I've been "putting food by" this summer. A bounty of tomatoes given to me by friend Kale, resulted in 18, yes 18, jars of canned tomatoes and 5 jars of tomato jam (a new treat for me).
They looked good on the kitchen counter, but they couldn't stay there forever.
And so, I did as my mother did and my grandmother did -- to the basement went the canned goods.
In the big old house I grew up in, there was a fruit cellar. Part of the basement that had slat walls (for ventilation) and long rows of shelves to hold canned goods. My parents didn't build it, it came with the house but my mother utilized it for the canned foods that she "put by" every summer.
In the heat of summer, the fruit cellar was a good place to play for it was like a little play house and my brother and I would spend time in this little "house". We left the canning equipment and fruit jars alone, never broke anything and so mother either didn't know we played in the fruit cellar (unlikely) or since we didn't play with the jars, she left us alone.
Linderhof doesn't have a fruit cellar but in the basement we do have one of the 1940s kitchen cabinets hanging from the wall. It's not big, but then neither is my canning. When cleaned, it was perfect for the jars of tomatoes.
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Home canned tomatoes and jam for the winter |
There's room for expansion, in case I want to can something else (like pickles or peaches) and I moved the home canned jellies down there as well. The five little jars on the right are my tomato jam. The rest are jars that were gifts.
Looking at the shelves of canned goods, I am quite satisfied at the "fruits" of my labor! What a treat these will be this winter.
10 comments:
Looks great, Martha. Tomato jam...now that sounds interesting. My grandmother had an old cellar where she kept her apples and her preserves. Great memories.
When I was a kid the canning went in the coal shoot.... we no longer used coal and the room was "shelved out" and in time the little vases took over more and more space.... but I mainly remember put up food there.
i've never had tomato jam. Do you have a recippe to share?
My mum had shelves in the basement too. In northern Alberta we had an insulated room in the basement - insulated to keep the cans and jars from freezing.
In my childhood, we, too, had a fruit cellar! And my, how we played in it :) At one time, a couple of friends and I held our "Sunshine Club" meetings there. Oh! The memories....
Now, don't forget what you've GOT down there! That tomato jam sounds very interesting, by the way, though I'm not a canner myself....
I did a post about the tomato jam -- it's here http://www.linesfromlinderhof.com/2012/07/like-good-neighbor-state-farm-is-there.html. It's an easy jam to make and so tasty!
Martha,
I'd say you've done "quite well" canning the vegetables, dear friend!!! My beloved Mother~in~law canned and shared her bounty with us during the winter...nothing taste better!!! She had a cellar lined with shelves, but I never went down there. Some things are sacred! EnJOY!!!
Fondly,
Pat
Martha, the jars of tomatoes are beautiful...full of anticipation for the the winter! My grandmother in Alabama used to store her canning in a closet off her bedroom. Looking forward to trying tomato jam!
Very satisfying to look at your work in a pantry, isn't it....Summer in a jar. My grandmother used to make great tomato jam. But I don't have her recipe...
She also had a whole set of shelves filled with Aunt Liz's horrible mustard pickles (maybe this can be done well, but Aunt Liz was not the one to do it.). Nana kept these for years, not using them and not willing to throw them out! What a memory.
Yes Martha - this is wonderful. I absolutely loved canning when I was a homemaker and look forward to its return. I have all my "stuff" and lots of files of recipes and I dream of it! Someday. Yours look lovely!
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