How nice that the two of you were able to get together. Great pictures of your canning, but it the picture of the two of you that I enjoyed the most. Nice putting faces to names.

I love the platter that Donna brought you. I know you will find many uses for it.

Ann

Oh, you two look like just the bestest of friends! What a fun day, thanks for sharing it with us!

Your canned goods look fabulous, and I laughed out loud at the chicken feet platter! It's so perfect with the rooster on it!

Linda

Donna, welcome to the dark side. (grin) Canning IS addictive and that jam won't last long with the guys in your house, I'll bet, and I love the platter, perfect for Kathy's chicken feet.

Kathy, I'm glad you were close enough to give her some "canning lessons". It's always more fun to can with some one.

I'll bet I'm going to be seeing Donna over on Harvest now...

Annie

Yes it is really good to put faces to your names! Looks like you had a good time. Love the platter!

I've still never attempted any kind of canning. One day, one day.

I'm so glad you two got together. The pictures of you guys are the best.

Donna, Nice platter to go with Kathy's chicken feet.

Kathy, nice job getting Donna to the dark side :-)

What a great day you two had! Looks like a great time, another forum get together, doesn't get better than that!

Great gifts, Donna, I love the platter! Enjoy your gifts, Kathy!

Great pictures! It's nice to see faces!

What fun! It's so great when forum members share what they know with their friends. Lovely pics! Love that platter! Now no one can forget the "chicken feet episode!"

Nothing beats a cannin' and jammin' session with friends! Thanks for sharing your wonderful day with us. I am soooo jealous of those gorgeous berries! I have to content myself with my preserves from last summer now.
Donna welcome to the canning addiction! Once you've tasted your own, you'll never be able to go back. Last summer I canned my own spaghetti sauce, (thanks to that little enabler Boo/Becky), and now I'm addicted to that too. Next thing you know you'll be putting up Annie's salsa!
So nice to see your smiling face again Kathy! You two look maahvelous!

I think it is just so awesome when CF people get together. Those that haven't, you don't know what you are missing. It's good to see you again Kathy. You look great. Nice to meet you "in virtual person" Donna. What fun you both must have had.
The platter is great, the food looks awesome, the canning results are great, but the two smiling faces are absolutely the best! Did Steve take the pix Kathy?
Sherry

What fun! I hadn't thought of it, but I can think of a friend or two I could corrupt. :D

Off topic, I have tried to figure out the forum instructions on how to insert pics in my posts, but can't figure it out. Are there better instructions anywhere, in a thread perhaps?

Try this link someone posted way back, rachelellen, I refer back to it all the time, I never remember the codes.

canning is definitely addictive. Annie fostered my addiction, you cannot go back to Smucker's once you've had homemade jam and preserves! Enjoy the addiction, Donna!

Here is a link that might be useful: Basic HTML Tag Tutorial

The two of you definately look like you had fun! Great pictures and nice to see you both.

Donna, it's great to open a jar of something you put up yourself and the taste is uncomparable. I'm sure we'll hear about your canning adventures.

Enjoy the nice gifts, Kathy. We won't forget about chicken feet for a long time.....

Nancy

Oh WOW how cool is that! I just love seeing CF'ers get together. Looks and sounds like a fun day. Also love that plate. You two look like you have been friends forever!

When Clive retires , and we go on our road trip, I'm going to plan the route with CF get togethers in mind, amongst other things. Aim is to break the CF record...is that Sherry or Annie? Gotta be one of them.

We are going across NY over to lower Maine and then down the east coast , across Florida , over to New Orleans, across Texas to LA and then back route 66 to Chicago, back home via Michigan...so look out forum! LOL

And when is this retirement going to take place????

Kathy, it's so good to see you again and to meet Donna! It does look like a great day filled with CF fun! I love the platter too, if you get tired of it or run out of chicken feet, it would look stunning in my kitchen ;-)
E

That's so nice, and you two look like you have been friends forever!

Shelley

Wow, that looks like a great day. I wish you lived near me for canning tutorials!! Very lovely platter, will get lots of use I am sure.

Boy, I'm jealous of your mini-get together! I was a great way to spend a lousy day. And I was just up the road in Lake Mary getting rained on. I could have brought the chicken feet that I finally found for a broth lesson.

Cathy

Awwww Kathy, look at us jammin' and cannin'! Are those bags under my eyes???? Oy, time to see the plastic surgeon.....:-)

What a fun day I had, and it was the perfect day to spend indoors steaming up the kitchen with all those good smells. I can't believe I actually made those pretty jars of jam and relish, with dear Kathy's help of course. I've been picking poor Annie's brain for a year now, in anticipation of this day. Thank G-d Kathy is patient and a wonderful teacher, I think I asked way too many questions. My biggest fear is of poisoning someone. I think I know how to prevent that now.

Kathy and her DH, Steve, are wonderful hosts and served the most delicious hummous, tapenade and banana bread. I ate way too much, but hey, it was REALLY GOOD. They also have a lovely garden (now I know why she goes by the name Gardengrl) and beautiful home.

And no chicken feet in sight. Believe me, I checked.

Kathy, I had the most fun learning to can with you, friend! Thank you for your patience and wonderful hospitality, and the gift of your incredible knowledge too. My goal this week is to find a jar lifter and a canning funnel. I suspect I'll have to go to the Evil Empire - as Annie put it! Bring on the apple butter!

Cathy (Mustangs), don't forget we're going to put together a Florida CF'ers reunion.

Thanks for the kind words everyone. It's humid and gray today, so looking at the sunshine and bright colors captured in the jars of preserves and corn relish is so uplifting. The boys and DH have demolished 2/3 of a jar of strawberry preserves already. Guess they liked it.
DONNA

Looks like you had a great time. I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of the Floridians. And I hope I get to meet Sharon the next time she passes through L.A. I think Jessy might be the holder of the most members met, however. We could take a poll and find out.

