Photography-wise, I only pulled out the P&S and I’ve got nothing to write home about this week. But as far as expanding my kitchen prowess goes, I’m very proud of these pictures. :)
On Saturday, we visited Berry Patch Farms where we ate picked organic strawberries and peaches, and had a great time doing so.
I was determined to get some of the big ones up high, so up the tree I went:
Something like 4 lbs. of strawberries and 15 lbs. of peaches later, our bounty looked like this:
Then it turned into this (after a fair bit of work) in the span of 36 hours:
That used up all of our strawberries, but we still have a LOT of peaches left that I may freeze or can as slices.
But the big deal here (at least to me) is that Sunday was my first time ever making jam or canning anything! While it was definitely a learning experience, it was also a lot of fun and I’m so proud of my first 10 little jars of jam. :) Those 10 little jars are my choice for Best Shot Monday, although they are hard-pressed to compete against Mr. Strawberry-face up there. ;)
I will be blogging a step-by-step guide to canning jam (with pictures) in the near future, so if you want to get started canning be sure to check it out.
More Best Shot Monday pics
Stumble it!
golightly says:
What great pictures it looks SO fun, and, WOW, you’ve been busy!! Looks very yummy!
August 25th, 2008 at 1:28 am
Half Pint Pixie says:
Wow! Go you. It looks like you all had a great time :)
August 25th, 2008 at 3:11 am
chelle says:
AWESOME!!! I made jam once with a group of friends it was an amazing experience!
August 25th, 2008 at 3:58 am
Jennifer Sabin says:
Making jam is so intensely satisfying isn’t it? I have done it a few times in the last couple of years and now throw random bits of too ripe fruit in the freezer to can when I have enough of them. They are waiting for me to get my act together!
August 25th, 2008 at 6:02 am
Christina says:
Oooh, that’s a big accomplishment for sure! My dad used to love making jelly…all kinds of creative combinations. Green pepper jelly is not good. ;) Looks like such a fun time.
August 25th, 2008 at 6:22 am
Heather @ SGF says:
Great job! And what an accomplishment for your first time. Addicting isn’t it! Hope you had a blast!
August 25th, 2008 at 6:45 am
Krista says:
wtg Amy :) there is a lot of satisfaction in making your own stuff. i’m hoping to do some canning next summer, and may even try pickles this year.
August 25th, 2008 at 7:25 am
Sonja says:
Yay for home-made jam!
August 25th, 2008 at 8:05 am
Tanya says:
Wow!
Forget photos that are only technically great, it’s the ones that make me ‘feel’ that I’m most interested in :)
Your shots make me feel HUNGRY!!! Ummmm imagining opening up a warm buttery bisuit and slathering some of your yummy home-made jam….
Annnnd you climbed a peach tree!!! FUN!!
Happy Monday :)
August 25th, 2008 at 8:24 am
Andrea says:
You should be very proud of those 10 little jars!! Awesome.
I love your blog.
August 25th, 2008 at 8:28 am
megan says:
kudos to you!
August 25th, 2008 at 9:28 am
Violet The Verbose says:
Oooh, this totally makes me want to make jam. What fun you guys had picking all that fruit! Thanks for sharing.
August 25th, 2008 at 9:47 am
New Green Mama says:
That looks yummy!!! You definitely have something to be proud of there.
August 25th, 2008 at 10:17 am
jessica says:
The first time making jam is always so exciting! Your jam looks yummy and beware-making jam is seriously addicting!
August 25th, 2008 at 10:17 am
killlashandra says:
Wow, you make me wish I had time to can! Sounds like a wonderful trip ending with some mouth watering jars of delicacies for the winter months!
August 25th, 2008 at 11:36 am
Secret Agent Mama says:
Hard work pays off…enjoy the fruits of your labor (no pun intended)!
August 25th, 2008 at 11:48 am
Joanna says:
So adorable. Looks/sounds like a great time for the family!
