Canning Tomatoes (and fruit, too!)

September is almost over and we've been busy canning as much of summer's splendor as possible. It's such a good feeling to have your pantry filled with jars of homegrown fruits and veggies. Even if you don't grow a garden, you can still take advantage of the fresh produce available. Think U-pick orchards, fruit stands, farmer's markets, even your local grocery store! There's lots of fresh stuff out there.

Since tomatoes (and fruits) are high acid foods, they can safely be canned with the water bath method. Pickles also use the water bath method since you add a vinegar solution  to the jars before canning. However, you MUST use a pressure canning method when canning low-acid vegetables, meat, poultry and fish. It's the only way to guard against harmful bacteria.

So, let's get started with canning tomatoes!

Here's what you'll need:




Water bath canning kettle

Clean canning jars

Canning rings and new lids

These are also a few helpful tools:

Magnetic lid lifter

Jar lifter

Wide mouth canning funnel

Oh! Yeah! and your tomatoes!

First, you'll want to remove the skins. To do this, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add tomatoes to boiling water a few at a time.

When skins start to split, transfer tomato to a bowl of ice water to cool for several minutes.

Once cool, the skin will slip right off (this method works for peaches, too). Cut out core, stem and any imperfections. Cut tomato into halves, quarters, slices, cubes, chunks or a gloppy mess like mine......whatever you prefer!

Let's get those canning jars ready!

Bring a pot of water (big enough to fit 1-2 canning jars) to a boil. Place jars into water sideways, so the water is both inside and outside the jar (sorry, I didn't take pictures of this step). Let set in water for a minute or so (just enough to get the jar hot). Remove jar.

Pack tomatoes into the jar pretty firmly. I tap the jars onto a folded towel to shake the tomatoes down. Make sure there is at least a 1/2-inch from the top (head space) Add 2 tsp. lemon juice.You can also add 1 tsp. salt and fresh or dried herbs (if desired) to the jar. (These amounts were for quarts, cut the amount in half for pints). Add water to jars (again leave 1/2- inch from the top). Wipe the lip of the canning jars with a clean towel to remove any food debris. Dip a new canning lid into the boiling water used to sterilize jars for about 30 seconds to soften the sealing material. Place the lid onto the canning jar. Place a ring over the lid and tighten down (just hand tight......don't over-tighten!). Place completed jar into water bath canner rack. Repeat this process untill the canner rack is full.

My rack holds 7 (pints or quarts). Yours may vary. If you run out of tomatoes, fill the remaining jars with water. You still want the amount of jars in the rack so the others don't bounce around and break. Fill the canning kettle about half full of water and bring to a boil. Turn heat down and CAREFULLY set canner rack into boiling water. Add more boiling water until jars are covered about 1/2-inch. Cover kettle. Turn up heat and bring to a rolling boil. Now start your processing time. All my canning books call for 50 minutes (pints and quarts) for cold-pack (that's the process we used) tomatoes. (Editor's note: after checking Ball's canning website their processing time is 85 minutes for cold-pack tomatoes. Shows you how outdated my canning books are! ALWAYS a good idea to check for updated information to insure food safety! LOVE the internet!) When the time is up, turn off heat and remove jars. Let cool on the counter. I place a towel under them to soak up the water. As they cool you will start to hear the jars seal. Plink, Plink, Plink! When the jars are completely cooled check each jar to make sure they have sealed. To do this press in the center of the lid, it won't flex back up if it is sealed. If any jars didn't seal you can refrigerate and use within the next few days.Wipe the outside of the jars clean, label and move to a cool dark area for storage.

Fruit is processed in a similar way. Check out Ball's canning website for recipes and processing times.

Soapmaking Experiment

I can't really say I've ALWAYS wanted to learn to make soaps. It just seemed interesting. I had pinned a few soapmaking sites on Pinterest. I decided to check them out. After reading through a few tutorials ( here & here & here), I couldn't believe how simple soapmaking sounded. Now, I'm not talking about "from Scratch" soapmaking (using lye). I'm talking about starting with (unscented) mild soap and adding to it. I made myself a list of things I would need and went shopping.

Here was my list:

Mild soap bars (I found a 10 pack of unscented Ivory for less than $4.00)
Soap molds (I paid about $3.50 each from Michaels-actually less since I had a 20% off purchase coupon)
dried lavender (which I dried myself- see this post)
essential oils (again-made myself- this post)
oatmeal (I already had at home)
glycerin (for liquid handsoap-somehow I forgot to look for this......I can get a little distracted when shopping.....so, I have no idea what this would cost)

I decided to start with the molded soap bars first. The liquid soap sounded easier, but, hey, why start with something easy? I started with the Homemade Oatmeal Soap Recipe here and then added my own twist. I'm not sure I can do ANYTHING as directed. First, I decided I should DOUBLE the recipe. Here's my version:

