It's Official...I'm a Pioneer!

A big first for me this fall has been learning how to can my own garden food! I had a successful crop of cucumbers and jalapenos, and I knew that we couldn't just eat them as is before they went bad. So, that meant it was time to figure out how to preserve them in the mason jars I've been collecting for awhile now. I did a ton of reading, asking friends and watching YouTube videos. 

First, I jumped onto the pioneer train by canning my own pickles. That was an interesting process, and I tried to do it without any of the fancy equipment. The jars sealed, so I am hopeful that the pickles won't kill us, but I learned out the gate that it helps to have the correct tools. 

So, the second time I canned, I borrowed a water bath canner from a friend and bought all the nifty canning tools for the job. Louise was kind enough to let me use her gas stove top and demolish her kitchen, and in the end I was able to can my first batch of jalapeno jelly AND some pickled jalapenos. The jelly turned out very tasty, I must say! And Brendan and I go through store-bought jars of jalapenos like crazy, so I am super stoked to be able to preserve these myself. Again, all the jars sealed, so I have high hopes that it all worked as it was meant to, and we don't die of botulism. haha They sure do LOOK pretty though, right?! Look, Ma! I'm a pioneer! 😆