It seems as if life is just racing past me and I find myself just standing around in a whirling tornado of football practices, law school exams, and experiencing each of my daughter’s monumental firsts. Ever y other weekend we’ve had family members visiting or functions that we have to attend. And now, I look down at my expanding midsection and realize, crap. I’m 32 weeks pregnant. It’s about to get a whole lot crazier around here. Maybe I should consider renaming this blog to craziercupcakegirl. To add to the craziness, I’ve committed to two very important cupcake functions in September: my grandmother’s wedding and the Queen’s Cupcake Wars for the Michigan’s Renaissance Festival.

Right now, I’m in the process of creating a new recipe for my grandmother’s pending nuptials. At 76, she found love again and is marrying a feisty man 13 years her senior. This is special to me because my own husband is 13 years older than I.  A few weeks ago I had them over for a cake tasting so that they could decide on their final flavors. They acted like teenagers in love. My grandmother blushed as her beau called her beautiful. So far they’ve chosen my ho ho (or hostess-like) cupcake with cream filling and swirled with chocolate ganache and my gingersnap pumpkin roll cupcake that is spiced with a crushed gingersnap cookie crust and smooth cream cheese filling. For their third cupcake (which they’ve yet to try), I am attempting to create a German chocolate cupcake.

My family is probably 90 percent German. Brats, sauerkraut and hot German potato salad were always a staple at our family reunions. Our family is no stranger to the deliciousness of German chocolate cake. German chocolate cake is a light chocolate cake topped with a sweet coconut pecan gooey frosting. It is extremely traditional – meaning that if you google variations on the cake, there will be next to none. So, my challenge is putting my own signature mark on this beast without completely screwing up the classic flavors.

So as with all challenges, I started out by buying a box of Baker’s German chocolate and making the classic recipe off the box. This cake is a bit different than my regular cupcake recipes in that I used melted Baker’s German chocolate instead of cocoa powder to achieve the chocolate taste. I also have to separate the eggs, beat the egg whites and fold them in at the end to get a lighter, fluffier cake. I did add some modifications. For example, I beat in ¼ tsp of cream of tartar into the eggs whites to help stabilize them and gradually added ¼ cup of sugar to them as well.

As I pulled the cupcakes out of the oven, I realized, I realllly have my work cut out for me. The cupcakes, while light and fluffy, did not rise. The just kind of flattened out. There was no way that this wimpy cake was going to stand up to the heavy coconut pecan filling that I planned to jam inside of it. Sooo… tomorrow night? Round two… Stay tuned…

I am beyond excited! While I haven’t been on the cupcake circuit for long, I’ve been dying to try out my goods against other cupcake lovers. Finally, the perfect opportunity has arrived! The Michigan Renaissance Festival is a six week long festival that celebrates all things medieval. Join me in the next few weeks as I prepare for the festival’s cupcake wars….

http://www.michrenfest.com/index.html

My journey to cupcake perfection started roughly two years ago. Two years ago, my husband and I vowed to love each other through thick and thin, burnt cupcakes, dry cupcakes, and imperfect decorations. He has been there with my cupcake triumphs and my peeps cupcake disasters. And I love him more today than I ever have.

Last weekend, I had the privilege of sharing the love that cupcakes have brought to my marriage to another very special marriage – my brother and his new bride. Their proposal was perfect – he popped the question at the peak of the Stratosphere in Las Vegas on his 30^th birthday. Shortly after, the whirlwind of wedding planning began. I was thrilled when my brother asked me to make his wedding cupcakes. And my journey to mastering their chosen three flavors began.

This past year I have mastered over 25 different flavors, all with different fillings and frostings. I went from common American buttercream, to realizing the importance of real butter and mastering Swiss and German buttercreams (next French and Italian!). In the end, they special couple narrowed it down to three classic, yet delicious flavors: raspberry chocolate, peanut butter chocolate, and tequila sunrise.

