Canning

[LeeB]

Any one doing any canning? I'm looking for recomendations on a canner.

[ARKANSAWYER]

  Renee' does and you have two kinds of canning.  There is "wet bath" and "pressure canning".  Some things like meat you have to pressure can them and like tomatos you you can wet bath them.   She does both.

[zopi]

http://canningusa.com/

these folks have a good deal of info on canning, and they sell suplies pretty reasonably...two kinds of pressure canners if you need one..presto and wisconsin aluminum...we have a presto that is about
50 years old..

most veggies need not be pressure canned..we just use a big stock pot..preferably on a burner outside..hot work..

[LeeB]

Lindy is wanting to try pressure canning, put away some meats and such. Any recommendations appreciated. We know nothing about it.

[zopi]

If you do a google search for ag extension and canning you come up with a bunch of free info..or call the local extension agent..there are a bunch of books, but most of them a regurgitiations of the same info.

[splitter]

LeeB, my wife and I hot water can tomatoes and beans every year its not that hard and besides saving money the taste is a lot better in my opinion. Ball puts out a book on canning that is very helpful and Kerr may also put out a book. My mother canned all her life, if it wasn't for canned food I wouldn't be here.  Good luck----Splitter

[LeeB]

Lindy bought an All American canner while I was gone this time. It's a biggun. Looks like we're in the canning biz now. We'll see how it goes.

[olyman]

the all american--that the one with a machined area for sealing??--no gasket??--if so--there a honey---

[iffy]

Coupla things I like to can:
Carp - Fillet fish, remove mud stripe, cut into chunks. Pack tightly in pint jar, 1/4 tsp salt, 15 lbs for 90 minutes. Note: do not add any liquid to the jar before sealing. When it is done the jar will be 2/3 full of fish oil as well as the fish chunks. Use it like you would salmon for salmon patties.
Deer, elk, etc. - Remove fat and membranes, cut into chunks, pack tightly in pint jar. Add 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp beef bouillon granules or powder. 15 lbs for 75 minutes. Excellent in stew, beef & noodles, etc. This is great for the tougher cuts of meat that would normally end up as burger.

[Dan_Shade]

most extension service bulletins recommend pressure canning all vegetables now in order to kill botulism spores.  the spores are killed at 240^oF, a water bath can't get this hot.

Pickles can be water bathed due to the vinegar content.

there's a lot of info out there on canning, but some of the older stuff has been superceded by additional discoveries covering food safety over the past 50 years.

[LeeB]

I been gone to Houston all week for a seminar for work.  While I was gone Lindy out up 18 quarts of bread and butter pickles. She couldn't use the new canner though. It won't fit under the stove vent. Too tall. >:( Looks like I'll have to do a little redesign on the cabs.

Olyman, the all american is the one with machined edge for gasketless fit.

[Faron]

We are back in the canning business.  I grew up on home canned food, but we hadn't canned too much  since the girls left home.  Now faron'skid is raising a big garden, and we are back canning.  We bought a propane camp stove a while back, and a stainless steel table the other day.  Instead of canning in the house, with the mess and heat, we have turned the garage into a canning factory. This morning was the trial run, and the bosses were pleased. 8)





This is the stove.  They were able to use two pressure canners at a time.



Here is some of the finished product. 8)

We will be canning peas and tomatoes later.  We are figuring on canning peaches later on, and probably some apples.  We think during the canning season we will just leave everything set up and ready so we can process one batch or a whole bunch at a time.  I think I may have a stainless steel container built so we can cold pack half gallons.

[thecfarm]

Good for you.Don't know what part of IN you are in,but the Amish stores will probaly have what you need.

[olyman]

Olyman, the all american is the one with machined edge for gasketless fit.
[/quote]  after owning the canners with gaskets--and loosing them in the divorce--got a all american for near nothing--as i had researched them---

[CLL]

You can't buy green beans as good as canned ones, I don't care how long you cook then or how much ham or smoked hocks. Canning just has a different taste.

[Roxie]

We can perserves (strawberry, raspberry & grape), green beans, corn, beets, and apple butter.  My favorite thing to can is vegetable soup.  There ain't much better in this world, than walking into the house on a cool evening, and having some homemade soup!

[thecfarm]

My wife cans alot.She cans a soup starter in ½ gallon jars.She put everything in but the potatoes and the meat.

[LeeB]

Where do you get 1/2gal canning jars?

[thecfarm]

We use to get them from Amish stores in PA, because we could not found any in Maine.But now we can found them at wal mart and some hardware stores.
Another thing I've noticed.Just regular ½ gallon glass jars are getting harder and harder to find.Someone said Subway has glass ½ gallon jars.If they have any out your way.I have to check that out.Hard to find glass now.We have a bunch of them.We gave alot away.My stepson was dating a girl that worked at a ice cream place.She would get a few each week about 10 years ago.We had plenty at one time.Now most are plastic jars.If we would of known we would of kept getting them.

