Gertrude and the making of jams

This is the time of year in western New York when Gertrude would begin the ritual of making jams. She had an old gas stove in her basement, and it was a monster but perfect for canning! There was a laundry tub and old kitchen table down there as well. It was cool in the basement and a great place to work during the summer.

Sometimes she would pick the strawberries and other times she bought the fruit by the bushel basket. Cleaning a bushel of cherries and pitting them was a pain. She had this apparatus that was supposed to make it faster and easier. While the jam was cooking she worked on the jars.

The jars had to be super clean and almost sterile before she put the jam into them. I would try to help her but I remember getting tired and would just sit and watch. I did not think I was much help at all! When the jam was finally ready to be put into the jars, then into a boiling hot water bath, it had taken all day. Jam making days continued throughout the summer and the rewards of homemade jam were enjoyed all year long.