Canning Question - Jam

[JudyJB]

I used to do a lot of canning and had a regular set of canning stuff--big pressure canner, etc. However, I just want to make about a dozen jars of sour cherry jam, so I do not want to buy or cart around a pressure cooker or even a regular canning pot with a rack inside. I did buy a smaller pan that will hold about 7 of the small jam jars, but it did not come with a rack. Only the really big pots had racks.

I suppose I could use the old fashioned method where you just seal jars with wax, but I don't think that is sturdy enough to be driving around in my motorhome.

Several of the canning sites say you can use a water bath only method, and put a folded up dish towel in the bottom of the pot so that the jars do not touch the bottom.

Have any of you tried that?

[Cudedog]

Hello, Judy.

I used to do a lot of canning in my younger days, not so much anymore.

I would be concerned that long-term storage of a home-canned item might not work so well in a jostling motor home. But that's just me.

Anne

[Shirlv]

Judy, are there rental places that rent canners? I checked locally here but they only rent equipment.

[Shirlv]

Still thinking.lol. If you do occasionally, Amazon sells canning racks.

[Bethers]

Judy, I looked up the boiling water method and that looks the easiest. You just would need something to set in the bottom of the pot to keep to keep the jars off the bottom. I put in canning rack on Amazon and found some.

[snowball]

have you looked into doing a freezer jam?? If I canned jams it was with hot water bath
sheila

[PeggyinCT]

Hi Judy,
I still make jams and jellies and use a hot water bath. You just need to keep the jars from falling over. No rack, try using crossed chop sticks, wooden spoons whatever you have. Use potholders, dish cloths, whatever to keep the jars apart. It only takes a few minutes in the boiling water. Just don’t burn yourself. I made red currant jelly and blackberry jam this summer. I have to give it away. Right now I’m drying figs instead of making more jam. Good luck

[JudyJB]

Thanks, Peggy. A water bath is how I used to make jam. And today, I solved my problem! I was about ready to return the pot and went back into the canning area at Walmart. They had silicone racks that unfold and fit into several sizes of pans, so I got two. The original problem was that most canning pans are made for quart jars, and I did not want one that big, so mine is smaller and the regular racks did not fit it. This one is flexible and will fit almost any pot and will keep the jars off the bottom. It handles temps as high as 450 degrees F, so will work well.

And I will try really hard not to burn myself!!!

My mother and my next-door aunt used to do a lot of canning when I was a kid. Both had extra stoves and big sinks in the basement specifically for canning. We canned a lot of tomatoes and sweet and dill pickles. Plus, we had access to a farm orchard with pears and crab apples, so we canned pears and candied the crap apples with a red syrup--Yum! And my dad loved to buy cabbages and make his own sauerkraut in a big crock in the garage. When it was done, we put that in jars also, although I never liked sauerkraut.

[JudyJB]

Sheila, I thought of freezer jam, but my motorhome freezer is just too small. Wish I had a bigger one.

[MandysMom]

Judy, I think I was told the basement kitchen area was called , the summer kitchen. Do you recall that? We did not typically have basements where we lived, though I have daylight basement now (no kitchen).
Velda

[PeggyinCT]

Hi Velda,
Where I grew up in Maine the summer kitchen was an ell attached to the main house. In our old farmhouse part of the ell also was a wood shed. Later it was where we had a big chest freezer. My mother loved that house which was built in the 1700’s and had a huge central chimney and fireplaces in every room and a Dutch oven in the kitchen. The kitchen was 19’x14 and was truly a family room. I think the house was the main reason she agreed to move to Maine. Enjoy today
Peggy

[snowball]

Sheila, I thought of freezer jam, but my motorhome freezer is just too small. Wish I had a bigger one.

I of course don't know the size of your freezer but I used small plastic rubbermaid or similar type of product that would stack well and didn't take up much room but yes they do very as do what we put in them
sheila

[MandysMom]

Sheila, think in terms of rv fridge vs house fridge/freezer! Maybe your big fifth wheel has a big residential fridge/freezer, but most RVs dont. Freezer space is better saved for essential nutrients- - meat rather than than sugar! If at home, it's practical to store freezer jam. In a RV, not so mch!
Velda

[snowball]

Velda my fridge is just a rv fridge would have liked a residential type but boondocking doesn't allow that I don't think... guess it's just choices that we make
sheila

[JudyJB]

Actually, the problem right now with my freezer is that it is full of Canadian Peameal Back Bacon. I bought five packages, each of which is about 4x5x4", and five of them really clog things up. I also have some fresh garlicky Kielbasa in my freezer from Michigan, so I really need to start eating stuff from there.

And I like regular canned jam better and am not really worried about carting it around in my RV. I will keep the very small jars wrapped in bubble wrap and tucked away in a safe place that is not too hot. I will also probably end up giving some of it away!

Anyway, it will be an experiment. And thanks for everyone's suggestions that have made me think all this through.