Canning, Freezing and Drying Food  

Hi Jessica!!! I wanted to say that I lost my mom in November 2020 and I was so grateful for all the memories she gave me. I see you giving those same type of memories to your children. The ones that even a certain smell can bring them right back to your kitchen in their minds. You are doing a great service for them. These things are precious and special and held in the heart forever. Keep doing it lady.... 😊😊😊 your Michigan Fan and Friend Araminta 🎉🎉🎉

Jessica, I REALLY appreciate that you explain "best practice" canning and why you choose the way you do it. I don't mind folks that can things a little differently than what is recommended, but I also want to know if it isn't what is advised. Makes it clear for beginners. Thank you for that!

Loved to see how you store blueberries! For berries jam I replace 20% of berries with dried cranberries that I prevoiusly soaked in water the night before, strained and processed with a mixer to make a a kind of paste. Cranberries have a lot of pectin and replacing 20% of any berry and even a berry mix jam you will not need to add pectin powder. It also makes you jam super delicious ❤

Look at little Hanna falling asleep in the best and safest place in the world for her and her busy mom, on momma’s back. We carry our littles ones on our backs too in my country, and they just love it. Our toddlers often come dragging their blankie when they feel sleepy, wanting to be carried on mom’s back - it is comforting to them.

I really wish I were your neighbor. I love your videos. I probably have told you they bring me such peace in the crazy world in which we live. The simple life is really far more rewarding than anything. Thank you Jessica. ❤

WoW, I feel overwhelmed with 10-15 pounds of fruit. You rock that out dancing along with Hannah 😀 I appreciate that you mention when your canning methods differ from recommendation 😊 Hope your week is great

I really appreciate the distinction between tested canning processes and how you are choosing to preserve your food.

loved watching the little ones munch on the blueberries and baby Hannah falling asleep on your back - just magic!

That was so adorable watching Hannah fall asleep on your back, she is such a doll. I love blueberries.

What a good feeling you must have to have accomplished all those berries and potatoes. Job well done. Looking forward to seeing how you finish your garden harvest.

Three River FAMILY Homestead I love seeing everyone working so diligently & gracefully together. Thank you for sharing your BEAUTIFUL Family with us. #️⃣1️⃣🕊️💜🙌🏻✝️

I look forward to watching your video every Sunday morning as I drink my first cup of coffee. I remember the times of busy days of canning and freezing for my family. As a senior, you wear me out just watching you but what a lovely life. Thank you!

I love watching you harvest and canning, hannah is growing so fast bless her, you have a lovely family❤🇬🇧

Love watching you preserve food & its so awesome your children are learning so much! Definitely taking notes! Hannah is so sweet! 😊

What a Great feeling to have fresh fruit on hand to feed your family. No guilt feeding your kids wholesome food. At least if your kids want a snack you can give them something nutritious and good for them.

I live it! Low impact aerobics, rocking baby on your back! For years after my babies were much bigger, if I heard a baby crying in the store etc, I’d start rocking back n forth automatically! Lol

Just loved watching sweet little Hannah drift off on your back ❤❤❤

I enjoyed your video…reminds me of my Mom canning. Especially loved watching the boys eat their carrots. You are richly blessed.

One of my very favorite channels! Thank you so much for creating this soothing, educational, wholesome content and sharing your beautiful mind / family / home with all of us!

Jessica, I started rocking with you when your were rocking Hannah of to sleep; and my baby (youngest) is 21yrs old! Just love your content. I always learn a lot even though I’m old enough to be your mum. Keep on sharing your knowledge - it’s valuable. My the Lord continue to bless your and your loved ones. 🌹Rosie of Oz🇦🇺 & 🐶Omega the Cavalier🐶

I saw someone using one of those metal hair pick combs to pierce blueberries. They put their blueberries in a bowl, stuck the comb in and pulled out all the pierced blueberries which they then put on the tray. Haven't tried it myself. I love using frozen blueberries in my oatmeal in the winter time.

Hey 👋👋 Jessica my Friend n @Three Rivers Homestead , NaNa is here 👀💭 learning so much on canning that Im taking notes for it ❤💟❤❗... Lil Hannah is so content tho thru it all 😮😅, I wish I had known all this as my kids grew up 😉💭❗.. Your kids are all so helpful n enjoy helpin ya 👏💥👏Momma❗... What a joy n how easy you help us to lean to Can n cook with fresh foods Jess 💃✨💃❗... I ❤ the sway n dance you do n 👀💭 Hannah does too to nap contently on your back 😊😅❗... Thanks for Sharing , sending yall bunches of love 💗❤💗 always 😇😘❗

Wonderful crew of helpers (and nibblers)!! Thank you for your Sunday video as it was thoroughly enjoyable!!

