[goat granny]

I canned during the summer and fall and loved to see all the jars lined up on the shelf...Raised 5 kids and our dessert was usually canned peaches or pears. It took 17 batches of jam/jelly to get me from one season to the next. If you find a place that lets you pick your own strawberries (usually in July when most farmers are done picking for market) Its great because you pick the berries that are all ripe and ready for jam..

.Picked my own cherries from a small orchard that lets anyone pick their own for a small amount of money and charged by the pound...Love cherry jam....

Took any free fruit offered if it was enough for a batch...Kids loved jam time as they got to eat the skim from the pot before jarring...Tomato's cold packed, even spaghetti sauce minus the meat...Add the meat when making the spaghetti..

It gave quite a sense of satisfaction when done, even hubby helped. I have a son that makes and cans his own salsa..better than store bought

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“Picked my own cherries from a small orchard that lets anyone pick their own for a small amount of money and charged by the pound...Love cherry jam...”

I have cherry trees and I was proud to burstin’ this season when my ‘Montmorency’ blessed me for the first time (she’s five years old now) with enough cherries for TWO pies, LOL!

I only have about two dozen peaches on this season and after today’s torrential rains I’ve been afraid to see what’s left of them. *SIGH*

I’ll tell you in the morning...but only if it’s GOOD news, LOL!