Canning -- 2010

[signseeker]

So... anyone started canning yet? :l0 (26):

I canned 8 pints of strawberry jam today. Strawberries were $1/pound at Wal-Mart. I heard the weather screwed up the Florida berries so they're coming on simultaneously with the California berries... hence, the glut. Whatever, we love strawberries.

I'm tired of the freezer jam, so I did the canned jam.

I'll do 8 more pints tomorrow, maybe Strawberry-Kiwi Jam. Bought 30 kiwis today, too. :001_sbiggrin:

[4evermama]

I use the winter months to can meat.
However, today at the store I saw tons of tomatoes and strawberries.
Hmmmmmm........
Also picked up a 50# bag of baking potatoes for $4.99. My 5yr old saw the bag in the entry (the usual drop point for bulk produce) and said..."how are you gonna' can those"?

Good times beget great comments.

My last jam was spiced cherry (frozen residuals from the summer). Worked on pickled garlic after Christmas and canned enough cranberry sauce for every holiday until 2012. (My girls love it with Challah Bread.)

[phylm]

I use the winter months to can meat.
However, today at the store I saw tons of tomatoes and strawberries.
Hmmmmmm........
Also picked up a 50# bag of baking potatoes for $4.99. My 5yr old saw the bag in the entry (the usual drop point for bulk produce) and said..."how are you gonna' can those"?

Good times beget great comments.

My last jam was spiced cherry (frozen residuals from the summer). Worked on pickled garlic after Christmas and canned enough cranberry sauce for every holiday until 2012. (My girls love it with Challah Bread.)

We have been canning meat for a couple of years, whenever we see a good sale on it. This month it is 10 lbs. of chicken legs and thighs for $4.40, so we'll probably do another 50 lbs. of that.

What I wanted to tell you, though, is that, when a 10 lb. bag of potatoes was beginning to sprout on us a month ago, we canned them, too. Tried a jar of them last week. They tasted fine, but I hadn't put any citric acid on them, so they had turned a bit brown. Our big potato patch is beginning to bloom, and my husband says he wants to can most of the harvest. We don't have any cold storage here, so that's probably the most practical thing to do with them

Incidentally, if you don't cool early potatoes immediately after they are dug, they won't keep. We learned that the hard way when we sold 14 bushels to a neighbor one warm September in Vermont. Had to replace them all with later potatoes. We had never thought of it, because we usually dug potatoes in cold October.

[prairiemom]

Yeah, canning is pretty much a year-round thing here. I still have a couple turkeys from Thanksgiving sales to can, but I have a burner that needs to get fixed before I can do it. At least that's my excuse. And then yesterday dh bought 40 lbs of pork, so I definitely need to get going on the meat.

Strawberries don't ripen here until late June, but I can't wait to do some--jams AND dehydrated for cereal and bread.

[4evermama]

Thanks for the advice on the potatoes.

My kids love canned meatballs, but my hubby's canned fave is pork butt. I put up 80 lbs of it the first go round. He loves chili verde and the meat was PERFECT for that. It also makes awesome pulled pork sandwiches.

I grabbed a couple of extra hams after Easter so I'll probably work on that and the potatoes.

Any tried and true soup recipes? I'm always looking for something new.

[Highlandsunrise]

The canned meat balls sound good, 4evermama, would you be willing to share that recipe? We just do browned and seasoned ground beef and chicken every year when it is on sale.

[signseeker]

Meatball recipe, please?

Wow! Canned strawberry jam is WAAAAY better than the freezer jam. IMO. :thumbsup:

[Julie]

I just got my new Victorio dual use canner - getting ready for the new canning season. I have some apples left from last fall that are a little soft so I think I'll make some applesauce.
I was hoping that strawberries would go on sale here but no such luck.:mad5:

[signseeker]

Dual use canner - what do you mean?

[signseeker]

oop

[Julie]

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51OXgDFqqbL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

* Innovative canning rack allows you to use the same canner for both water bath and steam canning jobs
* Built-in thermometer with three color-coded elevation settings eliminates guesswork and makes timing
* 24-quart liquid capacity for boiling water or other cooking tasks.
* Water bath capacity: 8 pints or 7 quarts.
* Steam capacity: 9 pints, 8 quarts, or 5 half-gallons.

This is a quote from a customer -

"This canner is AMAZING! I prefer steam canning because it takes less time and uses less water - but this canner can be a steam canner or a water bath canner and it's the only canner I've ever seen that can fit 8 quart jars in one batch (only when using it as a steam canner). It has a really cool color coded indicator on the lid that lets me know exactly when to start my timer - no more watching for the steam to start my processing time! I also love that it is stainless steel with a stainless steel jar rack so I don't have to worry about it rusting. I love it! "

[signseeker]

I thought we weren't supposed to steam can stuff. :blink:

[Julie]

I thought we weren't supposed to steam can stuff.

Steaming is the best way to can. Shorter processing time. They advised us not to because you had to time with the steam come out of a hole in the lid of the steamer canner. I guess some were not timing it right and were not processing long enough. With this steamer you have a temperature gauge to watch so you will have accurate timing. I plan on getting another one next month. At one time they told us at one time not to use the boil bath and to steam. Maybe one day they will make up their minds.

[Lucy]

Steaming is the best way to can. Shorter processing time. They advised us not to because you had to time with the steam come out of a hole in the lid of the steamer canner. I guess some were not timing it right and were not processing long enough. With this steamer you have a temperature gauge to watch so you will have accurate timing. I plan on getting another one next month. At one time they told us at one time not to use the boil bath and to steam. Maybe one day they will make up their minds.

I think that boil and steam are used for the same thing. Pressure canning is different.