A few weeks ago, the Relief Society Presidency passed out a sign up sheet. They asked you to sign your name if you had experience canning and were willing to mentor someone just learning, I wrote my name down, since I a) knew the theory and b) had actually canned before. Well, turns out that a few minutes after class, I got asked to teach the next Relief Society activity lesson which was, incidentally, all about canning and food preservation.
Said activity occurred last Thursday (the 20th), and I think it went okay. The downside was, since I got my hot water canner and a bunch of my supplies out to show, I felt like I should actually use them before I put them away again. I took a side trip to a local orchard this past Saturday, and then I spent some quality time in the kitchen. I ended up with a lot of applesauce, some stewed tomatoes, a few jars of tomato sauce, and quite a few jars of pickle relish. I still have a quarter of a bushel of apples whose fate I'm trying to decide. I can't seem to find any ClearJel locally (FDA approved thickening agent) to make pie filling, so I might just have to make more applesauce. I also have some juice strained from the peels and cores of the apples, so I think I will be making apple peel jelly this coming week.
OF course, I suppose I could just start munching on the apples I still have. I don't think any one will mind.