So before we get into the actual cupcakes, let me just set the scene for that week before the wedding – these cupcakes were executed in classic crazycupcakegirl flair – emphasis on the crazy. During that week, both of my parents flew in with their significant others, the heat reached at least 103 degrees (torture for a pregnant lady), I had class the night before the big bake-a-rama, and I had to spend 3 hours in the hospital the day I was supposed to be baking the cupcakes due to a failed glucose test (dang these cupcakes!).  Oh, and did I mention that I’ve now rounded seventh month in my pregnancy? However, I made a commitment, and I’ll be danged if I let a few obstacles fall in the way of delicious cupcakes.

So, what exactly does it take to make 250 cupcakes? Well, I wasn’t quite sure myself when I started. I ended up going through 15 pounds of sugar, 10 pounds of butter, a little over 5 pounds of flour, at least 4 dozen eggs (I think it was actually closer to six), a gallon of buttermilk and a humongous jar of peanut butter. I spent five and a half hours baking the actual cupcakes. I made 7 dozen cupcakes of each flavor. It took me three hours to frost the tequila sunrise cupcakes (mainly because I screwed up the frosting twice!). At 1:00 a.m., the night before the wedding, I called it quits. I still had two flavors to frost and decorate, but after 8 hours of hard labor, I could barely stand.

The next day (wedding day), I met with the bride and other attendants and got my hair done in the morning. Afterwards, I raced home, and finished making the remaining frostings and decorating the rest of the cupcakes. The wedding was at 4:30 and I put the last raspberry on top at about 2:30. I raced to finish my makeup and load everything into the car. Due to traffic and construction, we made it to the hall a half hour before the ceremony. Panicking, I quickly set up my “stand” and began placing cupcakes. I enlisted the help of some gentle-handed groomsmen to carry everything in (I may have threatened their lives if they dropped a single cupcake).

Exhausted, sweaty, but beaming with pride, I fixed my lipstick and took my place in the attendants line and prepared to walk down the aisle and support my brother.  The wedding was beautiful. The bride was gorgeous, and my brother, in his classic quirky style, whipped a red handkerchief from his jacket as the tears started pouring. After photos, pizza, and some of the funniest toasts I’ve heard at a wedding so far, the moment of truth. The bride and groom linked arms and toasted each other with their favorite flavors. I’m so happy my brother and his new bride put their trust in me to help make their wedding day special.

Looking back, sure, it was stressful, but it was amazing as well. I hope, well, I know, this won’t be the last wedding I make cupcakes for. In fact…my grandma is getting married in a month and I get the pleasure of doing this all over again!

Don’t fret cupcake lovers! I haven’t disappeared. Next weekend is the culmination of all of my hard cupcake work these past few years – my very first wedding! This weekend I have been working on stand ideas and prepping the fillings and garnishes. Pictures coming soon!

I love the Fourth of July! Especially in Michigan. I really can’t imagine spending the Fourth of July anywhere but Michigan. For those of you who aren’t Michiganders, you might remember a very popular song Kid Rock sang called Summertime. While the melody was similar to Sweet Home Alabama, it became an anthem for all of us Michiganders who are so familiar with the “up north” lifestyle. For many of us, when we want a weekend getaway, we go “up north.” This general term can be anywhere north in Michigan, but it implies a certain lifestyle that drips of relaxation.

For me, when I go up north, I know that I will be staying in a quaint 10 by 10 cabin with rooms separated only by a couple pieces of paneling. The kitchen is the size of a small bathroom and the bathroom is the size of a tiny closet. The beds take up the majority of the tiny bedrooms leaving only a few feet of walking space and the doors are replaced with curtains. That’s the beauty of up north. My small house is probably six times the size of the cabin, however, it’s the simplicity of the cabin that makes it my own little retreat. There is a TV, but no cable. We have a VCR and only a few old Mighty Mouse videotapes for the kids. And there is hardly any cell phone service. So for the three to five days we spend up there each July, we are totally cut off from the things we deem vital in our normal lives….and it’s wonderful.

