For the first time in recent memory I think we are actually going to exhaust our jam and jelly supply. We have already run out of tomatoes and applesauce. The fruit sauces are almost gone and there is not a jar tomato sauce to be found.
My pantry has been almost completely exhausted of all home canned items. My freezer is getting low too! The food challenge has certainly made me turn to my pantry first when cooking…and now my low supplies are proof or our changed eating habits!
I have a feeling I will be spending some of my summer locked in my kitchen churning out batches and batches of jelly.
The following is from a post I wrote two summers ago in the midst of making grape jelly. I had to smile as I read it because this time of year I would love to be processing jelly…Sounds like back then I might have been a tad tired of the whole thing!
“The rule is, jam tomorrow and jam yesterday…but never jam today.”
Lewis Carroll Through the Looking-Glass
That is exactly how I feel this time of year! Yesterday I made jam. Tomorrow I will make jam. But is there time today to enjoy a piece of toast with jam? Certainly not, I’ve got too much jam to make!
These are the grapes we picked last night…I’m guessing when I add them to the blackberries I should get at least a dozen batches of jam. Yes I will be chained to the stove all day and well into this evening!
This winter I’ll sit down next to the woodstove with my warm piece of toast and homemade jam and remember why I do this every year.
But for today I’ve gotta wonder…
So how is your pantry holding up through the Food Challenge? Do you have anything left in your freezer from last year’s harvest?
I can’t wait to make jam for the first time this summer! I know I say that NOW, and probably while in the midst of making it I’ll whine, but I bet the taste of homemade far surpasses the jarred store-brand stuff my roommates have right now
We’re on the last jar of strawberry. Thankfully, Grandma made a ton of jam this summer. They don’t eat any, she just likes to make it. So until June, we’ll be snagging jars from her deep freeze.
My raspberries held out– still have a little jam, and I just used the last frozen ones to make syrup. Always have enough herbs, although incredibly I’m low on oregano. Garlic ran out in January. Tomatoes produced only enough to eat as they grew last year, which was horrible.
In other words, I started the food challenge with an essentially empty larder, which made it, um, challenging. We’ve always made it at least into October on the garden, and last year I got well into November due to an increase in turnips and beets. Next year gonna try to make it to March!
Love the title: Pantry Exhausted. Having looked at my own pantry this weekend and seeing it needs to be rearranged so I can find everything, I’m exhausted thinking about how much work that will be.
That is a LOT of grapes. Hopefully you’ll take more pictures of the final product.
We actually have a ton left and I’m thinking we need to start eating up some jam & cobblers. We’re not huge jam/jelly eaters (I don’t like sweet stuff so I generally am happy with just butter).
I also still have tons of pickled beets.
We moved across the country just over 6 months ago and had to restock our pantry almost completely. It has been surprising me that we have been running out of a number of staples recently since they’re all items I tend to stock up on when possible. This is the first summer I am going to try to produce enough to try canning, so I’m looking forward to it!
We don’t eat as much jam or jelly as some other canned goods. We have eaten all our vegetables, almost all the canned tomato products, just a few jars of fruit left, but lots of pickles. I have found that I will not need to make pickles this year, so I will grow cucumbers for fresh eating and focus on other preserving.
hehehe I am almost out of last years jars, too. I ran out of Ro-Tel tomatoes a few weeks ago, and salsa months ago. There are only fresh soups and stews this time of year. My SIL and I made 18 pints of strawberry and strawberry-blueberry jam yesterday. YUM! The taste of the beginning of spring.