend))

To be entered to win this giveaway, leave a comment here on this post about your experience (or lack there-of) with canning. All winners announced the Tuesday after Labor Day.

To be entered in the grand prize drawing for the $50 gift certificate to Proverbs 31, Just grab a Tweet, Facebook status or Pin below and then tell me by clicking here and commenting that you did so. If you share one way, you’ll be entered once. Share two ways? Twice. All three? {You get the picture}

Here are two tweets to copy & paste into Twitter:

Old-fashioned how-to skills from over a dozen bloggers! @karen_ehman Vintage Homemaking Week startsMonday 8/23 at karenehman.com

Homemaking need some new ideas? How about some old? @karen_ehman Vintage Homemaking Week karenehman.com A dozen bloggers & prizes!

 

141 Comments

  1. I have peaches right now … I make strawberry jam every year but haven’t tried much else. Thanks for the info and recipe. This sounds really good!

  2. Looking forward to an opportunity when I can can more. I have only attempted once. Two years ago my husband and I canned our own salsa and give jars to everyone for Christmas. It was a difficult process…especially since we really didn’t have all the right tools…and I wasn’t savy enough online to learn some easy how-to steps. Thanks for sharing.

  3. I have never canned but I have been thinking I need to give it a try! My grandmothers and my mom used to all do it. There was always tons of pickles being canned and some jams and fruits, like cherries which were my favorite! Would love to pass this on to my girl. Thanks for the week of homemaking tips! I have thoroughly enjoyed it!

  4. I can remember canning with my mother when I was little, but I’ve not done any canning as an adult and would LOVE to start. I’m just scared to have a go at it all by myself.

  5. I have never canned. I have always wanted to but thought it would be too hard. After reading this post, I am more excited about canning. Would love how to learn!! Plus I know my family would enjoy it also. And love the apron…so cute!!

  6. The recipe leaves out when to add the spices. We made it and it is wonderful. Got to end and realized we never added spices, so we just threw them in and it did turn out great.

  7. Getting to start canning our fruit for the year, a lot of work but I enjoy doing it & love seeing all the jars when they’re done!

  8. I have canned a tiny bit, but not much. But I inherited a bunch of canning jars from Grandma & Mother in Law, and a huge canning pot from a sweet friend, so I’m ready to get recipes and try once I get the kids going in school

  9. My mom used to do all kinds of canning and we would help her. I especially like the canned green beans and also the homemade black raspberry jelly. I would love to do some canning on my own but I have a flat top stove so I am in search of an electric canner. But my other problem is that I am not the best at keeping things alive in my garden. I am getting better this year, I just keep adding a few more items each year. Hopefully some day I can do well in the garden and at canning.

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