Our cabin is situated in a private community called Canada Creek Ranch. Memberships are passed down from generation to generation. Our little cabin was built around 1941 by my great-great grandfather. My great-grandmother and her sister inherited it and soon after my great-grandmother bought it out from her sister. My grandparents then bought it from them and it finally ended up with my parents around 1999.  Growing up, we went to the cabin every Fourth of July for the big Ranch-wide beach bash celebration. There were games for the kids, swimming in the lake, a raft that all of the tweeners played king of the mountain on, basketball courts, and tons of families! Each year, we would recognize the same kids from the previous years – even if we only saw them once a year – and made new friends.

Since my mom has five brothers, we have a huge family. And the majority of us would go up north and either stay in various cabins or camp. There were about five of us cousins all within years of age and among the rest of the beach kids, we became known as the “cousins gang.” We’d hang out at the teen bonfire, swim out to the far raft and play beach volleyball. Yes, up north is a very special place.

This year is no different. I look forward to going up north for the Fourth. My son is now 11 (going on 16) and he’s doing the same things that I did at his age, making friends, playing games (and hopefully staying the heck away from the girls!) My daughter is 1 and I can’t wait to take her for her first real dip in the lake! Sure, I love vacations and going to the ocean and seeing national monuments. However, when I want to truly relax and feel at peace, up north is where my heart is.

So, in celebration of this amazing holiday and all of the memories that it evokes, I created the most American and classic cupcake I could think of: Apple Pie. I started with a rich cinnamon vanilla cake.  I filled it with apple pie apples and topped it all with German buttercream and a crisp streusel. I’ve made American buttercream (which is pretty much butter and powdered sugar) and Swiss buttercream (which is a cooked meringue then beat with butter), however I just stumbled upon German buttercream in my cupcake research this week. I figured, heck, I’m about 80% German, I’m probably really good at this one. German buttercream is a thick vanilla custard cooked on the stove and then cooled completely down and finally beat with butter. It’s fluffy, it’s rich, it’s amazing.  While Swiss buttercream is smooth and creamy, the butter taste is very prevalent. However, German buttercream is dangerously delicious and tastes reminiscent of rich vanilla ice cream. It’s the perfect finishing touch to my apple pie cuppies.

Apple Pie Cupcakes

For the cake:

In the mixer, add 1 ½ cups of flour, 1 ¾ tsp of baking powder, 1 cup of sugar, and 2 tsp of cinnamon. Mix together, then add 1 stick of butter. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients until a soft crumb forms. In a separate bowl, mix 2 eggs, 1 tsp of vanilla, and ½ cup of heavy cream. Slowly mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. It will be a little thick, but make sure it’s completely mixed. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.

Apple Pie Filling

In a saucepan, add 6 apples (peeled and diced), 1 tsp of cinnamon, ¼ tsp of nutmeg, ¼ cup of flour, ¼ tsp of salt, zest of one lemon, juice of half of the lemon, and mix well. Add 1 cup of apple juice and 2 tbsp of brown sugar. Heat the apples until cooked through. It will be thick and delicious, just like pie filling.

German Buttercream

I used the recipe found on one of my new favorite bloggers, “BraveTart” by Stella Parks. You can find the recipe here: http://bravetart.com/recipes/GermanButtercream. However, I made a few modifications. First, Ms. Parks only uses weight measurements. I’ve never used weight measurements, simply because I don’t own a scale. So, I converted all of the measurements so that I could use cups and teaspoons. For example, when she refers to 16 ounces of milk, just use two cups. And when the recipe calls for 10 ounces of sugar, just use 1 ¼ cups of sugar. However, the recipe asks for 32 ounces of butter. That’s a lot of butter – it equals eight sticks of butter! However, I used only 4 sticks of butter and found that the frosting was still super delicious and suited my cupcakes just fine. However, you will have to run the mixer on high and definitely follow her tip on adding the butter one tablespoon at a time.

