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Home Canning


nonblonde007

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Sparrowgrass...thank you, thank you, thank you!! Please keep them comming, it's such a help in learning to have great pics, and those are great.

Brenda

I whistfully mentioned how I missed sushi. Truly horrified, she told me "you city folk eat the strangest things!", and offered me a freshly fried chitterling!

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Hi Beef Cheeks (love the name) this is my first post here. I'm executive Chef and we produce food and sausages for 5 star Hotels and also sell in Supermarkets here.

The basic of pasteurizing is very simple, we do pate's, sauces etc...

Make sure you have the right jars with self sealing lids - fill them with the produce you want to preserve until about 1/2 inch under the rim - close the lid firmly and place them into a large pot with boiling water (they should be fully submerged with the water standing 1" above the top of the jars) - keep the water boiling for 1 1/2 hours or longer if you live at a high altitute - remove jars from the water and let cool slowly at room temperature for the vacuum to develop - this is the way I do it and I have our produce tested by the local FDA laboratory every three months with 0 results on all bacterial counts - hope this helps

Edited by JohnBKK (log)
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Can you reuse jar lids?

I know everybook says no, but really, can you use a jar lid more than once? is there a place to buy them in bulk with good prices?

Don't reuse them.

Go to "Big Lots" and look for the American Harvest Brand. Every bit as good, plain and not so pretty.

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The tomato primer continues.

Last night, I made juice. First, I picked out about 25 pounds of nice ripe tomatoes. The green ones are green zebras, and though they don't look like it, they ARE ripe.

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Cut them into chunks and put them into a big stockpot, along with

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Chop those up a bit. I add garlic, too, sometimes, but I forgot. This photography business has me all in a kerfuffle.

Simmer, adding a cup or two of water to prevent sticking, for 20 minutes. At this point, I turned the burners off and let them cool a little, until I could put them in fridge.

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Scoop the pulp into your Pressetomate. What!?!? You don't have one? Get yourself to eBay.

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The puree goes into the white container, the seeds and skins into a bowl, to be saved for the chickens.

I scooped all of the pulp out of the pot and put the juice thru a fine strainer to get the seeds out.

Because I chilled the juice overnight, I needed to heat it before putting it into the fresh out of the dishwasher jars. I tasted it first--mmmm.

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Pour a couple quarts of water into your pressure canner, and toss in the jar lids. They need to be warmed up in simmering water before you put them on the jars.

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I promise, as soon these tomatoes quit producing, I will scrub the pressure canner, and the stove.

Before you ladle the warmed juice into the jars, add a half tsp of citric acid to the jars. This is one of those just to be safe things USDA recommends, and I must admit I don't always do it.

Put the lids and rings on, firmly, but not too tight.

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Set the jars in the simmering water in the pressure cooker and put the lid on. Follow directions for your canner as far as how much water to use, and how to set the pressure. Mine has a weight, not a gauge. Because I am at 1100 feet in elevation, my pressure and time requirements may be different than yours. I can juice for 15 minutes at 15 pounds pressure.

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When the canner weight starts jiggling, start timing. Don't adjust the heat abruptly--doing so may cause the jars to lose liquid. When time is up, leave the canner alone--don't jiggle the weight or release the pressure--jars may break or fail to seal. It may take an hour or more for the canner to cool enough for you to take the top off.

Be careful with the top, if you open a hot canner--open it away from you, so you won't get a faceful of steam.

You may hear the lids PING--that means they have sealed. If they are indented in the middle, they are sealed. Let the jars cool overnight, take the rings off, and wipe the jars off. (Some of the liquid has probably escaped as they were cooking, and it will mold over time, if you don't wash the jars.)

You should be able to lift the jars by the flat lid without it coming off. If you have any jars that don't seal, either reprocess them (NEW LIDS) or just refrigerate them and use them within a week or so.

If you want to avoid the white film visible on some of my jars, add some white vinegar to the water in the canner. It is purely cosmetic, and wipes off with some effort.

Don't use mayo jars--they are too thin and may crack. You can see a Classico spaghetti sauce jar (from my SIL). That is a Mason jar.

For a complete guide to home canning, go to the University of Georgia Extension site.

(edited because I don't speak Italian.)

Edited by sparrowgrass (log)
sparrowgrass
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Sparrowgrass, you are Amazing! Once again, thank you for a wonderful tutorial and great pics.

Brenda

I whistfully mentioned how I missed sushi. Truly horrified, she told me "you city folk eat the strangest things!", and offered me a freshly fried chitterling!

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Here in the Pacific Northwest, it is JUST starting to be peach and tomato season.

I have put up: Sour cherries with brandy and cherry liqueur, Peach preserves with blueberries and Jack Daniels. A few pint jars of peaches.

