bread report

[celticdragonfly]

Oh, it's good, it's good, it's good.

The kids have had two heels with margarine already. [1]

I had a turkey sandwich, and then two pieces with margarine and strawberry jam.

I need more strawberry jam. Sadly I'm fussy, and don't like the stuff with high fructose corn syrup, which means buying the Simply Fruit stuff. Which is in small jars and expensive. I wonder if the farmer's market place in Fort Worth has jam like that. I don't think I'm quite ready to learn how to put up my own, although I suppose it might come to that someday.

[1] Two heels, because the loaves only fit in my largest storage bag once you've taken off the heel and about 2 slices.)

Comments

[msminlr.livejournal.com]

Preserves are easier than jam; for jam you need a blender or food processor to puree the fruit. The only special equipment you need are the jars (which can probably be found at your local grocery) and a cooking pot big enough to boil the whole batch (I used to use a dutch oven). You also need some fruit pectin (two main brands: Certo and Sure-Jell), and the instructions for use are in the box, with specific proportions of fruit and sugar for each of a couple of dozen types of fruit. When Maggie gets a little taller, it would be a good mom-and-kid activity. By the time Jamie gets tall enough to participate you'll be an expert.

[celticdragonfly.livejournal.com]

A blender I have, although I rarely use it. I don't know how to do the canning, though, and I don't think I have a pot big enough to do canning in yet. My mom used to can stuff when I was a kid (shudders at the memory of way way too many canned green beans).

[msminlr.livejournal.com]

Trust me: jellies / jams / preserves are WAAAY easier than canned veggies. You DON"T need the canning kettle AT ALL for these; just a pot big enough to cook X pounds of fruit + the appropriate amount of sugar in.

[msminlr.livejournal.com]

You can also look at this as an excuse to buy a dutch oven, if you don't already have one. I just took a look at mine: it's a heavy aluminum one by Club, with a black Teflon interior. It is large enough to use as a roaster for potroasts or whole chickens, as well as for stove-top cooking of large-batch things.

Strawberry jam the easy way

[bkseiver.livejournal.com]

I have a recipie from my microwave classes on strawberry jam the easy way. It is a small-batch process, and the one or two small jars of jam must be kept in the refrigerator. They are ok for 2-3 weeks. You eat that much up then, anyway.

The thing I learned to do is buy strawberries when they are at their peak. You go ahead and blend them, as if you were going to make jam. Then you fill freezer bags, and lay them out flat in your freezer. When they are frozen hard, you can stack up the bags. The deal is to make each bag the amount you would need to make one of these small-batch recipies. You just thaw the berries, add the pectin and sugar, and proceed as if you had fresh berries. Works really well.

I'll get the recipie to you tomorrow pm. Phoenixsinger is to go into the General for solumedrol etc. after a TIA last week, and I'll have your nephew for about 3-4 days. Typing will occur as he naps!

Re: Strawberry jam the easy way

[celticdragonfly.livejournal.com]

When are strawberries at their peak? Hm, we passed a truck selling them on the 190 on the way home, is it now?

I got the recipe. "1 ½ cups sugar – more for fresh berries" leaves me going how MUCH more? And why more for fresh? I take it you have to get them pretty much pureed in the blender?

Sorry to hear about phoenixsinger, I saw her post. Hi, Paul. Oh, at some point I need to ask your help - Karl brought back the bib I made for him, and heart buttons for it, but then I didn't get it done and left it there. In your living room. Robyn wanted the dark blue button. At some point can you finish that for me?