Streusel Topping

In a bowl, mix ¾ c. brown sugar, ½ c. flour, ½ c. oats, and 1 tsp of cinnamon. Cut in 1/3 c. of butter. Bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes, it will crisp up more after it cools too.

Assembly

Cut the middle out of each baked cupcake, fill each cupcake with the apple pie filling and top with the little piece of extra cupcake. Frost with the German buttercream and sprinkle streusel on top. Enjoy!

Happy birthday to…. ME! I’m a huge birthday person. Growing up, my parents always made a big deal about my brother’s and my birthdays. We had every party you could think of and always knew that our birthdays were our one special day. Being that I am a June baby, I never really got to bring in treats to school, however, as I got older and started my career, I always made a special point to bring in some kind of goodies on my birthday. My first birthday at my first real job, one of my co-workers made me a cake. I still have a picture of me and that cake somewhere. Since then, the tradition has stuck. And this year is no different.

Earlier in my birthday week, I treated myself to a free coffee at a local Detroit coffee shop. I’m not normally a froo-froo coffee drinker – you know, those extra large frozen coffees that are deep chocolate and covered in whipped cream and syrup? Yeah, not really my thing. However, since I had a coupon for a free drink…and since I had spent the previous night awake with an angry teething one year old, I felt a tall frozen concoction was in order. I ordered the shop’s signature frozen drink. I waited and watched as the coffee barista poured calorie after calorie of chocolate syrup, ice cream, and other things I don’t even know into a blender. He swirled everything until it was deliciously smooth and poured it into a chocolate syrup coated cup, topped it with the traditional poof of whipped cream and more syrup. I slowly took the drink (knowing that it will probably be a year until I enjoy another) and sipped. The barista watched me carefully and asked for my approval… well… let me just say… it was like a punch in the face. Unbeknownst to me, this particular concoction had blackberry syrup swirled in it. I completely didn’t expect this fruity blast when I took a sip. I may have even stepped away from the cup. I smiled at the barista (there was no way I was going to tell him I didn’t like it) and said it was unexpectedly delicious and walked away.

Now, let me just explain this drink a little further… there was fresh roasted coffee, dark chocolate swirls and a huge hit of blackberry syrup. I wasn’t even sure if I liked it at first. And then I took another sip. Standing in the streets of Detroit, in sweltering 98 degree heat, six months pregnant… I took a HUGE sip. Before I knew it, the drink was halfway gone and I was bouncing off the walls. The baby boy inside of me was doing back flips. We were a happy couple.  I decided that the blackberry dark chocolate combination was pure genius. And of course, as most things turn this way for me, I began thinking of cupcakes.

I had been trying to think of the most spectacular cupcakes to make for my birthday extravaganza. I wanted something luxuriously delicious. I wanted my co-workers to fall off their chairs, take a step back and say, whoa. And after having my frozen coffee knock out, I had figured it out. I present to you the ultimate birthday cupcake: deep dark chocolate cake, filled with rich blackberry filling, topped with the perfect espresso buttercream. Happy birthday to me indeed.

I used my basic chocolate cupcake recipe for this, with a few modifications (see my Recipes Page). Instead of adding three tablespoons of oil. I cut three tablespoons of butter into the flour mixture before adding the liquid ingredients. Then continue as the recipe states. At the very end I added four ounces of chopped dark chocolate (I used half a Ghiradelli baking bar). Bake at 350 for about 19 minutes.

For the blackberry filling, I mashed one small container of blackberries in a pan. Then I added a half cup of blackberry jam (Smuckers worked just fine) and one small package of pectin (this allows the filling to thicken – you can find it in the canning section). I brought everything to a boil and then stuck it in the freezer for a quick cool down. If it’s runny when you put it in the freezer, don’t worry. The pectin will thicken as it sits. Once cooled, fill the cupcakes. I usually stick my filling in a piping bag with a star tip attached and jam it into the top of the cupcake. Squeeze until the cupcake seems to burst with filling out of the top.

