Making jelly


Cooler autumn weather is perfect for making jams and jellies. I juiced green grapes from the arbor and made pectin-free jelly. My decades old candy thermometer broke in the recent move and the new one is very, very difficult to read. Standing over a bubbling pot of boiling jelly, angling my head this way and that to get a reading on the steamed up and clouded over glass is irritating. I will be buying a digital model. Yield: four half-pints from 4 cups juice.

It’s too hot in season to make spattery peach jam. Regardless the size of the cooking pot, very hot splatters erupt out and burn unprotected skin on impact. I wear a red plaid flannel work shirt, rubber gloves and wield a long handled wooden spoon as personal protective equipment (PPE). 2-1/2 lbs frozen peach slices yield three half-pint jars and one sticky kitchen floor.

And now for the taste results based on one toast slice spread with grape jelly and one toast slice spread with peach jam: The grape has a soft gel and the first bite elicits a center tongue full-bodied flavor of GRAPE. A big swig of coffee to cleanse the palate. The peach jam has a denser consistency than the grape. The jam doesn’t shout “peach” but that result may be skewed by my choice of palate cleanser…

Comments

Jim, Brea, Annabelle and Evelyn said…
Steph,
I'm so excited to follow your blog. You are so cute! I love your new house and all of your canning adventures. I have a feeling you're going to inspire me a lot:)
Wed Oct 21, 09:59:00 PM
octiegirl said…
I love it that you had help with grape picking. I see that the dogs are earning their keep!
Fri Oct 23, 11:24:00 AM
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