Be YOURSELF!

I recently taught a beginner's jelly making class.  I was demonstrating that an easy first attempt at jelly begins with fruit juice.  The first half of making jelly is the washing, peeling, chopping, and cooking down the fruit.  If you want an easy start, begin with juice, and skip immediately to the step of boiling the juice.

We used apple juice (be sure you use 100% juice!), sure jell low-sugar powdered pectin, and white sugar.  These directions came right from the sure jell box.

6 cups 100% apple juice
4 cups white sugar
1 box low-sugar sure jell powdered pectin

Measure 4 cups sugar and set aside. 
Place clean jars and lids in pot of water and heat on high.
Pour 6 cups apple juice into another pot.
Mix 1/4 cup of the measured sugar and box of pectin in small bowl.  Stir mixture into juice. 
When pectin and sugar are dissolved, turn on heat and bring juice to full, rolling boil while stirring constantly.
Pour remaining sugar into juice all at once.  Return to full rolling boil for exactly one minute, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat.  Skim foam off top for clear jelly.
Remove jars from hot water and ladle jelly within 1/2 inch of top of jars.
Place lids and rings on jars and water bath in boiling water for 5 minutes.
Remove processed jelly and let cool (out of draft) overnight.

Do you ever get those Ah Ha moments while you are canning?  I had one after this canning class.  The class was much larger than had been anticipated.  I began to get nervous, which makes me talk faster.  I also covered nervousness in school by being class clown.  So the faster I talked and more nervous I got, the more my class was half instruction/ half stand-up comedy. 


 I believe everyone got the instruction they needed (and some entertainment, too).  Nonetheless, I found myself wishing I was more poised.  I very much admire women who are gracious and do not babble as I do.  Then a woman came to me in the kitchen who had very recently experienced a family tragedy.  She thanked me for the class and told me that she had not wanted to even leave the house that night.  But she had come and really enjoyed herself.



That was my Ah Ha moment.  You can find this thought expressed many ways by many writers.  It isn't new, it isn't profound, but it finally resonated for me.  Be Yourself!  I certainly advocate that for others, but hesitate to allow it for myself.  At that moment I realized that what this lovely woman needed that night was not a gracious, poised teacher.  She needed just what I had to offer.


 

There is nothing wrong with admiring qualities in others or trying to improve yourself.  But remember that sometimes you may be just what the Dr ordered for a person near you - just the way you are!

I hope you enjoy some canning this week.  And more importantly, I hope you are happy being YOU!

~Leslie