ellen wickberg wrote:

> Only a couple of
> > inches of water to steam the jars. Uses less energy and easier to lift the
> > hot jars and lids out of the pot. The aluminum pots are great for
> > cleaning, heating, and mashing the fruit. I use a regular stainless steel
> > pot for boiling the juice.
> > You'll need a cloth to tie up or a cloth bag to strain the juice out of
> > the mashed up fruit. Heating the fruit before it's mashed releases the
> > pectin from the skin and flesh.
> > I'd get a book or two out of the public library and read up on jelly
> > making. It's a lot easier to read about something from a book than from a
> > computer screen in my opinion. Relaxing in a comfortable chair with a mug
> > of tea and a few biscuits or muffins with jelly beats staring into a
> > computer screen any day.
>

> You know, if you process ( in the BWB) for 10 minutes you don't need to
> sterilize the jars, just wash clean.
> Ellen

That's another thing - William uses a steamer to keep his jars hot, some use the
BWB pan, and some use the dishwasher. We keep the jars hot so it doesn't take so
much time for the BWB to return to a **Full Roiling Boil** . Also the USDA
guidelines calculate that BWB from warm jars, hot product etc. The BWB can also cut
down on any bad guy germs by heating the product thruout to a high temp. But beware
of dishwashers as some can accumulate crud on the bottoms that will deposit on your
glassware. They might be heated up clean, but have crud and old soapsuds too. I use
just the rinse/heat element.
And keep a diary or notebook of your efforts: where you bought the fruit, maybe
the price, how much product it made, was supposed to make, fruit type (damson plums
or italian plums or neighbor's plums), how long to BWB different sized jars (smaller
jars 5 min less, larger up to a pint 5-10 min more generally). My notebook has been
invaluable - found that cooked habeneros aren't as hot in sugary jam, need more than
you think (2 or 3) and garlic jelly is wierd and bottled grape juice don't work
worth a hoot without added pectin.
And after you add the pectin, it says bring back to a rolling boil, wait that
extra minute to a full rolling boil. Expect some failures by and by, these we call
Custom Ice Cream Sirup Blends. And do try the pears preserved in Brandy from the
Ball Blue Book. Use apricot brandy. Talk about a girl magnet - put a couple on
plain vanilla ice cream and look out! The pears, Dieter, the pears. And maybe you
could substitute some hippie beads for the pearls. And cowboy boots have heels
don't they?
Edrena
Irreverant Sister Stillroom, Order of St. Pectina of Jella