Life's a Peach (Preserves) - A DIY tutorial

This is my first attempt at a DIY tutorial, so be nice!

If you live in the NorthEastern US (I'm in NYC), you may know that peaches are in season, both yellow and white!


Last year I began canning things because of ReadyMade Magazine. There was an article called "Put Up or Shut Up" and I immediately ordered a number of books on the subject.

Since then, I've made TONS of apple butter, and despite asking that the giftees merely return my half-pint ball jars when done, many have not done so. Needless to say, if you don't return a canner's ball jars, they will NOT be gifting you with the latest fruit of their canning labor.

I've been meaning to make strawberry preserves for ages and have 2 quarts of locally grown strawberries in my freezer but have yet to make them.

Today? I am attempting to make peach preserves!

They are hott-packed, so no PH testing is required. Below is what you need to get started:

The Usual Suspects:
6 half pint or 3 pint mason jars and lids w/ complete seals. (I use Ball jars)
1 very deep large lobster pot (for hot pack)
1 pair tongs
1 canning funnel
1 ladle
1 large pasta pot
1 large wooden spoon.
4 cups diced peaches (peeled)
1/8 cup lemon juice
1 pack pectin
5.5 cups sugar

1. Sterilize The Jars:

Handwash or dish wash your jars first.
You can either sterilize using bleach or by boiling the jars.

I try to be as non-toxic and green as possible in my home, so I don't own bleach, I boil my jars. Place the jars, lids, seals and funnel in the large lobster pot and making sure each jar is covered by a couple inches of water, boil on high for at least 10 minutes, then bring the flame to a low.

For bleach sterilization, fill your sink basin with warm water and add 2 tbsp bleach for every gallon of water used. Place the jars in and make sure they are completely submerged in the water. Wait 10 minutes and carefully remove.

2. Prepare the peaches



I use a regular fruit peeler, I've found that if you run the peaches under cold water before peeling, the peels come off much more easily. Make sure you peel the entire peach, see that little skin I left on in the photo? That's a no no. I removed it after taking the pic. Cut and dice the peaches. Toss the pits, better yet? Plant them! =)



3. Prepare and place peaches, lemon juice and pectin in the pasta pot.

4. Bring to a strong boil over high heat.


5. Add 2 3/4 cups (half of the 5.5) of sugar and return to the beginning of a boil, stir frequently.


6. Add remaining 2 3/4 cups of sugar and bring to a rolling boil.


7. Begin a 3 minute timing before canning; at 2 mins, check for signs of jelling.
I use a metal tablespoon, put a small dollup of the preserves on the spoon, blow lightly to cool it, and turn the spoon on it's side, towards you. If it doesn't move once cool, the preserves are ready to be canned.

8. Hot pack according to safe canning practices:

Pack the jars one at a time. Place a clean plate on the counter. Using tongs, carefully pull a jar out of the hot very hot pot, place on the plate (for easy clean-up). Carefully remove the funnel from the hot water, grasp with oven mit, and set inside jar's mouth. Using a ladle, spoon the preserves into the funnel until full. That would be 1/4" below the jar mouth's opening.

Wipe any spillage off of the jar with a clean towel. Carefully (it's hot!) remove the seal and lid and place them on the jar, first the seal, then the lid. With two hot pads or oven mits, tighten the jar as tight as possible, paying attention to the jar and lid threads matching up. Turn the jar upside down, (on it's lid) and place on a flat surface. Set a timer for two minutes.


Once the timer is done, turn the jar right side up and let cool.

9. Repeat as needed.

The recipe is for 6 half-pints or 3 pints (only 4 are pictured). If you find you cannot adequately fill the last jar, make sure you refridgerate it right away and use that jar first. Jars not filled to the top cannot be hot-packed and stored at room temperature.


10. Make pretty labels.

I actually bought my labels as part of a kit called Pretty Pantry Gifts, but have been dying to design my own. Make sure the label includes what the preserves are, what the ingredients are, and to refridgerate after opening.

When canned correctly, these peach preserves should last you through the winter and well into the Spring as long as the seal has not been broken.

11. Enjoy! Share! Have a brunch party!

Ideas for these preserves? I like them on vanilla ice cream, pancakes, waffles, toast, peanut butter sandwiches...the sky is the limit!

If you make these preserves, please let me know how they turned out!

<3 Always,
--Taina

Terrariums - Step By Step!

So you want to make a terrarium?

Here is what you need:

1 small bag of small stones
1 small bag of charcoal
1 small bag of soil
a few tropical plants of your choosing
1 clear glass or plastic jar with wide opening (so you can get your hand in!)