Lars

Why is it no one ever looks like I think they are going to look? Of course I imagined two good looking women -- but, different. What fun.

How wonderful to see both of you and what a fun time you had. Once you have started canning, there is no going back. Head over to Wally world and grab the jar lifter/canning set and grab the Ball Blue Book.

I love the platter!

Peppi

Hey you two! Very cool. Looks like you had a blast.

So thats what you two look like !!! LOL Gorgeous Nice pic's. So nice that you two got together like that. Thanks for sharing. Diana55

Awwwwwww. Where is the corn relish recipe? I will an-ti-ci-pate it soon, Kathy (you were channeling Tim Curry, right?)

Um I've met 34 CFers. Would love to have that record broken!

For Jessy,

CORN RELISH

10 Cups of corn kernels (frozen is fine)
1 C chopped red bell pepper
1 C chopped green bell pepper
1 1/4 C chopped celery
3/4 C chopped onion
1 1/2 C white sugar
2 1/2 C distilled white vinegar
2 C water
1 T salt
1 t celery seed
2 1/2 T mustard seed
1/2 t ground turmeric

Combine corn with remaining ingredients in large pot and simmer 15 minutes.

Immediately pack into clean, hot pint jars, leaving 1/2" headspace; seal. Process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Yield said 5-6 pints, but we got a bit more than that.

Come to Florida for a CF reunion and we'll add to your 34!!

DONNA

Jessica definitely has me beaten, I've only met 22...

Annie

Annie, if you come to Florida, we can add at least 4 or 5 to that number! AND, we can make apple butter:-)
DONNA

how wonderful that you got to hang out, share some grub, time in the kitchen and create goodies and lasting memories. you look like long-time friends - what wonderful smiles you both have!

wow jessy, that's quite impressive for your meet and greets - how fortunate is that?!!!!!!

maryanne

(Maryanne - I sorta build my traveling around where my forum friends are ROFL)

(I have spring break coming up who wants me and my two boys - DH has to work)

Well, the cat's out of the bag. Donna and I have been working on a FLA get together. We wanted to coordinate with any CF member(s) who might be coming to FL this spring before announcing the agenda.

My CF Member Meeting is 27. I've got some catching up to do.

dishesdone, thanks so much!

What fun the two of you had!

Lucy

We could all go to Disney World!!!!

What fun! I half-expected to see more chicken feet somewhere though, LOL!

Looks like you two had a great day together. Thanks for sharing it with us! Good to "see" you again Cathy and nice to "see" you too Donna!

David

I have a couple of quick questions. I'm allergic to onions. Will it change the taste too much to leave the onions out? And, my DH is borderline diabetic and controls it with his diet. I use Splenda in all of my baking etc. Can I use Splenda in this corn relish instead of sugar? Thanks for your help.
Betty

Betty, you can leave the onion out and just add more of the other ingredients, I don't think it will change the taste a lot. Keep the ratio of vegetables to vinegar the same for safety, though. The vinegar and seasonings are distinct enough that I don't think you'll miss the onions a lot.

As for the Splenda, I made some for Dad with Splenda and it turned out fine. It doesn't seem to keep as long after opening, sugar does have some preservative properties, but the vinegar should have taken up the slack, I thought.

At any rate, you don't need the sugar for jelling or preserving, just for flavor, so add the Splenda. I added mine right at the end of the simmering, though, just before I jarred it up.

Annie

Kathy and Annie, is there a standard ratio of vinegar to vegetables that you can always rely on for safety?

The corn relish is absolutely delicious. I am 2/3 of the way through one jar, I've been eating it just like that with a spoon. My parents are also working on their jar quite eagerly as well. For lunch I added some black beans to it and ate it with a toasted whole wheat tortilla.
DONNA

Hi Donna; I'm not sure what the ratio is, but I do know that it has to be within a certain acidity level, which can change with the veggie/vinegar ratio. Can't remember what that break even number is....4 or 5 on the Ph. scale?

Anyone?

Kathy, I believe the "magic" number is 4.6 or lower pH.

Annie

So how do you know you're within the safe PH level, is there a way to test with, say, litmus paper? I've seen recipes for either preserves or some relishes or chutneys where I like all the ingredients except for maybe one or two. How do you go about subbing other vegs or fruits safely?

Kathy, I told you, you've created a monster!!! Thanks:-)
DONNA

Ahhhhhhhhh , another one succumbs ! Aren't addictions fun?
And what a nice way to get hooked , Donna. You 2 sure look like you had a great time.

Thx for sharing.

Donna, there's no true reliable way to test the acidity of a canning recipe unless you send it out to a county cooperative extension agent (who has the equipment) to test. There's no luck for that in Florida though, as it seems no one cans down here anymore.

Your best and safest bet is to always follow a reliable recipe from a reliable source. If you substitute one item for another, just be sure it is the same TOTAL amount (i.e., If you don't like onions in a recipe, substitute 2 cups of onion for 1 cup of bell pepper and 1 cup of onion. It still equals 2 cups.). If you want to take something out and don't want to substitute, that is fine too. The key is to not go over the amount asked for in a recipe.

And as far as what are "reliable" sources for recipes, well, that's another arguement we have on the Harvest Forum pretty regularly. If you stick with the Ball Blue Book until you get the hang of things, you'll be fine. Come on over!

Diane, addictions are fun, that's why we can't quit them;-Ã

Donna, you're just beaming! Glad you were both able to get together, not only for fun, gossip, and presents, but I see productivity was high on your agenda as well. What a great time you both had.

Sol