Safeway should have it where they have Sure-Jel pectin and jars. It's usually at the back of the aisle where the powdered milk is on the top shelf. Let me know if you can't find it there and I'll pick some up for you and bring it on Saturday.

I looked at my local Safeway where they have sugar, spices, cooking oil, salt, etc. They had fruit pectin, but I didn't see any Fruit Fresh. Perhaps they were just out.

I did find some online. I also ordered a cherry pitter and some freezer jam jars. But my peaches are falling from the tree NOW, so I'll have to deal with them soon, and it might take a couple weeks for my order to get to me. If you could pick some up and bring it with you on Saturday, I would really appreciate it. This time, I'm going to do the peaches right.

Try King Soopers too. I know Safeway didn't have the liquid pectin I was looking for, but Kings did; so maybe they'll have it. Either way I'll still pick some up.

Fruit Fresh is nothing more than vitamin C - you can use generic tablets, there might be a tiny bit of cloudiness in the jars from the binder in the tablets, but unless you're trying for the big, blue ribbon at the fair......

Right now, I don't think you could buy a box of regular canning lids in a 100 mile radius of here. A dozen wide mouth lids are $4.29. Box of qt jars, $12-sumpin'.

I will confess to going recycle-bin-dumpster-diving a few years back, picking up a several dozen discarded qt jars, so I'm good for a while. But still.......

Well, the local peaches were at the Walmart today for less than a dollar a lb., so I filled up a couple of bags, bought some 8 oz jelly jars, and powdered pectin. Then, I located a Spiced Peach Jam recipe online, which I plan on trying either this afternoon or tomorrow. The recipe said " 1 tsp. fruit protector - optional ". Are they referring to the Fresh Fruit product you guys were talking about? What will happen if I don't use it?

I also bought everything I need for homemade salsa, but the tomatoes look like they still need another day or two. I was planning on having shredded pork burritos one day next week. Can I just use the canned salsa right away, or does it need to sit for a couple of weeks like the pickles?

Lilacs, I apologize for highjacking your thread, but like you, this canning stuff is new to me, so maybe we can learn together : )

Bonnie

Bonnie,
the fruit protector is fruit fresh.basically all it does is keep the color pretty.It will still taste the same with or with out it.
Back when I was learning to can, my grandma would mix up a crock half full of a water and lemon juice mix,as we pitted and cut fruit it would go into that and soak for a min of 15 minutes.She always had lovely colored fruits wether drying or canning.
M

Mary, thanks for that tip, that is exactly what I did, put them in a bowl of lemon juice and water after peeling, pitting, and dicing. I won't know about the color till they come out of the BWB. This recipe is the same as the Ball peach jam, except it calls for a small amount of spices and 1/2 tsp of butter to be added, but since the spices turned the syrup a light brown, I don't think the peach color will matter much.

One thing I am confused about is that the recipe calls for 4 cups of finely chopped peaches, and 5 cups of suger (just like the peach preserves in the Ball book), and says it makes 7 one cup jars. The Ball book says 8 one cup jars. What I ended up with was 5 one cup jars full, with about 1/2 a jars worth leftover. Since everything I've read stresses the importance of being precise with your measurements when canning, how come their servings are so far off the mark?

Oh, and I found a recipe for Peach Amaretto Butter that I want to try next, because I have a lot of peaches left over. I'll let you know how it goes.

Bonnie

Lilacs - I picked up the FF today and I'll bring it Saturday.

Bonnie - Sometimes it's the shape of the jars and the amount of headspace, how tight you pack the fruit when you measure it or how long the recipe cooks down - these can all change the yield. Care to share the recipes? I have one for Strawberry Margarita preserves and a Brandy Laced Peach jam that I'm thinking of doing for x-mas gifts.

The Peach Amaretto butter recipe came from a search I did on the Harvest forum (see link below). It says to simmer for at least 5 minutes after adding the amaretto, or until desired thickness is reached. For me, that took an extra 15 minutes. It's in the canner right now.

The other recipe came from a Yahoo search, at a site called Recipe Source:

http://www.recipesource.com/side-dishes/jams/spiced-peach1.html

That Brandy Laced Peach Jam sounds pretty yummy too!

Oh, and I packed those chopped peaches in as tight as I could this time, and I still only got 5 one cup jars. I'm making lots of notes this time around, so I'll know what to expect next time.

Thanks for your help Mary and Dafy!!!

Bonnie

Here is a link that might be useful: Peach recipe thread