Friday, October 11, 2013

Brother's Harvest - Part 2

We had an unusually warm and sunny summer ... which resulted in an exceptional wild berry crop!

Introducing ... Alaska's Highbush Cranberries!
Brother went out the road one afternoon and brought home 6 quarts!
The next day we got busy processing them.  Here they are ... all shiny clean ... such beautiful color!
Highbush cranberries make a delicious ketchup ... first step is to cook down the berries.

Next the juice and pulp are pressed though a colander ...
... vinegar, sugar and spices are added ... it is then cooked down until thick.  Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures when we were filling the jars ... hands were too busy!
Jars placed in the hot water bath ...
... processed for 10 minutes.  Yes ... it was late and long after dark.
Six quarts of berries resulted in 22 jars (4 oz.) of ketchup!  This is a project that takes the entire day!  It was fun to spend the day in the kitchen with my adult son ... sharing stories of canning with my mother and grandmother as a child ... a wonderful afternoon spent working together.  Precious.

Plus ... we have plenty of ketchup to use and enjoy over the winter.  Thanks Brother DillyDally!  This taste of summer will be especially sweet midwinter!

Do what you love.  Do dillydally !
Mrs. DillyDally

3 comments:

  1. Wow....ketchup from berries...stinkin' cool...

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  2. That is so neat!! Love to see how you live in Alaska (I'm in Texas)!

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  3. Had no idea that cranberries, highbush cranberries, grew in Alaska or that they could be made into ketchup. What fun storing away some summer to enjoy in the winter.

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