Instructions:


1. Wash your terrarium container with antibacterial soap, rinse well, dry.



2. Layer about 1" of stones at the bottom of your jar.







3. Layer about .5" of charcoal on top of the stones.




4. Place approx. 2-3" of potting soil on top of charcoal.



5. Decide where plants should go in soil.



6. Carefully remove each plant from containers and remove all excess soil off of roots.



7. Plant each plant carefully in terrarium container.



8. Water terrarium, if there is a lid, close it.


Care Instructions:
Water again every 2-3 weeks.
If condensation occurs on a regular basis, keep container open for a few hours to allow for evaporation.


Voila! You've got an awesome terrarium!

Oh...so...DIY!

About a month ago, one of my friends made two of our co-workers terrariums as "thank you" gifts and a week later, Etsy.com featured a seller who makes and sells moss terrariums in really great small jars.

Now those of you who know me know that I am terrible at keeping plants alive. I've successfully kept two hearty cherry tomato plants, three bamboo plants and one aloe plant from dying. Everything else? Has had a terribly short life.

I love greenery, I volunteer at my local community garden, enjoy nature and live by the only primordial forest in all of Manhattan. I would love to be able to have some well-kept plants in my apartment, things that do not need to be tended to frequently.

I looked up books on terrariums on Amazon and found one that comes out on my birthday! I thought it was a sign.

I was originally supposed to go to a "Bon Voyage Bush!" party tonight but my kidneys are acting up again, giving me some pain in my lower back, so I decided to go to The Plant Shed and pick up some soil, gravel, charcoal and small plants. I already have a few empty jars at home.

So I'm off to start my afternoon project! I will take photos and give detailed instructions in the next blog entry!

<3 Always,
--Taina

Put Up or Shut Up!

So the most recent issue of "Bust", the only magazine I subscribe to, has an entire article on DIY canning. Think preserves, pickles, jams, etc.

As it's called in the South, it's the art of "Putting Up". I have always been interested in making preserves and jams and pickling everything imaginable, even though I don't really like pickles. So I special ordered a couple books on the subject and should have them in my hands in a little more than a week! I'm so excited! I wish the preserve jars were easier to find in NYC. I will have to hunt some down.

I had an old boss when MoMA first reopened who decided with his wife that they were going to pickle everything they could get their hands on and give away jars for X-mas. They had jars EVERYWHERE! If Jars weren't so expensive to ship to my family, I would do it. But I don't know how thrilled my little cousins would be with a huge jar of pickled beets! So maybe I will stick to tins of cookies and white chocolate peppermint bark.

Also, a few of my coworkers and I are trading recipes for all sorts of pumpkin things, it's almost the season! Just a few degrees colder. I hope I get the chance to apple pick in Oct. That could be fun to use in my jams and preserves.

<3 Always,
--Taina

I bought a fabric pantry!

I know most people do Spring cleaning and it's August. I'd been going through a tough time recently and am on the upswing from it, creating this immediate and important urge to purge all things I don't need in my home. ALL of them. I want to go minimalist in my home. Now, usually these feelings are fleeting, so I think that I should follow suit this one time and see where it leads me.

All of you who make things by hand probably know how easy it is to feel the need to buy as many supplies as possible. I have gone through these weird crafty phases, a sort of handmade Attention Deficit Disorder.

Since stumbling upon Etsy, I have knit and collected tons and tons of different types of yarn, needles, and notions.

I then decided I wanted to get into paper goods and I bought envelope templates and fancy papers and envelope glue and made envelopes and flatcards.

Then I saw a show on TV on how easy stained glass is and decided to try my hand at stained glass. Enter cabochons, 30+ stained glass squares and rectangles, glass cutters, oil, solder, soldering iron, copper tape, wire and suction cups. Okay, stained glass? Not easy at all! I have the solder scars to prove it.

I then took a pillow making class and started collecting fabrics, threads, and pillow inserts. Then makeup bags and coin purses, add to my collection of fabrics and threads, I now have tons of canvas, interfacing, zippers, felt squares, pinking shears, and fancy fabric scissors. Let's not count the numerous measuring tapes, rulers, yardsticks, sewing machine needles, fabric tags, googly eyes, fabric paints.

Now, picture me in a large (by NYC standards) 2BR apt, with a roommate, two sewing machines, a full-sized ironing board and two bookcases of craft books.

HOLY COW. Crafts have taken over my LIFE!

I have plastic Sterilite, Muji, and Rubbermaid bins for everything, so it's all organized within them, including ones for my completed projects, but I've always wanted to have my fabrics out so they remind me to get cracking at the machine.

I have 3 days off this week (today through Saturday) and am using the time to organize it all into a 5ft x 2ft x 1.5ft wooden pantry with doors that I purchased from Target today. Once I get it all organized in one space, I can use all the plastic bins to decide what books, clothes, dvds and other things to donate or list on Freecycle, making a happier, more organized, creative minimal space where everything has a place and that place isn't in every room in my apartment.

