Sometimes the process of canning our seasonal produce can be, well, a bit disappointing.  I’ve seen pictures of WWII housewives standing proudly next to their well-stocked pantry of jarred goodies from their Victory Gardens, and I wonder now whether those Victory Gardens spanned an acre or more!  It seems to me that I am going to need a whole apple orchard if I were to keep this house supplied with applesauce enough to last a winter!

And is it normal for “white rose” peaches to turn from a lovely pink & yellow to a dark amber after processing?  Did I not add enough lemon juice to keep from discoloration? Or will every peach look, well, peach when it’s all said and done?  I managed to get three pints of preserved peach in heavy syrup.  Now I am waiting for them to blow up ala Holiday Inn.

This is an interesting journey.

Meanwhile, I finally made Blueberry Buckle this past weekend from a recipe a friend sent out oh, maybe four years ago!   I just never seemed to have blueberries in the house long enough to get around to making the Buckle, but now it is a household fave.  I am wavering between canning the rest of the blueberries or just making another batch ‘o’ Buckle.

I also procured a watermelon this past weekend which I’ll slice up tomorrow when the kids have their playdate with some new friends.  However, I think I will pass on the Watermelon Rind Jelly listed in the Ball Blue Book of Canning and Preserving. It would definitely be a unique addition to the pantry, however, I’m not quite there yet.

After all, my attempt at pectin-free Strawberry-Rhubarb Jam had interesting results.   We are thinking of using it as a minor adhesive like poster putty, or maybe even a form of caulk.  If my mother hadn’t complimented me on my Orange Marmalade, my confidence would be pretty low.  😉  Oh yes, it has been an interesting journey.