Log Cabin Day 2019

Well Monday, Feb. 18 was Log Cabin Day.  Kristen, Kelsey and baby Evelyn came up from Utah.  We had a great weekend crafting, preparing and attending Log Cabin Day.  Jan Irving and Abbi were the greeters.  Our classes were:  Cooking Under Pressure by Surine Greenway, Freezer Jam by Karla, Aquaponics and Korean Natural Farming by Rick Dorey.  All classes were well attended.  Mom was one of the founders of Log Cabin Day and started it somewhere between 1973 and 1983.  It was held every year on President's Day until she passed away unexpectedly on Feb. 19, 2006, the day before Log Cabin Day.  It went on without her as she had everything prepared.  We hold it every few years to honor our Mom, Evelyn Atkinson.  Sharing all the many things she loved and taught us.




      Kelsey, Kristen Kara, Katie, Karla & Abbi

Here are the recipes shared this year.

Cooking Under Pressure - Instant Pot Recipes

In class we made Taco Pasta, Brown Rice, Brown Sugar Carrots & Rice Pudding.  It was a very delicious lunch!!!

For a double batch of the Rice Pudding.....Double the ingredients but keep the cooking time the same except allow Natural Pressure Release for 15 minutes. 

Freezer Jam Handout

CLEAR JEL FACTS & JAM MAKING

BY KARLA KIMBALL, U OF I ADVANCED MASTER FOOD SAFETY ADVISOR

CLEAR JEL IS THE ONLY APPROVED THICKENER TO BE USED FOR CANNING!!!  It will not break down in the jar after it has been canned.  It will come out of the jar the same consistency as it went in. 

What is Clear Jel???

It is a modified food starch derived from corn.  It is available in Instant and Regular forms.  Instant is used for jams, sauces, puddings, basically anything you don’t cook.  Regular is used for pie fillings, soups, gravies, basically those items that you do cook. 

Advantages to using Clear Jel:

·         It reduces the preparation time and calories by reducing the sugar in most recipes

·         It saves money over packaged pudding mixes, pectin and etc.

·         It thickens almost instantly – sets up in 10 minutes

·         It makes baked foods chewy and moist

·         It stores indefinitely

INSTANT CLEAR JEL FACTS

It has been precooked and will swell or thicken instantly without cooking.  If mixed properly with other dry ingredients before adding to liquid, it will not lump.  If lumps do appear, whip with a wire whip or blender until smooth.  It is clear and can be colored with Kool-Aid or Jello to the color and taste you want. 

Tips for using INSTANT CLEAR JEL

·         Clear Jel tends to lump so mix it with dry ingredients of at least equal amounts to prevent lumps.  If you need to add more later for added thickening, add small amounts by sprinkling it in, or mix with more dry ingredients. 

·         Mix with a wire whip or blender or mixer. 

·         Thickens within 10 minutes so you know right away if you need to add more thickening.

·         If you are converting from cornstarch, flour, or other thickener start by using half the amount of Clear Jel and add more if needed, in most cases I use the same amount called for.

·         Use for quick & easy sauces, jams, cookies, soups, puddings, toppings, syrups and salad dressing mixes. 

Tips for using REGULAR CLEAR JEL

·         Dissolve in cold water before adding to liquid.

·         Use for cooked products.

·         A great thickener for a clear and pretty finished product such as, salsa, mandarin sauce, fruit sauces, syrups, BBQ sauces, taco sauces, and etc.

·         If you are converting from cornstarch, flour, or other thickener start by using half the amount of Clear Jel and add more if needed, in most cases I use the same amount called for.

·         IS THE ONLY APPROVED THICKENER TO BE USED FOR CANNING!!!  It will not break down in the jar after it has been canned.  It will come out of the jar the same consistency as it went in. 

FREEZER JAM  (STRAWBERRY IS OUR FAVORITE) This recipe can be doubled or tripled

Stir together in large bowl with a wire whip, making sure the ingredients are well mixed together.

 2 c. sugar           1/3  to ½ c. instant Clear Jel         1 pkg. unsweetened Kool-Aid (flavor of berries or lemonade)

Stir in:    5 c. mashed berries  or  3 ½ c. berry puree

Stir in:    ½ c. light corn syrup

Sets up within 10 minutes.  Pour into containers.  Can be frozen or used immediately. 