[Jeff]

Tammy and I just did up 10 jars of Blueberry jam.  Last week we did 10 jars of Raspberry and 10 jars of what we called Blasberry.  Not enought Blue berries for a whole batch so we topped it off with Raspberries. 

[Dan_Shade]

I did 24 pints of lime pickles this evening!

[Norm]

What are lime pickles Dan?

[Dan_Shade]

8 lbs sliced cucumbers
2 cups pickling lime
2 gallons water

dissolve lime in water and soak cucumbers in solution 24 hours. after soaking 24 hours, rinse 3-4 times using fresh water each rinse.

prepare pickling solution:
2 quarts 5% white vinegar
1 Tablespoon Cloves
1 Tablespoon Allspice
1 Tablespoon Celery Seed
9 cups sugar

Put Cloves, Allspice, and Celery Seed in a bag, and add to the vinegar/sugar solution, bring to a boil, remove from heat and add cucumbers.  Let sit for 3 hours, bring to boil for 30 minutes, then jar up the pickles.  Add a cinnamon stick to each jar at bottling.

They're my favorite sweet pickles, but I forgot to put in the cinnamon sticks yesterday.

[Norm]

Thanks Dan, sounds very similar to a recipe my mom used to make.

[LeeB]

Does the lime make them crisp or just impart to the flavor?

[Dan_Shade]

crisp

I missed a part of the recipe, you have to rinse the cucumbers 3-4 times after soaking in the lime solution.  I edited that back in.

[Tom]

Look at the recipe in the knowledge base for Green Tomato Crisps.  the similarity is uncanny.

[Dan_Shade]

we're canning the uncanny!

[LeeB]

Huh, I thought uncanny was when you opened the jar and eat whats in there.

[SwampDonkey]

Foran's canned waxed beans reminds me of mom's mustard bean pickles. Although, I don't care much for canned beans by themselves. However, my mouth is watering for some mustard bean pickles right now.  Nice with a roast of beef. I could eat the whole dang jar.

[Jeff]

We decided to make something different. Right now Michigan Peaches are ready and you can get over ripe bananas for 29¢ a lb so we thought, Hey! Why not try it?  I forgot to take a picture before I had ground up all the bananas but one in the blender.  I told Burlkraft I going to try Banana Jelly and he said he didnt think that sounded good. So, we added about 5 peaches to the mix.  Taste tests of the 300° Jelly has been delayed for a bit. I've got some extra that was not enough to fill a jar cooling. I'll let ya know how it tastes. I'm thinking its goona be good!

[SwampDonkey]

Your going to put Gerbers out of business if you keep it up. ;D

[Dan_Shade]

those aren't over ripe bananas!  They are just where they taste good!

[Jeff]

That's what I think too Dan, But that's not how the Fruit Market sells em. Actually they are perfect.

By the way, the Jelly is very good.

[LeeB]

Let us know how well it holds it's color. i suspect it may darken real quickly. Sounds good though.

[Jeff]

LeeB,  I will do that. I dont think that the color will change though. I know what yer thinking, the nanners. But I think going through the process of becoming jelly and the heat involved to do that, probably has already changed the bananas as much as they they will change.

[Jeff]

Yep, even I can make these and THEY ARE GOOD! From Cucumber to Jar, these Bread and Butter pickles only take about 15 minutes.  This batch I used bigger horizontal slices. Normally on a bigger cucumber I would quarter length wise and then slice. Slice em like ya like em.

2 cups cucumber slices
3/4 cup onion

MIX:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup white vinigar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp mustard seed
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/4 tsp tumeric

Poor mixture over cucumbers and onion and mix.
Place in Microwave for 3.5 minutes
Remove, stir well, return to microwave for another 3.5 minutes

Put in Jar and refrigerate. 

EAT!

[Norm]

I have always just put up veggies in the freezer but after reading this thread I ordered an All American Canner from Amazon. What really sounded good was Roxies' comment about putting up soup. Something about a hot bowl of soup on a cold fall evening that just sounds delicious. Roxie do you have any favorite recipes that you'd share?

We are getting a bumper crop of tomatoes this year too so I'm looking forward to making up some sauces to can also. If anyone has a favorite to share I'd appreciate it.

[LeeB]

Hey Jeff, I just looked at the nannajam pics again and noticed you had the jars upside down to cool. I don't think Lindy does this. Should she be?

[Roxie]

My favorite Vegetable Soup canning recipe is from Ball's Blue Book (use fresh raw vegetables or frozen), and makes 7 quarts (or 14 pints):


1 1/2 quarts water
2 quarts peeled, cored, chopped tomatoes (about 12 large)
1 1/2 quarts cubed, pared potatoes (about 6 medium)
1 quart green lima beans (or substitute green beans)
1 quart cut corn (about 9 ears)
1 1/2 quarts sliced carrots (about 12 medium)
2 cups sliced celery (about 4 stalks)
2 cups chopped onions (about 2 medium)
salt & pepper to taste

Add water to vegetables and bring to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.  Pour hot into hot jars, leaving 1 inch head space.  Process pints 1 hour, quarts 1 hour 15 minutes at 10 pounds pressure. 


