Key Lime Pie in a Jar with a special message for my husband! |
When I think of canning, I think of my Granny Alice. Granny used to make jars and jars of pickles and the best canned peaches I have ever head. You know how when you are little and things seem so gigantic but then you get older and realize they weren’t in fact that big-that’s how I remember those peach and pickle jars!
About two years ago my mom started teaching me how to can. Canning is not like cooking where you can just throw things together and hope it turns out. According to my mom, it requires careful preparation, planning, time, patience and following directions. My mom is really patient with me though as I struggle with some of the previously mentioned requirements. Last summer she questioned my desire to add lavender buds to the strawberry jam we made but later confirmed it was delicious and was even more surprised when I started adding wine. So there is some room for innovation when it comes to canning:)
I thought it would be fun to come up with some ideas that allow you to get the canning feeling without the canning, especially for those that don’t have the equipment, know-how or a wonderful mom to teach you how to can. Normally canning requires sterilization, sweaty all-day cooking sessions, huge clean up and wine (for both the jars and for you-well it does for me and my mom anyway). These ideas are easy, require minimal preparation, make wonderful gifts and allow you do be a part of the canning movement without actual canning!
You can pick up any of these great canning jars at Frattallone’s Ace Hardware at 1676 Grand Avenue!
Click here to watch the April 13, 2012 Twin Cities Live segment when I made these recipes.
No Bake Key Lime Pie in a Jar |
Homemade Poppy Seed Dressing |
Salad Dressing: Create your own favorite homemade dressing. I made a Poppy Seed dressing and used the following recipe from the Vegan Feast Kitchen: http://veganfeastkitchen.blogspot.com/2006/05/lowfat-poppyseed-dressing-and-sneak.html