Preserving Orange Gem Jelly, Discards and Delighting in the Light

"A man ought to carry himself in the world as an orange tree would if it could walk up and down in the garden, swinging perfume from every little censer it holds up to the air."

~ Henry Ward Beecher

I love to work with citrus in the winter. Not only is it tasty and refreshing and full of the necessary vitamin C, but bright and beautiful in the somber chilly background of the season. Preserving food in jars is also very welcoming in this weather as the warmth canning brings into the kitchen is much appreciated. Plus, adding extra jars to the pantry shelf is indeed lovely too. Would you care to join me in preserving some delicious orange gem jelly? As the name suggests, it is reminiscent of those "Sunkist" sugared orange gem candies I loved as a child. Plus, it is quite simple to make.

Ingredients: 

• 2 c. freshly squeezed, strained orange juice (from approx. 5-6 oranges) 
• 1/3 c. freshly squeezed, strained lemon juice (from approx. 2 lemons) 
• 2/3 c. water 
• 6 tbsp. pectin (I buy it in bulk HERE or 1 box of Sure Jell)
• long strip of orange peel (from oranges used above) 
• 3 c. sugar (I use organic from Costco)

Directions:

Place the strained orange juice, lemon juice and water in a large cooking pot. Drop in the orange peel. Stir in the pectin until dissolved and bring to a boil (stirring frequently). Once liquid reaches a rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, then add in the sugar and bring to another rolling boil (stirring frequently). Once liquid reaches another rolling boil, let it boil for one minute longer while stirring constantly so it doesn’t overflow. Remove from heat. Using tongs, remove strip of orange peel and discard. Skim off any foam quickly and ladle jelly into hot, sterilized half-pint (or quarter-pint) jars leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe rim of jars with a dampened clean towel; adjust two-piece metal canning lids. Process for 5 minutes in a boiling water canner. Remove jars and cool (out of the way of any drafts) on a kitchen towel once processing time is complete. 

Wait for 12 hours and then you may store your lovely jelly in the pantry.

Yield: 4 half-pint jars (or 8 1/4-pint jars)

Note: This recipe has been adapted from the “National Center for Food Preservation” website.

You will find the printable version of this recipe HERE should you like to add it to your "Preserving Notebook". 

Though I was gifted one small basket of homegrown oranges, I was able to preserve so much from them! 

This was all produced for our home from the free basket of organic, homegrown oranges (last year). I thought it would be fun to include ways you can use up every last bit of this refreshing citrus fruit (no discards here!):

- 8 quarter-pint jars of orange gem jelly (recipe shared HERE)

- 8 half-pint jars of macerated marmalade (this was an experiment and a failure at that so I'm definitely not going to share this recipe!)

- 3 dehydrator trays dried zest (which I removed from the oranges before making the jelly - for medicinals, cooking, baking, DIY products, etc.)

- 1 dehydrator tray dried orange slices (to be used in tea blends, infusing large jars of sun tea, potpourri, garnish and my newest idea of placing under roasting poultry to impart flavor)

- a few quart jars of orange peel vinegar for making cleaning products.

- jar of orange peel ends for the freezer (when I save enough I will make pectin with them) The ends can also be used to make many other things - visit my ebook for 100+ ways to use fruit scraps for more ideas.

- 3 orange roses (for fun! - to embellish orange cakes, etc.) (The tutorial is also shared in my ebook - 100+ ways to use fruit scraps.)

And finally, you get to place all your resourceful homemade items on your pantry shelf just like Ma Ingalls would have done! 

“The sunshine came streaming through the windows into the house, and everything was so neat and pretty. The table was covered with a red cloth, and the cookstove was polished shining black. Through the bedroom door Laura could see the trundle bed in its place under the big bed. The pantry door stood wide open, giving the sight and smell of goodies on the shelves, and Black Susan came purring down the stairs from the attic, where she had been taking a nap."

~ Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House in the Big Woods

I think the joy one gets from reading these pioneering classics is the ability to see the beauty in the ordinary. While the darkness seems to be looming in so many areas of life, these books (and Scripture - read Phil 4:8) remind us to glorify in the basic but beautiful blessings.  To enjoy the heavenly gifts...

Sunshine, the chirping of the birds, the early luscious spring growth and the aroma of wet earth, the cozy kitchen with the curtains flowing in the breeze, the smell of a newborn child, the smile from a toddler, the embrace from a child, the laughter shared with a teen, the steadfastness of a husband’s love, the eternal promises from Above.

Dearest reader, though it is winter, let us remember to delight in the Light.

“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying,

"I am the light of the world.

He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness,

but have the light of life."

~ John 8:12

I hope you enjoyed today's winter preservation post with a touch of simple pioneer nostalgia. It is raining this morning and the sound of the pitter-patter is so gentle and soothing. I'm looking forward to beginning my nesting for the day. Happy homemaking! Love, JES

How to Make a "Homespun" Preserving Notebook

“There was no rest and no play for anyone now. They all worked from candle-light to candle-light. Mother and the girls were making cucumber pickles, green tomato pickles, and watermelon rind pickles; they were drying corn and apples, and making preserves. Everything must be saved, nothing wasted of all the summer’s bounty.”

~ Laura Ingalls Wilder, Farmer Boy

I used to keep my canning recipes in my recipe book but the more recipes I accumulated, the less space I had for the seasonal canning ones. Then I switched them to my herbal but that also grew in size. This summer, I began gathering all my canning notes, recipes, etc., and placing them in their own dedicated binder. I call it my "Preserving Notebook".

After much deliberation (yes I think hard on such things 🤓), I decided to use alphabet tabs (affiliate link) to organize everything. That way, any canning recipe would have a home alphabetically. Apple recipes would go under “A”, blueberry recipes under "B", strawberry recipes under “S” and so forth. I also inserted a few other things that are useful to my preserving needs.

Here is what I included in my notebook:

(These first few items I keep in the beginning of the binder, prior to the tabs since they don't fit a certain "produce" theme. I consider them informational.)

- my food preservation planner pages (free printable here) In the autumn and winter months, as I go through my canning books, I make note on the recipes I would like to try. I input the recipe, book and page number in my planner pages. That way, when the season hits, I already know what I want to make with a certain fruit or vegetable. It is very useful. 

- pressure canning instructions (I don’t do it enough to rely on my memory so these steps are helpful and always conveniently located) I keep these at the front of the index tabs and have it covered in plastic as I take these in and out more. I copied these directions from The Prairie Homestead where she gives a great in-depth tutorial on how to use a pressure canner. Here is the link in case you are interested.

- pressure canning vegetable and meat charts (with time and pressure amounts) These I photocopied from the pressure canner manual (not shown).

- preserving articles I read from the canning authorities and find useful (such as “how to can without sugar or salt”, etc.) Here is the link in case you are interested in this particular one.

(The remaining items I insert in the tabbed section according to the alphabetical order of the produce I am preserving.)

- photocopies of my favorite recipes from my canning books (this way I don’t have to search them out), any handwritten recipes and so forth. Of course, these are placed alphabetically by "produce".

- themed recipe articles from State extension offices (they’ll have printable pages on how to preserve foraged fruits, etc., and list various preserving ideas and recipes which are very handy - here is a sample of the foraged fruit and here is the how to preserve peppers booklet that I included as well)

- individual preserving recipes I print from websites (once again these are placed in alphabetical order according to what is being preserved) Here is the apple pie filling recipe I use. I did do some fall decorating on the page as it was a little bland :)

- fruit leather recipe (here is the one I printed out from Chocolate Box Cottage) Something like this I would file under "F" for "fruit" in general.

