| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| JanaM |
Posted - May 27 2005 : 1:09:05 PM
Hi, farmgirls!
It would be great to hear from those of you who can your summer garden crops, or make special homemade canned relishes, peppers, jams, or other special family recipes (if you're willing to share!). My mother canned each summer - putting up peaches, pears, apricots, string beans, and making jam, and while I helped her with some of the process, I don't remember the great tips she may have had for those special recipes, or methods she used. Please share your special tips, recipes, and time tested advice here - on any canning related topic you choose!
I love the farmgirl spirit!
Jana
Indianola, WA
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| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Hilltophomesteader |
Posted - Oct 24 2005 : 6:22:45 PM
Kennie, I know what you mean about canning stuff everywhere! When we built our house we built a lovely entry with the stairs to the upstairs in it...only no one ever uses the front door! We all use the laundry room door and kick our shoes off in there as we come in, and we've taught all our friends to do the same! I came up with a new name for my entry since that's where we pile baskets of stuff waiting to be canned or eaten - like apples, squash, garlic, yams. I also have a couple of boxes of canning jars brought up from the cellar, pressure canners, Weck, canning lids. Now, it's officially the Keeping Room...after all, that's where I KEEP everything! Much more sensible than an entry. If I had it to plan over, I'd have made it a keeping room in the first place!
"As for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15 |
| lareyna |
Posted - Oct 22 2005 : 1:14:42 PM
I know what you mean, one year I made salsa that was way to juicy so I drained the juice and canned it, better than V8
http://bumpercrop.blogspot.com/
I was Country before Country was COOL |
| westfork woman |
Posted - Oct 22 2005 : 11:12:51 AM
It was pickle day on Wednesday. We like vegetable pickles. I brine vegetables - carrots, celery, blanched green beans, onion slices, and very small cucumbers - for 24 hours, then rinse and pack the vegetables in pretty jars, a 3 quart jar, a funny looking jar with a glass lid and a rubber seal that holds over 2 quarts, and an old coffee jar that holds about a quart and 1/2. Add some black peppercorns, and mustard seed, and cover with a mixture of 2 parts water to 1 part cider vinegar. Then I just put them on the botton shelf of the fridge and after about 2 weeks, they are ready to use. We eat them so fast they rarely last beyond the first of the year. I know some folks think that canning cost more than just buying stuff in cans, but how can runny tasteless applesauce, and thick filmy tasting tomato juice ever compare with the great tasting stuff I can easily make myself? On a winter day a toasted cheese sandwich and a glass of homemade tomato juice is to die for. And tomato soup made with homemade juice and a can of evaporated milk---mmmmmm. Nothing better or quicker.
If I would just get to town and get another box of apples to make into sauce, I could get the canning stuff out of my kitchen for another year. There are preserving kettles, canning kettles and boxes of empty jars on the floor in the kitchen and laundry room, just waiting. It is kind of messy, but I love it. Say hi to your mouse, lorij
Greetings from the morning side of the hill. |
| n/a |
Posted - Oct 16 2005 : 2:11:47 PM
I LOVE canning. My husband says I've got 'squirrel sickness' every Fall as I feel that every empty jar should be filled! We just finished canning dry beans (black, kidney and pinto). They are SOOOOO easy to use when they're already canned & on the shelf! Also - you can use up lots of apples canning pie filling (easy!) and cider (we can it in 1/2 gal. jars). What a great feeling - wood in the shed, spuds in the pumphouse and rows upon rows of filled canning jars!
"As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." |
| lareyna |
Posted - Oct 11 2005 : 5:35:35 PM
Tami, I have trouble with applesauce getting mold on top, am I just doing it wrong???????????????
http://bumpercrop.blogspot.com/
I was Country before Country was COOL |
| ladybugsmom6 |
Posted - Oct 11 2005 : 4:23:09 PM
My Mom and I have made applesauce as long as I can remember...we usually quarter the apples popp them in a huge pan and cook them with a small amount of water in the oven until they are soft and juicey, then we run them through the sieve and can away! The amount of jars you will need depends on how big your pot is! We have also cooked them down on the stove top, but then you need to watch to make sure they dont burn or scorch, it can be hard to reach down to the bottom of the pan to scrape the bottom.