August 25th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Maggie says:
Homemade jam sounds delicious! How brave you are to try such a major task!
August 25th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
TheAngelForever says:
Those look fabulous! So glad that it worked out well for you last night :)
August 25th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Abbie says:
Congrats on the picking and canning!!! I knew you could do it! You should freeze peach pie filling. I just wrote about it here: http://farmersdaughterct.wordpress.com/2008/08/12/freezing-peach-pie-filling/
Enjoy those fruits of your labor!!!
August 25th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
Emily says:
Congrats on your canning! If you’re sick of the canning process, I’d recommend freezing peach slices. It’s so easy! Just peel the peaches (I recommend the boiling water-ice water technique, so time saving!), slice and pit them, and mix with your choice of syrup. You can even substitute sugar-free, organic apple juice for the sugar syrup! Once you pour them into either freezer bags or reusable containers, it’s into the freezer and you’re done.
And- just an idea- what about some homemade peach ice cream? That’s my absolute favorite way to enjoy fresh peaches!
August 25th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
carrie says:
i remember helping my mom make strawberry jam – oh it looks so delicious! those peaches are divine – as is the strawberry face!
August 25th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Katie says:
Looks like you all had a berry fun time! I’m looking forward to learning from your step-by-step guide.
:)
August 25th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
carey says:
mmmmm, homemade jam. i used to help my mom make jam and can fruits and vegetables when i was a kid.
thanks for the great memory! :)
August 25th, 2008 at 6:26 pm
mamaseoul says:
Congratulations! I’ve never done it, but I bet it will be really satisfying to eat throughout the year, knowing you picked the fruit made it yourself.
August 25th, 2008 at 8:42 pm
phyllis says:
wow wow wow! congrats, those look gorgeous.
August 25th, 2008 at 8:48 pm
Vered says:
I’m proud of you. :)
August 25th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
Hatchet says:
Congratulations! That’s awesome.
I plan on trying my hand at peach jam very soon!
August 25th, 2008 at 11:55 pm
TennZen says:
Welcome to the wonderful world of home canning! Enjoy your jam! Now the challenge is to take your canning a step farther and get that much closer to being a locavore. You CAN do it, and canning your own really helps. Congratulations!
August 27th, 2008 at 10:25 am
Andrea says:
I made my first jam last week! Isn’t it a great feeling of accomplishment?? BTW, you might like the book “Summer in a Jar” by Andrea Chesman. It was written in the ’80′s, but has a bunch of really great low-sugar jam and preserves recipes that work without pectin. Fabulous! Here’s a link to it on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0913589144/ref=sr_1_olp_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1219866845&sr=8-1
August 27th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
Pann says:
You SHOULD be very proud. That looks fabulous. I am inspired!
August 28th, 2008 at 9:39 am
Anna at Hank & Willie says:
Can’t wait to see the steps. Fall raspberries are coming into season here shortly, and I am definitely making jam this time, we just ate them all in the summer!
September 3rd, 2008 at 7:06 am
How to make and can strawberry jam (with giveaway) | Crunchy Domestic Goddess says:
[...] of weeks ago, I made my first batch of strawberry jam (from the organic strawberries we’d picked at a local farm) and tried my hand at canning for the first time as well. It was a lot of fun, but also a very [...]
September 9th, 2008 at 1:16 am
DonorsChoose Challenge: Combatting Global Warming with Education | Crunchy Domestic Goddess says:
[...] to help them learn about the world. We take trips to various local farms where the kids have picked fruits and vegetables, we’ve been swimming in rivers and lakes, we’ve been hiking in the [...]
October 2nd, 2008 at 12:24 pm
The chicken, the egg, and the children | Crunchy Domestic Goddess says:
[...] we live in an area where we have access to local farms so that my children can see how different fruits and vegetables grow and that they don’t just appear in the grocery store. We also planted a [...]
November 14th, 2008 at 1:01 am