- any food preservation recipes in general (including freezer jam recipes, fermenting recipes, dehydrating, etc.) Here are a few from my blog which may be printed for your notebook:

• citrus fruit preserving ideas (this would be helpful to fill up your planner pages with ideas)
• fruit scrap jelly (here is a recipe sheet so you can record this vert versatile, frugal recipe)
• lemon drop jelly
• lemon juice
• lemon scrap syrup
• strawberry freezer jam

(All my food preservation tutorials are shared HERE but all do not include printable recipes.)

To add interest, I covered my notebook with a floral fabric to give it a cozy feeling. I am quite embarrassed to show this up close as I am not a great seamstress and quite an impatient one. I just used the remnant fabric from an old sheet (which had lots of piling but was still a cute print). I used the remnant gingham border from another project as ribbon (it still had a frayed side but I thought it added to the charm). Next, I cut off a rose from a retired duster-housedress and used that as a little embellishment. I also added a strip of lace to the back cover for more interest (pictured below).  I made the cover in the same way we used to have to cover our school books but used fabric instead of a paper bag. And I used a sewing machine instead of tape. It took 10 minutes to make because I obviously did it quickly (to be honest, I was supposed to be doing something else that day and I was feeling quite guilty for making this!).

I’ll be fine-tuning my binder over autumn as our garden has faded and I’ll have extra time to work on such projects. In fact, as I was typing this up, I thought I would add a food dehydration chart to this. I am always looking up the degrees and length of time for each piece of produce and it would be nice to have it handy here.

This project cost me a total of $3.76 because I had to purchase the alphabet tabs. Everything else was used from foraged materials around the house. This is a great way to use an old, ugly binder since you can cover it. Do you think you would ever make something like this? How do you store and keep track of your food preservation recipes? Is there anything else you would place in this binder? Please share!

Happy homemaking,

♡ JES

Lavender Laundry Soap ~ Herbal Homemaking ~ Printable Recipe

"'Aye!' said Mrs. Purkis, smoothing down the bed,

and despatching Jenny for an armful of lavender-scented towels..."

~ Elizabeth Gaskell, North and South

It is okay to enjoy your life at home. It is okay to collect large, old jars because you think they’re pretty. It’s okay to decide to fill those jars with homemade sundries to add loveliness to your routine. It’s okay to want to beautify the ordinary to make it extraordinary. It’s okay to pour love, creativity and joy into your tasks. It’s okay to pour your heart into all areas of your home. 

You have permission to ignore everyone who tells you housework is mundane. It’s okay to make homemaking fun! As Mark Twain put it, “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

Lavender Laundry Soap (a perfect recipe of loveliness): 

-- 1 c. grated bar soap *

-- 1 c. borax (found in laundry isle at Walmart)

-- 1 c. washing soda (found in laundry isle at Walmart)

-- 1/4 c. lavender buds

Optional: 10 drops lemon essential oil or your favorite (I use lemon as it is cleansing and the least expensive of all the oils!)

Pulverize ingredients in a blender or food processor until powdery.

* I used a plain coconut oil soap (which I found on my travels - it has no extra oils or fats in it and is therefore better suited for laundry) but you can also use Dr. Bronner’s bar soap and/or Kirk’s Castile Soap if you desire something natural. Calico and Twine sells a lovely laundry soap in her shop (which is also natural and made with coconut oil). I know many people use Fels Naphtha soap, Zote soap or even plain Ivory bar soap.

There are a myriad of recipes online you can experiment with. I’m sharing a basic recipe but with the addition of dried lavender to make it special. I have extra in my apothecary that I want to use up before it loses its potency. As lavender means “to wash”, what better herb to enjoy for our laundry?

Use 1 tbsp. for regular loads, 2 for larger loads. As it is low in suds, this recipe should be fine for HE machines. Just make sure all the lavender is pulverized!

You will find the printable recipe with labels HERE (my dear, sweet homemaking friend).

(Some of the links in this post are affiliate links which help support this blog. Thank you!)

