Peach Jam Memories

Yesterday, our 4H club made peach jam for our first class this semester. We are studying aspects of cooking. Several of the children weren't too crazy about the whole idea - they didn't like peaches, they didn't like jam, they didn't want to get sticky...but they were all soon involved in the class - mashing, stirring, mixing. It was great watching them join together to produce such a beautiful and tasty treat.

I have never canned anything. My mom spent her summers attached to a stove canning everything from tomatoes to homemade ketchup to green beans to potatoes to jams to pickles. I loved the pickles and potatoes and jam. I hated the ketchup and was always excited when we ran out so we had to buy the store bought kind (sorry, Mom). Kind of an Aunt Bee thing.

Canning was always so much work, but I have to say, the fresher tasting vegetables in the winter months sure were nice to have around. And I liked helping mom get things ready for canning - snapping beans, shelling peas, shucking corn. The memory of warm summer days, little hidden bugs that would pop out as we worked and time to sit and talk while our hands were busy. Thanks for the memories!