Canning Club!

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Replies

  • TropicalKitty
    TropicalKitty Posts: 2,298 Member
    I used to go strawberry picking out in the Fenton area when I was a kid. It's sooo much fun. Strawberries just started coming in here - only one farm I know of that has them so far. I'm thinking about doing other berries later in the season as well.

    Oh berries are so heavenly!

    Grokette, are you a raw eater?
  • mamaturner
    mamaturner Posts: 2,447 Member
    getting very excited for the upcoming canning season!
  • TropicalKitty
    TropicalKitty Posts: 2,298 Member
    We bought two flats (16qts) of local organic strawberries about a week ago... so I now have 16 half pints of jam, 2 loaves of strawberry bread, 9 muffins, and 15 bags of individual servings of frozen strawberries to eat later in the year.

    I love it!

    Oh, and I know this isn't "canning", but it is home food preservation related: I received a FoodSaver for Xmas. I'm in love. It's great. So for those of you into the food preservation, it's another device that is super simple to use and can help a lot to preserve the great products of summer.

    One last thing, anyone know anything about preserving oats? We are getting a 50# bag of steel cut oats on the 6th and I'm not sure what to do to keep them "fresh" or how long they are good for.
  • mobymarsh
    mobymarsh Posts: 67 Member
    the plums are now off the tree and either in the freezer or in one of the thirty jars of plum jam on my shelf, there is also elderberry jam and strawberry jam and rhubarb and ginger jam and tomato jam.

    on the savoury side i have done piccalilli pickled onions beetroot tomato relish and tomorrow i will be starting the marrow pickle.
  • TropicalKitty
    TropicalKitty Posts: 2,298 Member
    Oooh! You remembered this thread! I'm so happy!

    I've been a bit slackerish with the canning this year. I just haven't had the same urge for effort - perhaps because it was so hot here this summer I didn't want to go to the farmers' market as often. hehe

    I am planning an applesauce factory this fall, though.
  • letstrythisagain
    letstrythisagain Posts: 11
    Glad to find this thread, i'd like to can some tomatoes/onions, I bought some used jars and need to get the lids. How long do i need to boil them?
  • TropicalKitty
    TropicalKitty Posts: 2,298 Member
    Glad to find this thread, i'd like to can some tomatoes/onions, I bought some used jars and need to get the lids. How long do i need to boil them?

    It depends on your altitude and usually what size jars you are using. Pints take a few minutes less than quarts. It's generally around 15-20minutes once the water has reached a FULL boil, but you MUST check for your area and recipe.

    University of Georgia has some info for canning. I know I had posted some links in this thread before that will tell you the safe way to process your jars. If you plan on doing more canning, it would be helpful to purchase the Ball book.

    Also, make sure you use tested recipes to help ensure food safety.
  • cdevine10
    cdevine10 Posts: 102 Member
    Bump! I would love to read through this!
  • MamaKatel
    MamaKatel Posts: 180
    What a great thread! I am new to canning and hoping to get some good ideas, tips etc.
  • TropicalKitty
    TropicalKitty Posts: 2,298 Member
    Letstrythisagain - see if this link will help you:
    http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/uga/uga_can_tom.pdf

    And welcome new folks! I'm always excited to see new people wanting to join in! :)
  • TropicalKitty
    TropicalKitty Posts: 2,298 Member
    What a great thread! I am new to canning and hoping to get some good ideas, tips etc.

    One great and free way to start is to google your local extension office (sometimes called agricultural extension office). They usually offer canning classes so you can learn in person how to do things safely.

    Of course online there are some awesome resources from various places. I would generally stick to things associated with universities - Univ of Georgia is a major one in the canning field. Also, there are federal sites - USDA I think?

    Here's the link to UG's info: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/

    And just to save you time: local extension offices
    http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/
  • letstrythisagain
    letstrythisagain Posts: 11
    thanks for the tips!
  • TropicalKitty
    TropicalKitty Posts: 2,298 Member
    So excited for some fall fruits! Getting pears in a week and then apples will be in soon. I think I might do pearsauce this year instead of sliced pears like I did last year.

    Anyone do pearsauce? Did you do it just like applesauce?
  • katdanash
    katdanash Posts: 1,390 Member
    Thanks Jessy for the link to the thread....