Finally, for the espresso frosting: Beat the snot out of two sticks of real butter. Slowly add 2 cups of powdered sugar (add 1/2 cup at a time, beating after each addition). Beat in one teaspoon of vanilla. I didn’t have espresso powder, so I dissolved three tablespoons of instant coffee into three tablespoons of heavy cream and slowly added it to the creamed butter. If you have espresso powder, I would experiment with the correct amount because espresso powder is considerably stronger than instant coffee. Swirl the frosting over the filled cupcakes. To finish, add a drizzle of the blackberry filling, some shaved chocolate and a fresh blackberry. Yum!

Let me just tell you how to start a day off right – surprise bagels at work. Due to the unfortunate event of one of my coworkers missing the bus, she decided to stop on her way to work and bring everyone bagels! These weren’t just any bagels either – they were Panera bagels! Panera bagels are huge, deliciously soft, and have the perfect chewy crust. So the other morning, as I was happily gnawing away at my chocolate chip bagel, schmeared with honey walnut cream cheese, the most amazing idea for a cupcake hit me! Chocolate chip walnut cupcakes with a honey cream cheese frosting!!!!

I’ve also been experimenting with one of my favorite cupcake bloggers recipes this week: The Cupcake Project’s Ultimate Vanilla Cupcake. *** I have to admit that I haven’t followed this recipe exactly as printed. But the techniques that The Cupcake Project incorporates into this recipe are extremely interesting to me. For example, one thing she recommends is that you beat the flour and little amount of butter that is called for into a fine crumb (similar to the technique of cutting the butter or shortening into the pie crust). This technique creates a light and fluffy cupcake with the perfect crumb. Usually, I use regular flour in my recipes, simply for the sake of convenience. However, in this recipe, she uses cake flour. Cake flour is basically extremely fine regular flour (no added baking soda or powder). It tends to create a silkier texture in the cake. I may have even been convinced to try cake flour in some of my other recipes. If you want to substitute cake flour in your recipes, simply use the following guideline: for every one cup of regular, all purpose flour, substitute one cup and two tablespoons of cake flour.

After using the Ultimate Vanilla recipe over the weekend to create my raspberry almond cupcakes for a confirmation party, I thought the recipe would lend itself well to my new bagel-inspired cupcake. The result was a light, fluffy, delicious cupcake speckled with chocolate and crunchy walnuts – the perfect balance – not too rich, not too sweet. I’m including the recipe I used with my own moderations.

Ingredients

1 c. sugar

1 ¾ c. cake flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp salt

¼ c. real unsalted butter (half a stick)

2 eggs

1/3 c. sour cream (Cupcake Project recommends full fat)

¼ c. vegetable oil

1 tsp. almond extract

2/3 c. heavy cream

1 cup chocolate chips

½ c. walnuts

To start, add the sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the mixer. Mix until incorporated. Then add the butter. I added mine cold and made sure to lock down my mixer and start on low speed – otherwise the flour will go flying! Let it beat until a fine crumb forms. While the mixer is running, mix in a separate bowl the eggs, sour cream, vegetable oil and almond extract. Slowly add the egg mixture to the flour mixture. When everything is just mixed (don’t over mix), slowly add the heavy cream. Next, mix in by hand chocolate chips and walnuts. Fill cupcake cups about ½ full and bake at 350 for around 19 minutes. In the original recipe the bake time is much lower (around 15 minutes), but I found with the addition of walnuts and chocolate chips, it takes a little longer. Just monitor it every couple of minutes and check with a toothpick.

Frosting

Beat the snot out of one stick of cold butter. Add one brick of cold cream cheese and beat until smooth. Add one cup powdered sugar. Beat. Add 3 tbsp. of honey and beat. Do not overbeat otherwise you’re frosting will get too warm and not stand up on your cupcakes.

I really wanted to top this cupcake with candied walnuts… however, after two attempts, a dwindling supply of walnuts, and a short attention span, I gave up and topped them with toasted walnuts and some shaved chocolate.

