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Saturday 8 March 2014

Beating Winter Blahs

Because this winter keeps dragging on and on and on ~


I'm getting desperate for any cheerful pastime.

Let's root around in the freezer, bring out some summer YUM and make a batch of jam!

Berries are such a labour intensive crop that they are really expensive and wild or organic berries are the most expensive of all.  My trick is to buy them on sale or reduced for quick sale.  If they are close to going bad, I freeze them right away and, when I have enough saved up in the freezer, I turn them into jam or pies.


For the full tutorial on making jam click here.

Seeing the ingredients lined up and ready to go shakes off some of the gloom of the day. ~


A little mashing, ~


a little bubbling ~


and a test to see if it set. ~


Even if the sun won't shine, there's a half dozen jars of pure Canadian blueberry jam for comfort. ~


I've even managed to do this without the ever constant help of Clara Jane.  I'm kind of embarrassed to tell you the lengths I go to just to keep that cat occupied.

She's not into making jam nearly as much as she is into the BBC series Planet Earth.  A friend loaned me this series and I sure hope she doesn't want it back anytime soon!

Clara Jane's favourite part is the water buffalo.  At least I think that's what they are. Maybe they are Yaks. I'll have to ask her when she wakes up from her nap on my lap. ~


Clara Jane and I will not be defeated by this winter no matter how many Polar Vortexes we have to endure!

16 comments:

  1. Blueberry jam, with real Canadian blueberries, definitely beats the winter blahs! Who needs blooming peonies and lilacs and tulips if you've got jam?! Okay, we ALL do, (scrap that!), but until then, its jam for us and blindingly close observation of buffalo for Clara Jane!

    Poppy

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  2. Just came across your blog. It's darling - I will definitely be back!

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  3. I never think of making jam from frozen berries. I still have a bottle of strawberry jam that I made last summer as I rarely eat it. Seems I don't want it to disappear too fast. :) Your cat will be well educated. Those DVD's are so interesting and beautiful aren't they. Enjoy the weekend.

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  4. Cute! Oh, that Clara Jane. I wonder how you came up with that name? Thanks for this recipe. Do you store the jam in any particular way to have it last longer? Not that I would need to in this house. Deb.

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  5. What a great idea. We are down to our last jar of jam and it is peach. I think I just might share this post with the resident jam maker. And...blueberry is one of my favourites.

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  6. I love homemade jam! =)
    Have a wonderful weekend!

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  7. I'm pretty sure Clara Jane is looking at Muskoxen...

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  8. That jam looks so good. We love blueberries and I have two bags in the freezer ... maybe I should make some jam. Mr. Z. loves blueberries on his waffles every morning.
    Thanks ... I will save your recipe.
    Audrey Z. @ Timeless Treasures

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  9. Ah bless, my dog loves to watch animal shows on tv, but then if they run out of the shot, he starts looking round the room for them !
    I'm sorry it's so cold there, it's crazily warm here and so work is manic, I ran out of so much food today we actually closed the kitchen for an hour to re-assess the stock. Your jam looks delicious, I wish I could put homemade jam on our menu (we serve it with toast and croissants) but I just don't think we will ever get the time !

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  10. Oh....blueberry jam. I could mainline that stuff!!!

    -andi

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  11. Blueberry jam is wonderful comfort food. :D

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  12. There is nothing better than homemade jam. Sorry about the winter blues I hope spring turns up very soon for you guys, the snow is pretty but it sounds like less and less fun being stuck indoors.

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  13. I love blueberry jam, save me a jar. PLEASE. Great post.

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  14. Oh yum! I miss those good Canadian blueberries. We used to get them at our stores when we lived in Montana. (Where everyone was crazy about huckeberries...way too much work for too small of berries.) My dog, Finn watches TV and when animals come on he barks! Also when a siren is on TV he howls.

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  15. Your jam looks delicious Maureen!

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  16. I love blueberries! This looks incredible! I'll bring the biscuits! Hugs!

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