Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Good Customer Service & Tomato-Basil Jam

Wow! Whatever happened to that-good customer service? I won't bore you with horrible details, but being a webmistress for over 10 years, I'm used to dealing with server companies and getting pretty decent service. Making a simple transfer of administrators set off a really bad chain of events that the server company refused to correct. As a result, all websites held on their server are now being transferred to another company. I made multiple attempts to ask for help. I kept being told the same excuse. Some policies really need some updating and change. This is a competitive world so you would think that the policy of "the customer is always right" would be in place. Sorry for these folks, it sure isn't. They made an error which cost me and another tech a lot of hours and work.
Oh, and I do this for free! I volunteer my services which normally cost a few hundred bucks so that several organizations I treasure get website building and maintenance. Now moving....ARGH!

Those of you who run small or large businesses should really consider the old standby, let the customer be happy. From what I was lead to believe since childhood, it's what runs the economy.

OK, I'm off my soapbox now. Back to canning! Tomatoes up the galore. Do you remember that cool tomato smashing tool I showed you? I'm finally getting to use it, that along with my Vitamix blender. Making Tomato-Basil Jam. I'll use it like ketchup.

Tomato Pineapple Basil Jam

2 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled (diced to measure 3 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup lemon juice (I used 1/2 cup bottled lemon juice)
3 T. snipped fresh basil (I used pineapple basil)**
3 cups sugar
Powdered pectin for lower sugar recipes (Ball low sugar/no sugar 3T. of flex batch) (Pomona Pectin 3 t. pectin 3 t. calcium water)


Seed, core and finely chop tomatoes.  (Here's where I swish them.) Measure 3 1/2 cups tomatoes and add to stainless steel saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered for 10 minutes, stirring often. Stir in lemon juice and basil.  Add sugar and return bring to a  boil, stirring often. Add the pectin and return to a full rolling boil for one minute. Remove from heat and quickly skim off foam.

Ladle hot jam into hot sterilized half pint jars, leaving a 1/4 headspace. Wipe jar rims, add lids and rings. Process in water bath for 10 minutes at a full boil. Makes 5 half pint jars.
**You can use any kind of basil.
 This recipe came from a Better Homes & Garden magazine. Enjoy your last tomatoes all winter long.

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