***If you’d like to see the original Ultimate Vanilla recipe, here is the link: http://www.cupcakeproject.com/2011/09/ultimate-vanilla-cupcake-test-baked-by.html

I was asked to bake for a confirmation party this weekend. Below are my Reeses cupcake, raspberry almond cupcake and smores cupcake!!!

I’ll be the first to admit it – I am not by any means an accomplished baker or chef. And there are quite a few things that scare me to death in the kitchen. The first time I set brandy on fire for beef wellington I thought I was going to pass out. In fact, any use of open flame in the kitchen, whether I’m setting a sauce on fire or toasting marshmallows on top of a cupcake tends to make my heart beat a little bit faster. However, I am not one to walk away from the challenge, and I will likely try anything once, just to say I did. And then I’ll try it again just so that I’m not beaten by it.

One thing that fits neatly into my “holy crap I don’t know if I can do that” category is homemade candy. And I’m not talking about chocolates – those are cake! I’m talking about melting sugar down to a certain temperature and watching it boil and bubble. Sugar is an entirely different animal when you take heat to it. It melts into a smooth, beautiful shiny liquid, but if you touch it you’re sure to sustain first-degree burns! (yet, another reason for my hesitation)

Lately, I’ve been finding that my cravings for cupcakes have waned – just slightly! And I realize that it’s been awhile since I’ve posted any exciting cupcake recipes – don’t worry they’re coming! But the thing about pregnancy is that if you are not craving it, it takes a lot to inspire you to make it. So, I haven’t been baking lately. In fact, it’s been almost three weeks since I’ve baked at all! (a record in my book). Instead, my cravings have turned to “components” of cupcakes. For example, really delicious fillings (i.e. my jam canning obsession) and in this particular post – caramel!

And so, I’ve decided to take the beast – CARAMEL! Now, I think that in order to consider yourself any sort of baker or chef for that matter, caramel is an ingredient that you should absolutely master. And while, I’ve taken on making my own caramel before, nothing I’ve made has quite come close to the delicious, smooth, creamy, vanilla sugar syrup that I am craving.

Caramel is one of the most basic recipes. It involves, at the very least, only three ingredients: sugar, butter and cream. However, it is also a recipe that is full of self-doubt – how do I know when the sugar is ready? Is it the right color? Has it gone too far? Is it burnt? Is it the right consistency? The best way to quell your insecurities is to get into the kitchen and to start experimenting!

I started with the basics: 1 cup of sugar, 1 stick of butter (real butter – as always), and ½ cup of heavy cream. In a large pot, spread the sugar in an even layer and put it at about medium heat. You can poke around the edges of the sugar with a spatula, but once it starts to melt, leave it alone. There are some recipes out there that say to look for a specific color – the color of a penny, a deep amber – and others tell you to go to 350 degrees. Whichever you decide, wait for it, and then mix in the butter all at once – but BE CAREFUL! Hot sugar will bubble up in the pan when you add something to it – so use a BIG pan!

I think this may be where I went wrong. As you can see, my sugar seized up on me and began forming huge chunks. I don’t think I waited long enough or for the right color before adding the butter. However, the butter was added, the damage was done! So how do I fix it? Well, I read that if you keep the heat on low, the sugar should melt out and get smoother.

I ended up whisking the crap out of it. Still nothing. So I figured that I add more disaster to the slowly building goo in my pan, I poured in the cream.  I kept the pan on low and stirred and stirred.

Finally I felt like I had smoothed things out and had the caramel I desired…. And then it cooled…into a hard, crumbly, caramel tasting mixture. I can’t even describe the texture. It wasn’t hard. It wasn’t soft, it was just bleck. Okay, well, lessons learned…

This war is not over caramel. I will conquer you.

