Because you can never have too many canning supplies

What can I say?  There was a sale on strawberries and on apples.  And then the sale on mason jars.

Andrew loves jams and jellies.  He even ate the strawberry jalapeño jam I canned last year as an experiment.  This year, I thought I would go classic strawberry.  But then I found some black berries in the freezer from the beginning of the year when we were doing green smoothies, right around the time I started finding green smoothies completely disgusting (read I found out I was pregnant).

So as a way to use up what's available, I made a recipe of strawberry, and half a recipe of strawberr/blackberry.  There must have been too much sugar in the recipe because I don't think this is supposed to happen.

A representing of the goodness.  From left to right: 2 of the two-berry jam, 2 of the strawberry, apple jelly and apple butter.  See how the strawberry has a giant air pocket at the bottom of the jar?  I turned the jars upside down  while they cooled and this jar stayed like that.

While my friend Anadine came to visit (hi, anadine) I took the opportunity of not staring fixated like at baby x to make apple butter and apple jelly.

Andrew LOVEs apple butter.  It's super easy to make, and thought it was super clever to use the skins and cores to make apple jelly at the same time.
Super clever rarely works as planned.

I'll spare you the suspense by saying the apple jelly didn't set.  It needs to be boiled again with more pectin.

The recipe I used for the Apple butter (because I'll look for it later)

5-5 1/2 lb apples (mostly Jonagold, some granny smith)
3 T cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp whole cloves
1 1/2 c brown sugar

Core and peel apples.  Fill slow cooker.  On low for 6 hours until apples are completely soft.  Mash with potato masher.  Stir in sugar (less if apples are sweeter) and spices.  Adjust to taste.  Continue in slow cooker low for 6 more hours, until dark brown.  Use blender or immersion blender for smooth texture.
To jar:  heat jars as normal.  Fill with hot apple butter, cover with lid and rings.  Process in hot bath for 10, covered by 1 inch of water.


In the mean time, here's a gratuitous pic of the baby.