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A Girl Should Be Two Things: Classy & Fabulous. - Coco Chanel

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Saturday, April 24, 2010

Canning

Wednesday night, my sister Kristy came over to help me with my first canning experience. I'm so thankful to have my big sister close by. She is a great example to me and teaches me so much and helps me with any project that I want to take on and encourages me to learn these good new skills. So, she told me everything I needed to buy and she brought over the pressure canner and all the other things we needed. We first canned beans (since I bought a huge bag of dried beans). I soaked them over night, put it in the jars and then added onion, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Then they went in the pressure canner. I didn't realize how long it takes for this process. Two of the cans never sealed shut, so I have to use them and I can't store them with my food storage. But I am kind of excited because it smelled SO good I LOVE beans a rice. I really could live off of it. I did in Costa Rica for two months and was pretty happy about it.

While we were waiting on the beans, we made jam! Strawberry jam. The jars I got were too little, so I had a bit left over to keep in the fridge (rest went in my food storage). It is SO delicious! Home made jam is WAY better than store bought. Just sayin.


I'm so excited to add to my food storage and so glad that I have my sister here to help me be a better home maker and more self reliant. This is just the beginning. There will be more canning to come in later months.

7 comments:

Holly said...

I made strawberry jam this weekend too! Isn't it the best?

Dallas and Kirsten said...

My mom and I spent a week canning in September. Growing up on a farm I always helped with the canning, at the time unwillingly, but now it's gotten much more enjoyable :) Glad you had fun with your sister!

William said...

I'm a little jealous over here... i need to build up my food storage too! Tracy- you need to share Kristy with me so i can do some canning & jam making:) I was thinking about making fruit leather as soon as the fruit trees in town start dropping (plum & apricot)
Lori

Kristy said...

Tracy you are too sweet. It was way fun. Glad you liked it.

Cheryl said...

awesome job. Wait...were is my big sister? haha...I guess I need to get on it...so I can totally teach my younger sisters. I think I love Kristy

THE LIZARD'S said...

yay!! I wish I was there to can some beans with you too. Last time I went to my moms she was all having me can tomatoes with her and I cook with them more than I thought I would! Love it! I need to do that more. And I have never made jam. But, I would want to too! And... your food storage is looking pretty GOOD!!!! I love the "i'm just sayin" comments..so funny. they remind me of sweet home alabama when her mom tells her that in a southern accent... ha.ha Oh-AND I need to make some of those sock puppets for me kids! your FHE group is THE BOMB..they get into any activity, like you said.. cool group!

THE LIZARD'S said...

oh, and I love kristy too..i dont want cheryl to be her only stalker...i'm just sayin...