persimmon preserves

our persimmon tree has been so full lately.  we've been eating them, and giving them away as well as "sharing" them with the birds and possums.  i thought it would be cool to preserve some but i've never canned anything before so i had to do a little research first.  it turned out to be fairly easy but i still didn't want my first canning experience to be me alone and frustrated in the kitchen so i grabbed all of the fruit and supplies and headed to a friend's.  i'm so glad we learned how to do this together!  it was a lot of initial work but the preserves turned out great and it'll be even easier the next time.  if you're curious about canning or the recipe we used, check out this site.  we went with the lower sugar (4 cups) for this batch but i think we'll try the agave or honey for the next batch because it was still really sweet.  one of the best things about this?  making these knocked out some of my handmade gifts for my challenge!

boiling with pectin, sugar and lemon juice

funneled into the sterilized jars

sealed

delicious on some homemade bread!  

i'm also thinking of other things to do with these besides canning.  i think next up will be some salsa recipes!