Canning is a family legacy. When we moved to the 'Great White North' in 1996, we started a huge garden. To preserve the food we couldn't eat right away, we froze and canned the produce. My dad has downsized this year, so here are some shots of the garden and the 'can room'.
(I picked two enormous bowls of beans and peas this morning with my Dad. We were out there about an hour and filled two giant mixing bowls!)
With my parent's property came a huge amount of raspberry patches. I estimate we have 1/2 acre of raspberry bushes that produce tons of raspberries. We don't fertilize. We don't use pesticides. We don't really care if they live or die because we have YEARS of frozen raspberries and if we have a bad season, we'll finally catch up on our supply. In fact, after almost 15 years of my family living here, I really don't care for raspberries anymore.
The one exception: Raspberry jam
Honestly, you can't buy jam in the store that even compares to home-canned raspberry jam. I've been searching, and I've paid the $4-6.00/jar for a variety of organic and whole fruit varieties only to find out the ONLY thing close to what I grew up with is Crofter's.
DISCLAIMER: I am in no way associated with the Ball jar promotion being held by Caitlin, Kath, and Emily right now.
Now, lucky someone can win one 8 oz jar of this delicious raspberry jam. The giveaway starts when this post publishes...and ends Wednesday at 9am CST. Here are the ways you can enter:
1) Comment on this post and tell us your favorite type of jam, jelly, or preserves.
2) Link back to this post on your own blog.
3) If you are my facebook friend, post a link to this blog on your wall or in your feed.
hello healthy doc, my name is kate i've been reading your blog for a couple weeks after being directed to it by a friend. my favorite jam IS raspberry jam, and my grandmother used to make it from their patch until she got too old. so i haven't had that taste for a couple years. the closest i have come is clear creek orchard jams, which are sold at wheatsfield, where i work. enjoying the blog-em-ups.
ReplyDeleteFrannie, what a great idea! Kate actually told me about your giveaway before I had read it... so I vote the jam goes to her :) Giveaways?! this is an awesome blog!
ReplyDeletebah! can't believe i missed this!
ReplyDelete