WINTER’S MAGIC JAM    (A good way to use up older canned fruit)

1 qt. Bottled fruit, peaches, cherries, etc.

1/3 c. heaping, instant Clear Jel

2 c. sugar

1 pkg. appropriate flavor, Kool-Aid or jello

¼ c. lemon juice

½ c. light corn syrup

Blend fruit in blender or mash it if you like a chunky jam, set aside.    Mix together in large mixing bowl:  Clear Jel, sugar & Kool-Aid, stir well to prevent clumps later.  Stir in the blended fruit. Stir in the lemon juice.  Stir in the corn syrup.  If desired add additional spices as desired, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, etc.  If jam is too thick you can add additional fruit juice or water.  Pour into jars, leave 3/4 “ head space as the jam will expand in the freezer. Can be used immediately or freeze for later use.  

                                        Abbi, Katie, Kara, Jenifer, Karla, Kristen & Kelsey

Until next time!!!

Strawberry Jam, Winter's Magic Jam & Clear Jel

CLEAR JEL FACTS & JAM MAKING

BY KARLA KIMBALL, U OF I ADVANCED MASTER FOOD SAFETY ADVISOR

CLEAR JEL IS THE ONLY APPROVED THICKENER TO BE USED FOR CANNING!!!  It will not break down in the jar after it has been canned.  It will come out of the jar the same consistency as it went in. 

What is Clear Jel???

It is a modified food starch derived from corn.  It is available in Instant and Regular forms.  Instant is used for jams, sauces, puddings, basically anything you don’t cook.  Regular is used for pie fillings, soups, gravies, basically those items that you do cook. 

Advantages to using Clear Jel:

·         It reduces the preparation time and calories

·         It reduces the amount of sugar needed in most recipes

·         It saves money over packaged pudding mixes, pectin and etc.

·         It thickens almost instantly – sets up in 10 minutes

·         It makes baked foods chewy and moist

·         It stores indefinitely

INSTANT CLEAR JEL FACTS

It has been precooked and will swell or thicken instantly without cooking.  If mixed properly with other dry ingredients before adding to liquid, it will not lump.  If lumps do appear, whip with a wire whip or blender until smooth.  It is clear and can be colored with Kool-Aid or Jello to the color and taste you want. 

Tips for using INSTANT CLEAR JEL

·         Clear Jel tends to lump so mix it with dry ingredients of at least equal amounts to prevent lumps.  If you need to add more later for added thickening, add small amounts by sprinkling it in, or mix with more dry ingredients. 

·         Mix with a wire whip or blender or mixer. 

·         Takes 10 minutes to thicken so you know right away if you need to add more thickening.

·         If you are converting from cornstarch, flour, or other thickener start by using half the amount of Clear Jel and add more if needed.

·         Use for quick & easy sauces, jams, cookies, soups, puddings, toppings, syrups and salad dressing mixes. 

Tips for using REGULAR CLEAR JEL

·         Dissolve in cold water before adding to liquid.

·         Use for cooked products.

·         A great thickener for a clear and pretty finished product such as, salsa, mandarin sauce, fruit sauces, syrups, BBQ sauces, taco sauces, and etc.

·         If you are converting from cornstarch, flour, or other thickener start by using half the amount of Clear Jel and add more if needed.

·         IS THE ONLY APPROVED THICKENER TO BE USED FOR CANNING!!!  It will not break down in the jar after it has been canned.  It will come out of the jar the same consistency as it went in. 

FREEZER JAM  (STRAWBERRY IS OUR FAVORITE) This recipe can be doubled or tripled

Stir together in large bowl with a wire whip, making sure the Clear Jel is even distributed into the sugar.

2 c. sugar           

1/3  to ½ c. instant Clear Jel         

1 pkg. unsweetened Kool-Aid (flavor of berries or lemonade)

Stir in:    5 c. mashed berries  or  3 ½ c. berry puree

Stir in:    ½ c. light corn syrup

Sets up in 10 minutes.  Pour into containers.  Can be frozen or used immediately. 

