My grandmother Mattie Shropshire Williamson would make the best preserves. I remember her making apricot and strawberry preserves. It seemed like the longest process because she would clean the jar and the lids, cut, and wash the strawberries/apricots. To a kid the cooking process is long enough, now we are adding additional steps, I thought I was losing my mind. I would take a fake nap, asking every five minutes if it's ready. I had and still have a serious sweet tooth. Grandma Mattie would take her time and follow the process, never-minding how many times I would ask was the preserves ready. She stayed focus on what she was doing and the outcome. The outcome was sheer perfection. I can still taste them today. Now when I look at how to make preserves the process doesn't seem as long, but as a kid, it seemed like an eternity. It is the same way when you are waiting for your blessings from God. We are laying around crying and whining about your breakthrough and when it is coming. God is in the kitchen preparing everything necessary for your blessing to be splendid. He is putting all of the love and time into the goodness He has for you. You are falling apart and He has it already worked out. You are fake falling asleep checking every two seconds to see if He has blessed you yet. You are pulling the cover back to see if you are still in your nightmare. You are checking the account to see if the money has hit the account. You are checking to see if this is the "one" you are supposed to marry. However God is at the same point grandma Mattie is at with the preserves, washing and cutting the fruits, prep work. You are yet and still worrying the stew out of the Master. He continues to move things around on your behalf. Nevertheless, when the final product is done, it is better than anything you ever imagined. Everything you went through, the tears and worrying is now a distant memory. Trust the process! The final product will be amazing. Lasting memories and testimonies of how God has blessed you.
Nothing like the memories of Grandma's House and the blessings of the Lord.
Preserves process: 5 steps that felt like 155 steps ( Just wait on God, it seems like it is taking long, but I promise you He is almost done).
Wash and cut fruit.
Sanitize jars (leave lids face up on a clean surface).
Cook fruit until it sets.
Fill warm jars with hot jam.
Close the jars and process them in a water bath.
