Preservation and preparing food

It’s all about Blackberry Jam

By starla on April 27, 2022

It’s spring here on Vancouver Island and one of the things I love about spring is making blackberry jam. We have an abundance of blackberries on the island and throughout the summer months when they are ripe, we pick buckets full and freeze them on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Once they are frozen, we transfer them into large freezer bags and store them in the freezer.

Apple tart topped with frozen blackberries and candy mint.

Through out the four seasons we utilize the frozen berries in baking, pies, smoothies and much more. Springtime is one of the times that I circulate through the freezers and take a little bit of an inventory of what we have left. This gives me a good idea of what we are going to need to grow, harvest and preserve through the next season to hold us through the winter. As in life there is an Ebb and Flow in the amount of food you are going to use, knowing the amount you preserved and the amount you have left will give you the quantity that your household uses. During a rainy spring day is the perfect time to turn those frozen blackberries into blackberry jam.

There are lots of ways to make jam, I am sure, so I am only going to chat about the way that I make our blackberry jam and that is in bulk. I do this for a couple of different reasons. Now there are pro and cons for everything of course.

The pros of making blackberry jam in Bulk:

Saves a lot of time,
Produces many jars at once per batch,
It gets all the processing and mess done at once,
Saves a ton of money and end up with organic home-made jam.

The Cons of making blackberry jam in Bulk:

Measurements are not exact,
Making multiple batches at once may cause gel failure (more liquid jam).

Weighting the pro and cons I choose to still make large batches at once.

Bulk batch Canning for Blackberries: (Yield 17-18 Pints)

-Going by the measurements on the pectin package, times the amounts by 4, with the blackberries frozen on cookie sheets and put in the Ziplock it makes it easy to measure, it normally equals 3 large Ziplock bags of frozen blackberries.

-4 times the sugar amount on the Pectin package (I always use organic cane sugar and add the pectin to the last cup of sugar to make it easier to mix in).

– 4 packages of Pectin.

Place the blackberries into a large pot with a few table spoons of water. Place the lid on them to speed up dethawing and stir occasionally. When the berries are ½ way thawed you can add the sugar and pectin. Bring the Jam to a boil for the required time on the instruction of the type of pectin you are using. Process jars according to the instruction of the type of pectin you are using.

Always make sure the jars are hot and sterilized before filling them with blackberry jam, I use the 18 quart oven with the lid on to keep the jars hot after I wash them and waiting to be filled.

Once the jars are filled with jam, make sure to leave ½” space from the top and wipe the rime of the jar with a clean damp cloth before putting the lid on. If there is anything on the rim of the jar when you put the lid on the lid will not seal properly.

Lay one or two layers of towels onto the cooling surface (I used two because I set the jars on the stone countertop). Place the jars onto the towels and cover with two towels overnight. By letting the jars cool slowly I find they end up with a better seal. You will most likely be able to hear the popping of the lids as they seal, it’s like music to my ears! The next day press on each lid of the jars, if they do not move they are sealed, take the metal ring off, wipe them down and transfer them into a cool spot until you are ready to use them. If the lid pops and moves up and down the jar is not sealed and will not last on the shelf, you can put them into the fridge and use right away.

Next comes the best part – enjoying fresh jam!

Until next time here are a few Canning tips:

Save your hands by using Fishing gloves, these are thick gloves with a rubber coating used in cold processing plants and can be purchased at a store caring safety clothing supplies.
Save counter space and speed up processing time by using a 18 Quart roster oven with 2-3” of water to keep the jars hot (holds 15 jars).
Precheck your jars when prewashing jars make sure there are no chips or cracks in the glass jar.
Preheat the lids into the metal ring that way you can easily pick up the lid from the water (make sure not to scratch the inside of the lid when lifting them out.
My preferred method of cooling is bundle the jar up with a towel underneath and 2 layers on top, this allows the jar to cool more slowly ( I have found I get a better seal ratio from this method).
Always make sure the rim of the jar is clean and wiped down with a clean cloth after it is fill and before the lid and ring goes on.
Keeping it clean, use a cookie sheet to fill your jars on and set the spoons on to keep the counter top from staining and making clean up a breeze.