WINTER’S MAGIC JAM    (A good way to use up older canned fruit)

3 qts. Bottled fruit, peaches, cherries, etc., drain & save

1 can crushed pineapple, drain & save

2/3 to 1 c. regular Clear Jel

½ c. water

2 to 4 c. sugar

1 pkg. appropriate flavor, Kool-Aid or Jello

Drain fruit and pineapple and save juices.  Mix together the Clear Jel and water.  Stir in the saved juice, sugar & Kool-Aid.  Cook over med heat until mixture is clear and sugar is dissolved.  Dice or mash the fruit.  The add the fruit & Pineapple  to the liquid mixture and cook until thick, about 10 minutes while stirring constantly.  Pour into jars.  Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.  ** You may add lemon juice or spices with the fruit for desired flavor. 

Strawberry Jam.....in the freezer....with NO sugar

No Sugar Strawberry Freezer Jam
3 lbs. strawberries
1 3/4 c. apple juice
1 1/2 package no sugar, low sugar pectin
Mash the strawberries in a large bowl.
In a small saucepan, bring the apple juice and pectin to a boil and boil for 1 minute.
Pour straight into the mashed strawberries and stir hard for 1 minute.
Ladle into freezer containers and place in the refrigerator overnight to let it cool slowly and set.
Then store in the freezer.  Good in the freezer for up to 1 year, in the fridge for 3 weeks.

using Clear Jel.....and recipes too!

I am halfway done with the Master Food Safety Advisor classes.  I will soon be a trained volunteer for the University of Idaho Extension Service.  I have learned a lot and am enjoying the classes.  It has been a very time involved class with a fair amount of homework as well.  I have to do a demonstration next week on Freezer Jams using Clear Jel and so I have been researching a bit more and making my handouts.  
So I thought I ought to post my notes here so I can keep them handy for future reference.  

CLEAR JEL INFORMATION  and uses……..   
#1 = This is the only thickener recommended to safely use for Canning!!  Corn Starch should not be used for canning.          

Clear Jel come in 2 varieties:  Non Instant/regular Clear Jel and Instant Clear Jel. 

Clear jel is a modified food starch (it may have other names too).  It is a fine white powder. It is used in cooking, canning and freezing to thicken sauces, puddings, gravies, fillings, jams & etc.

It can be purchased at food specialty stores. In Boise or Nampa it can be purchased at Cash & Carry or in Salt Lake City at Kitchen Kneads. Clear jel will store indefinitely if it is kept in a cool, dry place.

Non-instant/regular Clear Jel is used for cooked items, such as; soups, gravies, fruit sauces, puddings, cookies & etc.  Non-instant/regular should be dissolved in COLD water (to prevent lumpiness) and then cooked.

Instant Clear Jel is used for frozen or uncooked items, such as: jams, puddings, ice cream, sauces, pie fillings & etc. Instant should be mixed with sugar first (so it won't be lumpy) and then add the liquid. If you mess up and get lumps they can be beat out with a mixer or wire whisk. To convert a recipe to use Clear Jel, start by using 1/2 the thickener called for and then adjust to desired thickness.

I recently found this little chart that is helpful: 

1 T. cornstarch  = 1 ½ T. Clear Jel   

2 T. flour or tapioca = 1 T. Instant Clear Jel

The benefits of Clear Jel are that it is very economical to use, you don't have to buy pectin for freezer jam anymore, it reduces the amount of sugar needed, you can double or triple your recipe with no problems, will not separate or breakdown, stays clear and helps baked goods stay more moist.

The recipes below that are for canning, have been adjusted for an elevation of 2000 to 3000 ft. Please adjust for different altitudes......see the USDA altitude canning recommendations.

These recipes are tested and approved recipes, so if you use them and follow them exactly you will have a safe and healthy product.  I cannot give you an actual resource but these recipes came from my Mom who was a Master Food Preserver and I have also received verification from a University of Idaho Extension Food Safety Specialists that these are approved recipes.  

APPLE PIE MIX

9 c.  sugar                              20 lbs. peeled and shredded apples ( I grate down to the peeling and discard the peeling)

¼ c. cinnamon                     3/4 c. regular Clear Jel

1/2 tsp. salt                           1/4 c. lemon juice

2 c. water                               2 c. water

Mix first four ingredients and bring to a boil to make a syrup. Add shredded apples.  Mix last 3 ingredients well. Add to apple mixture. Heat through. Fill quart or pint jars with mixture. Process in a boiling water bath for 35 minutes.

When ready to use pour in uncooked pie shell. Dot top with real butter. Top crust can be added if desired. Bake at 375° with edge covered with foil for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake 20-25 minutes longer.