    This is my favorite thing to can...

    homemade v8 juice..
    I just cut up the tomatoes, add celery , onion, carrots, green peppers, hotpeppers, garlic I use a large canner cook this down until the veggies are all tender. Put through a food mill and put back on to cook adding spices. including cinnamon stick , garlic powder, celery seed, a litle salt and pepper. cook til as thick as you want it.. then put in jars and cook in hotwater bath for 30 mins... so darn good...
    kat
    sorry no i don't have exact messurments... but ususally takes 1/2 bunch of celery, 6 or 8 green peppers and 1 to 2 lbs of carrots.. hot peppers to taste and about 6 onions .
  • karenleona
    karenleona Posts: 3,959 Member
    bump
  • TropicalKitty
    TropicalKitty Posts: 2,298 Member
    Well, the pearsauce adventure went well.

    10 pints, 2 quarts. I hope everything turns out ok when we open the jars. I'm not sure if bf put the rings on tight enough, so they leaked in the water bath. *crosses fingers*
  • nurse_christieyne
    nurse_christieyne Posts: 231
    Bump for later
  • TropicalKitty
    TropicalKitty Posts: 2,298 Member
    Super excited! Ordered 2 bushels of apples and half a bushel of concord grapes. I might add more grapes to my order since it would be nice to have more juice around. Anyway, I'll have a factory in my kitchen next week. Applesauce, grape jelly and juice!
  • Crowhorse
    Crowhorse Posts: 394 Member
    Here's a link about the acidity and boiling/pressure canning:

    http://www.umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/htmpubs/4078.htm

    I'm glad you posted that. I was just about to comment that you have to watch what you can in a waterbath as opposed to a pressure cooker.
  • TropicalKitty
    TropicalKitty Posts: 2,298 Member
    Here's a link about the acidity and boiling/pressure canning:

    http://www.umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/htmpubs/4078.htm

    I'm glad you posted that. I was just about to comment that you have to watch what you can in a waterbath as opposed to a pressure cooker.

    I've been told you shouldn't use a pressure cooker, something to do with the thickness of the metal. I have a pressure canner that I bought and can use as a pressure cooker, but I wouldn't go the other direction.
  • 20dee
    20dee Posts: 28 Member
    I have canned this crockpot apple butter ( http://www.southernplate.com/2008/07/crock-pot-apple-butter.html ) and it is not only delicious but fills my house with a wonderful fall aroma. I did however substitute half the sugar with a sugar substitute.
  • TropicalKitty
    TropicalKitty Posts: 2,298 Member
    Stopping by for a bump and sharing that I took a pickling class this week. It was based on this stuff: perfectpickler.com and the inventor guy was the speaker. Interesting stuff.

    Happy canning everyone!
  • JJs25th
    JJs25th Posts: 204 Member
    Oh, and I know this isn't "canning", but it is home food preservation related: I received a FoodSaver for Xmas. I'm in love. It's great. So for those of you into the food preservation, it's another device that is super simple to use and can help a lot to preserve the great products of summer.

    One last thing, anyone know anything about preserving oats? We are getting a 50# bag of steel cut oats on the 6th and I'm not sure what to do to keep them "fresh" or how long they are good for.

    Vacumm seal them and keep dry. I use the same canning jars and lids. You can get the attachment for the Foodsaver on their web site. I have both sizes so I can do both size jars. THIS IS NOT CANNING type preservation, but oats will keep pretty near forever as long as they are are kept dry and bug free. I do this with flour, rice, stevia packets and some pasta. I use the FS to seal the lid -- with out the screw cap on it. Then I put a screw cap on it to make sure the lid stays sealed. I check these about once a month or so just to make sure the seal is still holding. IF you don't use the screw cap the seal can let go during times of extreme weather presure change (thunderstorns, hurricains, blizzards, etc.)
  • TropicalKitty
    TropicalKitty Posts: 2,298 Member
    Oh, and I know this isn't "canning", but it is home food preservation related: I received a FoodSaver for Xmas. I'm in love. It's great. So for those of you into the food preservation, it's another device that is super simple to use and can help a lot to preserve the great products of summer.

    One last thing, anyone know anything about preserving oats? We are getting a 50# bag of steel cut oats on the 6th and I'm not sure what to do to keep them "fresh" or how long they are good for.

    Vacumm seal them and keep dry. I use the same canning jars and lids. You can get the attachment for the Foodsaver on their web site. I have both sizes so I can do both size jars. THIS IS NOT CANNING type preservation, but oats will keep pretty near forever as long as they are are kept dry and bug free. I do this with flour, rice, stevia packets and some pasta. I use the FS to seal the lid -- with out the screw cap on it. Then I put a screw cap on it to make sure the lid stays sealed. I check these about once a month or so just to make sure the seal is still holding. IF you don't use the screw cap the seal can let go during times of extreme weather presure change (thunderstorns, hurricains, blizzards, etc.)

    Thanks! I'll have to look for them. Hopefully they have some big jars. It's a sack of oats. haha And I have a bag of rapadura.
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