Bucket List: canning jam

Bucket lists are as varied and diverse as the persons they are attached to. The term "Bucket List," I think, comes from the popular movie by the same name, and is nothing more than a list of things that you want to make sure you do in this life. Honestly I admit I've never even seen the movie (maybe I should add that to my list). But I understand the idea enough that I've got my own bucket list which I add to now and then. Daria and I even have a mother daughter bucket list of things to do or accomplish before she turns 18.

One of the items on my list was to learn to can. Yes that's right. Can... probably not as exciting as visiting some foreign country, but I really want to be proficient at canning and not just jams. Personally I've always been intrigued by the idea of putting your own food in your own jars - it gives me this sense of accomplishment, resourcefulness, frugality, and the comfort of knowing that I have the ability to do more than drive to the store and purchase food. Besides, it's really just tasty chemistry, with added benefits that include teaching my children some life skills and a few memories and lessons along the way.

I've hem-hawed around about doing this for years, literally. Both Daria and I are working on our Personal Progress and so we chose to learn to can this summer. It helped that I had to make room in our freezer for the beef that we buy from Ken's dad each year. I have loads of frozen Oregon raspberries neatly vacuum packed and tucked away in the freezer, and they take up a lot of room. Almost every year the ladies at church and I order fresh frozen berries from Bithel Farms up in Oregon. If you order enough they drive their 18 wheeler to your state to deliver your berries (you may wonder how that is possible to order enough but any time you have a concentration of Mormon women, ordering a truck load of berries is never a problem! Ha, ha). I've been using my berries in our cereal with the idea that I will "learn to can them some day," and in the mean time everytime I purchase jam in the store I get more frustrated at the cost realizing that I should be able to make the same thing cheaper and with at least 12 less ingredients than they have listed on their jar (I'm exaggerating of course). My kids go through peanut butter and jelly like water so purchasing a jar of jam/jelly is painful.

So today was the day. We endured a few mishaps (broke the glass measuring cup right at the start, poured sugar on the stove instead of in the pot - this turned in to rock hard candy that took forever to get off, and we spilled one full jar of hot jam). All in all, after Daria and I were done, we realized that canning jam is super easy and it I almost felt embarrassed that I never tried it sooner.

getting started, boil jars, lids, and jam

Daria, stirring..and stirring..and stirring

Doesn't this look delicious!

almost ready but not quite

here are the rolling bubbles we are looking for

One super posed shot, notice my super cool FBI apron that took me 7 years to get from Brother W. (who is an FBI agent). What's canning jam if you don't have your FBI apron!

one jar wasted, but we don't cry over spilled "jam"

the final product!

* note: Dustin originally was going to help. Instead, he and Logan convinced me they were performing science experiments outside (with empty plastic bottles, vinegar and baking soda). I think the term "science experiment" is really stretching it .... maybe I should have sent them out there with safety glasses on.

*note: why is it that I'm an adult and I never realized that raspberries had the letter "p" in it?? One learns something new everyday.