The Lazy Cook

I've always wanted to learn how to can. The problem is, I just didn't feel like that was something that I might be able to learn from a book, like everything else I've ever learned. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's the whole botulism thing that makes me a little bit nervous.
In September, Lena taught me a thing or two about canning and together we put up 80-something jars of strawberry jam for her wedding. Since then I've been experimenting. I've made Apple Butter, Apple Jelly, Low Sugar Apple Jelly (this is a little bit cloudy due to my impatience with juice making and squeezing the ba-jesus out of the jelly bag to make the juice strain faster), Strawberry Jam, Apple Pie Jam (this is Jorma's favorite) and today I finished up my canning for the season with pepper jelly. I was going to give out the Pepper Jelly as presents but it didn't make that much and it kicks ass so I'm hoarding it for pot lucks and parties. If you come to the house during the Christmas season or invite us to something that requires us to bring a dish, prepare for pepper jelly.
I did something different with my pepper jelly batch. Something that crazy! Something scandalous! Instead of boiling them with the heat seal method I used the invertion method. That's where instead of boiling them in a canner for 15 minutes you ladle the hot jelly into hot jars and flip them upside down. And they seal. I was prepared to keep them all in the fridge. I was sure it wasn't going to work... but it did. Those sonofabitches sealed right up. Now I know this isn't the recommended method for canning, but I figured, if I'm going to use this method with anything, pepper jelly is my best bet. I mean it's fresh jalapeno peppers, vinegar and sugar. Can bacteria even live in that? I think it's safe. I love canning the lazy way.