Jamming with the Pluots

So I told you all a while back that I was planning to have some fun with pluots.  Did I ever!  The thought occurs to me that there may be a few of my readers that are not familiar with this delightful fruit.  As seen on a local nursery website, PLUOTS are cross between plums and plumcots developed here in the fabulous fruitful central valley in 1990. A plumcot is 1/2 plum and 1/2 apricot, so a PLUOT is 25% Apricot, 75% Plum, and 100% DELIGHTFUL.  For you locals, I bought Dapple Dandy and Flavor King at Smith Ranch in Modesto.  Their fruit is simply the best around.  FYI, I did some weighing one day and the peaches I bought were < $1/lb.  I call that great!

First I made Peach Pluot Jam.  The ingredients were pretty simple...peaches, pluots, and the usual jam ingredients. Let me know if you want any of these recipes.  

 

Cooking the pluots and peaches

 Adding the surejell and sugar

Bringing the jam back to a boil...starting to clarify

Washed the jars - always a happy step.

 

So a little "small jar" canning tip...if you have a taller pressure canner, you can double layer your jars by putting a cookie rack above pint or 1/2 pint jars, and then put the smaller ones on top.  As long as the actual jars aren't touching, everything's good.  I think I canned about 14 jars at once this way...(happy face)

Viola!

When I found some more preserving time....out came the strainer for a batch of pluot jelly.  I don't usually go to the extra work for jelly....and I remembered why.  It is a multi-day operation.

First you cook the processed pluots for a little while.

Then you let the pluot mush strain overnight. 

The instructions said to strain it again with cheesecloth lining the strainer.  When I was finished with that, the pluot juice was cloudy and I hoped that I had strained it completely enough.  I had a hunch that when the juice was cooked, it would clarify...sure enough!

 
This step was pretty easy, bring to boil and add pectin.

 

Next, wash the jars

Fill and skim the foam off the top of the jars

Yabba Dabba Done!

I don't have pictures of the process of making the Pear Pluot Jam, suffice it to say that it was quite similar to making the Peach Pluot Jam.  It is my personal favorite.  The sweet tang of pluots melds wonderfully with the smooth texture of pear jam.

Pear Pluot on the left, Peach Pluot on the right, and the adorable Jelly in the center

I have some extra jars available for sale on my facebook Aria Gardens page.  As always...it's limited edition, first come first sold.

Celebrating with ....The Long Family

A month ago...or so, I was able to convince Anne to let me host a little Adoption shower in celebration of their soon adoption of 2 sons from Ethiopia.  Yesterday...Matt and Anne picked up their sons!

I had lots of help....Sharon made the banners (cute, yes?)  Mary decorated the cupcakes =)  Dana and Lorraine helped with other aspects of the menu.  Thanks to All!

I wasn't going to post pics on fb or reference it anywhere....then someone else did and well...this is just for the purpose of allowing you to praise the Lord that there are 2 fewer orphans in the world.  Perhaps to help someone realize...that no, we can't all adopt; however, there are many many ways to support and care for the orphans of the world.

This special-to-me lady (Donna R.) is Matt's Great-Aunt, and also the Grandmother of another couple currently in Ethiopia picking up thier new daughter

These new big sisters swept through the gifts...joyfully holding each new garment high for all to see =)

Anne and I weren't really together that much in young folks, she being several (eye roll) years younger than I.  But somewhere along the line, we clicked.  I used to take my boys to speech therapy near her house and we started exercising together regularly.  That quit after a few children...can you imagine 2 GB's on roller blades pushing joggers?  The trail was mostly hidden from the streets, but crossing Staniford and Prescott always mad me wonder what went through some of those drivers minds!

Anyways....the friendship...sometimes short on together time...has stuck.  And I cried yesterday reading about them picking up their sons. I'm so happy for the fulfillment of their dreams.  Keep them in your prayers, it's obviously a big transition...but we serve a Bigger God! 

I hope that everytime I see thier sons, I'm reminded of how gracious God was to adopt me as his daughter!
Here's the easy thought question....
What's your adoption date?  Mine was 12/15/91...oooh, I'm almost 20 =)

What a Corny Title - "The Corny Day"

Our first batch

So you think you're just getting into a farm/corn/garden post that will tax you not the least.  If you've read my blog before, you'll know my proclivity to try to incline you to answer my "Thought Questions" at the end of the post.  Just warning you....you may want to stop right here, close the browser and avoid thinking overmuch.