-Tami
livin' right and loven' life! |
| therusticcottage |
Posted - Oct 10 2005 : 6:53:21 PM
Interesting article on pumpkins - and it mentions freezing the puree!
http://frugalliving.about.com/cs/foodstorage1/a/100703.htm?nl=1
I'm still hot...it just comes in flashes. |
| CathyM |
Posted - Oct 09 2005 : 3:35:33 PM
Thanks Lareyna I will try that tonight. |
| lareyna |
Posted - Oct 09 2005 : 2:14:50 PM
I freeze apple slices every year, I use my food saver and suck all the air out they never lose color,,,great for pies
http://bumpercrop.blogspot.com/
I was Country before Country was COOL |
| Clare |
Posted - Oct 09 2005 : 1:55:32 PM
I have some older canning books, and I thought I'd just share what they say about canning squash...(it's fine!!):
Sunset Canning & Preserving, copyright 1981:
Summer Squash -crookneck, zucchini, pattypan:
Can be packed either hot or raw.
Processing time at 10 pounds pressure for all.
Hot:
pints -30 mins, quarts- 40 mins.
Raw:
pints- 25 mins, quarts 30 mins.
Winter Squash- banana, butternut, hubbard, pumpkin:
Steam untils soft, mash, jar as usual.
pints - 85 mins, quarts 115 mins
Ball Blue Book, copyright 1983:
Says winter squash results in a better product if frozen.
Summer squash, steam, pack, jar as usual.
Pints 30 mins, quarts 40 mins, both at 10 pounds pressure.
I think Aunt Jenny is right, they are taking some of these safety things overboard. 
May the sun bring you new energy by day, may the moon softly restore you by night, may the rain wash away your worries, may the breeze blow new strength into your being, may you walk gently through the world and know its beauty all the days of your life. ~~Apache Blessing
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| CathyM |
Posted - Oct 09 2005 : 12:55:20 PM
speaking of canning... I went apple picking in the rain yesterday with my family, what fun that was  , we were soaked but we had a blast. Anyway, I came home with almost 100 lbs of apples, yeah we don't know when to stop when we're picking  . Anyway, I canned some applesauce, 12 jars, last night but I can't can anymore for a few days. I wanted to know if anyone has ever frozen apple slices and if so how can I do it.
I can't seem to find any cranberries around here, do I have to wait till next month?
Cathy |
| lareyna |
Posted - Oct 08 2005 : 1:07:36 PM
I do mine in the dishwasher on sani-cycle and take them out one at a time so they are always hot
http://bumpercrop.blogspot.com/
I was Country before Country was COOL |
| therusticcottage |
Posted - Oct 08 2005 : 12:48:30 PM
Jenny - I made a very small batch of applesauce last night from a recipe I found on the internet. It only called for 2lbs of apples which made about 3 cups of sauce. It used 1/4 c sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon. It is sooooo good!!! The apples I got are so sweet that the batch I'm going to do today I'll do without sugar. I just love the way the house smells when cooking apples. It reminds me of times spent with my Granny when she would make applesauce. I would beg her for a dish of hot apple chunks before she started mashing. So last night, in honor of my Granny, I had a bowl of chunks before I turned the apples into sauce!! YUM!
So you do your jars in the dishwasher as opposed to boiling? I read that the jars need to be hot when you fill them.
I'm still hot...it just comes in flashes. |
| lareyna |
Posted - Oct 08 2005 : 12:35:56 PM
http://www.fcs.uga.edu/pubs/current/FDNS-E-P.html
this is the article that scared me,,,,,however I ended up ignoring it, just finished canning 32 jars (pints) from two hubbards, and an entire crockpot leftover that I am going to try pumpkin butter, these were some big squashes!!
http://bumpercrop.blogspot.com/
I was Country before Country was COOL |
| lareyna |
Posted - Oct 07 2005 : 8:53:46 PM
Thanks Jenny, next time I will do cubes for sure, but for now first batch is in canner,,,,,,65 minutes
http://bumpercrop.blogspot.com/
I was Country before Country was COOL |
| Aunt Jenny |
Posted - Oct 07 2005 : 8:26:31 PM
I can my pumpkin or winter squash in cubes...read to do that somewhere..then drain and mash when you are readya to use them. But..that dosn't help you with all that puree ready to go. I would sure trust anything Jackie Clay (the ask Jackie from Backwoods home magazine) suggested..she is awesome! You for sure have to use a pressure cooker and it does take awhile. If you find an older book it will tell you a time for sure. The new ones don't want us to can ANYTHING!!!
