I Think I Can, I Think I Can.....

Since I posted last, I have been in a canning frenzy. I do have to admit, after going on and on about how I could actually can strawberry jam. After careful review, I intact made strawberry sauce that was suppose to be strawberry jam. As a first attempt, I will take it. It is still edible (I think!) and we will be using it tonight on this amazing no-bake cheesecake I whipped up for the family. I am also guessing this sauce will taste amazing on some vanilla ice cream. If you are interested in checking out the wonderful recipe for the no-bake cheesecake you can visit HERE. The recipe states it is blueberry cheesecake but we have made it with cherry topping and strawberry topping and it is equally delicious. It is super easy and way better than that named brand stuff you can buy out of a box and make. Once I figure out where my darling children hid the camera [I just have to remind myself that either one of them could have been twins!] I will be able to post some more pics.

Back to canning.... I am so happy I am learning to can. Thursday I will be attending a class on how to can tomatoes and make salsa. I was hoping to hold out on canning any of our tomatoes until after the class. Well yesterday morning we went to check the garden and we ended up with 30 POUNDS of tomatoes that were ripe and ready to be used. Eek! Luckily Sunday my mom and I had headed up to Fleet Farm and got stocked up on canning supplies. We are pretty set on jars, I did pick up some half pint jars as we didn't have any and I would like to make some things for gifts for the holidays. My mom and brother have been picking jars up for the last few years at rummage sales and this is the first time that anything from their garden has been canned, so there were probably close to 10 dozen jars in the pole building ready to be used, way to go guys! We also picked up some Mrs. Wages sauce mixes. These things are awesome. They are perfect for a newbie like me. We decided that pasta sauce and chili base would be our most used items so we stocked up on those and I got a salsa one to try out.

I am pretty sure I have read the Blue Ball canning guide cover to cover at least twice in the past month. Yesterday was a marathon day of canning for me and I would have to say the results were good. I was a bit relieved when we went to the garden this morning and there was only about 5 pounds of ripe tomatoes. Between yesterday and today, this is what I made:

• Pasta Sauce - 4 quarts, 5 pints
• Chili Base Sauce - 10 pints
• Salsa - Medium - 6 pints [plus a little extra left in the fridge for snacking]
• Mountain Dew Jelly - 7 half pints 

Not too bad for two days work! I only had two jars that didn't seal. A jar of chili base and a jar of jelly. I noticed a small chip in the lip of the jar that the chili base was in so I am guessing that is the reason that one didn't seal. I am not sure about the jelly.  I am prepared for another marathon day of canning tomorrow as I know there are a lot that are going to be ripe tomorrow. I also roasted 15 cups of  homemade creamed corn and froze that.