2010 Census

I took the 2010 Census today... no not the government one but the canning one! I went through the pantry and took a count of all the things I still have and how many empty jars I currently have on stock. I have a listing of all that I want to make this year, but I also wanted to make sure that I was running low on the things on that list. There would be nothing worse than to glut myself, for example, with one kind of jam. Then you feel bound to eat only that kind for a long time to decrease the over run of that particular product. It makes for a less enjoyable canning experience. I found that overall we have been pretty evenly eating all of the jams and canned items that I made from the canning sessions last year. We also have not totally run out of any flavors yet either! This makes me extremely happy about my moderation. Some flavors, as we all know, are simply more yummy than other ones. We all have our favorites, and one of mine was definitely the pear and pinot noir jam! That is hanging in there with one half pint left!


Overall, I think that I made good estimations for the amount that I needed for us to enjoy and gift to other people. There are still some recipes that I would like to perfect or start over with all together, i.e. that not so successful salsa. I am running surprisingly lower than I thought on things like tomatoes, so I should make sure to can a few extra pints of those. (I only have two left until the tomato season.)I also learned that I am short on jars for this year. I will have to buy a flat or two to accommodate all the new items I will be canning this year rather than buying from the store. I also have to get some replacements for all the gifted jars that will not return home for reuse. I am pretty pleased at our restraint and good planning for how much I needed to put up. Hopefully this year will be just as well thought out.