Kay...when I make my applesauce I cook the apples in just a little water to get them started and then simmer for a long time on low heat..probably an hour..I spend that time washing jars and getting the water bath ready and all..until soft and then mash with a potato masher, bottom of a quart jar or run through a victorio strainer and can em up..no added sugar or anything else! leave about 1/2' headspace and water bath can them for 20 min for pints 25 min for quarts. Sometimes I add cinnamon..just a little is all it takes.
Jenny in Utah
Put all your eggs in one basket..and then watch that basket!! Mark Twain |
| lareyna |
Posted - Oct 07 2005 : 6:14:49 PM
I read that and took heart what scared me was some articles online that said not even in a pressure cooker, but I figger if Libbeys can do it so can I
http://bumpercrop.blogspot.com/
I was Country before Country was COOL |
| therusticcottage |
Posted - Oct 07 2005 : 5:06:32 PM
I got some Jonagold apples today and am going to make my first attempt at canning some applesauce. Anyone have a good recipe they'd like to share? We're getting into our apple season here and I also want to do some apple butter. A recipe for that would be great too. Thanks.
I'm still hot...it just comes in flashes. |
| therusticcottage |
Posted - Oct 07 2005 : 5:03:44 PM
Hey Arlene - I read the article and it said to can it with a pressure cooker. There isn't enough acid to do it in a hot water bath.
I'm still hot...it just comes in flashes. |
| lareyna |
Posted - Oct 07 2005 : 4:49:01 PM
well, not pumpkin actually Hubbard squash
http://bumpercrop.blogspot.com/
I was Country before Country was COOL |
| lareyna |
Posted - Oct 07 2005 : 4:43:42 PM
After spending the whole day getting two of my big Hubbards ready to go, (I have them steamed, peeled, pureed already) I started looking for processing times in my books and online, everything I have read says NOT to can the puree!!! this is NOT what I wanted to hear! then I found a really neat website
http://www.backwoodshome.com/index.html
it has a section called " ask Jackie " she states you CAN can pumpkin puree,,,any thoughts on the subject ladies? I don't have room in my freezer for all this, I have all three of my crock pots plus every bowl I own full of pumpkin puree ,,,,,,,,,,,,HELP!
by the way this is a SUPER website
http://bumpercrop.blogspot.com/
I was Country before Country was COOL |
| ladybugsmom6 |
Posted - Oct 03 2005 : 4:33:49 PM
ON another note. I just finished making supper for my family. The only thing that did not come out of my garden was the potatoes (shhh.dont tell my grandpa!) I made shepards pie with the venison I hit with my van, a jar of garden tomato sauce I canned with zucchini, carrots celery onions and such, then added corn and peas from the good freezer. I mixed all of this in a 9X9 pan, topped it with fresh mashed potatoes, and baked for 30 mins....MMMMM good. Isnt it rewarding to have a complete meal come from your own work!
-Tami
livin' right and loven' life! |
| LJRphoto |
Posted - Oct 03 2005 : 3:31:02 PM
I'm not an expert, but it is my understanding that once food is spoiled it's spoiled. The instructions always say to start with fresh, prime produce.
"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect." -Mark Twain
http://ljrenterprises.blogspot.com/ |
| ladybugsmom6 |
Posted - Oct 03 2005 : 2:36:29 PM
Ok tough question...I HAD green beans and strawberries frozen, also rhubarb, pumpkin, corn, venison and so much more in my freezer....Thenit died! I got the venison out of the frozen tundra and canned in the pressure cooker. Now that took some convincing of the hubby, the city slicker! But the beans were so thawed and soft even though surounded by ice that he convinced me to pitch them. We pithed most everything after I got a tummy ache after eating some of the starwberries. Would they have been savable if I would have canned them in the pressure canner? The corn, pumpkin zucchini and such I am not so troubled by, I can replace them yet this fall. But I must have had 40 bags of beans put away for winter, and 20 bags of berries. I am so sad. I feel like this is another one of god Lessons to me not to put so much stock in myself and rely moer on HIM, But next time???? Can I save any of it?
-Tami
livin' right and loven' life! |
| LJRphoto |
Posted - Oct 02 2005 : 11:19:22 PM
Thanks Kim! My girlfriend and I filled 35 of them this weekend with applesauce and I don't think that was even half. I haven't had any problems finding lids except that everyone is out of the regular sized lids. So, we just filled the wide mouths! Lucky me!
"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect." -Mark Twain
http://ljrenterprises.blogspot.com/ |
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