Tag: Jeanetta

Jeanetta Darley: Rolling with Jams and Jellies {Foodie Friday}

Celebrating the Summer Bounty

The summer heat is bearing down on us.  I know I’m sweating through every inch I have on when I’m out in the garden.  But it also means that our gardens are bursting!  And not only are our home gardens but there tons of local farms over flowing with the berries and fruits.  U pick farms are a great way to support your local agriculture system and they help educate our kids on where their food comes from and the hard work that’s involved in producing it.

Ripening blackberries

“But what do I do with a bushel of peaches or 5 gallons of blackberries?”

I hear this all the time.  Truthfully, I say this to myself often.  And one of my favorite solutions is to make jams and jellies.  When I suggest this to one not initiated in the art of canning, I can see a wave of fear cross their face.  

Blueberry on the bush

“That’s one of them old timey arts that MeeMaw use to witchcraft up yummy stuff with.”

Now I would never weigh in on whether your grandma was capable of using a broomstick for more than just sweeping floors but it’s not that scary.  It’s a delicious form of magic we can all achieve.

Bowl full of raspberries

To me the hardest part about making jam and jelly is just getting all your supplies out and making sure they are clean.  And, of course, making sure the kitchen is clean and clear because you do need a good area in which to work.  If you can wash dishes and follow a recipe, you can make jelly!

Let’s just go over some of the basics.  A jam is a fruit spread that utilizes the juice and meat of the fruit.  It’s thicker than a jelly.  A jelly is made from the juice of the fruit obtained from either bought juice or boiling the skins of the fruit and pouring it through a strainer.  Jelly is clearer than jam.  Both are delicious.

  • Basic Supplies
    Waterbath canner with a canning rack
    Funnel (optional)
    Jar grabber (optional)
    Glass preserving jars with bands and lids
    A few basic kitchen items
    Large heavy sauce pan
    Measuring cups and spoons
    Kitchen knives
    Cutting board
    Large spoon & ladle
    Dish towels & oven mitts
  • Basic Ingredients
    Fruit and or juice
    Sugar
    Pectin (powdered or liquid)
    Lemon juice

Jams and jellies set, or solidify, because of the perfect ratio between the fruit, sugars, and pectin.  When you are starting out, follow a tried and true recipe out of your box of pectin.  Once you get your “jamming jelly” feet under you, start to experiment with new flavors and combinations.  If you can boil water, set a timer, and don’t mind standing at the stove to stir you can make your own jams and jellies before you know it.  So give it a try!

And what’s the worst that can happen?  So it doesn’t set.  Well believe me you’ll have some darn good syrup to put on ice cream, waffles, or pancakes.  Or cheesecake.  YUM!

Jeanetta Darley sidebar photo

 

Jeanetta is an artist, blogger, and sometimes homesteader.  She’s addicted to coffee, her garden, and chickens. You can see her art and read more stories at JeanettaDarley.com.  Or follow her on social media @jeanettadarley.

 

Miss February 2016 – Jeanetta Darley

Hello there, I’m Jeanetta:  an artist, writer, and sometimes homesteader (yes, totally made that last title up myself). Arkansas Women Bloggers (and the other state communities it has birthed) have been an amazing support to me over the past few years and I am thrilled to share some things with you here.

Jeanetta Darley artist, writter, sometimes homesteader

So if I’m being completely honest, when I was asked to wear the crown of Blogger of the Month my first reaction was, “What took so long?!” I can be a little full of myself. Then my second reaction was, “CRAP! Now I’ve got a lot of work to do!”  I am also a procrastinator. Here’s a quick overview. I drink coffee. A lot. All day. I can be bribed with boxed chocolates. I’m a Whovian-Star Wars-Harry Potter fanatic.   love my garden, good food, good beer, and a good fireside.

I am a maker (I honestly have no idea how to turn that off). I believe all humans really are no matter how loudly they protest. We were made in the image of the Great Creator after all how can we not be driven to create.  I have been doodling and painting and creating little things out of anything I could get my hands on since I can remember.  My subjects range from whatever catches my fancy — vegetables in my garden to mythological beasts. My style may change with my mediums or just what I am feeling at the time. I dislike the concept that artists must box themselves into one particular “style” or way of creating art. Being creative is an outpouring of ourselves. Why would we want to contain that!

Artwork by Jeanetta Darley

I write about the day to day victories and failures (many of them) with my art, family, farming, gardening and life in general. So nailing what I blog about down to a couple of words as a description can be difficult sometimes. Writing is not my first avenue of expression. But there are times that the words and stories just bottle neck in my brain and scream to be let out. Thank goodness for blogging because talking about the voices in my head might have committed me in those early years of motherhood.

I say I’m a “sometimes homesteader.” Sometimes I get things right more often than I get things wrong but I keep trying. I am passionate about the self- sustainability movement and am fully embraced in the struggle to implement the practices in my day- to- day life. Growing, raising and preserving the food my family needs means a lot to me. I believe reviving the knowledge of craftsmanship and sustainable skills can bring everyone to a better understanding of what is important such as becoming better stewards, innovative problem solvers, and resourceful citizens of the world.

Sometimes homesteading Collage

Ten years ago this coming summer I started blogging.  It was such a different world on the wide web back then.  My blog was for getting thoughts out of my head and selling the things I made at the time while I stayed home with the kids.  Actually, not a lot has changed.  Other than the kids are almost on autopilot and comment regularly that such and such friend found pictures of them doing some craft project online from some old blog post of mine.  If I had to boil down what I like to blog about to one word, it would be “try.”  Just try the things that interest. Try to draw or cook or grow your own food or raise chickens.  Okay, that last one might be a bit more involved but if it’s something you wish and dream about more than a few times a day, then do it.

All of my snarky comments aside, I really am honored to be representing Arkansas Women Bloggers this month.  I promise to “try” to be on my best behavior during my reign (I’m working on my wave just in case there’s a parade.)

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