Happily homemaking,

♡ JES

How to Make Simple Strawberry Freezer Jam ~ Printable Recipe

One of the first things I learned how to preserve as a newlywed was strawberry freezer jam. It doesn't require any fancy equipment or any complicated skill but it surely blessed the whole family every time I served buttery toast, pancakes, waffles or crepes. And yes, it is also amazing over ice cream or plain cheesecake in case you were wondering. While I have since learned to can my own jams, I still make a few batches of strawberry freezer jam each year because the fresh flavor of this raw jam is insurmountable.

There are two ways to make it! You can either buy the specialized  "freezer jam pectin" in the store which are quite pricey or you can make your own with regular pectin. Being I purchase my pectin in bulk, this is the more affordable route and the one I am sharing today.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups crushed strawberries

• 2 cups sugar

• 2 tbsp. bottled lemon juice (you can most likely use freshly squeezed juice as well)

• 1 package powdered fruit pectin OR 6 Tbsp. bulk pectin (better value)

• 1 cup cold water

To begin, clean strawberries and crush them. You can use any method you like. You can put them in the food processor, the blender or you can smash them in a shallow pan the old fashioned way. I have tried all the various ways depending on my time constraints and I did find that the old fashioned way does yield a bit more of a desirable consistency. However, the difference isn't too much that I wouldn't still do the other quicker options. It really depends on my mood at the moment and what I have going on.

This recipe can be halved but not necessarily doubled. Please keep in mind that freezer jam is best done in small batches for best results. 

So, for every 2 cups of crushed strawberries, add 2 cups of sugar and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. 

Let it stand for 20 - 30 minutes to draw out the juices. 

Next, put one package of powdered fruit pectin (or 6 tbsp. bulk pectin) in a small saucepan with one cup of cold water and stir to dissolve. Continue to stir to blend in the pectin while bringing the mixture to a boil. Once it hits a rolling boil, boil for exactly one minute.

Pour the pectin mixture into the fruit and stir thoroughly for 2 minutes. Ladle into clean containers (I used these -- affiliate link) and let stand for 30 minutes. This recipe should yield approx. 5 half-pints and/or 5 cups. 

Label and date your delicious jam!

Once that is accomplished, I like to place the jam in the refrigerator for 24 hours to set prior to freezing. 

You can store some in the refrigerator to use directly and/or place the remaining in the freezer for future enjoyment. For best results, use within a year.

Note: these floral, freezer-friendly labels are found HERE in my Etsy Shop!

While freezer jam doesn't have the same thick consistency as cooked jam, the nice syrupy consistency is most welcome on those delicious foods described above. This is a summer staple in our home and a seasonal part of my homemaking routine. I must make strawberry freezer jam each June!

You will find the printable recipe HERE ♥️

You may also be interested in visiting our other strawberry patch of posts for more strawberry ideas!

Happy homemaking,

♡ JES

Easy Vanilla Rose Bath & Body DIY Recipes ~ Romantic Homemaking Series

"Ointment and perfume delight the heart..."

~ Proverbs 27:9a

As February is often considered the month of "love", we continue again with our Romantic Homemaking Series. As evidenced by what has been shared thus far, it is fair to say that the rose is the star of the show. To me, they make everything special (but you can always substitute your favorite skin-safe flower in these products). When you integrate bits of beauty into your home rituals, life feels luxurious. A humble home can still prepare an aromatic bath for their loved ones, a refreshing scrub, a fresh perfume and so forth without hindering the budget. These sweet, little recipes can be adapted to whatever you have in your home (I've included mix and match ideas). Be creative with the resources you have and enjoy making up a romantic collection of bath and body recipes for all to enjoy! I also included some printable labels which would make for some lovely gifts too. Now, let's do some kitchen-crafting!