2 bars mild unscented soap (Ivory or Dove)
8 to 10 Tbsp. water
3 to 4 Tbsp. homemade Lavender essential oil (if using purchased essential oils, use 2 to 3 drops)
6 to 8 Tbsp. coarse ground Oatmeal
6 to 8 Tbsp. dried Lavender blossoms

Grate 2 bars of soap into a Microwavable bowl. Add water. Microwave for 2 to 3 minutes (in 30 second intervals, stirring between) until soap is melted. It will foam up. Make sure it doesn't go over the bowl. Stir in Lavender oil. Coarsely grind the oatmeal in a blender or food processor. Add oatmeal and dried Lavender blossoms to soap mixture. Stir to combine. Mixture will be about the consisntency of cookie dough. Spray molds with vegetable oil. Spoon soap mixture into molds. Press firmly to compress mixture into the mold. Level off top with a knife. Let cool. If it makes a difference, I cooled mine in the refrigerator.

Once the soap is cooled, CAREFULLY remove the bars from the mold and wrap in plastic wrap.

That's it! EASY! Right?!?! Add a label. Tie with ribbon or a pretty yarn. Combine with a knit or crochet face cloth or a scrubby mitt like these for a nice gift.



Now, onto liquid handsoap. This seemed like the easiest method and yet, I had a little trouble with it. Here's the recipe I followed (Liquid/Gel Soap). Sounds simple enough, right?

On my first attempt, I grated a bar of Glycerin type soap that I had been given. It has an AMAZING fragrance called Sugar Blossom. I never really measured the amount of grated soap. It just kind of looked like about 2 cups. I added the 1/2 gallon of water. I did measure that! That's when I realized that I had never bought the Glycerin (despite having been to the store SEVERAL times since the first shopping trip). I could have waited until the NEXT time I went shopping......but, I got to looking at some liquid hand sanitizer I had. Lo and Behold......one of the ingredients is......GLYCERIN! Not the MAIN ingredient, of course, but I could improvise! Starting to see why I might have had a little trouble?

Anyway, I decided to add about 6 Tbsp. hand sanitizer to the soap and water. I cooked the mixture over low heat until the soap was dissolved. Then transferred the mixture to a half-gallon jug. It seemed a little watery, but, I figured it might get thicker once it cooled. The next morning, it was still watery, so, I grated a bar of Ivory soap and re-cooked the mixture until the Ivory soap was dissolved. Then put it back into the jug to cool.  When it was cooled, I had a sort of thick jelly substance that WOULD NOT come out of the jug!

I reread the part in the recipe that said "for a less thick gel soap, use 1 gallon of water". That should work. I began digging the soap out of the jug. Once it was all removed, I added another 1/2 gallon of water, recooked until it was liquid again, then put it into a gallon container.

SUCCESS! Finally! A gallon of liquid handsoap!

Here's the actual recipe I ended up with:

2 bars of soap (grated)
1 gallon of water
2 Tbsp. glycerin (or 6Tbsp. liquid hand sanitizer)

Mix ingredients in a large pot. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until the soap is dissolved. Transfer to a jar and cover tightly.

I found a pretty pump container in the bath accessories department to put the new soap in. That and a pretty knit or crochet face cloth or scrubby mitt would also make a nice gift, don't you think?

Lavender Harvest

Lavender is, HANDS DOWN, my favorite plant! Since I've enjoyed it's bloom ( and fragrance) for a couple of months now. Well, and since Fall is fast upon us. It's time to harvest all that FABULOUS fragrance. Most of my perennials I just leave alone until spring. We live in a COLD winter climate and to insure the best survival of perennials in that type of climate, it's best to leave all those stems alone through the winter. HOWEVER, Lavender is my exception.
So-o-o-o-o-o...... Harvest season is in full swing. First, I prune the Lavender stems just above the main body of the plant. My favorite plant is a variety called Provence ( I think......never saved the tag though). It has long stems and blooms with a wonderful aroma. I have two different ways to preserve the blooms.

Dried Lavender- Simply bundle the stems and tie with string (or yarn!) and hang to dry. One dry, you can arrange the stems in a vase for a dried arrangement. Or, you can remove the dried blooms and store in an air-tight container for later use. I must admit this is a fiddly, time-consuming process, but it's well worth the effort!

Lavender Essential Oil- Cut the blooms from the stems and place in a glass or ceramic (non-metal) bowl. Cover with olive, safflower, or canola oil. Microwave for about 30 seconds to warm the oil. Then set the bowl out on the counter (in the sun, if possible) for about 24 hours. Press the blossoms lighly with the back of a spoon to press the fragrant oil from them. If you want a stronger scented oil, you can now remove the soggy blooms and add fresh blooms, repeating the process. Once you're happy with the fragrance, strain the oil through cheesecloth or a coffee filter into a clean bottle. I scrub the labels off my old olive oil bottles and reuse.