I cannot wait! I am thinking of how to decorate this very boring beech-colored cabinet. I was thinking maybe stencils. I will post the project once completed. I can't wait!

<3 Always,
--Taina

Happy Birthday to me!

It's been almost a week since I last updated. Not much has happened in my handmade world. Let's see...

I made cornbread and baked ziti. I put together a new ikea bookcase for all my craft and art books.

On Wednesday, I attended my first Marketing class. The instructor was sick, so she was low-energy and had very little of a voice. The homework is interesting. I'm supposed to answer questions abour promotion, price, product and profit. I was so thrilled to have homework that I did all of it on the subway ride home. I hope next week has better energy.

One of the students is a jewelry designer who has sold to a few celebrities, all by word of mouth, doesn't have anything online. I don't even think she has business cards. I will talk to her about Etsy next week, I think, she seemed interested in how I use the online world to my advantage.

I haven't listed anything new! And the makeup bag is becoming the bane of my existance. It needs to be able to support heavy normal-sized shampoo and conditioner bottles along with other such things. It's not terribly to my liking, so I will try again today.

And yes, today is my birthday. I'm putting together my new dresser for my bedroom and working (once again) on the custom order makeup case. And Dorian and her girlfriend have invited themselves over to watch the Oscars. I'm hoping they don't kill me, I really just want to sew. Hopefully they will not catch an attitude with my sewing at the kitchen table while they watch the show in the livingroom.

A perfect relaxing birthday? Sewing, cleaning, putting together my dresser and taking my old one apart, and maybe making a bday cake for myself out of the Magnolia cookbook.

<3 Always,
--Taina

Handmade and DIY culture

I love to do things myself. I am a proud owner of a closet just for hardware. Drill, hammers, screwdrivers, lightbulbs, screws, dimmer switches, pull switches, you name it.

It may stem partly from my being a feminist and my desire to not ask a man for help around the house. I think most of it comes from my father. He raised me to be as independent and self-sufficient as possible. He taught me not to be afraid of electricity, how to change fuses and bulbs, and even gave me my first drill w/ brand new set of drillbits. He also taught me how to use a soldering iron to fix wiring problems. I loved installing my own curtains, putting together furniture, and last year finally installed a dimmer switch in my livingroom.

I love the sense of accomplishment. Most of my apartment is DIY decorated. I bought cheap frames from Ikea and stained them with a deep cherry stain. Then I bought a bunch of b&w postcards of Jazz musicians and cropped them to fit in my frames. Hung them all along the hallway in my apartment. I bought cheap mirrors and spraypainted them brick red and gold (alternately, not the same colors on each frame) and made a mod-type design out of them in my livingroom. It's totally exciting to do these little projects.

My roommate is completely the opposite. She constantly makes "Where's a big strong man when you need one?" references. She was shocked I owned a drill. Her wireless connection has been faulty lately, so until we get the cable employee to come check it out, she bought a very long cable. The router is in my bedroom, so obviously holes needed to be drilled above each of our bedroom doors.

I pulled out my trusty drill, changed bits to 3/4" and went to work. Unfortunately, I hit a snag when I realized the wall I was drilling into was brick. My roommate said "where's a strong man when you...?" and before she could complete her sentence I finally said something. "It's a brick wall, it has nothing to do with my being a female." And I pushed ahead w/ the drillbit, and after a few minutes, had the perfect hole for the ethernet cable.

I also have found that most NYC building management companies hire people who aren't great at their jobs. Because my apartment building is pre-war, the threat of lead-paint is very real. I had cracking paint on my hot water pipe in my bedroom and called the management company to have them fix it. They called the Super, the Super called the Porter and the Porter (who I love dearly but is not the best handyman) proceeded to scrape some of the cracking paint off and then put a coat of paint over just the cracking part.

The porter left all of the paint that had chipped off on the floor of my bedroom, and now the top half of the water pipe is a shiny semi-gloss white and the bottom half looks like it could use a coat. I was left to dispose of the lead paint shavings. It made me grateful I don't have young children. I definitely could have done a better job and the next time I have a problem I probably will photograph it, fix it, and charge my building management.

I spent the rest of my day sewing and knitting and doing things that, in my youth, would have made me feel like less of a feminist. I don't feel that way anymore.

I signed up for a Marketing class at Hunter College. It's called "Successfully Promoting and Marketing Any Business". I'm super stoked. It's 6 weeks long and starts in Feb.

I finally listed my fourth January item yesterday! Click it for more info:


Here's to making my quota of 20 in January!

<3 Always,
--Taina