Home canning

[Jim]

Any of y'all ever do any canning? I gotta barbeque sauce that I'm gonna start puttin' up an' my wife is thinkin' 'bout doin' some peaches and tomatos.

[Four Fingers of Death]

My late wife and I used to 'can' a lot of tomatoes (homegrown), peaches and nectrines (lots of orchards around here) using a 'Vacola.' It was a big boiler and you have special jars with a rubber seal and a metal lid. The water level would come up 2/3 rds the way up around the bottles and it went on the stove. Eventually, the lids would be vacuum sealed on the jars.

With the tomatoes we just filled the sink with boiling water (real hot will do), threw the tomatoes in, let them bob around for 8-10secs, then scooped them out with a big spoon and you can then just pull the skins off, cut the eye out and drop the tomato into the jar. When it was about 1/2 full, we used a potato masher to squash more in. I don't know if she added any salt, I don't think so.

With the fruit, peel and slice and pop into the jars, packing down carefully. We used to use a desertspoon of sugar and hot water in each jar. They tasted pretty good and made for a cheap dessert with ice cream or in pies (with more ice cream of course).

My three sons like the peaches and nectrines, we'd run out of spoons and go hunting under the boy's beds for the empty jars with the spoon inside. Boy, it's a wonder we wern't overun with ants, the number of empty fruit jars that were around the house most times.

probably dosen't work out much cheaper than shop bought specials, but eating local and your own produce that you have preserved is really special and is a real family activity, peeling, seeding washing, etc. Great experience. Similar to putting a meal on the table from your garden or hunting trips.

I intend to get the tomatoes going next year, just retired and have a lot of tripping around to do, I don't think I will get a chance to get the garden going properly this year. It is almost spring here, so now is the time to be getting ready. Our last frost is usually in Novemeber, so I might just squeak in.

One point to remember is cleanliness, every thing must be scrupiously clean, including fingernails, etc. Disposable plastic gloves are best.

The hardware or produce store might be a good place to get ideas ebay might get you an american equivalent of the vacola. Talk to any old ladies in your street, they possibly preserved fruit and may even have old equipment for sale/giveaway.

Good luck with it. Mick.

[dominicfortune00]

Mick

Over here our canning system is different than the one you have.

Our canning jars take a flat metal lid with a rubber sealing compound around the flat bottom edge, that can be sealed once and is used to close the jar after it is opened. They also have a pop up top center that can be seen on some products sold in jars; ie: spaghetti sauce, fruit in syrup.

A ring threads onto the jar to secure the lid, the ring is open in the center so that it only presses down on the lid over top of the sealing compound on the bottom of the lid.

Filling the jars is the same, but where our system differs is that the top edge of each jar is wiped clean, and a lid is set on the jar. A ring is threaded loosely onto each jar.

The jars are placed into a large canning pot, the pot is filled about half way up with water, a lid is placed on the pot, and it is boiled for a certain amount of time.

Doing this heats up the jar and its' contents to sterilize the contents. As air expands when heated, excess air is pushed out of the jar, and a vacuum is created.

The rubber sealing compound on the lid is heat activated, and seals to the jar.

After being boiled for the specified amount of time, the heat is turned off and the jars are allowed to cool in the pot. As they do the vacuum in the jars draws the lids down and seals them. When the jars are cool, they are removed from the canning pot, wiped off, and the rings are hand tightened.

[MT Gianni]

The Vacola sounds like a pressure canner Mick. My wife has a certificate from the University of Idaho and was the County canning coordinator. She cringes at most peoples ideas regarding food preservation. Get a Blue Book from Ball jars and follow the recipes exactly. Another good source is "Putting Food By", I don't recall the author. Tomatoes are considered to not have enough acids so be sure to add lemon juice or vinegar to ensure proper preservation. Gianni

[Ivantherussian03]

Get yourself a new book on canning and follow the directions. That is smart advice.

I would can tomatoes and other things as an adult. I learned watching my grandmother, and mom can alot food growing up. i would can here in the Arctic, but veggie dont grow well enough. I need to more located in the interior of Alaska. I could can meat, which would be fine I suppose, but that is outside my comfort zone, plus I have a freezer, so why bother. Frozen meat is easier to transport, than canned.
Anyway, there is nothing finer than canned homegrown tomatoes.

Good Luck

[Four Fingers of Death]

The only thing recommended by the canning compnies here is fruit and tomatoes. Every thing else is verboten. Bacteria and germs around nowadays that wern't there before or maybe we just figured out what people were getting sick and dying from.

The freezer seems to have replaced most of the canning, etc methods of the past.

