Today I thought it would be fun to look at some of the history of canning, and what better place to start than with a few fun facts about the history of the mason jar. It's funny how mason jars are something I use on a daily basis and yet I never really knew much about their interesting history before. I did a little researching and here is what I was able to find out. In the early 1800s glass jars called "wax sealers"  were commonly used for home canning. These were invented by a French chef named Nicolas Appert. They looked more like an apothecary bottle than a jar and had a wide lip that you poured wax into to secure a tin lid.  The complicated process was prone to errors but it was the only method available at the time. Later in the century zinc screw on lids were invented which were the predecessors of the screw on lids that we use today. In 1857 a man named John Landis Mason who was a tinsmith in Vineland New Jersey invented and patented the first screw cap bott...

With Valentine's Day right around the corner I wanted to post a recipe that would make a great addition to a Valentine breakfast in bed! How sweet would it be to cuddle up with your sweetie and have croissants, bagels or English muffins slathered with butter and candy apple jelly? If you make it now it will be ready for your romantic encounter on February 14th! Here is the easy recipe that takes about 10 minutes of prep time, 5-10 minutes to process and yields about 6 half pints. Candy Apple Jelly Ingredients 4 cups apple juice 1/2 cup Red Hots candy 1 package (1-3/4 ounces) powdered fruit pectin 4-1/2 cups sugar Directions In a large saucepan, mix the apple juice, candies and pectin. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in the sugar and return to a full rolling boil. Boil and stir for 1 minute. Remove from heat and skim off foam. Ladle the hot mixture into six hot sterilized half-pint jars, leaving 1/4-inch of headspa...

If you are part of my generation you will remember a song that went "I had some dreams there were clouds in my coffee..."  Great song! But nobody dreams of having clouds in their jelly so here are a few trouble shooter tips as to why it happens and how to avoid it happening to your jelly. Reason number one why your jelly can come out cloudy is using fruit that was under-ripe or too green. By using fruit that is fully ripe and firm you can avoid the clouds.  Reason number two for having cloudy jelly is overcooking the fruit before straining the juice. To avoid this cook the fruit only until it is tender.  Reason number three that jelly gets cloudy is there was some fruit pulp extracted during the juicing process. Keep the clouds away and get the clearest possible jelly by straining your juice through a dampened jelly bag or several layers of dampened cheesecloth, and do not squeeze the bag trying to rush the process.    Reason number four why you might...

One of my goals when I started this blog was to bring you some unusual and unique canning recipes to try and this one feels like it captures that essence perfectly. I found it by searching for old fashioned canning recipes. You know like the kind only your great grandmother would remember? Another goal I have for myself personally is to try new and different ways of preparing foods that I am not fond of, to see if I can get a new attitude about them. That is what the previous recipe post was all about with one of my least favorite fruits, the pear. Amazingly both my husband and I have found a new dessert that we really love in the pear upside down cake, especially the second one I made where I added cinnamon to the caramel. YUM! Which leads me to one of my least favorite vegetables, the beet. I have been able to eat a pickled beet or two in my lifetime but usually one is plenty to get me by for the next several years, haha. But when I saw this recipe I thought it looked interest...

Come on over to my store The Jelly Jar and check out all of my cute specialty canning design aprons for kids and adults. Funny Too Much Jelly with Your Name Purple Canning Adult Apron by TheJellyJar A funny kitchen canning humor design with purple stripes in a starburst that highlight a purple jelly jar with gingham lid in the center. The text at top and bottom of the image say: There is no such thing as too much jelly, in an all caps comic book style lettering. The label on the front of the canning jar has a sample name placeholder that you change to your own name. This is a perfect gift for the home canning enthusiast, homesteaders, hobby canners and cottage food kitchens. Whether you can jam, jellies or fruit preserves this fun design will make you smile every time you wear it. #canning #humor #humorous #funny #whimsical #jellyjar #purple #kitchen #quotes #canningday #jelly #joke

One of the best things about canning is that even in the dead of winter you can enjoy the fruits of your labor in the summer garden. There is nothing better than to pop open a jar of salsa, jam or pickled okra and enjoy the taste of fresh garden goodness on a cold bleak snowy day.  Mama's pears and my okra with labels from my store My mother in law recently shared an over abundance of canned pears she had with me and they look beautiful in the jars but I have never been a big fan of pears. So I have been looking for ways to use them and found some interesting recipes that I am going to try and also share with you. The first recipe I want to try is a variation on Pineapple upside down cake Pear Upside Down Cake Ingredients 1/2 cup butter   1 cup brown sugar packed 3 canned pear halves sliced thin 1 1/4 ...

Homemade with Love Custom Mixed Berry Jelly Label by TheJellyJar My homemade with love custom famous recipe mixed berry jelly label is perfect for gifting. Across the top in fancy curved script is a place for you to add your name and at the bottom is the phrase Homemade with Love.  In the center on a creamy yellow round circle are more text field templates that you can customize to fit your need. One says: A gift for you. Then there is one for the name of the product and a place to add your occasion and year.   Mine says Mixed Berry Jelly Christmas 20XX. All of this is placed in the center of a background image that features a pattern made of mouth watering, juicy looking red raspberries and blackberries.    This label is great for homesteaders, home canning enthusiasts and cottage kitchen small businesses. See my entire selection of personalized canning supplies HERE

Did you know that the Ball-Kerr website says you don't need to preheat your canning lids anymore? Well, since I was taught eight years ago how to can the old school way by my mother in law, the only manual I actually read up until recently was the instructions on how to use my Presto pressure canner.  So this was a new one on me too, but according to them it is not such a new idea. They said in 1969 they stopped using latex to make the sealing gasket on the inner lid and started using something called Plastisol which doesn't need to be softened with boiling water the way latex did. So the recommendation became to just wash the lids with hot soapy water and keep them at room temperature until ready to use. It should be noted here that they also only recommend that you use official Ball or Kerr brand lids which are made in the USA and BPA free. I also personally believe we should use the good brand name equipment whether it be jars, flats (aka lids) or rings. Why?  Becau...