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Farm Kitchen:  New to Canning  |
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catscharm74
True Blue Farmgirl
4687 Posts
Heather
Texas
USA
4687 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 07 2016 : 07:22:58 AM
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I want to can some homemade tomato sauce, because I make it fresh every week but I am trying to free up time. I want to do at least 14 jars. I know NOTHING about canning, where should I start?
I also want to can corn, if that is possible. It's our favorite vegetable and when fresh corn goes on sale, I could get a bunch to work with.
Any suggestions? Thanks.
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
6914 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
6914 Posts |
Posted - Aug 07 2016 : 07:36:25 AM
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Heather the Ball Blue Book is my first choice for canning books. It's great for new canners. Several editions have been issued through the years; a new one this year mostly for small batch canners. For what you want to do now I think one of the older editions is what you will need.
Sara~~~ FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
FarmGirl of the Month Sept 2015.
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth. |
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AuntJamelle
True Blue Farmgirl
569 Posts
Jaime
South Bend
Indiana
USA
569 Posts |
Posted - Aug 08 2016 : 06:18:32 AM
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Yes, absolutely agree that Ball Blue Book is the place to start! That is how I taught myself to can!
Another good book is Canning and Preserving for Dummies :)
Do you have all your supplies? Canner, jars, etc.?
I'm also not sure if the older version of the Blue Book that YellowRose mentioned has the latest info on the way to prepare your jar lids. That has changed recently - but you can google and find info on that I'm sure!
Happy to chat more on this if you like!!! Good luck! |
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catscharm74
True Blue Farmgirl
4687 Posts
Heather
Texas
USA
4687 Posts |
Posted - Aug 08 2016 : 07:26:42 AM
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Thank y'all- I just ordered the book and I have no supplies. I am starting from scratch. I am kinda of excited that I finally have some time to do this. I am going to go visit the feed store, as I saw a great selection of canning items. :)
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AuntJamelle
True Blue Farmgirl
569 Posts
Jaime
South Bend
Indiana
USA
569 Posts |
Posted - Aug 08 2016 : 10:45:54 AM
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Craigslist and garage sales are a great low cost source for the glass canning jars - just check to be sure the lips/rims of the jars aren't chipped!
Not sure which feed store you have but around here Rural King is a great resource for canning supplies! So is Menards but they are a local chain.
Years ago I bought one of those multi piece canning accessory sets - and I use most of those items still. A jar lifter may or may not come in that set but is essential! Another nice thing I purchased recently is a funnel that will sit over wide or regular mouth jars that has an extra plastic piece on the outside that measures headspace. Avoids using a ruler or eyeballing it compared to the picture in the Ball book! lol I found that at Menards.
The other thing I use is a long offset metal spatula - it's nice and thin and I use it to carefully slide in between the sides of the jars and the food - to press in gently to help release the air bubbles. They say NOT to use metal but I've yet to find anything plastic that is both thin enough and sturdy enough for this purpose.
My MIL just jams a butter knife in and rattles it around - which is what they say to avoid because you can chip your jar rims. I figure that as long as I'm careful it will be ok. :)
I also always put an old bath towel on the kitchen counter where I am assembling my jars - I use it to cushion the jars when I am "burping" them. Gently tapping the open jars on the counter multiple times to help those air bubbles float to the top and pop. There is a tool in the multi piece set I mentioned before that allows you to grip the hot jars around the side (two long pieces of metal hinged at one end, covered in silicone, curved to fit around the jar) and either tap the jars like I mentioned or to hold them while you twist the canning ring down.
The other thing I've just started doing is sanitizing my jars right in the water bath canner - boiling for 10 minutes will do it. Then when I'm close to needing to fill them I just lift up the canner rack, jars and all and use the hooks on the rack to let them sit up above the water. I then use my jar lifter (the one meant to grab jars from the top) to empty the hot water back into the canner and then set the hot jar on my towel to be filled. Then when the jar lid/ring is on I set it back in the rack to keep it hot until I have all the jars ready and I can lower the whole rack back in the water.
The rack that came with my water bath canner wasn't the greatest, hardly anything to it on the bottom so the jars were basically sitting on the bottom of the pan and I couldn't do what I just described. I bought a new one at Walmart (another good canning supply source) and love it! I think it was $10
Water bath canning is a great place to start! If you have any more questions as you get into it I know this is a great group for them! |
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catscharm74
True Blue Farmgirl
4687 Posts
Heather
Texas
USA
4687 Posts |
Posted - Aug 08 2016 : 12:54:36 PM
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Wow!!Thank you Jaime. I remember all these tools from when my mom canned. I never helped, as she was terrified I would be burnt. But I remember the tools, but that was a good 30 years ago?!? I have been reading up online, there is a lot of great information.
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Aug 08 2016 : 7:09:27 PM
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Heather - I was really afraid of pressure canning, but found a how-to on the New Life On A Homestead website. Kendra made it super easy and I've been canning away ever since. She no longer offers her instructions for free on her website, but she does sell one here, if you're interested: http://newlifeonahomestead.com/at-home-canning-dvd/ I'm just a super visual person, so watching it done was so much easier for me than reading up on it. This video actually shows you how to both water bath AND pressure can, so I'm thinking it might be very helpful to you, if you're interested! On her website, however, she DOES have quite a few pictorial tutorials for both water bath and pressure canning: http://newlifeonahomestead.com/the-homestead-kitchen/canning/ I highly recommend you check them out, too! Have fun! Hugs - Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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Farm Kitchen: New to Canning |
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New to Canning
