Shelter to Sanctuary: Canning Success!

I did it! Strawberry mint jam! Only two jars, but I'm still pretty proud of myself. We opened one of the jars right away and we've been gobbling it up. It is so great! I used a recipe from the book Canning and Preserving with Ashley English: All You Need to Know to Make Jams, Jellies, Pickles, Chutneys, & More.

If you are new to canning this book has really great step-by-step instructions WITH PICTURES! I actually made copies of all the instructions because they spanned several pages and hung them up in my kitchen so I could easily follow along.

I learned a few things that I'll pass along.

(1) Water bath canners take a LONG time to heat up. Especially on a glass top stove. It is a lot of water. Start your water early and think about starting with warmer water. It can't be too hot or it can crack the jars but it doesn't need to be ice cold either. For this jam I probably could have started the water when I started cutting the fruit.

(2) Prep an extra jar and screw lid but hold off on the lid until the last minute. Once they lids have been heated the sealant has been activated and they're no good to re-use.

(3) Consider using really small jars for jams if you don't eat a lot of jam. We tend to eat jam more on weekends as we have more time for leisurely breakfasts. This particular recipe called for half pints but you may be able to do even smaller jars. Remember the home canning recipes don't have the same types of preservatives as store-bought jams they don't last as long (even in the fridge) once they've been opened.

(4) In all the research I've done on this topic there is one very important warning that must be heeded. If you have ANY doubt that the jars didn't seal properly eat immediately or toss it! You do not want to mess with spoiled food!