On Friday I conducted my first foray into canning. I canned a dozen pints of apples and applesauce. I had so much fun doing it—carefully following the instructions given to me by Katharine Trauger. She is an excellent guide! If you want to know how to do it, I cannot improve on her instructions that were in her blog. Here is that link. You can do it too! http://katharinetrauger.wordpress.com/2011/10/04/pear-butter/
If I lived PA I would have gone over to my friend Pattie’s. If I lived in Katharine’s town I would have gone there. When I am learning a new skill my favorite way to do it is to have someone show me through it. But I don’t think I know any canners in my town. So I got brave! I did it! Saturday, when I got up, my jars had sealed. My pretty little jars are now on my shelf in my pantry. I have to say—thanks to all the prayers—I nailed it! 🙂
I am including some photos of my project here;
That is my chunky applesauce in process….check out my steam!!!
The picture below is the rings that go on the canning jars.
Believe Anyway 
Congratulations!
thanks Tilly–I’m glad I didn’t prove myself to be a dunderhead 🙂
Very nice!
When I was a kid, we canned blueberry jam and enjoyed it all winter long. 🙂
I bet that was really tasty! I’ve never made jam or jelly. The apples and applesauce were my first canning adventure!
I am so proud of you ! 🙂
Big congratulations! I had my mother-in-law right by my elbow telling me every step when I learned to can–what a gift, eh! But you took off on your own with only the say-so of a stranger. Nice job.
And thanks for the link. I got lots of lookers from it! 🙂
i figured i may as well give it a shot…..if the jars didn’t seal we’d feast on fabulous applesauce and try again. Usually i am kind of timid about launching out on something like that. When I learned to knit, my dear friend Pattie was 2 houses away and we would knit together, while she patiently guided me every step of the way. my first thing? Mittens for my then 6 year old…then another pair of mittens for him and then a sweater—all in the course of a couple of months. I may have forgotten how—i haven’t knit in probably at least 10 years!
Thanks for the positive congrats 😉