Secrets to Making Legendary Cinnamon Buns

By starla on November 8, 2021

Time Secrets to making Legendary Cinnamon Buns

Like Most people I love a good cinnamon Bun. My Antie Reene, by far makes the best Cinnamon Buns around. Today I am going to share with you a few secretes tips so you to can make legendary cinnamon Buns.

I can not eat dairy and what that means for me is if I want a good cinnamon bun, I will have to make it myself. And like any good thing it takes time to do. Now, time, that is something that is harder to find when you’re in the mix of a fast-paced lifestyle, but I do have to satisfy my sweet tooth too. That is when I started the dance of give and take with time to find this secret to making cinnamon buns.

In the morning we found to have a bit more time, and to make legendary cinnamon buns you must let the dough rise. So, with this receipt you make the dough in the am, let it sit until dinner before you roll it out. I always utilize the time that I am making dinner to squeeze in another thing. And on cinnamon bun making days that would be the other thing. While you are making dinner you are tossing up the kitchen anyhow, so you may as well pair it up with another mess making task. Like rolling out the cinnamon buns!

Follow the below to make your legendary cinnamon buns, measuring 4 ½” Round!

The best way to start the morning off is with one of these cinnamon Buns and a coffee!

Ingredients: Oven 350˚ for 30 minutes

12 cups flower ¾ cup butter or margarine

5 1/2 cups warm water 2 cups Brown Sugar

2 tbsp Yeast 4 tablespoons Ground Cinnamon

1 tbsp salt Berries or nuts optional

Put the flower into a large bowl
Sprinkle the salt on top
In a separate bowl add the warm water and yeast, let set while the yeast activates (it will poof up)
Once the yeast has activated add the water to the flower.

Pro Tip: make a nest in the middle of the flower, then add the water mixture with a fork until you can knead it with your hands.

5. Knead the dough well – you can sprinkle a little bit more flower to be able to knead it if it is to sticky, but not to much you don’t want dry hard buns.

Pro Tip: bread likes to be kneaded, the rougher and the more you handle the dough the better it will turn out.

6. Set in the bowl in a semi warm place with a tea towel or wax-wrap over until you get home from work (about 6-8 hours).

Pro Tip: use a little bit of olive oil on the counter, rolling pin and your hands to prevent sticky dough attaching to everything. It keeps the dough from getting to dried out by adding to much flower as well, and makes cleanup easier.

The dough will be fluffly and full of air pockets, just knead it down then start to roll out.

7. Knead the dough down and roll out into a rectangle about 24” x 12”.

8. Spread the butter over the entire surface, about ¾ cup

9. Sprinkle a generous amount of brown sugar, 2 cups.

Pro Tip: The generous amount of Brown sugar will help make the cinnamon buns stickier.

10. Sprinkle a little bit of cinnamon over the top.

11. Optional: add fresh or frozen berries and/or your favorite nuts.

12. Roll the dough lengthwise up into a long roll.

The dough rolled out length ways ready to be cut into 12 peices.

12. Cut the dough in the middle of the roll.

13. Cut the halves into half. Cut each ¼ of the roll into three pieces.

Cinnamon buns before they have started to rise. They will rise enough to fill the pan.

14. Place onto a buttered pan, place a tea towel or waxed cotton overtop, and let rise for 1-2 hours (rising time will depend on how warm your home is, if you place in a warm area they will rise faster). 6 cinnamon buns fit per 9” x 13” Baking pan, as in above photo.

15. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Let the cinnamon buns cool slightly before spreading the icing on to prevent the icing from running to the bottom of the pan.

16. Pull out and let set for 10-15 minutes before spreading the icing on top.

Butter Icing:

1/2 cup Butter or margarine

3 cups Powdered icing sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla

1 ½ tablespoons Milk or soy milk

Cream the butter until smooth
Add the icing sugar 1 cup at a time with ½ tablespoon of milk, alternating until all is used.
Add the Vanilla to flavor
Drizzle onto the top of the cinnamon buns while they are warm but not to hot.