Good afternoon my dear friend, all things blueberry looks oh so good!! I love how you provide for your family! Iam going to try making some jam, with just the sugar and pectin, I only need a small amount for myself, son and daughter, thank you for always making me want to be better! Look forward to seeing you mid-week!

Oh my gosh, your sons eating carrots… they’re SO cute:) you are such a good mom Jess

1st...you are a super-parent. I thought potatoes came from a box until I was 10 years old. So, you probably think you are doing the minimum for your family, but you ROCK! Thanks for the video... :)

Good morning. Wow! That is a lot of blue berries. Hannah is so precious falling asleep on your back. Typical baby, cant fight the motion of being carries or a vehicle. Lol 💜 That is awesome being able to get that amount of home grown fruit like that. We dont have large farms like that close by us, unfortunately. My grandkids love blueberries 🫐 like your kids do. I look forward to your video on Sunday mornings. I have learned a lot of tricks of saving and reusing food products. Have a blessed day and thank you. 🙏🏻💜🌻

Just a fab video, a wonderfully productive time with the lovely Miss Hannah.

Oh my goodness, where has July gone?!? I shall relish the last few days. Winter comes quickly here in Canada. I hope August and September are kind to us. Love to all from the North!

Sending support, love, and kindness from Lexington, Michigan, USA

You have so much patience to puncture each blueberry individually!

I admire you! You work hard for your family! Salutations from Québec!

Thank you so much these videos are so educational. We're empty nesters but We been for a few yrs now like 8 growing our own veggies herbs wild plant on our property and try to purchase from all organic sm farmer. Following your channel has gave me courage to can my food thank you so much, as I'm a picky eater more on the vegetarian side i do like some meat but not very big on it. I grow the veggies I or we eat.. so that keeps me from growing something we don't like or will not eat. And watching your videos make it so smooth that i can do this, i just need to buy a pressure cooker, I've always put my fruit and veggies in freezer. My herbs I always cure them to keep the freshness. Thank so much you are a wonderful lady. Your family are bless.🤗🥰

Canning blueberry jam this weekend. Can't wait for that wonderful smell to fill the house.

Lovely presentation. It's been a rough year with out cleaning out and closing on my FIL's estate, where time to preserve up to this point has been limited, and sadly with all the rain and heat, my garden looks a trifle bit overwhelmed. Blueberry season is just beginning here in NH, and like yourself, my shrubs don't do great, so I will seek out a farm to acquire them. Here in NH our farm stands can be quite expensive, but there are options. I wanted to say, I appreciated you sharing about how you freeze blueberries, and they why, as I have always flash frozen to prevent them from sticking. You have saved me a step. My jams I do not use any of the powder formula's for making the jam, but thank you for mentioning the Pomona's brand, as I have never heard of it before. I don't use a lot of sugar, yet it does take longer as one needs to keep watch, yet after reading up on it, this particular brand is perfect for what I am willing to use, in also using less sweetener. Thank you so much!! Also, it was a delight to see you move/dance with Hannah on your back. Babies love to be rocked, and yet momma's need to get their chores done. Blessings to you and your family ❤

You are a great mother, wish this generation get some of your amazing knowledge and efforts you share with us. Thanks

I freeze dried peaches, cherries and carrot tops. I couldn't fit all of the carrot tops on my three small freeze dryer trays, so I froze those. I can add the frozen carrot tops when making broths. I fit the freeze dried tops in a quart jar and vacuum sealed them. I had to squish them down to fit them. I can't wait to can potatoes. Such a great feeling to have canned foods for quick meals. Glad your doing better.❤

Hey Jessica! I just started watching but wanted to go ahead and comment before I forget or get interrupted. We have multiple blueberries and also have clay (central VA here!) the ones in the middle of our garden are not thriving, I don't know if it's the variety or soil or both. We do the no till method and use woodchips. The ones that are thriving are at the edge of our garden near the woods, the ones that are truly thriving are the Tifblue, they are prolific and cold hardy, up to 6 feet. I cannot recommend this variety enough. We have done nothing special for them and they just produce like crazy! Hope you have an amazing week, God Bless you all!