[BABore]

Pressure can for safety. As mentioned above, get a good, up-to-date, canning book. Mirror includes one with their pressure canner. Certain foods can be hot packed or sealed with the boiling water bath method. For fruits and vegetables, it all is determined by the acidity level. Low acid foods, meats, and fish must be pressure canned for safety.

I've done many quarts of bison, elk, deer, and salmon with the pressure cooker.

[Junior1942]

Just last week I found down under the sink a quart jar of pork sausage patties I canned some 3 or 4 years ago. I used the Elmer Keith method, which I read in one of his books. First, I sterilized the jar and lid in boiling water. Then I cooked the patties in a big skillet about half full of hog lard oil. Then I stuffed them in the jar and finished filling the jar with hot hog lard oil. Then I put the lid on the jar lightly. About an hour later the lid had popped down, and the jar had cooled. I screwed the lid down tightly and put the jar under the sink.

When I found it last week I didn't open the jar but through the glass sides the sausage looked just like it did the day I canned it. I doubt I eat it, but I believe I could.

Consider the fact that normal canning uses boiling water at 212* whereas hot oil is at 300* to 350*. It kills all household bacteria.

[Bodydoc447]

High acid foods such as tomatoes only require a water bath for proper canning. As mentioned by others, proper sterilization of the jars, lids and rings is essential. Pressure canning is needed for low acid foods such as meats. The pressure canner uses the higher thermal energy content of steam at pressure to ensure proper preservation of the food. My wife and I have canned peaches, pears, apples, tomatoes, pickles, etc., etc. every year using the water bath method to great satisfaction. The Ball book is a standard reference and a really good place to start. Your county agricultural extension office will likely have good information, as well.

Doc

[Rick N Bama]

This year we've canned Beans, Corn, Squash, Greens, Tomatoes, Jams, Jellies & Fruit Preserves. It's a lot of work, but it'll be well worth it this winter. We've never canned meat although I remember my mother doing it, mainly sausage.

Rick

[725]

The Ball jar company puts out a book "Ball Blue Book on Canning", "Blue Ball Canning" or some such. Very good resource and answers all the questions you could have. I've done all sorts of veggies, etc. but the real value comes from canning your successful hunts. Canned venison is out of this world. It's alot of work up front for the food preparation, but when it comes time for a future dinner, half the cooking is already done. Tender and flavorful !!! Besides, you don't refridgerate the canned stuff. Saves on the cost of running an extra freezer. We unplugged our second freezer this summer and saved a bunch. Carefull techniques are required. Follow the instructions in the book. It's easy and pays for itself.

[wills]

You can probably get the book, but this should explain it
http://www.freshpreserving.com/pages/home/1.php

[scrapcan]

You can also find the USDA food preservation manual online also. The new ball book is generally a good start.

My wife and I have done
Peaches, pears, corn, salsa, tomatoes, carrots, potato, apple pie filling, peach pie filling, dill pickles, tomato sauce, bean soup, baked beans, vegetable soup, jams and jellies, etc..

My mom and my grand mother canned lots of meat (elk, deer, moose, and beef), poultry, and fish. I like canned meat alot. It is great to hav edhe canned elk or deer and a jar of potato in a hot skillet. We alsways eared the read meat and seasoned it before canning. The fish we just cut to fit the jars and followed the process they had used for years. If I were to do fish or meat I would follow the current recomendations.

As a side note my wife is a microbiologist that works with food borne illness. Believe me it is not pretty when your food is not safe.

[Firebird]

Many of the old "vintage" or "antique" tomato variety's only need to be water bath canned; but most of the new modern varieties do NOT have enough acid in them and should be pressure canned. Follow the blue book recipes for safety sake; and if when you do later open a canned jar of food and you see some mold on the food or get a weird smell or an outrush of air when the jar is opened - throw it away and don't eat it.

[94Doug]

Spaghetti Sauce, Beets, Salsa.

Doug

[jawjaboy]

Would dehydration of the above mentioned delicacy's be worth mentioning here. Meats, fruits, vegetables, spices. Lots less work. :?:

Jes askin. :mrgreen:

.

[floodgate]

Firebird:

The latest info we have (my wife water-bath cans a LOT) is just the opposite; it is the older varieties that are low in acid. Over-ripe tomatoes can also show low acidity. She adds lemon juice or white vinegar to all tomatoes, just to be sure.

Floodgate

[MT Gianni]

Would dehydration of the above mentioned delicacy's be worth mentioning here. Meats, fruits, vegetables, spices. Lots less work. :?:

Jes askin. :mrgreen:

.

