CAN we PICK kind of Saturday

We started a garden in the Spring and have been eating our hearts out. So enjoying everything we have harvested so far. Now it is time to give canning a try. So last weekend the girls and I did two jars of refrigerate Dill pickles from the cucumbers out of our garden. Here are the girls, they are so proud of their hard work . . .

Now this weekend we went and picked blueberries for the first time. The farm was amazing!!!! The farmer does not spray chemicals on his crop. (A BIG plus) The blueberries were simply HUGE. We had so much FUN!!! Wink, Wink; I think the girls ate more then they picked . . . .

We then went to our local down town farmers market and stocked up on some more fresh cucumbers. We have eaten all the ones from our garden(big SMILES). After that we headed home to start canning. Last Tuesday a sweet friend of mine gave a canning 101 class. I wanted to put what I learned into practice and teach my girls something that they could pass down to their children. So the girls and I made: Blueberry Lemonade Jam, Blueberry Jalapeño Jelly, Basil Banana Pepper Jelly and two types of Dill Pickles. Here are just a few pictures of our hard work:

Now for a recap:

Pickles:

The first ones (last weekends two jars) frig. dill pickles were tart, had a kick to them and had a sharp crisp crunch.

I tweaked the ones we did this weekend so that they would not be as tart and with less of a kick. But I gave them a water bath, so that I wouldn't have to refrigerate them. They were not as crisp . . . but still good.

We like the sharp crispness of the first ones with the milder taste of the second ones.

Jelly's and Jams:

The Blueberry Lemonade Jam is so good. The idea is to use it the fall and winter as a cheesecake topping or a filling for some jam tea cookies.

Both the Blueberry Jalapeño Jelly and Basil Banana Pepper Jelly can be served over cream cheese as an appetizer with crackers and veggie sticks. Or they both can also be used over chicken as a glaze. They both have more of the pepper flavor then the heat of the peppers.

All three Jelly's and Jam's would make a great hostess gift or CHRISTmas gift for neighbors and friends.

We are going to try to pick more blueberries this weekend again . . . do a little more canning. Plus we also want to freeze some to just eat as a frozen snack in the HOT days to come.

Thanks for being part of our canning adventure . . .

Lots of Love,

Daddy's Chick's