Relaxing Vanilla Rose Bath Salts

Basic Ingredients:

-- 1 c. pink salt, sea salt or Epsom salts

-- 1 c. pink salt, sea salt or Epsom salts (for more variety, use something different than what you chose above)

-- 1⁄4 c. dried rose petals (this is a great way to use up a bouquet you may have dried last year or you can use dried lavender, dried dandelion, dried calendula, dried violets, etc. If you don't have anything dried on hand, try adding in the contents of a few herbal tea bags!) 

-- 10 drops of vanilla essential oil  (or 2 tsp. vanilla extract)

Optional luxurious adds-in (mix and match in as much of these as you like):

-- 1/4 c. baking soda

-- 1/4 c. oats

-- 1/4 c. powdered milk

-- 10 drops of romantic fragrant essential oil (my choices are rose absolute, palmarosa essential oil or geranium essential oil -- please add in the drops cautiously and test the fragrance to your liking as you go. I generally use approximately 10 drops of essential oil per cup of product).

Directions:

Blend all ingredients together (except for 1 cup of the pink salt if you are using it) until somewhat smooth (I like to keep a bit of roughage in mine for the more "raw" look). You may also want to add in a few whole petals to the final product to give it a prettier appearance.

Mix and match different flavors and combinations to make different products! In the first bath salt photo, I focused more on pink salt and the different add-in's to get a rustic but romantic bath salt. In the second bath salt photo, I used more of a sea salt and powdered milk mixture (flecked with rose petals) to give the effect of a "rose milk" bath reminiscent of something sumptuous that Cleopatra might have bathed in. Be creative. It is so much fun! I can't tell you how amazing my kitchen smelled!

To use:

Add 1 cup of bath salts to the water while the tub is filling.

Moonlight Massage Oil (and/or Vanilla Rose Massage Oil) 

Ingredients:

-- 1 c. mild oil (such as grapeseed, almond oil, jojoba, sunflower oil, avocado oil, etc)*

-- 10 drops of vanilla essential oil  (or 1 tsp. vanilla extract)

-- 10 drops of rose absolute (and/or a mixture of palmarosa essential oil, geranium essential oil, or you can use lavender essential oil or your favorite one)

* Alternatively, you can also use a infused oil in lieu of a plain one. Simply prepare a medicinal oil using rose petals instead of the lavender in the tutorial shared here. Or you can use the lavender and any other medicinal flower you like to make a pleasing blend. This is a great option if you don't have essential oils to work with.

Directions:

Mix ingredients together and place in a sterile glass bottle. You can add a few sprigs of dried rose buds (or other dried flowers) for embellishment.

To use:

Massage the oil into neck, shoulders and feet to sooth tension, relax muscles and stimulate healthy circulation.

Vanilla Rose Scrub

Ingredients:

-- 1/2 c. sea salt or sugar  (plus 1 to 2 tbsp. more to get desired consistency)

-- 1/4 pink salt (optional for romantic color, you can always use more sea salt or sugar)

-- 1/4 cup coconut oil (melted) (or almond oil, grapeseed, jojoba, sunflower oil, avocado oil, etc)

-- 1/4 cup almond oil (or grapeseed oil, jojoba, sunflower oil, avocado oil, etc)

-- 10 drops vanilla essential oil  (or 1 tsp. vanilla extract)

-- 1 tbsp. coarsely ground dried rose petals (once again, this is a great way to use up a bouquet you may have dried last year or you can use dried lavender, dried dandelion, dried calendula, dried violets, etc. If you don't have anything dried on hand, try adding in the contents of a few herbal tea bags!) 

Optional Mix-In's:

-- 5-10 drops of rose absolute (and/or a mixture of palmarosa essential oil, geranium essential oil, or you can use lavender essential oil or your favorite one)

Directions:

Stir ingredients together and pour into a small jar or container.

How to Use:

In the shower, massage a small handful of scrub all over wet skin (avoiding sensitive areas, concentrating on dry ones), rinse off and pat dry. Don't wipe away the oil feeling since this will keep you moisturized without applying lotion. Suggested use is once a week. Not recommended for your face. Be careful as the tub may become slippery when using.