Making cupcakes may be my one true love, but I have to admit that I may have taken up a mistress. For mother’s day, my husband bought me a complete canning set and a book of recipes. Since then, I’ve become obsessed with canning! When I was younger, my mom had a beautiful garden. As one of our chores, my brother and I were expected to weed, harvest, and help take care of the garden. We had tomatoes, green beans, corn, cucumbers, pretty much every delicious vegetable you could think of.  At the peak of ripeness, my mom would sit us down in the kitchen with a huge pile of green beans soaking in water and we’d snap until the skin under our fingernails was sore and our fingers were shriveled. Then she would can all of the goodies. We’d have canned green beans, pickles, and my personal favorite – pickled beets! Of course at the time, my brother and I grumbled and hated this chore. It was always so hot when we had to work in the garden and our dripping sweat attracted gnats and mosquitoes. Well, years later, I am still not a very good gardener. I never found the passion for it. However, I am a veggie fanatic! I love fresh local produce and one of my favorite things is the local farmers markets. Someday, I may develop the knack for gardening, but until then, I will continue to can all of the delicious vegetables that everyone else grows for me.

A few years ago, I tried to can something. I can’t quite remember what I tried to can, but I know that things did not go well. However, I am not one to be defeated. I have had the itch to successfully can for awhile. Last season I had a huge amount of plums that were ripening faster than I could eat them. I attempted to make plum freezer jam. It tasted….well… just okay. And it ended up in a drippy mess in my freezer. However, I refused to give it up. So when I got my canning kit for mother’s day, I started plotting my first batch.

My mother-in-law gave us a jar of strawberry rhubarb jam on our recent trip home to St. Louis and my 11-year-old son went crazy for it. So, with strawberry (and rhubarb) season upon us in Michigan, I gave it a shot. Following one of the recipes from my new canning cookbook, The Ball Complete Bok of Home Preserving, I smashed two containers of hulled strawberries. I made sure to buy the ripest, juiciest, not necessarily the prettiest, strawberries I could find. They tasted like candy they were so sweet! Next, I chopped up two stalks of rhubarb. I mixed the strawberries and rhubarb together in a pan with about 4 tablespoons of lemon juice (apparently there is an acidity factor to canning that I have yet to explore). I added one full packet of pectin – which from my research, is naturally made from apples and helps the jam/jelly set into its delicious jam/jelly consistency. I brought the pan to a boil. Finally, I added 5 ½ cups of sugar all at once (whoa momma, that was a lot of sugar!). My beginner’s mistake was that I didn’t use a big enough pan. Next, time I’ll definitely use a bigger pot. Then you bring the entire pot to rolling boil and let it go for a couple of minutes. It should bubble and thicken. You can test the thickness of the jam/jelly using a spoon. Finally, fill the prepared jars with the jam and process***. When I was finished processing the jam, I was really nervous because the lids kept popping up. However, I think part of my mistake in my previous canning attempts was not being patient. So I threw a towel over the jars and left them alone for the next 24 hours. Sure enough, the seals took and I now have six jars of strawberry rhubarb deliciousness!

Not too shabby for a first attempt! However, there are so many things I have yet to learn about this process. While my jam/jelly was delicious, it wasn’t quite the consistency I’d like. I like thicker jam. So I need to work on that. Also, I really need to learn the art and science of the canning process. The ultimate goal is to preserve the food for the colder months. However, if you don’t do it correctly you could endanger those eating it. Well, summer is almost upon us and I plan to can as much as possible, so stay tuned for more adventures!

***I highly recommend The Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving: It has all kinds of recipes to get started canning, including the processing aspect of canning. Processing generally includes heating the glass jars until they reach a certain temperature (for my jam it was 180 degrees Fahrenheit) and heating the lids to a simmer. You also have to fill the hot jars one by one with the hot jam and put them back into the water. Once all jars are back in the water, crank the heat up until you reach a rolling boil. Let it go for about 10 minutes depending on your altitude. One really essential tip I found in this book was that when 10 minutes was up, kill the heat and let the jars rest in the water for about 5 minutes. Take the jars out of the water and let them rest (with a towel over top of them) for 24 hours. Then test the seals to make sure they don’t “pop”.