Preserving:

The Cinnamon buns will store great in an airtight container for a few days if they don’t get eaten first!

Or you can individually wrap and store in the freezer. They are great to through in your lunch or warm up for a delicious meal or snack, and will last in the freezer up to 3 months.

The Home Environment

By starla on October 21, 2021

The smell, touch and energy surrounding you in your everyday living has a great effect on the way you feel, how you are inspired and what motivates you throughout the day. Everything you hear and see, the atmosphere that we create that is surrounding us in our day-to-day life, our home environment.

As large or small the things around us, the way our things are presented and displayed have a certain about of energy that rings off them creating the energy that we wake up to, the energy that we come home from work to, and the energy that we fall asleep to at night. The home environment is all around us throughout the day, so we may as well use it to create inspiration and motivation. By changing even just a few things on a center piece or countertop it can set off an energy of a season or spark a memory of a great achievement. It can be as simple as placing fresh flowers in the center of the table or a single flower bloom on a countertop in the bathroom. Lighting candles can give the room a warm glow and fill the air with fresh scents.

When creating the home environment think of what you want to feel from it. It may be motivating you to the holiday season where you can pull in some holiday décor like a few springs of holly a few tealights and a crystal vase of ornaments.

It may be celebrating an afternoon gathering where you can pull in some color with doilies, table cloths and fill the counter top with fresh baked goods at different levels. Setting off a warm inviting atmosphere with the fresh smell of baked goods. Even baking cookies fill the room with an inviting aroma that reminds you of home, and once baked you may as well display them on a nice plate or cake dish with a glass dome celebrating the moment.

It quite often comes down to the little things that are around the home that makes the home feel warm, inviting, and motivational. There are three things that I believe are important in the home environment that everyone should have.

Motivation
Accomplishment
Past

The first one is motivation. I often say to try and incorporate a little token that reminds you of a goal that you are trying to achieve, it may be is a book on the side table you have been wanting to read, or a little symbol of a structure of a place you want to travel to. It can even be a photo to symbolize something you are striving towards. What this does is it sparks a little reminder each time our eyes glance over it. Having little reminders of our goals that we are striving for is a great motivation of that goal and quite often will bring you a little closer to achieving it. If it is a book that you are wanting to read you may glance over it, pick it up and read a few pages. It may be a gardening book that you flip through the pages as you are thinking of the up-and-coming season.

The second is the most important, it is an accomplishment. Yes, you need to have your accomplishments in your home environment, your celebrations of the success you have achieved throughout your life. It can be a treasure from an adventure you went on, a photo or even just a small token. If you have a fond memory of a special night with your partner it could be lighting a few candles, or even just having a few tealights around. It could be a small jar of sand from a beach you hiked to or a painting on the wall that reminds you of a great memory. Celebrating our small and large success reminds us that we can achieve goal and motivates you to reach for more. It creates a sense of peace in ourselves.

And the third is our past. There is a lot of lessons that we have all learned from our past and it is important to have those close to us. I often think of this part of the home environment as the people of our past, the ones that influenced us, assisted in molding us to who we have become today, the people that we hold close to our hearts with everything that we do. Bring in the past can be in the form of a vase that your grandma had in her kitchen when you were growing up, it could be a tea set or a small token of the people. It could be a blanket someone made for you draped over one arm of the couch, or a throw pillow in the corner. It can be as simple as a photo on the wall, bringing in the memory of the positive influencers of the past allows us to be motivated to be great positive influencer in the present and the future.

Creating and what is in your home environment will change over time and throughout the years and that is the best part. We are humans that evolve, and our home environment gets to evolve with us. The best part of the home environment is there are no rules. We are not all the same people, and neither is our homes. Embrace your home and your home environment, change the décor, and play with the little things that you have. Most importantly is to have fun with it!