Note:   Can be used to make apple turnovers in the snackmaker or  drop a spoonful in a muffin tin and top with biscuit dough sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. The secret to this apple pie mix is that the apples are shredded.  Can be used with cherries or peaches too…..

APRICOT PINEAPPLE MARMALADE    

3 c. pureed apricots  (or peaches)    1/4 rounded c. regular Clear Jel

20 oz. can crushed pineapple             2 pkgs. lemonade Kool-aid

3 c. sugar                                          1 c. water

Place apricots and pineapple in pan and bring to boil. Mix together the sugar, Clear Jel & Kool-aid, add water & stir well. Add to the apricot mixture and cook until clear. Place in pint or half pint bottles & process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes. 

BERRY FREEZER JAM        

2 c. sugar                                                               5 c. whole berries

1/4 to 1/3 rounded c. instant Clear Jel                    1/2 c. light corn syrup

1 pkg. unsweetened Kool-Aid (flavor of

berries)*

Throughly mix sugar, clear jel & Kool-Aid in large bowl. Puree berries and add to dry ingredients. Stir until well mixed. Add corn syrup and stir until well mixed. Pour into containers. Sets up in about 10 minutes. Can be frozen or used immediately. * for

berries that may not have a matching flavor of Kool-Aid we often use lemonade - strawberry is the most popular flavor!  Have also used Jello in place of the Kool-Aid. 

Note:  I have also made it with splenda.

MANDARIN SAUCE          

8 c. tomatoes, peeled & diced                   4 c. pineapple, tidbits (save juice to use with water below)

7 c. sugar                                                          3/4 to 1 c. non- instant clear jel

1/2 c. soy sauce                                                1 c. sugar

3 c. vinegar                                                       1 c. cold water (& pineapple juice to make 1 c.)

3 to 4 c. onion (I use 3 c.), chopped                  4 c. peppers, chopped

Place first 7 ingredients in large kettle and bring to boil. Then mix together the clear jel, & sugar, then add water, stir well and add to the kettle. Continue to cook until thickened. Bottle in pints. Process in boiling water bath for 40 minutes OR in pressure canner at 15 pounds for 20 minutes for pints or quarts.  . Makes about14 pints. Serve warm or cold over cooked chicken & rice or whatever you like.

Other recipes that I enjoy making that also use Clear Jel.......

INSTANT MAGIC BERRY GLAZE

1 c. sugar                                                              

1/4 heaping c. instant clear jel         

1 pkg. unsweetened, strawberry Kool-Aid

2 c. water

2 to 3 c. sliced berries, fresh or frozen

Place in large mixing bowl: sugar, clear jel, & Kool-Aid. Stir until dry ingredients are well mixed (prevents lumps when fruit is added). Add water and stir well. Stir in berries. Takes about 10 minutes to set up.  Chill and serve over ice cream or cheesecake, as a filling between layers of cake or over the top…..

CHOCOLATE CHIP WHOLE WHEAT COOKIES

¾ c. sugar

¾ c. brown sugar

3 T. Clear Jel

1 c. oil

2 eggs

2 T. hot water

1 t. vanilla

½ t. salt

1 t. baking soda

2 t. gluten

3 ¼ c. whole wheat flour

1 c. mini chocolate chips (great with half peanut butter and half chocolate too)

Mix sugars and Clear Jel together.  Add oil and eggs and mix until blended.  Add water and vanilla and mix.  Stir together dry ingredients and add to batter.  Mix.  Add chocolate chips but do not over mix.  Drop onto sprayed cookie sheet using a medium sized cookie scoop.  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.  

The following recipes and information has been compiled by Washington State University / Skagit County Extension