Shelf life: Best if used within 6 months.

Comforting Rose Perfume 

(This recipe is courtesy of Mountain Rose Herbs and I am including it in case you happen to have many of these ingredients. I have made this in the past and replaced many essential oils with what I did have and created just as lovely of a perfume.)

Ingredients:

-- 3-4 organic whole rose buds
-- 4 mL sweet almond oil or other carrier oil of choice
-- 3 drops organic geranium essential oil or rose absolute
-- 2 drops Peru balsam essential oil
-- 1 drop organic frankincense essential oil
-- 1 drop organic sandalwood essential oil

Directions:

1. Insert whole flowers and/or other skin-safe dried botanicals into a 10 mL roll top bottle until it is at least half full.

2. Using a small funnel, fill the bottle with neutral-scented carrier oil of choice, leaving about 1/4 inch of space at top.

3. Add desired essential oil blend from choices above.

4. If space remains, top with carrier oil to fill bottle.

5. Snap roller ball lid onto bottle. Roll bottle between palms to evenly mix oils.

To Use:

Apply like you would any perfume ♥️ 

Also, these same oils were used in the tutorials for making these other items in case you want to maximize your use of them:

-- DIY Vanilla Rose Room/Linen Spray

-- All Purpose Floral Salve and Lovely Lip Gloss

I used recycled jars and thrifted jars for this little project. No need to buy anything new!

And I also wanted to share a little story with you all... sharing a bit about "real life" romantic thoughts...

To put it plainly, we were dirt broke at the time.

But that didn't stop us.

We picked flowers from the prairie and dried them.

We then gathered the basics from our one treasury of wealth, our bulk pantry.

Pink salt, sea salt, sugar, oats, powdered milk and even baking soda. The vanilla extract, coconut and olive oil would also be useful.

And then we concocted.

We blended, we stirred, we added a bit of this and a bit of that until the combinations pleased us.

Soon there was an abundance of bath salts, body scrubs and nourishing bath and body oils!

And then the hot water was placed in the old enamel basin.

In came the homemade salts and the tired, sore feet.

They soaked.

Next a sugary scrub with coconut oil, flowers & other luxorious things. And the heels were rubbed until they were smooth.

The fresh water appeared and the feet were washed and dried with a warm, clean white towel.

But this moment was not over, an oil infused with floral scent was massaged into the skin until all the aches disappeared.

And now it is her turn.

Yes, we were living lean at that time but I never felt richer.

It’s not the amount of wealth one has that makes for a lovely life, but what one does with what one has which enriches it.

"The art of being happy lies in the power of

extracting happiness from common things."

~ Henry Ward Beecher

“He who is faithful in what is least

is faithful also in much…”

~ Luke 16:10a

These are some of the ways my daughter and I show love to one another. Genuine joy is not found in “self-care” but in the caring, sacred service we offer to each other.

You also might consider pampering your husband for a romantic evening with these relaxing spa rituals (he is in fact human too and would love to be treated so special!). You can even have fun with the children and make a little spa day at home. Teaching them to create moments of joy together in the home is a beautiful lesson in old fashioned contentment and teaches them how to appreciate and utilize what they have (resourcefulness).

Here is a PRINTABLE of the labels and a few quotes to include in your Inspired Home "Junk" Journal if you are preparing one. 

(I made a paper pocket and tucked my labels inside it. I also printed extras to have on hand for impromptu gifts.)

To make the labels waterproof, you can cover them with clear contact paper or thick clear mailing tape. Visit HERE to view all of the Romantic Homemaking Series to add a bit of whimsey to your domestic day.

Happily homemaking,

♡ JES

P.S. This post may contain affiliate links (which are merchant links that help to support this site at no additional cost to you if you purchase an item through them).