In order to save space and heat, I have opted to use a 15 quart stock pot rather than a canning kettle. The rack is from Bernardin, which packages two different diameter racks in the same package, for versatility. Since I have no pressure canner, I only do high-acid or high-sugar products, such as fruit, pickles, tomatoes, chili sauce w/ vinegar, and the like. I DID try using a pressure cooker to process some preserves last year, and no one died. But the USDA and Health Canada would frown upon that. Besides, the pressure cooker isn't very tall, so the jars can only be the short 4 oz. size, or I suppose the cool new "elegant" jars from Bernardin http://www.homecanning.ca

(see Products)

Karen Dar Woon

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You can use the waterbath method with most tomato products. I use the pressure canner because it is quicker and heats the kitchen less, a consideration when the mercury hits 105 and there is only one small AC vent in the kitchen.

I took the jars out of the canner this morning. They were still warm, so I haven't removed the rings yet, but all are sealed.

sparrowgrass
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I planted a “Lemon Boy” yellow tomato plant, and it is producing beautifully. Has anyone canned yellow tomatoes – as either sauce, salsa, etc.? Are they treated the same and how do they taste after canning? Should I combine them with my regular red tomatoes or can alone?

Thanks

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I planted a “Lemon Boy” yellow tomato plant, and it is producing beautifully.  Has anyone canned yellow tomatoes – as either sauce, salsa, etc.?  Are they treated the same and how do they taste after canning?  Should I combine them with my regular red tomatoes or can alone?

Thanks

They are all treated the same. I have mixed varieties and also done varieties straight up - It all depends upon what Mother Nature ripens for me at the same time. Kellogg's Breakfast makes a very pretty sauce.

I would think Lemon Boy would look nice in a mixed salsa with other varieties. Festive. The flavor might get lost in the mix if there is too much black or purple there though. Even a strong red tomato might overpower it.

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Last night I made red pepper jelly. I discovered after the peppers, vinegar and sugar had boiled for about 5 minutes that the liquid pectin I thought I had 2 envelopes of was 1 envelope short and that the boxes of pectin in the bag in the drawer were the crystalline form. A quick read of the directions seemed to suggest that the peppers should have been boiled with the pectin then the sugar added and boiled for another minute.

I added 2 boxes of pectin (then realized I should have added just 1 for the amounts I was using) boiled for another 10 minutes or so, tested on a cold plate until it appeared to gel. All the jars sealed and this morning when I opened a bottle I found it just perfect. I'm sure I could never duplicate it again.

This evening I made a batch of Suvir Suran's Tomato Chutney. Delicious. I did cut way back on the hot stuff.

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I’ve got two from today…salsa with tomato, peaches, poblanos and other random hot and sweet peppers, red onion. The tomatoes are Celebrity (the red), Dr. Wyche’s (the yellow), and Japanese Black Trifeles (the green-red). The peaches and peppers get broiled, then chopped up along with the remaining ingredients and some lemon juice.

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…and tomato sauce with bell peppers, onion, garlic and basil. The tomatoes are Better Boy and Carbon. Roasted the tomatoes and peppers… then in a pot with sautéed garlic, onion & white wine. The immersion blender is the handiest damn thing ever. Added shredded basil after blending and simmered a little bit more.

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I can’t wait until it’s winter and I can pop one of these bad boys open.

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...wine can of their wits the wise beguile, make the sage frolic, and the serious smile. --Alexander Pope

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We use beer bottles and have a little tool to tap the bottles.

Once the bottles are full we put them in an old metal drum , fill it with water and boil them.

The second from the right is just a pic of the bottles getting ready to be boiled.

The kids are a big help and actually like to do it (since it is only once a year!).

We buy about 200 kgs of tomatos from a local farmer and bottle them up for the year.

Wow, now those pictures bring back great memories! They look remarkably like tomato day on my grandparent's farm. It is so good for those kids to be hands on, congrats.

I am having trouble figuring out what is going on in that picture on the bottom row, second from right? Are you storing in bottles, is that what I am seeing there? What kind of seal do those take, bail and gasket? My eyes are just not what they used to be.

Very nice tomato press as well. It all makes me smile! :biggrin:

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This thread inspired me. My mom used to can but I never did. I have so many tomatoes and peppers so I figured why not. This weekend - I put up 9 quarts of cold packed tomatoes and 6 pints of habanero jelly. More tomatoes still on the vine - oven drying, salsa or maybe tomato chutney.

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I ran across a fruit stand in the back-woods today, Georgia Peaches, tree ripened and succulent! After eating myself to tremendous bloating and a feeling of complete contentment, I canned the rest. Unfortunately, my camera decided to go on a short vacation and didn't turn out any usable pics. Peeled, sliced, loaded with just the natural juices and a touch of honey, I put away 12 jars of summer, for brightening the cold, dreary days of winter.

Edited by nonblonde007 (log)

Brenda

I whistfully mentioned how I missed sushi. Truly horrified, she told me "you city folk eat the strangest things!", and offered me a freshly fried chitterling!

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Ooh - those should make you happy. I did a batch of canned peaches last year, and cracked it open mid-winter for a totally-out-of-season peach cobbler. It made me so happy.

Peaches here have not been plentiful enough to can. Grrr.

