Green Living

Tonight I had a stir fry with some brown rice noodles. I enjoyed the first crop of pole beans, snap peas, a huge head of broccoli, a succulent zucchini, newly cured garlic, some beet greens, and little balls of fresh green coriander.

I have been busy watering the huge garden, house painting, and accumulating a beautiful fabric stash for this winter's sewing projects, thanks to my mom, some thrifting, and two nice bloggers out there that gifted me with fabric this year.

This red currant bush produces every year. The berries taste slightly insipid but when sweetened they make yummy jam. Also jammed this summer was black currant and gooseberry. I didn't have enough strawberries and raspberries left over from fresh eating for jam this year.

By the end of this season I should have enough photos to do a

Canning and Homemade Jam Tutorial.

In short: follow the recipe and instructions in the box of Pectin. You can buy pectin at the store in the form of liquid or crystals. Do not skimp on the sugar if you want your jam to firm up enough to spread. Making jam is like making gooey candy.

*I have tried making homemade natural pectin by boiling down green apples. It did not set properly but I may try again, with more sugar.. Homemade pectin can be made in the fall and canned for the following year.

The only tricky part about canning is that multiple burners must be going to heat up the jars and lids (to sterilize) and to make sure the jam is also hot when it goes into the jars. This is why canning with a wood stove is so great, because everything can be on the stove ready to go.

I tell ya its like I have five extra kids back there.

Nemo inexpicably had the runs and I gave her some molasses with baking soda to calm her tummy.

 

Ken's horn injury is slowly healing. She still has to take it easy.

Firefly is such a star. She gives milk all the time!

 She is related to the King goats of Lake Hill Farm.

Mom can I have a snack PLEEEASE?

Thanks for visiting my blog.