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poet - Elizabeth Barrett Browning

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Nourishing Foods

"Nourishing Jams, Jellies, Preserves and More" Blog Hop:

ARE YOU ALL READY! TODAY IS THE DAY we start this anticipated blog hop to share all the sweetness that has been happening in our kitchens this summer.

IF THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME HEARING ABOUT IT, THE GOAL OF THIS BLOG HOP IS TO MAKE OUR jams, jellies, preserves, marmalades, conserves IN A NOURISHING HEALTHY WAY made without refined sweeteners and artificial sweeteners. Using fruits and / or veggies, honey, stevia or another type of natural sweetener. Along with this feel free to share your tips for these sweet condiments. Lessons you’ve learned along the way, did you get your recipe / recipes from your grandmother, an aunt, your mom, a friend or a preserving book and revamped it to work with a natural sweetener? Or did you create it yourself? Do you grow your own fruits / veggies for your sweet preserving? Or do you buy at the Farmers Market, Local Pick Your Owns? Share your recommendations if you have any books or links you find helpful. If your a blog reader only you can still participate by leaving your Nourishing recipe and/or helpful hints  in the comment section. We Welcome your participation!

Once again if your not familiar with a blog hop here is an explanation of how it works from the Mr. Linky site.
“A blog hop is a linky shared on multiple blogs. When several blogs put the same linky list code on their blog, the exact same link appears on each blog. Blog visitors can submit their entries on any blog that contains the list. Your link will automatically show up on the other blogs participating.  Blog readers see the same list on each blog and can “HOP” from blog to blog seeing the same list of links to follow: “Blog Hop”! All blog readers can get the code to put onto their posting and the blog hop can multiply many fold with more and more traffic coming to your blog.”

So remember if you want to have the blog hop thumbnails show up on your posting, grab the code at the end of this post and add it to your post.

As you take part in your posts please be sure to link back to this posting. Thanks!

This Blog Hop is being hosted by:

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Nourishing Traditions / Nourishing Foods

Wild Blackberry Honey Jam:

Wild Blackberry picking time whether your planning on just fresh eating, freezing berries for later use or making jams, jellies, pies or ice cream starts here in the month of July. It’s usually hot and can make for some very uncomfortable picking if you go out in the heat of the day. So we usually head out early morning or late evening due to the fact that you need to layer clothing on.  No shorts, sandals, or short sleeved shirts allowed. Its a bloody ordeal to pick them because of the wicked thorns, so you need to dress accordingly. Jeans are best because of them being a heavier fabric, long sleeved shirt over another shirt, high rubber boots to protect from chiggers and snakes, a hat and  bug spray if you use that (we don’t). And you need at least one heavy glove on to grab the branches as you pick with the other hand. Then of course you need a bucket either in your gloved hand or strapped to your waist.

We have 3 large patches that expand each year in our front property where it use to be just pasture land for haying. After about 4 years of no haying, cedar trees and other trees started coming back. Then about 2 years ago I happened to notice some bushes in bloom and we discovered blackberries had come back . And since then we discovered more patches. We average around 7 quarts per picking. I lost track of how many quarts I froze up this year. Somewhere between 40 -60 quarts I think.  I took what we still had in the freezer from last years and made Wild Blackberry Honey Jam this summer of which I am sharing with you today.

A plate of some of the largest and juiciest blackberries from one of our pickings this summer.

This year I switched over to Pomona’s Universal Pectin as seen in the photo above. It can be found at most Natural Food Stores and at Amazon. com. My main reason for switching was to get away from the common pectin’s available and use a pectin that works well with many different sweeteners and allows you to reduce how much you use  with out compromising taste. Pomona does just that and works very well with honey. Diana of “A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa” who is one of my co hosts for this blog hop has a wonderful tutorial about using Pomona’s pectin here. She is also one of my favorite bloggers. Pomona’s Pectin is so versatile I’ll never use any other.

The recipe I used was done by following the sheet in the box of Pomona’s under Jams for sour blackberry amounts.

Ahead of time prepare your jars. Either by the old method to sterilize the jars dipping into boiling water or the easiest method that I’ve used for years now using the dishwasher. Just load up the dishwasher, put cleaner in, set for the longest wash or sani wash / temp and heat dry. Leave the dishwasher door closed to hold the heat until your ready to start filling your jars. Put your jar rings into a pan with water and bring to a boil and turn off. The lids into another pan with water and bring to a boil and turn off. Put cover on both of these to keep them hot until your ready to cap your jars.

