At one point I had the full home canning kit. The one everyone seems to have at some point in their life, the one that clutters the thrift store shelves for years until it comes back around to being in vogue, or until a pandemic hits. Needless to say, my kit was in pristine condition. All the pieces had been washed, dried, and loving put away for future use. A future which never came, at least, not for me. Not then.
We’ve been living in this new-to-us house for over two years now. There is no home canning set in the cabinets. I was gifted with a bounty of apples and pears though, wondering whatever to do with them all. Wishing that canning kit was in the cabinets while also recognizing it was perhaps not quite the time to start learning, with the fruit already waiting to be used.
A quick Google search said all I needed for pear sauce (think applesauce with pears) was a pot, a splash of lemon juice, and a blender or mixer; three things I happen to have on hand. And so I learned to make pear sauce. All was poured into quart sized freezer bags and frozen. All was cleaned up and put away. All took much longer than I’d have anticipated and tasted much better than anything I’ve ever tasted before.
Perhaps next year, I’ll be ready to can rather than bag. Perhaps.
Sunday Dutro, Author - Official Site 