HOME CANNING/HOMEMADE JELLIES AND JAMS

            BY JOAN RICKETTS LOCKE

 
 

I love jelly and jams and I love to make them.  For years I have used the recipes provided  on the directions inside SUREJELL.  You can feel very comfortable using these recipes.  They are tried and true for no-fail results in your jelly and jam making.   SUREJELL provides information on cooked jelly and jams and the quick and easy freezer jams.  You can purchase regular, low sugar, or no sugar boxes of this very adaptable product.  Remember to always start with fresh fruit, washed and prepped as directed on the package.


Dad grows thornless blackberry bushes.  I believe that his daughter-in-law, Liz purchased the bushes.  Every year, there is a tremendous blackberry crop.  Some of our family will eat the jam with the seeds, others prefer the jelly where the juice has been drained through cheesecloth to get rid of the seeds.  We've made cobblers, pies and a syrup. 


Rose picking Blackberries at Aunt Joanie's
Summer of 2014

 Liz, who we affectionately call "Lizzie," has started a strawberry crop.  I thank her for sharing some of the plants with me and I am nursing them along hoping for a bumper crop next spring.


Joan's Strawberries 2014
 








Let jelly making become a family experience.  Gather up the family and go pick your own fruits.  Start a great family tradition and have fun doing so, just don't forget to take your camera!


I'd also like to encourage you to be creative.  Try mixing several fruits together, or different spices to create your own taste sensation.  It's always a pleasure to share the "fruits of your labor" with family and friends!
 









Coming up next...Main Course Dishes!