Try small batch canning

The best thing about this time of year is walking around the farmers’ market seeing, smelling, and enjoying the fruits (literally!) of summer. The next best thing? Preserving these gorgeous flavors so we can taste them all year long.

Preserving summer’s harvest

Home canning is a great way to preserve and enjoy the freshness of homemade tomato sauce, garden salsa, pesto, jams, or chutneys without the additives and preservatives found in commercial products. While we love a good day-long canning session, we’ll often do a small batch in our beloved 4th Burner Pot to “save” some bruised peaches, apples, or strawberries on the verge. To be honest fresh yummies like blueberry or strawberry preserves are so good, we don’t even bother going through the full sealing process when we know it’ll be gone before it’s even close to going bad!

Choose glass on glass when you can

For preserving summer’s harvest we use Weck Canning Jars or Kilner Canning Jars. Heavy, thick and resistant to chipping, they are simply the best choice. Since they’re all glass, Weck and Kilner jars do not contain any BPA or aluminum like the metal lids from other brands. Good to Know: BPA can leach into foods, especially acidic ones, when heated during the sterilization process of canning. So choose glass on glass when you can, plus glass lids never rust and can be used again and again!

Giveaway

Recipe

One of our favorite ways to savor summer strawberries is with this deliciously simple recipe from the Queen of Canning, Marisa McClellan, author of Food in Jars. Try it today!  MightyTip: The Weck Mini Tulip Jelly Jars are the perfect size for the batch in this recipe. 

Honey-Sweetened Strawberry Jam

(makes 2 half-pint/250 ml jars)

Ingredients

• 1 dry quart strawberries (about 1 1/4 pounds)
• 1 cup/340 g honey
• 5 - 6 sprigs of thyme
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions

Hull and chop the berries and place them in a bowl. Add the honey and stir. Strip the thyme leaves off their stems and add them to the strawberries and honey. Stir to combine and let sit for at least 10 minutes.

When the honey has dissolved and the strawberries are quite juicy, scrape the mixture into a wide pan. Bring to a bubble and cook over high heat for 8-12 minutes, stirring regularly, until the jam is thick and sticky. It is done when you can pull a spatula through the cooking fruit and it doesn't immediately rush in to fill the space. Add in the lemon juice, and give it another stir.

Funnel the jam into the prepared jars. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Good to Know: Once opened, preserves sweetened with honey don't last as long as those made with sugar, so make sure this is eaten up within 2-3 weeks after opening. 

What will you be canning to preserve summer’s harvest? Let us know on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or in the comments below! #MakeItMonday