Source: http://skagit.wsu.edu/FAM/publications/using%20clear%20jel%2003.pdf

Clear Jel®, a corn starch derivative, is a commercial thickening product used by bakeries and for frozen food. This product is used the same as flour or corn starch.
There are two types of Clear Jel® available, “instant” and “regular”. “Instant” does
not require heat to thicken. The product will thicken once the liquid is added.
“Regular”, on the other hand, must be heated. This is generally the preferred type to
use in products to be canned.
To use Clear Jel® in a hot dish such as gravy, first mix a small amount in cold water,
then add gradually to the hot liquid, mixing constantly. Or, mix everything together
while cold, and then heat and stir to thicken.
Pies and fillings which have been prepared with Clear Jel® and frozen  need to be
cooked or baked before serving. If the fillings become “thin” during baking, increase
the oven temperature, and shorten the baking time to prevent what is called “oven boil
out”.  This usually is caused by excessive baking at a temperature too low.
Advantages:
•  It is clear in color when cooked.
•  It has excellent stability.
•  It remains smooth.
•  It prevents liquid separation and curdling after foods have been frozen.
•  Cream sauces, custard, and puddings may be frozen with excellent results.
Advantages:
•  It is less expensive than pectin.
•  The amount of sugar may be adjusted without losing the jelling capacity.
•  Recipes may be doubled, tripled or halved.
•  The jam may be frozen or processed in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
Hints:
•  Using Clear Jel® in making jams and jellies is not an exact science. Many factors
influence the quality of the product. It is best to try a small batch and make    
adjustments before making larger batches.
•  Use pint or 1/2 pint jars.
•  Any fruit jam or jelly recipe may be used as long as the product is processed for
10 minutes or frozen. Substitute 7 tbsp of Clear Jel® for the pectin in cooked jams
and  jellies and 3-4 tbsp of Clear Jel® for the pectin in freezer jam recipes.
•  For freezer jam follow the jam recipes on this sheet.
•  Clear Jel® does not dissolve easily in liquid. To help dissolve the product mix the
Clear Jel® with a little sugar before adding to the fruit or juice.
Problem solving:
Jam is too stiff:  To make softer, heat the product and add a little more juice or water,
then reprocess.
Jam is too thin:  To make stiffer, heat the product and add more Clear Jel® mixed
with a few tbsp of sugar and dissolved in 1/2 cup of the product.

Cherry Jam
4 cups pitted chopped cherries
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 tablespoons Clear Jel®
Sugar to taste (approximately 1 cup)
Add lemon juice to cherries. Combine Clear Jel® with 1/4 cup of the sugar. Add to cherries. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Pour into jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Process 15 minutes in boiling water bath or freeze.

Apricot and Pineapple Jam
5 cups ground apricots
1 20-oz. can crushed pineapple, drained
1/4 cup lemon juice
7 tablespoons Clear Jel®
Sugar to taste (approximately 3 cups)
Add lemon juice to apricots. Combine Clear Jel® with 1/4 cup of the sugar. Add to apricots. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add rest of sugar. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour into jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Process 15 minutes in boiling water bath or freeze.

Apricot Jam
3 1/2 cups apricots
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 1/2 tablespoons Clear Jel®
Sugar to taste (approximately 2 cups)
Add lemon juice to apricots. Combine Clear Jel® with 1/4 cup of the sugar. Add to apricots. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add rest of sugar. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour into jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Process 15 minutes in boiling water bath or freeze.

Peach Jam
3 3/4 cups peaches
1/4 cup lemon juice
7 tablespoons Clear Jel®
Sugar to taste (approx. 1 1/2 cups)
Add lemon juice to peaches. Combine Clear Jel® with 1/4 cup of the sugar. Add to peaches. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add rest of sugar. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour into jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Process 15 minutes in boiling water bath or freeze.

Berry Jam

4 cups crushed berries or juiced
1/4 cup lemon juice
7 tablespoons Clear Jel®
Sugar to taste (approximately 1 1/2 cup)
Add lemon juice to berries. Combine Clear Jel® with 1/4 cup of the sugar. Add to berries. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add rest of sugar. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour into jars, leaving 1/4” headspace. Process 15 minutes in boiling water bath or freeze.

Karla's Rose Petal Jam & Jelly

Years ago Steve's Dad, Don gave me a rose bush. This beautiful rose is off that rose bush. It is a patented rose and it truly, honestly is named "Dolly Pardon". It is a beauty and it does have the biggest blooms I've ever seen. I have had more than one person stop and ring the bell to ask me, "what is the name of that rose?" It is also a very fragrant rose and so it was perfect for making this recipe. But rest assured that if you don't have a "Dolly Pardon" rose bush you can still make this recipe!!

Now that I have made a few batches and have experimented with a couple of various recipes here is my final recipe.....and if you aren't sure that you will like it go ahead and make it.....you will be glad you did!! My family definitely thought I was setting myself up for a flop.....and thank goodness they were wrong. So far they all seem to like it.....just have a few more that need to try it. Lacey thought it sounded horrible and she swore she would not like it and she definitely was not going to taste it. But, when she saw how pretty it looked she relented and tasted it and then she wanted a jar to take home with her.

