I Love Creating in the Kitchen!

Good Evening All,

I think after about 20 days in a row of rain, the system has moved out of the area.  We are to have low humidity and sunshine for at least four days! YEA!!!  My poor flowers need some sun to dry up the soaking puddles they are sitting in. I didn't mind the rain as I've been in the kitchen or running errands most days.

I've added to my inventory of four ounce jars.  I made lots of delicious jams yesterday and today and a few new ones also.  First up....CANTALOUPE Jam!  I don't even eat cantaloupe BUT this just interested me so much, I had to try it. It has a sweet, mellow flavor. I am sure to make more due to the fact that I believe people will want to try it and then LOVE it.  Second in the canner was a combination of Plums/Pears/Apples (still working on a name for it). I love black plums when they are just ripe enough and so juicy you really need to have a towel in your hand to catch the juice. This jam almost has the consistency of a fruit butter.

Then I kept the kettle warm with a batches of Strawberry/Kiwi Jam, Strawberry Margarita Jam, Plum Spice Jam (a new recipe), Wicked Watermelon and finally Rhubarb Pie Jam. 
The Rhubarb Pie Jam is an original Joyful Jar recipe.  I had rhubarb, blueberries and wanted to create something different and I did! I cooked them down, added some spices and brown sugar and it reminds me of a pie filling.

I love to create different flavors and not keep the same flavors cooking each day. This keeps my mind busy with ideas flowing and keeps the customers on their toes, looking for new flavors and how they can incorporate them into their lives.

Enjoy the evening, wherever you are.

Fresh picked red raspberries from my neighbors farm.

Oh I wish you could smell the smells....

 

 

My kitchen smells so divine! My neighbor, Cathy (she has a beautiful garden, fruit trees, bushes and a produce stand), has the first berries of the season coming on!  We have had so much rain, that everything seems to be a little late coming on around here.  The sun comes out for a few hours and then with the humidity, the weathermen start "tracking storms" in the afternoon.  But the berries have started to ripen and so far, I have brought home six quarts. 

 

The red raspberries are so refreshingly tart but also a tad sweet.  I have been eating them by handfuls...I have to remind myself they are for jam.

 

Yesterday and today I made batches of Red Raspberry Jam.  I saved two cups to try a new recipe, Blushing Peach Jam. I had about two cups of the fresh North Carolina peaches in the freezer waiting for the berries.  The aroma coming from the kettle was amazing! 

 

I enjoy trying out new recipes.  Which reminds me I have a cantaloupe in the kitchen.....Stay tuned! 

Happy Independence Day!

 

I can't believe it is July already!  The months have gone by quickly.  We have had quite a bit of rain in my area.  It seems everyday about 2:00 or 3:00, they are 'tracking' more showers and storms.  The ground is pretty saturated in some areas.  At least I don't have to worry about watering the plants. 

 

I have enjoyed my summer of canning so far.  I had a great first time at the Easton Farmers Market!  The atmosphere is wonderful! The day was sunny and breezy and I had the perfect spot to watch the children play in the water fountain.  I look forward to going back later in the month.

 

A good friend brought home some North Carolina peaches for me last week.  YUMM.  I was so excited to good fresh picked peaches.  I was going to make the jam that very evening but a storm came through and knocked the power off for six hours.  I made the jam the next day and it is delicious!  I am looking forward to the peaches making their way up here.  Specials are being posted by local markets for next week deliveries.

 

 

Enjoy the day friends.  

June 24, 2013!~ Promises, Promises!