WILD BLACKBERRY HONEY JAM

For 9 pints

16 cups of berries
2-4 cups of honey
( I used 3 cups honey)
1 pkt. pomona’s pectin powder
1/2 cup calcium powder water
(this is 1/2 c. water with the calcium powder pkt. stirred in)

Step 1: Measured berries out into large stock pot.
Then crushed with a potato masher to break up and expose juice.

Step 2: Stir in the calcium water.
** Note – that the calcium powder comes in the box of pectin.

Step 3: Measure out the honey into a separate bowl.
Stir in the pectin powder and set aside.

Step 4: Bring the fruit / juice to a boil. Now stir in the honey pectin mix.
Stirring vigorously for 2 minutes while the pectin dissolves into the fruit.
Remove the spoon and let it all come back to a boil, then remove from the heat.

Step 5: Fill the jars to 1/4 inch from the top.
Wipe the lip clean.
Put the hot lid on using a  tong to grab, then screw on a ring very tightly.

Step 6: Last step is to seal with a water bath for 10 minutes.
Though I do not do this step at all. Because you are filling your sterilized hot jars with boiling fruit, capping with boiled hot lids and rings and you have tighten them well; the combination of doing these steps carefully will result in your jars sealing with a nice clink sound as they cool down. I’ve never had trouble with doing it this way.

I put up 36 pints of Wild Blackberry Honey Jam this summer and the taste and texture is wonderful.
Honey gives it a nice subtle sweetness. Later I made jelly by following the directions in Pomona’s Pectin using our wild mulberries harvested this past early June from trees  on our property. Jelly uses more pectin but the results were equally as good as the blackberries. Mulberries also are full of the tiniest of seeds and stems and I put them through my Champion juicer to squeeze out the highest amount of juice for the jelly. Our property is 100% free of pesticides / herbicides / insecticides  so all berries are safe for healthy consumption.

This post is a part of the “Nourishing Jams, Jellies, Preserves and More” Blog Hop.
Hosted by myself, Wardeh Harmon and Diana Bauman.
Thank you for stopping by and reading about  my summer sweet preserving. Please take the time to read all the other wonderful posts shared HERE and glean recipes and helpful hints that may be just what your looking for use in the future. This Blog Hop is running for 1 whole week August 27 – September 2. So if you haven’t done so yet read up about it over at the previous link and join the fun. You don’t have to be a blogger to participate!

Seeds of the Word:
I have set the LORD always before me; Because HE is at my right hand I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope. You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
Psalms 16: 8, 9, 11

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Nourishing Traditions / Nourishing Foods

"Nourishing Jams, Jellies, Preserves and more" Blog Hop Details!

BLOG HOP COMING!!

Time to get Jamming!

At the end of August I along with 2 other bloggers Wardeh @ gnowfglins and Diana @ A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa will be hosting the “Nourishing Jams, Jellies, Preserves and more” blog hop.

If your not familiar with a blog hop here is an explanation of how

Continue reading “Nourishing Jams, Jellies, Preserves and more” Blog Hop Details!

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Food Preservation

COMING SOON ~ Jams & Jellies Blog Hop:

Stay Tuned for a “JAMS & JELLIES BLOG HOP”.

I am in the midst of getting it all together, contacting various real food bloggers to participate with me as hosts. I have one Jam recipe nearly ready in draft and Jelly that I am making today.

I have been extremely busy this summer with our 3 large

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Gluten Dairy Free Recipes

Gluten Free Whole Grain Sandwich Bread:

Above: Whole Grain sandwich bread – raised in pans / baked / and sliced and spread with kefir cultured raw butter.

A Good Gluten Free Bread Recipe where the grain flavor is distinctive, the texture is fluffy and holds together well is hard to come by. I know, I’ve been baking Gluten Free for my husband

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Cultured Foods

Raw Yogurt Sour Cream:

Raw Yogurt Sour Cream

HOW I ENDED UP MAKING one quart of Raw Yogurt Sour Cream:

My weekly milk run is every Thursday. On my previous run I called to see if they would have 2 extra gallons for me to purchase that week. They did so I headed home with 4 gallons with the purpose

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Nourishing Traditions / Nourishing Foods

Lacto Fermented Beet Kvass:

About 2 years or so ago I gave Beet Kvass a try. Personally I could not stand it at the time. It was way to salty for me and my husband couldn’t stand the taste of it even though he loves beets done up any other way.

