Yes I Can!!

I knew it had been awhile since I last posted. 9 months!! How time flies. The interesting thing is, that I am still on the same jag...though this time I am ready to act. I am ready to turn this:

Into this:

So, no this is not this year's crop of veggies, there are currently only a couple of green tomatoes on our vines. This was last year and no, I cannot take credit for that beautiful jar of home canned tomatoes, my BFF Cathy did that. But!! I am ready to take the plunge. And this is how I will begin my journey into the time honored ritual of canning.

. And no...unfortunately I cannot take credit for these little Gems either. These were put up by my Brother in law and Sister In law. I recently came across some new kitchen gadgets for the home canner. These awesome new appliances are probably not for the seasoned large batch canner. Meant more for people who may not have a large family, or for someone who is perhaps just delving into canning, (word on the street is that canning is becoming more and more appealing). They are a bit pricey as well but for me the benefits are outweighing the cost. I just purhased this little beauty

from Amazon.com, it was on sale for $89.00 and I got free shipping. It is also available on the Ball Canning site http://www.freshpreserving.com/appliances.aspx and other sites. So that will take care of my Jam and Jelly needs, but what about pickles, oh yeah baby Ima gonna make Pickles. What about tomatoes and salsa? Well, there's an app for that (app= appliance ;-, hehe). Check out this baby

. So this is a bit more pricy, $299.00 to be exact. A quote from the Website: Automatic Home Canners vs. Traditional Water Bath Canners •Preserves recipes up to 30% faster. •Uses up to 60% less energy. •Uses up to 85% less water. •Will automatically adjust for altitude. The ease of use and the fact that you can whip up small batches of bounty and the fact that I do not have to heat up the house by using the stove during the summer months make it the ideal product for myself and my husband. I will do a review as soon as my Jam and Jelly maker arrives. I noticed that Bed Bath and Beyond have the Fresh TECH Automatic Home Canning System on their website. Apparently it is not in stock on line or in stores. I'm going to hold out a bit in hopes that BB&B will have it in stock soon. I'll use a 20% off coupon and save $60.00. That's huge!! In the mean time I will can my jam and jelly in a traditional water bath. Not nearly as exciting but rewarding I'm sure.