Now you have Lavender oil to use in lotions, soaps or a few drops in bath water. Use Dried lavender in soaps, sachets, potpourri......You know, wherever you want that fabulous fragrance!

(Editor's note: Other herbs and spices can be dried or made into essential oils in the same manner. Here's what I'm thinking for oils.......Lemon Balm......Vanilla bean.......Cinnamon stick.......Rose petals.....Rosemary......the list is endless!)

What to Do? What to Do?

I've mentioned the project I just can't seem to finish. I decided to try to finish it during Ravelry's Ravellenic games (during the Olympics). I was making good progress when the games ended. Basically, I had completed crocheting the blocks together and started crocheting the edging. I knew it wouldn't take me long to finish the afghan now! About halfway through the edging and then.......This.

No-o-o-o-o-o! I wanted to cry! I wanted to frog! After all this time! WHY?!?!?! I have to tell you, though, when I first started this project I really had no good method for weaving in the ends. This comes from being a sort of "learn-as-you-go" kind of girl. I'm pretty sure I can fix this block. The BIG problem.......I'm planning on giving this as a gift. Is this going to happen again? What to do? What to DO?
So.....Here's what  I think I've decided to do. Fix the affected block. Then.......wash the afghan and see how many other blocks come apart. Then.....fix those blocks. Because, REALLY, what else can I do?

Ravellenic Challenge 2012

Here's the progress I made during the Olympics on my Ravellenic projects:

1. Homespun Granny Afghan- This was my MAIN project and I must say that even though this won't be finished by the closing ceremonies.......I got quite a bit done on it! I only have 3 more blocks to sc onto the last strip! Once that strip is sc to the main afghan and an edging added, it will be done! I know what you're thinking......what about ALL those ends to weave in? HA! I've been weaving in all those ends as I go! See this post  for a tutorial of how to do that.
2. 3-Hour Cowl- By the second day of the Olympics I was SO pleased with my progress on the afghan..... I went ahead and cast-on this project as a travel project. I probably should not have done this as my vacation ended the third day of the Olympics. After I went back to work, (along with some other things I had committed to) I didn't get alot of knitting or crocheting time, so I had to abandon this project halfway through to continue to make progress on my afghan. Now we all understand why this blog is named "My Life's Little Distractions"!
3. Charity Blocks- No progress. Didn't begin any of them. These will be waiting for me AFTER the Olympics!

Even though I didn't complete any of my projects......The Ravellenics helped push me to TRY to finish up a 5 year-old project. So, that's a good thing!

Crocheting (or Knitting) Through the Olympics

As a way to promote knitting/crocheting while watching the Olympics. Ravelry created the Ravellenic Challenge. Well, it's now less than 24 hours away from the opening ceremonies (and the mass cast-on). So, I've lined up the projects I HOPE to complete in the 2 weeks while watching the Olympics.
Here they are:

Homespun Granny Afghan

I haven't worked on this for almost 2 years now. I grew so-o-o-o-o-o-o bored with it! I REALLY want to finish it! I'm hoping the Ravellenic challenge will push me to complete it. It's my number 1 goal.

BUT......I also lined up a few other projects. In case I finish this faster than I think (or more likely, get sick of working on it).  A few blocks (3 to be exact) for my favorite charity JCCF. Two pink ones for our annual "pink blanket" to be raffled to raise funds for breast cancer awareness. As well as one for our "regular" blankets to go to injured rodeo cowboys and cowgirls. These are the patterns I've chosen. Freedom and Ribbons of Courage.

Then.......in case I need a little knitting. I found this SIMPLE knit cowl called 3 hour cowl. I enjoy making cowls and this looks like a quick knit. I've got a bunch of Bulky yarn I need to use up and wouldn't these make FABULOUS Christmas gifts?

That's my plan.........I'll let you know how it goes!

"Ponytail" Holders

Get it? Sorry.......I just couldn't resist! Not the best picture either......my model wouldn't co-operate! But, you get the idea. Anyway, I found this tutorial at Lionbrand. It was just the type of project I needed. I've been in sort of a knitting/crocheting slump lately. Kind of ho-hum projects that are taking me WAY too long to finish. They shouldn't. They just are!

These ponytail holders seemed like they would crochet up pretty fast and also make nice little gifts. So, I dug through my stash and found a few yarns that I thought would make nice hair ties. Here's what I found:



Some glittery yarns. After finishing the basic holder, I decided a little lace edge would be pretty. After you join the with slip st to beg ch 3 here's what you do: *ch4, sc to top of the next dc; repeat this stitch around to where you started. Finish off.

Textured and Self-striping yarns. After finishing the basic holder, I just added a round of sc to the top of each dc just to give it a little edge. You could easily do a hdc if you preferred. Maybe even a different color?

Novelty yarns. These I just held the novelty yarn together with a fingering weight yarn and crocheted the basic holder.

So, dig through your stash and see what you can come up with. They take very little yarn (maybe 20 yards?). Very little time too!