This summer I planted 2 long rows of beets

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Nourishing Traditions / Nourishing Foods

Women's Natural Health E Course:

Starting today @ Naturally Knocked Up, Donielle’s E Course has gotten underway.

There is still time to sign up. Registration continues through this coming Friday, July 16th.

Infertility now strikes one in six couples, one out of five known pregnancies end in miscarriage, and our children are increasingly suffering

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Nourishing Traditions / Nourishing Foods

Two Nourishing E Course Lessons:

Today I am stepping out into a side of blogging I have not entered before. By supporting other bloggers in their endeavors to teach others various aspects of learning how to improve their health by moving away from foods that harm us and do not nourish us. Many of the younger blogging moms have worked

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Nourishing Traditions / Nourishing Foods

What is a Healthy Food Pyramid?

……….and just what changes are being made by the
USDA with their FOOD PYRAMID?

Searching the web for A healthy Nutrient Dense Food Pyramid was almost impossible (basically it was non-existent on the web)  to find until I recalled having seen the one put together by
Nourishing Our Children.
Click on over to their site for

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Nourishing Traditions / Nourishing Foods

Foolproof "Healthy Homemade Mayonnaise"

Many of you already make your own homemade mayonnaise, others you’ve considered but never have tried. Then there are others that say why bother, just buy it from the store. Then there’s that group that has made it and it turns out only every so often. Mayo is one of those condiments that

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Family Barnyard

A Tour of the Gardens and our Instant Barnyard:

GARDEN TOUR

Spring Harvest in progress with not a whole lot of spare time on our hands. If we are not in the garden, we’ve got many other brands in the fire to keep us busy. So not much blogging is happening around here even though I have around 5 postings

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Real Food Wednesday's

Healthy Summertime Alternative to Soda Pop:

KOMBUCHA
(as seen above in 2 of my A&W mugs I collect)

A Healthy Summertime Alternative to Soda Pop,
for that matter year round!

Summer temps are here, that’s for sure and so the sales of soda pop in the stores are on the rise with the temps. Not that they

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Raw Milk / Cheese / Butter / Eggs

Pure & Sweet Grass Fed Raw Milk:

It was a long time coming but I finally happened upon another family that sells 100% Grass Fed Raw Milk. A friend told me of the family and then I found out another long time friend of mine completely unknown to me has been buying for quite sometime from this family. Funny how info like

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Raw Milk / Cheese / Butter / Eggs

Cheese Making: Raw Milk Mozzarella post update:

Hello Everyone…..this post is being linked to Real Food Wednesdays. See the link @ the end.

I am back to CHEESEMAKING and instead of writing a whole new post I am reposting last Falls day of Mozzarella Cheese Making since all the steps are identical and so would all the pictures would

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Gardening

Sunshine, Wind, Laundry and Deer!!

Today has been one gorgeous day. Not a cloud in the sky as seen in the above photo. It got into the low 80′s. I ended up outside because it was just to nice to stay completely inside laying low as I mend a pulled / strained inflamed back muscle, which is showing

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Nourishing Traditions / Nourishing Foods

Blogging Friend having contest today - read & enter!!

……….CONTEST IS OVER……….

My Blogging Girlfriend on the West Coast
Robynn’s Ravings is having a contest today.

Not just one contest but 3 separate contests all in one day.

$50.00 gift certificate to Great Harvest Bread,Co.

OR

“Burritos For Two including gourmet burritos, fresh chips with

Continue reading Blogging Friend having contest today – read & enter!!

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Nature & Wildlife

Eagle Eyes:

[print screen photos from yesterday]

A couple of days ago my blogging friend Robynn in California alerted me of an Eagle Cam in the Pacific Northwest.  She knew that we have been watching since mid February the Barn Owls in San Marcos, California and still are checking in on them

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Nourishing Traditions / Nourishing Foods

Sustainability and Caring for Creation:

Hi all – I’ve got several blog postings in the writing out stages or thought stage and not much time to really give to finishing them up yet. One post in the writing stage is about the ducks we will be raising soon once we get the chicken or rather duck tractor built.

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