Save like Nana did. Never waste abundance.

Chloe has written todays post for me.   Her place has been a hive of activity with two little boys and a lot of projects!  I really appreciate her help, enjoy! 

When my husband and I first met we would talk on the phone for hours… I was usually working on something or stirring a pot of jam. At the time I remember he had teased me that a young single woman would spend her nights home making jam instead of being down at the pub like many of the girls my age. I had confidently proclaimed there was nothing to tease as some lucky man was going to grow old happily eating my jam! As it turns out he is that man haha and home made fig jam from the huge tree just down the hill from our house is a highly anticipated tradition each year. 

I suspect jam making is not a new skill for many of you lovely ladies but I know that finding the time to truely take advantage of the abundance of a harvest can be daunting and it’s that that I want to encourage you in. 

I looked it up and at the moment figs are selling for $60 a kilo… There are literally thousands of dollars worth of figs on this one tree!

With two little boys at my feet I have had to change tactics these last years in order to not miss out on the once a year harvest we are blessed with. Gone are the days of being able to leave out bagfuls of fruit on the kitchen counter and spend hours stirring a giant pot on the stove top.

Fresh figs are hard to transport and have a very short shelf life (hence the crazy prices). They are also an acquired taste to eat fresh but as a jam… I have never found anyone that doesn’t like it! 

I check the tree once a week and usually bring back two big bags full and then devote some time during the boys nap time to dicing the whole lot up. Then I weight out 1kg lots into snap lock bags and leave them all in the fridge to deal with the next day. 

Only having to cut them up feels like a manageable task and it guarantees that nothing gets left out and allowed to go bad. 

The next morning I chuck one of the pre weighed bags into the slow cooker with a kilo of sugar, the juice of a lemon or two and my secret ingredient is 180grams of finely diced crystallised ginger. I can hear you saying oh no I don’t like ginger but trust me on this… I never tell anyone about the ginger and I’ve never known anyone to not come back and ask me for another jar. Ginger has so many wonderful benefits especially during the cooler months when colds and flu are prevalent, and it just adds a sweet warm touch that no one will ever guess is there. 

I leave this to cook on high for the morning then give it a rough blend with a stick blender (make sure it’s a metal stick as I’ve melted a plastic one in hot jam before!!!). I intentionally leave some small lumps for texture and then leave it to cook a while longer. 

I pop my jars and lids on a try and into the oven then turn it on to warm. 

Drop a teaspoon of jam onto a frozen little dish (I keep one in the freezer all the time for these moments) and if you can run your finger through it and the trail doesn’t disappear then your jam is ready. I like it to be a bit runny and easy to spread. 

Then spoon it into your hot jars from the oven and screw the lids on. I save glass jars with metal lids all year… I just chuck them in the dishwasher and most of the labels come straight off (a little lemon essential oil can rub off the last of any glue). 

If you screw the lids on hot then the jars will seal themselves… there’s something immensely satisfying about hearing your lids pop as the jars cool and seal. 

Each day I just turn on the slow cooker and drop in a bag and leave it. This way I don’t feel overwhelmed by it all and nothing is going to waste. Once I’ve worked through all my preweighed bags it’s time to go check the tree again.

If you want to give any away then there are lots of free printable jam labels online that you can make up on your home printer with a sheet of label paper. A label and a string bow and a jar looks rather lovely. This week alone I’ve swapped jam for fresh honey and beefsteak tomatoes! 

With a little pre planning there’s no need to waste abundance!

Thank you Chloe,  both of my Nana's would be very proud and your own Nana and Mum are! 

Note:  the method Chloe uses is the same as me.  I never knew jam/jellies were canned in some countries and not others.   This is how jams are made according to most recipe books etc in Australia.   

What abundance do you have that could be put to good use?   Could it be used to fill your pantry, gift, sell, trade?  It does not have to be food... it might be pinecones, manure,  flowers... who knows!  Just look at your abundance as an asset with possibilities! xxx