Canning and Preserving @ Ten Apple Farm

The days slip, quickly.  It’s hard to believe that it was over a week ago now that I took a canning and preserving class at Ten Apple Farm in Yarmouth.  Margaret, co-owner of the farm and author of The Year of the Goat, and Alison, Master Canner extraordinaire,  couldn’t have been better hosts.  I’ve been canning for some time now, but as is true of many things, there’s always more to learn.

My real reason for taking the class was to spend more time with Margaret, to see her goats and cheese and spend an afternoon talking about food.  Heaven for me.

We made Orange Marmalade with Pomona’s Pectin powder which, other than making batches of fresh jam on the boat, is my second favorite method of thickening a jam or jelly.  It makes a better jam or jelly becasue it doesn’t require the sugar to be boiled to a certain temperature to thicken the jam which allows for bright color and flavor and doesn’t leave a cooked sugar or caramelized taste to a jam which then masks the flavor of the fruit.

As I was leaving to spend my day with canning and goats, Jon watched me pull out of the driveway with trepidation fearing that a visit to a goat farm would quickly result in me acquiring goats.  When I arrived home, he greeted me warily, again expecting “lets get goats!” to come from my mouth.  While I won’t deny it has appeal, even I can say it will have to wait for a better time.

Here are a few photos taken with my cell phone.  Not perfect.  Far from it, but still fun.

Love, love, loved Alison’s homemade apron.

Alison pouring hot rinds, juice and pulp into the pan after measuring with that gorgeous measuring cup.

Margaret filling the jars.

Annie
Thank you ladies!  It was fun!

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