Good Morning One and All!
I have been so absent on this blog and I apologize! I have just not found that extra eight hours per day needed.  But I PROMISE to at least once a week, check in and give you all updates.  I understand that no one will want to follow me if I don't "talk to you"! 
I am busy as usual.  My jars are in seven retail shops now.  I have been doing "tastings" and will just begin my farmer's market season this Thursday.  I really enjoy the process of being creative and seeing the look on someone's face when they think something that sounds so odd..such as Bloody Mary Jelly, can taste SO GOOD!
I am making Thattsa Hotta today and boy is that also true for the outside temp!  Hot and humid the last few days here in Ohio and for a couple more.  Last night would have been a wonderful night to set up the outside cookstove and process some jars under the SuperMoon!
I hear the jam bubbling in the kitchen. Have to run!  Bye for now. :)

So Many Uses for Joyful Jars!

Well, it's been forever since I stopped by the blog!  I have been busy!!  Here are some pictures/ideas for you to use at your home with Joyful Jars products!

 

The first picture is Roasted Red Peppers stuffed with goat cheese and drizzled with "Thattsa Hotta" Jam.

 

 This picture shows "Caramel Apple Butter" on warm brie cheese with slices of Granny Smith apples and melba toast!

 Here are cupcakes made from HOLY SHEETCAKE!, a local baker here.  She filled the middle with various flavors of my jams and they were simply fabulous!  Such as "Strawberry Lemonade Marmalade" in a vanilla cupcake with buttercream frosting!  Or "Red Raspberry Spread" in a vanilla cupcake.  Also this was very good...."Chocolate Covered Cherry" in a chocolate cupcake!!

 Seasonal favorite "Snowstorm" or "Friki Tiki Colada" is wonderful as a glaze and dipping sauce for grilled shimp!

This is the best!  A "Spicy Bloody Mary Jelly" that can be used as cocktail sauce for shrimp....as a condiment on grilled hamburgers instead of ketchup...as a glaze on meatloaf! 

 

So don't just think of toast or a biscuit!  My jams and jellies can be so much more!!  And they are delicious!  I want you to THINK OUTSIDE THE JAR when you taste one of my jams.  Experiment.  Live on the edge!  Enjoy life! 

Have a great day!  I promise not to stay away so long before posting again!

I found a new passion!

     Well today was a great day!  My good friend, Dawna, owner of Holy Sheetcake!, delivered me a huge box of fresh cupcakes.  Not just any old cupcakes.  These are special because in the middle of each yummy cake, presented in an adorable holder, is a large dollop of JOYFUL JARS JAM!  
     As I carefully took each one out of the box and placed on a plate...I thought..please don't drop these!  I cut into each one that had a different wrapper and was not disappointed!  Lemon Drop, Bushels of Blackberry, Strawberry Lemonade!  Ohhh, they were delicious!   We make a great team.  Her wonderful, moist and fresh cupcakes with buttercream frosting and my Joyful Jars of specialized unique jams.
     And then I found a photo program that I have been wanting to try and I think I should have just stayed away.  LOL I will now spend time, I don't have, on tweaking the pictures till I think they are just right!
     Enjoy life friends.  It is way too short! :)

Snow Days and Canning

Well, it is winter in Ohio so that means "snow days".  In a perfect world, my storage area would have 1000 plus jars of jams and jellies put up! But this is not a perfect world and the days have come and gone.  Household chores, tax forms for four (no one knows how to read their W-2's but Mom!), lots of hand chopping and some kitchen mishaps, has kept my numbers down but I have enjoyed the new flavors I made over the weekend. 

Meyer Lemons and Clementines were the lead flavors.  Strawberries and blueberries, frozen fresh last summer for winter-time use, were added on the side.  Such wonderful blends of tart and tangy, sweet and yummy! I have creatively named them "Lemon Drop", "Oh My Darling...", "Zing in the Blues", "Strawberry Lemonade".

I also made Zucchini Bread Jam, a few new batches of Thattsa Hottsa and a chutney.  It is the first time I made a chutney.  It smelled wonderful cooking on Super Bowl Sunday.  A mixture of red and white onions, brown and white sugar, jalapenos, raisins...can you imagine that over a grilled pork chop?!  YUMMMM.  I can not wait to try it.  Here is a picture of my jars of joy that I made this weekend.  I hope you enjoy the picture!