We are that way with birds too. Lovely and really cute pics of them eating jelly. I will show DH tonight. He will get a real charge out of it. The Baltimore Oriole is just gorgeous. I haven't seen them in years. I buy birdseed with dehydrated cherries in the mix. It is a good all-around mix for many species. I know the Cardinals rob my cherry trees every year. I am lucky if I have enough to make a few pints of preserves. The Blue Jays do too and they peck our peaches and apples. I just cut out the pecks and eat them anyway. I haven't seen the Cardinals go after anything except the cherries. Anyway, I love your wonderful anecdotal stories and photos. ~Annie

%he search function here is horrible when it DOES work, so Jude, here are Carol's Pear Preserves and Doris' Peach Preserves for a Cold Morning. I did cut the sugar down in the pear preserves successfully to half the amount of sugar, so I used 2 lbs of sugar to 4 lbs of pears. Any less and you won't get a gel while the pears are still intact. Be aware that cutting the sugar does result in a longer cooking time, so the slices of pear are getting more cooked and can fall apart. I do have to admit, they are sweeter, clearer, absolutely perfect with the full amount of sugar, but I like the idea of a bit less sugar, even now that Dad's gone. Darn, why can't I have everything? (grin) Old Fashioned Pear Preserves from Carol (Readinglady) You can also make Pear Preserves if you want chunks of pear suspended in syrup. By weight use equal amounts of pears and sugar. You also need the juice and seeds of one lemon. I wouldn't go over about 4 pounds of fruit because it takes too long to cook larger amounts. This takes several days, but it's mainly waiting and the results are wonderful. Here's what you do: Day 1: Peel, core and cut firm-ripe pears into chunks or slices. Leave pieces large enough to retain character in preserves. Place pears in acidified water (Fruit Fresh or Ascorbic Acid). Rinse and drain pears. Place in large bowl and add sugar equal in weight to pears. Add juice of lemon and place pips (seeds) in small bag. It's messy but I also add any of the pulp that was reamed out. Add to bowl. Stir gently to distribute syrup and refrigerate overnight. Throughout evening stir occasionally to distribute sugar. (I usually don't do this more than once.) Day 2: Place macerated pears and sugar syrup with lemon seeds in bag in large pan. Bring to a boil and cook about 10 minutes, skimming foam. Reduce temperature and continue to cook (about 20 minutes) until pears are translucent and candied. Turn off heat and leave pears and syrup overnight. (This can be room temperature.) Cover pan with a cloth, not a lid (to prevent condensation). Day 3: Using a slotted spoon lift pears from syrup and place in a strainer. Collect any additional syrup in a bowl beneath the strainer. (I drained syrup left in pan into a bowl and washed the pan because the syrup was crystallized along the rim then I put the syrup back.) Bring syrup to a boil and cook to gel point stirring frequently. (Depending on how thick you want the syrup, this can be anywhere from 218-222.) You can also use the frozen plate test. The advantage is you get to thicken the syrup just the way you like without cooking the delicate pears to the point of disintegration. Return the pears to syrup and boil 1 minute to reheat them. Pull off heat and let sit for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. (This allows fruit to equalize with the syrup so it doesn't float to the top of the jar.) Place preserves in sterilized jars and BWB 5 minutes or clean, hot jars and BWB 10 minutes. Now, on the Peach Jam for Cold Mornings, I used a whole orange because what the heck do I do with half an orange, LOL, and I used ripe (red) jalapenos because I didn't have habs. I think the habaneros are perfect for this, though, because they have a "fruity" flavor that goes well with the peaches. This stuff is perfect for bagels with cream cheese. ORANGE/PEACH/HABANERO JAM (Jam for Cold Mornings) 3 lbs. ripe peaches, peeled and quartered 1/2 medium sized orange, quartered and seeded 2 habaneros, seeds and all 4 cups sugar 1/4tsp almond extract 3/4 cup honey Combine peaches, sugar and honey in a dutch oven, stir well. Cover and let stand 45 minutes. In food processor chop oranges and habaneros until finally chopped, scraping down sides a couple of times. Place orange, habaneros and an equal amount of water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Bring peach mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium high and cook, uncovered, 15 minutes, stirring often. Add orange mixture. Bring to a boil, cook, uncovered 20 to 25 minutes or until a candy thermometer registers 221F, stirring often. Remove from heat, stir in almond extract. Skim off foam with metal spoon. Quickly pour hot mixture into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace, wipe jar rims. Cover with lids and Process in boiling water bath 10 minutes. Yield: 6 half pints Happy Canning. Annie

Protien is many differnt things and amounts. It add a a nearlyt pure form of protein to a jelly is not something a home canner would want to do if the jars are stored on shelves. I never have seen any commercially makde jellies, jams or other fruit spreads that contain any gelatine. Many times the USDA may not comment, but that isn't to be a way to say that is ok to use it, only that they offer no factual data. If my great grandma used it and never got sick an dthe USDA recommends it use today, an dnoone can get sick, then maybe its fine. But with home canning being as less a test in homes today, and with all the risk takers out there handed down from ancestors, I just don't feel its a justified as a defence to just post recipes that a are hand-me-downs and generations old. Who knows how many people make have been sick or died from these things as many never get reported ever. Please, just play it safe, stick to TODAYS recipes and the ones that are most recently published, researched well, and are virtually foolproof and safe for everyone. Admittedly, I am a risk taker too, but with this kind of component originating from an animal based bypoduct, we can't assume its always going to be safe for use everywhere. Gelatin was also used in surgery, lighting, and photo work. Originally Eastman was the biggest producer an user. I don't know if Eastman, or Eastman Kodak would be making jelly using gelatin?? A reduce or no sugar sprread can be MUCH easier, and MUCH SAFER to make if the proper and far safer ingredients are used. Pomona (ALSO LOW METHOXYL!! with the seperate calcium packet included) has been around a long time and is the most commonly used pectin for use in the low, no sugar jellies, jams and other thickened spreads . After that comes, modified food starches, which are now also offered to home canners by National Starch, and is commonly known as Clear Jel, and also many other more specific commercially used starches.. Its use today, as far outweighed the very negative use of flour, tapioca, regular cornstarch, or other less table thickeners.

I don't know what one can do about the jelly situation but last fall I bought the best bird feeder that I have ever had and not a single squirrel has bothered it - the answer to all the many years of squirrel problems that I have had. I will try to explain what it looks like. I hang it from a wire hook. It is made of metal or tin which doesn't rust and if you can imagine a fat hour glass, that would be similar to what it looks like. It has a tin top which unclips for filling it and the hourglass shape is made of wire so that the birds can cling to it and peck the seeds out of it. There is also a wire ring around the bottom for birds to sit on while they eat. The one thing that I learned by mistake - when the corn in your seed mix settles to the bottom, don't empty it out because it is a "buffer" that keeps the smaller seed from running out of the feeder. As the birds eat, some seed falls to the ground and the mourning doves are busy eating that since they aren't usual bird feeder eaters. I also have an occasional squirrel that eats off of the ground as well as a chipmunk but they are fun to watch also. I will look to see if I can find the name of this wonderful invention. It is super and plan to purchase another one.