Canning

It has begun. Today, a gallon of applesauce (8-pints) that I tossed half a cup of blueberries into. Also started the first, single batch, of apple butter. Usually I do double batches, which entails lots of management as not all the apples fit into the crockpot at once. I think this way will take about the same amount of time with less fussing. I will have to finish it up tomorrow as I got this batch started late morning and it’s at least a 12-hour cook time. S’ok.

My goal is to complete two batches (single or double) a day. Tomorrow I’ll get the second apple butter started, and hope to find enough ripe plums, amongst the masses, to make jam. If I can’t I’ll turn to apple/rhubarb/ginger jam.

Canning is like coming home. Home to my mom, to my roots, to preserving what my parents started before we moved to the Island, to passing to forward, year by year, to my friends and family.