My wife dries a lot of her spices and fruits. We have done vegetables in the past. I like a wide mouth thermos full of veggies, jerky and some bullion when I ice fish. Gianni

[1911sw45]

I second the book called "Putting food by" my grandmother gave me that book years ago and I used it alot. Its a paper back book. Mine was published in 1975 I think. They have a new version but I use the old one. If you like Bread & Butter pickles they have a good one in there.

[Junior1942]

I second the book called "Putting food by" my grandmother gave me that book years ago and I used it alot. Its a paper back book. Mine was published in 1975 I think. They have a new version but I use the old one. If you like Bread & Butter pickles they have a good one in there.That book is only ~$11.50 on Amazon. I ordered a copy for myself and three more for Christmas gifts. Thanks!!

[DLCTEX]

We used to can a lot, but now that my wife has become a business woman we only have a small garden and eat most of what it produces fresh. We do freeze some of it and freeze our peaches, apricots, wild picked blackberries, and juice of wild plums and grapes. The frozen juices are thawed and used to make jelly as needed. We have made jelly from juices kept frozen for three years. DALE

[sundog]

This was the first year we had pears from our own trees. Made several pies, mmmmmmm. Next year we will have enough to can.

Dale, glad you mentioned the wild plum juice. I have purposefully cultivated several volunteer plums - they got pretty tore up in last winter's big ice storm. Next year will be the first go at for them. Some of the trees appear to be very prolific fruiters.

Got a crab apple on the shooting berm out back, too. If I have time I will gather them this year and run them thru a food mill for apple butter, maybe. Definitely next year on them, too.

No pecans this year here. Last year was pretty good. They get shelled and go in the freezer in zip locks. Still have some left from last year.

[richbug]

I did a little better than 1000 jars so far this year, all from my garden, or families orchards. No or low cost food is a big help on the budget. This along with a few bushels of winter squash, onions and about 1000 pounds of potatoes should do us.

I did 120 quarts of applesauce over the weekend, 15 or so of pears.

There is a crock of Kraut on the counter that needs canned if I can get the gumption to do it.

[Thumbcocker]

Some really good resources for all things canning, including meats:

The Enclycopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery includes all sorts of stuff on a lot of topics.

Stocking up III

The Backwoods Home magazine web site.

The Homesteading Fourm on Garden Web.

FWIW

[Junior1942]

That book is only ~$11.50 on Amazon. I ordered a copy for myself and three more for Christmas gifts. Thanks!!My four copies of "Putting Food By" arrived from amazon.com (with free shipping). It even has a section on canning for the microwave and one for freezing food. The ladies in my family will like their gifts from me!

[Thumbcocker]

Be very careful Junior. A lady I worked with once told me that "present" did NOT include something that plugged into the wall or went on top of the stove. You are getting close to dangerous territory.

[PatMarlin]

I bought my wife one of these dehydrators:

http://www.excaliburdehydrator.com/

The company is in my home town and they are awesom machines. Right now we are both to busy to can, and yet all you have to do is slice and set vegies on the shelve screens. She even dried corn!

Fruit you soak in some water and ascobic acid (vitamin C) then dehydrate and it's the best there is with no chemicals.

Set the timer and walk away. In fact I'm eating plums right now. Fast easy way to put up food.

We do apples then rehydrate them for pies.

[MT Gianni]

Pat, any acid works for fruits as it keeps them from turning brown. My wife sprays them with lemon juice in a small household sprayer dedicated for that use only.

[PatMarlin]

I used to can all of my fish at the old house, but we had a big kitchen. This ones to small, so until I exand it the dehydrator works well.

The acids are alot better than the silicoln dioxcide they use in store bought. Probably kills us.

[jawjaboy]

I bought my wife one of these dehydrators:

http://www.excaliburdehydrator.com/


Look sort'a like this one Pat? ;-)


http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g194/jawjaboy/IM000330.jpg

[PatMarlin]

That be the one.

[ammohead]

I cubed up antelope meat stuffed it into pint jars added water and seasoned with salt pepper and chili powder. Pressure canned for 90 min. Used to also can a variety of veggies.

For a quick meal we would open a jar of antelope meat, carrots, green beans, stewed tomatoes, and early red potatoes. Called it Instalope Stew!

[georgeky]

Hey fellers. I am a newbie here and had to read this forum as it is right up my alley. I am a life long tobacco/cattle farmer in the Bluegrass region of KY. I am also an old hand at canning and preserving all types of foods including veggies, meats, and relesh's and sauces. If I can be of any help just holler. I have step by step procedures and pics on another forum. If management wouldn't care I could post a link.