...wine can of their wits the wise beguile, make the sage frolic, and the serious smile. --Alexander Pope

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My fig gave me a bunch of fruit this year so did can 6 pints of gingery fig jam ..omg this is not going to make it into the winter I keep eating it straight out of the jar!

amazing stuff this is the first year I have tried home made fig jam and I am absolutely sure I will never buy a jar of it again!!!

why am I always at the bottom and why is everything so high? 

why must there be so little me and so much sky?

Piglet 

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The peaches here are also quite scarce, I got lucky or lied to. Either way, I am a happy girl! Hummingbirdkiss, I have never tried either fresh or canned fig, I am envious! What part of PS are you in, btw?

Brenda

I whistfully mentioned how I missed sushi. Truly horrified, she told me "you city folk eat the strangest things!", and offered me a freshly fried chitterling!

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  • 2 weeks later...

It is great to see so many people involved with canning. People always look at me strangely when I say I can. Though my friends and family (beneficiaries of said canning hobby) are thrilled with the results. I usually send out a list of products for people to choose and pick up at Thanksgiving. I have almost trained all of them to return the jars!!

Since I have a pressure canning pot as well as a water bath I do a wide range of things:

Tomato based sauce-marinara, spaghetti (meat), tomato porcini, tomato chipolte, Syracuse (with eggplant and olives)

dilly beans

salsa

BBQ Sauce

Rib Sauce

Sweet Hot Pickle Relish

Jalapeno Pepper Jelly

Pickled Peach Relish

Pickled Beets

Pickled Red Cabbage

apple sauce

cranberry sauce, cranberry chipolte chutney, cranberry raspberry preserves

raspberry preserves

raspberry rhubarb jam

Wimpy's Hamburger Relish and its spicier version-Senor Wimpy

Chinese Duck Sauce

Chicken & Corn Stew

Caponata

ratatouille

watermelon rind pickle.

Viva-could you post the recipe for the peach salsa? Thanks

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I bought a case of the most beautiful peaches yesterday. The peaches are from an orchard in the Yakima Valley-it is in the central part of Washington on the East side of the Cascade mountains.

I'm not sure the exact variety but I really don't care-they are huge, tender and juicy. I bought them at my local produce stand.

This year I canned the peaches using a 'Spiced Peaches' recipe out of an old Betty Crocker cookbook. I've used this recipe before and it's really good. If you are a fan of home canning, the old cookbooks have tons of wonderful recipes.

The peaches are really good in the winter with pork chops and also really good for breakfast or in peach desserts.

I'm not a great canner in terms of packing the fruit in the jars. I sure won't win any ribbons at the State Fair for presentation, but the taste is really good.

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I bought a case of the most beautiful peaches yesterday.  The peaches are from an orchard in the Yakima Valley-it is in the central part of Washington on the East side of the Cascade mountains.

I'm not sure the exact variety but I really don't care-they are huge, tender and juicy.  I bought them at my local produce stand. 

This year I canned the peaches using a 'Spiced Peaches' recipe out of an old Betty Crocker cookbook.  I've used this recipe before and it's really good.  If you are a fan of home canning, the old cookbooks have tons of wonderful recipes.

The peaches are really good in the winter with pork chops and also really good for breakfast or in peach desserts. 

I'm not a great canner in terms of packing the fruit in the jars.  I sure won't win any ribbons at the State Fair for presentation, but the taste is really good.

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OMG David you TOTALLY would WIN! Absolutely stunning.

You are truly a well rounded "foodie" cook.

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  • 4 years later...

I recently bought a large All-American pressure canner, mostly because I wanted to make large volumes of pressure-cooked stock and can the results for storage. But now that I have it, I've been canning various things as well. Since I live in NYC and don't have a large garden, I'm not positioned to take advantage of a fall bounty of inexpensive produce with canning. But I have been able to do a few things.

One thing I've done recently is can beans. It's convenient (and far less expensive!) to have access to home canned beans compared to opening a can or cooking from dry. In home-canning dry beans I've followed the USDA recommendations, but I admit that I find them a bit puzzling when it comes to dry beans.

The USDA instructions say that you should soak the beans several hours (I forget the recommended time, but it's sufficient to fully hydrate the beans), then simmer them 30 minutes, then hot-pack them into quart jars, then process at 10 PSI for 90 minutes. Why all the cooking? I guess that simmering them for 30 minutes is to ensure that they have absorbed all the liquid they will absorb and to ensure that they're no less than 90C when put into the canner. So that makes some sense. But then why process them for 90 minutes? This seems a lot longer than the time recommended to sterilize other conductive non-acidic foods. The guidelines for beets, for example, is only 35 minutes. Does anyone have any idea whether this recommendation is entirely safety-based, or whether there is some culinary aim of the 90 minute processing time for dry beans?

--

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I don't have any evidence of it, but I put up quite a few jars of pickled jalapenos every year. This year I have also done several jars of pickled scotch bonnets and pickled beets to add to the mix. I'm also planning to cook down and freeze quite a bit of swiss chard, mostly as an experiment.

There are 3 kinds of people in this world, those who are good at math and those who aren't.

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