Weekend of Canning

As we finalized our wedding guest list it became apparent that I would likely need more wedding favors than I had originally assumed, so I spent this past weekend preserving figs and canning peaches, blackberries, and strawberries. I found peaches on sale and purchased about 9 lbs. I canned 7 half pints and 13 quarter pints of peach jam.During a recent tractor service cutting, Elliott picked the figs from a plentiful fig tree on a piece of land we maintain and we brought home an abundance of figs for the freezer. I thawed the figs and, with a lot of help from my grandmother who was spending the weekend at our house, as well as assistance via the telephone from my great-grandmother, we were able to can 21 half pints of fig preserves.
Oliver diligently picked our blackberry bushes earlier this summer and I froze those berries, so I thawed them and was able to make 18 half pints and 2 quarter pints of blackberry jam.I still had a couple bags of leftover frozen strawberries from my spring canning blitz, so I was able to make an additional 12 half pints and 24 quarter pints of strawberry jam.My grandmother and I worked hard and accomplished so much. I love knowing how to can and preserve foods, especially because it is increasingly becoming a lost art with each new generation. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to learn from my grandmother's and great-grandmother's many years of canning and cooking knowledge. Altogether this year I canned 205 half pints and 38 quarter pints!