Canning Summer's Fruit

I am lucky to live near the fruitful Skagit Valley and a group of folks here did a bulk buy of local blueberries and we each got a 10 lb. box delivered to the island! I had been planning for the arrival of my berries for several weeks and looking up recipes for canning them into syrup. J and I love pancakes, waffles, french toast...all things that require delicious fruit and syrup to go on top. All of the syrup recipes I was finding involved straining out the fruit so you were just left with the syrup at the end (read: throw the fruit away) and I really wanted to eat the fruit too, so I was excited when I found this recipe for a low-sugar berry syrup and topping. J was still guiding a trip, so Morgan and Andrew came up to Blue Moon for a night of canning excitement. We had a blast! It might also have something to do with the fact that we watched Dirty Dancing too (that was a first for Andrew).

So how does one can in an Airstream? Well, due to limited stove space, we realized we needed two stoves. So we fired up the coleman two-burner outside and cooked the blueberry glop out there while the canner got hot on the inside stove. Everything worked out surprisingly well - I couldn't have done it without these two!

My accomplices: Morgan - first-time canner, and Andrew: expert canner extraordinaire = supervisor. 

Three butts in the Airstream kitchen (you can't see Andrew's, he is the photographer).

Now Morgan, when I take this lid off it's gonna get real steamy in here - you ready?

Wahoo, we're canning!

Morgan fills up the jars!

Relaxing while the jars process (wine, Dirty Dancing, Patrick Swayze discussion ensues...)

Look at those beauties!

In a sly move, J returned home from guiding the following day, just in time to taste the product (he approved). He did make me pancakes though so I can't really complain :)

The morning after: what a mess! But all worth it for 10 deliciously full jars of blueberry goodness.