In a Jam with my Hobby

I like jam...ok...make that Homemade Jam. Mostly just on bread, but occasionally I've been known to put it in cookies, on a ham, or on ice cream. The boughten stuff doesn't even belong in the same realm.  I think that I've bought a total of 2 jars of grape jelly (for specific recipes) in my eleven years of cooking.  Over the years I've developed more and more of a jam hobby. Normal jam like strawberry, and boysenberry. Different ones like peach pie preserves.  Apple butter, Blueberry lime, and my all time favorite....CHERRY BERRY.  Why is Cherry Berry my favorite?  Boysenberry is great, but add cherries to the mix and great jam turns delectable. Although...Boysenberry has a perfect tartness to it!

Canning jam is just one facet of canning...most of which I enjoy (chicken, while handy, is just boring to can). It took me a while to decide why I got a  thrill out of canning.  Ok, it makes one feel domestic.  But more than that, I think that my semi-fascination with it comes from good memories of Chem lab.  Glass jars, straight lines of beakers, boiling for precise amounts of time, and the ever present journal. Yes, I managed through 2 yrs of Chem.  There is nothing like lining up your jars in straight rows after they come out of the canner.  And the thrill of notating in my canning journal how many jars completed this year compared with last year and then the columns showing how much our family consumed in the last 12 months. The dormant scientist in me wakes.  You see, there are many things I'm not terribly particular about...but my canning journal is kept up to date!   David even gave me a 9qt. canner for my birthday this past year  He knows me well.

So, all this to say, rather unsuccinctly, I like to can jam.  I can jam a lot.  I have tooooooooo much jam on hand.  So, if you would like to help get me OUT OF THIS JAM go to my facebook store site Aria Garden's Facebook .  I will occasionally put up a limited edition sale.  For example, I currently have some CHERRY BERRY and BOYSENBERRY jam available. I enjoy putting cute little labels on the tops of the lids, and if you want to give them as gifts, I will also put a ribbon around the top - Free =)

Cherry Berry Jam - 4 Jars available

Someday, maybe I'll have neat photos of me actually canning the jam, but I'm not very good at that yet...plus sometimes it doesn't seem as though my durable mottled yellow tile is very photogenic...just saying! =)

Boysenberry Jam - 3 Jars Available

Remember, if you are new to this blog.....PLEASE RESPOND TO THE THOUGHT QUESTION!  There will always be one, and it makes blogging so much more fun.  Commenting on my facebook crosspost counts =)

Thought question: which household task; fun or otherwise do you most enjoy? Men, this applies to you as well!

Berry picking at it's Best!