I can do anything

Here are some lessons we learned while trying to can on Friday:

Becca should remind me or I should remember to bring appropriate containers, because I have many very, VERY large bowls and very, VERY deep pots and Becca...does not. And my pots and bowls did us loads of good sitting in my cupboards at home.

Canning should never be done alone. Ever. Conversely, canning with two almost/just turned 11 month olds is not very efficient either.

Doubling recipes whilst canning can sometimes cause problems. Also, along these same lines, corn starch is utterly bizarre in large quantities.

Apple pie filling is sticky. Very sticky. And then, so too are the table, all implements within a five foot radius of the kitchen, and the aforementioned babies, not to mention one's hands, jeans, shoes, and, after an unfortunate incident with a spoon used to stir the filling, the kitchen rug.

Even the most detailed and illustrated 15 page instructions can leave much room for error. See corn starch reference above.

My mother and Becca's family used the same large Tupperware cup measure to make shaped pancakes when we were kids (okay, this one is not strictly about canning, but I can't tell you how odd it was to see that container appear while we were measuring. I could have sworn it was the exact same one from my childhood, worn numbers and all!)

We shall see how it all turns out. It may be that we need to have lots and lots of apple pies in the next little while, which won't be too bad, given it's Thanksgiving soon, but I hope not!