Yes I CAN!

Y'all, I have learned a new skill, and I am here to proclaim to the world that YOU TOO CAN CAN!  That's right...call me Pioneer Woman, because this summer I tackled canning, something that I had always feared.  For some reason I just assumed that canning was extremely complicated and that if I messed it up I would be permanently deformed by exploding hot glass jars.  

But really, it is super simple!  A little time consuming, yes, but when you consider the output you get for the input, it is well worth an evening of your time.  

My first attempt was apple butter.  A big, beautiful apple tree resides in the back yard of my parents' home in Arkansas, and I had always scolded them for not using the abundance of apples.  Granted, the are small, tart cooking apples, not great for eating out of hand, but still totally useful.  So when my parents visited this summer, Dad toted along a HUGE box of apples.  After checking out a few books from the library, honing in on a recipe, and stocking up on jars and supplies, I went to work.  

It turned out beautifully!  The apple butter was delicious (I used a crock-pot recipe that called for leaving the skins on the apples, so it could not have been easier!), every jar sealed correctly, and I now have a stash of apple butter in the pantry ready for Christmas gifts.  (If we don't polish it off ourselves before then!  FYI: cinnamon raisin bagel, cream cheese, and apple butter are a stellar combo).  

With a little more confidence, I was ready for my second project.  Our neighborhood has a greenline walking trail, and on it are two huge fig trees.  I've kept my eye on those trees all summer, just waiting for those little jewels to ripen.  And I knew just what to do with them.  Mama Dot and her sister Francille always made this amazing fig preserves.  They canned them whole in a heavy syrup studded with lemon rind.  Francille was kind enough to supply me with two jars on my last visit, but I'm down to the last bit of my last jar, and Francille is scheduled to move to a retirement home this fall.  Soon, there would be no more fig preserves.  The tradition was mine to figure out.  

I had Mama Dot's recipe, but in typical Southern girl style, it read a little something like this: 

To large bowl of figs, add soda.  Boil in sugar syrup slow and long with one sliced lemon.  

Not quite enough to go on.  But after a bit of Googling, I found a few similar methods with more exact instructions.  Now it was just time to wait on those figs!  

I checked them one afternoon as we drove home, and they were ready!  As soon as Riggins woke from his nap, I grabbed my biggest mixing bowls, drove to the tree, plopped the boy in the shade beneath, and went to picking!  Then, when I had gotten all I could at my height level, I put Riggs in the car, pulled up underneath the tree, and then stood on the car to get more.  I'm sure the neighbors thought I was INSANE, but I left with a load of figs for free!  (Well, I paid in lots of sweat and a grumpy kid, but FREE!)  

It was game time....I soaked the figs... (the Riggins girls always left the stems on their figs, which I never minded, but these ended up being a little tougher even after cooking down.  Next time, I'll remove them).

Threw them in my biggest pot with the sugar syrup and sliced lemon (Appropriately, this vintage LeCruset Dutch oven belonged to Jonathan's great-grandmother.  Not a direct relation to Mama Dot and Francille, but still another fine Southern Arkansan lady who I would imagine would be very proud to see her great-grandson's woman mixin' up some fig preserves in her pot!  Isn't that turquoise color divine?)  

They simmered for about 30 minutes, nice and long and slow, just like Mama Dot said to do.  

Eventually that syrup gets nice and thick and jammy, and the figs get soft and plump.  Perfect for drizzling over plain yogurt (my modern enjoyment) or smearing onto a hot biscuit (the traditional enjoyment).   

Then, it's time to can.  I boiled my jars and lids, and then filled each hot jar with the hot preserves to 1/4 inch from the rim.  Wipe the rim of the jar, place a hot lid on top, and screw on a ring.  Then pop the jars into a big pot of boiling water and allow to process for 10 minutes.  

Remove from the pot onto a towel and allow to cool overnight.  Unless you have a big canning pot, this all has to be done in stages, so that it what gets time consuming.  I just did it one night after Riggs had gone to bed.  I didn't want a toddler tugging on my leg as I boiled glass jars, you know? :)  

The next morning, test the seals: push on the lid to see if it gives at all.  It shouldn't budge.  Another method is to remove the ring and pick up the jar by just the thin lid.  It should hold tight.  I used both methods just to be sure! :)  

I ended up with these 3 large jars of figs and about four smaller jars.  And I am pleased to report that they taste just like the real deal!  I was so relieved and proud to know that I can carry on this little treat that our family has long enjoyed (although Jonathan isn't crazy about them, so more for me!).  

I think I'll probably reserve canning for those times when I can get an abundance of some food for free or super cheap.  I don't think I'll be going out and buying bushels of strawberries to make jam when I can buy a good jar of Bon Maman for $4 and just eat my fresh strawberries.  But for keeping up a family tradition or taking advantage of a bushel of free apples, canning is a fun, simple little hobby that reaps major rewards!  You "can" do it!  (heehee)