Your little Ben drying his hands on his pants, ☺. Little Hannah, such a happy baby. Loved the blueberry preserves. Sorry for the delayed comment. Love you guys. *Hugs*

I completely missed this video, I don't think my notifications are working properly. I love the every bit counts challenge. Though I prefer to go head strong and do big batch canning and preserving on the weekends when I'm not working, it's encouraging to many who don't have time to devote a whole day to it. Those blueberries are lovely, I will try some pie filling this year for the first time.

you can grow blueberries in large containers ;) I grow them in large pots with zero problems :)

In our area at this time of year store bought blueberries are still coming from other countries and so flavorless, like much produce from long distances. Back when I used to make lots of jams one of my favorites was blueberry. My problem is that now that it is just me it is doubtful I would even use half a pint of any flavor jam per year.

Hi,you remind my of my mom. You are an angel,a hero for your kids. God blees your hands!❤

Ya!!! I just binged watched last year's #everybitcountschallenge gearing up for this year to do it myself and I couldn't be more excited for this video today!

Hi from Tasmania, Australia.. I found you by accident.. and I found your info very helpful as I live in the bush.. so canning and preserving is essential.

Thank you Jessica! Sounds like you are feeling better, that’s great! Little Hannah is getting big quickly! Your gardens are gorgeous!! Our is off to a late start. We haven’t even gotten any summer squash yet. A few cherry tomatoes though 😊You have a blessed week also.

I just love watching you put away food! I don't grow enough to put away lots, put this year I've already made some jams and jellys and more is to come. Love it!

Your garden is incredibly lush. What complete joy for your household.

GM Jessica! Blueberries! Yum..growing up, we ate tons too but Mom didn't care. She made pies and jams with what's left

I just love all of your videos! I love your tried and true wisdom! ❤

Those blueberries are stunning. I know they taste amazing.

Great job getting all the canning projects done can't wait for the every bit counts challenge.

Love your videos! Thank you.

Love the green kitchen walls! The very same color I painted my first teenage bedroom furniture...

Jessica- those blueberries are gorgeous. Up the road from me is the Fairfield’s- just blue with berries. I went raking every summer as a teen, but now it’s one person on a rig that rakes even the sides of the woods snd road leaving none. When I was a young mom, I’d pack up my children and we’d go pick roadside but there’s not even that now. They’re ripening as I can sit here in my backyard and hear what sounds like shotguns. It’s another machine that’s set to ‘fire’ every minute to scare away deer. We use to try and get a couple bowl fulls on the slt, and when those machines were first set up- the owners just sat and laughed cause it would fire and all these heads would poke up looking around 😄. When we ventured back out of the fields being time for our husbands to pick us up, they met us still chuckling at the entertainment, let us keep what we picked but said not to do it anymore. This forced us all to buy berries and they’re so high here. I’m 10 minutes from Nova Scotia and it’s classed as the blueberry capital of the world.

Good morning, Jessica I'm glad you feeling better and healing beautifully. I am going to take beekeeping class next week and see if that is something I can handle. When you ready I hopeyou can share more information and tips on that subject. Meanwhile, I found your videos motivation especially during summer when last thing I want to do is bake in the kitchen. #everybitcountchallenge works much better for me that try to tackle huge canning day. I just order my first pressure canner and hoping to focus on meat preserving. Thank you for everything. May God bless you and keep you 🙏 ❤

Your garden is beautiful!! I love your videos so encouraging ❤❤❤

This video was amazingly helpful to me. I am a fairly new canner, and it was inspiring to see how much food that you preserved in a day with just a small sized canner. I have that same size Presto canner, so thank you for showing me what I will be able to accomplish. Also, your baby is precious!

Watching your precious baby fall asleep from your swaying!!

Love this channel! Her family is adorable! I learn so much from them.

You should try growing the Garden Huckleberry,as a blueberry substitute for baking/jelly.. 💕🦋🌼🌻

Wow! 🫐🫐🫐 I have never seen bulk blueberries like that available for purchase. How wonderful to be able to source them like that and at that wonderful quality. And so funny watching the kids munching away through them. So many for such small boys!!! 😂

When my nephew was a year old, his mom and I went blueberry picking. My sister-in-law had Tommy in a backpack, and when we had finished and she transferred him from the backpack to the car seat, it became apparent that he had been very, very busy stuffing his face with blueberries that he had picked from his high position in the backpack! Kids do seem to love them.

