Jamilton (Canning Day 2020)

I put on the soundtrack to Hamilton during an afternoon of making jams and decided to call it Jamilton.  How many months into the pandemic are we?

I tried not to go overboard this time.  Just two types of preserves.  I'll do Strawberry-Lavender when the last jar is gone.  I've been spooning it into yogurt, so that won't take long.

I bought cherries on a whim, then didn't eat as much as I thought I would.  I was going to make cherry-rhubarb jam, but the rhubarb at the market was disgusting, as in slimy with bits of mold.  No frozen to be had.  (I did get some fresh the following week and did rhubarb with just a hint of the few remaining cherries.)  So, it's straight cherry jam, which I love on scones.

The same day I went looking for the rhubarb, the 18oz cartons of blueberries were on sale for $2.98.  I've gotten them a dollar cheaper before, but that's still a good deal.  Blueberry jam can be intense, so I cut it with my stash of boysenberries into something less cloying.  I overfilled the blueberry jars slightly when processing, and none of them sealed.  Lesson learned, just get another 4 oz jar instead of trying to top them off.  Headspace is there for a reason, and they're now taking up space in the freezer.  I made the cherry jam second, so I was more careful with those.

As an additional preserving project, I started some nutmeg extract with the last of the vodka.  It just sounds amazing.  I'm picturing shortbread cookies with it at Christmas, or subbing it in the Thanksgiving pumpkin pie.  I'm not rushing things.  Extract-making came up on my YouTube suggestions for some reason, and I found out that the reason some of my extract varieties are weak is because I'm not letting them sit long enough.  Vanilla can mature for up to two years.  It's also renewable if you leave in the beans.  Once half is used, you can top off the bottle with more vodka and let it sit again.  I might need to do a sequel to my extracts post.