KARLA'S ROSE PETAL JAM and/or JELLY
8 cups of fresh picked Red or Pink Roses - the most fragrant make the best jam!!
Trim off the white/yellow part where the petal was attached. I grab the whole rose and pull off the petals and then with a pair of scissors I trim that part off all the petals at once. (I learned this after having to trim each petal individually the first time.) Then wash the petals, discard any that are wilted/damaged and then spread them out on a cookie sheet. Pat them dry with a paper towel,it is ok if they are not totally dry. Then sprinkle them with about 1/2 c. sugar. Let sit for 6 to 8 hours.
Place in a large kettle:
8 c. water
4 c. sugar
the juice of 4 lemons - (microwave the lemons before juicing them for about 1 minute to release the juices, then cut in half and squeeze out the juice.)
Cook and stir to dissolve the sugar. Continue to cook and stir in the rose petals. Simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring regularly. Increase heat and bring to a boil and continue cooking until the mixture thickens and reaches 220 degrees. This will take 30 to 40 minutes, stirring regularly. Remove from heat.
For JELLY place small strainer inside of canning funnel place on jar and then pour the cooked mixture into the stainer, stir with a spoon and remove the petals. Once the jar is full place lid and ring on jars and seal.
For JAM place all the mixture in the blender and blend until smooth. Pour into jars and seal.
Water bath  in boiling water for 10 minutes for elevation of 2,000 ft.
If you are going to use it within 1 month you don't need to seal it, simply store it in the refrigerator.
This recipe makes about 9 - 4 oz. jars of jelly or 11 - 4 oz. jars of jam
If you don't want this much you can cut the recipe in half. OR If you want some Jam and some Jelly, strain the first 5 jars for jelly and then blend up the rest and make 6 jars of jam. Serve on all kinds of breads but it is especially good on Dainty English Scones. Enjoy!!!

Next time I want to try this recipe as I think it will set up better without all that cooking time.....

http://woodridge.wordpress.com/2011/05/31/rose-petal-jelly/

Roses and rose hips have been used for their scent and nutritional values for centuries.  But it wasn’t until last year when I was inspired by a blogger friend’s post on Wild Rose Jelly, that I gathered Rose petals to make a batch of this jelly.

I used Rose petals from a very large cultivated Rose bush growing on our property. While gathering petals, I picked a few extra Roses for a tiny bouquet.

Rose Petal Jelly

• 1 1/2 cups Rose petals, tightly packed
• 2 1/4 cups water
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 1/2 cups sugar (preferably white sugar)
• 3 oz packet liquid pectin

Gather fresh Rose petals to measure 1 1/2 cups tightly packed. Rinse petals and pat dry. Place petals in large pot and bruise petals so the scent and color can be extracted.

Add 2 1/4 cups of water to the petals in the pot and heat to boil. Turn down heat and simmer for several minutes, making sure the petals impart their color in the water. More than likely, the water will appear somewhat grey — the color will brighten with the addition of some lemon juice.

After the Rose petals have simmered for a few minutes, remove from heat. Using a fine sieve, strain the petals from the liquid.  Discard the petals and measure 1 3/4 cups of the distilled liquid for the jelly. Return the liquid to the pot, then add 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice and stir. The petal water will brighten significantly.

Add the sugar and stir to dissolve, then heat to boil, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute. Add liquid pectin and return to hard boil. Then allow jelly to boil for 1 minute while stirring continually.

Remove from heat and ladle jelly into 4 sterilized half-pint jars leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Add sterilized lids and rings. Process in water bath for 5 minutes.

Yield:  about 4 half pints

Green Tomato Raspberry Jam

This recipe is a little different than the one in Mom's cookbook. My cousin Sonya Hill sent this to me last fall, but I had already pulled out my tomato plants.

Green Tomato/Raspberry jam
4 1/2 Cups ground green tomatoes
3 Cups white sugar
mix the above together and boil for 15 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add: 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 large box Raspberry jello
Stir and heat - - put in sterilized jars. This fills about 7 half pints.  Water bath for 15 minutes (for 2,000 ft. elevation) or refrigerate and use within 1 month.

Sonya wrote, It tastes just like raspberry jam, except the seeds are much softer.