Thank you for the video. Love the canning projects and how to use ideas. Your garden looks fabulous 😍

Good job getting all that food processed! I look forward to trying your pie filling recipe for my next batch ☺️

Canning potatoes in the Morning thank you for sharing your canning and preserving makes it a lot easier an less stressful for me to can ❤

So satisfying. You inspired me to continue with my Channel 🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲

Your garden really did great this year.

Thank you very much for teaching us your precious lessons.

WOW Jessica! Awesome job packing all that food away!👏❤

Love this way to do pie filling, so much simpler than other methods. Can't wait to try it!

You've inspired me to make blueberry jam this week with the blueberries I have from a local "u pick" farm. A much smaller amount, of course! I would love to try canning some of our homegrown potatoes as well.

Thank you for sharing all your knowledge! ❤ It has inspired me to start again

A labor of love 💕 everything you do is with your family in mind. A blessing to them 😊

What do you do to reset yourself? You are at a very time of your life with toddlers and an infant. I know you have older children to help out, but what is your “ me time”? I just love harvest time in the Summer. Nothing like a fresh cantaloupe or watermelon for a refreshing, sweet treat on a hot day! It also feels good to put up the bounties for upcoming meals too. I have running menus for meals in my head that I need to get type out.

Once again, love your videos!!!!!!

GREAT and fun video! You make everything look SO easy.

I love how your videos are full of motivation and information, yet very soothing and peaceful. Sipping from my cup of coffee while watching you this morning. Have a great week! ❤

ALWAYS enjoy your preservation videos so informative ❤ Love from the UK x

I love all of your videos. Your children are always so happy . My household also loves fresh blueberries.

Hi if your interested, blueberries have enough pectin in them as they are. I squeeze some lemon juice and sugar into the crushed berries to taste and can them water-bath for 30 min. They gel up thick every time. It doesn't work for every fruit but you don't need any outside sugar or pectin at all

Hello Jessica, greetings from Oregon. I love how you teach both ways of canning thank you

Loved that you told best practice and why you differ. Also love your videos - I always learn so much from you! Can't wait til we get our house so I can try some of these!

I’m ready for the challenge. Currently I am harvesting my garden and my neighbors garden who is on vacation for 10 days so my pantry is getting pretty full at the moment. and also taking care of her chickens, so I get to keep those eggs as well. I’m really happy about that.

I have just gotten into food preservation and I have learned so much from you!

What a great video. Thank you for showing us how to can our blueberries.

appreciate you showing how you save time balancing the projects. this is something I aim for, but don't always do. I can do it in the oven, but appreciate the canning projects...especially with peak canning season coming on quick.

Wow! Love how you tackle each canning project and share why and how with us. All the while caring for miss Hannah and hungry boys. Again I go into a new week with new knowledge from your homestead. The garden is so bountiful. Have a blessed week.

Blessings, lifting you and your family up in prayers at Service 🙏🏿

I love watching all your videos I learn a lot from you, thank you

Thank you. I hope you & your family have a blessed week.

Enjoyed it!

Thank you. Blessings

Hi Jessica those blueberries looked delicious. You must so great giving your kids fresh fruit. There is nothing like fresh fruit to snack on. Hope you have a wonderful day. Robyn

I love blue berries, these look fantastic, this method of making blueberry jam looks so easy. The pie filling looks very easy too.

Hi Jessica. You make it look so easy. I love your videos. Ty for sharing your sweet babies.

Stay safe love watching you doing things like the kitchen and cooking thank you

Great video ...lots of good ideas and information ...your garden is beautiful and thriving

My son loves fruit like your little ones and he eats it the same until he’s fit to pop! I did learn that blueberries are good to help over exam times, can’t remember why now but I’ve always made sure he’s had a good serving of blueberries each day around the exam times. Not that it’s ever been a problem him eating them 😂 he always chooses fruit over chocolate and biscuits etc, sadly my daughters the opposite, she only eats pink lady apples that have been in the fridge so they’re hard and pineapple, much fussier than my son x

I Love this! We did something similar where we live out. This video actually gave us inspiration and hope that we can still become successful, thanks so much for this video.