Cantaloupe Vanilla Jam

One of the coolest new things over at the new Food $ense website is the area that helps you to PLAN. If you have some time after your blog reading today, you should really head over there and explore a little.  

This weekend I was at my local grocery store and they had cantaloupes for 1.00$ each. I don't know about your family, but my kids love them some cantaloupe. So I bought a few of them. I bought them with the intention to eat one and then to make the others into a new Cantaloupe Vanilla Jam recipe that I came across in a new cookbook. 

First I had to deseed, peel and chop up my cantaloupe. At this point, a lot of it got eaten because as I mentioned my kids love it, and Hey! it is already cut up and reading for eatin'!  After I cut it up, I seeded the vanilla bean and added the sugar and set it on the stove to cook. 

 I got my jars all sterilized and lid prepared.  This whole process went a lot smoother than I thought that it was going. This is only my second time water bath canning and my first time doing it by myself.

 I followed the recipe and processing instructions exactly and I am happy to report the jam turned out beautifully. I am so pleased with myself. I found the cantaloupe on sale for a crazy deal, I had everything else already at home and so all I had to do we set aside a few hours in the afternoon to make the jam.

 Here is a close up of the jars. I have to say they are even prettier in person.

Now, hop on over to the Food $ense website and check out & explore our awesome new website! This experience was all about being in a position to take advantage of a local store deal on something that my family enjoys. The lesson is: 

• * Buy unadvertised sale items if you use them often and have extra money and storage space available. Be sure to check the use-by date.

It took me some searching to find melons that weren't over-ripe and not bruised and mushy, but it was worth the few minutes of extra effort to be able to take advantage of this deal. 

Remember when you are using cantaloupe to wash the outside of your melon to ensure that no germs are spread from the outside rind to the inside when you are cutting and slicing with your nice. For other information on cantaloupes including how to pick a good one and some awesome recipes, like the cantaloupe salsa we made this summer check out the fact sheet HERE.