Comments on: CANNING AS GIVING

By: katie

katie — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 04:17:49 +0000

i’ve seen some neat cakes in jars but have yet to try them. i think this holiday i will making chai tea and mexican 3-bean chili from the dec06/jan07 country home to try giving as gifts.
those vanilla caramels look good. i may try them too!
katie

By: Erica

Erica — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 06:44:24 +0000

vanilla caramels! my kids and I made a batch tonight. I use a recipe from the South Bend Indiana Junior League, 1979 (Nutbread & Nostalgia is the name of the cookbook):
In a deep, heavy Dutch oven, combine 2 cups sugar, 3/4 cup light corn syrup, 1 cup heavy whipping cream and 1/2 cup of butter. Stir until you reach a full boil. Keep stirring, and slowly add another cup of cream, keep the boil and the stirring going until the candy thermometer is to 242 degrees. Then turn off the heat, quickly stir in a teaspoon of vanilla. (if you want to add nuts, now is the time: 1 cup) Then very carefully pour the caramel into an 8 x 8 pan. I line my pan with foil and butter it really well. Then I can flip the cooled caramel out and peel back the foil, so I have a smooth square to cut into pieces. You need a little helper to cut pieces of wax paper and wrap up the little squares. These are a traditional, popular present we make every year.
merry christmas, erica

By: Nicole Gilfillan

Nicole Gilfillan — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 23:54:14 +0000

I have not tried baking in the canning jars yet. I read about this idea in a blog and decided it would be my Christmas gift to the teachers at my children’s school. I hope it turns out well. I plan on filling the jars with homemade pie crust and spiced apples.