Here is a pic or two of some of my goods. All my food comes off the farm and is put up right here. I can even pronounce all the ingredients.

Various stuff here.

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z212/georgeky/cannedfood.jpg

My homemade sourkraut. The darker colored kraut is a year old. It tends to darken a bit with age. The light colored had just been put up and hasn't even fermented in this pic yet.
http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z212/georgeky/000_0290.jpg

Some of this years goodies waiting to be canned.
http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z212/georgeky/000_0209.jpg

[Junior1942]

Hey, georgeky, don't you dare stop posting on this forum!!

[HABCAN]

Built a permanent greenhouse/toolshed, and bought a Presto pressure canner and jars, lids, and stuff. Now all I gotta do is learn how to USE it all to feed my face, LOL! The way things are going it looks like I better learn FAST.

[georgeky]

I will probably hang around a while.


Here is my little veggy greenhouse. Just a 7' X 10' built on skids. I just hook a tractor to it and move it around wherever I want. It will grow 3000+ plants with a 90% stand. Don't always have that good a stand but is plenty for me.

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z212/georgeky/000_0525.jpg

View from inside. I raise all my cabbage, tomato's, broccoli, cauliflower,peppers, a few flowers and so on in here. Most other veggies I raise are from seed planted directly in the garden

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z212/georgeky/000_0567.jpg

[HABCAN]

Here's some pics of mine. All I know so far is it gets WARM in there, so that much works.

[45nut]

links such as yours are a-ok george

[PatMarlin]

You guys would be the envy of all the 215 card carrying medicinal pot growers of California.. :mrgreen:

[jawjaboy]

:lol:

[georgeky]

HABCAN, that is a state of the art greenhouse you have there.

Very nice!

[45 2.1]

Hey fellers. I am a newbie here and had to read this forum as it is right up my alley. I am a life long tobacco/cattle farmer in the Bluegrass region of KY. I am also an old hand at canning and preserving all types of foods including veggies, meats, and relesh's and sauces. If I can be of any help just holler. I have step by step procedures and pics on another forum. If management wouldn't care I could post a link.

How about that link George?????????

[georgeky]

Here you go. This is the sourkraut link.

http://www.marlinowners.com/forums/index.php/topic,31160.0.html

Canning maters.

http://www.marlinowners.com/forums/index.php/topic,32870.0.html

Green beans.

http://www.marlinowners.com/forums/index.php/topic,33119.0.html

Salsa.
http://www.marlinowners.com/forums/index.php/topic,33274.0.html

[HABCAN]

Thank you George, I STILL have to learn to USE it! Next Spring, fer shure.

[georgeky]

A little potting soil, water, fertilizer and patience is all it takes. A few seeds don't hurt either I reckon. I grow all mine on water. The styrofoam trays hold 200 plants each and float on a thin bed of water. The potting soil is available with fertilizer already in it or you can use plain soil and add the fertilizer to the water. This is the same way some of us tobacco farmers raise tobacco plants now days. Friend of mine has a 40' by 300' greenhouse for tobacco plants and it uses an overhead sprinkler system and is climate controlled. To modern for me.

[PatMarlin]

I would think tobacco would be a definte advantage during real hard times as a barter tool.

Maybe alcohol also. Hey wait a minute... what about firearms? ...:mrgreen:

[Heavy lead]

What guns....
Oh, those were stolen....
damn thieves!

[Junior1942]

The really good bargaining material 20 to 30 years post-apocalypse would be non-corroded loaded ammo, especially 22 rimfire.

[georgeky]

Seen a feller on the news a few nights back said to put your money into Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. He said no matter how hard times got folks would smoke, drink, and hunt/need a gun.

[Junior1942]

Seen a feller on the news a few nights back said to put your money into Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. He said no mater how hard times got folks would smoke, drink, and hunt.They'll need condums, too.

[PatMarlin]

That Junior- always thinkn' about priorities... :mrgreen:

[Suo Gan]

Jim, You probably have more posts than you need here (and I have not read them all) but I would like to offer my two cents. Buy the Ball Blue Book from Amazon or the local store. Also, remember that non acidic foods like green beans need to be canned in a pressure cooker, no ifs, ands, or buts. What you have mentioned canning should be fine in a water bath canner, just make sure the BBQ sauce is plenty acidic (vinegar, etc.) Still can't get over how cool this site is.

Cast you later, SG

[PatMarlin]

Stock up on lids. We're gonna need them.

[leadeye]

Seen a feller on the news a few nights back said to put your money into Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. He said no matter how hard times got folks would smoke, drink, and hunt/need a gun.

I guess I will need to figure out how to raise tobacco, I already make homemade wine and ammunition.