Ohh? Still reading???  Then you will be one of the ones to post an answer!!!  (smile)




One of my husbands favorite things to do is to provide us with lovely rows of delicious corn.  The challenging part is trying to "guess" when it will be ready and corresponding that guesstimate with opening up a day to process said corn.  We planted 3 crops this year.  The first one came off the weekend we went to Klamath Falls to visit A. Virginia.  So we sold it to a friend.  (Hi Jessica!)

 

The 2nd planting ripened at a fairly agreeable time - since A. Margaret was "off work" helping out after the accident, I called her, thinking she might enjoy coming.  Does she show up????? Nooooo, A. Janice comes with Grandma J. (our favorite corn cutter).  (Just kidding, A. Margaret =)) 

Now I knew how busy A.Janice was...but she said she wanted the corn for her freezer. We don't make a habit of turning away help =) We were blessed with Mom's presence - she arrived with knives, bowls and an apron. 

A little gravel doesn't hurt, right?

Now, Guess what...our 3rd planting is ready and we are going away on Thurs...so, my dear husband is going to help me process 1/2 of it tomorrow afternoon.  Shooo fly!  We are selling the rest of it, but I do believe it's all spoken for.  =) 

A. Janice entertaining Stephen

Grandma J. deftly silks our corn

I can never quite manage to get Aaron to look at the Camera

So, in case you were wondering; we planted Bodacious - a yellow sweet corn we've been partial to for quite a few years.  However, for our 3rd planting we planted Silver Queen, a white corn that is 15 days faster to harvest.  We ate some yesterday.  It's good, with a shallower kernel, but not quite as sweet as Bodacious.  As with life...plenty of pros and cons! 

Now for a kernel of Truth from this Corn centered post. God always provides.  We read tonight in devotions how the Israelites had manna given unto them until they entered Canaan and started eating the old corn. I'm pretty sure they were extremely HAPPY to be eating old corn instead of the manna they had been ingesting for their entire life.  There are many things that are hard to comprehend about the Isrealites' experiences from Egypt to Canaan and settling there.  We have almost no clue what life like that was like.  But we do know the Kernal of Wisdom to be true.  GOD PROVIDES.

Here is your thought question requiring brave answers
"What is one way GOD HAS PROVIDED for you?" - even if it's old cornish

Coming up....

I was quite excited yesterday to blend a double batch of Peach Pluot Jam together and can it into beautiful little brand new jars that I purchased with the proceeds from my last Jam Jamboree.  Heard Smith Ranch's last day of fruit was today, so I zipped over there after carpool and got 2 more flats of Pluots. 

There are plans brewing in my head for Pear Pluot Jam and straight Pluot Jam.  Someday soon I'll post pics and details (soon being a relative term - still not sure how these homeschooling Moms of 5+children manage to blog multiple times a week.  Maybe they do it while their children do the schoolwork?) 

There is also a "Pepperonchino Post" in the works, as well as "Corny Day". 

But first...(as always) there are special people coming for supper tomorrow night and this house looks like the domain of someone who has been sewing, supervising children and canning...You can conjure up whatever image you like!



If you are a foodie, check out my dear friend Carolyn's blog.  If you like a truly "laughing out loud" motherhood adventure blog, go see Kendra.  I enjoy quite a few blogs and might crosspost from time to time.

Thought question...hehe...(very complex)  I'm thinking of doing a link party re: laundry stain tips.  Yes, or no?

So that's the menagerie on my mind.

Everyone loves the First Day of School!

Who was ONE of your favorite teachers...and why?

Only a few words of narrative needed. 
"You know who" was up at 5:45
Coffee was required! (by me - not sure he'll ever need it!)

First Grader Extraordinaire.

It's a wee fuzzy.

Yeah for Grandmas!

The 3rd Graders

I'm still getting the hang of everyone out the door at 7:30 - but we made it =)


And you know by now....this blogger desires input, conversation, sharing, not just a whooshing sound left by lurkers.  I don't care if it's anonymous, or on facebook...please answer the thought question, please with a smile on top?  =)  I always appreciate those of you who do!   
Who was ONE of your favorite teachers...and why?