To can meat sauce for spaghetti, lasagna or casseroles (makes about 3 quarts):

5 pounds ground beef
2 cups chopped onions (about 2 medium)
1 cup chopped green peppers (about 2 medium)
9 cups cooked or canned tomatoes and juice
2 2/3 cups tomato paste (about 24 ounces)
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp minced parlsely (fresh is best)
1 1/2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp orgegano
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp allspice
2 tbsp cider vinegar

Brown beef, add onions and green peppers and cook slowly until tender.  Add remaining ingredients and simmer until thick enough.  Skim off excess fat.  Pour hot into hot jars, leaving 1 inch head space.  Process pints 1 hour, quarts 1 hour and 15 minutes at 10 pounds pressure. 

To this recipe, I usually add minced garlic (about 3 cloves) and a teaspoon crushed red pepper.  Having your own canned meat sauce is a great way to get a spagetthi supper on the table in 15 minutes. 


And here's one last tried and true recipe from Ball for Beef Stew w/vegetables(makes 7 quarts):

4 - 5 pounds beef stew meat cut into 1 1/2" pieces
1 tbsp olive oil
3 quarts cubed potatoes (about 12 medium)
2 quarts sliced carrots (about 16 small)
3 cups chopped celery (about 5 stalks)
3 cups chopped onions (about 4 small)
1/2 tbsp salt
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp pepper

Brown beef in oil in stew pot.  Add all other ingredients and cover with water.  Bring to a boil.  Ladle hot stew into hot jars leaving 1 inch head space.  Process pints 1 hour 15 minutes, and quarts 1 hr and 30 minutes at 10 pounds pressure. 

[Norm]

Thanks Roxie!

[Don K]

LeeB, When we can we always turn the hot jars on the tops for a few minutes and then flip them back over. It won't be long and you hear those happy pings of sealing tops. I was taught to do this, don't know why except maybe it makes the tops really hot and the slightest cooling causes a seal.

Don

[Norm]

Well the tomatoes are really coming on strong so we're trying to store as much of them as we can to last through the winter. Today we are making batches of Charlie's salsa.



Good stuff!

[Roxie]

Norm, that salsa looks so good, I'm inclined to drive to Iowa, but I guess it's gone by now. 

I spent the day in the kitchen yesterday, and here's a picture of a heap o' jam. 



There's strawberry, blackberry, and raspberry.  A lot of rain = a good berry season! 

[zopi]

Did 12 pints of salsa the other day..cheated with the green beans..froze them...just started one half gallon jar of refrigerator garlic dills this morning, but I bet I have four gallons before the week is out. and my neighbors are sick of cucumbers.

[Modat22]

Canned some squash this weekend using Balls sandwhich pickle recipe subbing squash for the cucumbers then on Sunday pickled as many beets as I could. More of the same planned next weekend.

[Patty]

Wow, you all are way ahead of me! Roxie, your berry jams look delicious! I replanted my strawberry beds this year, so we will not have any home grown berries this year to speak of. Hopefully next year.  :   

I have zero luck with raspberries. It seems all the wild raspberries in the ditches carry a virus or fungus or something that immediately kills any domestic raspberries we plant. I planted some aronia berry bushes this year in hopes of some jam next year. Hopefully they will survive through the winter months. Our peach trees survived the winter, but just barely. We won't be getting any peaches from them this year, but I am sure happy to see them alive. Many folks in our area were not so lucky. We did lose our cherry trees, though, and will be starting all over with them.

This weekend I am making jelly from the last of our berries in the freezer.

[rickywashere]

was reading and thought i would throw this in the best way to do green bean is get them ready as normal ... stick them in a oven  2 1/2 hours middle rack let oven cool remove and you have the best looking beans you ever seen . the added bonus is you can get wayyyyyy more jars in the oven and the canning goes quick

[iffy]

We're going to try the oven method on tomatoes tonight. Gal here at work says she's been doing hers for several yrs that way. For tomatoes she puts them in for 1 hr at 250 degrees and then leaves them in while the oven cools down. Sure should be a lot less messy than the water bath.

[beenthere]

I'd suggest doing some searching of canning methods for different foods.

At this site,

http://www.uwex.edu/news/2003/7/its-canning-season-time-to-update-your-recipes

I found the following:

-- Oven canning, where jars of meat or bread are placed in a hot oven and baked for a period of time before the jars are sealed. This method leads to under-processed foods, with a high risk of botulism poisoning. Oven canning has never been recommended.

Apparently depends on the acid content of some foods, as to what one can get by with. Green beans are said to need more than just a hot water bath, but a pressure cooker as well. That is how we do them, but hot water bath for tomatoes.

[WH_Conley]

I have read the part about no hot water bath for beans. We canned them out in the yard in a # 3 wash tub with a fire under it as long as I can remember. Still use water bath. I think a lot of what is published is to keep the lawyers happy. If it worked for 100 years, why won't it work now, except liability.

[rickywashere]

hehe forgot to add we did it at 225 degrees but it works really well