My Day in the Kitchen...

Geee Whiz my feet hurt!

Today I spent the whole day in the kitchen... not to be confused with the past 3 days where I spent only nearly all day in the kitchen.

Previously I had told you I had canned:

• Apple Slices: 13 pint jars
• Blackberry Syrup: 12 - 8 oz jars & 2 - 1/2 pint jars

Over the weekend I made more applesauce (and 18 cups set aside for applebutter) and Jam from the blackberry puree...

• Black-Apple-Berry Sauce: 7 - pint jars
• Blackberry Jam: 10 - 1/2 pint jars & 1 - 4 oz jar

Today's goal was to make apple pie filling.  Here is my kitchen table set up for work.  The slow cooker has been simmering the apple butter since yesterday morning.  You can see I'm ready to peel, cut, and soak the apples to prevent browning.  I've also mixed the filling ingredients so it is ready to cook after I've blanched the apples.

Seems like there is a never ending need for pots and bowls and spoons and lids... the canner has to be kept ready... the red pot will be used to blanch the apples and the large bowl is keeping the apples hot...

Then I'll swap the red pot out and cook the filling... no cooked picture as you have to move along once this thickens up and you add the apples back in.  It all has to stay hot while you fill the jars and get them into the canner...

Then you clean up and do it all over again with another batch... then clean up again to process the apple butter - which was done cooking.

Today's canning totals...

• Apple Pie Filling: 14 - pint jars
• Spicy Apple Buddah: 8 - 12 oz. jars, 7 - 1/2 pint jars, & 1 - 4 oz jar

The Spicy Apple Buddah was made from a total of 24 cups of Applesauce, sugars and spices and then cooked in my slow cooker for 2 days.

Here's today's picture of my dining room table...

Aren't those jars of apple pie filling yummy looking?  And the PINK jars in the box to the left... that's the Black-Apple-Berry Sauce - Applesauce made with blackberry puree added.  Ooooo the blackberry puree makes it a beautiful magenta color and gives it a wonderful flavor.  I'll have to get better pictures during the day.

And yes those are more clean dish towels in the basket... I told you I use lots of towels when I'm canning.

Tomorrow I get a day off from canning... I get to go to work at the quilt shop... YaaaHoooo! 

Well then I'll stop at the grocery store and pick up the stuff I need to continue canning...