Tuesday, June 02, 2009

Fun With Mail

A week or two ago I decided to try canning for the first time on my own, since living at home with my parents. When I was growing up, all summer long was canning, picking, shelling, blanching, freezing, weeding... we had a huge garden. It was a big job. I hated the heat from the canning and was afraid because I witnessed a jar or two exploding.

But, I decided it was time to face my fear and give it a try on my own.

First, you wash all the jars. (this was very satisfying)

Then, you boil everything, including the lovely yummy rhubarb-strawberry-apple preserves you decided to make.

Then, you fill the hot jars with the hot preserves, clean the edges, put the tops on, screw it down tight and turn it over to seal.

Then, if all goes well, you have lovely little jars of preserve. Apparently you are supposed to do a final hot water bath before you are officially "done," but I wasn't aware of this and didn't really have the equipment. So, hopefully there wasn't any botulism floating around my house.

So it turns out that Tammie had never tasted rhubarb. How can this be?!? This must be rectified at once! So I sent her a jar. Which apparently she then proceeded to hoard and not share with her children. I approve.

Then, a week later, I got a nice fat envelope in the mail from Miss Tammie. No, it wasn't a doctor's bill for the botulism case... it was this lovely little birdie clutch! She made this for me. I am so touched.

I love, love, love the grumpy owl on the inside flap. Isn't he adorable? I love this little bag so much. I am plotting what to put into it. Lipstick and a credit card? Paintbrushes? Birdseed?

Fun with the post! I love this! I sent off quite a few care packages last week, which was fun. It's so much fun to get packages in the mail.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

no botulism here!

sending and receiving care packages is the best isn't it?

so glad you like the clutch. :)

Stefanie said...

You forgot to mention the lovely ping the lids make as they jars cool and the seal is formed! I think you are fine not to boil the jars afterwards. I never do and no one has suffered--yet. I put the washed jars and lids in the oven at 400 for about 20 minutes so they are nice and hot and sterile when I put the hot preserves or whatever I am canning in them. I learned the oven trick from a former coworker who grew up on a farm. What a lovely bag from Tammie! And thanks for the care package you sent to me :)

Daphne said...

I'm eating up all the other jam as quickly as I can! Like we need botulism on top of everything else.

I *love* the clutch and so does my mom. :)